“Court: We Can’t Rule on NSA Bulk Data Collection Because We Don’t Know Whose Data Was Collected
On Friday, an appeals court overturned a U.S. District Court decision last May that had declared that the National Security Agency’s bulk collection of Americans’ phone records was beyond the authorization of the law. The three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit kicked the matter back to the lower court for additional deliberation.
The decision did not declare the NSA’s program, which was revealed by whistleblower Edward Snowden in 2013, to have been legal or constitutional. Rather, it focused on a technicality: a majority opinion that the plaintiffs in the case could not actually prove that the metadata program swept up their own phone records. Therefore, the plaintiffs, the court declared, did not have standing to sue.
“Today’s ruling is merely a procedural decision,” said Alexander Abdo, the American Civil Liberties Union attorney who argued against the program at the U.S. District Court. “Only one appeals court has weighed in on the merits of the program, and it ruled the government’s collection of Americans’ call records was not only unlawful but ‘unprecedented and unwarranted.’”
I can’t remember that I’ve ever agreed with Patrick Gower before. But on this topic his words and tone are pretty good. What an ridiculous spectacle this bunch of politicians have made of themselves.
When the All Blacks tour to S Africa was cancelled post the anti-tour shambles, I felt for the athletes who had trained so hard, but despised the Rugby Union for their stand and for their 1981 stand. People versus the Organisation.
This politicisation now gets in the way of another crop of athletes. Sad.
Thank you Patrick G and I don’t say that very often. Could you imagine the outrage if “Labour did it too”. Looks like Ritchie’s day job is sucking up to one JK. In the longer term thogh it will hopefully diminish rugby’s following. Tying yourself to a politician probably won’t do the brand any good in the longer term
Katherine did a little spiel this morning on the Politics segment and sounded pretty sceptical about Key’s involvement. Perhaps it is a Matthew says, that this is the style of populist appearances which sit in voters mind. The way of politics now and of the future.
Big Sugar and TPPA
A sweet deal for American sugar farmers is compounding delays in a proposed trade agreement affecting 40% of the world’s economy.
But the trade deal may also weaken protections for the sugar industry dating back to the Great Depression should negotiators heed the calls of Australia and other nations for the US to loosen a quota system that protects domestic suppliers while making the product more expensive for consumers. As they have for decades, sugar lobbyists are fighting to keep it that way by using their clout with lawmakers.
In Washington, that means one thing: money. Sugar accounts for a small fraction of US farm output, but the industry contributes more to congressional campaign coffers than any other commodity producer. Between 2007 and 2014, growers donated $18.5mn, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. “The sugar lobby is one of the strongest in the country,” said James Cassidy, global head of sugar derivatives at Societe Generale in New York.
…..
Nowhere is the industry’s clout felt more than in Florida, base of the nation’s most powerful sugar barons, the Fanjul brothers. Between them, the Fanjuls – Alfonso, Jose, Alexander and Andres – have long-standing ties to at least three US presidential candidates: Senator Marco Rubio, Republican of Florida; Florida Governor Jeb Bush, another Republican; and Hillary Rodham Clinton, the Democratic frontrunner.” http://www.gulf-times.com/eco.-bus.%20news/256/details/453092/big-sugar%E2%80%99s-fight-to-keep-us-import-limits-delaying-tpp-deal
TPPA will metastasize the cancer of US corporate donations and the influence of large corporations with the money to chill our ability to make laws in the best interest of our country even if the sugar subsidy is trimmed for US Big Sugar.
It is.
But so is supporting (rather than undercutting) policy. If anything this shows the conflict caused by issues that might have local or regional support, but are a blight on the nation.
Which master would Davis serve should he be leader? Northland could do with the advocacy, but at the expense of everywhere else or even its own long term wellbeing?
A leader is the leader of a team – the leader still needs to be part of that team.
In that case he should explicitly state his opposition and resign his education portfolio.
His job is to advocate for and to explain party policy as determined by the party. If he cannot do his job, he should look for another portfolio.
And that’s assuming that his position on that policy is correct, rather than advocating for a system that’s even worse than the current situation.
FFS, they get multiple times more funding from the state than other schools and they’re still running fundraisers? Where’s all the cash going, if not to the kids?
I’m saying that by going against (according to the article that is) Andrew Littles wishes Kelvin Davis is all but throwing his name into the ring and I think hes got the goods as a leader
I think he is undermining the party, he’s effectively breaking party rules. Little may or may not have been happy with them going, we don’t really know. If Davis does personally support this charter school, how hard is it for him to just stay quiet and not publicly attend a function to avoid a media beatup. Now it looks like there is disunity in caucus.
“I’m saying that by going against (according to the article that is) Andrew Littles wishes Kelvin Davis is all but throwing his name into the ring and I think hes got the goods as a leader”
I don’t see any evidence of that. What I see is Paddy Gower shit stirring and you jumping on board with that. How do you get from Davis attending a fundraiser to him jostling for postition in the enxt LP leadership coup?
I think he is undermining the party, he’s effectively breaking party rules. Little may or may not have been happy with them going, we don’t really know. If Davis does personally support this charter school, how hard is it for him to just stay quiet and not publicly attend a function to avoid a media beatup. Now it looks like there is disunity in caucus.
I don’t know because the only thing I’ve read is Gower’s piece, which let’s face it makes Hosking look like an actual journo.
I’d hazard a guess that Davis is attending because its something to do with his electorate constituency. If you have some more in depth information, I’d be happy to change my mind. cheers.
edit, actually any kind of statement from Davis that he supports charter schools would be good.
To me it looks like Labour’s internal cultural problem which prevents them from presenting as a coherent organisation. Little says he left it up to them, Davis says LIttle didn’t want them to go. At least that’s how the media tell it.
I can’t see a problem with Davis and the other MP going, except that they don’t know how to explain the public what they are doing.
For some years I have vehemently opposed Charter Schools on principle as an attack on and an undermining of the State system. Now I am not quite so sure.
I see nothing wrong with individual initiative as a general position, nor am I opposed to allowing some level of experimentation from dedicated individuals. The issue isn’t there. The problem we have with this particular government initiative, is the degree to which they are pandering to providers with agendas that are never going to benefit either students or society. The current government’s flirtation with Charter Schools attracts massive skepticism principally because we know they have a declared interest in laying off as much of the public service to private providers as they can get away with. We also know that with so few teachers in their ranks, they have almost no notion of what can lead to successful educational outcomes. But this does not assert that our educational system is perfectly formed as it is. A constructive plan might include far more stringent analysis before awarding a charter, and far more stringent oversight after the school is opened.
The trick is to incorporate these initiatives as part of a more complex and inclusive State educational system, not allow them to fragment into some patchy, inadequately monitored private provision. It is also essential that the State educational authorities ensure that mainstream schools are not penalized or harmed by this kind of initiative.
