Paddy performs as expected and is valued by the DP movers and shakers as the attack dog with a national tv soapbox. Sacked ! ha more likely just some firm directions on toning it down to appear considered and suck more sheeple in.
The whole current crop of so called journalists can go, im so sick of them telling us their views of the news instead of just reporting the news, Gower is the worst that pillock will burst a blood vessel one day while he is glorifying in somebody elses misfortune
I don’t believe it ! Yesterday the Herald had a column which commented favourably on Andrew Little’s state of nation speech, this morning there is another one PLUS an editorial which states :
“Mr Little has the luxury of time to produce more definitive solutions to the issues still facing the country, Mr Key does not. He urgently needs to give his Government new themes and impetus. This time last year he announced an imaginative education initiative, yesterday was an opportunity lost. ”
Are things finally starting to look up for Labour ? ?
Are things finally starting to look up for Labour ? ?
That’s how it looks. There’s a long way to go but up looks an attainable direction now.
There’s evidence too that opponents see Little as a threat that they are not sure how to deal with.
Key competing on the same day is one indication.
And Slater has been running a long and frequent series of attempted hits on Little (at least five posts yesterday alone), including repeated digs at Little’s appearance and his temperament. It looks like flailing around trying to seed something to attack with. It’s not working.
Another promising step along the way for Little yesterday. A lot still to do but it looks like the beginning of a recovery and rebuild, at last.
About FJK: “Key confirmed plans to sell 1000 to 2000 state houses in the next year to community housing providers and up to 8000 over the next four years.
Housing New Zealand would remain the biggest provider of social housing with at last 60,000 properties by 2017 against 68,000 now.”
It doesn’t take advanced mathematics to see that the have stopped building state houses altogether. Did FJK actually mention that?
The print version of the Herald has a half page devoted to rating the Key and Little speeches. The result according to them?
8/10 for Key and 4/10 for Little. So, no, I am afraid there is no change of tack in that right wing rag.
The odd pat on the head for Little means nothing unless they take Key to task instead of sheltering him from scrutiny.
Right at the moment they will be lining Little-Labour up in the business hearld with something stupid like “former Union Boss buckles to his union mates demands to abolish 90 day trial” (fire at will bill).
Where is the attack on bullshit artist Key over selling state housing, something he lied about in his pre election campaign ‘no further assets sales’.
How about, what exactly do you mean by part of the proceeds of state housing sales goes for capital infrastructure, what paying for roading projects?
Or, won’t you be paper shuffling and applying colorful accounting, referring to the sale of state houses to balance (fudge) the books?
I thought the focus of Andrew’s speech excellent. Small and medium business are the heart and blood of this bilateral nation. A labour government focussed on job creation through improving conditions for small business is a vote winner.
Positive and practical messaging and policies to increase the volume of money flowing through communities clogged by unemployment and impoverishment is a vote winner.
The biggest and immediate issue confronting Māori communities is the lack of jobs. Young people are rotting on unemployment and many are not on benefits.
Job creation should be the primary focus of any Labour Government otherwise it should relabel itself as Non-Labour Government.
Police Association president Greg O’Connor says Sabin is entitled to natural justice. But he believes it is unfair the MP, who is an ex-cop, is not held accountable to the same standards as police staff put before him.
“Any police officer who is under any sort of a cloud, generally, the first thing that happens is that they are stood down.
“So there would be a certain irony in police officers who would be subject to that being questioned. If one of those police officers in front of the select committee was under the same cloud, then they wouldn’t be there. However, we as police work on the principle innocent until proven guilty.”
h/t Tracey.
Conflict of interest much? How is this Key’s call?
Just heard the very good justice lawyer and friend Kelly Ellis rubbing Sabin’s nose into the dirt. Love that lady’s witty style. Yip what an ebarrasment Sabin is by pushing for the removal of a right to silence, and choosing silence himself, oh the hypocrisy makes me laugh.
Maybe John Key will ‘break the silence’ and force Sabin into retirement from politics.
My experience has been more along the lines of “However, we as police work on the principle innocent until bashed sufficiently to confess, or until we can do a deal with some jailhouse informant, or until we can fabricate sufficient evidence.”
Gower is an example of a TV presenter who believe they are more important than the message. Or worse maybe he is so deluded he thinks that people enjoy some rantings of a brown nosed National simpleton, with a brain smaller than his large teeth that he bares in some hideous attempt at entertainment. Again the Rugby thicko TV execs don’t notice that people are watching TV less and less in particular news …. I wonder why?
What is it with these political commentators/radio hosts, listened to that muppet Duncan (gotcha) Garner with his “epic fail” comment r.e Littles speach yesterday, at least hes consistant as he pulls the same crap with everyone, he is nothing but a sound bite merchant but that sound bite is now being replayed every hour, and he tries to make out he left political life because of all the nastiness well i say that trait has a bit more to do with him than his previous job
Rant over
The link to the news item is pay-walled but apparently local government have blocked a development so the addled have decided to do something for their friendly corporate.
New demands on the justice system requiring restorative justice talks even when the victirm doesn’t want it, are meaning three times the appearances for one very minor offence when only one was used to be needed. The system is grinding to a halt.
Ideological not practical or pragmatic. In 2012 submissions were made against this.
Perhaps we should call it the Bazley effect. Minister Amy Adams (not the celebrity) is looking at it. But it was pushed through by the previous Minimal of Justice so being new on the Block she might not have any authority. Has she the perspicacity?
This regime is fast gaining a deserved reputation for ignoring all expert on-the-ground advice in various areas and running solely on their own ideology.
@ vto
Let’s make it third-terminalitis!
After all balloons filled with hot air and helium only stay out of reach at the ceiling for a time. What goes up must come down.
As I listened to the talk about selling off, hiving off, our social housing I thought of a subtitle for our country – New Zealand/Aotearoa, the Islands of Reduced Circumstances.
We are like the elderly ladies in many Brit stories I have read who have been living on Father’s legacy or annuity which has dwindled as they have got older, and gradually they have been forced to sell heirlooms and treasured family belongings. Poor old lady NZ reduced to poverty in the land of much milk and less honey, and suffering the kind attentions of loan sharks, hucksters and high rollers.
edited
A survey by the website voteforpolicies.org.uk reports that in blind tests (the 500,000 people it has polled were unaware of which positions belong to which parties), the Green party’s policies are more popular than those of any other. If people voted for what they wanted, the Greens would be the party of government.
And that’s just a small taste. There is so much more in that article that can be directly transferred to NZ.
The head of the US military has had to launch an essay competition to find someone to write something nice about the brutal ruler who John Key honoured this week by ordering the lowering of the New Zealand flag to half mast.
Maybe General Martin Dempsey, Chair of the US Joint heads of staff could have saved himself the effort, and just instead asked the New Zealand Prime Minister John Key to tell the world what he personally admired about the late King Addullah of Saudi Arabia.
Maybe JK could wax lyrical about the multiply beheadings and dismemberments, and the jailing of government critics, or possibly the lack of civil rights for women. Or the Saudi Government’s legal sanction of child abuse, paternal rape and murder, or the flogging and jailing of bloggers and writers critical of the government. (Lynn Prentice, Eleanor Catton take note).
I am certain that an essay written by John Key on these subjects as well as creating an international sensation would easily win US Chief of Staff General Dempsey’s prize. (As well as winning the approval of the US State Department and President Obama’s office, something John Key has always been mindful of.)
I guess sometimes the truth hurts. I particularly liked this quote:
“It has to belong to everybody or the country really doesn’t want to know about it.”
It irritates me that the politicians and the wealthy in this country are very quick to celebrate their own achievements, which clearly result from their hard work, but if someone else does something worth of recognition it suddenly becomes “we did,” not “he did,” or “she did.” Even the phrase “New Zealand’s own…” suggests ownership.
Why not suggest support, instead? My degree contributed nothing toward her success, nor did anything else I’ve done in the last year. Perhaps a few cents from my taxes did, in some small way, but it was her talents that won her the award, not my taxes or even her nationality.
I’m disgusted by the behaviour of the media toward Miss Catton, but I can’t find a suitable word to describe my feelings for the Prime Minister, a man who brags that he had the support of the taxpayer as a child and made his way unaided after that, forgetting his free degree, and he now deserves his wealth and power.
When do we get our slice of the fortune our taxes created for him?
In NZ I notice that any time the UNACTS want to smear goo on a policy they label it Green. The worst sort of thing that could be imagined. They must huddle together at parties and down their alcohol in buckets while they shiver fearfully at some gory story about the frightening Greens, the new vampires.
On 4 July 2014 USA population given as 318,881,992. How much average per person of Koch $889,000,000?
In NZ the 2014 popuation was 4,500,000. How much if this is multipled by USA individual
amount?
And think of the spending and influence power of just one uber-rich group.
And Koch is giving that money to media and PR firms who already have all the infrastructure and staff in place and are ready to roll. So the $$$ will go much further.
“The government position is that basic commodity shortages are being caused by elements of the private sector that control the importation, production and distribution of food and other products and criminal speculators and smugglers who are sometimes allied with this sector. These actors are allegedly responsible or complicit in the illegal stockpiling of products in warehouses aimed at bringing about artificial shortages. There is empirical evidence for such claims. Thousands of tons of products, including subsidized items, have been diverted from the marketplace for sale in Colombia in 2014. Warehouses full of goods that ought to be on store shelves are frequently discovered by the authorities. Subsidized food items are often purchased by speculators for resale at higher prices in the domestic market. Some importers have been buying products at the subsidized currency exchange rate but then selling those products as though they were purchased at the much higher parallel rate. Fictitious “importers” are also blamed for massive amounts of currency fraud by obtaining divisas (dollars) at the preferential exchange rate under pretext of importing priority goods and then selling those dollars on the parallel market or holding on to them in expectation of further devaluation of the bolivar, a practice that suggests the corruption of some public servants as well. What are we to make of these observations about scarcity?”
Wow! Who would have thought that distorting the economy by providing subsidies or imposing price controls would lead to people taking advantage of these to make money?
The solution seems obvious. You remove the distortions and then the people won’t sell subsidised goods in neighbouring countries.
Also I love how some leftists think they can just dictate problems away.
