This govt appears to be going into early paralysis. Will be interesting to see how long the leadership battle takes and who will come out on top - Collins, Parata or Joyce.

Now here is an interesting development.

Last year John was rattling a sabre about asylum seekers reachin our shores. At the time I questioned the ability of asylum seekers getting this far and now Immigration Minister Nathan Guy agrees with me when he said this morning concerning a group of Chinese asylum seekers in Australia attempting such a journey:
"Both New Zealand and Australian authorities would be extremely concerned for the safety of the passengers should they attempt what would be a very hazardous voyage to New Zealand."

Could this be another sign of internal National Party infighting as ministers contradict their leader?

Cheers

Sure is shaping up to be an interesting contest between the factions of (1) Collins (2) Joyce (3) Parata. I am not sure if the brat pack feature anymore - do you think Bill English has any chance?

Joyce and Parata will prob join forces in which case Collins doesn't stand a chance.

Hero42,

Correct me if I'm wrong. I heard this morning that these asylum seekers have been granted refugee status by the UN. If this is the case we may have an obligation to accept them should they make the voyage

Hero....


""At the time I questioned the ability of asylum seekers getting this far""

I wouldn't be quite so sure on that matey....if they can get down to Cape D'Entrecasteaux, then all they have to do is get across the "Bight'' and they could be quids in. Don't forget how far they've come down the WA coast before being stopped.

Also, power boats and pleasure craft have also crossed the Tasman via Norfolk, but only for fuel. Didn't some mad joker cross in a fair large row boat and come ashore South of New Plymouth somewhere a few years back....It all hinges on the craft mate and how desperate, and how much money they have to leave their home country.

Cheers.

Apparently so, Doogie, and the Australians have granted them temporary visas. They must be fairly 'kosher' to use an obviously inappropriate word or they'd be sitting in one of Australia's detention centers not preparing to voyage to NZ.

And they're Falung Gong which could pose all sorts of diplomatic problems for our government with the Chinese I suppose.

Squirter
You are quite right it is dependent on the quality of the boat they have and according to the Australian immigration service this yacht is of a much higher quality than the rust buckets most asylum seekers use to get to Australia.

Doogie
You are right too and the government here will not be able to turn them away and are duty bound to give them asylum.

Hopefully John will stand up for our country's rights and not do what he did when Chinese security guards assaulted one of our MPs exercising his legal rights last year. If he caves in to Chinese pressure over this then we will know for certain that anyone with money can buy our laws.

Cheers

On another tack New Zealands Ombudsman warns of Government plan to block public scrutiny of partially privatised power companies is unjustified on commercial grounds and will see a valuable part of the democratic process lost Chief Ombudsman Beverley Wakem has warned.Now why would The National Government be doing this This move suggests the long term direction is full privatisation. John Key needs to face the fullest scrutiny on this No Spin.!

Labour says increasing use of consultants by some departments shows the Government's cap on the core public sector had failed.

Figures released today show Housing New Zealand's spending on consultants has doubled from $10.8 million in 2008 to $20.6 million in 2011, while the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has tripled its use of consultants from $4.2 million in 2008 to $12.6 in 2011.

The data, obtained under the Official Information Act by freelance journalist Keith Ng, shows the Ministry for the Environment was the biggest spender in the past three years, forking out $58.7 million on consultants.

It also shows the cost of consultants at the Treasury has increased from $1.5 million in 2008 to $8 million in 2011.

New Zealand's crab-like recovery is continuing with most indicators in the latest survey of business opinion going sideways, pointing to a flat economy.

The New Zealand Institute of Economic Research's Quarterly Survey of Business Opinion shows firms' trading activity edged up slightly to a net zero per cent, from a net negative 3 per cent in the December quarter.

The result was in line with annual economic growth of just 1.8 per cent.

I wonder if John and Bill will push the back to surplus date out again.

Hero42, I see Labours spokesperson Chris Hipkins said increased spending by some departments was the inevitable result of the laying off of public service enployees, It doesn't surprise me because at a time when the public sectors being cut the governments effectively forced to use consultants and contractors instead of employees because they have this arbitrary cap which says you can't employ new staff.Hero42, Have you also seen whats happening @ Housing New Zealand 162 useful employees made redundant frontline staff being lost They are cutting out People -Service for Call Centre Service and we all know what service that gives.