I think it’s really awesome that Labour showed itself to be a team who work together – absolutely literally. It highlighted the number of hardworking MPs Labour has – whereas National’s was 100% John Key personality politics.
Well, I am a bit positively surprised by this election video, it sounds and looks good, but to be honest, some of the MPs in there look and sound a bit half-hearted, same as some of the members of the public commenting, or asking questions.
Let us hope they (Labour candidates) mean it and stand up for each other and push the common, positive message across to the undecided voters.
My vote will go elsewhere, the party vote that is, but as we will need Labour, best of luck! Time for a change, for sure!
Yes a Helen Clark returned to a Kinder, gentler, caring, warm, Government is just what we need to save our wonderful country and her people from an aggressive bully of a tyrant.
Thank you Labour for now we are proud to have returned home as Kiwis again for the last 16yrs. It’s been like hell the last six years.
Come save our rail in HB Gisborne please from Key stealing it for a cycleway.
Good ad for labour a touch cringy but got some points I liked across. Couldn’t believe despicable key claiming kiwis not going to oz because of something they did .
Cunliffe came across really well. Very good setting and the whole community action thing. Stopping to talk policy was a bit clunky. It broke up the flow and seemed a bit like a cheap DIY ad.
The best after Cunliffe, was Nania Mahuta. The conversation between her and the young woman seemed fairly natural as they continued doing stuff.
Cunliffe was relaxed and approachable. Talking while walking is a pretty basic thing to do on camera to keep the flow and rhythm and not seem static, and Cunliffe did it very well.
The best part of the ad was Cunliffe. Very assured performance, and the rest looked nicely normal like the rest of New Zealand. This is the country I want back!
That’s a right wing “I’ll be tougher on crime” video. Los Angeles produced, LA politician. If you’re into that sort of thing, great, but I don’t really know what it has to do with NZ.
Nah, it was good, humble, normal, gentle, a place where ordinary people and families can feel safe and included. Come out of your negative contrary space and be part of a positive future.
When are Labour going to learn to turn on both sound channels?
Didn’t watch all of it, wasn’t worth the effort but the bit about portable devices for school brought up a discussion with my tutor that I overheard. She was surprised to be teaching at university what she had learned in high school in the country she was from (I don’t know which country and nor do I care). This highlights one major problem with NZ – we leave the teaching of important fundamentals about computers too late.
The average 6-year-old in Britain understands more about digital technology than the average 45 year old.
Not really. Kids often have a very shallow or narrow understanding of how digital technology really ticks. All they really get exposed to is the application layers – while most people have no idea at all about all the other layers deep under the bonnet.
Do you refer to the button of applications to play games by saying that a 6 year old understands more about IT? Because of parents have to keep their kids occupied whilst working, making dinner, being exhausted etc?
This does not replace the understanding and knowledge one needs to implement any application to a particular problem or operational requirement. Yes, everybody can press a button and it has been shown that with sufficient training over 60 year old can learn software packages of any kind. What it will not be able to do, is to replace is the accumulated knowledge of a subject or issue. This has to acquired by learning and experience. Humans have not changed despite that IT has.
Sure, but the current focus in schools is application based using increasingly linear platforms.
Labour’s proposal sounds like an opportunity cost (shared by the government and families) as the devices themselves do not improve children’s achievement levels.
It seems to me the kids with an aptitude for IT need to be encouraged and resourced to explore ‘deep under the bonnet’ (in RedLogix’s words) in terms of coding or solving problems.
Does the Govt’s (or Labour’s proposed tweak to it) digital device strategy increase the number of children who gravitate towards deeper level IT?
For the rest of us, I agree with American computer scientist Kentaro Toyama who pointed out in a recent interview on Nine to Noon that he could teach someone how to use Twitter in 30 minutes. But just how to teach them to have something worthwhile to say on Twitter was an entirely different matter that had little to do with rapidly changing technology platforms.
I agree with American computer scientist Kentaro Toyama who pointed out in a recent interview on Nine to Noon that he could teach someone how to use Twitter in 30 minutes. But just how to teach them to have something worthwhile to say on Twitter was an entirely different matter
The problem is a bit larger – what to say might be just the tip of the iceberg. How to write is the more serious issue. If you can read you can read a manual. If you can do maths, you can convert a description into a mathematical solution to a problem. Basics is what is lacking. Pressing colorful buttons – a baby can do this without having its cognitive functions developed.
How to program, how operating systems work and about computer hardware. You know, the basics and the stuff that our children presently aren’t learning.
Well they do, when the get to University. Those are not basics, they’re part of a computer science degree.
I think that the concentration on education, housing in the video is a lot more relevant to most people than what some anonymous poster from god knows where says they should be talking about.
