Rust never sleeps and the Business Roundtable always wants more unearned wealth from the rest of us

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It was no surprise to see the New Zealand Initiative (the old Business Roundtable rebranded) provide a platform for a Rogernomics-era free-marketeer, Stephen Jennings, to tell us we needed more market-led reforms – especially in education.

Jennings is worth $980 million according to the NBR rich list and is currently in Africa looking for more money-making opportunities.

Jennings made his first pile here in the 1980s as the fourth Labour government privatised state assets. He pocketed millions of unearned wealth created by former generations of New Zealanders who built up this country’s infrastructure for the benefit of the country well into the future.

Then he moved to Russia where he made billions more pillaging the wealth of generations of Russian workers through the privatisation of their state assets. Now he’s in Africa working to amass more wealth from African workers.

On the one hand Jennings message is the same – free-market capitalism is the only way forward – but on the other it was less bullish.

He supports some interventions in the economy and claims rising inequality is a problem that will come back to bite us. He worries about political instability (it’s bad for predatory capitalists like Jennings) as in the US with Donald Trump or the BREXIT vote in the UK. He fears it could come here next year.

So who or what does Jennings see as responsible for rising inequality? The free market? The privatisation of public assets? The gutting of New Zealand manufacturing by cheap imports? The driving of tens of thousands of New Zealanders into poverty by free-market capitalism? The shifting of taxes from the rich to the rest of us? The inability of capitalist to curb their greed? The failure of families to feed their kids on poverty wages? Appalling housing? The obscene salaries paid to senior managers in the private and public sectors?

TDB Recommends NewzEngine.com

No, no, no, says Jennings – the problem is the teacher unions!

Jennings, at the behest of his Roundtable mates, claims poor teaching was behind the low-educational achievement of children in schools in low-income areas. He says teachers are failing Maori and Pasifika kids in particular. He wants performance pay for teachers despite the highest performing countries in education, like Finland for example, specifically rejecting performance pay in favour of high professionalism of teachers, collaboration, co-operation and the aim that every child succeeds.

Pity the people of Africa having to put up with this corporate bludger.

57 COMMENTS

  1. These guys always push the blame or agenda onto a party they reject… This guy is definitely behind the demise of the unions so it is no surprise really… This group want the status quo and must feel uncomfortable with political tipping point changing recently.

  2. Jennings, the man, he has to be loyal to his cause, does he not, therefore he does not surprise me with the self benefiting propaganda he pumps out to us.

    What enrages me more is, how TVNZ’s Q+A (now with Jessica Mutch and more lipstick and facials), present this man as some modern day “guru” or top “consultant” on our economic and social woes or challenges.

    Jennings, the man, he has to be loyal to his cause, does he not, therefore he does not surprise me with the self benefiting propaganda he pumps out to us.

    What enrages me more is, how TVNZ’s Q+A (now with Jessica Mutch and more lipstick and facials), present this man as some modern day “guru” or top “consultant” on our economic and social woes or challenges.

    http://tvnz.co.nz/q-and-a-news/businessman-calls-govt-fix-inequality-education-video-6482122

    This is the state broadcaster, and giving him ample air and TV time, not asking any hard questions, so he can sit there like a “wise man”, repeating much of what we have been indoctrinated with since Roger Douglas and his NZ version of Chicago Boys infiltrated the Labour Party and the New Zealand establishment.

    Jennings is making money from property development and so forth, and from speculation that often goes hand in hand with this activity, as I gather, he builds nice projects in Africa, for the new upper class, the new, modern upper middle class, to frolic around in, and do their luxury goods shopping of stuff they import from other places.

    http://www.nbr.co.nz/stephen-jennings
    http://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=839122&privcapId=39743170

    His main business now:

    ‘Rendeavour’

    http://www.rendeavour.com/

    One of their projects:
    http://www.rendeavour.com/projects/appolonia/

    Reuters on his exit from Russia and Renaissance:
    http://www.reuters.com/article/russia-rengroup-idUSL1N0BL17E20130221

    “The Vedomosti daily, citing a letter to staff, said New Zealander Jennings resigned on Jan. 1 as chief executive of Renaissance Group, the business he retained after he exited his loss-making investment bank, Renaissance Capital, in November.

