Gee who would have guessed this? The CTU have released emails confirming that Warners sat on drafting the press release announcing the lifting of the Hobbit don’t sign advice. Warners agreed in an email the dispute was over but did not release the agreed press release.
I understand that – but when they went public saying that the union did this and that I would’ve thought that the good faith was destroyed particularly given these emails they had already received.
If it had been me as soon as they tried to blame me for potentially losing the hobbit and effectively turned public opinion against me I would’ve released that email. What did they have to lose at that point – releasing emails that are sent to you has nothing to do with OIA requests etc.
Colonial Viper – I agree with you I just don’t see why the union also effectively covered it up by not releasing anything till now. I feel like I am missing something that was stopping them.
Wel, if you had released the email jacko would have dragged out the issue much longer, and so much mud would have been flung around that he still would have had dropkicks protesting for him.
Unions want workers to work too, remember?
But now the govt side has been released, the unions releasing their own side of it demonstrates nicely who was telling the truth at the time, and the movie’s been made. Middle-case result for the actual hobbit workers, but puts workers in a better position for next time.
Between wacko jacko and POAL’s dodgy math, employer credibility is scraping the bottom.
But this email from the union demonstrates immediately that they were telling the truth the whole time. They could drag the issue out as long as they want but at the end of the day I think it has been suitably shown noone working would have been affected by the whole thing (thats the whole point no?).
How would releasing this email showing the union was not taking action against the film have stopped people working?
At the end of the day just because you agree with the union cause doesnt mean they did everything right, I think its pretty obvious both parties screwed this up and to be honest its looking more like the union screwed up more.
They had a position where the other party was obviously lying and they did nothing about it. Good work? Yes Peter Jackson et al lied but they did so to achieve the ends they wanted which they got (not saying this is good but from their point of view was great) – the union came across as anti-everything yet apparently they were sitting on something that showed the other party was full of shit and did nothing. What the fuck?
At the end of the day just because you agree with the union cause doesnt mean they did everything right, I think its pretty obvious both parties screwed this up and to be honest its looking more like the union screwed up more.
lol
Funny thing about negotiations. Calling someone a liar while they’re still going on isn’t always productive. Given the description of Jackson in the emails from both sides, if the union had released these emails at the time and showed him to be a liar there might well have been a real risk that he’d up stakes out of general fuckwittedness.
And clearly the IRD hasn’t thought about the environmental impact => can’t use work laptop at home, have to buy one for myself = more ewaste = Fstupid.
Quote from above article: But Mr Peterson said the additional tax would cause some employers to think twice about allowing personal use of the devices.
“They’ll say you can’t take it home, it’s just too much trouble.”
Mr Peterson also said the suggested tax would be an administrative nightmare and “there will be all sorts of fiddling around with people trying to avoid it”.”
And clearly the IRD hasnât thought about the environmental impact => canât use work laptop at home, have to buy one for myself = more ewaste = Fstupid.
But they’d have a higher tax revenue from all the extra sales!!111
When quizzed further, he fell silent. I guess he hadn’t thought it through.
(context: TV3 coverage of housing affordability in Auckland last night. The coverage WAS racist – memo to TV3, “looking Asian” and “absentee landlord” are not synonyms – but a discussion about spiralling house prices is not).
Scandal-hit RBS pays out ÂŁ600m in bonuses
Asked why RBS can afford to pay bonuses to its staff but not what the public spent in bailing it out, Sir Philip described the bonus situation as âtoxic for everybodyâ.
RBS fined ÂŁ390m for ‘widespread misconduct’ in Libor-rigging scandal
Royal Bank of Scotland bankers continued to rig Libor rate until November 2010 â two years after it was bailed out by taxpayer
RBS fined ÂŁ390m for ‘widespread misconduct’ in Libor-rigging scandal
Royal Bank of Scotland bankers continued to rig Libor rate until November 2010 â two years after it was bailed out by taxpayer
Jill Treanor, City editor
The Guardian, Wednesday 6 February 2013 20.27 GMT
Royal Bank of Scotland was handed a ÂŁ390m fine on Wednesday for “widespread misconduct” in rigging the Libor rate until as recently as November 2010, two years after it was bailed out by the taxpayer and even after regulators had begun to investigate the key benchmark rate.
Regulators found that corrupt payments of more than ÂŁ100,000 were made to those involved and that the bailed-out bank had “abetted” Swiss bank UBS â fined ÂŁ940m â in manipulating the rate used to set prices on ÂŁ300tn of financial contracts around the world, from ordinary household mortgages to business loans.