I disagree. Most of the people I know who are now into technology/IT picked up all that stuff as kids – they were the nerds who were pulling apart their computers and figuring out what everything did at age 10. It’s far more intuitive to them now than to people who didn’t learn it until they were adults.
Being sneery about Draco’s opinion just because he’s posting under a pseudonym on a blog is kind of silly given you yourself are posting under a pseudonym on a blog.
That more or less describes me Stephanie – although computers had yet to be invented when I was 9. And over a lifetime in the tech world I’ve done more or less everything to do with computers short of building my own silicon. But the really geeky kids like me are still a smallish minority.
What is true is that children grow up in a tech world and they absorb what they are exposed to without being much in awe of it. And this means they don’t have too many inhibitions around playing about with a bit of tech or software until it gets them a result they want. But this ain’t the same thing as understanding.
Nor is it true that all adults are hopeless at picking up tech – quite the opposite, there are plenty of take to it just fine and become proficient very quickly. Even quite late in life.
And IT is not the only skill needed in this world. I tend to think the schools have got it about right on IT. If a high school student wants to learn some programming they can. But I don’t really see why they should have to learn about logic boards, ram, memory, hard disc or how to tune a database. This is a specialised area best done at the University level. For now I think it’s better that they learn about China, maths, how to write a good essay and maybe a language or two. Oh and science, biology, chemistry, physics.
This is a specialised area best done at the University level.
At the level we’re talking about it’s not specialised. It’s basic stuff on a similar level to what you’d learn about chemistry and biology at high school.
it’s more important to teach kids how to problem solve, communicate with others, laterally think and access their creativity. Sometimes this might be done through exposure to tech, but most of the time, not.
I just want to chip in and mention here the necessity to learn problem solving, also a sound system of philosophy and ethics as a base to life and all learning, before learning how to play around with instruments of god.
Computers in theory can make you all-knowing. How to utilise the information into what context and framework and what system does a human need to keep to, is the most important thing to acquire first.
There are so many new things to learn all the time, but what basics are being taught, what sense of history and society-building by those before us is being disseminated and absorbed? How does one set new things in context with the old, and understand them. Tech heads are developing strong personal ethics, ie Aaron Swartz believing in the rightness of open availability of publicly paid for information.
But societies need to be built on agreed ethics providing direction, and controls, and that means that time has to be spent on examining philosophical questions not just to be spent on enabling us to be technically competent. What do we understand and do as we reach higher levels of capability using that technical competence?
Agree, what many do not want to accept is, that a computer is just a tool – no more or less. None of the skills and information can be absorbed if a child cannot read. I belief that it is of utmost importance that every child is a competent reader. No guessing words please, this is for stupid people. Soundbites as the one’s in the headlines is not acceptable either. A child needs to be challenged, but then again how many adults are able to do his? Remember the Asian Tiger Mom? Right, this is what the kids will be up against. No amount of rugby will get them by and if this is watered down any further it will be 50% of kids on the poverty line.
Well they do, when the get to University. Those are not basics, they’re part of a computer science degree.
Did you read my original comment at all? Did you understand it? By not teaching our children as early as possible we’re wasting time teaching them later.
Sorry draco, teaching children human skills to deal with themselves and with others is far more important than tech crap. Which can be picked up whenever.
It was fine. And it was about policy as well. 100,000 houses for the underpaid, more money into education (and I hope they get rid of charter schools after the election) etc etc.
The middle class are underpaid now. Auckland is a city where the average house costs 600k or so. If you’re on one middle class income of 60-80k that will not be enough to service the mortgage on that. (about 5k net for a 3,300 monthly mortgage).
Yes, exactly, but you don’t have to be brown for that (although it helps). And this in turn often forces you into the hands of unscrupulous lenders so you’re double screwed.
I think you have the wrong idea about what middles class is. The middle class, pretty much by definition, have enough to live on comfortably including housing. If they can’t afford housing then they aren’t middle class – they’re poor.
As ColonelViper said the median income is around 42k. If you’re earning 80k a year I don’t see how you cannot be classified as middle class. But 80k will not pay a mortgage in Auckland and won’t pay it in a few other places as well.
The middle classes have no fight with the poor, not naturally anyway. If they look up rather than down they will identify the problem.
Great opening addresses by both Labour and the Greens…. and a total contrast to the Key sanctimonious monologue. Hope they get the traction they deserve.
Quite funny how straight after the Key15 minute monologue, the first item on One News Update was about Collins refusing to apologise and resign! Great truth and reality check…. More please.
An honest message. DC conveys sincerity and Norm Kirk’s integrity. JK fakes both not very well.
