Act thinks the IPCC is scaremongering

Written By: - Date published: 10:38 am, April 1st, 2014 - 65 comments
Categories: act, climate change, ETS, global warming, labour - Tags:

Earth climate change

The IPCC has released its latest report. There are all sorts of more eloquent ways to describe the issue in detail but basically the world’s environment is stuffed if we do nothing and there will be extensive devastation unless the human race starts acting now.  And the belligerent anti intellectualism that is evident amongst part of the population and which is stirred up for political gain by conservative politicians and their deep pocketed shallow thinking corporate supporters will mean that any action will be delayed, probably until it is too late.

There is nothing new in the report.  As stated by Graham Reardon in the Guardian the latest report on the impacts of climate change makes dire reading, just as the first one did almost a quarter of a century ago.  And as summarised by Suzanne Goldenberg the world faces threat to food supply, conflicts over water rights and growing inequality.  The only option to is cut emissions.

Locally New Zealand will be facing more and more of the sorts of events that we are already witnessing.  More frequent once in a century weather events, more flooding, more inundation, more drought.  And increased rates of extinction of flora and fauna.  For instance the appearance of Kauri dieback may be in part because increased temperature makes phytophera more viable.  A warmer average temperature is going to play havoc with local ecosystems.

When faced with such potentially devastating events you would normally think that our leaders would take urgent action.  Unfortunately this does not appear likely.

John Key himself is a scientific sceptic. In 2005 he said:

The impact of the Kyoto Protocol, even if one believes in global warming—and I am somewhat suspicious of it—is that we will see billions and billions of dollars poured into fixing something that we are not even sure is a problem. Even if it is a problem, it will be delayed for about 6 years. Then it will hit the world in 2096 instead of 2102, or something like that. It will not work.”

And he is busily engaging in the resuscitation of the ACT party, just so that National has political “options”.

The Act Party has a brand new look and an educated sounding Philosophy lecturer with an English accent is now its leader.  But Jamie Whyte is not going to cut it as long as an intellectual analysis of the issue is required.  Last Sunday he went up against Greens co-leader Russel Norman.  Very clearly Norman wiped the floor with Whyte.  Norman’s clarity of thought compared to Whyte’s muddled attempted populism was jarring.

White’s comments on the issue are really naff.  He considers action against climate change to be “moral exhibitionism”, that New Zealand should not do anything unless a number of other countries also agree and that New Zealand should be adapting not working to prevent.  His attitude is disappointing.  Requiring other countries to all act will reduce New Zealand’s efforts to that of the least committed, when preservation of the world’s environment requires every nation to do as much as they can.  He also thinks poorer countries should lead the way.  Obviously he wants to preserve a first world privilege.  Unfortunately for him climate change will not ignore such distinctions and wreck the most comfortable of lifestyles.

Act has announced that stifling the emissions trading scheme is a bottom line for a future coalition with National.  From Act’s website:

Act’s policy is that the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) should immediately be abolished,” Act leader Jamie Whyte said today.

“Our absolute bottom line to provide National with ongoing support on confidence and supply is that there be no expansion of the ETS until China, the United States, the European Union, Brazil, Indonesia, Russia, India and Japan and Canada take similar material steps to implement ETSs across their economies, including agriculture,” said Mr Whyte.

“New Zealand is well ahead of any other country in imposing climate change costs on our economy – and we are the only ones even considering including agricultural emissions. We should not move any further ahead until the world’s top ten emitters follow.

“We need a responsible climate change policy that sees us move in line with the rest of the world on mitigation and which focuses on any adaptation policies that are needed.

You would normally take such a threat from a party polling possibly as high as 1.4% could be safely ignored.  But charter schools are an example of where National has let its tail wag it.

So this may be the price to pay if National gets re elected and gifts Epsom again to Act, a commitment to do nothing further about climate change.  If you need any reason to work to get rid of this Government this has to be it.

65 comments on “Act thinks the IPCC is scaremongering ”

  1. vto 1

    Don’t worry about ACT, their thinking has already been debunked as absolute codswallop and as such all subsequent thinking of theirs must be discounted to the point of non-existence. Evidence includes;

    the mantra of pricing everything, including health & safety. Witness 29 dead men at Pike River.
    the idea that people make life decisions on the basis of self i.e. greed. Witness short term decisionitis at Pike River leading to financial collapse and 29 men killed.
    the idea that self-regulation works. Witness the global financial crisis.

