By: Larry Williams | Friday, April 27, 2012

Hobbit

The unions and Labour are climbing into the Government for assisting Sir Peter Jackson make the Hobbit here.

The Government assisted with immigration, and a tax incentive. 

Now look, of course its better that NZ actors get a fair deal, but I'm not sure we would get any movies made here if the movie maker didn't have control over the casting.

The unions, in particular the Actors Equity, wanted to be able to veto actor’s visas.  

Jackson says that the visa issues were vitally important and could not be subject to veto by a union group, as had happened previously.

So Jackson wants to make a movie here which would inject $300-$400 million into the economy, and we have these special interest groups trying to dictate who he employs on his film.

That is the way it looks. The Government then steps in and changes the law to allow Jackson to employ who he wants on HIS film.

So what's unreasonable about that?

SkyCity

Labour and the Greens are upset over Auckland mayor Len Brown sitting on the fence over SkyCity.

They can't see why a left leaning Labour member can betray them.

Well, Mr Brown is not fence sitting. He hasn't seen the deal. He has written to the Government suggesting a series of harm minimisation protections. He supports the convention centre subject to seeing the deal.

Look, what we have here is Mr Brown joining the right in wanting SkyCity to pay for it, and the left wanting the taxpayer to pay for it. 

Simple as that.

Petricevic

Bridgecorp's Rod Petricevic gets six and a half years jail; he will spend most of that time in what they call a 'country club' jail, and he could and probably will serve just a 3rd of his sentence.

The authorities are very happy with the length of sentence. It’s the harshest sentence handed down to these crooks.

This is just indicative of the low level of expectation there is in the judicial system and the law. 

I think the law places little value in the fact that $459 million of investor’s money has been fleeced.

Long jail terms should be accompanied by stripping every asset no matter where it hides. It’s the only thing that these crooks understand. Leave them destitute. 

Shearer

Very soon after David Shearer was elected leader of the Labour Party I said that I couldn't see him lasting the distance. I have seen nothing to change my mind.

Last week I noted that several sources from the left and within the Labour Party were undermining Mr Shearer, but that he deserved a fair go.

It now looks like Mr Shearer's time is almost up. A coup could be imminent. The knives are out - and it’s not a matter of IF, but WHEN.

The factions within Labour are plotting. It may not be civil war, but it looks serious for Mr Shearer.