“This is another day of shame for Britain’s banks,” Greg Clark, the financial secretary to the Treasury, told MPs.
Our government commissions a report on economic development and city competitiveness – the report shows that Auckland’s planning approach is broadly right – brownfield developments, rail and public transport etc.
However our Government fails to ensure that the report has an evidence base according to Minister Joyce whose Ministry commissioned the report and he then slates the report for having this. He cannot say :
a) how much the report cost
b) why his officials were allowed to commission a report so poorly scoped and lacking supporting research that he as Minister could discount it before publication.
despite being invited onto Radio NZ to talk about the research his Ministry commissioned.
Great post Paddy which has me thinking I don’t know why David Cunliffe doesn’t push on and form a new left wing party. He has been treated very poorly indeed & I really think there is room, with a good following that would ensue, including current Labour MP’s. Take Nanaia Mahuta she would win her Waikato seat hands down as would a number of others like Dalziel, Â however I also believe a new left party would easily pass the 5 % threshold with a possible 9 to 10 MPs all up. I just don’t like the current direction, when you haveÂ
a former General Secretary bailing after a relatively short stint you have to think all is not ‘left.’ within the current Labour Party line up. And arguably policies that have come out are far too right/centralistic in my view.Â
Crunch the numbers & make a move DC, the sooner the better.Â
Of course I couldn’t and wouldn’t quote from a private email, but he’s a nice bloke.
I do believe, at the end, he’ll be the one that got away from us all.
Though I did say it was going to get messy and soon, so maybe too soon for epitaphs.
Dear Chris Trotter reminds us of that black day in Labour History. His deccription of that angry boy Chris Hipkins is so correct. I’ve a vivid recollection of his distorted hate filled face a screaming into the mike. The wretched have taken control. Shame too on Darien Fenton. She has a black name in the annals if the NZLP. http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2013/03/running-dogs.html?m=1
“The Pack are well rewarded. Ms Fenton and Ms Curran both rise two places in the pecking order, while Mr Twyford goes up three to take a seat on the front bench. Megan Woods enters the top twenty â a back-bencher no longer. Andrew Little rises with her. Mr Shearerâs chief swordsman, Chris Hipkins, climbs five places to claim the shadow portfolio of Education from Mr Cunliffeâs running-mate, Nanaia Mahuta.”
As my dear mum said, don’t waste time with bad people, fight fire with fire.
RNZ-Council for Educational Research-“secondary schools have deteriorated over the last three years.”
Diabetes-7% per capita, 19% showing early signs; Cheque anybody?
yes, the Hong Kong commissioned study STRONGLY SUGGESTS, tax reductions and rapid inter-city rail; overall marks for poor competitiveness like the 100’s of cops off the front-line of poor fitness. Yep!, but that’s ok, the US are going to “directly fund the Syrian opposition.”
so lets enjoy a SNickers Jah,
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings until she was Unchained from the squared circle of Le Mans disasterous latitudes. Her father projected that the eastern provinces could be reorganized, the lion placated; The Argo saga naught but another fleecing; “it’s the end of the Middle Earth as we know it.”
More foot-in-mouth due to poor preparation. The heel of Pegasus was as quenching as Na Drini Cuprija; At a Hungry meeting 63% wish to ban foreign property buyers (above 30.9C no increase in pressure is going to liquify CO2 of Gauss) Still, try telling anechoic chamber that Tiberius freed both slave and lion. Gnaeus either / found an Island or an Ogygian deluge.(what else are you gonna do when it’s hot outside, little shade and freakin sport’s on the box)
As of March 2012 NZ had $304 billion of foreign investment already. Joyce wants to take that up to $500billion yet no-one can even demonstrate that we’ve benefited from the existing investment.
In the 2011/2012 year NZ exported $62billion and imported $60billion, our terms of trade were good. It’s the investment positon which caused our last current account deficit of $9billion, NZ sent $16billion offshore in dividends to those foreign investors and collected only $5.4billion from offshore investments.
If we take in another $200billion like Joyce wants we can extrapolate that to an extra $10billion in dividends, sending $26billion offshore. It’s real headbanger stuff.
But seriously, I think there needs to be more examination of orthodox economics on the left. Our international trade is all foreign exchange related. In simple terms NZ sold $76billion worth of $NZD and bought back only $68billion. We can’t carry a $9billion differential in our foreign currency dealing, the $NZD would crash bigtime. So we take in more overseas investment in order to buy back all the $NZD we sold.