    .. tra la la …. they just spent six years in a leaky boat … tra la la

  2. Pascal's bookie 2

    “So this may be the price to pay if National gets re elected and gifts Epsom again to Act, a commitment to do nothing further about climate change.”

    Nope. This is what ACT will have to front for if they want a deal with National.

  3. Rodel 3

    Norman vs Whyte..was no contest. Norman looked as if he was irritated at having to waste his time pretending to ‘debate’ with Whyte. I don’t think even Epsom / Remuera right wing voters will support this ACT candidate.

    Trying to think of a punnish slogan using the words ,’Hide, Banks’ and ‘Whyte’?

    • Jenny 3.1

      “I don’t think even Epsom / Remuera right wing voters will support this ACT candidate.”
      Rodel

      The truth is that they didn’t last time.

      The majority of Epsom voters including National supporters did not vote ACT, (even when they were deliberately directed to do so by their leader John Key.) Polling showed Banks was trailing Goldsmith right throughout the campaign, he had to beg Key for his public blessing, which was finally granted at the farcical tea party pantomime. The tea party fiasco proved to be enough to give Banks enough support to edge ahead of Goldsmith.

      But even then, the majority of Epsom voters did not vote ACT!

      What really helped ACT across the line in Epsom was the votes that went to Labour and the Greens.

      If the Greens and Labour had not stood candidates in Epsom, ACT would not have got in.

      And remember that this was before the revelations about John Banks Dotcom Sky City split donations fiddling scandal.

      The majority of the people of Epsom did not vote ACT, they are even less likely to vote ACT this time.

      The strategy for the Left is clear. National is more Left than ACT, Left voters in Epsom would choose National over ACT every time.

      • Rodel 3.1.1

        Jenny
        Sorry it has Taken me a while to see your response.

        “The strategy for the Left is clear. National is more Left than ACT, Left voters in Epsom would choose National over ACT every time.”

        Your logic is impeccable and should be publicized more among left voters.
        It may persuade the Epsom Labour friends of mine who couldn’t bear to vote National last time and just stayed home.

  4. Bearded Git 4

    ACT are just looking for publicity which translates into votes. It follows (Micky) that the less posts we have like this on TS the better.

    • I disagree. Not all publicity is good publicity, whatever the naughtiest kid in class thought.

      • Tom Gould 4.1.1

        Isn’t this the guy who figures incest is okay? Alongside the moon landing dude, surely would have terminated any serious or rational political career. But not with our juvenile media. No, these boys are players.

        • Richard McGrath 4.1.1.1

          I think from memory you’ll find that Jamie Whyte finds incest repugnant but doesn’t think there needs to be legislation banning it, when it involves two consenting adults who are not significantly mentally impaired and who are able to access information about the likely consequences of consanguinity.

      • Bearded Git 4.1.2

        The problem is Stephanie that a surprisingly large percentage of people don’t believe in climate change. For instance 23% in the USA on 16th January this year-see this link:

        http://www.livescience.com/42633-climate-change-disbelief-rises.html

        Not sure what the numbers are in NZ but ACT only needs to get a fraction of these nutters to vote for it to get several seats in parliament on the coat-tails of the Epsom electorate. That is why this kind of publicity is good for them and bad for the Left.

  5. captain hook 5

    There is two strains at work in the world today.
    The ones who thik its all ok and the ones who think that something needs to be done and soon.
    Only time will tell who is right but in the meantime the people have to put up with lowbrow noo noo heds maquerading as libertarians who are mainly accountants and know nothing except how much anything costs on the day and how to make people pay up for stuff that they dont really need but have been persuaded to buy.
    The thing is everythng has an invisible cost that is considerably larger than the sticker price and with an impact that is not neccesarily visible to the either the maker or the consumer.
    All these impacts on the environment are starting to add up and will come on like a rogue wave with a force that is irresisitible. In the meatime the ACT crew are still busy using economic power to bludgeon others for the psychological satisfaction that it affords them in their semi-privileged position. However like hothouse flowers when the shit hits the fan the useless and the parasites will be the first to go.
    fair is foul and foul is fair.
    welcome to the monkeyhouse.

    • aerobubble 5.1

      The climate changes. Its nature, natural. When the Earth last had all the buried carbon we dug up and burned circulating in the atmosphere, the atmosphere was warmer, thicker, and the sun cooler (as stars age they heat up). So of course its not maybe, it scientific fact that we’re screwed. Anyway the fact that the uniformity party for do nothing, ACT has found a intellectual without any… …well.. ..intellect… should surprise nobody, we have had thirty year of the uniform lockstep stampede towards dumb that is Thatcherism. The targeted distortion, dispersion and disruption of any contravening contradiction of their economic one true faith, free markets provide like Midus.
      Such free market bastions as Haiti and Somalia come to mind.