In my view, the most promising area for educational improvement is in the enhancement of professional development and information sharing among teachers and schools, but to improve the body of information to be shared, there will have to be some level of diversity of approach. If a government, committed to State Education, were to allow a certain amount of controlled experimentation, hoping to find better ways of achieving generally agreed targets, that might be highly desirable. After all no one is claiming a monopoly on solutions.
I don’t know if Davis acted without the approval of the Labour leadership, but the disapprobation any indiscipline may attract should not be conflated with rejection of an open minded pursuit of best practice.
Regardless of whether there is a possibility (however slim) that something matching the rough description of a “charter school” would be as good as or better than the current system, the fact is that as currently implemented without oversight or regard to cost there is no charter school in NZ that should exist.
They are an already failed experiment that will harm the children the fail.
He needed a hell of a lot help to ‘win’ that electoral seat, and the Natz cheered the loudest when he won.
Nope feel Labour is losing votes due to it’s right wing, neoliberal Nat-lite, undisciplined, antics so for any vote Kelvin Davis gets, it is less 2 for Labour voters who want the Lab-full not Nat-lite.
I can not think of any mainstream voter who wants charter schools or private prisons for that matter.
I know people who want charter schools who don’t vote National. It wouldn’t surprise me if many Māori did, because it enables them to set up schools more suited to their people than the public schools being run by the dominant culture. Which I have some sympathy for.
The potential of Te Reo charter schools is a carrot used to misdirect people while National get on with their agenda of dismantling actual communities.
Don’t know about those specifics, but agree with your general point. I’m not in favour of charter schools for this reason. But I can see why some Māori would be interested, given the failure of the Crown to honour the treaty and the failure of the education system to provide Māori with good or even adequate education in many cases.
The other people I know interested in charter schools are those wanting more alternative education in NZ.
hi weka, i gotta say this aint a good look- kelvin davis and peeni henare attending a charter school fundraiser. i am sure there are other descrete ways of lending your support to your local youth.
this is, like private prisons, a chance to establish a not negotiable position.
no one should profit from anothers incarceration nor their education.
you referred to an internal cultural problem- appearing unified.
i suggest this could be with leadership.
by this i am not having a go at andrew little, i would follow him.
more the strong unified message about what labour stands for.
after reading a few opinion pieces in the last week it seems they are still working that one out. (seemingly not keen on being too ‘left’, as it may scare the horses.)
Both Davis and Peeni Henare discussed their desire to attend (btw both had personal reasons – nothing to do with politics) and Little left it up to them to make their own decision.
New Zealand First Party leader Winston Peters was there too. He is against charter schools.
A spokeswoman for Mr Little said he left the decision to go up to the MPs, and their attendance does not reflect any change in Labour’s policy on charter schools.
This is what Kelvin Davis wrote on Maui Street:
“What does the research say about Charter Schools?
Charter Schools have an effect size of 0.20, or the 107th out of the 133 strategies that have some positive effect. Charter Schools are therefore an extremely pointless and expensive strategy.
I would like to hear from Kelvin Davis himself why he attended the fundraiser before I accept any slant & muckraising by the media and make a premature judgement. It is in the media’s and National’s interest to imply that disunity still exists in the Labour Party caucus (recent attacks on Jacinda Adern, plus this) so let’s not get sucked in and amplify the misinformation.
As per usual I’m guessing that one component missing here on the standard is a consideration of te ao Māori. It’s a Māori school right? Any chance that might be why Davis and Peters attended?
Labour need to show some teeth there all right, but not against Kelvin Davies. That’s plain shitstirring by the media and Labour really need to start asserting some control over this behaviour else we’ll see a repeat of the last election.
Seriously, Davies has done nothing wrong there. The school is in his constituency and wishing them well in no way implies support for charter schools. What do you expect from the man, a statement that he wants the school to fail?
DH – I mean’t Labour show some teeth to MSM, if they falsely are reporting Kelvin Davis is pro charter schools and sue them/lay a complaint is that is false.
Nice to see ZERO effort made to be sustainable here on the 2.7 ha new shopping mall in Westgate, Auckland, which I believe the council also provided corporate welfare chipped in for with our rates, and no public transport there either ….
Asked about environmentally friendly aspects, centre manager Jennifer Andrews said rainwater would NOT be collected for recycling but a green wall of plants was planned.
What a joke! It’s 2015, and the only environmentally part is a green wall of plants on 2.7 ha public development.
I would say the only reason a green wall is being used is to hide a massive ugly concrete tilt-slab wall that the developers/council would receive widespread complaints about.
This sort of building will be one of the first to go bankrupt too. Fueled by borrowing large amounts of debt, a large waste of natural resources, with limited transport connections, no water/electricity self-sufficiency. That’s all going to make it very expensive for the tenants to rent a space there and be viable and sets it up for failure. Maybe it shouldn’t be even trying to masquerade that it’s green because it clearly is the opposite.
What these people don’t seem to grasp is that current housing inflation is literally destroying the savings of those who don’t own a house. Renters are getting further & further behind because house deposits and rents are going up more than their wages. How can people ‘save’ when the target keeps moving further away?
The deliberate running down of Salibury school is SHAMEFUL and disgusting.
“Special residential school says its being deliberately starved of students by the Ministry of Education
Salisbury school for girls caters for secondary students with complex needs, including intellectual disabilities, autism, foetal alcohol syndrome, and developmental and behavioural problems.
In 2012, the High Court ruled that the Government’s decision to close the school was unlawful. In May 2013 the education Minister Hekia Parata confirmed the government would keep the school open.”
However since that time the government changed the enrolment system for the special school, meaning potential students can’t enroll directly, but have to be referred by the Ministry’s Intensive Wraparound Service
That has seen the school’s roll plummet, from almost 80 in 2012, to just 9 now as no students are being referred to the school, despite many parents wishing to send their daughters there. http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon
Here is an excerpt from my Letter to John Key dated Feb 2013 showing Parata’s dirty tactics..
“It would appear to me that the Minister of Education has halved the roll and removed the Salisbury School Board of Trustees from the assessment panel for the express purpose of running down the roll. This would mean that the co-ed Halswell Residential School in Christchurch would become the only school providing residential care for intellectually impaired girls.”
I do think that this is an underhand way of removing the option for those parents who wish to send their intellectually impaired daughters to an all-girls school.”
I am outraged at this government’s ability to splash money around when it suits itself (Saudi sheep, Rio Tinto, AllBlack reception, flag) but for children with disabilities needing sheltered care…??
Peter Lyon’s column in the Herald about the Govt being nothing but Spin might be a little bit too far for the newspaper, I hope the poor b…….. isn’t now in line to have his contract terminated. He’s a brave man sticking his head out and actually criticising the present useless lot and I admire him for it. I believe he is a teacher so he has, at least other employment if he does get the chop.
