Posts by nzlemming
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Hard News: A few (more) words on The Hobbit, in reply to giovanni tiso,
This doesn’t mean that the Bryson case was irrelevant –
I don't recall anyone saying it wasn't relevant.
But "relevant" != "precedent" in any legal sense.
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Hard News: A few (more) words on The Hobbit, in reply to giovanni tiso,
Yes, that evil mr Bryson, who reckoned he should be entitled to the rights of an employee seeing that he was treated like one. How very dare he? Plus, what’s wrong with the man? Can’t he be like “most workers”?
I call "straw man". Bryson was one case and one set of circumstances. There are plenty of other workers who *are* happy to be contractors, just as there are some who prefer to be employees. Just because the situation doesn't fit with your political beliefs doesn't mean either party is wrong.
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Hard News: A very roundabout review of…, in reply to Sacha,
For some reason in official circles we get disability ‘issues’ rather than the more exciting ‘affairs’ enjoyed by women or Pacific populations for instance. Doesn’t help the sales pitch, I tells you.
Actually, I think it speaks more to who has the issues. We can carry on with our affairs if we want ;-)
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Hard News: A very roundabout review of…, in reply to Russell Brown,
Leo experiences sound, smell and light differently. The fact that he might have to leave the kitchen if there’s a curry cooking doesn’t mean his response to the overwhelming smell is wrong, just different.
I've never had a diagnosis but I can really relate to the different reaction to smells. There are certain cleaning products we just can't have in the house because of how they affect me. It's almost reassuring to know the smell thing isn't just me.
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Hard News: A few (more) words on The Hobbit, in reply to Ross Mason,
I can’t quite see the difference between self employed contractors getting tax breaks and the employed not. It is not as if these are “real costs to a business” you are extracting back from the IRD.
WTF are you talking about? It's real money when I have to fill the car with petrol to visit a client. It's real money when I have to buy a certain piece of software or a new piece of hardware that will enable me to fulfill a client contract. The paper in my printer is a real cost, as is the printer itself. Even the GST payment is a real cost if it's been a slow month. As for holidays...
I am prepared to pay my taxes to help keep NZ as fully funded as possible and give as many people as possible backstops to health and welfare. But that is probably just me. And I have been on both sides of the fence. Receiving as well as giving.
I've been a contractor for years, in IT, information management and (very occasionally) theatre. I also pay my taxes, sometimes in advance of having earned it (buggrit). I also have to pay company tax and GST, though there are swings and roundabouts there. I then pay my ACC levy, to cover that full funding you talk about. Whether as an employee or as a contractor I have been paying tax since I left school. So take your pathetic moral high ground and shove it. You have no idea. Seriously.
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Hard News: A few (more) words on The Hobbit, in reply to giovanni tiso,
[deleted - craig got there first]
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Eye sex
Waits for me
Like a mongrel waits
Downwind on a tight rope leash(just for Leo ;-)
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Hard News: My Year in Culture, in reply to Pete Sime,
Rotten thing of the year: the death of Paul Reynolds.
Absolutely. That still hasn't really sunk in.
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Hard News: The Wellington Cables, in reply to giovanni tiso,
Bady is at it again (I know, I know, I should just turn my PAS account into his RSS feed), this time specifically on the fissures in the debate on the merit of the charges against Assange. He concludes thusly, although as always you have to read the whole argument.
Very interesting article. He writes well, and without emotional bias. Interesting link in the comments, which I hadn't seen before http://www.crikey.com.au/2010/12/13/rundle-timeline-of-assanges-visit-to-sweden-and-events-that-followed/
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Hard News: The Wellington Cables, in reply to Simon Grigg,
his NZOA report is in the wild and really is worth a read
I'm reading it at the moment.