      Its unfathomable why ACT is such a stupid party with such stupid people attached to it…. …no, wait, no its not unfathomable, its historical, they are the conservative lobby who want nothing to change and are given money to produce just that. Those with too much wealth and yet to weak to keep fighting in the market to regenerate. ACT is a contradiction of its ideology and its backers, it would laugh at the people who give it money for being saps, probably does.

  6. lprent 6

    Act have consistently been scientific morons. What is new?

    It is what happens when you have bullshit con artists wanting to feather their own nests thinking that they know how to think.

  7. One Anonymous Bloke 7

    I don’t think the voters of Epsom are going to warm to Mr. Unclecousin and his anonymous candidate. Say what you like about Rodney, he’s a personable sort of chap. Mr. Unclecousin just looks uncomfortable.

    • Tracey 7.1

      they will votefor kermit the frog if it will give national a pal…

    • Rodel 7.2

      Hide personable? He was not. He was disagreeable, unattractive, and selfish. Even ACT members disliked him.

      • Jenny 7.2.1

        “Even ACT members disliked him.”
        Rodel

        As did the majority of Epsom voters.

  8. Tracey 8

    bear in mind ACT doesnt know the difference between the weather and climate. the breadth of their ignorance explains charter schools and aucklands super city… no cries of tails wagging dogs though.

  9. logie97 9

    Key, at a press conference yesterday, indicated that the government is well aware of climate change, and that he personally believes that human beings are influencing it. He went on to say that his government is actively pursuing policies to manage emissions.

    But he then went on to say that in the overall scheme of things NZ is a bit player. When the big polluters take action, changes for the better will happen. He even asserted that he chatted with the Chinese PM over dinner about it. (Wow the things this man chats about (via an interpreter) over dinner, – probably mentions the All Blacks as well…) What would be nice to hear from him is that he has made formal representations.

    Of course Mr Key, as just one citizen of this world, has no more right to produce more than any other person. (but he probably doesn’t see it that way).

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/national/news/video.cfm?c_id=1503075&gal_cid=1503075&gallery_id=142066

    • Tracey 9.1

      internal national party polling must show kiwis believe in climate change and potential impact so he is pretending to believe to get back into power to keep doing nothing…

      • logie97 9.1.1

        Tracey, what was more disconcerting about the press conference, given that Key now subscribes to anthropogenic global warming (not his words because I doubt he can pronounce them), rather than take steps to implement policies to reverse the damage, he maintains NZ experts are adapting grasses that will survive. So as you were NZ. The man really just doesn’t get it …

    • Jenny 9.2

      “But he then went on to say that in the overall scheme of things NZ is a bit player. When the big polluters take action, changes for the better will happen.”
      logie97

      What a cheek, telling the Chinese to do as I say, not as I do.

      John Key ignorantly refuses to listen to his scientific advisors.

      This is what Sir Peter Gluckman the chief science advisor to the Prime Minister’s office says on the matter:

      “The collective wisdom of the scientific community is that action is needed now.”

      “New Zealand is a small emitter by world standards – only emitting some 0.2% of global green house gases. So anything we do as a nation will have little impact on the climate – our impact will be symbolic, moral, and political”
      Sir Peter Gluckman Chief Science adviser to the Prime Minister.
      http://www.pmcsa.org.nz/climate-change/

      As Professor Gluckman points out we could and should be a world leader, his words bear repeating.

      “Our impact will be symbolic, moral, and political”

      Now that would have been something to say at the dinner table before the Chinese Premier to make him sit up and listen and make him think I need to keep an eye on little New Zealand.

  10. feijoa 10

    Tim Groser has been quoted in the DomPost saying it’s not up to central government to do anything about effects of climate change – it’s all for local government to sort out!!!!
    Mind boggling

  11. Bob 11

    We don’t need the ETS, we just need to plant pine trees, it fixes ‘Climate Change’ and has been peer reviewed and all, yay for pine trees! http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-26340038
    Wait, don’t Labour want to cut down pine trees?

    • One Anonymous Bloke 11.1

      🙄

      The argumentum ad nauseam. How original.

      • Tracey 11.1.1

        bobs still laughing and srylands has called his imaginary colleagues over to read it.

      • weka 11.1.2

        Reforestation is a crucial part of any sane response to AGW. I think mixed forest is a better way to go in many places, but certainly we could be letting wilding pines grow into forests in lots of areas where we are currently spraying them ffs. That’s some kind of fucked up shit, poisoning trees in what should be a post-carbon age.