IMO all the talk about intervening in the forex market to bring down the $NZD is completely on the wrong track, because we’re already intervening to keep the $NZD up. If we want to get the $NZD down we’d be better off looking at cutting back on the foreign investment and/or overseas borrowing instead of trying to play the forex markets.
How appropriate/ proper/ LAWFUL is it for Auckland Council CEO Doug McKay to investigate himself, when it is HIS actions which are the subject of the complaint???
DUH?
ANTI-CORRUPTION ‘WHISTLE-BLOWERS’ EXPOSE HOW AUCKLAND COUNCIL CEO DOUG MCKAY HAS AUTHORISED THE ‘BLOCKING’ OF EMAILS TO ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES WITHOUT THEIR KNOWLEDGE OR AUTHORITY
(For more background information exposing the, in my considered opinion, dodgy role of the CEO of Auckland Council, and the General Counsel for Auckland Council – see the following ten new ‘Items fo Evidence’ which I was allowed to ‘adduce’ in the Occupy Auckland vs Auckland Council Appeal (in which I defended myself as a ‘Named Respiondent’).
Can not say I blame him as he gave up a very successful legal career for what? I had dinner with him once it was a great night out and we were all buoyant with Labour’s future, a different era to now!
just to reiterate,
19% (1 in 5) New Zealanders has Glucose Metabolism Disorder (precursor)
215000 people live with diabetes which is to double in the next couple of decades; sticky mess.
Campbell- “Third most obese nation in the world.”
Family Court changes
-“domestic violence will increase” -a Real Judge, Murfitt, speaks across the bench.
(HB already ranks #1for Wrath in a national survey by police into provinces Seven Deadly Sins; Lust and Envy not far behind; Greed, not as Bad here…)
the freakin MSM; gold prices dropping, with a tailing that “the Central Banks of Russia and China” have sluiced ” Enormous purchases of Gold.” ya don’t say, where you been the last couple of years?
Moria?
“Big Fat Lies” đ
by the age of 20 was onto Jim’s Black, and back then there was also Jim’s Rye; Absolutely Fabulous in Wainuiomata, strangely enough (some Diesel Progress), yet you probably already ran that up on the Test Bench. (just quaffed a non-diet Sprite; gonna burn now)
Haha: I read that Japanese women believe in the power of beer, naturally brewed and without additives that is (“Reinheitsgebot”), they even bathe in it, as it keeps their skin smooth and young. No need for sugar there, aye.
It’s getting interesting on Chris Trotter’s blog.
Here’s a response to his latest post:
Felix Marwick said…
“Even from the Media Table, the animosity directed towards caucus members who spoke in favour of the rank-and-fileâs resolutions (the most effective of whom, by far, was Lianne Dalziel) was unmistakeable.”
Really Chris?
I recall us being surprised (and for news purposes) quite happy that MPs and delegates were expressing the views that they were. Generally we’ve been excluded from such debates in the past.
I certainly don’t remember any of my colleagues expressing animosity at those that were critical of the hierarchy.
I do, however, recall you going and high fiving with delegates when the 40% caucus vote remit was passed. I also recall you telling a political editor to “get f**ked” when they joked that perhaps the remit should have had support of 60% of the conference.
And I do wonder how it’s consistent that the Shearer camp, which had been derided at the time by its critics inept and incompetent, suddenly became Machiavellian enough to co-opt the entire press gallery to their cause?
For the record; I do not give a flying bollock as to who leads the Labour Party. I, unlike you, am not a player in that game.
Felix Marwick
Chief Political Reporter
Newstalk ZB
“Felix” is latin for the “happy one” or “lucky one”, I suppose, and the surname sounds like “Marmite” to me. Combining the two gives me a messy impression, of perhaps a brownish smeared face after attempted eating, reminding me of guess who, Adolphus H., ruling 1933 to 1945.
NZ media are to me mostly gutter media, that is most, not all, and 1ZB qualifies for “gutter”, hence not to be taken seriously.
Actually, I was merely suggesting that saying any particular journo is reminiscent of AH lowers the credibility of other statements.
As to Marwick, it seems to me that he was already doing what you suggested: commenting on the bits that he personally was acquainted with. The clue is in the use of phrases like “I recall us being surprised”… and “I certainly donât remember “… and “I do, however, recall you going”… and “I also recall you telling”…
Without simply repasting what has already been posted, Marwick seems to be suggesting that Trotter’s claim of animosity from the media table was possibly skewed by Trotter’s own animosity towards the media table.