In a simplistic analysis typical of John? Ansell, Labour members were working as a team with ordinary people to achieve something and John Key was trying to sell us a second hand rowing boat or something. Not sure what he was trying to sell- futures maybe?
Wasn’t in the mood for 13:30min long vid on a Saturday night, so only just got around to finishing this video on Sunday morning.
I thought the overarching theme of rebuilding communities as exemplified in renovation work was effective. Particularly liked the last minute of Cunliffe asking for questions from the public, that should be effective in getting people who might not otherwise go there onto the Labour website to be exposed to election messages.
This was excellent .A welcome return to man and women the better team.
We have had enough of the one man band .Team Key what a joke there is only onwe person in the team and he suffers with brain lapses . Im looking forward the Cunliffe and Key debate. My money’s on Cunliffe ,
Yeah but with Hoskins liking the sound of his own voice, and is a know ass kisser, you know that if Cunliffe starts to get on top, he will jump in, so as to break up the flow of things.
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Peter Dunne writes – I am always wary when I hear that the Controller and Auditor-General has commented on or made recommendations to the government about an issue of public policy that does not relate strictly to public expenditure. According to the legislation, the role of the Controller ...
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Do you believe New Zealand runs its general elections fairly and competently? As a voter, can you be confident that the votes on your ballot will be counted towards the final result? As a political scientist, I’ve been asked these questions many times and always answered “yes”, with very few ...
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Alwyn Poole writes – After being elected to Parliament in 2008 the maiden speech of Hipkins was substantially around education policy. He was Labour’s spokesperson for education 2011 – 2017. He was Minister for Education from 2017 until February 2023. This is approximately 88% of the time Labour ...
Eric Crampton writes – A fashion industry group is lobbying for protections. They make the usual arguments and a newer one. None of it makes sense. An industry group says it pumped $7.8 billion into the economy last year – that’s 1.9 percent of New Zealand’s GDP. ...
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Seymour describes sushi as too woke for school meals. There are no fish sushi meals recommended by the School Lunches programme. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: The Government will swap out hot meals for packaged sandwiches to save $107 million on school lunches for poor kids. MSD has pulled ...
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Hi,If you’ve been digging through the newly launched Webworm store (orders are being dispatched worldwide as I type!) you’ll have noticed the best model we had was Calvin.This is Calvin.Calvin.Calvin is 7, and is the son of my producer over on Flightless Bird, Rob — aka “Wobby Wob”. Rob also ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Climate change is everywhere. And when something's everywhere it can feel like it's nowhere. So how do we get our heads ...
Its a law like gravity: whenever a right-wing government is elected, they start attacking democracy. And now, after talking to their Republican and Tory and Fidesz chums at the International Democracy Union forum in Wellington, National is doing it here, announcing plans to remove election-day enrolment. Or, to put it ...
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Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
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The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
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The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
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Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Introduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
By Kaneta Naimatu in Suva Journalists in the Pacific region play an important role as the “eyes and ears on the ground” when it comes to reporting the climate crisis, says the European Union’s Pacific Ambassador Barbara Plinkert. Speaking at The University of the South Pacific (USP) on World Press ...
Aldora Itunu is back in the Black Ferns squad after a three-year absence. The last of her 24 internationals was an underwhelming loss to France (7-29) in Castres to conclude the disastrous 2021 Northern Tour. The powerhouse prop won a Rugby World Cup in 2017 and thought she was done. ...
The fight to control major transport policy and projects in Auckland has burst into the open again, with councillors rejecting Mayor Wayne Brown’s latest attempt to steer things more under his influence. Councillors from the left and right broke ranks on the mayor’s bid to control Auckland Transport more directly ...
Exhausted by the general election campaign, horrified by the twilight zone of coalition negotiations, distracted by the silly season and waiting for the honeymoon to begin, Raw Politics has been in hibernation since October. From today, we’re back. Our weekly political video show and podcast returns for ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk Authorities in the small town of Boulouparis have commemorated Armistice Day on May 8 with a new memorial honouring New Zealand soldiers who were stationed in New Caledonia during World War II. The ceremony took place in the township on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Dehm, Senior lecturer, international migration and refugee law, University of Technology Sydney The High Court unanimously ruled today that the Australian government can keep asylum seekers in immigration detention indefinitely in cases where they do not “voluntarily” cooperate with their own ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Munro, Lecturer, Creative Industries and Digital Media, University of South Australia Twenty-four hours after the release of Macklemore’s pro-Palestine protest song Hind’s Hall on social media on May 7, the video had already notched up over 24 million views. In ...
Failing to anticipate the complexity of the consenting system is being cited as the the current builder's shortcomings, an Infrastructure Commission review says. ...
