Posts by David Haywood
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... been wondering what's up...
A combination of other work, exhaustion, and a bunch of attempted essays that just wouldn't come out right. It's been a frustrating couple of months.
But hope to be back in my normal routine from now on...
P.S. Additional apologies to some PA readers whose emails I have yet to answer. Will get onto it ASAP, I promise!
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Stephen Judd wrote:
I agree with Matthew. I've seen it over and over again. It is the dark obverse of our can-do, jack-of-all-trades, no 8 wire culture - we disrespect specialists, skimp on maintenance, and jury rig cheap solutions that break a lot.
As a former engineer, I can only agree with you on this one...
Rob Hosking wrote:
The biggest drag we have on productivity is the numbers in our workforce who are still functionally illiterate and innumerate.
I've been fascinated (if that's the word) by NZ's low productivity for nigh on two decades. I've read and thought a lot about it -- and I simply can't see how any of the numbers would back your claim. As far as I've ever seen, NZ does very well internationally in these areas. Do you have a study or some numbers that you can quote to explain your argument?
Of course, one of the problems in understanding NZ's productivity is the lack of quantitative data in certain areas.
For what it's worth, here's my take on the two biggest causes of NZ's low productivity (this is basically the macro-driver for the symptoms that Stephen Judd has pointed out):
1. Extremely poor governance
2. Very poor management
And I suspect our biggest economic advantage is:
1. Extremely low levels of corruption.
2. A highly literate and numerate workforce.
If you get a chance, it's very interesting to contrast German governance/management practices with NZ. Note that Germany is the world's largest exporter and has extremely high wages (starting salary for an engineering graduate over NZ$200,000) as well as a very generous holiday scheme (six weeks per year minimum).
According to the NZ Business Roundtable, of course, Germany has it all wrong...
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And a supplementary question from Bob-the-baby: "Why is the Prime Minister sitting on that lady's [Judith Durham] knee?"
See 29 seconds into this video clip:
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Swine before churls.
Stephen, just wanted to take a moment to acknowledge your awesome punning prowess. Maximum respect, dude.
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Nice work, Emma, dude! I'm terrible flattered. Or, at least, I think I am.
And, alas, I didn't need your uncanny predictions to know that Bob-the-baby seems to be headed down the old-time music route at an ever-accelerating rate. He had me playing an 1860s song on the banjo for most of the afternoon. The song's lyrics seem to appeal to Bob -- telling the uplifting story of a young man who stabs his girlfriend to death, and ends up "in a lonesome valley, hanging from a wide oak tree". Nice and cosy for a wet afternoon indoors.
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Graham Reid wrote:
These were tired and obvious names, familiar men (all of them men if I recall) who belong to the past even though they inhabit the present. They were not of the future....
Let's just get on and do what needs to be done for our city -- and by extension, the country.
But it takes vision and courage. Someone -- and it may well be just one person -- who says, "We can and will do this".
Your man might well be former head of the Transport and Urban Linkages Committee, Richard Simpson. The CitRats absolutely hated his guts because he had ideas (good ideas, in my opinion) and a huge architectural vision for Auckland.
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Gareth Ward wrote:
Very true, perhaps suggest an amended consent that is tied directly to the budgeted completion date of the Major Sewer Upgrade in order to continue the incentive on completing such an important piece of work etc etc...
Having read this page I'd actually get them to only have the consent to 2015 (i.e. 6 years)Thanks again, Gareth. I've put my name down to go along to the hearing so I'll read through all the gumph in detail, and give them my thoughts... your suggestion of tying it to a timetable sounds very reasonable.
It's annoying that I only just found out about these plans. I haven't had time to go through all the documents in my usual hair-splitting manner.
Don Christie wrote:
And, welcome back David.
Cheers, matey!
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Hi Gareth, many thanks for that. Er... an upgrade plan wasn't communicated to me by the person I talked to -- and they definitely told me that the consent documentation wasn't available online (they did offer to mail me a CD).
I'll emend my objection to focus on the time limit. It seems to me that a quarter-century time limit is liable to de-incentivize them from making haste on their fifteen-year plan.
I was also concerned to note that false teeth might be released into the river -- which, in my opinion, is even more terrifying than ordinary sewage.
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Don't worry, Philip. It's only for 25 years. You'll still probably be alive when it's all over.
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And a "hear, hear" from me too. Both to Daniel's fine post, and Andrew E's heartfelt comment.