        • mickysavage 11.1.2.1

          Yep reforestation would work. The calculation has been made that if a third of the area in the world that has been deforested was reforested then we could deal with the excess CO2.

          http://thestandard.org.nz/new-zealand-is-doing-nothing-about-climate-change/

        • Draco T Bastard 11.1.2.2

          In NZ wilding pines are a weed that will destroy the native forest.

          • weka 11.1.2.2.1

            Those wilding pines that affect important native ecosystems should be removed. But wilding pines also grow in many places where there is no forest of any kind, nor important conservation estate, and where reforestation would be a better use of land. I’m talking about areas where pines are being felled or sprayed and no other land restoration is being done. That’s criminal given AGW. I don’t like monocrop pine plantation so much, but I think wilding pines could be encouraged into multispecies forests. So many benefits.

            • Draco T Bastard 11.1.2.2.1.1

              Like most living things, they spread without control. For those areas where reforestation would be a good idea then we need to plant native forests.

              • weka

                Yes, native ecosystem restorating would be preferable. But there are a couple of points here. One is that NZ as a society is not interested in funding that at this point in time, beyond the bits and pieces we are already doing. So the idea of restoring native forests is wonderful but not realistic in terms of AGW timeframes (or PO ones either).

                The second is that it is far easier to work with nature than against it. It’s true that wilding pines spread, but the reason they are there in the first place is because nearby there are pine trees that have been intentionally planted (including plantation). Unless we are going to eradicate all pines in NZ (hugely irresponsible in an age of AGW), wilding pines will continue to exist alongside other plants and ecosystems.

                Because pines grow so easily, they are an asset in restoring land that has been pushed to its limit. If you look at some of the land around places like Alexandra, it literally won’t grow anything other than pines. Establishing native ecosystems there is extremely difficult (there are good reasons why that land isn’t regenerating itself, some of that is climate, some of it is because of human activity eg overgrazing and soil degradation, some of it is rabbbits etc). That pines will grow there is a good thing. They will change the local environment for the better and in time we could then plant other things more easily.

                I can’t think of any native forest in that area (might be some), although there is conservation estate of other kinds of native ecosystems especially higher up (they have been hugely altered by humans). But most of the anti-wilding pine pressure stems from people’s love of the iconic landscape (the Grahame Sydney effect). That’s important too, but not more important than land care and AGW mitigation. We really don’t have a good perspective on this issue in NZ.

                • weka

                  “it literally won’t grow anything other than pines.”

                  Am going to qualify that. In some places it appears that nothing else will grow now. But in other areas nearby we know that plants that restore land will grow eg broom. Broom is nitrogen fixing, stabilises land, and provides shade for other plants. You still have to deal with the rabbits, but broom is a decent enough way to re-establish native ecosystems. Guess what DOC does on its land? It sprays broom. Some of that is probably warranted in places where there are small native plant ecosystems, but there is also much DOC land where this practice is insane. It’s about cultural attitudes not land care. Fortunately DOC nationally is starting to shift its perspective on this, largely due to places like Hinewai on Banks Peninsula, who have pioneered using exotics as a way of restoring native systems, and research has since been done. But slow, far to slow.

                  If you look at pines as a pest, in isolation, and then target that pest, in isolation, you will use up lots of resources and at best commit to an ongoing cycle of effort and land degradation. But if you look at pines in the context of where they are growing, the whole ecosystem, then the pictures starts to look quite different.

    • logie97 11.2

      … yep, probably at a similarly sustainable rate as at present except that they want to put value added to the product, and also encourage its use domestically. What’s the problem in that?
      No where near as carbon dioxide producing as the steel and concrete industries.

    • lprent 11.3

      Don’t be silly. Pine trees with a life of what ? 40 years growing time before they’re cut down and start excreting that fossil CO2… Transient and irrelevant. They’re be useful if we planted Kauri and left them to grow for sever hundred years. Of course the Kauri ar dying….

      The problem for your moronic grasp of science is that the carbon cycle is literally thousands of years long before the fossil carbon burnt by you today is sucked into a long-term sequestration naturally. Currently humans have NO ability to sequester fossil carbon in any significiant levels or for long enough

      Best idea is not to burn it in the first place and level leave it where it has been sequestered.

        • RedLogix 11.3.1.1

          Combine food forests with aquaponics and there is a big part of the solution.

          • lprent 11.3.1.1.1

            Not really. It is still part of the active carbon cycle in a time frame of decades..