“For Maduro, the game is up for the economic coup being waged by the political opposition and its allied collaborators in the private sector. He has delivered an ultimatum to food distributors to cooperate with efforts to overcome food shortages…”
Goostepper i do so like pointing out that you have only used parts of your own link that suits your agenda.
Trying to dictate what we think and say.
But your own link points out that the right wing in Venezuela are trying to undermine a democratically elected govt the same way as the CIA did in Chile underming Allende and installing a murdurous Dictator.
South America is littered with the mass graves of American foreign Policy of keeping corrupt murderous dictators and drug lords in power!
Thankfully we live in a capatlist society where the free market allows people to operate in an honest and open way never taking advantage of the lack of regulation and controls. In our great system people making huge amounts off speculation alone would never create a situation that endangers the economy of the enitre world for their own profit.
Stupid socialists identifying people breaking their laws designed to try and help people. They should totally do things the way we do.
If you think you can construct laws that solve problems of economic distribution and supply you are very, very wrong. Attempting to legislate prices at a level below what people are willing to pay for them will just lead to exactly the problem the Venezuelan government is facing now. People will stop producing and/or sell the items on the black market or across the border in places where they can get higher prices. You may try to claim this behaviour is unethical or immoral but then many people always try to blame others for problems they themselves have caused.
Gooseman you have only chosen selected parts of the story gooseman.
The reason why food shortages are occuring is because the right wing are using the same tactics as the CIA used to overthrow a democratically elected Allende and installing a murderous fascist dictator!
Fascist Murderous Dictators were installed in just about every South American country one stage or another.
Maduro was elected the right wing are deliberately with the collusion of the CIA underming democracy.
Don’t get me started on the war on drugs in South America.
Fact is South America is littered with mass graves as a direct result of American nihilistic foreign policy.
Democracy freedoms have been undermined!
Yes, it’s funny how the most freedom for the market seems to require the least freedom for workers and the strongest state apparatus.
A good example was the military dictatorship in Chile, the students of Milton Friedman economics.
Apparently you can’t tell the market what to do, but the state required by the ‘free’ market can not only tell you what to do but lock you up, torture you and kill you if you don’t obey.
How exactly is the right wing doing this? They seem terribly effective if they are as well. the economy is close to collapse. Perhaps it is best not to start a fight with them.
Of course you could try prosecuting the corrupt public servants. We could set an example by prosecuting those who handed out SFC assets to Key’s neighbour, for cents in the dollar.
But yeah Gooseman, you are right on one point. Capitalist scum like yourself cannot be trusted not to enrich themselves at the cost of the rest of us. You lot are criminals and should be treated as such. Funny that you are all willing to trot out the traitor label for someone who makes some mild criticisms.
I was told by a good source that Waiariki Institute of Technology is charging Indian Students $20k to do its Agricultural course, which is fine (nothing like exploiting people who are desperate to get out of their country)
BUT
Farmers can employ these students between May and November (busy calving time) for $200 per week. This needs to be investigated because these students are being exploited, its displacing local people and there is no way that this falls within minimum pay rates legislation.
Re the $200/wk, is that true for students who are residents too? Indian students only? i.e is this via immigration or via tertiary practice of making these deals.
One of the union people from round here should get on to this .
There has always been a good amount of farm owners treating there workers like dirt but they seem to get away with it Out sight out of mind I guess.
If you want to know who was behind Jordan Williams’s attack on Eleanor Catton yesterday, look no further than David Farrar: http://www.taxpayers.org.nz/who_we_are
The Taxpayers Union is just a thinly disguised recruiting tool for National Party members.
Danyl at Dimpost pointing out the two tracks is up and running again,
There are lots of good pieces on the Eleanor Catton contretemps – Morgan Godfrey, Brian Easton, Gordon Campbell, Andrew Geddis, Simon Wilson – all focusing on issues around intellectuals and criticism and New Zealand attitudes towards same, which are all valid points. But what’s also meaningful, I think, is that this is a reprise of National’s two-track communications strategy we spent so much time talking about last year. Sean Plunket isn’t just a talk-radio dofus: he’s very close to the National government and, just like his mate Cameron Slater, Plunket is there to smear and bully and intimidate anyone who speaks out against John Key or National, so that National themselves don’t have to.
If – like most of the country – you haven’t heard anything from Plunket since he left Morning Report a few years back then his attack on Catton probably seemed very strange. But if you listened to him during the 2014 election campaign, most of which he spent in a state of flat-out hysteria ranting about terrorists and traitors, culminating in Plunket phoning Paddy Gower live on air and accusing him of being involved in a conspiracy against the government because he was reporting on Dirty Politics, it’s easier to see that abusing critics of the National Party – real or imaginary – is pretty much just his day to day role.
The past year has seen a massive upsurge of working class communities in the south of Ireland against the attempt of the Fine Gael/Labour coalition to impose a household water tax. This follows on the household tax itself, cuts in social welfare payments, the raising of the retirement age and other anti-working class measures.
In a rake of working class communities people are physically preventing the installation of meters and sabotaging them where the state-capitalist water company, Irish Water, does manage to install them.
This is all very different from New Zealand, where workers remain almost obdurately passive in the face of the whittling away of rights and conditions and living standards by the bosses and by successive National and Labour governments.
Why is the NZ working class so passive compared to workers in Ireland?
We’ve tentatively explored the question a few times on Redline, but we need to do a lot more work on it.
I agree with you about the 1980s (and early 1990s).
But even at its most militant, the labour movement in NZ wasn’t really all that militant.
Take, for instance, 1913. In NZ workers fought for a few weeks. (And, in terms of workers involved, this was the most significant labour dispute in NZ history). At the same time the most significant industrial dispute in Irish history was taking place. Impoverished Dublin workers fought for *six months*.
When Massey’s Cossacks clubbed workers here, they complained about it. When the police in Dublin clubbed workers, the workers formed a workers militia, got armed, and paraded around Dublin streets tooled up; the cops kept their distance.
Those workers, the Irish Citizen Army, went on to be the driving force of the 1916 Rebellion. A number of their officers and a section of the ranks were women.
One reason I’ve become sympathetic to the idea of Australia and NZ merging is that the Aussies are much more Bolshie in defending their rights and we need some damn thing to harden up the working class here.
I think if I was young and had kids, I’d emigrate. I just couldn’t bear my kids growing up in a society where workers are so supine; I wouldn’t want my kids thinking that eating shit sandwiches is normal. I’d go to Oz or to Ireland.
maybe cos we have tended to lead the world, our work force swallow the oft fed line “you are not as badly off as xxx,”, with its implication to not seem ungrateful… we tend to be a polite and deferential lot
8 hour day
40 hour week
women voting
labour govts
ACC
health and safety
every day someone tells the poor or the workers of New Zealand how grateful they should be, they just use different and more nasty words. Kiwis apparently dont like to stick out from the crowd to be seen to be making a fuss, not risk-takers our fellow average kiwis.
For some reason, this country is infested with the idea of “I’ve got mine, screw you.” Everyone thinks they’re on their way up, through their own hard work, but nobody else is.
Anecdotes:
My brother overheard some (highly paid) managers at the last election time, saying that they were going to vote National because Labour were just going to give money to poor people, and why should they get something for nothing?
(Funny. I recall working long days and getting bitchy emails from my manager, telling me that I wasn’t working enough unpaid hours. He got a lot of something for nothing.)
I hear that kind of thing a lot. Before he retired, one of my father’s co-workers said that he worked 40 years to get whatever his wage was, he doesn’t see why he should help anybody else.
Many of us pride ourselves on our charity and thoughtfulness toward others, most especially Christians, but so very many of us seem to act contrary to that.
Then there’s the whole ideal that if a manager gets a pay increase, they deserve it for working hard, but if I want more than minimum wage I’m just being greedy.
Three or four years ago, one of the guys who worked with me was getting $15/hour. He was senior staff, and asked for a pay increase. I heard our boss tell him that if he wants a pay increase then he’d better upskill and become more valuable to the company.
I can do everything that other guy did with a single exception, and a whole lot more than he ever learned. I get minimum wage and there are no pay increases. According to my boss the only guy who gets a pay increase (and a Christmas bonus) is the CEO. The rest of us munters are just out of luck.
I’ve tried organising. Supporting my initial statements, one guy doesn’t care, he’s just funding his studies while another feels that he’ll be recognised as a true talent any day now, either promoted or hired somewhere else, and this is just his investment in his career.
These are only symptoms of the issue, though. I don’t know what’s causing it, or why we think we’re special and everyone else is lazy. I do know that it makes us easy prey for reducing our rights, and creating a low-wage economy.
Kiwis grow up in a culture that says you should have your own business and your own house to be a success. We really are Napoleon’s nation of shopkeepers and never developed a deeply entrenched sense of class. Even Bomber, a supposed left wing mouthpiece, carries on about rubbish like generational differences and almost never gives an analysis in terms of class. I wish it was different.
With regard to Oz, there is also the important factor that the ostensibly Labour government of Lange was the one that achieved a tko on its supporters. The union bureaucrats were busy agreeing with Douglas rather than building resistance. In Oz it was a Liberal government that tried most of it on, and the unions instinctively fought back, even if only to protect their relationship with the Labor Party.
But don’t make the mistake of thinking it’s much better over here. You might find militant class warriors marching in support of “Stop the Boats” or complaining about Kiwis taking their jobs. It’s no proletarian paradise, comrade.
“The union bureaucrats were busy agreeing with Douglas rather than building resistance. ”
They got big fat redundancy payouts for themselves and their members. Then they could set their own businesses, contract back to the SOE’s, and pole vault themselves into the middle bourgeois class.
30 odd years later, National has a new layer of voters.
I’ve been bouncing back in time, thse past few days, when I click on comments and even the “feeds”.
Oddly, usually to the same two places, one a blog from 2014. I’m starting to feel like my computer, or ths site has some misguided Hal* which is trying to bring something to my attention.
Wikipedia tell us: “The Imitation Game was both a critical and commercial success. The film was included in both the National Board of Review’s and American Film Institute’s “Top 10 Films of 2014″. At the 87th Academy Awards, it has been nominated in eight categories including Best Picture, Best Director for Tyldum, Best Actor for Cumberbatch and Best Supporting Actress for Keira Knightley. It also garnered five nominations in the 72nd Golden Globe Awards and was nominated in three categories at the 21st Screen Actors Guild Awards including Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. In addition, it received nine British Academy of Film and Television Arts nominations including Best Film and Outstanding British Film.”
