Comments on: NZ Government taken for a (train) ride – surprised anyone? http://www.diversity.net.nz/nz-government-taken-for-a-train-ride-surprised-anyone/2008/09/23/ Commentary and Analysis for User-Centered Technology Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:02:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jason Kemp http://www.diversity.net.nz/nz-government-taken-for-a-train-ride-surprised-anyone/2008/09/23/comment-page-1/#comment-9733 Jason Kemp Tue, 23 Sep 2008 23:45:36 +0000 http://diversity.net.nz/nz-government-taken-for-a-train-ride-surprised-anyone/2008/09/23/#comment-9733 Rail has a strategic value much larger than the price paid. Maybe the govt team got out maneuvered but they have restored public ownership and that is important. Once rial went private it was always going to be a struggle to "buy back the farm" as commercial interests are quite different from the community focus that a government has. Rail has a strategic value much larger than the price paid. Maybe the govt team got out maneuvered but they have restored public ownership and that is important.

Once rial went private it was always going to be a struggle to “buy back the farm” as commercial interests are quite different from the community focus that a government has.

]]> By: Gwilym http://www.diversity.net.nz/nz-government-taken-for-a-train-ride-surprised-anyone/2008/09/23/comment-page-1/#comment-9665 Gwilym Tue, 23 Sep 2008 08:31:02 +0000 http://diversity.net.nz/nz-government-taken-for-a-train-ride-surprised-anyone/2008/09/23/#comment-9665 It's a shame ... but did they have a choice? Living in Europe at the moment and it is obvious that one of the pillars of civilisation is the ability to cleanly and easily get around. Public transport, pedestrian access and cycle ways are infrastructure that requires government backing in order for it to eventuate against 'market' pressures (it's economic good tending to be wide and various, not easily localised in a few companies pockets) - and as public owned infrastructure can be profitable even (see Deutsche Bahn). New Zealand seems to still be stuck in some crazy world where communal values have been displaced by market fundamentalism...even now after the crash? Compare Kiwibanks balance sheet to Citicorp. I think the Labour government did a brave and necessary thing. If the next government supports the quality of leadership Kiwibank has enjoyed in Kiwirail then in a few years we'll have some to be proud of. It’s a shame … but did they have a choice? Living in Europe at the moment and it is obvious that one of the pillars of civilisation is the ability to cleanly and easily get around.

Public transport, pedestrian access and cycle ways are infrastructure that requires government backing in order for it to eventuate against ‘market’ pressures (it’s economic good tending to be wide and various, not easily localised in a few companies pockets) – and as public owned infrastructure can be profitable even (see Deutsche Bahn).

New Zealand seems to still be stuck in some crazy world where communal values have been displaced by market fundamentalism…even now after the crash? Compare Kiwibanks balance sheet to Citicorp.

I think the Labour government did a brave and necessary thing. If the next government supports the quality of leadership Kiwibank has enjoyed in Kiwirail then in a few years we’ll have some to be proud of.

]]> By: David MacGregor http://www.diversity.net.nz/nz-government-taken-for-a-train-ride-surprised-anyone/2008/09/23/comment-page-1/#comment-9628 David MacGregor Mon, 22 Sep 2008 20:06:08 +0000 http://diversity.net.nz/nz-government-taken-for-a-train-ride-surprised-anyone/2008/09/23/#comment-9628 I wonder if the current government thinks it already is a benign dictatorship? Michael - puffin' billy - Cullen has introduced the smokescreen of John Key's share ownership to divert attention away from this matter and the Winston Peters scandal. New Zealand could probably be run with some Linux software. It probably would crash less often than the unreliable humans. I wonder if the current government thinks it already is a benign dictatorship? Michael – puffin’ billy – Cullen has introduced the smokescreen of John Key’s share ownership to divert attention away from this matter and the Winston Peters scandal.
New Zealand could probably be run with some Linux software. It probably would crash less often than the unreliable humans.

]]> By: John http://www.diversity.net.nz/nz-government-taken-for-a-train-ride-surprised-anyone/2008/09/23/comment-page-1/#comment-9627 John Mon, 22 Sep 2008 19:38:36 +0000 http://diversity.net.nz/nz-government-taken-for-a-train-ride-surprised-anyone/2008/09/23/#comment-9627 Corporate socialism at it's finest, but at least we're not giving out hundreds of millions to bail out the banks here...oh wait, we already did that in the 90's...sigh Corporate socialism at it’s finest, but at least we’re not giving out hundreds of millions to bail out the banks here…oh wait, we already did that in the 90′s…sigh

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