            Basically if we want to maintain climates at anything like their current levels, then we have to sequester a HUGE amount of carbon that has already been drawn into the atmoshere and oceans and do so in such a away that it doesn’t go back into the atmosphere over the next thousand years or so..

        • lprent 11.3.1.2

          Building soils is a good way to sequester carbon, but what you really need is a good flood to lay a thick layer of a fine silt over it to lock it in for a few centuries. Otherwise if it is still exposed to the atmosphere then it will stay in a equilibrium.

          Making peat bogs is better. Problem is that they are so susceptible to climate change causing them to release carbon. Same for soils BTW. You have to be able to store it for thousands of years…

          You have to remember the size and timescale of the issue.

          If we went off and made all of the surplus CO2 at current rates of generation into dry ice before it went into the oceans (bloody dangerous leaving it there), then within decades we’d have metres thick dry ice deposits over most of the land area of the world (and a hell of an energy budget trying to keep it contained).

          The natural CO2 cycle is literally thousands of years long. It hangs around for a long time before it gets stored in shells at the bottom of the sea floor or in fossil “soils”.

          So you have to store it it in something that is inherently unable to react with the atmosphere.

          Growing trees to cope with even a few decades of the fossil CO2 would mean that we’d be covering much of our farmlands with trees right around the world and starving people (who tend not to go quietly). The trees are still exposed to the atmosphere and can go up in CO2 at anytime. I’m sure taht a few people with matches wouldn’t have too much of a problem. How in the hell are you going to stop that happening for the next two thousand years?

          Basically living things are too transient to be of much use unless you first remove human interference out of the equation. I’d prefer not to be removed..

          It is a pointless drop in a bucket unless you first cut the supply of fossil carbon being shunted into the surface volatiles.

          If you want to be depressed, have a look at these two of my favourite links….

          https://www.skepticalscience.com/honey_mitigated_climate_change.html

          This one is pretty old now. Back in 2008, people still thought that it was possible to “store” CO2 in the oceans. I guess they didn’t think that one through..
          http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2008/06/carbon-capture.html

      • srylands 11.3.2

        “Don’t be silly. Pine trees with a life of what ? 40 years growing time before they’re cut down and start excreting that fossil CO2… Transient and irrelevant. ”

        That is incorrect. Your statement would only be correct if we burned our forests at maturity.

        If the wood is converted to finished wood products the carbon is locked up for decades, even centuries.

        Pine trees that are felled in New Zealand (or die naturally) generally do not decompose completely (resulting in humus, and compacted soils). So the carbon released is less than the carbon sequestered.

        The net carbon emissions for different end uses were all accounted for in determining net carbon credits for emission units under the emission trading schemes of the Kyoto Protocol.

        So in summary, New Zealand’s radiata pine forests make a very significant contribution to emissions mitigation. That is why since 1997 New Zealand Governments have led the way at the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties in negotiating forest sink rules.

        • lprent 11.3.2.1

          It is a temporary patch for less than a hundred years.

          Try and find the volumes of wood that were chopped down from our forests in the 19tn century. Most of it (~80-90%+) has already made it into the atmosphere as it has already been burnt.

          Basically the whole idea of “living carbon sinks” exposed to the atmosphere is just figleaf for fools like yourself. No one with any science background who looks at the carbon lifecycle places any credence on it being particularly useful.

      • Bob 11.3.3

        Good to see you going on a rant without reading the article I linked too again lprent!
        My comment had nothing to do with cabon cycles, it was around the ‘smell’ of pine trees which lower temperatures locally, add this to Mickeysavages link above around reforestation and we have the beginnings of a solution to ‘Climate Change’ (on the downstream side, work needs to continue on further reducing reliance on fossil fuels). What I am saying is the ETS is a crock of shit and that money should be put into reforestation rather than being used to help 3rd world countries produce more CO2 and exacerbate the problem!

        • lprent 11.3.3.1

          I read it. It was clear that science was crap in terms of the total effect.

          It makes no particular difference because it is too far down in the air column to be particularly useful. You notice that they haven’t pointed out how high in the atmosphere these things form clouds and mist? There is a reason for that – it is really low. Therefore its effect is minimal at causing HEAT to be removed from the whole atmosphere when energy has been pouring in from the sun for 10s of kilometres striking molecules of water and air and being converted into heat.

          Basically the authors (or more likely the journo) appear to have confused a low humidity atmosphere as seen over the poles and deserts with a water laden one over a more temperate zone. And the effect of low level ground level clouds in reflecting light compared to weather system higher clouds. It is an effect, but a relatively small one world wide.