350 Aotearoa is calling the Environment Select Committee’s decision to allow oral submissions from just 40% of individual, unique submitters who asked to speak to the committee ‘a disgraceful blight to democracy’. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Helal, Assistant Dean (Sustainability), The University of Melbourne Dubai skylineAleksandarPasaric/Pexels Since ancient times, people have built structures that reach for the skies – from the steep spires of medieval towers to the grand domes of ancient cathedrals and mosques. Today ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Edward Musole, PhD Law Student, University of New England Girts Ragelis/ShutterstockRecent trends show Australians are increasingly buying wearables such as smartwatches and fitness trackers. These electronics track our body movements or vital signs to provide data throughout the day, with ...
Papua New Guinea experienced a significant earthquake on 24 March in East Sepik and there has also been recent flooding there and in surrounding provinces. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yousuf Mohammed, Dermatology researcher, The University of Queensland Maridav/Shutterstock You wake up, stagger to the bathroom and gaze into the mirror. No, you’re not imagining it. You’ve developed face wrinkles overnight. They’re sleep wrinkles. Sleep wrinkles are temporary. But as your ...
The Environment Select Committee has just announced that 60 percent of individuals who asked to speak at the hearings will not be heard. This equates to almost 700 people who made individual submissions and more than 1000 more who made a form submission. ...
The Royal New Zealand Ballet is performing Swan Lake around the country. What kind of dream does the ballet sell?Before going to see the Royal New Zealand Ballet perform Swan Lake, I had about as much familiarity with the plot of this ballet as could be expected from having ...
A new poem by Auckland poet Eamonn Tee. High Tide at Local Maxima It is only going to get worse. The streams will be narrow and fickle. The week will bend and buckle like a pot-bellied waist. You will make it to the weekend with one ...
The New Zealand entrepreneur behind beauty business Ethique is gearing up to launch a new eco-venture. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Our thirst for a tasty bevvy is insatiable, but it comes with a hefty plastic price for the planet: 580 billion ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 James by Percival Everett (Mantle, $38) A retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from ...
By Kamna Kumar in Suva Pacific Islands Forum Secretary-General Henry Puna stressed the importance of media freedom and its link to the climate and environmental crisis at the 2024 World Press Freedom Day event organised by the University of the South Pacific’s journalism programme. Under the theme “A Planet for ...
Tara Ward previews a new local TV series offering alternative visions of motherhood. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. A woman is clambering up the side of her two-story house, clinging desperately to a drainpipe. Nearby, her child is perched on the ...
Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) is supportive of the cross-party approach to climate adaptation announced by the Minister of Climate Change today. ...
The Sustainable Business Council (SBC) and Climate Leaders Coalition (CLC) welcome today’s announcement from Government around a bipartisan inquiry into an enduring climate adaptation framework for New Zealand. ...
The Free Speech Union welcomes the decision by the Department of Internal Affairs, and Minister Brooke Van Velden, to abandon proposals to further regulate online speech. ...
Its new building in Wellington will not be nearly big enough for all its records, and it has also run out of money to build its new storage facility in Levin. ...
BusinessNZ is congratulating the Minister of Climate Change for his work in achieving cross-party consensus for a way forward on climate adaptation. ...
Recent research reveals the repeal of smokefree measures is not only bad for our health, but also the economy. The Government has repealed various smokefree measures to ensure it keeps collecting $1.2 billion a year in tobacco taxes, in order to pay for tax cuts already being delivered to ...
The club’s surprisingly good season is built on the desire to prove a random A-League YouTuber wrong… and a few other factors.“There’s no way that Wellington Phoenix play finals this year. I can’t see it happening at all.” Those are the words of Lachlan Raeside, an Australian football content ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By César Albarrán-Torres, Senior Lecturer, Department of Media and Communication, Swinburne University of Technology Apple TV+ As one of billions of bilingual individuals in the world, it disappoints me when a film or TV show with characters of a non-English-speaking background is ...
The under-utilised course is a waste of space, and with a little political will, it could be turned into something better. For the duration of her stay in Wellington, my long-suffering cousin listened to me rant about golf courses. They’re bad for the environment: water intensive and pesticide heavy. They ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leah Ruppanner, Professor of Sociology and Founding Director of The Future of Work Lab, Podcast at MissPerceived, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock A recent report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows US fertility rates dropped 2% in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amy Corderoy, Medical doctor and PhD candidate studying involuntary psychiatric treatment, School of Psychiatry, UNSW Sydney shop_py/Shutterstock Picture two people, both suffering from a serious mental illness requiring hospital admission. One was born in Australia, the other in Asia. Hopefully, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Treby, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, RMIT University P.j.Hickox, Shutterstock Peatlands store more carbon per square metre than any other ecosystem on Earth. These waterlogged, mossy bogs beat even dense rainforests for their ability to act as carbon reservoirs. Under the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Goss, Adjunct Associate Professor, Health Research Institute, University of Canberra Government spending on health has been growing so rapidly that a decade ago the then health minister Peter Dutton called it “unmanageable” and “unsustainable”. Health spending grew in real terms by ...
