NZ Labour Party discovers the Internet

[Juju]

Oh Clare, you are doing such a wonderful job. I mean when a 7 year old says they like labour, then you must be winning, right?

http://blog.labour.org.nz/2011/11/22...hs-of-babes-2/

[Yoda]

Originally Posted by Juju

Oh Clare, you are doing such a wonderful job. I mean when a 7 year old says they like labour, then you must be winning, right?

http://blog.labour.org.nz/2011/11/22...hs-of-babes-2/

This is my electorate.

When asked why I won't vote for Curran, and I respond along the lines of "I've never seen her demonstrate anything other than an attitude of low-income vote entitlement and the ability to regurgitate shallow opinionated crap".

To which I often get... "but she comes across as such a nice person".

Bleurgh.

[[WanG] Wandarah]

She's a fucking stupid cunt alright.

[Torka]

Originally Posted by Yoda

To which I often get... "but she comes across as such a nice person".

fwiw I've met tons of national voters who say this about Key as the reason they're voting national

[Yoda]

Originally Posted by Torka

fwiw I've met tons of national voters who say this about Key as the reason they're voting national

Yeah.

Also highly annoying, when I went online to find out about the new National candidate, all I could find was the bare bones CV-style summary. No dates, info, speeches, anything.

[Ab]

From Clare "insert crazy techno-ignorant policy here" Curran,

There's a strong argument for a complete revamp of the sector and the Broadcasting Act. For a new independent public service TV channel separate from TVNZ. For requiring commercial channels, including the pay TV channel Sky to contribute. For even a small levy on internet connections to enable a new service to embrace the broadband environment and develop more Kiwi content that is accessible to Kiwis.

Yep. Internet tax. To pay for, fuck, I dunno, TV shows that Labour thinks we need.

http://blog.labour.org.nz/2012/04/15...-worth-saving/

[A Corpse]

Hey everyone, let's add a fuel tax to subsidise horse-drawn carts!

[chubby]

or mebbe increase gst to fund golf tournaments.

[StN]

Originally Posted by Ab

Yep. Internet tax. To pay for, fuck, I dunno, TV shows that Labour thinks we need.

Wait - isn't the Arts channel pay per view anyway?

[[Malks] Pixie]

Originally Posted by Ab

Yep. Internet tax. To pay for, fuck, I dunno, TV shows that Labour thinks we need. [/url]

I'd disagree with any sort of internet tax (as it kind of defeats it's own purpose) but the discussion surrounding the role of public service broadcasters and the types of products which we (as a country) produce is pretty important I feel. The issue she's bringing up is relevant (and I'd argue important too), the solution proposed is pretty damn stupid.

I actually waded through the entire thing, I've read far worse from politicans - but also far better.

[mandatory ideological troll required by NZgames unwritten rules on posting about politics] But of course National aren't interested in public broadcasting because they cannot see the economic benefits from it. [/mandatory ideological troll required by NZgames unwritten rules on posting about politics]

Pixie

[Saladin]

Originally Posted by [Malks] Pixie

[mandatory ideological troll required by NZgames unwritten rules on posting about politics] But of course National aren't interested in public broadcasting because they cannot see the economic benefits from it. [/mandatory ideological troll required by NZgames unwritten rules on posting about politics]

You missed the mandatory conspiracy theory about Steven Joyce's media company connections.

[Ab]

At least Curran has managed to issue a release about Internet use in NZ without reference to speedtest.net. I guess that's a step in the right direction.

[RedeviL]

^^ I snorted and laughed out loud.

[CCS]

Holy shit, Curran is still going on about an internet tax?! Jesus balls. She proposed this idea before the election as one of their policies. The difference then was that she said this tax would go toward content creators/copyright holders (a harebrained idea in its own right). It's unclear if she intends the levy would fund a public broadcasting channel either in whole or in part, but what she does says the tax would "enable a new service to embrace the broadband environment and develop more Kiwi content that is accessible to Kiwis." Fuck knows what that means. Sounds like a handout for people to make youtube lulz.

When Curran last proposed a public service channel, she said:

We don’t anticipate any extra cost to the taxpayer. We will asking the sectors how they think it should be funded. The outcome could be a mix of options. We are not prejudging or anticipating the outcome of this. The debate hasn’t been had. Many stakeholders are keen to have it.

It seems that now she has come up with a solution... internet tax! At no extra cost to the taxpayer!



Honestly, whenever Clare Curran talks about broadcasting, it makes my teeth hurt. She is drafting a private members bill to save TVNZ7 which she acknowledges would be lucky to be drawn before 7 is closed in about 9 weeks time. Good one.

She goes on to say that TVNZ7 "should be completely separate from TVNZ control and influence." I cannot understand this. The channel which she loves so much and believes needs to be saved and therefore must have been run very well by TVNZ is the channel that she believes needs to be removed from TVNZ. I cannot for the life of me understand why she thinks this would be necessary. What purpose could that possibly serve? Going from her blog, her train of thought seems to be as follows:
Curran: "TVNZ is bad! They are commercial and have bad programmes on their channels and it's so bad! Except for TVNZ7 which is non-commercial and TVNZ has done such a good job on running that it needs to be taken away from them!"
Anyone: "Why?"
Curran: "Because TVNZ is bad and commercial and... bad!"
Her argument seems to be one purely of ideology - that if public broadcasting is the champion then commercial broadcasting must be the enemy. Despite 7 having been produced by TVNZ since March of 2008, to acclaim from Curran herself, the enemy and the champion can surely not be bedfellows. Reality be damned!