          You’ll also find that it has already been estimated into the existing climate models. They may not be able to understand how an effect is reached, but they can model the empirical results from looking at the energy return from satellites.

          Perhaps you should read about the depth of the atmosphere and how CO2 acts as a greenhouse gas. It’d make things clearer for you.

  12. tricledrown 12

    Pine trees.
    We need a much wider diversity in our timbet industry.
    As we have seen with Kauri dieback and the painted apple moth.
    Having all eggs in a small basket.
    Is dumb and dumber.
    National by focusing on commodity based industries is putting NZs income in a extremely volatile small basket.
    Lead by basket case bankster.

  13. Draco T Bastard 13

    The hellish monotony of 25 years of IPCC climate change warnings

    But in the words of that great British band The Smiths, you can now stop me if you think you’ve heard this one before.

    That’s because all of the above comes not from today’s blockbuster IPCC report on the impacts of climate change, but from the first one started in 1988 and published in 1990. Much of the science it drew on was older still.

    Just so we can calibrate our memories here, 1990 was the year Tim Berners-Lee invented the world wide web, Nelson Mandela got out of jail and MC Hammer wore those pantaloons (U Can’t Touch This).

    Now more than 25 years after scientists started compiling that first report, the latest report is similarly alarming – just with added impacts and greater certainty.

    And it’s because of the idiots like National and Act that we haven’t done anything. Hell, even Labour carry some of the blame because they sure as hell didn’t do enough.

  14. Murray Olsen 14

    I’m appalled that Jamie Whyte could have been a philosophy lecturer. I haven’t heard anything from him beyond the level of a Philosophy 101 student after a couple of beers and the first week of lectures, which mainly consist of handing out the reading lists, class timetables, and room schedules. It’s the poverty of philosophy writ large.

  15. Philj 15

    Xox
    But he does have a swanky Proper English accent! Slim pickin’s for a party with crazy and misguided bedfellows. And he has the ‘right’ surname. ..

    • felix 15.1

      ACT leadership and candidate selection processes operate on first names only.

      However on the internal documentation there is a space after the name where the board may write a short mnemonic relating to the applicant to help them memorise who the person is.

      Sometimes those mnemonics end up on the published material by mistake, usually when someone forgets the brackets. This happened in the cases of:

      Jamie (white)
      Don (brash)
      Rodney (hide!!)
      John (banks)

      True story. You can get Pete to check it if you don’t believe me.

  16. irascible 16

    Well Colin Craig, the well known resident of Planet Key, seems to believe that we don’t have global warming merely the sun shining hotter or colder depending on its mood.

    “Responding to a question from Howick resident Bruce Waller on climate change, Craig says CO 2 levels have risen but whether the sun has a hot day or a cold day “is by far the biggest influence” on the Earth’s climate.

    New Zealand is a small contributor to rising CO 2 levels so it should not play a part in fighting climate change, he says.

    “I think that some people use it as an excuse to start writing a whole lot ….”

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/9892353/Jones-Craig-meet-the-people

    • You_Fool 16.1

      Like Jon Stewart said “Damn those thousand-aires conning us with their science to keep their cosy thousands of dollars a year jobs. We should listen to these nice billionaire oil tycoons who have no obvious benefit from not listening to the academics…”

  17. tc 17

    What luddites act are, savvy climate denialists have moved on from shouting down the bvious onto the next meme but good old act eh.

    says alot about the calibre of sock puppett on offer to the hollowmen, maybe stabbing rortney wasnt such a great idea after all.

  18. dv 18

    .I am not sure if this was satire.

    http://imperatorfish.com/2014/03/31/too-much-whyte-noise/

    The message from ACT is that if you’re a small player, you have no business trying to tackle large problems. Leave it to the big boys. They have the power to do something about it.

    It’s a compelling argument. The ACT Party is itself a tiny party, a small player in a parliament dominated by two parties. It holds less than 1% of the seats in Parliament, and regularly registers at or under 1% in the opinion polls.

    What business, then, does ACT have telling the public how the country should be run? Surely the message here is that if you’re small, you should shut up and let the big boys do the talking.

    So will ACT Party leader Jamie Whyte follow his own advice? I don’t want to hear another word from him before the election.

  19. Philj 19

    Xox
    ACT is the orphan/bastard child begat from Thatcher and … father unknown.

