Helen Kelly

Chris Trotter makes an astute observation on the CTU and their so-called muscle:

[T]he involvement of the CTU was clearly no help. CTU president, Helen Kelly, is always reminding us that, “with 350,000 New Zealand union members in 40 affiliated unions”, the CTU is “the united voice for working people and their families in New Zealand.” Hmmm. If that was true, all she needed to do was ask every one of those union members to sign the “Keep Our Assets” petition and everyone else could have gone home.  Read more »

Matthew Hooton demolishes Helen Kelly in at NBR over her outrageous claims concerning Simon Bridges meek industrial relations changes:

Helen Kelly is president of the Council of Trade Unions.

It’s not clear why the media thinks she speaks for the New Zealand workforce given only 17% of employees belong to a union, the other 83% deciding to do without Ms Kelly’s advocacy.

However, according to Ms Kelly, Mr Bridges’ proposals are the worst attack on workers’ rights since the 1990s.

Interestingly, that’s broadly what she wailed in 2010 about the 90-day trial period, saying it stripped away “fundamental” rights and was a “massive attack on the job security of every New Zealand worker”.

Lo and behold, later that year, Ms Kelly screeched that the Hobbit legislation to clarify the status of contractors was yet another attack.

No matter how minor a proposal, Ms Kelly can be relied upon to cry wolf at full volume.  Read more »

That sanctimonious cow Helen Kelly is having a crack at Aaron Gilmore.

Council of Trade Unions president Helen Kelly said Gilmore’s behaviour towards the waiter demonstrated his ”completely unacceptable attitude”.

Gilmore had abused a position of power, she said, and shown an ”absolute disregard for the law and respect for working people”.

He had not considered the impact the ordeal would have on the waiter and his livelihood, she said.

”You put yourself in this young person’s position and that’s a very very difficult position to be in,” she said.  Read more »

Labour is making much of crony appointments at the moment. From the sounds of it they will be implementing the Hipkins Standard quite forcefully when they get back in power.

Truth has helpfully published a list of crony appointments made during their term as a point of reference:

Most are former staffers, advisers, union flunkies, spouses of senior regime members, former MPs and some who were to become MPs.
All were appointed under Clark’s watch.
- Ross Armstrong,
- Lesley Soper,
- Simon Mitchell,
- Louisa Wall,
- Shane Jones,
- Graham Hill,
- Rosslyn Noonan,
- Warren Lindberg, Read more »

As Labour and Helen Kelly attack over the appointment of Jackie Blue perhaps they need reminding about the forgotten the frenzied quadruple appointment of Dianne Yates?

The appointment of former Labour list MP Dianne Yates to four boards since she left Parliament in March this year has been described as the price the Government paid to get another Samoan into Parliament.

The remark by a Labour Party insider referred to Ms Yates’ standing down, as part of Labour’s third term rejuvenation drive, after almost 15 years in Parliament.

It allowed South Auckland Samoan community leader Su’a William Sio to replace her in Labour’s caucus.

Since leaving Parliament, Ms Yates has been appointed to the boards of Trust Waikato Community Trust, the Waikato Institute of Technology and Learning Media.

Yesterday she was also appointed by the Government to the high-powered Food Standards Australia New Zealand board.

The Labour Party insider told The Dominion Post: “It’s the price the Government has paid to allow Mr Sio to enter Parliament.“

Her last appointment to the FSANZ Board was astonishing in its brazenness:

“Dianne is ideally suited to this role on all levels. She’s from the Waikato, arguably the food bowl of New Zealand, and has close links to the primary sector.

If Labour want to chuck rocks about cronies I am going to start chucking them back, one a day, for about a year.

Helen Kelly has come out with a mean spirited and nasty press release about Jackie Blue’s appointment as Equal Opportunities Commissioner.

The appointment by Judith Collins of a current National MP as Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner is a direct political appointment and as such it risks undermining the integrity of this crucial national human rights role, says CTU President Helen Kelly.

It looks like she is also planning to uphold the Hipkins Standard. No former politicians or people associated with Labour will be appointed to any government body.

Helen Kelly says “Human Rights Commissioner roles are positions that need to be independent from direct government policy and influence. Jackie Blue is well respected on her advocacy on some women’s issues and we recognise and respect that but she has been a voting member of a Government that has set women’s issues back years with changes to pay equity initiatives, attacks on solo mothers, cuts to ECE services and other changes.  Her direct appointment from the Parliament and lack of experience and knowledge on human rights are serious issues.”  Read more »

Judith Collins has made another good appointment, with the pragmatic and well liked Jackie Blue being appointed as the Equal Opportunities Commissioner. Jackie will do a good job there, stopping the looney feminist section of society trying to promote policies that New Zealand simply cannot afford.

For those who do not know Jackie she is a compassionate woman who was probably too nice for the unnecessary unpleasantness of parliament. She battled hard for women in getting Herceptin funded in order to properly help with treating breast cancer. Unlike many MPs she actually has made a good contribution to making the lives of New Zealanders better.

There are few in National who do not like Jackie as she is a good person. Personally Jackie has been very supportive, helpful and considerate in dealing with my ongoing issues with depression.

Good luck Jackie, and don’t let the harpies like Helen Kelly and other Nasty Party MPs get to you.

Annette King is currently calling in all her mates.

The ASMS (The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists) is in industrial negotiations; its Spokesman is Executive Director Ian Powell.

In recent times, any skim of the ASMS website reveals it has now become unashamedly pro Labour/Green, and critical of Government. It uses much of Labours favourite language; like King’s claims of “bullying”, and “brain fade”.

Labour’s link became more public last September when the ASMS reported two new appointments to their small National Office.

Mr Steve Hurring, former Labour Minister Benson-Pope’s Political Advisor, and ex-vice President of the Labour Party, husband of Helen Kelly.  Read more »

The Owl has been quiet but he hasn’t been doing nothing. He has busted yet another union declaring missing millions of union members cash:

NZ Nurses Organisation loses $1.1M but Union staff get paid nearly $900,000.00 more – Observation by the Owl

The NZ Nurses Organisation have just posted a $1,108,073.00 LOSS – yes $1.1M, I repeat $1.1M loss.

Yes the NZ Nurses Organisation has lost $1M plus but its all OK – Union staff wages went up from $9,242,906.00 to $10,134,451.00.

An increase of $891,545.00  Read more »

Peter Jackson has slammed the unions in a press release today after OIA documents were released today over the Hobbit deal:

WingNut Films welcomes the release of documents pertaining to the industrial action that was initiated by the Australian based trade union, the MEAA, against the film production of The Hobbit in 2010.

Whilst we would not personally seek to re-litigate this issue, it is our hope that these documents will lead to a better understanding of the events as they unfolded.  Read more »