Alan Turing, the person the film is mainly about, was the guy mainly responsible for cracking the Nazis’ ‘enigma code’ during WW2. In 1952, however, Turing was convicted of ‘gross indecency’, the usual name for male homosexual acts.
Last August the British queen announced a royal pardon of Turing.
An interesting indication of the changes in capitalism and in bourgeois ideology in recent decades:
and he possibly committed suicide when a nation turned on him because of who he loved…
“Turing was prosecuted in 1952 for homosexual acts, when such behaviour was still criminalised in the UK. He accepted treatment with oestrogen injections (chemical castration) as an alternative to prison. Turing died in 1954, 16 days before his 42nd birthday, from cyanide poisoning. An inquest determined his death a suicide; his mother and some others believed it was accidental.[9] In 2009, following an Internet campaign, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown made an official public apology on behalf of the British government for “the appalling way he was treated”. Queen Elizabeth II granted him a posthumous pardon in 2013.[10][11][12]”
The Brits did a pretty good job of taking hate on the road too when they colonised…
I’m not sure Turing was the guy mainly responsible. The effort began with the Polish military and mathematicians even before WW2. Commandos and Royal Marines also played an important role, as well as spies and French intelligence. Turing played a crucial role and it would have taken longer without him, but others were important as well. There is an interesting book:
Little had some good digs at the current government in his speech and all we get is bull shit from the press about lack of policy when Little said he wasn’t doing policy .
Reporters are either thick as pigshit or owned.
Ross, the NZLP was in the news all day yesterday and again today. The party (mainly Andrew Little) got some decent coverage on their own initiatives, National’s housing fail and Sabin’s case. It’s not compulsory to watch the TV news or read the papers, but it’s a good idea before you make comments like that to do some prep, lest you look like a bridge dweller.
TRP. Unfortunately, I no longer live in my own country. I wish I could. I subscribe to feeds and get my thrills through TS. What you say is, no doubt, correct. But I do the research I can. That research, for now, reveals almost zero penetration of the fog by Labour or any opposition. I often get more news about NZ from the Guardian than I do through Stuff. That’s a comment about the media. An opposition’s job is to find a way around that. Why doesn’t a Labour MP get a shovel and dig a spud patch on the front lawn at parliament? Why? To feed our starving kids! Why doesn’t one of the useless fools order a truck load of concrete sewerage pipes to be dumped alongside the potato patch? Why? To house our homeless!
Here one for you and for everyone that opposes these Key’s State house sell off:
Take a look, make a stand and sign the petition now.
This is the email message I received from Phil Twyford.
“Key finally admitted his plans to sell off thousands of our state houses over the next two and a bit years.
Now he’s fronted the policy, it raises the stakes. He’ll want to push the sell-off through as soon as possible as he’ll be scared of losing face if his plans fall through.
It means if we’re going to have a chance to stop the sell-off, we need to move quickly. In our tens of thousands. But it also means John Key is vulnerable.
The first step of this campaign is proving the levels of public opposition to the sell-off. Already, nearly 22,000 of us have signed a petition against it.
We need thousands more. If you’ve not yet added your name, time is running out to act – so please add your name today”
Once your name’s on the petition, please forward this email to your friends and family – every name on the petition will make our campaign stronger.
Next week, we’ll be in touch with an exciting plan to use our huge petition to make sure the Government can’t just force this issue through without the rest of New Zealand being made aware of their plans. But first, we need to work together to get as many people to sign the petition as possible.
Please take a minute to sign the petition and forward it on to other people you know who will be concerned about John Key’s state house sell-off.
@Phil not that I know of and i would think it is very very unlikely that this occurs in NZ.
The larger issue in NZ is the continuing limiting of registration of certain medical specialties to ensure a large enough practice and waiting lists – although to some extent for example in orthopaedics this is a function of limited theatre space.
“Or do you find evidence of the crime that the National Party is often accused of: deliberately running public health down for money.”
No evidence of that whatsoever.
Health services in NZ are generally speaking of a very high quality and from memory the money going into vote health has been rising year on year for quite some time – as i’m sure you understand we could put our entire GDP into health and there’d still be unmet demand for services.
The Urologists and ophthalmologists used to limit the numbers admitted into their particular specialties to make sure there were enough population per surgeon to ensure a good patient stream in public and private.
There are other surgical specialties which tend to do the same.
Cabinet minister Nick Smith has chartered another helicopter for television cameras – this time using tax-payer cash set aside for the families of the Pike River victims.
Why does the minister even have access to that money?
But of all the ways that Uber could change the world, the most far-reaching may be found closest at hand: your office. Uber, and more broadly the app-driven labor market it represents, is at the center of what could be a sea change in work, and in how people think about their jobs. You may not be contemplating becoming an Uber driver any time soon, but the Uberization of work may soon be coming to your chosen profession.
Contrary to many Leftists I’m actually cautiously optimistic about this but it does, IMO, show that these types of services need to be run through government servers. Running it through government servers will get rid of the capitalist bludgers that are making millions from other people being paid minimum wage or less. The government will just be getting the taxes and so the dead-weight loss of profit will be removed from the equation.
Also shows the needs for a UBI for two reasons. Firstly if you don’t get enough work you’ll still have enough to get by on with out dropping into poverty or having the risk of losing everything. Secondly it would remove the need to ‘have a job’. Essentially you could tell your employer to fuck off and still have work. Again, it helps remove the dead-weight loss of profit.
It’ll be the one thing that National and employers really hate – an actual free and flexible labour market. How do I know that they hate it? Because that’s what an unemployment benefit allows and National always undermines that.
And of course, Israel can strike Syria without the UN batting an eyelid. Says it all about the state of of international law in at the present time. One law for official enemies, and quite another for us.
Colonial Rawshark, why did you make that comment? It has nothing to do with the item I posted.
Also, I do not believe it is legitimate to “mock Jews”. Of course it’s perfectly legitimate to mock war criminals and sanctimonious, murderous hypocrites—including Israeli ones. But it’s their criminality, sanctimoniousness and hypocrisy that should be attacked, not their Jewishness.
Leave the crude race-baiting to the likes of David Rankin, Leighton Smith, Larry “Lackwit” Williams and Nevil “Breivik” Gibson.
I don’t think CR was mocking Jews. I don’t think he’s either that depraved or that foolish. I just think he needs to be careful how he expresses his ideas.
In other words, abusing or mocking Jews as Jews is as unacceptable as the Charlie Hebdo speciality of mocking and antagonizing Algerians.
Yes, that is correct. I’m interested in serious analysis, not in crude ethnic or religious stereotyping. If you want to indulge in that dismal nonsense, ring Kerre McIvor on NewstalkZB.
“… Charlie Hebdo speciality of mocking and antagonizing Algerians.”
Yeah, I’m totally sure you’ve got a cite for that, Moz. And CV, splitting hairs is pretty sad. Bigotry is bigotry. Anti-semitism is pathetic, whatever the specific religion turns out to be.
Those cartoons were aimed at insulting, humiliating and antagonizing French Muslims—most of whom are Algerian. It’s an old tactic of the extreme right, made no more acceptable by the fact it has been taken up by people who like to think of themselves as liberals.
Marine Le Pen knew perfectly well what the Charlie Hebdo folk were up to, and endorsed them completely. As did such liberal heroes as Binyamin Netanyahu and David Cameron.
It’s a French magazine. It attacked Muslims. It sells in France. Most Muslims in France are Algerians. French people would tend to identify Muslims in France as Algerians.
Really? You think that French people can’t recognise different ethnicities? Perhaps zay all look ze same to zem, non?
Algerians are not the majority in the Muslim religious demographic. Some folk might think that only a racist would think they were, but I’m sure that’s not the case with you, Murray.
CH attacks Muslims does not equal CH attacks Algerians. Moz was wrong.
You’re trying to suggest I am racist, even though you’re sure that’s not the case. Fairly typical of your debating style.
There are more than 5 million Algerians in France. The majority of these are Sunni Muslim. There are estimated to be something like 6 million Muslims in France. Who are the majority?
I think Morrisey is correct on this one.
Nice try saying the French can recognise different ethnicities, followed by some stupid imitation of Franglais. Who said they couldn’t?
Your numbers are wrong, Murray. Algerians make up around a third of the ‘immigrant’ Muslim population of France. That is, about 1.5 million people. In fact, they are about half of the population that hails from the Maghreb.
So, if you want to avoid looking dodgy, check your facts before opining and don’t conflate one ethnic group with others.
I did check my numbers and I am not conflating one ethnic group with another. Any further accusations, font of all that is true and righteous? Where does your figure of 1.5 million come from?
By the way, I couldn’t give a fuck if you think I look dodgy. Your life would have no meaning without the opportunity to try and look superior on a blog. You make a habit of it.
And CV, splitting hairs is pretty sad. Bigotry is bigotry. Anti-semitism is pathetic, whatever the specific religion turns out to be.
So now, stating facts = splitting hairs?
I stated what had actually happened at Charlie Hebdo. A cartoonist got fired in 2009 and threatened with charges for something which was interpreted as being anti-Jewish. So much for the freedom of speech argument that Charlie Hebdo would later frequently use whenever they published things interpreted as being anti-Muslim.
Again I stated that fact plain and simple, and contrasted to bring the hypocrisy in to distinct relief. Not my problem if you don’t like the illustration I used.
Yes, that’s one way of looking at it. Taking a semantic approach to an issue instead of recognising the wider truth. Yep, a good definition of splitting hairs.
The cartoonist that got fired all those years ago appealed the sacking and won. I’m sure the folk at CH learned a valuable lesson. Your bigotry is not based on anything substantial, CV, just word wankery.
Ps: “So much for the freedom of speech argument that Charlie Hebdo would later frequently use whenever they published things interpreted as being anti-Muslim.”
They never actually used that defence, because they didn’t need a defence. They were defiantly proud of being anti-religion.