    “Stephen is in the same situation as many of you – a shareholder who has left the group,” Deputy CEO Hans Jochum Horn said, according to a Russian translation of the letter.

    Jennings’ departure comes after the sale in November of his one-half stake in Moscow investment bank Renaissance Capital, and other assets, to tycoon Mikhail Prokhorov’s Onexim group. …”

    SO WHY DOES TVNZ THINK IT IS WORTH HAVING SUCH A MAN ADVISE US ON OUR FUTURE NEEDS???

    The MSM are mere mercenaries to the powers that be here, nothing else.

  3. There are only a few unions left that have significant numbers and some influence, and of course, the ones like Jennings will do all, to finally undermine and destroy these remaining few unions as well, so that business gets even more easy for them.

    Let us also remember that even Labour flirt with the NZ Initiative, in regards to solving the “housing crisis”:
    http://m.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11553128

    I’d be very careful re what is going to happen, if Labour’s Twyford gets too cosy with developers, and ones like Oliver Hartwich from the NZ Initiative.

    Quote:
    ” We propose three modest ideas:

    •Instead of using urban growth boundaries, empower communities to protect places that are of special character and value to them.

    •Free up density and height controls and rely more on high urban design standards including requirements for open and green space, to allow more affordable housing in the city. Let the market discover where and how people want to live.

    •Take developers out of the business of financing new infrastructure. Instead, spread the cost over the assets’ lifetime, either by issuing local government bonds or establishing Community Development Districts.”

    In short that means, Council’s and ratepayers will subsidise the developments that developers will build, by taking over the bonds (costs) for infrastructure. Also be mindful what “intensification” may mean in the end. These recommendations do not come without strings attached, and developers want their “fair share” (i.e. a nice profit!).

    That is how far things have gone, in New Zealand, most do not even question all this anymore, the influence of big business, their think tanks and what they offer in “consulting reports” and “research”.

  4. Hilarious that the BRT has ‘rebranded’ to the “New Zealand Initiative” – or it would be if they did not hold so much power to confuse. With the rebrand we would be led to believe that the NZI is politically neutral but it’s previous incarnation would tell us otherwise.

    In regards Mr Jennings ‘warnings’ – these are only because it puts his profit margins at risk. Blaming teacher unions for student failure is like blaiming his beloved National party (or worse, ACT) for such as outcome – after all it has happened on their watch eh?!

    Rabid neoliberal corporate raiders like Mr Jenning’s don’t care about anything but earning yet more money than they could ever want. let alone need – at the expense of the working class. Appalling but entirely to be expected in the current political environment – thanks to Brexit this seems to be changing …

  5. The New Zealand Initiative came out with a report recently to do with education.

    If Stephen Jennings were serious about education the first thing he would do is get poseurs putting out such crap to learn about a thing that used to be called “intellectual rigour.”

    • True, and that report seemed well expressed with little perceptible political bias. These bastards were simply trying to build up credibility for later ‘reports’ that will no doubt urge right-wing reforms. We need to brand them with BRT as often as possible, and fight loudly.

    • Given his age, surely Jennings was educated with a strong union presence that allowed for good quality education. Given where he is in his working life, why does he heap blame on those that educated him and how did he suddenly become an expert on education. Jennings needs to look at the overall governance of the education ministry to find the reasons behind poor education. I’d suggest he start with under funding. I liken teachers to quality CEO’s who’m are paid hundreds of thousands/millions of dollars. Teachers output generations to come. Paying peanuts isn’t an incentive to be a quality teacher and teachers go above and beyond their duty. They are teachers, mentors, sports coaches, etc, etc, etc.

      “The gutting of New Zealand manufacturing by cheap imports”

      This is where, I believe, was the beginning of the end. The late 90’s, early 2000’s under a National lead government, destroyed NZ manufacturing, through deregulation thus creating record employment.

  6. What a joke. Research by Harvard business review emphatically showed performance pay doesn’t work. It’s a typical underhanded lie from right wing extremists to divide and conquer to diminish the influence of the teachers union so righties can force through privatisation and further dumbing down of education.

