The National government continues to disappoint.
The people of this country, us kiwis, clearly indicated they wanted a chance to get rid of MMP and felt that the National election victory would mean a definate chance to move on this promised referendum.
What fools. Treated like naughty children again we are offered a referendum in 2011 with yet another in 2014 to confirm an option.
This is not what the people wanted. When will they take note???
The HB Regional Council is going down a path to disaster.
Meerkat has heard of secret meetings and later this week ratepayers are to discover the council is about to launch a bombshell .
More to come.
With the ridiculous situation where Maori TV pitched taxpayers money at buying rights to broadcast World Cup rugby , we learn that they are funded to the tune of $35m per annum.
This is an outrageous situation and could be better directed to other areas of funding.For Mr Sharples to grab another $3m on top of that is shocking.
$35m is going down the gurgler and we have a country who carries on and ignores this type of wastage. What can they do about it?
Something is going to give and the longer it takes the worse it will be .
The Regional Council made public today the register of contaminated sites that had been kept behind closed doors until a reporter with some unknown motive , pursued the council until it was forced to release the details.
It is highly likely the council had good reason to retain this information and what was interesting today was the immediate response from several other councils who also have similar registers.
Some are refusing to release the details and seem prepared to hang in there until someone sees sense or we see further interference by the media.
One council is making the info available but it has to be paid for and agreement signed before releasing the details.
At times one wonders just what some people hope to achieve by causing unnecessary grief among the public who by and large do not have a good understanding of why a site may be contaminated and the details relative to different sites.
The word contamination conjures up negative vibes but it does not mean all and sundry are going to succumb to ill health if exposed to these sites.
We watch with interest to see if the government takes note of this dangerous and delicate development.
The secretary of the only serious body in New zealand that is challenging climate change, Mr terry Dunleavy, has asked the PM to sack Nick Smith, Minister of the Environment.
To read the full story go to scoop.co.nz
Hastings ratepayers have been saved from expenditure on some crazy idea to make Hastings the wine capital of New Zealand.
We did not need to pay to become the wine capital of New Zealand and there is enough expenditure on promoting this area especially its wines , as it is.
The fact that Christchurch has somehow become the wine capital is a worry in itself. What has Christchurch done to deserve this? Where is their wine produced?
Hawkes Bay is the wine capital .End of story.
It was very interesting listening to the reponse from the editor of a major daily reacting to a survey of trusted bodies in New Zealand that showed the media were the least trusted.
It is no surprise as many publications and TV continually mislead,make mistakes and get the facts wrong.
Maybe that is why there has been a proliferation of blogs ?
Not really wishing to comment on this idiots appearance in Samoa but could not refrain.
Just what does this guy think he is doing? He has no business poking his opposition nose in to this disaster and if he trys to make political capital out of his visit he should be prepared for a pasting.
Labour still do not realise they are not in government, they are in opposition and the sooner they wake up the better.
Yet another radio comment.
Today the Mayor of Napier made a brilliant comment on the suggested amalgamation that has eminated from the Hastings beehive.
What for and for whom she asked. Mayor Arnott proceeded to outline the well functioning setup we have and the possibilities to improve it.
There is no problem.We are not Auckland. Bravo!
Every ratepayer should request a copy of this commentary for some sensible, reasoned answers to the question of amalgamation.
Could not believe my ears the other morning when one of the local radio commentators said not to forget who earned 60% of NZ’s export income.
I thought it must be a National Party member . He went on , agriculture has been forgotten and is not going to go away.It is so important to Hawkes Bay.
Again I thought at last some recognition from the National Party.
But no. He signed off.Craig Nash , the list MP for Labour.Extraordinary.
It is to be hoped the blue team can take note because for some reason at present they are not.