The Petulant Entitlement Syndrome of Journalists
by GLENN GREENWALD, The Intercept, 29 January 2015
As intended, Jonathan Chait’s denunciation of the “PC language police” – a trite note of self-victimization he’s been sounding for decades – provoked intense reaction: much criticism from liberals and praise from conservatives (with plenty of exceptions both ways). I have all sorts of points I could make about his argument – beginning with how he tellingly focuses on the pseudo-oppression of still-influential people like himself and his journalist-friends while steadfastly ignoring the much more serious ways that people with views Chait dislikes are penalized and repressed – but I’ll instead point to commentary from Alex Pareene, Amanda Marcotte and Jessica Valenti as worthwhile responses. In sum, I fundamentally agree with Jill Filipovic’s reaction: “There is a good and thoughtful piece to be written about language policing & ‘PC’ culture online and in academia. That was not it.” I instead want to focus on one specific point about the depressingly abundant genre of journalists writing grievances about how they’re victimized by online hordes, of which Chait’s article is a very representative sample….
Records about to be broken for driest January on record in Auckland and Wellington.
Yet Fairfax media fails to mention climate change once in this article.
You do wonder who is in control of the conversation at these organisations.
A mining magnate by the name of Julia Reinhard?
Pu is on the mark. I detest his prescription but he is correct labour is little more than national lite, tweaking at the boundaries, why change, barring if your of that persuasion the greens get their hands on the lever of powers. Labours dilemma at every election, no matter who their leader is
If Syriza is the answer it must have been a pretty stupid question
Castro Cuba. Chavez Venezuela all hard left lefties that led their county to nirvana why is Syria different little red riding hood ( to stay on the fairy tail theme been your realm of reality)
Re delusional The govenor of the Bank of England disagrees with you to redelusion.
Syrizia has gone into coalition with ACT type party of the far right.
So re delusional your argument is!
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisitionNOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
I was initially resistant to the idea often suggested to me that the Government should deliver an arts strategy. The whole point of the arts and creativity is that people should do whatever the hell they want, unbound by the dictates of politicians in Wellington. Peter Jackson, Kiri Te Kanawa, Eleanor ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...
Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julien Cooper, Honorary Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Julien Cooper The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new ...
The sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign ...
The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
Rock The Vote NZ, known for its advocacy for minor party unity and its role within the Freedoms NZ Coalition during the 2023 General Election, celebrates this merger as a strategic enhancement of its operational strength and outreach. ...
Nearly everyone has experienced the frustration of something you use breaking and being difficult or expensive to fix. Proposed legislation could change that. It’s been raining on and off all Sunday afternoon but people are lining up outside a building in a corner of Gribblehirst Park in Sandringham, Auckland. In ...
What does a forever relationship look like when you don’t believe in marriage? And how do you celebrate it? This essay is part of our Sunday Essay series, made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.I’m going to do it, right now. I’m going to say ...
You can’t have missed the Gallipoli story as the movies, documentaries, essays and books capture what it was like for New Zealand troops in their eight-month campaign on the Peninsula. But this Anzac Day the Auckland War Memorial Museum has published a book that sheds light on a little-known aspect of the ...
The Prime Minister has committed to resuming direct flights to Thailand. But it’s not a promise he will be able to deliver on anytime soon. The post Prime Minister jumps the gun in Thailand appeared first on Newsroom. ...
It’s not that long ago Eliza McCartney was seriously wondering if the Paris Olympics would be her pole vaulting swansong. After years of being hounded by injury after injury, the Rio Olympics bronze medallist was still confident she would compete at her second Olympics in Paris in July, unless something ...
FICTION 1 Take Two by Danielle Hawkins (Allen & Unwin, $36.99) There’s commercial fiction, like this book, and then there’s quality fiction, quality writers, quality literature; the forthcoming Auckland Writers Festival is full of quality, and ReadingRoom has two tickets to give away to the following events: Paul Lynch (Dublin ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 26 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Musk’s vociferous opposition to ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Pacific Media Watch Journalists who report on environmental issues are encountering growing difficulties in many parts of the world, reports Reporters Without Borders. According to the tally kept by RSF, 200 journalists have been subjected to threats and physical violence, including murder, in the past 10 years because they were ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
ACT's Rural Communities and Veterans spokesman Mark Cameron responds to cancellations and protests of ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington. He says, "These pitiful attempts to detract from ANZAC Day are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Pōneke based peace activists staged a silent protest at the ANZAC day service to highlight New Zealand’s complicity in war and genocide, and urge the government to take concrete steps to stop the genocide in Palestine. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena M.E. Bunbury, Postdoctoral Researcher, James Cook University Burial with a horse at the Rákóczifalva site, Hungary (8th century AD).Sándor Hegedűs, Hungarian National Museum, CC BY How do we understand past societies? For centuries, our main sources of information have been ...
Amanda Thompson doesn’t really do Anzac Day. But what she does do is remember the people she knew who had a lifetime to remember stuff they didn’t really want to, because of a war they didn’t ask for. And she does make Anzac biscuits.First published in 2021.All my ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Willis, Postdoctoral Researcher, CSIRO Xavier Boulenger/Shutterstock In the two decades to 2019, global plastic production doubled. By 2040, plastic manufacturing and processing could consume as much as 20% of global oil production and use up 15% of the annual carbon ...
With our collective remembrance, and steadfast belief in our common humanity, we strengthen our hope and resolve to do what we can to foster dialogue and understanding, and to heal divisions in our pursuit of peace. ...
Principal reasons for the opposition is the loss of the public’s democratic right to have “a fair say” and the vital need for a government free from corruption, said Casey Cravens of Dunedin, president of the New Zealand Federation of Freshwater ...
Never mind the scoreboard – in the 2000 Bledisloe Cup decider, the real trans-Tasman battle was won before kickoff.First published in 2016. The dawn of the new millennium was a dark time for the All Blacks. Their final game pre-Y2K was a 22-18 loss to South Africa in the ...
I’m on the wrong side of 40, I never pursued creative work and now my job is killing my soul. Help! Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,May I start with the least original conversation opener you’re likely to hear around the motu at the moment, particularly in Wellington: ...
“Never again - No AUKUS” was the message of the wreath laid at this morning’s national ANZAC Day commemorative service at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park this morning by the Stop AUKUS group. ...
Until this month, Auckland swimmer Hazel Ouwehand had never met a qualifying time in an Olympic event for a New Zealand team, even as a junior. Now she’s very likely off to the Paris Olympics after swimming well under the qualifying standard in the 100m butterfly twice – both in ...
While Anzac Day has experienced a resurgence in recent years, our other day of remembrance has slowly faded from view.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. Original illustrations by Hope McConnell.First published in 2022.The high school’s head girl and ...
Patrick Gower making a complete fool of him self on TV the 1st minute was all about him .When will they sack the chump.
Paddy performs as expected and is valued by the DP movers and shakers as the attack dog with a national tv soapbox. Sacked ! ha more likely just some firm directions on toning it down to appear considered and suck more sheeple in.
The size of his ego is unbelievable I reackon a paul henry/Paul Holmes type offensive outburst is the best chance of seeing the back of the fool.
That’s what I thought, all about him. A very pissy item from Gower.
State of the Nation speeches aren’t supposed to be for the entertainment of journalists. They mark a serious start to the serious year of politics.
Maybe Gower should take a longer holiday if that’s the best he can do. Awful.
The whole current crop of so called journalists can go, im so sick of them telling us their views of the news instead of just reporting the news, Gower is the worst that pillock will burst a blood vessel one day while he is glorifying in somebody elses misfortune
how is it possible for labour under little to ‘move further away from social-policies’..
..when in 2014 they offered beneficiaries..nothing..
..so you wd think there was nowhere for them to ‘move’ to..
..what will they do in ’17…?
..promise to cut benefits..?
I don’t believe it ! Yesterday the Herald had a column which commented favourably on Andrew Little’s state of nation speech, this morning there is another one PLUS an editorial which states :
“Mr Little has the luxury of time to produce more definitive solutions to the issues still facing the country, Mr Key does not. He urgently needs to give his Government new themes and impetus. This time last year he announced an imaginative education initiative, yesterday was an opportunity lost. ”
Are things finally starting to look up for Labour ? ?
one editorial-chastisement of key – does not a labour govt make….
Are things finally starting to look up for Labour ? ?
That’s how it looks. There’s a long way to go but up looks an attainable direction now.
There’s evidence too that opponents see Little as a threat that they are not sure how to deal with.
Key competing on the same day is one indication.
And Slater has been running a long and frequent series of attempted hits on Little (at least five posts yesterday alone), including repeated digs at Little’s appearance and his temperament. It looks like flailing around trying to seed something to attack with. It’s not working.
Another promising step along the way for Little yesterday. A lot still to do but it looks like the beginning of a recovery and rebuild, at last.
Fearfax Media spin it differently.
‘Key trumps Little’
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/65525196/key-trumps-little-on-speech-day
About FJK: “Key confirmed plans to sell 1000 to 2000 state houses in the next year to community housing providers and up to 8000 over the next four years.
Housing New Zealand would remain the biggest provider of social housing with at last 60,000 properties by 2017 against 68,000 now.”
It doesn’t take advanced mathematics to see that the have stopped building state houses altogether. Did FJK actually mention that?
+1.
Well said, Pete.
: roll :
Good comment Jenny but don’t hold your breath, my guess is that they will swing back to the right ,hope I am wrong.
The print version of the Herald has a half page devoted to rating the Key and Little speeches. The result according to them?
8/10 for Key and 4/10 for Little. So, no, I am afraid there is no change of tack in that right wing rag.
Darn it ! thought for a brief moment there, might have been a change of tack ……
obviously someone other than mr roughan wrote today’s editorial !
i wouldn’t give little more than 4/10 for that speech..
..that is quite a generous mark..
While driving about half an hour ago, I heard Chtis Trotter and Rodney Hide on roadio live analysing the speeches of key and Little.
Both praised Little for the points he made in his speech and were luke worm about Key’s speech.
Hide had NZH were wrong and pretty stupid in their two scores and said he would reverse that and give Little 7/10 and key, 4/10.
http://www.radiolive.co.nz/Audio.aspx
Listen in from 2 pm onwards today (Click on January 29, Thursday, 14:00)
The first 8 minutes is news.
Squalid right wing rag.
FIFY 😈
The odd pat on the head for Little means nothing unless they take Key to task instead of sheltering him from scrutiny.
Right at the moment they will be lining Little-Labour up in the business hearld with something stupid like “former Union Boss buckles to his union mates demands to abolish 90 day trial” (fire at will bill).