    I was also privy to some of the manoeuvring that gutted the NZ Institute and created the Roundtable-lite Initiative. My organisation was deeply sceptical of the promises made that it wouldn’t be a re-warmed Roundtable and as we suspected soon after formation it started down the tired old Neo liberal agenda track. I also tried to engage with their researcher on performance pay in education but when I drew their attention to the HBS work they stopped responding. Typical Tories, don’t want the truth interfering with their skewed world view.

  7. Very well put, John. Jennings is a honey-tongued viper, and the media present him as the enlightened voice of reason…

  8. Yes john,

    Stephen Jennings looks like an evil doer and would gladly steal off his own grandmother for gain at her expense.

    This is the side of an evil empire Government policy to stack their ranks with ruthless individuals who have no principals except rob from what left for the poor and leave us all destitute.

    We all must double our efforts too rid them all in the election year ahead or we will perish at the hands of these carpetbaggers and greedy operators.

    Put him on the list of Joyce, English, Key and many others we must banish.

    Stephen Jennings may even turn up at Nactionals junket propaganda tours around NZ at so called “Taking care of business” part of MBIE “Economic Regional Road Shows” see the schedules for these around the country.

    http://www.mbie.govt.nz/about/whats-happening/events/taking-care-of-business

    When four MP;s that come to HB 25th July 2016 these evil spinners come next week to try and shore up new sources of support for national’s flagging poll numbers and our local National Spinners will be out in force throwing our tax money around saying look how good we have been to you all so vote National next year!!!!

    Not in a million years Nactional as we cant afford your pilfering of our dwindling assets any more and running down our services and rail system to destruction!!!.

    “Taking Care of Business”

    A small business roadshow series of 16 events will be held between June and October 2016, in both urban and provincial locations across New Zealand.

    25 July – Hastings Function Centre, Hastings – 3.30pm-5.30pm

    26 July – The White House, Gisborne – 12.00pm-2.00pm

    27 July – Shandon Golf Club, Petone – 5.30pm-7.30pm

    1 August – Steeple Conference Centre, Palmerston North – 4.00pm-6.00pm

    2 August – TSB Showplace, New Plymouth – 3.00pm-5.00pm

    4 August – Mills Reef, Tauranga – 12.00pm-2.00pm

    8 August – Zealong Tea, Hamilton – 4.00pm-6.00pm

    19 September – Westpac Business Centre, Pohutukawa Room, Whangarei – 5.00pm-7.00pm

    25 October – Vodafone Events Centre, Manukau – 3.00pm-5.00pm

    26 October – The Spencer on Byron Hotel, Auckland – 12.00pm-2.00pm

    26 October – The Maritime Room, Princes Wharf, Auckland – 3.30pm-5.30pm

  9. [Comment deleted. Definitely offensive. Potentially defamatory. If you repeat that reference to “pedophiles” in a similar context, your posting privileges will be rescinded for a month, possibly forever. – ScarletMod]

    • What about Freedom of Speech and giving a real perspective on New Zealand’s Education System and a right-of-centre perspective on how to fix it?

      • David, “freedom of speech” on your own blog, maybe. We’re guests here and we abide by the host’s rules. Don’t like it? Set up your own blog. (That’s what you Righties continually tell us when we criticise Mediaworks, NZ Herald, etc.)

        • Setting up their own blog is too much like hard work for trolls.
          Hit and run, that is what they do best.

    • As far as ACT is concerned, the current education system is absolutely dysfunctional and what is needed is privatisation, which is the panacea to all the ills of those with namby-pamby liberal thinking about social institutions being better governed and funded by the state.

      For most poor parents, education is expensive because of all the add-on fees. If voters party vote ACT and therefore endorse 20% GST, 20% Personal tax and 20% Business tax, there will be more than enough money to totally fund a world-class education system with UK-style Academies and scholarship-funded high-schools and universities.

      The current education system is stuffed and PPP Schools will solve that.
      The current education system is stuffed and Bulk-Funding will solve that.
      The current education system is stuffed and private enterprise running schools will solve that.

      The wealthy fund their own high-class system of private schools through personal choice and their own funds, slightly topped up with state-funding and bulk-funding will go part of the way towards a full voucher-sytem education which will benefit poorer Kiwis until the trickle down of 20-20-20 tax system kicks in.