Apparently, the UK Chancellor wrote a piece for ‘The Sun’ where he made the claims. So I held my nose and clicked over to ‘The Sun’. Now, I’m not saying he didn’t write a piece and say what ‘The Guardian’ is claiming. It’s just that I can’t find it. It certainly doesn’t ‘headline’ as it does in ‘The Guardian’.
But, remember The Most Dangerous Woman in Britain headlines about Nicola Sturgeon? And remember the Lib Dems (possibly with collusion from the Tories) running a leak on Sturgeon apparently wanting Cameron to win the UK election and the whole ‘Labour will be in the pocket of the SNP’ nonsense?
The entire fucking UK establishment and the media sycophants (Guardian included) needs a collective lamp-post dangling.
I’ve just finished searching by cut and pasting some of the quotes and…it wasn’t in The Sun as reported by The Guardian but on some site called Sunnation that I’ve never heard of before. Click at your own risk. May cause rapid brain shrinkage.
Their secondary story within the banner (The Guardian) is merely echoing The Sun’s attempt to attach Corbyn to Bin Laden in a negative fashion. (Back in 2011, he was interviewed and said that Bin Laden should have been captured/arrested and tried, not assassinated) Here are both links.
Well, swathes of the press have already branded him a ‘terrorist sympathiser’.
From memory, there was the nonsense radio interview by the BBC in N. Ireland where they badgered him on IRA atrocities and concluded that he wasn’t strident enough in condemning the IRA (ergo – he sympathises). That got twisted and reported widely.
Then there was his past meetings or sharing of platforms with various people that got twisted and widely reported. I can’t remember names, but one guy subsequently peddled holocaust denial nonsense and another lived in Israel and was on their list of ‘guys we don’t like’… but they let him travel out of the country.
Just noticed that The Sun and The Guardian are engaged in a two way game of throw and catch. The Sun is uncritically referencing Guardian anti-Corbyn headlines/stories and The Guardian is uncritically referencing anti-Corbyn Sun headlines/stories.
The strongly establishment-oriented Board of Deputies of British Jews (branded The
UK branch of the Israeli Ministry of Information by one progressive Jewish scholar, given its propensity for uncritically regurgitating Israel’s latest propaganda lines) and its mouthpiece the British Jewish Chronicle have been pushing the anti-Semitic smear for all it’s worth. (the standard treatment for any prominent person who indicates support for Palestinian national rights).
Like many Brits on the Left, Corbyn initially gave his support to the Deir Yassin Remembered (DYR) group. Deir Yassin was, of course, the most prominent of a whole series of massacres and mass rapes committed by Zionist paramilitary forces against various Palestinian villages during the 1948 War.
When it was discovered that a handful of dodgy types were involved in the DYR organisation (including Paul Eisen who is both Jewish and a Holocaust denier), there was a mass exodus by people on the Left, some explicitly and publicly repudiating the group, others simply washing their hands of it and moving on. Corbyn was in the latter group.
As one progressive British Jewish organisation has said: “There is something deeply unpleasant and dishonest about your (the Jewish Chronicles) McCarthyite guilt by association technique. Jeremy Corbyn’s parliamentary record over 32 years has consistently opposed all racism including anti-Semitism.”
Results (or is it the close of voting?) are about 10 days away.
And sorry to be geeky about this, but in contrast to the UK (English) papers, all the major papers in Scotland are leading with the fact that ‘out of the blue’, the government has announced a 500 million refurbishment of the Faslane nuclear facilities.
No stories anywhere (on a quick look) that are smears on Corbyn.
Dont let us start this leadership nonsense again ,No doubt these headlines are typical Crosby /Textor misinformation. we have a leader and he’s proving to be a good one. The Tories are worried and they will jump on anything that will take away the fact that NZ is in one hell of a mess.,Child poverty, unemployment, health system in chaos the list so long its scary. But not only that ,the fact is that not only are their policies a disaster but they are so incompetent that they are unable to even run them properly. They are a total lose and all we can discuss is LP leadership . I fume in anger and dispair. Wake up Labourites another 3 years of this rabble would be disasterious .Dont be sucked in by Crosby /Textor and Tory scandal mongering.
Lets show some solidarity from us and the unions in supporting Andrew Little who is proving to be the natural succesor to our Helen.
Blair “says he accepts that, together with fellow Labour veterans Neil Kinnock and Gordon Brown, his warnings have fallen on deaf ears and seem to have made people more likely to back Mr Corbyn.”
Ahhh, the penny’s finally dropped, has it ?
The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 13.1.1
I have analysed all the different published polling and focus group evidence about Labour’s defeat, most recently the one by the BBC’s Newsnight and the one by Jon Cruddas. They all say the same. Labour lost because it was considered anti-business and too left; because people feared Ed in Downing Street with SNP support; and because he didn’t have a credible deficit reduction plan. They didn’t vote Tory because they thought he was “austerity-lite” but on the contrary because he didn’t seem committed enough to tough economic decisions.
Riiiiiiiiight, so is that why the latest polls suggest Corbyn’s not only blitzing the leadership race among Labour members (likely to win in the first round), but is also the favourite among both Labour voters and the general public as a whole. Meaning: Labour voters, Ukip voters, Lib Dem voters, Green voters, SNP voters, Plaid Cymru voters…
…It’s only among Tory voters that Andy Burnham wins, and even then Corbyn comes a close second.
Labour membership seems to consist of people who can’t or don’t want move past the 1970’s , which is why Corbyn appeals.
Could you explain how Jeremy Corbyn, who is striking the fear of God into the Blairite wing of the Labour Party right now in August 2015, is simultaneously in the 1970s?
To be fair, judging from a quick perusal of your output over the years, I don’t really expect a convincing answer from you. Perhaps a Standardista with a few clues might like to explain it for us.
Jeremy Corbyn shouldn’t be wasting his time stiking fear into the Blairite wing of the Labour Party, he should be striking it into the heart of the Tories. Just like Labour in NZ are too busy wondering who should lead them and what internal politics they should be focused on.
I’ve analysed a whole swathe of UK polls conducted over the last 3 years (including the detailed breakdowns) and I can safely say that Blair’s rendition here of their findings is absolute bollocks.
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 ...
Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
A factory reset restores your Gateway laptop to its original factory settings, erasing all data, apps, and personalizations. This can be necessary to resolve software issues, remove viruses, or prepare your laptop for sale or transfer. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to factory reset your Gateway laptop: Method 1: ...
“You talking about me?”The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
Roger Partridge writes – When the Coalition Government took office last October, it inherited a country on a precipice. With persistent inflation, decades of insipid productivity growth and crises in healthcare, education, housing and law and order, it is no exaggeration to suggest New Zealand’s first-world status was ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – In 2022, the Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education employed 308 staff, according to an Official Information Request. Earlier this week it was announced 202 of those staff were being cut. When you look up “The New Zealand Curriculum” on the Ministry of ...
