As is the usual practice for these slithy toves that brown bag of cash will be on TVNZ's books as a loss, or profit depending on the use they…

SkyCity CEO: Taxpayers always on the hook for higher costs

And how much advertising revenue is the Granny prepared to forego, if it grows a pair and properly investigates the whole wheeler-deal?

SkyCity advertorial

Ahhh, here, that's the thing see....If we help Sky City to make more money out of non-gambling business then the percentage of profits from gambling goes down. Unless, of course, the convention…

Even if you ignore the horrendous mortgage its costing the local ratepayers $4M a year in what are basically subsidies to its only user, professional rugby, who blatantly ignore…

Caught the Sky City ad.

Goodness me....who would have thought SkyCity was bordering on a charitable institution?

I'd stay away from those budget…

Ah, yes, I do vaguely recall that. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be in the Commonwealth's iLibrary, or anywhere else.

Shares are not a way to make real money, this is 2015 its being a partner in a public relations consultancy. Heard of Graham,…

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11379425

and from the "what I learned in the holidays" file.....the meaning of the expression "butt snorkelling".

Thank heavens for the Young People.

Not sure what you're obliquely referring to but then, 99 was a bit of a blur for me, getting diagnosed with clinical depression and getting medicated, and then my dad passed, so I wasn't…

When is austerity not austerity? When it's neo-feudalism.

Yup, the same "more with less" mantra being openly parroted as well.

Just like the end of National's last time in govt then – public service run into the ground and still their chums the captains of enterprise need public handouts to make their way in the world. Crowding out, my arse.

With lots of the rioters wanting to make the "memorial" part immediate.

The word on the street (in the Bubble, at least) is that MoBIE is about to implode and has been for a while now. They're laying off contractors (sorry, "exercising early termination…

Key, the Nats, are masterful at taking a position of strength, being the government, and negotiating/legislating to a position of absolute weakness and liability for the tax/rate payer.

The con…

Taxpayers will pay $1.9 million to bankroll the next two New Zealand Open golf tournaments despite the predicted economic return falling well short of the requirement for such a large investment of public money ...

The tournament's funding application relied heavily on its ability…

I wonder if Cr Brewer has shares in SkyCity? It's always fun sorting out those who'll stick to their principles, and those who have a price.

__"SkyCity boss Nigel Morrison’s confirmed this…

Let's be fair, Russell. Brewer's been a reliable rentaquote for The Herald's campaign to hound an elected Mayor out of office.…

I can perfectly understand why San Diego is rather keen to spend an awful lot money expanding the San Diego Convention Center (largely financed with an enormously controversial hotel tax that has been tied up in legal challenges…

That CRL is a grand plan, guv.

I agree. Something as sad as that too. Small men desire big buildings.

the most effective opposition voice around the council table

Utter lightweight.

And in a good sign, the vast majority of comments (last I checked at least) are against SkyCity going cap in hand.

I think Auckland could use a central city conference theatre that held 3500, and a big, modern exhibition space. Major Pacific-rim cities have this kind of facility.

They'd be well sited for future public transport developments…

I'm quite happy to do my bit to make sure he doesn't even get shortlisted for one north of the Harbour Bridge. (Which reminds me I've got to collect some Kate Sheppards from some folks who were a tad over confident…

Because politicians get to cut the ribbons at their openings. This is what drives all "commercial" activity by the public sector.

I'd say total income from tourism, and more narrowly conferences, might be relevant measures. Often wild guesswork, I agree, but StatsNZ, MBIE et al do collect some. Presume the NZICC business case discussed all this too. Plenty seem unimpressed with the latest turn of events, in any case.

From NZIER, one of the many economics consultancies who make a living from justifying…

There's actually reasonable evidence that however much we might…

"Won't somebody rid me of this turbulent lease?"

Exactly. There’s a whole industry of economists who can produce back of an envelope calculations with the fudge factors on warpdrive to justify spending taxpayer dollars pouring some more concrete.

If there is a huge untapped market of people wanting to fly across the world for conferences,…

One would think that there would be a plan, a protocol, a system.

Family X is temporarily moving into Y address while property Z is being repaired.

Here is Customer Service Person C, who sole job…

...it's not just the phone it's the telly and broadband as well
(they did try there – first with a vstick or vodem or somesuch
then a modem arrived out…

pork for pokies:
pokerfaced porkies;
poor communication;
poor consultation;
poor conduct.
porous contracts …
poor us.

I look to you, Ian, as the poet...the wordsmith...he who encapsulates with brevity and wit.

You need cheering up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufOIgiuR1j0

Or not. Still, it wasn't even headline news.

Their cable network in Wellington is still pretty robust. But when I changed plans, they pinged me the equivalent of a disconnection fee for the 'convenience'. And their helpdesk is still under-staffed – not that I've had to even ring them…

They're becoming notorious for this kind of thing, unfortunately.

In happier news — I got your package, Ian! Delighted by the contents and the bomb-proof swaddling with gaffa tape. Once a roadie, always ...

...does anyone have an email address for anyone in influence further up the food chain at the hopelessly organised Vodafone – everytime I see that ad that says 'The reliable network' I want to kick in the television – if you have an address,…

....is this the 'Three Convention Centre monte'?
The scams keep on coming.

What a shambles.

Rates cash eyed for SkyCity.

Yes, after stiffing Auckland Council on the CRL out of little more than political spite, the government has the damn nerve to suggest – without even a heads-up to the mayor – that Auckland ratepayers might like to cover its…

Thanks ever so for this wonderful Xmas pressie. As Johnnie often says, "At the end of the day taxpayers are more worried about snapper than forking out millions for our friends in the gambling addiction industry". After all, those Salvation Army folk need extra work to do,…

I think that's a very generous interpretation, but I agree that it's just as likely to be a case for Hanlon's Razor.

I don't know which is worse: outright corruption, or outright stupidity (despite…

such a good deal, let's have another one in Chch!

exactly – we've seen this time and time again with the usual bullish projections and eventual cost overruns and poor performance passed onto the tax/rate payer – be it IT projects, rationalisation and re-organisation of an entity(ies) etc etc. Hardly rocket science to see through…

Someone, save us from the Alpha Males
the pod that is in power now
is taking us beach-wards
at…

I agree they knew exactly what they were doing in the bigger picture – transferring public money into private pockets. However it's a good opportunity to heap ridicule on the manufactured image of these guys as sound managers on the public's behalf.

For example: The partial privatisation of public assets returning rates higher than the cost of the debt they planned to retire with the sale cash. D’oh. That completely unnecessary and counter-productive process cost over $100m…

Quelle surprise.

Media release

See also: the release of a nine-month-old report into what a complete clusterfuck Steven Joyce's "super ministry" is.

"Absolute buffoonery, these people are muppets" – Hooten again.

Crikey.

Now that the issue is ballooning out of his control, it seems he wants to pass…

But imagine if govt co-invested in world-leading innovative infrastructure for digital gatherings instead..

That really was outrageous.

Then hapless Minister Joyce trying to claim that he'd negotiated a fixed price when he clearly had not (6 mins, options). Suggests the council might get involved to save his ass.

As for Joyce hinting Council to step in?
How about we say no, Len flips the bird and we go…