Now if this does not open the eyes of more now, I do not know what will!
It shows that Labour MPs have in large numbers totally lost their ways, and they had their knives out, disliking “democracy” from the party members. They were “working” on members and colleagues, so no wonder we got the Cunliffe “hanging” and demotion after all that. It is disgusting from my point of view.
I trust that someone of the TS team or moderating collective may feel up to write a post on it. I am too worn out for now, so have a read and reflect perhaps.
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Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as âits largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliffâ. ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Governmentâs Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. Itâs important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the countryâs leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that âcorruptâ the nationâs ...
Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealandâs growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesnât know or care about the frontline cuts sheâs making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
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. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. Â ...
Todayâs 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 itâs 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. âThis 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. âThe government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicineâ, said Ayesha Verrall âThis is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoonâs interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour childrenâs spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te PÄti MÄori 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 veteransâ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veteransâ affairs spokesperson Greg OâConnor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxonâs management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonightâs court decision to overturn the summons of the Childrenâs Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about MÄori without evidence, says Te PÄti MÄori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. âThe 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 yearâs 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, Labourâs 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 countryâs 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 Governmentâs Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a âget out of jail freeâ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te PÄti MÄori Justice Spokesperson, TÄkuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, MÄori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealandâs good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National governmentâs lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te PÄti MÄori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. âThis act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.â Said Te PÄti MÄori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for TÄmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
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 Councilâs 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. âThese reforms are long overdue. New Zealandâs 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. âThree 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. âBeing 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 Canadaâs 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 ânext moveâ ...
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 Childrenâs Commissioner. âThe 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.    âThe 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. âOur Governmentâs thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening â  Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealandâs foreign policy, weâd 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. âCreating 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 Northlandâs 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 ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. âThis is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the countryâs total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. âThe beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ĺ-RÄkau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mĹ Ĺ-RÄkau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ĺ-RÄkau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Governmentâs plan to supercharge New Zealandâs EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four â and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Governmentâs plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. âI have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People â Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Governmentâs plan to restore law and order. âSpeaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealandâs human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). âNew Zealandâs goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. âIâm putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure âone stop shopâ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. âThe NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
WhÄnau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. âGiving these whÄnau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Governmentâs goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave OâSullivan (OBE). âOur sympathies are with the OâSullivan family with the sad news of Dave OâSullivanâs recent passing,â Mr Peters says. âHis contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmacâs largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff.  âAccess to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwisâ lives. Weâve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,â says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. âWe know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,â Dr Reti says. âEvery day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikoheâs new $14.7 million sports complex. âThe completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,â Mr Jones says. âThis facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Petersâ engagements in TĂźrkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges.  âReturning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,â Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen â good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood â a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - Â It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Â Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Â Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. âOur Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealandâs hydrogen future, with the opening of the countryâs first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. âI want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealandâs own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealandâs energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Comment: Almost half the world is voting in national elections this year and artificial intelligence is the elephant in the room. There are genuine fears AI-generated or AI-edited deepfakes will potentially manipulate election outcomes not just in the US and UK, but critically in countries such as India. For that ...
Ahead of the reality franchiseâs return to New Zealand, allow us to introduce the eight brides and grooms. Chuck on a veil and tie back your man bun, because itâs time to say âI doâ to a new season of Married at First Sight NZ. The reality TV âsocial experimentâ ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Norton, Professor in the Practice of Higher Education Policy, Australian National University Every year on June 1, student debt in Australia is indexed to inflation. In 2023, high inflation pushed the indexation rate to 7.1%, the highest since 1990. This ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Changes in the May 14 budget will cut the student debt of more than three million people, wiping more than $3 billion from what people owe. The government will cap the HELP indexation rate ...
Asia Pacific Report The prosecutorâs office at the International Criminal Court (ICC) has appealed for an end to what it calls intimidation of its staff, saying such threats could constitute an offence against the âadministration of justiceâ by the worldâs permanent war crimes court. The Hague-based office of ICC Prosecutor ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk A womenâs union in New Caledonia has staged a sit-in protest this week to support senior Kanak indigenous journalist ThĂŠrèse Waia, who works for public broadcaster Nouvelle-CalĂŠdonie la Première, after a smear attack by critics. The peaceful demonstration was held on ...
New Zealand Food Safety is monitoring overseas recalls of Indian packaged spice products manufactured by MDH and Everest due to concerns over a cancer-causing pesticide. ...