Chris Bishop’s bill has stirred up a hornets nest of opposition. Photo: Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate from the last day included:A crescendo of opposition to the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill is ...
Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.State of humanity, 20242024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?Full story Share ...
Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
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 ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
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 ...
Australian and New Zealand volunteers fought together in the Waikato War, yet still its place in the Anzac tradition is unacknowledged by our defence forces or Returned Services Association.First published in 2018.When I was a boy cub I attended Anzac Day services in the South Auckland suburb of ...
A poem by Wellington writer Tayi Tibble.Hoki Mai She kisses him goodbye with her eyes still wet and alight from their last swim in the Awatere river. At the train station celebration, she leads the Kapa Haka but her voice keeps breaking under and over itself like waves. ...
A poem from Bill Manhire’s 2017 book of verse Some Things to Place in a Coffin.My World War I Poem Inside each trench, the sound of prayer. Inside each prayer, the sound of digging. Image courtesy of Auckland War Memorial Museum. ...
There are three books I have wolfed down in one sitting over the last two years. Colleen Maria Lenihan’s gorgeous and sad debut Kōhine, Noelle McCarthy’s memoir Grand about becoming her mother and then unbecoming her, and now Hine Toa, a staunch yet gentle self-portrait by living legend Ngāhuia te ...
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, Thursday 25 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Asia Pacific Report Students and activist staff at Australia’s University of Sydney (USyd) have set up a Gaza solidarity encampment in support of Palestinians and similar student-led protests in the United States. The camp was pitched as mass graves, crippled hospitals, thousands of civilian deaths and the near-total destruction of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James B. Dorey, Lecturer in Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong Australian teddy bear bees are cute and fluffy, but get a look at that massive (unbarbed) stinger! James Dorey Photography Most of us have been stung by a bee and we ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jen Roberts, Senior Lecturer, School of Humanities and Social Inquiry, University of Wollongong Aussie~mobs/FlickrVictor Farr, a private in the 1st Infantry Battalion, was among the first to land at Anzac Cove just before dawn on April 25 1915. Victor Farr ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Gregory Moore I had the good fortune to care for the sugar gum at The University of Melbourne’s Burnley Gardens in Victoria where I worked for ...
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. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Ong ViforJ, ARC Future Fellow & Professor of Economics, Curtin University Just when we think the price of rentals could not get any worse, this week’s Rental Affordability Snapshot by Anglicare has revealed low-income Australians are facing a housing crisis like ...
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 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tracey Holmes, Professorial Fellow in Sport, University of Canberra When the news broke last weekend that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive to a banned drug in early 2021 and were allowed to compete at the Tokyo Olympic Games six months later ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cally Jetta, Senior Lecturer and Academic Lead; College for First Nations, University of Southern Queensland Australian War MemorialAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names and images of deceased people, as well as sensitive historical information ...
RNZ News Melissa Lee has been ousted from New Zealand’s coalition cabinet and stripped of the Media portfolio, and Penny Simmonds has lost the Disability Issues portfolio in a reshuffle. Climate Change and Revenue Minister Simon Watts will take Lee’s spot in cabinet. Simmonds was a minister outside of cabinet. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Lindenmayer, Professor, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University laurello/Shutterstock Some reports and popular books, such as Bill Gammage’s Biggest Estate on Earth, have argued that extensive areas of Australia’s forests were kept open through frequent burning by ...
Analysis - Christopher Luxon framing the demotion of two ministers as the portfolios getting "too complex" is a charitable way of saying they weren't up to the job. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra With Jim Chalmers’s third budget on May 14, Australians will be looking for some more cost-of-living relief – beyond the tax cuts – although they have been warned extra measures will be modest. As ...
Analysis: Melissa Lee has lost the media portfolio and her spot in Cabinet after multiple failed attempts to find solutions for a media industry in crisis. On Wednesday, the Prime Minister announced Lee would be losing her spot in Cabinet along with her media and communications ministerial portfolio. The job ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Wilmot, Senior Lecturer, Film, Deakin University Among the many Australian who served during the second world war, there is a small group of people whose stories remain largely untold. These are the Muslim men and women who, while small in number, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kelly Saunders, PhD Candidate, University of Canberra There has been much analysis and praise of Justice Michael Lee’s recent judgement in Bruce Lehrmann’s defamation case against Channel Ten. Many people were openly relieved to read Lee’s “forensic” and “nuanced” application of law ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathy Gibbs, Program Director for the Bachelor of Education, Griffith University zEdward_Indy/Shutterstock Around one in 20 people has attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It’s one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood and often continues into adulthood. ADHD is diagnosed ...
The Fairer Future coalition of anti-poverty groups say Whaikaha must be properly funded going forward, and that to argue that poor financial management of the new Ministry is a red herring by the Prime Minister. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is today congratulating Hon. Paul Goldsmith on his appointment as Minister for Media and Communications and urges him to rule out state intervention in the private media sector. ...
Asia Pacific Report The West Papuan resistance OPM leader has condemned Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Joe Biden, accusing their countries of “six decades of treachery” over Papuan independence. The open letter was released today by OPM chairman Jeffrey P Bomanak on the eve of ANZAC Day ...
Welcome to The Spinoff Books Confessional, in which we get to know the reading habits and quirks of New Zealanders at large. This week: writer and one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people of 2024, Lauren Groff.The book I wish I’d writtenIf I wish I’d written a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Fechner, Research Fellow, Social Marketing, Griffith University mavo/Shutterstock Imagine having dinner at a restaurant. The menu offers plant-based meat alternatives made mostly from vegetables, mushrooms, legumes and wheat that mimic meat in taste, texture and smell. Despite being given that ...
“Three Strikes is a dead-end policy proposed by a dead-end government. The Three Strikes law ignores the causes of crime, instead just brutalising people already crushed by the cost of living.” ...
By Don Wiseman, RNZ Pacific senior journalist An Australian-born judge in Kiribati could well face deportation later this week after a tribunal ruling that he should be removed from his post. The tribunal’s report has just been tabled in the Kiribati Parliament and is due to be debated by MPs ...
With its clear mandate for police use, political nuances, and nuanced public trust, Denmark's insights provide valuable considerations for Australia and New Zealand. ...
Books editor Claire Mabey reviews poet Louise Wallace’s debut novel. A famous poet once said to me that he’s always suspicious when a poet publishes a novel. I never really understood why but maybe it’s something to do with cheating on your first form. Louise Wallace is a poet. She’s ...
For a few months at the turn of the millennium, TrueBliss burned bright as the biggest pop stars in the country. Alex Casey chats to two superfans who still hold the flame. During a humble backyard wedding in Nelson, 1999, one of the cordially invited guests had to excuse themselves ...
