NZ Union News
The Government has kicked the can down the road on the replacement Interislander ferries, by setting up a company to begin a procurement process, rather than making a decision. But they have made a decision when it comes to greyhound racing, banning the sport over the next 20 months. The PSA are taking legal action against the Government over its working from home guidelines. In climate news, the newly released emissions reduction plan is still not on track to meet the crucial emissions budget for 2031-2035.
Union coverage
- CTU: ‘It shouldn’t happen’: Punishing employees for working to rule will lead to more strikes – CTU
- CTU: Decoding the language of the government books
- PSA: Legal action taken against Government’s edict on working from home
- PSA: Union takes legal action over restriction on working from home
Employment
Politics
- Government confirms it will buy new Interislander ferries
- New Cook Strait ferries expected for 2029, cost not revealed
- Govt announces plan to end greyhound racing in NZ
- Govt to repeal broadcast ad prohibitions on Sundays, public holidays
- New emissions plan still not on track to meet 2031-2035 climate targets
- NZ could meet ‘net zero’ target six years early, says minister
- Pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli protesters converge on Parliament’s lawn
Great leaders of NZ
No show Luxon
No boats Willis
No hopper Winston
No brains David
We are toast
Is there butter still and I’ll have the bitter marmalade – seems right for the moment.
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL2412/S00018/gordon-campbell-on-the-governments-ongoing-ferries-disaster.htm
Ferries – Gordon Campbell on Scoop – you wouldn’t read about it!!
Not any more. The replacement ships (a) will now arrive at an unknown time but not before 2029
(b) will cost an as yet unknown amount
(c) have as yet unknown capacities. That’s before you get to
(d) the unknown opportunity cost of the entirely avoidable three year delay in fixing the ferries, which will mean more trucks on the nation’s roads, more harmful emissions, more epic delays, more frustrating breakdowns, and waning public confidence in the ferries service as a whole. Way to go, Nicola!…
This process will apparently include canvassing the private sector for any ideas it might have. Really. One basic question, asked by Richard Harman was: will the new ferries be “rail enabled”- ie. will they have a rail-friendly ‘roll on, roll off” capacity, and would it amount to a broken promise if they don’t? Incredibly, Peters described this basic entirely relevant query as a “gotcha” question and so brushed it aside, unanswered.
Imagine the furore from National if Labour had made a similarly momentous decision and then – a year later – unveiled little more than its intention to set up a committee to consider future options. What is clear is that the government is set on providing only a cheaper, smaller and nastier solution for the need for a safe, reliable service across our main domestic trade and tourism link.
(I don’t think that government has any zeal now (zeal gone, and only land left – to be sold off) for operating both effectively and efficiently. They have a way out – throw their hands up in the air, cry foul, and call in private enterprise (for which there will be some personal pay-off).
Two things from the above:
1 It’s true to say that the public will have ‘waning public confidence’, or faith, in the ferries. But we need, must, have them, we’re all confident about that; we can’t manage without them and that we have a reliable service run with fully trained reliable Captain and crew. It is the inadequate governing and management structure that makes ridiculous and extravagant gestures that we have lost faith with. That has led to government, management and of course the whole country and business losing ‘face’, losing business, and losing profit. I know what sort of gesture I would make to the PTB and I wish to support an overhaul of our governing structure; bloated and attracting dross to its ranks, not fit for purpose.
2 This business of blaming one person for things going wrong, whether they head the relevant department or not. It is a whole government system run and disciplined similar to an army, all should be present and correct. They in the ranks should be able to critique their leading MPs and Ministers – free speech, democracy; that’s what we have we say, but in effect do we get all the perks including the two just mentioned? This isn’t a play called ‘Who’s Afraid of Nicola Woolf’!*
* …the play Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
…Albee’s characters create illusions to help them evade feelings of their own inadequacy – as “George and Martha [the NZAO National Coalition government] have evaded the ugliness of their marriage by taking refuge in illusion.”
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/536418/david-seymour-wrong-on-cost-of-ferry-replacement-project-says-winston-peters
and
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/536460/winston-peters-says-rail-enabled-ferries-are-no-brainer-for-interislander-replacements
The plot thickens (sickens!).
Setting up a company?
More handouts to consultants, friends etc.
It just never ends under this horrid government.
Note the idiotic right aren’t complaining about unions now.