By Stephen Wright and Stefan Armbruster of BenarNews Fijiâs ranking in a global press freedom index has jumped into the top tier of countries with free or mostly free media after its government last year repealed a draconian law that threatened journalists with prison for doing their jobs. Fijiâs improvement ...
We might be in Invercargill but all anyone can talk about is Gore. Specifically, Salford Street. Thatâs where three-year-old Lachlan Jones lived, south of the centre of town, between the A&P Showgrounds and the Mataura River. Roughly 1.2 km away from the single level home he lived in with his ...
MONDAY I lined up the latest round of civil servants from city hall against the wall, and signalled for the firing squad to drop their rifles. I stepped up onto a wooden crate to look at the office workers in the eye. But that didnât feel right, so I found ...
Keen hiker and second-year MSc student Liam Hewson wears two hats when heâs in the great outdoors. âThe scientist in me appreciates nature and goes, âOh, thereâs that thing and thereâs another thing,â but then the tramper and the outdoorsy person in me thinks, âCool bush.ââ Born and bred in ...
After a long and illustrious career as a goal kicker, Dan Carterâs favourite way to unwind is⌠kicking goals. Why canât he get enough of it? And what itâs like to watch him do it for an hour straight? A semicircle of people wielding cameras and phones has formed in ...
Dame Susan Devoy takes us through her life in television, including late night ER debriefs, her proudest CTI moment and the show she watches in secret. Quite aside from her four world champion squash titles, Dame Susan Devoy will likely go down in history as one of the best Celebrity ...
Hera Lindsay Bird reveals the best places in Ĺtepoti to score more for your apocalypse-prep book hoard.Sometimes I get the feeling Iâve been killed in a car crash, and this second half of my life is just the brain unspooling itself, like one of those episodes of a hospital ...
ThreeNowâs new murder mystery series takes us on a dark, damp journey into the Australian wilderness.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. High Country is ThreeNowâs new Australian eight-part crime drama, set in a remote part of the Victorian highlands. It tells ...
Introducing a new way to read The Spinoff every weekend. After nearly 10 years of being an online magazine, weâre finally embracing the weekend liftout. Despite our best efforts to convince you otherwise, writers and editors at The Spinoff donât work weekend. It is through the sheer power of technology ...
Tip one: let yourself be nurtured by this big old man. Tip two: donât ask him to adopt you. So, youâve arrived at your first session with a new therapist. He tells you to make yourself comfortable and you opt for the tweed armchair, hoping it makes you look like ...
I didnât know books could open you back up; that there were books that stayed with you, where reading was like a chemical event. I knew nothing.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.Not too long ago, I was listening to the American ...
Former Olympic swimmer James Magnussen has already started training for the Enhanced games, though says he won’t start taking performance enhancing substances until about nine months out from the competition. The Australian world champion was the first athlete to be announced by Enhanced, but he says the organisation has had ...
Everyone thinks he’s dead. Every day they expect his body to be washed up along the coast. Most likely up Karitane way, the way the tide’s running. But nobody’ll be too surprised if his body’s never found. Even in death he wouldn’t have wished for such attention. He would have ...
Council members voted 21 to 4 in favour of Ahluwalia returning to the Laucala campus following a much-awaited meeting in Vanuatu this week. It comes as USP and its two unions â the Association of the University of the South Pacific Staff (AUSPS) and the Administration and Support Staff Union ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicola Henry, Professor & Australian Research Council Future Fellow, Social and Global Studies Centre, RMIT University Shutterstock Following an emergency meeting of the National Cabinet this week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a raft of measures to tackle the problem ...
Analysis - A poll showing the opposition is more popular than the government raises questions, politicians go through their 'trial by pay rise' and a Green MP loses her cool in the debating chamber. ...
The entire stretch of Tokomaru Bay on the East Coast will be subject to a joint customary marine title for two hapĹŤ, and extending up to four miles out to sea. A High Court judge has found the two groups, who during the case settled a dispute over boundaries for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Hall, Lecturer, Media & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University A longstanding feud between TikTok and Universal Music Group seems to have finally reached an end, with both parties signing a deal that will see Universal-backed music returned to the social media ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Siobhan O’Dean, Postdoctoral Research Associate, The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney After several highly publicised alleged murders of women in Australia, the Albanese government this week pledged more than A$925 million over five years ...
Political parties have now fully disclosed the donations they received last year - with National getting more than double the cash of any other party. ...