      Once the the NZ Teacher Union – PPTA – sees the benefits of PPP, Bulk-Funding and Voucher-system education for 90% of State-Funded Schools, the better New Zealand’s Education system will be.

      ACT and The New Zealand Initiative understand each other very well when it comes to a world-class education system, funded by a properly funded governement, fairer tax system, and run by private enterprise.

      • Since David Seymour is right into the experiment with charter schools do you reckon he’d be up for instigating all of your recommendations in his own electorate? And canvass right up front with those for Act through the country in the election?

        • Well, Pete, PPP is obviously not suitable for the Epsom electorate because it is meant to help parents in poorer areas to have better choices in their suburbs and electorates for all-important education. And yes PPP is the only way forward to fix a poorly performing state education system.

          I think Pete knows very well that the voters of Epsom already have adequate schools in their electorate and private education available for their children if they need other choices.

          Poorer families do not have choice and PPP schools, supplemented with an education voucher system would fix the failing state-system over night.

          I suspect Pete is another leftie teacher trying to stir up trouble for ACT.

        • Yep lets have a burger King/Meryl lynch charter school in Epsom. Make sure they cut all the funding to AGGS and EGGS as being public schools their funding deserves to be cut for an ACT/National charter school experiment that is proven not to work!

          Look at Trump that is the type of citizens that Charter schools develops….

          Build the wall, build the wall, In a few years we will have the Charter school citizens that Seymour wants… poor, ignorant and divided.

      • PPP or Charter schools as they are known, are there to return a dividend. Education should only be there to profit children, not the other way round. Anything else is being disingenuous.

        I pay 15 % GST and 18.95% tax at present.
        How does paying 20% for both make me richer. No wonder there is only one Act member in parliament( and there shouldn’t be).

        • You would be the exception with 18.5% personal tax Bert, but, that aside, the extra 1.5% would help pay for superannuation going forward. But when ACT gets back into coalition in 2017, expect to see some big changes.

          Dropping Business tax down to 20% would certainly stimulate the economy and allow more jobs to be created with businesses being more competitive.

          ACT is a progressive party and 20% GST will make sure that those who can afford more “things” can afford to pay more of a dividend to the government and help pay for superannuation for all kiwis.

          Once the biggest drain on the economy, education, is privatised, then there will be more money available for superannuitants. So, those currently voting for Winston Peters, would be better served switching their party vote to ACT, to secure superannuation payments continuing for current elderly beneficiaries.

          • ACT will NOT get into any “coalition”, my friend, it will be buried for good in 2017.

            • Well Mike in Auckland, I beg to differ.

              There are so many more wealthy people in NZ, especially in Auckland, who are benefitting from rising house prices, which is a direct result of neoliberal policies of getting government out of State Housing. This is ACT’s belief to get government out of the social engineering and Nanny State mentality of a “state house from cradle to grave”.

              ACT promotes personal responsibility.

              Who do you think these nouveau riche are going to vote for Mike in Auckland? Hone Harawira? John Minto? No Mike, these nouveua riche, will vote like Epsom voters vote. Those that have more established wealth and all the nouveau riche voters want to protect their wealth from rampant socialism, verging on communism.

              Expect to see ACT raise its Party Vote % in New Zealand, especially now that Colin Craig will not be returning to New Zealand politics.

            • Well Mike in Auckland, I beg to differ.

              There are so many more wealthy people in NZ, especially in Auckland, who are benefitting from rising house prices, which is a direct result of neoliberal policies of getting government out of State Housing. This is ACT’s belief to get government out of the social engineering and Nanny State mentality of a “state house from cradle to grave”.

              ACT promotes personal responsibility.

              Who do you think these nouveau riche are going to vote for Mike in Auckland? Hone Harawira? John Minto? No Mike, these nouveua riche, will vote like Epsom voters vote. Those that have more established wealth and all the nouveau riche voters want to protect their wealth from rampant socialism, verging on communism.

              Expect to see ACT raise its Party Vote % in New Zealand, especially now that Colin Craig will not be returning to New Zealand politics.