Where is the attack on bullshit artist Key over selling state housing, something he lied about in his pre election campaign ‘no further assets sales’.
How about, what exactly do you mean by part of the proceeds of state housing sales goes for capital infrastructure, what paying for roading projects?
Or, won’t you be paper shuffling and applying colorful accounting, referring to the sale of state houses to balance (fudge) the books?
Q. How is an ‘endorsement’ from the NZH a positive for Little ?
A pat on the head for a status quo speech i would say
+ 1..
It’s no longer the Media – It’s “The Ministry of Truth”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ministry_of_Truth
Kiaora Jenny
I thought the focus of Andrew’s speech excellent. Small and medium business are the heart and blood of this bilateral nation. A labour government focussed on job creation through improving conditions for small business is a vote winner.
Positive and practical messaging and policies to increase the volume of money flowing through communities clogged by unemployment and impoverishment is a vote winner.
The biggest and immediate issue confronting Māori communities is the lack of jobs. Young people are rotting on unemployment and many are not on benefits.
Job creation should be the primary focus of any Labour Government otherwise it should relabel itself as Non-Labour Government.
National Party values in the news.
h/t Tracey.
Conflict of interest much? How is this Key’s call?
Just heard the very good justice lawyer and friend Kelly Ellis rubbing Sabin’s nose into the dirt. Love that lady’s witty style. Yip what an ebarrasment Sabin is by pushing for the removal of a right to silence, and choosing silence himself, oh the hypocrisy makes me laugh.
Maybe John Key will ‘break the silence’ and force Sabin into retirement from politics.
My experience has been more along the lines of “However, we as police work on the principle innocent until bashed sufficiently to confess, or until we can do a deal with some jailhouse informant, or until we can fabricate sufficient evidence.”
Gower is an example of a TV presenter who believe they are more important than the message. Or worse maybe he is so deluded he thinks that people enjoy some rantings of a brown nosed National simpleton, with a brain smaller than his large teeth that he bares in some hideous attempt at entertainment. Again the Rugby thicko TV execs don’t notice that people are watching TV less and less in particular news …. I wonder why?
We shouldn’t criticise Gower for his teeth….hmm, ok, maybe just the front ones. He reminds me of a rat looking around for some easy food.
What is it with these political commentators/radio hosts, listened to that muppet Duncan (gotcha) Garner with his “epic fail” comment r.e Littles speach yesterday, at least hes consistant as he pulls the same crap with everyone, he is nothing but a sound bite merchant but that sound bite is now being replayed every hour, and he tries to make out he left political life because of all the nastiness well i say that trait has a bit more to do with him than his previous job
Rant over
Yes, he’s incredibly thick and doesn’t present well – I’ve often wondered how he’s survived at all – are they that hard up?
The Germans again come up with a novel way to deal with intolerance and simplistic political debate.
This time, giving out stickers and banners to anti-Islam marchers that direct people to a website that go over concerns with considered information and practical actions that are non-divisive.
Yes I saw that too Molly – very good work there and both subtle and direct.
heh
http://blog.sfgate.com/stew/2015/01/26/anti-islam-san-francisco-muni-ads-defaced-with-messages-of-love/
I can’t believe those ads were allowed on the side of public transport buses. Wtf?
Anything goes in the land of the free.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/19/pamela-geller-new-york-buses-subways-islam-james-foley
“the American Freedom Defense Initiative (AMDI)”
yeah, because the freedoms of US citizens are under threat from Muslims not the US govt, bankers and corporations.
The link to the news item is pay-walled but apparently local government have blocked a development so the addled have decided to do something for their friendly corporate.
Joe Sonka @joesonka
A prayer circle for Walmart
https://twitter.com/joesonka/status/560484948336214016
New demands on the justice system requiring restorative justice talks even when the victirm doesn’t want it, are meaning three times the appearances for one very minor offence when only one was used to be needed. The system is grinding to a halt.
Ideological not practical or pragmatic. In 2012 submissions were made against this.
Perhaps we should call it the Bazley effect. Minister Amy Adams (not the celebrity) is looking at it. But it was pushed through by the previous Minimal of Justice so being new on the Block she might not have any authority. Has she the perspicacity?
This regime is fast gaining a deserved reputation for ignoring all expert on-the-ground advice in various areas and running solely on their own ideology.
Third-termitis
@ vto
Let’s make it third-terminalitis!
After all balloons filled with hot air and helium only stay out of reach at the ceiling for a time. What goes up must come down.
Considering that they were doing that right from the start I don’t think Third-termitis applies. Just pure arrogance and hubris.
As I listened to the talk about selling off, hiving off, our social housing I thought of a subtitle for our country – New Zealand/Aotearoa, the Islands of Reduced Circumstances.
We are like the elderly ladies in many Brit stories I have read who have been living on Father’s legacy or annuity which has dwindled as they have got older, and gradually they have been forced to sell heirlooms and treasured family belongings. Poor old lady NZ reduced to poverty in the land of much milk and less honey, and suffering the kind attentions of loan sharks, hucksters and high rollers.
edited
+111
@ grey
..+ 1
Follow your convictions – this could be the end of the politics of fear
And that’s just a small taste. There is so much more in that article that can be directly transferred to NZ.
DTB
Great link. Thanx.
hence parties, espesh our Nat party, spend time and money manipulating the populace towant what isn’t actually good for them but to believe it is.
The head of the US military has had to launch an essay competition to find someone to write something nice about the brutal ruler who John Key honoured this week by ordering the lowering of the New Zealand flag to half mast.
Maybe General Martin Dempsey, Chair of the US Joint heads of staff could have saved himself the effort, and just instead asked the New Zealand Prime Minister John Key to tell the world what he personally admired about the late King Addullah of Saudi Arabia.
Maybe JK could wax lyrical about the multiply beheadings and dismemberments, and the jailing of government critics, or possibly the lack of civil rights for women. Or the Saudi Government’s legal sanction of child abuse, paternal rape and murder, or the flogging and jailing of bloggers and writers critical of the government. (Lynn Prentice, Eleanor Catton take note).
I am certain that an essay written by John Key on these subjects as well as creating an international sensation would easily win US Chief of Staff General Dempsey’s prize. (As well as winning the approval of the US State Department and President Obama’s office, something John Key has always been mindful of.)
Let us celebrate, moderate beheadings
What with New Zealand being peacefully settled, you never know what previously unknown pearls of wisdom Key will come out with.
He had more important threats to democracy to deal with, A Man Booker Prize winner for starters.
I guess sometimes the truth hurts. I particularly liked this quote:
“It has to belong to everybody or the country really doesn’t want to know about it.”
It irritates me that the politicians and the wealthy in this country are very quick to celebrate their own achievements, which clearly result from their hard work, but if someone else does something worth of recognition it suddenly becomes “we did,” not “he did,” or “she did.” Even the phrase “New Zealand’s own…” suggests ownership.
Why not suggest support, instead? My degree contributed nothing toward her success, nor did anything else I’ve done in the last year. Perhaps a few cents from my taxes did, in some small way, but it was her talents that won her the award, not my taxes or even her nationality.
I’m disgusted by the behaviour of the media toward Miss Catton, but I can’t find a suitable word to describe my feelings for the Prime Minister, a man who brags that he had the support of the taxpayer as a child and made his way unaided after that, forgetting his free degree, and he now deserves his wealth and power.
When do we get our slice of the fortune our taxes created for him?
Oh, I forgot. He achieved that on his own.
In NZ I notice that any time the UNACTS want to smear goo on a policy they label it Green. The worst sort of thing that could be imagined. They must huddle together at parties and down their alcohol in buckets while they shiver fearfully at some gory story about the frightening Greens, the new vampires.
Not directly relevant to us, but the Koch brothers are preparing to spend $889 million on the next election.
Is that the going rate?
$889 p.r.o.i. (political return on ‘investment’)
Political candidates on sale and to be bought by the 0.1%!
Maybe we could all chip in a few coins and buy ourselves a US politician to lobby for us.
🙂 chump change
i inadvertently left out the ‘m’ (millions) but, yah, big money buys big politicians.
On 4 July 2014 USA population given as 318,881,992. How much average per person of Koch $889,000,000?
In NZ the 2014 popuation was 4,500,000. How much if this is multipled by USA individual
amount?
And think of the spending and influence power of just one uber-rich group.
$2.79 per person.
$12.5 million equivalent in Aotearoa. Much more than Dotcom spent.
And Koch is giving that money to media and PR firms who already have all the infrastructure and staff in place and are ready to roll. So the $$$ will go much further.
I do so enjoy reading leftist excuses for failed policies. This one about Venezuela takes the prize for most bizarre rant.
http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/01/27/revolution-counter-revolution-and-the-economic-war-in-venezuela/
“The government position is that basic commodity shortages are being caused by elements of the private sector that control the importation, production and distribution of food and other products and criminal speculators and smugglers who are sometimes allied with this sector. These actors are allegedly responsible or complicit in the illegal stockpiling of products in warehouses aimed at bringing about artificial shortages. There is empirical evidence for such claims. Thousands of tons of products, including subsidized items, have been diverted from the marketplace for sale in Colombia in 2014. Warehouses full of goods that ought to be on store shelves are frequently discovered by the authorities. Subsidized food items are often purchased by speculators for resale at higher prices in the domestic market. Some importers have been buying products at the subsidized currency exchange rate but then selling those products as though they were purchased at the much higher parallel rate. Fictitious “importers” are also blamed for massive amounts of currency fraud by obtaining divisas (dollars) at the preferential exchange rate under pretext of importing priority goods and then selling those dollars on the parallel market or holding on to them in expectation of further devaluation of the bolivar, a practice that suggests the corruption of some public servants as well. What are we to make of these observations about scarcity?”
Wow! Who would have thought that distorting the economy by providing subsidies or imposing price controls would lead to people taking advantage of these to make money?
The solution seems obvious. You remove the distortions and then the people won’t sell subsidised goods in neighbouring countries.
Also I love how some leftists think they can just dictate problems away.
“For Maduro, the game is up for the economic coup being waged by the political opposition and its allied collaborators in the private sector. He has delivered an ultimatum to food distributors to cooperate with efforts to overcome food shortages…”
What a complete moron.
Replying to your own posts now Gossy?