A Pacific regionalism expert has called out New Zealand's Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters for withholding information from the public on AUKUS military pact. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard de Grijs, Professor of Astrophysics, Macquarie University Bruno Scramgnon/Pexels All systems are âgoâ for tonightâs launch of Chinaâs next step in a carefully planned lunar exploration program. Placed on top of a powerful Long March 5 rocket, the Chang’e 6 ...
National returned a massive donation the day after a Newsroom story linked the donors to a property being investigated for operating unlawfully as a migrant workersâ hostel. The partyâs 2023 donation filings, released on Friday, show it returned a $200,000 donation from Buen Holdings on August 23. That was the ...
Pacific Media Watch New Zealand has slumped to an unprecedented 19th place in the annual Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index survey released today on World Press Freedom Day â May 3. This was a drop of six places from 13th last year when it slipped out of its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joshua Black, Political Historian and Administrator Officer, Australian Historical Association, Australian National University Australia has had its fair share of public record-keeping controversies in recent years. Some have been mere farce, as in the case of two formerly government-owned filing cabinets (containing ...
Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), a United Nations-affiliated organization dedicated to fostering peace through civilian-led initiatives, has issued a statement in response to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. ...
A poem by Tessa Keenan, from AUP New Poets 10. MÄtou These days we are a photograph; one of a farm strewn with cows that used to be bright harakeke or swamp. The kids point at it and say the sun sits behind a smudge (left by someone at Christmas); ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Booksâ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan (Faber & Faber, $25)The masterful Irish writer ...
Marriage and civil union statistics record the number of marriages and civil unions registered in New Zealand each year, and divorce statistics record the number of divorces granted in New Zealand each year. Key facts Marriages and civil unions In ...
Marriage and civil union statistics record the number of marriages and civil unions registered in New Zealand each year, and divorce statistics record the number of divorces granted in New Zealand each year. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lennon Y.C. Chang, Associate Professor of Cyber Risk and Policy, Deakin University Taiwan stands out as a beacon of democracy, innovation and resilience in an increasingly autocratic region. But this is under growing threat. In recent years, China has used a variety ...
In this excerpt from her new memoir, Dame Susan Devoy remembers her turn as star contestant on the 2022 season of Celebrity Treasure Island. The most anxious time of every day was pre-elimination, when you knew this could be your final day on the show. I felt such contradictory emotions, ...
A week that began in triumph ended in an all-too-familiar disaster for the Green Party. Duncan Greive asks if thereâs something in the mission that breaks its best and brightest. A long, strange week for the Green party began with a fantastic poll result. On one level this is hardly ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Vanuatuâs former prime minister and opposition MP Ishmael Kalsakau has stepped down â just two days after he confirmed he was the rightful opposition leader. Kalsakau, MP for Port Vila, confirmed to ABCâs Pacific Beat, and the Vanuatu Daily Post on Thursday that he ...
Whatâs to blame for the coalitionâs choppy start? Six months in, and the mojo meter is in the doldrums. A new poll would put National out of power and sees its leader, Chris Luxon, sliding in popularity. How much is it about policy, how much coalition management and a perception ...
The striking report goes far beyond the proposed repeal of the Oranga Tamariki Actâs Treaty of Waitangi provision, and its impact should be felt far beyond the unique circumstances of the claim it addresses. Earlier this week, the Waitangi Tribunal released an interim report on the governmentâs proposed repeal of ...
The world has been experiencing a productivity slowdown, from which New Zealand has not been exempt. COVID-19 temporarily boosted labour productivity, but more recently, productivity has retreated. The overall trend since 2007 has been one of slow productivity ...
