Posts by Peter Cox

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  • Hard News: Anatomy of a Shambles,

    This is perhaps why the “left” isn’t fit to resume government – they just aren’t competent or perhaps more honestly the left are even more incompetent than the present government.

    To be fair, Actor's Equity isn't the Labour Government.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 312 posts Report

  • Hard News: Anatomy of a Shambles,

    Actor's Equity starting to make the right kind of noises now:

    http://static.radionz.net.nz/assets/audio_item/0004/2424865/art-20101024-1240-The_Hobbit_Saga-m048.asx

    Still a bit of an oops moment from Robyn in regards to the boyott semantics issue but otherwise I think she does very well.

    May I say once again that I think Holly Shanahan has been very, very excellent right from her open letter, and now here. For one thing, she comes right out and deals with the residuals/money issue which is exactly the kind of honest argument that should have been made in the first place.

    And to continue the kind of points Dexter is making:

    One of the most significant parts of the interview is where Holly quite rightly describes some of the positives an Actor's Union can achieve - specifically the Terranova dispute. But it highlights a significant criticism I have of the MEAA: contrast and compare the way that they handled the Terranova/Fox dispute in Australia compared to the way they handled the Hobbit in New Zealand, not least of all in how they have respected their own membership.

    The MEAA have, quite simply, not been as responsible in NZ as they would in Australia.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 312 posts Report

  • Hard News: Anatomy of a Shambles,

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 312 posts Report

  • Hard News: Anatomy of a Shambles,

    Writers are like that.
    Except on a storm-tossed night

    LOL. Pretty much, pretty much.

    Managed to take the dog for a walk at least though...

    And because I apparently have nothing better to do with my time, I then proceeded to google up this:

    http://news.ninemsn.com.au/entertainment/8111840/battle-to-keep-hobbit-in-nz

    Australian take on it all. I especially love this bit:

    Much of the debate hinged on an obscure argument over whether workers on films such as The Hobbit are employees of the production company, which entitles them to minimum benefits, or independent contractors.

    Love how that 'obscure argument' is only the basics of NZ employment law.

    Maybe we should all just agree to mock the Australians and be done with it?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 312 posts Report

  • Hard News: Anatomy of a Shambles,

    Peter, was just thinking how well you're covering all this when I got to 'sermonising windbag'

    Sorry, my neurosis played out in public. I have also failed to go to the beach. Thanks though, ;-)

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 312 posts Report

  • Hard News: Anatomy of a Shambles,

    Fact is, the MEAA should have stopped the boycott as soon as they realised that asking for a collective contract actually didn't make legal sense if the actors wanted to be classed as independent contractors rather than employees. Trying to continue this on for as long as they did just to try and get a 'cup of tea meeting' was just plainly ridiculous.

    But actors, in-spite of what Paul Holmes thinks are not at all stupid or arrogant people by and large. So I'm sure they will manage to sort this out internally as emotions calm over the next few months.

    At the end of the day though, if this does end in increased tax breaks making New Zealand more competitive in the global market, is that necessarily a bad result? It's up the bean counters to figure out if it's worth it, including the tourism aspects etc.

    So, assuming everyone finds a way for the Hobbit to stay, this may well turn out to be a positive outcome, and maybe we could - sort of - thank AE for it. Although, obviously it would be absurd to think this was ever be part of their plan, anymore than it would be to suggest it was Peter Jackson's.

    If it does go, obviously that would be less thrilling though, is if the Hobbit does go and the shit will hit the fan, and I don't think we'd ever see the end of the acrimony between actors and crew.

    But having said all that...

    Re: Keith.
    Like Lew before him on kiwipolitico, he does make the very good point that we do actually need a strong NZ Actor's union. They just need to be running more effective campaigns. I'm sure they've learned their lesson; I'm not sure it's very helpful adding to the kind of vitriol against them (in an I told you so kind of way), like Paul Holmes in the paper today, for example.

    I accept people might be angry, and want to be certain that AE and their members and leadership understand where this went wrong, and are not going to keep doing this kind of thing in the way they have, but let's not completely wreck the actors and their union in the process.

    Anyway, I guess that's not really directed at anyone on this forum, who have largely been very decent about this thing... just call it some general ruminating I guess...

    EDIT: F**k, just looked over and realised that's another long post, and realised I may be coming across as a sermonising windbag. God, maybe I AM a sermonising windbag.

    EDIT2: Oh, that's right, I'm a writer.

    Time to go lie on the beach for a bit.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 312 posts Report

  • Hard News: Anatomy of a Shambles,

    On the campaign front, NZ Equity’s call for a standard contract is continuing with an online petition encouraging the Screen Production & Development Association (SPADA) to meet with us to begin negotiations.

    What? When? Where?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 312 posts Report

  • Hard News: Anatomy of a Shambles,

    Peter - All I was trying to demonstrate is that tans tasman unions co-operating together can be a benefit to NZ workers.

    If it's done well, I couldn't agree more - and not just trans-tasman, but also the US, Canada, etc. and I'm glad you made the point. And thankyou also for making me clarify myself. We certainly don't want to get into a position where we're suggesting overseas unions are all self interested monsters. My personal view of the MEAA is they actually made an honest mistake too with their legal position, and I'm sure they'll learn from it.

    Having said that I don't think that they certainly wouldn't have made the same mistakes if they were in Australia, and would have been a lot more careful with how they run it - checking the legal status properly, getting their members vote first, interacting and the wider industry first, etc. so as to avoid this kind of damage we've seen here.

    Real improvements in wages won't come from fiddling around with the tax system.

    Also, very true. Nor plans to make last second changes to labour law by Gery Brownlee.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 312 posts Report

  • Hard News: Anatomy of a Shambles,

    Jacqui, fair call, and just to be clear, all my quotes are from the MEAA's own fact sheet and letters:

    http://img.scoop.co.nz/media/pdfs/1009/Member_Alert_NonUnion_Production_TheHobbit.pdf

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 312 posts Report

  • Hard News: Anatomy of a Shambles,

    To support these talks the Alliance is initiating a survey and review of our freelance membership to provide the sort of comprehensive mapping information that will be necessary to underpin the campaign.

    Would have been nice for the MEAA to afford the NZ industry that basic level of respect.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 312 posts Report

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