Friday, July 10, 2009

Her Tiny Hands Were Frozen


The Electricity Commission of New Zealand under the Heading of Undesirable Trading Situation: to quote:

“An undesirable trading situation (UTS) arises when there is a threat to orderly trading on the wholesale market or settlement that cannot otherwise be resolved satisfactorily under the rules. The Commission is able to investigate any potential UTS and can take actions, as it considers appropriate, including suspending rule requirements and imposing new requirements on participants.

The Undesirable Trading Situation (UTS): Guidelines for Participants documents the framework within which the Board intends to manage a UTS, and sets out the process and contact details for parties to use in order to have the Board promptly consider any claim that a UTS exists or is developing.”

The Commerce Commission has confirmed its report into the electricity market has found generators used their market power to strip more than $4 billion from NZ over a six year period, though no breach of the Commerce Act occurred. Overcharging and the lame excuse by power companies holding over for the dry seasons, yeah right, the question is how can companies take from New Zealand $4 billion when power fails, lines in dis-repair or not upgrade and major bolts are rusted causing black outs in major cities.

If there is the “dry season” (which is not that dry in New Zealand) then turn off all the advertising lights and leave essential service lights on.

The elderly and sick, the low income earners suffer through winter not affording heat or lumbered with crippling power bills.

The new iniatives for heat pumps and insulation the offer of subsidy is so minimal many cannot afford the upgrade, city councils as Landlords with disabled tenants, or those with special needs, or the sick instead of spending millions on projects over and over revamping the inner city as some projects seem to last about 5 years before it is ripped out and started again should be investing in the people of the city in the rented homes.

Planning, Decision-Making and Accountability section for Christchurch City Council views millions being spent when so many in the tenanted homes are suffering the freezing cold due unaffordabilty to pay for power for small heaters that are inefficient anyway.

Those millions could be invested in heat pumps which are efficient for the Christchurch City winters, for all citizens: rate payers included, instead of “ decorating the city” to generate more income in the face of a recession where people are losing their jobs and do not have the surplus money to spend even those that are working. Only an elite few with blinkers on do not see the plight of its people, requests of input and asked to heard then the elite few play deaf ignoring any input. If it is contrary to their idea then it is swept aside.

The Undesirable Trading Situation (UTS): so describes the powers in New Zealand. New Zealand could be the envy of the world or the joke. The millions spent and drained from this country is The Undesirable Trading Situation.

No wonder the children are like the Little Matchstick girl of England a hundred years ago and to quote as she passed away frozen in the snow when she lit a match for warmth “her tiny hands were frozen”

copyright: poeticalleaderhip. marie hazledine-barber

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