Whatâs more wasteful than spending $315k on syrup and machine maintenance? Trying to drum up a controversy about it.Cast your mind back to the pre-pandemic idylls of 2019. A âratâ was a disgusting rodent and not a self-administered plague test; the sixth Labour government was in power; and the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Fitz-Gibbon, Professor of Social Sciences, Faculty of Arts, Monash University, Monash University Ken stocker/Shutterstock In the wake of numerous killings of women allegedly by menâs violence in 2024, thousands of Australians have joined rallies across the country to demand action ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Henry Cutler, Professor and Director, Macquarie University Centre for the Health Economy, Macquarie University Oleg Ivanov IL/Shutterstock Waiting times for public hospital elective surgery have been in the news ahead of this yearâs federal budget. Thatâs the type of non-emergency surgery ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Konstantine Panegyres, McKenzie Postdoctoral Fellow, Historical and Philosophical Studies, The University of Melbourne Amna Artist/Shutterstock One of the earliest descriptions of someone with cancer comes from the fourth century BC. Satyrus, tyrant of the city of Heracleia on the Black Sea, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Rose, Professor of Sustainable Future Transport, University of Sydney LanaElcova/Shutterstock Electric vehicles are often seen as the panacea to cutting emissions â and air pollution â from transport. Is this view correct? Yes â but only once uptake accelerates. Despite the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Giselle Natassia Woodley, Researcher and Phd Candidate, Edith Cowan University There is widespread agreement Australia needs to do better when it comes to gender-based violence. Anger and frustration at the numbers of women being killed saw national rallies over the weekend and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Graham, Lecturer in Economics, University of Sydney Mark and Anna Photography/Shutterstock As home ownership moves further out of reach for many Australians, ârentvestingâ is being touted as a lifesaver. Rentvesting is the practice of renting one property to live ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sukhmani Khorana, Associate Professor, Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture, UNSW Sydney Netflix The new season of Heartbreak High is garnering mixed reviews. Critics are writing about the racy story lines, comparing it to other coming-of-age series about teenage relationships and ...
Bob Carr intends to launch legal action against Winston Peters and Julie Anne Genter is facing a second allegation of bullying. Both sucked the air out of an announcement on education, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoffâs morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in ...
In 1995, Sally Clark went out on her own in a bold and unorthodox attempt to join an illustrious group of equestrian riders conquering the world. In the days of glovebox road maps, brick cell phones, and the hit song How Bizarre, Clark refused to follow Sir Mark Todd, Blyth ...
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Gee who would have guessed this? The CTU have released emails confirming that Warners sat on drafting the press release announcing the lifting of the Hobbit don’t sign advice. Warners agreed in an email the dispute was over but did not release the agreed press release.
New Zealand you have been had.
Epping Road, Gosman et al care to apologise?
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/129382/warner-bros-emails-reveal-deal-announcement-delay
Epping Road, Gosman et al care to apologise?
I like your optimism micky.
Why have these emails only been released now? Surely this whole thing could have been avoided if they had released this email at the time?
At the time?
What, you mean while they were negotiating in good faith?
With people who wanted the emails kept secret even after the OIA request?
I understand that – but when they went public saying that the union did this and that I would’ve thought that the good faith was destroyed particularly given these emails they had already received.
If it had been me as soon as they tried to blame me for potentially losing the hobbit and effectively turned public opinion against me I would’ve released that email. What did they have to lose at that point – releasing emails that are sent to you has nothing to do with OIA requests etc.
Colonial Viper – I agree with you I just don’t see why the union also effectively covered it up by not releasing anything till now. I feel like I am missing something that was stopping them.
Wel, if you had released the email jacko would have dragged out the issue much longer, and so much mud would have been flung around that he still would have had dropkicks protesting for him.
Unions want workers to work too, remember?
But now the govt side has been released, the unions releasing their own side of it demonstrates nicely who was telling the truth at the time, and the movie’s been made. Middle-case result for the actual hobbit workers, but puts workers in a better position for next time.
Between wacko jacko and POAL’s dodgy math, employer credibility is scraping the bottom.
But this email from the union demonstrates immediately that they were telling the truth the whole time. They could drag the issue out as long as they want but at the end of the day I think it has been suitably shown noone working would have been affected by the whole thing (thats the whole point no?).
How would releasing this email showing the union was not taking action against the film have stopped people working?
At the end of the day just because you agree with the union cause doesnt mean they did everything right, I think its pretty obvious both parties screwed this up and to be honest its looking more like the union screwed up more.
They had a position where the other party was obviously lying and they did nothing about it. Good work? Yes Peter Jackson et al lied but they did so to achieve the ends they wanted which they got (not saying this is good but from their point of view was great) – the union came across as anti-everything yet apparently they were sitting on something that showed the other party was full of shit and did nothing. What the fuck?
At the end of the day just because you agree with the union cause doesnt mean they did everything right, I think its pretty obvious both parties screwed this up and to be honest its looking more like the union screwed up more.
lol
Funny thing about negotiations. Calling someone a liar while they’re still going on isn’t always productive. Given the description of Jackson in the emails from both sides, if the union had released these emails at the time and showed him to be a liar there might well have been a real risk that he’d up stakes out of general fuckwittedness.
This whole thing could have been avoided if Jackson, Key and Brownlee had acknowledged the truth, instead of covering it up.