New Zealand's largest electricity distributor is warning the country to hurry up with controls around charging electric vehicles or face unnecessary bills running into the billions. ...
New Zealanders have been asked to conserve energy this morning to combat a possible electricity shortfall, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. A call to conserve power New Zealand is facing a possible electricity shortfall, with people up ...
Writer Rebecca K Reilly breaks down the national book awards. What are the Ockhams?The Ockham New Zealand Book Awards are our annual national awards for books published for adults, and have existed in this form since 2016. There are four categories: Fiction, Poetry, General Non-fiction and Illustrated Non-fiction. There ...
Wellington City Council should keep its 34% ownership share in Wellington International Airport, argue Unions Wellington spokespeople Finn Cordwell and Ashok Jacob. Insanity, as the saying goes, is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Wellington City Council (WCC) is yet again proposing to dispose ...
New Zealand’s largest book publisher has undergone drastic changes this week, leaving its future role in local publishing uncertain. Two of the most recognisable local publishers in New Zealand are among those restructured out of Penguin Random House, it was announced this week. Head of publishing Claire Murdoch will leave ...
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Successive governments have tried, and failed, to count Māori. But with the return of social investment, it’s more important than ever to get good data. The post Government looks for a better way to count Māori appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Experts in financing social investment initiatives say New Zealand is in a prime position to tackle social issues via a social investment approach The post What will Willis’ social investment fund look like? appeared first on Newsroom. ...
In 2021 the Public Interest Journalism Fund launched the Te Rito Journalism project, a $2.4 million initiative to boost diversity in New Zealand’s newsrooms. The initiative was in response to the decades-long shortage of Māori and Pacific journalists in the media industry. It was billed as New Zealand’s ...
The Black Ferns Sevens appeared to be a mile behind Australia at the halfway point of the 2023-24 SVNS international circuit. Winless in three tournaments, a cup quarter-final exit in Perth was one of their worst results. To add insult to injury, talismanic skipper Sarah Hirini had been ruled out ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist A former Tuvalu prime minister says while the New Zealand government’s oil and gas plans show it is concerned about its economy, he is more concerned about the livelihoods and survival of the Tuvalu people. Enele Sopoaga — who still serves as an MP ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Many people who follow federal budgets know about the magnificent “budget tree” in a parliamentary courtyard, which turns a glorious red in time for the May event. This week Treasurer Jim Chalmers posed by ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samantha Bennett, Professor of Music, Australian National University Richard P J Lambert/flickr, CC BY The future belongs to the analogue loyalists. Fuck digital. As a tsunami of CDs, DAT tapes and samplers swept the recording industry in the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine Strong, Associate professor, Music Industry, RMIT University This week American rapper Macklemore released a new track, Hind’s Hall, which has gained a lot of attention because of its explicitly political nature. The track is unapologetically pro-Palestine. It declares the artist’s ...
Explainer - The government from 2025 is mandating how state schools teach children to read. But what is structured literacy and how does it compare to other teaching methods? ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Danica Jenkins, Lecturer in European Studies, University of Sydney On a freezing spring night in March, Georgia’s national soccer team beat Greece in a nail-biter penalty shootout to qualify for the Euro 2024 championships. The atmosphere on the streets of the capital ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam G. Arian, Lecturer (Accounting & Finance), Australian Catholic University Loic Manegarium/Pexels Imagine every ton of carbon dioxide a company emits is slowly inflating its costs — not just in terms of potential fines or fees but in the capital it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Somwrita Sarkar, Senior Lecturer in Design and Computation, University of Sydney The “latte line” is the infamous, invisible boundary that divides Sydney between the more affluent north-east and the south-west. Historically, people north of the line enjoy better access to jobs and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dowdy, Principal Research Scientist in Extreme Weather, The University of Melbourne Nomad_Soul/Shutterstock In media articles about unprecedented flooding, you’ll often come across the statement that for every 1°C of warming, the atmosphere can hold about 7% more moisture. This ...
RNZ Pacific Former Fiji Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has been sentenced to one year in prison, Fiji media are reporting. Bainimarama, alongside suspended Fiji Police Commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho appeared in the High Court in Suva today for their sentencing hearing for a case involving their roles in blocking a police ...
Good. Cunliffe came across as a very warm, caring person. & has a great head of hair, wow.
I think it’s really awesome that Labour showed itself to be a team who work together – absolutely literally. It highlighted the number of hardworking MPs Labour has – whereas National’s was 100% John Key personality politics.