              • Living in lala land, in your own time warp and exclusive Epsom space, I fear, drawing conclusions from that for all of us. I call this something like total alienation or even insanity. But good luck with your crowd, you can perhaps enjoy the perks from those champagne glass swinging rich pricks, who will already make all efforts to put their wealth in trusts all over the world, following advice of the likes of Mossack Fonseca.

                How much do they pay you for posting here?

              • David, I’m unsure if you’re taking the piss, or are for real. Sorry, it’s hard to tell sometimes with your Righties.

                If you think Act will survive without Key’s benevolence and gifting you guys Epsom, then you’re snorting some seriously dangerous stuff.

            • Hey! See more butts! You would have a point if mortgage debt hadn’t over cooked the debt market.

              I mean why buy education when most can’t afford to buy a house?

              Silly thinking like yours always fails the smell test dea champ

              • Always the first resort of the uninformed to play the man, not the ball Sam.

                Selling state houses will help to balance the deficit, which , as you rightly know, is quite a high legacy from a spendthrift Labour government with huge Nanny-State expenditure.

                Selling state houses will also lower the wage bill of the state, having to employ people to administer and maintain state houses.

                Selling state houses will also allow coalition governments to address the burgeoning Superannuation Debts being incurred daily for babyboomer superannuitants.

                Selling state houses will allow for suburbs to be more homogeneous, making them more desireable for private owners.

                Selling state houses will also create clearer boundaries for electorates and allow better electoral representation for more affluent voters.

                So, it’s a win-win-win-win-win for New Zealand Sam.

                • BTW Sam, thanks for coming, it was great having a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent.

                  [David See-more; borderline comment. And not particularly original, either. Stick to the issues please. – ScarletMod]

                • “Selling state houses will allow for suburbs to be more homogeneous, making them more desireable for private owners.”

                  Sounds a bit like a version of “ethnic cleansing”, by way of first getting rid of the housing structures of the undesired poor, and then replace them with gentrified homes for the “nouveau riche” you love so much.

                  Where are those supposed to live that you wish to have Auckland suburbs “cleansed” from then? In the new ghettos on the fringes?

                  • Paul Bennett had it right by offering these people houses in the regions.

                    She went a bit far offering bribe money to them to re-locate though.

                    ACT will never support subsidies and all the readers here know that ACT wants the state to remove itself from ventures which cost the tax payer.

                    And by the way, before you all start quoting Tiwai Aluminium Smelter, Warner Bothers, those payments were “incentives” to keep businesses here in New Zealand and providing New Zealanders with jobs.

                    Paying beneficiaries living in Auckland state houses, to move to state houses in the regions is double dipping the state and I disagree with it. I am not the only one who disagrees with this costly policy.

                    • Last I heard “Paul” is a male name, who are you talking about when you refer to “she”?

            • Just as with the flat tax, raising GST is done with a purpose to shifting the tax burden on to poor and middle income earners. GST increases harm those struggling to meet to the basic cost of living, while the difference is inconsequential to someone on high income and absorbed many times over by hefty income tax cuts. People don’t buy big ticket items on a regular enough basis to make much difference, that is pathetic attempt to re-brand you and your party as somehow concerned with inequality.

              Obviously things are must be in a rather desperate state now if you’re spending not-so precious time trolling a left-wing blog with Social Darwinist bunk. At least there’s some honesty with statements like: “Those that have more established wealth and all the nouveau riche voters want to protect their wealth from rampant socialism, verging on communism.” However, it’s fairly clear to anyone that a property-laden group of rentiers in Auckland were around well before the 2014 general election where ACT received 0.69% of the party vote.

      • Just as with the flat tax, raising GST is done with a purpose to shifting the tax burden on to poor and middle income earners. GST increases harm those struggling to meet to the basic cost of living, while the difference is inconsequential to someone on high income and absorbed many times over by hefty income tax cuts. People don’t buy big ticket items on a regular enough basis to make much difference, that is pathetic attempt to re-brand you and your party as somehow concerned with inequality.

        Obviously things are must be in a rather desperate state now if you’re spending not-so precious time trolling a left-wing blog with Social Darwinist bunk. At least there’s some honesty with statements like: “Those that have more established wealth and all the nouveau riche voters want to protect their wealth from rampant socialism, verging on communism.” – However, it’s fairly clear to anyone that a property-laden group of rentiers in Auckland were around well before the 2014 general election where ACT received 0.69% of the party vote.

