The Daily Blog Open Mic Friday 30th October 2015

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openmike

 

Announce protest actions, general chit chat or give your opinion on issues we haven’t covered for the day.

Moderation rules are more lenient for this section, but try and play nicely.

 

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7 COMMENTS

  1. Gisborne & HB people have been left traumatised since March 25th 2012 when they tragically lost their beloved rail service because of a lack of flood drains maintenance.

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/288334/kiwirail-calls-for-support-for-trains

    Since this RNZ public broadcast (see below) of Kiwirail Executive’s “impassioned plea for support for trains” was made available to the nation as of 29th October 2015, CEAC believes Government should provide a Minister of rail as they had in 1998, and fund the infrastructure of the rail network through the same mechanism as road enjoys currently, to “provide a level playing field” commercial model,

    This must then be equally made available to both land transport systems, so adequate repairing and upgrade the rail network and roads is available as and when is needed from the NZTA consolidated fund.

    Wronged were given the people of East Coast & HB.

    We should never ever again have a whole entire East coast/HB population or any other traumatised and left hanging like the rail line at the beach loop washout is left then that was caused by Government starvation of money to repair the infrastructure drains & culverts that caused the disaster, while Government are deliberately allowing the population to left being tortured by this as accused convicted persons at the end of a rope for a torturous three and a half years now & still counting as Government continues to run a concerted, callous campaign to run down the Napier Gisborne rail system and thereby the people of East coast HB & jeopardise their health wellbeing & safety.

    We urge Government to finally take the advice of Kiwirail Chairman John Spencer, & CEO Peter Reidy into careful consideration for the people of all communities across the country.

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/288334/kiwirail-calls-for-support-for-trains

    KiwiRail calls for support for trains

    Updated at 5:07 pm on 29 October 2015

    The state transport company KiwiRail has made an impassioned plea for support from the government and public.

    KiwiRail

    Photo: Wiki Commons

    They told reporters at the unveiling of their annual report that without their company, New Zealand’s roads would be hopelessly clogged with large trucks – which would be politically unacceptable.

    Their comments came as the annual report gave details of an earlier unveiled bottom line loss of almost $167 million.

    It made up the difference with government money. But in the year to June, KiwiRail still made an operational profit on day-to-day operations of $91m.

    The loss came from the cost of maintaining the company’s 4,000 kilometres of track, 1500 bridges and 150 tunnels.

    Last year the government paid Kiwirail $198m.

    Speaking at the release of the annual report, KiwiRail chairman John Spencer insisted that money pays for vital infrastructure, not KiwiRail’s daily operations.

    “KiwiRail itself, if you put the network to one side, we can survive, we do not need any money from government at all as a commercial operation,” he said. “Where the money is needed is on the network.”

    “We do not have enough volume on our rail to pay for the network, it is as simple as that.”

    The chief executive Peter Reidy added that KiwiRail helped the whole country in other ways.

    “We take 30 percent of New Zealand exports, so we are a fundamental part of the way New Zealand grows,” he said.

    Both men also argued for long-term funding for the company, saying annual or bi-annual payments from the government are unsuitable, since KiwiRail sometimes had to fund contracts running four or five years.

    Mr Spencer went on ask people to consider what life would be like without railways.

    He said the public would not accept a massive increase in trucking on its roads, which would happen if KiwiRail was not there.

    “What would happen if we closed rail. Let’s just say there was no rail, because that’s your option, you either run it or you don’t run it, so let’s say we close it,” Mr Spencer said.

    “Would you like to be driving around Lake Taupo and have 12 Toll double-bogey trucks followed by 12 MainFreights, that’d be good, wouldn’t it?”

    Mr Spencer said the company needed government money for its track, insisting that money was vital for the country as a whole, and road users already get support for highways via things like petrol taxes.

  2. From Audrey Young’s NZH article below –

    “Mr Key said that in his meeting with (British Home Secretary) Teresa May he will be asking that New Zealand’s strong historical links with Britain be taken into account in any future restrictions on foreigners to work there.”

    But what about trying to shake off the union jack on the flag as the last remnant of British colonialism, that’s costing the taxpayer $26+M to change? So what’s all this crap about Kiwis’ strong British historical links to allow them tor work there? Hypocritical much!

    While the headline is Rugby World Cup, Young’s article is all about FJK! It’s like a European travelogue for the creep, listing European and British “who’s who” he will be meeting there!

    Give me strength!

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11537381

  4. Just watched tonight’s one news, a report by Andrea Vance reckons NZDF has invited the U.S. Navy to next years RNZN anniversary, the U.S. Navy is sending a ship. It will be interesting to see what ship they send. They could even send a full carrier battle group. Seeing as the policy is for no nuclear “weapons” opposed to nuclear propulsion. Note I’m just a messenger

    Que Green response………

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