A relatively new player in the New Zealand power market has hit out at the Electricity Authority and Government amid the power crisis. 

Octopus Energy says that the closure of Winstone Pulp is a sign that urgent change is needed.

They believe the Government’s decision to scrap the Lake Onslow reservoir project has discouraged electricity investment.

COO Margaret Cooney told Mike Hosking it could have helped tackle the issue of competition in New Zealand's electricity market.

LISTEN ABOVE

A relatively new player in the New Zealand power market has hit out at the Electricity Authority and Government amid the power crisis.  
Octopus Energy says that the closure of Winstone Pulp is a sign that urgent change is needed. 
They believe the Government’s decision to scrap the Lake Onslow reservoir project has discouraged electricity investment. 
COO Margaret Cooney told Mike Hosking it could have helped tackle the issue of competition in New Zealand's electricity market. 
LISTEN ABOVE

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Without question, as New Zealand’s number one talk host, Mike Hosking sets the day’s agenda.

The sharpest voice and mind in the business, Mike drives strong opinion, delivers the best talent, and always leaves you wanting more.

The Mike Hosking Breakfast always cuts through and delivers the best daily on Newstalk ZB.

Open your mind to the world with New Zealand’s number one breakfast radio show. Without question, as New Zealand’s number one talk host, Mike Hosking sets the day’s agenda. The sharpest voice and mind in the business, Mike drives strong opinion, delivers the best talent, and always leaves you wanting more. The Mike Hosking Breakfast always cuts through and delivers the best daily on Newstalk ZB.

Open your mind to the world with New Zealand’s number one breakfast radio show.

Without question, as New Zealand’s number one talk host, Mike Hosking sets the day’s agenda.

The sharpest voice and mind in the business, Mike drives strong opinion,...

The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Margaret Cooney: Octopus Energy Chief Operating Officer on the Winstone closures, energy crisis

The King and Queen will be packing in a lot during a trip down under next month as they head to Australia and Samoa.

A New Zealand stop was cancelled on doctor's advice, following the King revealing his cancer diagnosis in February.

Australian correspondent Kieran Gilbert told Mike Hosking many of the couple's appearances will reflect their personal interests. 

He says they will meet community leaders, volunteers, and pioneers in cancer research.

LISTEN ABOVE

The King and Queen will be packing in a lot during a trip down under next month as they head to Australia and Samoa. 
A New Zealand stop was cancelled on doctor's advice, following the King revealing his cancer diagnosis in February. 
Australian correspondent Kieran Gilbert told Mike Hosking many of the couple's appearances will reflect their personal interests.  
He says they will meet community leaders, volunteers, and pioneers in cancer research. 
LISTEN ABOVE

Kieran Gilbert: Australia Correspondent on the King and Queen's visit to Australia next month

The cock up that the Inland Revenue Department has engineered gives us a good insight into how the public service is run.

They hand my information, and yours, over to Google and Facebook etc, and they do this so they can better tailor their advertising.

Even at this point there are a couple of large red flags.

Firstly, I would argue there is a patriotic duty for all Government funded agencies to at least pause and ask themselves, given the relationship with social media and the local media and ripping off of locally created content and making money from it, whether the Government should be throwing more money at them, while at the same time allegedly trying to cut some sort of revenue deal where the international players come to the table and actually pay for the content they are ripping off.

Secondly, and more importantly, the info the IRD have has been gained by compulsion. We have no choice but to hand over our details to them. At what point did they gain the right to on sell them to another party, far less an international one?

An international one that, as the record shows in multiple jurisdictions, has not a lot of interest in behaving in a way that doesn’t attract an outsized amount of attention to their ways of doing business.

From America to Europe to Britain - how many times have these players been called before committees and tribunals and inquires to answer questions about their practices, records, business approach, revenue generation and general omnipresence in people's lives?

IRD will tell you our details are safe and the names, ages and serial numbers are confidential. They have been 'hashed', I think the term is. That’s where they take letters and turn them into numbers and keys. But have they? Are they really?

Now people, especially those on social media, give a lot of themselves away without often even realising it.

But the IRD are different. We had no choice. We weren't asked. We didn’t give permission.

That needs to be addressed.

The cock up that the Inland Revenue Department has engineered gives us a good insight into how the public service is run. 
They hand my information, and yours, over to Google and Facebook etc, and they do this so they can better tailor their advertising. 
Even at this point there are a couple of large red flags. 
Firstly, I would argue there is a patriotic duty for all Government funded agencies to at least pause and ask themselves, given the relationship with social media and the local media and ripping off of locally created content and making money from it, whether the Government should be throwing more money at them, while at the same time allegedly trying to cut some sort of revenue deal where the international players come to the table and actually pay for the content they are ripping off. 
Secondly, and more importantly, the info the IRD have has been gained by compulsion. We have no choice but to hand over our details to them. At what point did they gain the right to on sell them to another party, far less an international one? 
An international one that, as the record shows in multiple jurisdictions, has not a lot of interest in behaving in a way that doesn’t attract an outsized amount of attention to their ways of doing business. 
From America to Europe to Britain - how many times have these players been called before committees and tribunals and inquires to answer questions about their practices, records, business approach, revenue generation and general omnipresence in people's lives? 
IRD will tell you our details are safe and the names, ages and serial numbers are confidential. They have been 'hashed', I think the term is. That’s where they take letters and turn them into numbers and keys. But have they? Are they really? 
Now people, especially those on social media, give a lot of themselves away without often even realising it. 
But the IRD are different. We had no choice. We weren't asked. We didn’t give permission. 
That needs to be addressed.

Mike's Minute: IRD needs to be addressed

There's scepticism around how Wellington City Council can support struggling businesses. 

Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau is looking at how the council can help Golden Mile businesses. 

A number of sites in central Wellington have announced closures in recent weeks, many blaming transport changes, public sector cuts, and people working from home.

Guardians of the Golden Mile Spokesperson Barry Wilson told Mike Hosking the city is in deep trouble, and small bits of help will do nothing.

He says there's too much disruption, reckless spending, and road cones.

LISTEN ABOVE

There's scepticism around how Wellington City Council can support struggling businesses.  
Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau is looking at how the council can help Golden Mile businesses.  
A number of sites in central Wellington have announced closures in recent weeks, many blaming transport changes, public sector cuts, and people working from home. 
Guardians of the Golden Mile Spokesperson Barry Wilson told Mike Hosking the city is in deep trouble, and small bits of help will do nothing. 
He says there's too much disruption, reckless spending, and road cones. 
LISTEN ABOVE

Margaret Cooney: Octopus Energy Chief Operating Officer on the Winstone closures, energy crisis

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