  10. Yes , another fanatical far right propaganda man. And while the rest skulk and scheme behind closed doors the usual practice is to send out emissaries to the public to spread their gospel . In this case in the form of Jennings.

    An unsavory man for an unsavory mission.

    The joke is however . we are all well aware on how to spot a neo liberal pirate from a distance these days. There are despite that fact ,…those uneducated souls who are still vulnerable to such false prophets. And that’s what makes him dangerous.

    As does the rest of the pirates who support that fanatical ideology.

    We all well remember Margret Thatcher standing up and saying ”Socialism is only good when they can spend someones else’s money ”..

    And the line was spun to us about ‘the sense of entitlement’ of those under a Social Democratic system . These and other insidious lines belong in the dustbins of jaded and failed 1980’s political and economic theoretical dogmas.

    The truth and facts have been born out of the very evidence itself : that the doctrine of the fanatical neo liberal emanating from such bodies as the Mont Pelerin society and its emissary Milton Freidman , like its earlier version Lassez Fairre and its yet earlier origins from the Austrian school of economics was ONLY ever contrived to achieve two goals, – one of a ruling rich elite with a majority in servitude and the second a system of natural eugenics.

    If we go back to several economic and political thinkers of the 17th century we find this in various country’s including several English ‘thinkers’… the theory behind it is that those that are poor would naturally find their slow but painful demise through their poverty… thus saving the elite the need to consider the consequences of their actions in setting up such a system …

    This was in response to the collapse and constitutionalism of the monarchical systems of Europe at the time – to be replaced with a private ‘ royalty’ … with its barons and lords under another name.

    And so we see the callous viciousness of the aspiring ‘ elites’ has been with us for a long time… and it is apt to call these societal wreckers fanatics, indeed .. treasonous … as that is what they actually are.

    Their very ability to morph with changing conditions by buying off individuals with wealth and influence is what makes them a perennial threat … thus this is why they are so dangerous to any truly democratic govt or parliamentary system , and Social Democracy is particularly vulnerable if not guarded and protected against from these subversives.

    The neo liberal is an inherent globalist. They are pan continental , trans national and they have absolutely no room in their ideology for any concept of the nation state. This is why they seek to break down any resistance in the form of unionization , trade tariffs, inclusive govt, regulations and finally a nations sovereignty in all but it being relegated to a mere a figurehead position.

    This is why the neo liberal is a confirmed advocate of treason. The state and its concept is antipathy to them. A strong and well regulated state with protections for its population is an impediment to their goals. It frustrates their plans of influencing political leaders in opening up a society for exploitation. And one of the ways they justify it is to propagate false theory’s of ‘waste’.

    ‘ Waste’ , they will tell us , is the ‘ waste’ that is used to ensure those in need do not live in extreme hardship. That ‘ waste ‘ they are talking about is the govt funding needed to support a modern and civil society that provides social services to all. And that ‘ waste ‘ they talk about is the taxes provided willingly by the public to support that modern civil society.

    However , again we see the sheer avarice and deception of the fanatical neo liberals goals with this propaganda … the real motive behind this is to create conditions whereby a society abolishes the social welfare of its own people to insert in privatization instead. We see this now with the Key led govt ( which is intrinsically neo liberal ) in denying funds for social services and introducing privatization in education , prisons, health and the like.

    The callousness of these people is the lies they tell to achieve it : by deliberately under-funding social services and skewing statistics they seek to justify closing down any vestiges of the welfare state. In the process, tens of thousands suffer. But they do not care. At all. Their goals are paramount over any concept of humanitarianism.

    This latest diatribe sent out by the NZ Institute to try and bolster up an ideology that had its heyday in the 1980’s should be seen for what it is : an out of step , jaded vestige of a dated economic and political theory that has seen mass impoverishment in this country and created a global financial crash with which the world has yet to recover from.

    BREXIT , and other movements akin to it… has caused panic among these aspiring ‘ elites’… the plan and framework is crumbling as people start to resist their subversion’s.