Well, I am a bit positively surprised by this election video, it sounds and looks good, but to be honest, some of the MPs in there look and sound a bit half-hearted, same as some of the members of the public commenting, or asking questions.
Let us hope they (Labour candidates) mean it and stand up for each other and push the common, positive message across to the undecided voters.
My vote will go elsewhere, the party vote that is, but as we will need Labour, best of luck! Time for a change, for sure!
Yes a Helen Clark returned to a Kinder, gentler, caring, warm, Government is just what we need to save our wonderful country and her people from an aggressive bully of a tyrant.
Thank you Labour for now we are proud to have returned home as Kiwis again for the last 16yrs. It’s been like hell the last six years.
Come save our rail in HB Gisborne please from Key stealing it for a cycleway.
Key the pinstriped head got creamed by Cunliffe.
In the minors, the Greens could simply not beat Peters’ solid flag waving.
The rest were simply shit.
The extension cord prop was a win.
Is that what it was. I thought it was a rope and was waiting to see DC climb up the side of the building
So completely uncorporate!!
Fancy having real people on display!
Has to be a conspiracy from the left.
Well done. 10/10 for the concept – 9/10 execution.
I especially liked that the Labour team were in the picture.
Good ad for labour a touch cringy but got some points I liked across. Couldn’t believe despicable key claiming kiwis not going to oz because of something they did .
Cunliffe came across really well. Very good setting and the whole community action thing. Stopping to talk policy was a bit clunky. It broke up the flow and seemed a bit like a cheap DIY ad.
The best after Cunliffe, was Nania Mahuta. The conversation between her and the young woman seemed fairly natural as they continued doing stuff.
Cunliffe was relaxed and approachable. Talking while walking is a pretty basic thing to do on camera to keep the flow and rhythm and not seem static, and Cunliffe did it very well.
I liked the Phil Twyford housing segment. Maybe you were just focusing on what interests you, as was I. No worries it was all good…..
I liked it. The down-to-earth team work and the atmosphere of conviviality provides a marked contrast to National without the need for overt attacks.
The best part of the ad was Cunliffe. Very assured performance, and the rest looked nicely normal like the rest of New Zealand. This is the country I want back!
Cunliffe was 100% who he needed to be: himself, using his own words, in his own way.
+100
I want him to be the Prime Minister next month.
Did we all see the same video? It was god awful.
Though the rest weren’t much better. Peters could have saved some time and cash by just yelling “Asians!” to ominous music.
OK T C – what would you have done better that wouldn’t be god awful.
Something like this
(note: I thought the Greens was easily the best)
That’s a right wing “I’ll be tougher on crime” video. Los Angeles produced, LA politician. If you’re into that sort of thing, great, but I don’t really know what it has to do with NZ.
It was an attempt at humour on my part.
Nah While it showed a green message environment etc it seemed all about the two Leaders. Where were the rest of the team.
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blockquote>
The extension cord prop was a win.
</blockquote)
Don’t fret TC. You saw god-awful because you cannot understand it’s purpose or meaning. Never mind.
I saw god awful because it thought it was god awful, forced and contrived. Ah well.
Yes I saw the contrived and forced too. OK so none of them are good actors and I’m willing to look past that to what they are saying.
Which strikes me as the important thing.
I thought it was pretty bad too.
Cunliffe was especially good and King was ok, the rest were stilted and forced. Greens was much much better.
Nah, it was good, humble, normal, gentle, a place where ordinary people and families can feel safe and included. Come out of your negative contrary space and be part of a positive future.
Did you notice that Key used images of the Queen for partisan politics ?
It was the Balmoral pics too, the Brits were not amused when Key took cameras with him on meeting with HM.
I imagine there will be a stiff please explain from the GG about this, and no dont send some lackey from ‘the office’.
TC time waster, we are positive see!!
When are Labour going to learn to turn on both sound channels?
Didn’t watch all of it, wasn’t worth the effort but the bit about portable devices for school brought up a discussion with my tutor that I overheard. She was surprised to be teaching at university what she had learned in high school in the country she was from (I don’t know which country and nor do I care). This highlights one major problem with NZ – we leave the teaching of important fundamentals about computers too late.
‘This highlights one major problem with NZ – we leave the teaching of important fundamentals about computers too late.’
The average 6-year-old in Britain understands more about digital technology than the average 45 year old. No doubt it’s similar in NZ. By then they have only had 1 year of schooling anyway.
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/aug/07/ofcom-children-digital-technology-better-than-adults
The average 6-year-old in Britain understands more about digital technology than the average 45 year old.