Sheesh, must be a lonely world your in…
Goostepper i do so like pointing out that you have only used parts of your own link that suits your agenda.
Trying to dictate what we think and say.
But your own link points out that the right wing in Venezuela are trying to undermine a democratically elected govt the same way as the CIA did in Chile underming Allende and installing a murdurous Dictator.
South America is littered with the mass graves of American foreign Policy of keeping corrupt murderous dictators and drug lords in power!
+ 1..
Q. Can you use “I do so enjoy” more often ?
Not convinced you have completely overused it just yet
Thankfully we live in a capatlist society where the free market allows people to operate in an honest and open way never taking advantage of the lack of regulation and controls. In our great system people making huge amounts off speculation alone would never create a situation that endangers the economy of the enitre world for their own profit.
Stupid socialists identifying people breaking their laws designed to try and help people. They should totally do things the way we do.
If you think you can construct laws that solve problems of economic distribution and supply you are very, very wrong. Attempting to legislate prices at a level below what people are willing to pay for them will just lead to exactly the problem the Venezuelan government is facing now. People will stop producing and/or sell the items on the black market or across the border in places where they can get higher prices. You may try to claim this behaviour is unethical or immoral but then many people always try to blame others for problems they themselves have caused.
Gooseman you have only chosen selected parts of the story gooseman.
The reason why food shortages are occuring is because the right wing are using the same tactics as the CIA used to overthrow a democratically elected Allende and installing a murderous fascist dictator!
Fascist Murderous Dictators were installed in just about every South American country one stage or another.
Maduro was elected the right wing are deliberately with the collusion of the CIA underming democracy.
Don’t get me started on the war on drugs in South America.
Fact is South America is littered with mass graves as a direct result of American nihilistic foreign policy.
Democracy freedoms have been undermined!
Yes, it’s funny how the most freedom for the market seems to require the least freedom for workers and the strongest state apparatus.
A good example was the military dictatorship in Chile, the students of Milton Friedman economics.
Apparently you can’t tell the market what to do, but the state required by the ‘free’ market can not only tell you what to do but lock you up, torture you and kill you if you don’t obey.
Phil
How exactly is the right wing doing this? They seem terribly effective if they are as well. the economy is close to collapse. Perhaps it is best not to start a fight with them.
Actually, I figure it’s best to finish the fight with them by the simple expedient of enforcing the law.
+1
La grand pared para ellos!
You mean like illicit drugs aren’t prevalent in society because of law enforcement?
Of course you could try prosecuting the corrupt public servants. We could set an example by prosecuting those who handed out SFC assets to Key’s neighbour, for cents in the dollar.
But yeah Gooseman, you are right on one point. Capitalist scum like yourself cannot be trusted not to enrich themselves at the cost of the rest of us. You lot are criminals and should be treated as such. Funny that you are all willing to trot out the traitor label for someone who makes some mild criticisms.
I was told by a good source that Waiariki Institute of Technology is charging Indian Students $20k to do its Agricultural course, which is fine (nothing like exploiting people who are desperate to get out of their country)
BUT
Farmers can employ these students between May and November (busy calving time) for $200 per week. This needs to be investigated because these students are being exploited, its displacing local people and there is no way that this falls within minimum pay rates legislation.
Right up Winston’s alley.
what are they charge other overseas students?
and is that per annum or whole course?
Re the $200/wk, is that true for students who are residents too? Indian students only? i.e is this via immigration or via tertiary practice of making these deals.
cos i know that full time students from overseas at unis and polys pay about 15k per year
Wouldn’t it depend on teh course?
edit,
http://www.waiariki.ac.nz/international-students/international-student-tuition-fees
Yes, I was referring to full time courses such as Diploma or bachelor courses, being 8 papers a year
Yes, but I was meaning across the same degree, that cost would depend on the subject of the course.
How many hours are they expected to do for the $200.
and are they getting accommodation etc as part of that?
Need to do some more work on this…but understood that they would be full time. Most farm jobs include accommodation.
One of the union people from round here should get on to this .
There has always been a good amount of farm owners treating there workers like dirt but they seem to get away with it Out sight out of mind I guess.
Dirty politics, yet again.
Look who is on the team at the Taxpayer’s Union…
If you want to know who was behind Jordan Williams’s attack on Eleanor Catton yesterday, look no further than David Farrar: http://www.taxpayers.org.nz/who_we_are
The Taxpayers Union is just a thinly disguised recruiting tool for National Party members.
Danyl at Dimpost pointing out the two tracks is up and running again,
There are lots of good pieces on the Eleanor Catton contretemps – Morgan Godfrey, Brian Easton, Gordon Campbell, Andrew Geddis, Simon Wilson – all focusing on issues around intellectuals and criticism and New Zealand attitudes towards same, which are all valid points. But what’s also meaningful, I think, is that this is a reprise of National’s two-track communications strategy we spent so much time talking about last year. Sean Plunket isn’t just a talk-radio dofus: he’s very close to the National government and, just like his mate Cameron Slater, Plunket is there to smear and bully and intimidate anyone who speaks out against John Key or National, so that National themselves don’t have to.
If – like most of the country – you haven’t heard anything from Plunket since he left Morning Report a few years back then his attack on Catton probably seemed very strange. But if you listened to him during the 2014 election campaign, most of which he spent in a state of flat-out hysteria ranting about terrorists and traitors, culminating in Plunket phoning Paddy Gower live on air and accusing him of being involved in a conspiracy against the government because he was reporting on Dirty Politics, it’s easier to see that abusing critics of the National Party – real or imaginary – is pretty much just his day to day role.
https://dimpost.wordpress.com/2015/01/29/back-to-two-track/
is it a fact that Plunkett is a friend of Slater (junior)?
Much as I dislike mocking people for there last names, one guy there has the last name Craven. Pretty fitting really.
The past year has seen a massive upsurge of working class communities in the south of Ireland against the attempt of the Fine Gael/Labour coalition to impose a household water tax. This follows on the household tax itself, cuts in social welfare payments, the raising of the retirement age and other anti-working class measures.
In a rake of working class communities people are physically preventing the installation of meters and sabotaging them where the state-capitalist water company, Irish Water, does manage to install them.
This is all very different from New Zealand, where workers remain almost obdurately passive in the face of the whittling away of rights and conditions and living standards by the bosses and by successive National and Labour governments.
Why is the NZ working class so passive compared to workers in Ireland?
https://rdln.wordpress.com/2015/01/28/dublin-working-class-communities-show-how-resistance-is-done/
Phil
“..Why is the NZ working class so passive..”
this has long puzzled me..
..and the example of this passivity (amongst working class leadership esp.) that could not be more potent..
..was the rightwing revolution in the 80’s..
..in australia the union movement stood up and said: ‘no yer fucken not..!..’
..here they pulled down their pants..bent over..and then went and waited to get their rewards..knighthood/seats on company boards..etc..
..and today..?..we have a low-wage economy..australia doesn’t..
..the union-leadership from that time are/were traitors..
..both to those they purported to represent..
..and to the country as a whole..
We’ve tentatively explored the question a few times on Redline, but we need to do a lot more work on it.
I agree with you about the 1980s (and early 1990s).
But even at its most militant, the labour movement in NZ wasn’t really all that militant.
Take, for instance, 1913. In NZ workers fought for a few weeks. (And, in terms of workers involved, this was the most significant labour dispute in NZ history). At the same time the most significant industrial dispute in Irish history was taking place. Impoverished Dublin workers fought for *six months*.
When Massey’s Cossacks clubbed workers here, they complained about it. When the police in Dublin clubbed workers, the workers formed a workers militia, got armed, and paraded around Dublin streets tooled up; the cops kept their distance.
Those workers, the Irish Citizen Army, went on to be the driving force of the 1916 Rebellion. A number of their officers and a section of the ranks were women.
One reason I’ve become sympathetic to the idea of Australia and NZ merging is that the Aussies are much more Bolshie in defending their rights and we need some damn thing to harden up the working class here.
I think if I was young and had kids, I’d emigrate. I just couldn’t bear my kids growing up in a society where workers are so supine; I wouldn’t want my kids thinking that eating shit sandwiches is normal. I’d go to Oz or to Ireland.
Phil
“..I think if I was young and had kids, I’d emigrate…”
..+ 1..
..and i hafta say..littles’ speech i found quite depressing..
..as there is little/no sign of any changes from the neo-lib paradigm..
..just more of the same old fucken same old..
..i am just holding out hope that the sight of a leftwing with some balls..in greece..and spain/scotland etc..
..a leftwing really/actually doing the job they are meant to do..
..i am hoping there will be some contagion down here..
..but i’m not holding my breath..
..the right is fully in control..in both national and labour..
..and i think little will get quite a soft-ride from the media..
..as their bosses don’t see him as anyway a ‘threat’ to their sweet-rides/the current paradigm…
..and at a time when we are screaming out for ‘threats to the current paradigm’…
maybe cos we have tended to lead the world, our work force swallow the oft fed line “you are not as badly off as xxx,”, with its implication to not seem ungrateful… we tend to be a polite and deferential lot
8 hour day
40 hour week
women voting
labour govts
ACC
health and safety
maybe then..but not now…
..rightwingers in labour/national have ensured that..
every day someone tells the poor or the workers of New Zealand how grateful they should be, they just use different and more nasty words. Kiwis apparently dont like to stick out from the crowd to be seen to be making a fuss, not risk-takers our fellow average kiwis.
For some reason, this country is infested with the idea of “I’ve got mine, screw you.” Everyone thinks they’re on their way up, through their own hard work, but nobody else is.
Anecdotes:
My brother overheard some (highly paid) managers at the last election time, saying that they were going to vote National because Labour were just going to give money to poor people, and why should they get something for nothing?
(Funny. I recall working long days and getting bitchy emails from my manager, telling me that I wasn’t working enough unpaid hours. He got a lot of something for nothing.)
I hear that kind of thing a lot. Before he retired, one of my father’s co-workers said that he worked 40 years to get whatever his wage was, he doesn’t see why he should help anybody else.
Many of us pride ourselves on our charity and thoughtfulness toward others, most especially Christians, but so very many of us seem to act contrary to that.
Then there’s the whole ideal that if a manager gets a pay increase, they deserve it for working hard, but if I want more than minimum wage I’m just being greedy.
