Posts by Malcolm

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  • OnPoint: Spoonfuls of sugar,

    You're not serious Malcolm? What about NZ medical research?

    Well, maybe I'm being a bit naughty. But what is happening at the moment? Heaps of doctors go overseas, while we import heaps more from other countries. So why are we training all these departing doctors?

    There is some kind of systemic problem, to do with debt, salaries and opportunities. When big student fees were introduced, the argument was that they reflected the private benefit of eduction. With hindsight, we can see that has encourged people to chase the (higher) private benefit overses, and we have found that actually there is a substantial public benefit in actually having some doctors.

    To me, both National and Labour have ignored the fact that we are a small country in a global labour market. That was ignored by National's labour market and education reforms in the 1990s, and is being ignored by Labour's current income tax policy.

    My opionion is that our health system would work better if we had less tall poppy syndrome, and less envy of successful people.

    Since Apr 2007 • 69 posts Report Reply

  • OnPoint: Spoonfuls of sugar,

    We could get rid of our medical schools, and just import doctors from overseas. That would save bucketloads of money at both the schools themselves and the clincal teaching centres.

    Since Apr 2007 • 69 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: What's on David Bain's iPod?,

    He's probably still looking for the cassette player that comes with it, and wondering why the headphone plug is soooo big.

    Seriously though, it must be a bit of Rip Van Winkle experience for him. What else has changed out of recognition while he has been inside?

    Since Apr 2007 • 69 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Claims,

    "steering into lumps of electronics"

    Hmmn, "steering" or "staring"? Actually, both seem equally good descriptions. At least in my case.

    Since Apr 2007 • 69 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Claims,

    Russell,

    Yesterday, a man of Lebanese descent was on morning report. He had just had the Privy Council declare a substantial miscarriage of Justice. This man declared that he knew the Dunedin CIB had a culture of extreme sexual depravity in the past, and that he personally knew of a policewoman who was raped and sodomised.

    If I search on "Lebanese" in the yellow pages, I get 4 hits. If I search on "Chinese", I get 423 hits. If I search on "Vietnamese" I get 72 hits. It just happened to be a Lebanese restaurant ....

    Don't get me wrong. I think Wishhart is a distasteful religioius maniac. I also think Labour have nothing to do with the police scandals, and have in the past done nothing wrong and everything right on this issue.

    But let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater. All the signs, including statements from the Police Commissioner, indicate there was something sick in the Dunedin CIB. That it why it has been referred to the Police Complaints Authority.

    Stephen - thank you for clarifying your comments. I appreciate that. I'm not trying to get at you with this post. Given the statistics I quote above I hope that you see it was reasonable of me to doubt the conincidence. All I am trying to do is indicate to Russell that my comment was, in fact, made in good faith.

    Since Apr 2007 • 69 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Claims,

    So Steven, is that a slur on Joe Karam, for being Lebanese and believing the Dunedin police used to be corrupt? Or is it a slur on Lebanese more generally?

    Or is a slur on anyone who owns a copy of the magazine that has been so vigorously discussed in this forum?

    Since Apr 2007 • 69 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Claims,

    Ads in the latest in Investigate

    Lotus - double page spread
    Danske Mobler - full page
    The Rarotongan - full page
    Olympus - double page spread
    Dilmah - full page
    Lifewhy.org - quarter page
    Barbara Doyles - half page
    Danske Mobler - quarter page
    Epson - full page
    Cambridge audio - half page
    Bridgecorp - full page
    BOC - half page
    Antheas (Jewellers) - half page
    Ownaship - full page
    Distinctive holiday homes - full page
    Mistral software - full page
    Olympus - full page
    Mistral Software - full page
    Guthries Jewellers - full page
    Thai Airlines - full back page

    So he does sell lots of high value advertising targeted at wealthy individuals. Mind you, it's quite possible that some of his advertisers support him for non-commercial reasons.

    Since Apr 2007 • 69 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Claims,

    Yes Russell, my point is that, consciously or subconsciously, you automatically protect Craig, and that other bloggers don't get the same consideration. This occurs to the extent that I think this is a weakness in the Public Address System.

    I wasn't trying to obtuse. My perception has been that you are unwilling to consider this point. By making the point indirectly, I hoped that it might prompt some more thought than if I stated it baldly.

    If you would like to have a conversation about it, I am a willing participant.

    Since Apr 2007 • 69 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Claims,

    I feel a sense of deja vu ... again.

    But I if I say anything about it, I feel that RB will flame me. Again.

    Since Apr 2007 • 69 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Claims,

    I strongly recommend that anyone who is interested in this listens to the following Morning Report interviews. The first one, with Howard Broad confirms that the police did react to problems with the sex ring inquiry, although apparently not with criminal charges.

    http://podcast.radionz.co.nz/mnr/mnr-20070514-0709-Police_Commisioner_Accused_Of_Inappropriate_Behaviour-064.mp3

    The second one, with Joe Karam, explains some of the issues with Laniet's phone and diary, which do seem to beggar belief.

    http://podcast.radionz.co.nz/mnr/mnr-20070514-0721-David_Bain-064.mp3

    For the record, I support Howard Broad, and think Helen Clark's reaction to the accusation against him is exactly right. Similarly, the referral of the complaints to the Police Complaints Authority is, in my view, exactly the right thing to do.

    Since Apr 2007 • 69 posts Report Reply

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