Not really. Kids often have a very shallow or narrow understanding of how digital technology really ticks. All they really get exposed to is the application layers – while most people have no idea at all about all the other layers deep under the bonnet.
+1
Good article about why kids don’t necessarily know anything about computers.
Says the guy who thought hacking was quite rare and not really that big of an issue
Do you refer to the button of applications to play games by saying that a 6 year old understands more about IT? Because of parents have to keep their kids occupied whilst working, making dinner, being exhausted etc?
This does not replace the understanding and knowledge one needs to implement any application to a particular problem or operational requirement. Yes, everybody can press a button and it has been shown that with sufficient training over 60 year old can learn software packages of any kind. What it will not be able to do, is to replace is the accumulated knowledge of a subject or issue. This has to acquired by learning and experience. Humans have not changed despite that IT has.
Sure, but the current focus in schools is application based using increasingly linear platforms.
Labour’s proposal sounds like an opportunity cost (shared by the government and families) as the devices themselves do not improve children’s achievement levels.
It seems to me the kids with an aptitude for IT need to be encouraged and resourced to explore ‘deep under the bonnet’ (in RedLogix’s words) in terms of coding or solving problems.
Does the Govt’s (or Labour’s proposed tweak to it) digital device strategy increase the number of children who gravitate towards deeper level IT?
For the rest of us, I agree with American computer scientist Kentaro Toyama who pointed out in a recent interview on Nine to Noon that he could teach someone how to use Twitter in 30 minutes. But just how to teach them to have something worthwhile to say on Twitter was an entirely different matter that had little to do with rapidly changing technology platforms.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/20143331/the-limitations-of-technology-in-the-classroom-digital-devices-and-deeper-learning
That’s it, right there.
And what I’m suggesting is to teach people to have something worthwhile to say.
The problem is a bit larger – what to say might be just the tip of the iceberg. How to write is the more serious issue. If you can read you can read a manual. If you can do maths, you can convert a description into a mathematical solution to a problem. Basics is what is lacking. Pressing colorful buttons – a baby can do this without having its cognitive functions developed.
You think that we should learn about sock puppets, paid blog posters and encryption?
How to program, how operating systems work and about computer hardware. You know, the basics and the stuff that our children presently aren’t learning.
Well they do, when the get to University. Those are not basics, they’re part of a computer science degree.
I think that the concentration on education, housing in the video is a lot more relevant to most people than what some anonymous poster from god knows where says they should be talking about.
I disagree. Most of the people I know who are now into technology/IT picked up all that stuff as kids – they were the nerds who were pulling apart their computers and figuring out what everything did at age 10. It’s far more intuitive to them now than to people who didn’t learn it until they were adults.
Being sneery about Draco’s opinion just because he’s posting under a pseudonym on a blog is kind of silly given you yourself are posting under a pseudonym on a blog.
That more or less describes me Stephanie – although computers had yet to be invented when I was 9. And over a lifetime in the tech world I’ve done more or less everything to do with computers short of building my own silicon. But the really geeky kids like me are still a smallish minority.
What is true is that children grow up in a tech world and they absorb what they are exposed to without being much in awe of it. And this means they don’t have too many inhibitions around playing about with a bit of tech or software until it gets them a result they want. But this ain’t the same thing as understanding.
Nor is it true that all adults are hopeless at picking up tech – quite the opposite, there are plenty of take to it just fine and become proficient very quickly. Even quite late in life.
Stephanie, the original sneering was not mine.
And IT is not the only skill needed in this world. I tend to think the schools have got it about right on IT. If a high school student wants to learn some programming they can. But I don’t really see why they should have to learn about logic boards, ram, memory, hard disc or how to tune a database. This is a specialised area best done at the University level. For now I think it’s better that they learn about China, maths, how to write a good essay and maybe a language or two. Oh and science, biology, chemistry, physics.
Actually, it was.
At the level we’re talking about it’s not specialised. It’s basic stuff on a similar level to what you’d learn about chemistry and biology at high school.
it’s more important to teach kids how to problem solve, communicate with others, laterally think and access their creativity. Sometimes this might be done through exposure to tech, but most of the time, not.
Using tech often requires problem solving, communicating today often requires tech and tech can also free peoples creativity.
Oh, and if we used your argument we also wouldn’t teach them maths, physics, biology, chemistry, etc, etc.
PCs, tablets and smartphones were each designed by a whole generation of people who never used them at school. Think about it.
And the deeper understanding about tech that would come from learning about it sooner would bring about the next generation of tech.
I just want to chip in and mention here the necessity to learn problem solving, also a sound system of philosophy and ethics as a base to life and all learning, before learning how to play around with instruments of god.
Computers in theory can make you all-knowing. How to utilise the information into what context and framework and what system does a human need to keep to, is the most important thing to acquire first.