Three or four years ago, one of the guys who worked with me was getting $15/hour. He was senior staff, and asked for a pay increase. I heard our boss tell him that if he wants a pay increase then he’d better upskill and become more valuable to the company.
I can do everything that other guy did with a single exception, and a whole lot more than he ever learned. I get minimum wage and there are no pay increases. According to my boss the only guy who gets a pay increase (and a Christmas bonus) is the CEO. The rest of us munters are just out of luck.
I’ve tried organising. Supporting my initial statements, one guy doesn’t care, he’s just funding his studies while another feels that he’ll be recognised as a true talent any day now, either promoted or hired somewhere else, and this is just his investment in his career.
These are only symptoms of the issue, though. I don’t know what’s causing it, or why we think we’re special and everyone else is lazy. I do know that it makes us easy prey for reducing our rights, and creating a low-wage economy.
Definitely worth a discussion.
Kiwis grow up in a culture that says you should have your own business and your own house to be a success. We really are Napoleon’s nation of shopkeepers and never developed a deeply entrenched sense of class. Even Bomber, a supposed left wing mouthpiece, carries on about rubbish like generational differences and almost never gives an analysis in terms of class. I wish it was different.
With regard to Oz, there is also the important factor that the ostensibly Labour government of Lange was the one that achieved a tko on its supporters. The union bureaucrats were busy agreeing with Douglas rather than building resistance. In Oz it was a Liberal government that tried most of it on, and the unions instinctively fought back, even if only to protect their relationship with the Labor Party.
But don’t make the mistake of thinking it’s much better over here. You might find militant class warriors marching in support of “Stop the Boats” or complaining about Kiwis taking their jobs. It’s no proletarian paradise, comrade.
“The union bureaucrats were busy agreeing with Douglas rather than building resistance. ”
They got big fat redundancy payouts for themselves and their members. Then they could set their own businesses, contract back to the SOE’s, and pole vault themselves into the middle bourgeois class.
30 odd years later, National has a new layer of voters.
I’ve been bouncing back in time, thse past few days, when I click on comments and even the “feeds”.
Oddly, usually to the same two places, one a blog from 2014. I’m starting to feel like my computer, or ths site has some misguided Hal* which is trying to bring something to my attention.
* as in ‘2001 a space odyssey’.
Wikipedia tell us: “The Imitation Game was both a critical and commercial success. The film was included in both the National Board of Review’s and American Film Institute’s “Top 10 Films of 2014″. At the 87th Academy Awards, it has been nominated in eight categories including Best Picture, Best Director for Tyldum, Best Actor for Cumberbatch and Best Supporting Actress for Keira Knightley. It also garnered five nominations in the 72nd Golden Globe Awards and was nominated in three categories at the 21st Screen Actors Guild Awards including Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. In addition, it received nine British Academy of Film and Television Arts nominations including Best Film and Outstanding British Film.”
Alan Turing, the person the film is mainly about, was the guy mainly responsible for cracking the Nazis’ ‘enigma code’ during WW2. In 1952, however, Turing was convicted of ‘gross indecency’, the usual name for male homosexual acts.
Last August the British queen announced a royal pardon of Turing.
An interesting indication of the changes in capitalism and in bourgeois ideology in recent decades:
https://rdln.wordpress.com/2015/01/29/alan-turing-capitalism-and-the-changes-in-bourgeois-ideology/
and he possibly committed suicide when a nation turned on him because of who he loved…
“Turing was prosecuted in 1952 for homosexual acts, when such behaviour was still criminalised in the UK. He accepted treatment with oestrogen injections (chemical castration) as an alternative to prison. Turing died in 1954, 16 days before his 42nd birthday, from cyanide poisoning. An inquest determined his death a suicide; his mother and some others believed it was accidental.[9] In 2009, following an Internet campaign, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown made an official public apology on behalf of the British government for “the appalling way he was treated”. Queen Elizabeth II granted him a posthumous pardon in 2013.[10][11][12]”
The Brits did a pretty good job of taking hate on the road too when they colonised…
I’m not sure Turing was the guy mainly responsible. The effort began with the Polish military and mathematicians even before WW2. Commandos and Royal Marines also played an important role, as well as spies and French intelligence. Turing played a crucial role and it would have taken longer without him, but others were important as well. There is an interesting book:
http://www.amazon.com/Enigma-Battle-Code-Hugh-Sebag-Montefiore/dp/0471490350/ref=la_B001ITRR5I_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1422513372&sr=1-1
Conspicuously missing: the Labour party.
I keep waiting for someone (anyone?) to lay into these dogs who think they are running our country.
Housing: The governments action is a lie. Bald faced. In your face: yeah we said we wouldn’t. We are. Waddaya gunna do?
Where is the damn opposition?
Sabin: Yeah he can have power over the people who are investigating him. So what.
Opposition?
Stupid greeny hippy know nothing writer; sure, gut the RMA: more cows; less welfare…
Has anyone said anything about the Greek election.
Opposition where?
“..Where is the damn opposition?..”
parliament re-opens soon..
..then we will see if they intend to sleepwalk for the next few yrs..
..or if they will get off their arses..(literally)..
..and do what they are paid/voted in to do..
..them and the greens..
‘Controlled Opposition’ is the phrase you are seeking
Little had some good digs at the current government in his speech and all we get is bull shit from the press about lack of policy when Little said he wasn’t doing policy .
Reporters are either thick as pigshit or owned.
Ross, the NZLP was in the news all day yesterday and again today. The party (mainly Andrew Little) got some decent coverage on their own initiatives, National’s housing fail and Sabin’s case. It’s not compulsory to watch the TV news or read the papers, but it’s a good idea before you make comments like that to do some prep, lest you look like a bridge dweller.
TRP. Unfortunately, I no longer live in my own country. I wish I could. I subscribe to feeds and get my thrills through TS. What you say is, no doubt, correct. But I do the research I can. That research, for now, reveals almost zero penetration of the fog by Labour or any opposition. I often get more news about NZ from the Guardian than I do through Stuff. That’s a comment about the media. An opposition’s job is to find a way around that. Why doesn’t a Labour MP get a shovel and dig a spud patch on the front lawn at parliament? Why? To feed our starving kids! Why doesn’t one of the useless fools order a truck load of concrete sewerage pipes to be dumped alongside the potato patch? Why? To house our homeless!
My question remains, where?
Here one for you and for everyone that opposes these Key’s State house sell off:
Take a look, make a stand and sign the petition now.
This is the email message I received from Phil Twyford.
“Key finally admitted his plans to sell off thousands of our state houses over the next two and a bit years.
Now he’s fronted the policy, it raises the stakes. He’ll want to push the sell-off through as soon as possible as he’ll be scared of losing face if his plans fall through.
It means if we’re going to have a chance to stop the sell-off, we need to move quickly. In our tens of thousands. But it also means John Key is vulnerable.
The first step of this campaign is proving the levels of public opposition to the sell-off. Already, nearly 22,000 of us have signed a petition against it.
We need thousands more. If you’ve not yet added your name, time is running out to act – so please add your name today”
http://action.labour.org.nz/save-our-state-houses
You may also donate to fund the campaign
https://contribute-nzlabour.nationbuilder.com/housing_campaign_thanks?utm_campaign=150128_sotn_k&utm_medium=email&utm_source=nzlabour
Once your name’s on the petition, please forward this email to your friends and family – every name on the petition will make our campaign stronger.
Next week, we’ll be in touch with an exciting plan to use our huge petition to make sure the Government can’t just force this issue through without the rest of New Zealand being made aware of their plans. But first, we need to work together to get as many people to sign the petition as possible.
Please take a minute to sign the petition and forward it on to other people you know who will be concerned about John Key’s state house sell-off.
Thanks,
Phil Twyford
Labour Housing Spokesperson
Done and done. Thanks.
(one for labour and greens to read..learn..and inwardly digest..)
“..‘Hope begins today was their mantra’: the inside story of Syriza’s rise to power..
..Ten years ago – Syriza scraped just 4% of the vote in Greek elections.
This week – the leftwing party took control under the charismatic leadership of Alexis Tsipras.
How did it do it?
For 22 days Paul Mason followed the party’s campaign trail –
– and saw an anti-austerity message delivered with youthful plausibility –
– win over a nation..”
(cont..)
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/28/greek-people-wrote-history-how-syriza-rose-to-power
(maybe northshoredoc..or anyone else..can tell us if this goes on in nz..)
“..Doctors in the dock: Scandal of GPs who get cash from healthcare firms for patient referrals..
..Investigation shows healthcare companies offer inducements to send patients to their hospitals –
– leading to calls for financial interests of all UK practitioners to be made public..”
(cont..)
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/doctors-in-the-dock-scandal-of-gps-who-get-cash-from-healthcare-firms-for-patient-referrals-10009380.html
@Phil not that I know of and i would think it is very very unlikely that this occurs in NZ.
The larger issue in NZ is the continuing limiting of registration of certain medical specialties to ensure a large enough practice and waiting lists – although to some extent for example in orthopaedics this is a function of limited theatre space.
That implies the limitations are more demographic than political?
Or do you find evidence of the crime that the National Party is often accused of: deliberately running public health down for money.
“Or do you find evidence of the crime that the National Party is often accused of: deliberately running public health down for money.”
No evidence of that whatsoever.
Health services in NZ are generally speaking of a very high quality and from memory the money going into vote health has been rising year on year for quite some time – as i’m sure you understand we could put our entire GDP into health and there’d still be unmet demand for services.
at first glance i thought we wd not have the critical mass of private hospitals etc..
..for there to be such competition/opportunity for corruption….
..but if looking..you wd throw the rock in the water in epsom..
..and see if there are any surprising patterns in gp’s referrals there….
which specialties is that prevalent in..?
The Urologists and ophthalmologists used to limit the numbers admitted into their particular specialties to make sure there were enough population per surgeon to ensure a good patient stream in public and private.
There are other surgical specialties which tend to do the same.
(how could u not want one of these..?..video..)
“..Tesla’s ‘Insane’ Button – Totally Freaks People Out..
..What kind of car would come with an ‘insane mode?
A Tesla – specifically a Tesla Model S P85D- the $120,000 electric speedster with a 221-horsepower front motor and a 470-horsepower rear motor.
