Monday 9 September 2013

The end of Neo-Liberalism



The following appeared:
Last April, National appointed its crony, former MP Georgina te Heuheu, to the board of Māori Television. While Te Heuheu might be qualified, the appointment process was pure cronyism - the position was not advertised, and instead Te Heuheu was shoulder-tapped by her former colleagues. So it’s hardly surprising that now that she is in the job, she is doing the same thing herself, shoulder-tapping a friend with a shady history to serve as Chief Executive, despite a serious conflict of interest:
Clare Curran: [asked Bill English] Is he aware that the lead contender for the position of Māori Television chief executive, Paora Maxwell, was not considered suitable for the position by the recruitment company engaged to oversee the process and was not included on the shortlist, but that this decision was overturned by his close friend and board chair Georgina te Heuheu, and does this meet his test for an appropriate appointment process?

[...]

Clare Curran: Is he aware that Paora Maxwell has been in long-term debt to Te Māngai Pāho, which is the major programming funder for Māori Television, for money owed from his own production company, Te Aratai Productions; if so, does he think it appropriate that the board would appoint a chief executive in long-term debt to the station’s programme funder?


(Yesterday we learned that that same Paora Maxwell left TVNZ "under a cloud of financial and staff mismanagement" and that Māori Television apparently refused a briefing on him offered by TVNZ)
So, a crony appoints a crony, using the same practices which appointed her. It’s hardly surprising, but we deserve better when public servants - and public money - are involved. Quote ends: 
The public pressure on ex list National Party MP Georgina te Heuheu, chairperson of the Maori TV board was simply too great and she back tracked at a rapid rate and decided that Paora Maxwell was simply not up to the job…so it would appear that Maori TV will not be sold off to one of Steven Joyce’s mates for a while yet. This is a bit of a kick in the bum for national party strategists who have slowly been bringing our News Media outlets under their control.
Various right-wing bloggers have been used by main stream media as so-called political experts. Kiwi blog owner David Farrar is being used by MSM to push the neo-liberal line and along with other neo-liberal pushers like ex labour party chairperson Mike Williams and his best mate Mathew Hooton they even used dumped Labour and Act party creator Richard Prebble to comment on the labour party reintroduction of a democratic system to elect its leader.
Just as these same manipulative bunch wanted David Shearer as Labour party leader because Key could act the bully-boy while David Shearer was in charge. They are now suggesting that Shane Jones should inherit that role, why, because he is most easily beatable at the next general election in 2014.
The reality is that John Key is really nervous about David Cunliffe and the word has gone out…to stop Cunliffe from being Labour’s leader at all costs. And people like Farrar, Hooton and most elements of the MSM are willing to, for a payment go along with this PR strategy. When Key wants something he simply buys it…always has and always will.
But out there in the real world democratic forces are uniting, parties like the Greens, the Mana Movement and even NZ First are developing the ways and means to turn the tide. And now that the real membership of the Labour Party has had a taste of freedom they too are seeing the truth. Neo Liberalism is collapsing from the bottom up; oh it’s not dead yet because it’s wealthy backers knows that they have to spend billions to continue to receive the billions they receive via the taxpayers. Neo Liberalism is and always has been a Ponzi scheme, where the mass gets poorer and the few get richer, and a policy of greed.


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