    What is truly remarkable is seeing neo liberals like Jennings raising their heads above the parapets right smack in the middle of all this political change… it is almost akin to standing up and expounding the virtues of sterilization of the poor at a pro life meeting…

    And that , … is no stretching of the truth either… as it is now as it was several hundred years before, … one of the founding tenets of this sort of ideological thinking.

    Discard Jennings for the unpopular and disdainful individual he is, discard him and his discredited ideology’s for the subversive and treasonous doctrine of the organisation that sent him. Give no room to either him or his NZ Institute associates.

    They have had their day , they see it , and they are reacting in pain. Pain they were all too ready to inflict on hundreds of thousands, nay millions of people worldwide.

    Give them no quarter . None whatsoever.

  11. This ‘performance pay’ for teachers – like, how much is he talking? And what’s the scenario for earning it?

    Because it doesn’t take too long before some people ‘get the knack of it’ and are eligible for lots of dosh.

    Then someone bleats. ‘We never meant them to earn THAT much! Pull the plug! Now! Now!!’

    And they do.

    And we know they do.

    These ‘smart biz people’ seem to think everyone is just like them – number-driven. And most of us are not.

    It must be time to close the Monopoly board and play something else where there’s a fair and decent chance for all who will, and let the others live at peace.

    • We already know who the ones deserving the highest in the performance pay scenario – the teachers in the high decile schools. The kids there do better, in harder subjects too, so the teachers are obviously the best performing. Ha bloody ha.

  12. That’s all these low lifes have, to draw as much blood from working people as possible by any means necessary.

    What is wrong with workers in this country, how weak and how defeated are you?

    Slaves one and all, slaves to masters who hate you, and care nothing for you or your children. Your blood sweat and tears make them money, but as you no longer believe in God – so you can’t even define them as the evil scum that the are.

    • Yes, now we have property “investors” stating renters will bare the cost of the reserve banks decision to ask for a 40% deposit.
      Two words GREED and EVIL.

  13. Exactly John, exposing the privatization sociopaths more and more is a good thing. We got sick to our stomacks when we listened to his pompous dribble and defense of greed and just taking advantage for personal gain. He must think we are idiots to not question his ridiculous proclamations.
    Such a righteous man and why does he not give a small portion of his millions back to that which is a part of contributing to his massive wealth ?

    People can talk a good line about equality and what this country needs but we all know that privatization has ruined so much. The prison system and the school system and the crooked legal system etc. have been massively damaged yet some few have made fortunes in the process.

    Mr. Jennings is no authority with honour. He is a mouthpiece for the greedy elite and pity poor Africa
    for having another Luny privatization right wing monkey in their midst. They are already suffering way too much. Instead of going after more bucks Mr. Jennings, why not go to Africa or ? ?
    and see what you can do to benefit others and the environment in the spirit of good will and –” pay it forward ” generosity. Give back instead of taking – taking – taking.

    Talk about inequality — how many millions is enough Mr. ” silver tongued ” Jennings ?

  14. Jee he sounds like a real swell guy.

    /s

    Thanks John for the run-down. Anything for a buck, eh? The man is nothing but a prostitute. I appreciated the analogy in the title.

  15. The man is not all bad, he said that “High immigration is masking poor productivity” which is why Key is unlikely to reduce it. The other problem is the inequality which you mention, the question we need to ask is how many cheap imports do we need when almost every import is an exported job?
    My take on education is that parents need to co-operate with teachers to get good results, not always a realistic option given today’s society.
    While you have good ethics & I like to think I treat others fairly with human nature being what it is most people will take advantage of any opportunity they get to enrich themselves. That’s why we need a robust tax system to share the excessive gains made by others.

  16. Unbelievable – I just hope people like Jennings and the business roundtable get what is coming to them.

    As for the teachers unions, it is an ACT discourse that is actually getting traction in the mainstream. I had a fairly liberal person say if he thought the problems they were facing with their kids was due to the unions. I was pretty flabbergasted that someone intelligent could think this, BUT clearly the insane neoliberal’s need to have a large badly educated population they can exploit, so the teachers unions are on their hit list! They are using a lot of resources to try to break them. Beware!

    Under TPPA, they will be after the police unions too. Why pay real wages if they can get cheaper police in from overseas.

  17. Whats happened to the Business Round Table we don’t hear much about them these days, I guess they finished the neoliberal experiment and there are few State Assets left to get their hands on?