She has not given one iota of thought to the extra costs of running this channel separately from TVNZ. There are the costs of doubling up on staff that perform the same roles. They'd need to house this new channel somewhere with all the overheads that entails. And what of the costs of actually broadcasting the channel? Curran quotes Judy Callingham:

The separate entity could still use TVNZ studios and staff and equipment if need be.

What do you mean, "if need be"? It will certainly need to use somebody's studios and staff and equipment.
Judy has the answer:

The separate entity could still use TVNZ studios and staff and equipment if need be. It would hire them, just as private companies do. It would, and should, expect mates’ rates, but it shouldn’t expect to use the facilities for nothing,

Why in the blue flames of hell should TVNZ give an external enterprise mates' rates? TVNZ is a commercial enterprise. It would charge a commercial rate because not to do so means that TVNZ takes a loss on the hireage of studios and staff and equipment.
Judy continues:

it shouldn’t expect to use the facilities for nothing, although perhaps the cost could be absorbed and become a paper addition to TVNZ’s annual dividend.

I need someone to explain this to me. Is Judy saying that TVNZ allow this public broadcaster use of its staff and studios and equipment for free and that becomes a paper addition to the dividend? I don't know how that works.

Undoubtedly those studios and staff and equipment costs are already provided for in the existing TVNZ7 budget, but I can't see how those costs would not increase if TVNZ7 were separated. No, the most cost effective way of continuing to run a public service channel is to keep it in-house at TVNZ. Keep in mind that TVNZ makes no money off TVNZ7. It receives only govt funding for 7 and makes no advertising revenue off it. It needs to be run in the cheapest way possible.

[chubby]

ok.

[aR Que]

Where's your usual quality?

[Ab]

Opposition spokesperson on IT and Telecommunications Clare Curran has just released a ground-breaking new initiative on the Labour website, outlining a policy platform that is quite simply staggering in its breadth and scope. Truly a politician with a vision for our country's telecommunications in the 21st century.

Just kidding, she's spent our money investigating if John Key's twitter-follower count is accurate.

http://blog.labour.org.nz/2012/06/17...ost-followers/

[CCS]

Posting my red alert post here because it'll probably get moderated by labour flunkies:

Wow, pretty important stuff here. Glad you're using your time effectively, Clare. I just hope you didn't spend any taxpayer money on this crap.
I mean, look at these twitter accounts with no avatar! They're not real people! Real people put a picture of their face on the internet!
Wait... I... my twitter account has no avatar... few posts... and I have no followers... AM I A GHOST PERSON?!

[Ab]

^^^ tory shill

[CCS]

Yeah, I saw that. Pathetic, imo. Anyone who uses the word 'Tory' is basically Godwinning a political discussion.

[CCS]

Speaking of Labour, the internet and Godwin...

[Golden Teapot]

Devaluing the worst example of human tragedy that was the Holocaust by suggesting equality with the triviality of selling a non-controlling interest in a power company is a despicable thing to be doing.

I've observed labour are evil many times. This is yet another example.

[leadinjector]

stay classy, labour party!

[Ab]

Unbelievable. What a bitch.

[CCS]

With a PhD in history you'd think she would know better.

[fixed_truth]

John Key's Master Plan

1. Form a government after campaigning on a platform of partial asset sales.

2. Pass legislation to implement the partial asset sales plan.

3. INVADE POLAND!

[Saladin]

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA121...from-dunne.htm

The New Zealand arm of the world’s most used online search tool, Facebook

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEbODkaxXoM

[Lightspeed]

I guess Dunne thinks the internet is for looking up ex-girlfriends...

[StN]

Originally Posted by Lightspeed

I guess David Clark thinks the internet is for looking up ex-girlfriends...

FTFY...

[aR Que]

Good to see big corporations paying less tax than me.

[Ab]

"Because we're so disappointed at Facebook's business practices, we are closing our accounts, ceasing all advertising, and banning Facebook from our office networks."

-- said no Labour MP ever

[Lightspeed]

Originally Posted by StN

FTFY...

Thanks.

[Spink]

lol wonder what prompted Dunne, being observant or a international media story?

[CCS]

Spink, are you sure you mean Dunne?


As for that picture.... how retarded... taking 24 hours of Facebook? That'll show them! Activism through apathy! YEAH!

[Ab]

Like this on Facebook and Share this on Facebook to show Facebook we're mad as hell and we're not going to take it any more!

[Spink]

oh I mean clark I guess, I was just going off the name in sal's url, as opposed to on the story, oops.

[aR Que]

You guys are going to take 24hrs off facebook?!?! ARE YOU CRAZY?!?! nfi how you'll do it! Talk about taking extreme measures.

sidenote; we all need to stop buying cheap Chinese goods.

[BoyWonder]

And buy expensive Chinese goods instead?

[Saladin]

NZ Labour Party discover the Internet has mean people who say mean things about them

http://thestandard.org.nz/just-how-w...an-you-get-it/

[Ab]

Unbelie--

actually strike that, totally believable.