Hitting the ‘insane’ button engages both at the same time –
– allowing you to reach 60 mph in just over 3 seconds –
– and scare the pants off friends and family members –
– if you use it without warning..”
(cont..)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/28/tesla-insane-button-video_n_6560170.html
A rocket!
Definitely better than a 91 subaru legacy wagon for sure!
By the way, any update on the theft? How are you managing?
the cops have been told..not much else to do..
Oh, this is going to hurt:
Why does the minister even have access to that money?
Uber’s Business Model Could Change Your Work
Contrary to many Leftists I’m actually cautiously optimistic about this but it does, IMO, show that these types of services need to be run through government servers. Running it through government servers will get rid of the capitalist bludgers that are making millions from other people being paid minimum wage or less. The government will just be getting the taxes and so the dead-weight loss of profit will be removed from the equation.
Also shows the needs for a UBI for two reasons. Firstly if you don’t get enough work you’ll still have enough to get by on with out dropping into poverty or having the risk of losing everything. Secondly it would remove the need to ‘have a job’. Essentially you could tell your employer to fuck off and still have work. Again, it helps remove the dead-weight loss of profit.
It’ll be the one thing that National and employers really hate – an actual free and flexible labour market. How do I know that they hate it? Because that’s what an unemployment benefit allows and National always undermines that.
Yeah, ain’t it great how capital can use apps and smartphones to wring profits from the desperation of the unemployed/underemployed.
/
http://www.wsj.com/articles/uber-gets-uber-valuation-of-18-2-billion-1402073876
That’s what capitalism is designed to do. Now how do we change it and get rid of the bludgers?
who are the ‘bludgers’..?
..the disrupters..or..(as in the case with taxis in ak..some of the most expensive in the world..) the current exploiters..?
..and lots of professionals should be very nervous..
..low-hanging fruit wd have to be those lawyers who make a nice income from clipping the ticket on property-transactions…
..either an uber-model..or a decent app..will render them redundant..
If Russia killed a UN peacekeeper,
it would be headline news for days on the BBC
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Dsj_3jJQb4
And of course, Israel can strike Syria without the UN batting an eyelid. Says it all about the state of of international law in at the present time. One law for official enemies, and quite another for us.
http://members5.boardhost.com/medialens/msg/1422491513.html
Draw cartoons mocking Muslims = freedom of speech.
Draw cartoons mocking Jews = fired, fined, court appearance.
Colonial Rawshark, why did you make that comment? It has nothing to do with the item I posted.
Also, I do not believe it is legitimate to “mock Jews”. Of course it’s perfectly legitimate to mock war criminals and sanctimonious, murderous hypocrites—including Israeli ones. But it’s their criminality, sanctimoniousness and hypocrisy that should be attacked, not their Jewishness.
Leave the crude race-baiting to the likes of David Rankin, Leighton Smith, Larry “Lackwit” Williams and Nevil “Breivik” Gibson.
Seems to be an identical message to me Morrisey. A law for them, a law for us. How do you get CR mocking Jews out of that post?
I don’t think CR was mocking Jews. I don’t think he’s either that depraved or that foolish. I just think he needs to be careful how he expresses his ideas.
In other words, abusing or mocking Jews as Jews is as unacceptable as the Charlie Hebdo speciality of mocking and antagonizing Algerians.
My comment paralleled the point you made about how Israel can act and attack with absolute impunity and immunity from criticism.
Don’t get weak kneed about it now.
BTW Jews are not a “race” therefore you cannot “race bait” by commenting on cartoons depicting Jews.
Careful, Rawshark, you are treading a very dodgy line.
The fact is: if you poke fun at Jews for being Jews you are in Paul Holmes territory. I advise you to think carefully before you go down that path.
you’re the one who stated that Israel’s ability to act with impunity and with immunity to criticism was a sign of international degradation.
Yes, that is correct. I’m interested in serious analysis, not in crude ethnic or religious stereotyping. If you want to indulge in that dismal nonsense, ring Kerre McIvor on NewstalkZB.
Or Sean Plunket.
And exactly which of my replies above do you see as constituting “crude ethnic or religious stereotyping”???
Fuck you, you self aggrandising “Serious Analysis R Us” dick.
“… Charlie Hebdo speciality of mocking and antagonizing Algerians.”
Yeah, I’m totally sure you’ve got a cite for that, Moz. And CV, splitting hairs is pretty sad. Bigotry is bigotry. Anti-semitism is pathetic, whatever the specific religion turns out to be.
Those cartoons were aimed at insulting, humiliating and antagonizing French Muslims—most of whom are Algerian. It’s an old tactic of the extreme right, made no more acceptable by the fact it has been taken up by people who like to think of themselves as liberals.
Marine Le Pen knew perfectly well what the Charlie Hebdo folk were up to, and endorsed them completely. As did such liberal heroes as Binyamin Netanyahu and David Cameron.
So not aimed at Algerians, but at Muslims in general. Glad we cleared that up.
It’s a French magazine. It attacked Muslims. It sells in France. Most Muslims in France are Algerians. French people would tend to identify Muslims in France as Algerians.
You haven’t cleared anything up.
Really? You think that French people can’t recognise different ethnicities? Perhaps zay all look ze same to zem, non?
Algerians are not the majority in the Muslim religious demographic. Some folk might think that only a racist would think they were, but I’m sure that’s not the case with you, Murray.
CH attacks Muslims does not equal CH attacks Algerians. Moz was wrong.
You’re trying to suggest I am racist, even though you’re sure that’s not the case. Fairly typical of your debating style.
There are more than 5 million Algerians in France. The majority of these are Sunni Muslim. There are estimated to be something like 6 million Muslims in France. Who are the majority?
I think Morrisey is correct on this one.
Nice try saying the French can recognise different ethnicities, followed by some stupid imitation of Franglais. Who said they couldn’t?
Your numbers are wrong, Murray. Algerians make up around a third of the ‘immigrant’ Muslim population of France. That is, about 1.5 million people. In fact, they are about half of the population that hails from the Maghreb.
So, if you want to avoid looking dodgy, check your facts before opining and don’t conflate one ethnic group with others.
I did check my numbers and I am not conflating one ethnic group with another. Any further accusations, font of all that is true and righteous? Where does your figure of 1.5 million come from?
By the way, I couldn’t give a fuck if you think I look dodgy. Your life would have no meaning without the opportunity to try and look superior on a blog. You make a habit of it.
So now, stating facts = splitting hairs?
I stated what had actually happened at Charlie Hebdo. A cartoonist got fired in 2009 and threatened with charges for something which was interpreted as being anti-Jewish. So much for the freedom of speech argument that Charlie Hebdo would later frequently use whenever they published things interpreted as being anti-Muslim.
Again I stated that fact plain and simple, and contrasted to bring the hypocrisy in to distinct relief. Not my problem if you don’t like the illustration I used.
“So now, stating facts = splitting hairs?”
Yes, that’s one way of looking at it. Taking a semantic approach to an issue instead of recognising the wider truth. Yep, a good definition of splitting hairs.
The cartoonist that got fired all those years ago appealed the sacking and won. I’m sure the folk at CH learned a valuable lesson. Your bigotry is not based on anything substantial, CV, just word wankery.
Ps: “So much for the freedom of speech argument that Charlie Hebdo would later frequently use whenever they published things interpreted as being anti-Muslim.”
They never actually used that defence, because they didn’t need a defence. They were defiantly proud of being anti-religion.
Q. Are you an actor ?
Q. Do you believe in your own hype ?
Q. Are interactions ‘challenging’ for those who have to engage with you ?
Watch a daring monKEY.
Kind of how Key is teasing the people of this country with his harmful callous policies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BjF5lQ5lJE
The Petulant Entitlement Syndrome of Journalists
by GLENN GREENWALD, The Intercept, 29 January 2015
As intended, Jonathan Chait’s denunciation of the “PC language police” – a trite note of self-victimization he’s been sounding for decades – provoked intense reaction: much criticism from liberals and praise from conservatives (with plenty of exceptions both ways). I have all sorts of points I could make about his argument – beginning with how he tellingly focuses on the pseudo-oppression of still-influential people like himself and his journalist-friends while steadfastly ignoring the much more serious ways that people with views Chait dislikes are penalized and repressed – but I’ll instead point to commentary from Alex Pareene, Amanda Marcotte and Jessica Valenti as worthwhile responses. In sum, I fundamentally agree with Jill Filipovic’s reaction: “There is a good and thoughtful piece to be written about language policing & ‘PC’ culture online and in academia. That was not it.” I instead want to focus on one specific point about the depressingly abundant genre of journalists writing grievances about how they’re victimized by online hordes, of which Chait’s article is a very representative sample….
Read more…..
https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/01/28/petulant-entitlement-syndrome-journalists/
I’ll have to remember to put my robe on next time I victimise paddy gower.
You might like to ask Garth “The Knife” McVicar to lend you his.
I wish you hadn’t said that I’ve got a very visual mind ,Mcvicar in a robe ,not a sight I needed just before my bed time. 🙂
Records about to be broken for driest January on record in Auckland and Wellington.
Yet Fairfax media fails to mention climate change once in this article.
You do wonder who is in control of the conversation at these organisations.
A mining magnate by the name of Julia Reinhard?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/65544122/areas-on-track-for-driest-january-on-record
Pu is on the mark. I detest his prescription but he is correct labour is little more than national lite, tweaking at the boundaries, why change, barring if your of that persuasion the greens get their hands on the lever of powers. Labours dilemma at every election, no matter who their leader is
Syriza! Wet your pants.
The sky won’t fall in Greece, and then, Chicken Little, you get to choke on it.
If Syriza is the answer it must have been a pretty stupid question
Castro Cuba. Chavez Venezuela all hard left lefties that led their county to nirvana why is Syria different little red riding hood ( to stay on the fairy tail theme been your realm of reality)
Sure Greece is exactly like Cubazuela. Your first instinct is to run your mouth before your brain. Slow down, get an amygdalectomy, whatever it takes.
Or choke on it. No-one will notice or even care.
settle OAB. We just have difference of opinion, nothing more, like I said gotta go sleep well
Just think, while you’re asleep, you might even have an evidence based thought process.
Re delusional The govenor of the Bank of England disagrees with you to redelusion.
Syrizia has gone into coalition with ACT type party of the far right.
So re delusional your argument is!