    In their hay day they were always on the front pages preaching how wonderful thing were going to be for all of us once the assets were sold and how more efficient things would be with these assets being privately owned?

  18. I think jennings is as cunning as a shithouse rat. He has tricks to unleash on the unsuspecting and unleash them he will. And I’d go so far as to suggest he’s as mad as a wet hen. Only the nutty narcissist would dare to be bold enough to claim their nuttiness was de rigour for unbridled $-success. And fuck that, if $-success means I must wear clothes as awful as his. That shirt ! ? Fuck ?
    He is, in a word, mad. That’s why he has you and me and others freaking out and scrambling for damage control. He’s nuts. Utterly and frighteningly completely mad.
    There are those amongst us who will think ” Oooh ! He has Satan’s eyebrows and beady, dead eyes and wears blue shirts so OMG ! I must breed with/ befriend him/it” . Yea, you know it ! You waaaaant him right now correct?

    The day when we can pass right by fizzing nut-jobs like jennings will be a day that shows a New Earth inhabited by better Beings that you and me darlings.

    Go in Peace. Shoot to kill !

  19. Oh, one more thing. I’m literally , actually going to move to Christchurch for no other reason than to be able to vote for you Matey Bro. I hope God, in all her blackness smiles upon you .

  20. This neoliberal delinquent managed to get one thing right at least. He states “rising inequality is a problem that will come back to bite us”.
    Please Mr Jennings, do come and visit the many of us waiting for the trickle down effect – we’ll gladly show you how hard we can bite!!

  21. A few decades ago the international neo-liberals thought they had found an infinite supply of cut-price labour in Japan. But what happened? The Japanese started to realize how they were being conned, they woke up and beat the neo-liberals at their own game.
    Much the same thing then happened in Taiwan and Korea.
    “Oh f…” said the international greedy bastards, “where do we go now?”
    “Go West young men”.
    So they went to China and all seemed well for about 20 years until they began to realize that the canny Chinese were putting up their prices and horror horror! the cost of labour was rising there too!
    “Is there no sanctuary in this world where we are safe from the scum bag workers demanding more money?” wondered the igb’s.
    They tried Pakistan, Bangladesh and India but the first two were too much like hard work and the third ended up too smart for them.
    So they tried Burma but the Burmese also got a taste of democracy by dumping their military junta so the igbs got cold feet.
    They never seriously considered the Middle East as a low value labour pool, too many terrorists and too much danger.
    So that left the great continent of Africa.
    The grab for Africa Mark II.
    Corrupt and/or tribal based dictator governments, large portions of the population impoverished, people willing to believe the lies of the neo-liberals that they will make them all rich – rich pickings for the igb’s.
    And that is where it stands now. Jennings and his greedy mates all around the world stripping Africa of its wealth and personality. Last century we called this colonisation, now we call it free trade agreements.
    One consolation is that eventually the African nations will become aware they are being conned – as did the Asian nations – and the retaliation will be swift and bloody.
    Mr Jennings – what you gonna do when they come for you?

  22. No doubt he will be awarded a knighthood or some other Queen’s award for his “distinguished service to business”.
    If they can award a knighthood to someone as reprehensible as Roger Douglas then they can certainly do it to Jennings.

  23. New Zealand Initiative is an almost constant presense – as go to ‘experts’ on any and all public matters – on Radio New Zealand these days.

    New Zealand needs an equally media-aggressive progressive think-tank to counter NZI’s toxic propoganda.

    • I agree, the problem is, the “progressives” have not got the money for such a think tank, hence we get one sided info and reports, that do mostly support more privatised, neoliberal approaches. Business rules, because we handed so much power over to business since the mid 1980s, thanks to Douglas, Prebble, Jennings and so forth. What came after were people in government who largely kept things as they were, or even continued with further “reforms” that favoured privatisation, outsourcing, off-shoring and contractualisation of employment and all else.

      Business focused think tanks will naturally cater for business, by offering business type solutions to all problems there are, simply self serving, nothing else.

    • “New Zealand needs an equally media-aggressive progressive think-tank to counter NZI’s toxic propoganda.”

      I nominate Chris Trotter and Frank MacKasy for the role!

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