There are so many new things to learn all the time, but what basics are being taught, what sense of history and society-building by those before us is being disseminated and absorbed? How does one set new things in context with the old, and understand them. Tech heads are developing strong personal ethics, ie Aaron Swartz believing in the rightness of open availability of publicly paid for information.
But societies need to be built on agreed ethics providing direction, and controls, and that means that time has to be spent on examining philosophical questions not just to be spent on enabling us to be technically competent. What do we understand and do as we reach higher levels of capability using that technical competence?
And at no point have I said that any of those things should not be taught.
Agree, what many do not want to accept is, that a computer is just a tool – no more or less. None of the skills and information can be absorbed if a child cannot read. I belief that it is of utmost importance that every child is a competent reader. No guessing words please, this is for stupid people. Soundbites as the one’s in the headlines is not acceptable either. A child needs to be challenged, but then again how many adults are able to do his? Remember the Asian Tiger Mom? Right, this is what the kids will be up against. No amount of rugby will get them by and if this is watered down any further it will be 50% of kids on the poverty line.
“I tend to think the schools have got it about right on IT.”
Strongly disagree. It’s about preparing younger generations for a future increasingly reliant on layers and layers of technology.
“If a high school student wants to learn some programming they can.”
Programming is a subset of Computer Science, one of the main benefits of which is teaching people to think better/problem-solve
Did you read my original comment at all? Did you understand it? By not teaching our children as early as possible we’re wasting time teaching them later.
And, yes, they are the basics.
Oh, and I’m not anonymous.
Sorry draco, teaching children human skills to deal with themselves and with others is far more important than tech crap. Which can be picked up whenever.
You’re sneering again, Draco.
No they’re not.
Well I liked it and I think it will do the job. It was ‘running with scissor’ production I think?
Not the Burroughs one either.
It was fine. And it was about policy as well. 100,000 houses for the underpaid, more money into education (and I hope they get rid of charter schools after the election) etc etc.
FTFY
If they were talking about the underpaid getting houses they would have talked about an extra 100 thousand state houses.
The middle class are underpaid now. Auckland is a city where the average house costs 600k or so. If you’re on one middle class income of 60-80k that will not be enough to service the mortgage on that. (about 5k net for a 3,300 monthly mortgage).
And if you’re brown, who have a median wage far under the national median wage of ~$42K pa, you’re basically screwed.
Yes, exactly, but you don’t have to be brown for that (although it helps). And this in turn often forces you into the hands of unscrupulous lenders so you’re double screwed.
It really is a cruel system, one which exists because it is deliberately tolerated (if not tacitly endorsed) by too many.
Or if you are a women you have to be content with a 30% drop in wages plus being the left foot of your husband once you retire.
I think you have the wrong idea about what middles class is. The middle class, pretty much by definition, have enough to live on comfortably including housing. If they can’t afford housing then they aren’t middle class – they’re poor.
What happened to the intern?
As ColonelViper said the median income is around 42k. If you’re earning 80k a year I don’t see how you cannot be classified as middle class. But 80k will not pay a mortgage in Auckland and won’t pay it in a few other places as well.
The middle classes have no fight with the poor, not naturally anyway. If they look up rather than down they will identify the problem.
Obviously the income bracket isn’t the best determinant of if you’re poor or not.
QFT
Great opening addresses by both Labour and the Greens…. and a total contrast to the Key sanctimonious monologue. Hope they get the traction they deserve.
Quite funny how straight after the Key15 minute monologue, the first item on One News Update was about Collins refusing to apologise and resign! Great truth and reality check…. More please.
Excellent! A positive message about a great team. DC looks ever more the leader every time I see him.
An honest message. DC conveys sincerity and Norm Kirk’s integrity. JK fakes both not very well.
In a simplistic analysis typical of John? Ansell, Labour members were working as a team with ordinary people to achieve something and John Key was trying to sell us a second hand rowing boat or something. Not sure what he was trying to sell- futures maybe?
Wasn’t in the mood for 13:30min long vid on a Saturday night, so only just got around to finishing this video on Sunday morning.
I thought the overarching theme of rebuilding communities as exemplified in renovation work was effective. Particularly liked the last minute of Cunliffe asking for questions from the public, that should be effective in getting people who might not otherwise go there onto the Labour website to be exposed to election messages.
This was excellent .A welcome return to man and women the better team.
We have had enough of the one man band .Team Key what a joke there is only onwe person in the team and he suffers with brain lapses . Im looking forward the Cunliffe and Key debate. My money’s on Cunliffe ,
Yeah but with Hoskins liking the sound of his own voice, and is a know ass kisser, you know that if Cunliffe starts to get on top, he will jump in, so as to break up the flow of things.