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    The following was my submission made on the “Fast Track Approvals Bill”. This potential law will give three Ministers unchecked powers, un-paralled since the days of Robert Muldoon’s “Think Big” projects.The submission is written a bit tongue-in-cheek. But it’s irreverent because the FTAB is in itself not worthy of respect. ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    8 hours ago
  • The Case for a Universal Family Benefit
    One Could Reduce Child Poverty At No Fiscal CostFollowing the Richardson/Shipley 1990 ‘redesign of the welfare state’ – which eliminated the universal Family Benefit and doubled the rate of child poverty – various income supplements for families have been added, the best known being ‘Working for Families’, introduced in 2005. ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    9 hours ago
  • A who’s who of New Zealand’s dodgiest companies
    Submissions on National's corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law are due today (have you submitted?), and just hours before they close, Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop has been forced to release the list of companies he invited to apply. I've spent the last hour going through it in an epic thread of bleats, ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    11 hours ago
  • On Lee’s watch, Economic Development seems to be stuck on scoring points from promoting sporting e...
    Buzz from the Beehive A few days ago, Point of Order suggested the media must be musing “on why Melissa is mute”. Our article reported that people working in the beleaguered media industry have cause to yearn for a minister as busy as Melissa Lee’s ministerial colleagues and we drew ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    12 hours ago
  • New Zealand has never been closed for business
    1. What was The Curse of Jim Bolger?a. Winston Peters b. Soon after shaking his hand, world leaders would mysteriously lose office or shuffle off this mortal coilc. Could never shake off the Mother of All Budgetsd. Dandruff2. True or false? The Chairman of a Kiwi export business has asked the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    12 hours ago
  • Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
    Jack Vowles writes – New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    15 hours ago
  • Melissa Lee and the media: ending the quest
    Chris Trotter writes –  MELISSA LEE should be deprived of her ministerial warrant. Her handling – or non-handling – of the crisis engulfing the New Zealand news media has been woeful. The fate of New Zealand’s two linear television networks, a question which the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    16 hours ago
  • The Hoon around the week to April 19
    TL;DR: The podcast above features co-hosts and , along with regular guests Robert Patman on Gaza and AUKUS II, and on climate change.The six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    17 hours ago
  • The ‘Humpty Dumpty’ end result of dismantling our environmental protections
    Policymakers rarely wish to make plain or visible their desire to dismantle environmental policy, least of all to the young. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    17 hours ago
  • Nicola's Salad Days.
    I like to keep an eye on what’s happening in places like the UK, the US, and over the ditch with our good mates the Aussies. Let’s call them AUKUS, for want of a better collective term. More on that in a bit.It used to be, not long ago, that ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    18 hours ago
  • Study sees climate change baking in 19% lower global income by 2050
    TL;DR: The global economy will be one fifth smaller than it would have otherwise been in 2050 as a result of climate damage, according to a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and published in the journal Nature. (See more detail and analysis below, and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    18 hours ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-April-2024
    It’s Friday again. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week on Greater Auckland On Tuesday Matt covered at the government looking into a long tunnel for Wellington. On Wednesday we ran a post from Oscar Simms on some lessons from Texas. AT’s ...
    19 hours ago
  • Jack Vowles: Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
    New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’.  The data is from February this ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    21 hours ago
  • Clearing up confusion (or trying to)
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters is understood to be planning a major speech within the next fortnight to clear up the confusion over whether or not New Zealand might join the AUKUS submarine project. So far, there have been conflicting signals from the Government. RNZ reported the Prime Minister yesterday in ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    22 hours ago
  • How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log iPhone Without Computer
    How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log on iPhone Without a Computer: A StepbyStep Guide Losing your iPhone call history can be frustrating, especially when you need to find a specific number or recall an important conversation. But before you panic, know that there are ways to retrieve deleted call logs on your iPhone, even without a computer. This guide will explore various methods, ranging from simple checks to utilizing iCloud backups and thirdparty applications. So, lets dive in and recover those lost calls! 1. Check Recently Deleted Folder: Apple understands that accidental deletions happen. Thats why they introduced the Recently Deleted folder for various apps, including the Phone app. This folder acts as a safety net, storing deleted call logs for up to 30 days before permanently erasing them. Heres how to check it: Open the Phone app on your iPhone. Tap on the Recents tab at the bottom. Scroll to the top and tap on Edit. Select Show Recently Deleted. Browse the list to find the call logs you want to recover. Tap on the desired call log and choose Recover to restore it to your call history. 2. Restore from iCloud Backup: If you regularly back up your iPhone to iCloud, you might be able to retrieve your deleted call log from a previous backup. However, keep in mind that this process will restore your entire phone to the state it was in at the time of the backup, potentially erasing any data added since then. Heres how to restore from an iCloud backup: Go to Settings > General > Reset. Choose Erase All Content and Settings. Follow the onscreen instructions. Your iPhone will restart and show the initial setup screen. Choose Restore from iCloud Backup during the setup process. Select the relevant backup that contains your deleted call log. Wait for the restoration process to complete. 3. Explore ThirdParty Apps (with Caution): ...
    24 hours ago
  • How to Factory Reset iPhone without Computer: A Comprehensive Guide to Restoring your Device
    Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, those curveballs necessitate wiping your iPhone clean and starting anew. Whether you’re facing persistent software glitches, preparing to sell your device, or simply wanting a fresh start, knowing how to factory reset iPhone without a computer is a valuable skill. While using a computer with ...
    1 day ago
  • How to Call Someone on a Computer: A Guide to Voice and Video Communication in the Digital Age
    Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
    1 day ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #16 2024
    Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications: Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
    1 day ago
  • Where on a Computer is the Operating System Generally Stored? Delving into the Digital Home of your ...
    The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
    1 day ago
  • How Many Watts Does a Laptop Use? Understanding Power Consumption and Efficiency
    Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
    1 day ago
  • How to Screen Record on a Dell Laptop A Guide to Capturing Your Screen with Ease
    Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
    1 day ago
  • How Much Does it Cost to Fix a Laptop Screen? Navigating Repair Options and Costs
    A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
    1 day ago
  • How Long Do Gaming Laptops Last? Demystifying Lifespan and Maximizing Longevity
    Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
    1 day ago
  • Climate Change: Turning the tide
    The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago
  • How to Unlock Your Computer A Comprehensive Guide to Regaining Access
    Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
    1 day ago
  • Faxing from Your Computer A Modern Guide to Sending Documents Digitally
    While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
    1 day ago
  • Protecting Your Home Computer A Guide to Cyber Awareness
    In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
    1 day ago
  • Server-Based Computing Powering the Modern Digital Landscape
    In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
    1 day ago
  • Vroom vroom go the big red trucks
    The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • Jones finds $410,000 to help the government muscle in on a spat project
    Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago
  • Again, hate crimes are not necessarily terrorism.
    Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    2 days ago
  • Despair – construction consenting edition
    Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Coalition promises – will the Govt keep the commitment to keep Kiwis equal before the law?
    Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • An impermanent public service is a guarantee of very little else but failure
    Chris Trotter writes –  The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • What happens after the war – Mariupol
    Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
    2 days ago
  • Babies and benefits – no good news
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Should the RBNZ be looking through climate inflation?
    Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours, as of 9:16 am on Thursday, April 18 are:Housing: Tauranga residents living in boats, vans RNZ Checkpoint Louise TernouthHousing: Waikato councillor says wastewater plant issues could hold up Sleepyhead building a massive company town Waikato Times Stephen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the public sector carnage, and misogyny as terrorism
    It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
    2 days ago
  • Meeting the Master Baiters
    Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
    This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
    2 days ago
  • Backbone, revisited
    The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Ministers are not above the law
    Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago
  • What’s the outfit you can hear going down the gurgler? Probably it’s David Parker’s Oceans Sec...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point  of Order first heard of the Oceans Secretariat in June 2021, when David Parker (remember him?) announced a multi-agency approach to protecting New Zealand’s marine ecosystems and fisheries. Parker (holding the Environment, and Oceans and Fisheries portfolios) broke the news at the annual Forest & ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago
  • Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Bryce Edwards writes  – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”
    Citizen Science writes –  Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • A TikTok Prime Minister.
    One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Texas Lessons
    This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    3 days ago
  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    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 ...
    3 days ago
  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    3 days ago
  • What’s a life worth now?
    You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Howling at the Moon
    Karl du Fresne writes –  There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago
  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    David Farrar  writes –  The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
    We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Long Tunnel or Long Con?
    Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the ...
    4 days ago
  • Smoke And Mirrors.
    You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • What is Mexico doing about climate change?
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
    4 days ago
  • State of humanity, 2024
    2024, 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?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • Govt’s Wellington tunnel vision aims to ease the way to the airport (but zealous promoters of cycl...
    Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • The case for cultural connectedness
    A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Useful context on public sector job cuts
    David Farrar writes –    The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated.   While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racism
    Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
    5 days ago
  • Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal
    Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • True Blue.
    True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?
    While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago

  • $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    11 hours ago
  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago
  • Judicial appointments announced
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago
  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
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