How will the recent wave of job cuts impact ethnic diversity in the media? In November last year, I was working a very busy day in the newsroom of a large online news site, interviewing whānau about their concerns over the imminent closure of one of the few puna reo ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ruth Knight, Researcher, Queensland University of Technology Have you ever felt sick at work? Perhaps you had food poisoning or the flu. Your belly hurt, or you felt tired, making it hard to concentrate and be productive. How likely would you be ...
Despite heavy criticism and an ongoing select committee process, the Police Minister says the Government will forge ahead with a ban on gang patches. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sam Whiting, Lecturer – Creative Industries, University of South Australia Shutterstock Everyone has a favourite band, or a favourite composer, or a favourite song. There is some music which speaks to you, deeply; and other music which might be the current ...
A new survey says ‘outlook not great’ for those charged with building infrastructure, while RMA changes delight farmers and depress environmentalists, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. First RMA changes announced ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olli Hellmann, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Waikato Getty Images When New Zealanders commemorate Anzac Day on April 25, it’s not only to honour the soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and subsequent conflicts, but also ...
A leaked document shows the Canterbury/Waitaha arm of health agency Te Whatu Ora is scurrying to save $13.3 million by July. The “financial sustainability target”, which was “allocated” to Waitaha, is consistent with what’s happening in other districts, says Sarah Dalton, executive director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists. ...
“Court: We Can’t Rule on NSA Bulk Data Collection Because We Don’t Know Whose Data Was Collected
On Friday, an appeals court overturned a U.S. District Court decision last May that had declared that the National Security Agency’s bulk collection of Americans’ phone records was beyond the authorization of the law. The three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit kicked the matter back to the lower court for additional deliberation.
The decision did not declare the NSA’s program, which was revealed by whistleblower Edward Snowden in 2013, to have been legal or constitutional. Rather, it focused on a technicality: a majority opinion that the plaintiffs in the case could not actually prove that the metadata program swept up their own phone records. Therefore, the plaintiffs, the court declared, did not have standing to sue.
“Today’s ruling is merely a procedural decision,” said Alexander Abdo, the American Civil Liberties Union attorney who argued against the program at the U.S. District Court. “Only one appeals court has weighed in on the merits of the program, and it ruled the government’s collection of Americans’ call records was not only unlawful but ‘unprecedented and unwarranted.’”
Circuit Court Judge Janice Rogers Brown summarized the problem facing the court: “Excessive secrecy limits needed criticism and debate. Effective secrecy ensures the perpetuation of our institutions.”
https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/08/28/court-cant-rule-nsa-bulk-collection-dont-know-whose-data-collected/
To ad-lib from Mock the Week. “Rugby, not really that important in the scheme of things – unless you are a insecure kiwi”
Oh wait John Key and Co. at AB selection for world cup. Can it get any-more shallow. Yes it can…
http://www.3news.co.nz/opinion/opinion-why-no-criticism-of-key-the-all-blacks-fanboy-2015082711#axzz3kKSijR3b
I can’t remember that I’ve ever agreed with Patrick Gower before. But on this topic his words and tone are pretty good. What an ridiculous spectacle this bunch of politicians have made of themselves.
When the All Blacks tour to S Africa was cancelled post the anti-tour shambles, I felt for the athletes who had trained so hard, but despised the Rugby Union for their stand and for their 1981 stand. People versus the Organisation.
This politicisation now gets in the way of another crop of athletes. Sad.
Thank you Patrick G and I don’t say that very often. Could you imagine the outrage if “Labour did it too”. Looks like Ritchie’s day job is sucking up to one JK. In the longer term thogh it will hopefully diminish rugby’s following. Tying yourself to a politician probably won’t do the brand any good in the longer term
Katherine did a little spiel this morning on the Politics segment and sounded pretty sceptical about Key’s involvement. Perhaps it is a Matthew says, that this is the style of populist appearances which sit in voters mind. The way of politics now and of the future.
like a lot of kiwis i love the game of rugby…. but this smearing of AB history and mana by letting a politician front them is beyond me –
by all means go shake the hand of the prime minister, but to suck up to a tawdry self-publicist and his beehive sycophants….. is thoroughly nauseating
So sorry that the ABs chose to allow this use and abuse of their fame….. this lessens their mana
The NZRB is long overdue for a loss of mana as a result of the way they align themselves to national govt’s.
Big Sugar and TPPA
A sweet deal for American sugar farmers is compounding delays in a proposed trade agreement affecting 40% of the world’s economy.
But the trade deal may also weaken protections for the sugar industry dating back to the Great Depression should negotiators heed the calls of Australia and other nations for the US to loosen a quota system that protects domestic suppliers while making the product more expensive for consumers. As they have for decades, sugar lobbyists are fighting to keep it that way by using their clout with lawmakers.
In Washington, that means one thing: money. Sugar accounts for a small fraction of US farm output, but the industry contributes more to congressional campaign coffers than any other commodity producer. Between 2007 and 2014, growers donated $18.5mn, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. “The sugar lobby is one of the strongest in the country,” said James Cassidy, global head of sugar derivatives at Societe Generale in New York.
…..
Nowhere is the industry’s clout felt more than in Florida, base of the nation’s most powerful sugar barons, the Fanjul brothers. Between them, the Fanjuls – Alfonso, Jose, Alexander and Andres – have long-standing ties to at least three US presidential candidates: Senator Marco Rubio, Republican of Florida; Florida Governor Jeb Bush, another Republican; and Hillary Rodham Clinton, the Democratic frontrunner.”
http://www.gulf-times.com/eco.-bus.%20news/256/details/453092/big-sugar%E2%80%99s-fight-to-keep-us-import-limits-delaying-tpp-deal
TPPA will metastasize the cancer of US corporate donations and the influence of large corporations with the money to chill our ability to make laws in the best interest of our country even if the sugar subsidy is trimmed for US Big Sugar.
I’ve been saying for awhile now that we need to ban lobbying and this is just more proof of that. Democracy is not one dollar one vote.
After all the talk of Jacinda Ardern and her leadership aspirations I think this is a beter indicator of who wants what:
https://www.3news.co.nz/nznews/kelvin-davis-defies-labour-policy-in-charter-school-support-2015083017
[lprent: See http://thestandard.org.nz/regional-realities/#comment-1064787 ]
Just noticed that too.
Labour MP Kelvin Davis has rebelled against Andrew Little by giving his support to a charter school – a policy Labour strongly opposes.
The Kelvin Davis debacle has already cost Labour a lot of votes – and been a huge boost to the Natz – now this – karma –
I disagree, I feel Davis can attract more votes from the Nats so hopefully he’ll get a promotion next time theres a reshuffle…deputy maybe?
[lprent: See http://thestandard.org.nz/regional-realities/#comment-1064787 ]
Following that logic Davis should probably join the National Party.
