NZ becoming the 7th Aussie state?

Forums › Off topic › NZ becoming the 7th Aussie state?

rodhudson

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Topic # 12145 1-Mar-2007 14:00

The news that both Telecom and Microsoft are basing their new portals in Australia [starting today] raises the question of just how much ‘Big Business’ is really controlled from Australia. Several times over the last few months I have had occasion to contact ‘Head Offices’ in Auckland, only to find myself talking to someone in Melbourne, or Sydney, or Subiarco.

This was not always immediately apparent, as the technology that allows this sort of transfer is seamless.   Hence we have ‘Help Desks’ in India and Pakistan, Control Centres in Bombay, and who knows what in Edinburgh. ?      So is the technology that allows this working against our ‘Independence’, and are we becoming [along with most other countries] just another pawn in the global market ?

There are two sides to every coin, and the benefits of technological advancement, incorporating the economies of scale to an ever increasing degree, can also be having a detrimental effect on our individuality and ability to totally manage our own affairs.

‘Proudly NZ Owned and Operated’ seems to be a pretty mandatory slogan for just about any business that can claim to be so, but I suspect that most people, whilst remaining patriotic when possible, will shop ‘Where everyone gets a Bargain’….NZ owned and operated or not.

And when does that very phrase become a nonsense when the NZ-ers that own and operate something are doing it from Australia, or London, or New York. ??

Technological progress is not always just about technological progress, but about the side and ancillary effects and spin-offs as well.

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Reply # 62468 1-Mar-2007 18:38

I had a call today from my HP account support person/rep. They were new so were just intrducing themselves, so i asked how often would we see her.

She answered my question with, I am based in Australia. (Which is probably why she said good morning when it was afternoon :p

johnr

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Reply # 62491 1-Mar-2007 22:30

rscole86: I had a call today from my HP account support person/rep. They were new so were just intrducing themselves, so i asked how often would we see her.

She answered my question with, I am based in Australia. (Which is probably why she said good morning when it was afternoon :p

So not often

wmoore

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Reply # 62522 2-Mar-2007 00:05

rscole86: I had a call today from my HP account support person/rep. They were new so were just intrducing themselves, so i asked how often would we see her.

She answered my question with, I am based in Australia. (Which is probably why she said good morning when it was afternoon :p

Well she could of been in India

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TinyTim

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Reply # 62545 2-Mar-2007 08:14

This is my favourite: Shannon, at Econet Wireless, whose job it is to "establish corporate presence, monitor and report EWNZ progress to corporate headquarters"... from South Africa!

rodhudson

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Reply # 62568 2-Mar-2007 12:29

This is probably a question for freitasm, who seems to be the top banana, and chief cook and bottlewasher in this kingdom. It is not a complaint, nor even the slightest of moans. It is put purely in an attempt to understand better the decision making processes, and so that comments or views/questions etc can be posted in the right areas to begin with in future. Why is this topic, which was posted at 1.00p.m. yesterday, been moved to the ‘OFF TOPIC’ Forum after nearly 150 views in less than 12 hours, when the item that sparked it into being in the first place is still on the News page as second feature ? And given the need to move it, [ although some posts seem to have remained in that Forum for several years] why to the OFF TOPICS Forum ? I would have thought that as both Telecom and Microsoft are involved in that article, then any of their more dedicated Forums might have been a more logical home for it. Just asking !

bradstewart

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Reply # 62569 2-Mar-2007 12:36

This belongs in the off-topic forum because it isn't actually specific to Microsoft or Telecom.

The Telecom forum is specifically for Telecom products/services etc and the Microsoft Windows one is just that... Windows.

rodhudson

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Reply # 62583 2-Mar-2007 15:12

GOTTCHA !!

inane

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Reply # 62596 2-Mar-2007 15:55

the aussies still have an allowance for NZ to become a state in their constitution

bradstewart

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Reply # 62599 2-Mar-2007 16:07

Typical, they try claiming everything we produce as their own, soon enough they'll just take the whole damn country

skykissme

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Reply # 62602 2-Mar-2007 16:18

but not without a fight for sure.

We'll never be too old to learn, and we learn at least one new thing every day.

freitasm

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Reply # 62610 2-Mar-2007 17:48

bradstewart:
This belongs in the off-topic forum because it isn't actually specific to Microsoft or Telecom.

The Telecom forum is specifically for Telecom products/services etc and the Microsoft Windows one is just that... Windows.

Correct.

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cokemaster

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Reply # 62611 2-Mar-2007 18:07

Dependence on products/services produced from foreign countries has become a way of life here.

Most of our movies and TV programs are produced overseas (though always good to see locally produced content)
Despite popular belief - not all of us spend all day reading stuff, geekzone, and trademe (the only NZ sites generally worth visiting) and have a dependence on overseas providers to get our internet fix.
Cellphones, electronics and computers are mostly produced overseas, mainly Asia where working conditions are poor and people are poorly paid... but we don't seem to care, just as long as we get our cheap fix.
Clothing and shoes are often produced by wage slaves overseas. Again - we don't care where its being made, only that its cheap.
Many toys are produced overseas too.
Most of our banks are owned by the Ausis.
Oil - say no more.

So we already have this huge dependence on services and products being provided from other countries. So outsourcing support services is just other way for businesses to 'cut costs' or 'increase profits' depending on which way you look at it - in a world where we are demanding services/products for less and less.

Of course, when it comes to telephone/support it often gets quite frustrating when the accent makes it difficult to hear what the person is talking about, but it is hardly their fault for living in that country.

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Fraktul

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Reply # 62613 2-Mar-2007 18:18

Most of our oil is exported to be refined to fuel oil in Singapore, however we could potentially supply all our own needs with major modification to Marsden Pt.

robscovell

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Reply # 63709 14-Mar-2007 16:13

inane: the aussies still have an allowance for NZ to become a state in their constitution

There's a simple answer to that. We just need to change our (unwritten) constitution allowing Australia to become another
NZ province ...

Or another island.

NZ tourist brochure, 2027:

"New Zealand is a nation in the South Pacific consisting of a number of islands. The largest island, the West Island, is mostly desert, and probably the least interesting ..."

robscovell

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Reply # 63710 14-Mar-2007 16:16

Eh?????

I just posted that response, and my flag changed ... there's a big star under the Union Jack ...

What's going on??? My Profile still says "New Zealand".

Very strange ...

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