DIRTY DEAL DONE AT OUR EXPENSE

The bully boys have got what they wanted

Despite implying that there was no more money in the coffers and the Government wasn't going to get into a 'bidding war', John Key has just handed over another big vat of cash to media giant Time Warner. The figures I've seen suggest it could be as much as $30 million and perhaps even more.

At a time when the Government is playing hardball with welfare beneficiaries, it is nothing less than obscene that Time Warner should receive yet another good helping of corporate welfare.

And to add insult to injury, Time Warner and Jackson have got their way over what the US multinational euphemistically described as 'uncertain industrial conditions'.

Even as late as this afternoon Peter Jackson was firing off another press release berating the CTU.

He must be a happy megalomaniac now. Tomorrow the Government is going to do his bidding and push through legislation that will grind workers into the dirt. Key calls this 'clarifying' the situation. I'm sure we'll hear the word 'clarify' a lot during the next few days. It effectively means workers hired by Jackson will be described as 'contractors' = and the 'nasty' union will be kept out.

Every worker in the country's film industry will now be re-employed as an independent contractor to do the same work they’re already doing as employees. The difference being is that they will have far fewer rights.

Jackson will get his vulnerable and compliant workforce.

It'll be interesting to see how both the CTU and the Labour Party respond to this fundamental attack on the rights of workers.

Will they stand up and be counted or will they meekly surrender to the Dark Lord sitting in his castle in the Waikato?