The guy has shown he can win an electorate seat, he speaks well and is scoring hits in the house or is that not important in a leader?
[lprent: See http://thestandard.org.nz/regional-realities/#comment-1064787 ]
It is.
But so is supporting (rather than undercutting) policy. If anything this shows the conflict caused by issues that might have local or regional support, but are a blight on the nation.
Which master would Davis serve should he be leader? Northland could do with the advocacy, but at the expense of everywhere else or even its own long term wellbeing?
A leader is the leader of a team – the leader still needs to be part of that team.
Maybe he feels the policy is wrong and worse, due to his background, detrimental so hes making a stand for what he believes in?
[lprent: See http://thestandard.org.nz/regional-realities/#comment-1064787 ]
In that case he should explicitly state his opposition and resign his education portfolio.
His job is to advocate for and to explain party policy as determined by the party. If he cannot do his job, he should look for another portfolio.
And that’s assuming that his position on that policy is correct, rather than advocating for a system that’s even worse than the current situation.
FFS, they get multiple times more funding from the state than other schools and they’re still running fundraisers? Where’s all the cash going, if not to the kids?
Read the link. Davis isn’t undermining the party and Undecided is misrepresenting the situation almost as badly as Gower.
I’m saying that by going against (according to the article that is) Andrew Littles wishes Kelvin Davis is all but throwing his name into the ring and I think hes got the goods as a leader
[lprent: See http://thestandard.org.nz/regional-realities/#comment-1064787 ]
I think he is undermining the party, he’s effectively breaking party rules. Little may or may not have been happy with them going, we don’t really know. If Davis does personally support this charter school, how hard is it for him to just stay quiet and not publicly attend a function to avoid a media beatup. Now it looks like there is disunity in caucus.
“I’m saying that by going against (according to the article that is) Andrew Littles wishes Kelvin Davis is all but throwing his name into the ring and I think hes got the goods as a leader”
I don’t see any evidence of that. What I see is Paddy Gower shit stirring and you jumping on board with that. How do you get from Davis attending a fundraiser to him jostling for postition in the enxt LP leadership coup?
I think he is undermining the party, he’s effectively breaking party rules. Little may or may not have been happy with them going, we don’t really know. If Davis does personally support this charter school, how hard is it for him to just stay quiet and not publicly attend a function to avoid a media beatup. Now it looks like there is disunity in caucus.
I don’t know because the only thing I’ve read is Gower’s piece, which let’s face it makes Hosking look like an actual journo.
I’d hazard a guess that Davis is attending because its something to do with his electorate constituency. If you have some more in depth information, I’d be happy to change my mind. cheers.
edit, actually any kind of statement from Davis that he supports charter schools would be good.
dropping $250 on a seat seems a mixed signal to me
how so McFlock?
“Davis isn’t undermining the party” Correct – he is undermining the leader – “That was despite leader Andrew Little asking them not to”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11505590
perhaps an early leadership challenge!!! 🙂
subtle 😉
To me it looks like Labour’s internal cultural problem which prevents them from presenting as a coherent organisation. Little says he left it up to them, Davis says LIttle didn’t want them to go. At least that’s how the media tell it.
I can’t see a problem with Davis and the other MP going, except that they don’t know how to explain the public what they are doing.
How so?
He’s paying for students of a school that shouldn’t exist to travel overseas to visit other schools that follow the same failed model.
When he should be campaigning for the removal of these schools.
For some years I have vehemently opposed Charter Schools on principle as an attack on and an undermining of the State system. Now I am not quite so sure.
I see nothing wrong with individual initiative as a general position, nor am I opposed to allowing some level of experimentation from dedicated individuals. The issue isn’t there. The problem we have with this particular government initiative, is the degree to which they are pandering to providers with agendas that are never going to benefit either students or society. The current government’s flirtation with Charter Schools attracts massive skepticism principally because we know they have a declared interest in laying off as much of the public service to private providers as they can get away with. We also know that with so few teachers in their ranks, they have almost no notion of what can lead to successful educational outcomes. But this does not assert that our educational system is perfectly formed as it is. A constructive plan might include far more stringent analysis before awarding a charter, and far more stringent oversight after the school is opened.
The trick is to incorporate these initiatives as part of a more complex and inclusive State educational system, not allow them to fragment into some patchy, inadequately monitored private provision. It is also essential that the State educational authorities ensure that mainstream schools are not penalized or harmed by this kind of initiative.
In my view, the most promising area for educational improvement is in the enhancement of professional development and information sharing among teachers and schools, but to improve the body of information to be shared, there will have to be some level of diversity of approach. If a government, committed to State Education, were to allow a certain amount of controlled experimentation, hoping to find better ways of achieving generally agreed targets, that might be highly desirable. After all no one is claiming a monopoly on solutions.
I don’t know if Davis acted without the approval of the Labour leadership, but the disapprobation any indiscipline may attract should not be conflated with rejection of an open minded pursuit of best practice.
Regardless of whether there is a possibility (however slim) that something matching the rough description of a “charter school” would be as good as or better than the current system, the fact is that as currently implemented without oversight or regard to cost there is no charter school in NZ that should exist.
They are an already failed experiment that will harm the children the fail.
He needed a hell of a lot help to ‘win’ that electoral seat, and the Natz cheered the loudest when he won.
Nope feel Labour is losing votes due to it’s right wing, neoliberal Nat-lite, undisciplined, antics so for any vote Kelvin Davis gets, it is less 2 for Labour voters who want the Lab-full not Nat-lite.
I can not think of any mainstream voter who wants charter schools or private prisons for that matter.
I know people who want charter schools who don’t vote National. It wouldn’t surprise me if many Māori did, because it enables them to set up schools more suited to their people than the public schools being run by the dominant culture. Which I have some sympathy for.
Then why did MoE cut funding to Ngā Kākano o te Kaihanga Kura?
The potential of Te Reo charter schools is a carrot used to misdirect people while National get on with their agenda of dismantling actual communities.
edit: and defunding Te Reo teaching programs
Don’t know about those specifics, but agree with your general point. I’m not in favour of charter schools for this reason. But I can see why some Māori would be interested, given the failure of the Crown to honour the treaty and the failure of the education system to provide Māori with good or even adequate education in many cases.
The other people I know interested in charter schools are those wanting more alternative education in NZ.
hi weka, i gotta say this aint a good look- kelvin davis and peeni henare attending a charter school fundraiser. i am sure there are other descrete ways of lending your support to your local youth.
this is, like private prisons, a chance to establish a not negotiable position.
no one should profit from anothers incarceration nor their education.
you referred to an internal cultural problem- appearing unified.
i suggest this could be with leadership.
by this i am not having a go at andrew little, i would follow him.
more the strong unified message about what labour stands for.
after reading a few opinion pieces in the last week it seems they are still working that one out. (seemingly not keen on being too ‘left’, as it may scare the horses.)
save NZ @ 4.1
Gower bullshit.
Both Davis and Peeni Henare discussed their desire to attend (btw both had personal reasons – nothing to do with politics) and Little left it up to them to make their own decision.
That’s quite outrageous reporting. Merely attending a charter school function can in no way be considered support for charter schools.
Labour MPs attend parliament. Using TV3 logic we can conclude that Labour therefore supports a National Government.
If it is not true then sue them, keep MSM honest. Labour need to show some teeth, does Kelvin support charter schools or does he not?
This is what Kelvin Davis wrote on Maui Street:
“What does the research say about Charter Schools?
Charter Schools have an effect size of 0.20, or the 107th out of the 133 strategies that have some positive effect. Charter Schools are therefore an extremely pointless and expensive strategy.
There are still 40 strategies that are deemed pointless, but, are still more effective than Charter Schools.”
http://mauistreet.blogspot.co.nz/2012/06/kelvin-davis-on-improving-education.html?spref=bl
I would like to hear from Kelvin Davis himself why he attended the fundraiser before I accept any slant & muckraising by the media and make a premature judgement. It is in the media’s and National’s interest to imply that disunity still exists in the Labour Party caucus (recent attacks on Jacinda Adern, plus this) so let’s not get sucked in and amplify the misinformation.
Thanks for that.
As per usual I’m guessing that one component missing here on the standard is a consideration of te ao Māori. It’s a Māori school right? Any chance that might be why Davis and Peters attended?
That would be my bet. And it is in their overlapping seat. You go along to encourage kids as well as to encourage their parents and family.
+ 100% agree with you, lprent
Labour need to show some teeth there all right, but not against Kelvin Davies. That’s plain shitstirring by the media and Labour really need to start asserting some control over this behaviour else we’ll see a repeat of the last election.
Seriously, Davies has done nothing wrong there. The school is in his constituency and wishing them well in no way implies support for charter schools. What do you expect from the man, a statement that he wants the school to fail?
DH – I mean’t Labour show some teeth to MSM, if they falsely are reporting Kelvin Davis is pro charter schools and sue them/lay a complaint is that is false.
I quite agree, Gower is just being a little shit as usual.
Beat up over nothing.
Or the other head line form TV3
“Labour MP refuses to support local school”
Damned if you do, damned if you don’t….
Wait maybe you labour people could embrace socialism then – because you been buggered the last three elections for sounding like national light.
heh..
true about the headlines, at any rate
The Wigged One says “China” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDrfE9I8_hs&feature=youtu.be please someone do a mash up of John Key et al saying “Labour did it too”
Nice to see ZERO effort made to be sustainable here on the 2.7 ha new shopping mall in Westgate, Auckland, which I believe the council also provided corporate welfare chipped in for with our rates, and no public transport there either ….
Asked about environmentally friendly aspects, centre manager Jennifer Andrews said rainwater would NOT be collected for recycling but a green wall of plants was planned.
What a joke! It’s 2015, and the only environmentally part is a green wall of plants on 2.7 ha public development.
I would say the only reason a green wall is being used is to hide a massive ugly concrete tilt-slab wall that the developers/council would receive widespread complaints about.
This sort of building will be one of the first to go bankrupt too. Fueled by borrowing large amounts of debt, a large waste of natural resources, with limited transport connections, no water/electricity self-sufficiency. That’s all going to make it very expensive for the tenants to rent a space there and be viable and sets it up for failure. Maybe it shouldn’t be even trying to masquerade that it’s green because it clearly is the opposite.
This shows how out of touch many people are;
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/71560214/calls-for-kiwis-stuck-in-rent-trap-to-be-given-incentives-to-save
What these people don’t seem to grasp is that current housing inflation is literally destroying the savings of those who don’t own a house. Renters are getting further & further behind because house deposits and rents are going up more than their wages. How can people ‘save’ when the target keeps moving further away?
spending and debt=GOOD,saving =BAD….as per sustaining the Fed paradigm.
The deliberate running down of Salibury school is SHAMEFUL and disgusting.
“Special residential school says its being deliberately starved of students by the Ministry of Education
Salisbury school for girls caters for secondary students with complex needs, including intellectual disabilities, autism, foetal alcohol syndrome, and developmental and behavioural problems.
In 2012, the High Court ruled that the Government’s decision to close the school was unlawful. In May 2013 the education Minister Hekia Parata confirmed the government would keep the school open.”
However since that time the government changed the enrolment system for the special school, meaning potential students can’t enroll directly, but have to be referred by the Ministry’s Intensive Wraparound Service
That has seen the school’s roll plummet, from almost 80 in 2012, to just 9 now as no students are being referred to the school, despite many parents wishing to send their daughters there.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon
Here is an excerpt from my Letter to John Key dated Feb 2013 showing Parata’s dirty tactics..
“It would appear to me that the Minister of Education has halved the roll and removed the Salisbury School Board of Trustees from the assessment panel for the express purpose of running down the roll. This would mean that the co-ed Halswell Residential School in Christchurch would become the only school providing residential care for intellectually impaired girls.”
I do think that this is an underhand way of removing the option for those parents who wish to send their intellectually impaired daughters to an all-girls school.”
I am outraged at this government’s ability to splash money around when it suits itself (Saudi sheep, Rio Tinto, AllBlack reception, flag) but for children with disabilities needing sheltered care…??
@Tautoku
Outrageous. +1
@Tautoko Mango Mata….this school had the effrontery to challenge the Government.
They are getting the typical response. (e.g. The gumminit’s response to the Family Carers Case.)
This current administration are capable of truly malevolent actions.
Evil sods.
Peter Lyon’s column in the Herald about the Govt being nothing but Spin might be a little bit too far for the newspaper, I hope the poor b…….. isn’t now in line to have his contract terminated. He’s a brave man sticking his head out and actually criticising the present useless lot and I admire him for it. I believe he is a teacher so he has, at least other employment if he does get the chop.
So at the time of making this comment, The Guardian is running a banner headline Jeremy Corbyn poses national security threat, says George Osborne
Apparently, the UK Chancellor wrote a piece for ‘The Sun’ where he made the claims. So I held my nose and clicked over to ‘The Sun’. Now, I’m not saying he didn’t write a piece and say what ‘The Guardian’ is claiming. It’s just that I can’t find it. It certainly doesn’t ‘headline’ as it does in ‘The Guardian’.
But, remember The Most Dangerous Woman in Britain headlines about Nicola Sturgeon? And remember the Lib Dems (possibly with collusion from the Tories) running a leak on Sturgeon apparently wanting Cameron to win the UK election and the whole ‘Labour will be in the pocket of the SNP’ nonsense?
The entire fucking UK establishment and the media sycophants (Guardian included) needs a collective lamp-post dangling.
Geeesus the elite ruling class is putting on a bit of a panic pulse, ain’t they.
I’ve just finished searching by cut and pasting some of the quotes and…it wasn’t in The Sun as reported by The Guardian but on some site called Sunnation that I’ve never heard of before. Click at your own risk. May cause rapid brain shrinkage.
http://www.sunnation.co.uk/
Their secondary story within the banner (The Guardian) is merely echoing The Sun’s attempt to attach Corbyn to Bin Laden in a negative fashion. (Back in 2011, he was interviewed and said that Bin Laden should have been captured/arrested and tried, not assassinated) Here are both links.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/politics/6614682/Jeremy-Corbyn-calls-Osama-Bin-Ladens-death-a-tragedy.html
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/aug/31/jeremy-corbyn-said-osama-bin-laden-should-have-been-tried-not-killed
Crikey, the Chancellor doesn’t mince his words.
The Guardian piece is from the Press Association. Does that mean it’s an informal government press release? There’s a longer version of it here http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/national/jeremy-corbyn-led-labour-would-pose-national-security-threat-warns-osborne-1-6931239 And if you google any of the quoted bits it shows how it’s being replicated across the internets.
When are the results back?
Next step will be to declare Corbyn a terrorist sympathiser and to put him under house arrest.
Well, swathes of the press have already branded him a ‘terrorist sympathiser’.
From memory, there was the nonsense radio interview by the BBC in N. Ireland where they badgered him on IRA atrocities and concluded that he wasn’t strident enough in condemning the IRA (ergo – he sympathises). That got twisted and reported widely.
Then there was his past meetings or sharing of platforms with various people that got twisted and widely reported. I can’t remember names, but one guy subsequently peddled holocaust denial nonsense and another lived in Israel and was on their list of ‘guys we don’t like’… but they let him travel out of the country.
Just noticed that The Sun and The Guardian are engaged in a two way game of throw and catch. The Sun is uncritically referencing Guardian anti-Corbyn headlines/stories and The Guardian is uncritically referencing anti-Corbyn Sun headlines/stories.
I’m thinking that has to be a first.
The strongly establishment-oriented Board of Deputies of British Jews (branded The
UK branch of the Israeli Ministry of Information by one progressive Jewish scholar, given its propensity for uncritically regurgitating Israel’s latest propaganda lines) and its mouthpiece the British Jewish Chronicle have been pushing the anti-Semitic smear for all it’s worth. (the standard treatment for any prominent person who indicates support for Palestinian national rights).
Like many Brits on the Left, Corbyn initially gave his support to the Deir Yassin Remembered (DYR) group. Deir Yassin was, of course, the most prominent of a whole series of massacres and mass rapes committed by Zionist paramilitary forces against various Palestinian villages during the 1948 War.
When it was discovered that a handful of dodgy types were involved in the DYR organisation (including Paul Eisen who is both Jewish and a Holocaust denier), there was a mass exodus by people on the Left, some explicitly and publicly repudiating the group, others simply washing their hands of it and moving on. Corbyn was in the latter group.
As one progressive British Jewish organisation has said: “There is something deeply unpleasant and dishonest about your (the Jewish Chronicles) McCarthyite guilt by association technique. Jeremy Corbyn’s parliamentary record over 32 years has consistently opposed all racism including anti-Semitism.”
If he flies into NZ they can just put him under warrantless surveillance and then cancel his passport.
Results (or is it the close of voting?) are about 10 days away.
And sorry to be geeky about this, but in contrast to the UK (English) papers, all the major papers in Scotland are leading with the fact that ‘out of the blue’, the government has announced a 500 million refurbishment of the Faslane nuclear facilities.
No stories anywhere (on a quick look) that are smears on Corbyn.
funny that
Dont let us start this leadership nonsense again ,No doubt these headlines are typical Crosby /Textor misinformation. we have a leader and he’s proving to be a good one. The Tories are worried and they will jump on anything that will take away the fact that NZ is in one hell of a mess.,Child poverty, unemployment, health system in chaos the list so long its scary. But not only that ,the fact is that not only are their policies a disaster but they are so incompetent that they are unable to even run them properly. They are a total lose and all we can discuss is LP leadership . I fume in anger and dispair. Wake up Labourites another 3 years of this rabble would be disasterious .Dont be sucked in by Crosby /Textor and Tory scandal mongering.
Lets show some solidarity from us and the unions in supporting Andrew Little who is proving to be the natural succesor to our Helen.
What started you on this, Pink P ? What headlines, and where ?
The Jacinda Ardern business maybe.
Ah ! yes – i’m a bit slow on the uptake sometimes. “That makes sense, Anne.
Corby mania unabated:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-34100741
Blair “says he accepts that, together with fellow Labour veterans Neil Kinnock and Gordon Brown, his warnings have fallen on deaf ears and seem to have made people more likely to back Mr Corbyn.”
Ahhh, the penny’s finally dropped, has it ?
Actually, this is the actual thing:
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/aug/29/tony-blair-labour-leadership-jeremy-corbyn
Labour membership seems to consist of people who can’t or don’t want move past the 1970’s , which is why Corbyn appeals.
The problem is that the other 99% of people who normally vote labour can’t relate to the man or what he’s pushing.
The down side of the membership having too much say.
Riiiiiiiiight, so is that why the latest polls suggest Corbyn’s not only blitzing the leadership race among Labour members (likely to win in the first round), but is also the favourite among both Labour voters and the general public as a whole. Meaning: Labour voters, Ukip voters, Lib Dem voters, Green voters, SNP voters, Plaid Cymru voters…
…It’s only among Tory voters that Andy Burnham wins, and even then Corbyn comes a close second.
And is that why polls suggest many of his policies are strongly supported by voters ? … http://thestandard.org.nz/hard-left-corbyn-receives-public-backing-from-41-economists/#comment-1062265
You’re out of touch with the mood of the British electorate, my little Tory provocateur.
Labour membership seems to consist of people who can’t or don’t want move past the 1970’s , which is why Corbyn appeals.
Could you explain how Jeremy Corbyn, who is striking the fear of God into the Blairite wing of the Labour Party right now in August 2015, is simultaneously in the 1970s?
To be fair, judging from a quick perusal of your output over the years, I don’t really expect a convincing answer from you. Perhaps a Standardista with a few clues might like to explain it for us.
Jeremy Corbyn shouldn’t be wasting his time stiking fear into the Blairite wing of the Labour Party, he should be striking it into the heart of the Tories. Just like Labour in NZ are too busy wondering who should lead them and what internal politics they should be focused on.
(Reply to Gormy’s 6pm comment)
Tragically, that’s yet another Blair lie.
I’ve analysed a whole swathe of UK polls conducted over the last 3 years (including the detailed breakdowns) and I can safely say that Blair’s rendition here of their findings is absolute bollocks.