Good on you Greg!
You have struck a nerve on Kiwiblog with your post on this issue!
WELL DONE!
Cheers!
Penny Bright đ
Congratulations to Dame Anne Salmond: New Zealander of the Year.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/8366898/Dame-Anne-wins-NZer-of-the-Year
A good choice.
ae
Noooo!
IRD considering taxing personal use of employee laptops etc. Time to get tech smart and find a loophole here folks.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10868425
And clearly the IRD hasn’t thought about the environmental impact => can’t use work laptop at home, have to buy one for myself = more ewaste = Fstupid.
Quote from above article: But Mr Peterson said the additional tax would cause some employers to think twice about allowing personal use of the devices.
“They’ll say you can’t take it home, it’s just too much trouble.”
Mr Peterson also said the suggested tax would be an administrative nightmare and “there will be all sorts of fiddling around with people trying to avoid it”.”
But they’d have a higher tax revenue from all the extra sales!!111
/sarc
Oh, and way to encourage the use of technology.
Laptops must be where all that multi-billion dollar tax evasion and income hiding is happening.
Laptop trust funds for all, Comrade đ
Last night Peter Dunne announced a bold new immigration policy, on Twitter …
https://twitter.com/PeterDunneMP/status/307043305865228289
When quizzed further, he fell silent. I guess he hadn’t thought it through.
(context: TV3 coverage of housing affordability in Auckland last night. The coverage WAS racist – memo to TV3, “looking Asian” and “absentee landlord” are not synonyms – but a discussion about spiralling house prices is not).
It gets better …
https://twitter.com/ImperatorFish/status/307048243060150272
You’d think this was a parody Twitter account. It’s not.
Peter Dunne is a lying distorting bastard too. Example… “they don’t like foreigners owning property but say it is nothing to do with race”
That’s right Dunne. What don’t you get about what “foreigner” means and what “race” means?
You are either thick or deceptive and slimey.
Where have the Greens made a statement about Asians and immigration?
The artist taxi driver on the outrageous bank corruption in the U$K , the same ones bailed out by the public who are having austerity imposed on them.
RBS Scandal of Banking thieves criminals and govt embezzlement
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPo_cB0cdDU&list=UUGThM-ZZBba1Zl9rU-XeR-A&index=2
Scandal-hit RBS pays out ÂŁ600m in bonuses
Asked why RBS can afford to pay bonuses to its staff but not what the public spent in bailing it out, Sir Philip described the bonus situation as âtoxic for everybodyâ.
RBS fined ÂŁ390m for ‘widespread misconduct’ in Libor-rigging scandal
Royal Bank of Scotland bankers continued to rig Libor rate until November 2010 â two years after it was bailed out by taxpayer
RBS fined ÂŁ390m for ‘widespread misconduct’ in Libor-rigging scandal
Royal Bank of Scotland bankers continued to rig Libor rate until November 2010 â two years after it was bailed out by taxpayer
Jill Treanor, City editor
The Guardian, Wednesday 6 February 2013 20.27 GMT
Royal Bank of Scotland was handed a ÂŁ390m fine on Wednesday for “widespread misconduct” in rigging the Libor rate until as recently as November 2010, two years after it was bailed out by the taxpayer and even after regulators had begun to investigate the key benchmark rate.
Regulators found that corrupt payments of more than ÂŁ100,000 were made to those involved and that the bailed-out bank had “abetted” Swiss bank UBS â fined ÂŁ940m â in manipulating the rate used to set prices on ÂŁ300tn of financial contracts around the world, from ordinary household mortgages to business loans.
“This is another day of shame for Britain’s banks,” Greg Clark, the financial secretary to the Treasury, told MPs.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2013/feb/06/rbs-fined-libor-rigging-scandal
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/business/business-news/scandal-hit-rbs-pays-out-600m-in-bonuses-1-5454195
Dear Jonkey et al .. if you think the environment doesn’t really matter, try holding your breath while counting your money …
This is a frightener ….
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/02/14/1594211/death-spiral-bombshell-cryosat-2-confirms-arctic-sea-ice-volume-has-collapsed/?mobile=nc
Our government commissions a report on economic development and city competitiveness – the report shows that Auckland’s planning approach is broadly right – brownfield developments, rail and public transport etc.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2547838/competitiveness-expect-backs-auckland-council-plans.asx
However our Government fails to ensure that the report has an evidence base according to Minister Joyce whose Ministry commissioned the report and he then slates the report for having this. He cannot say :
a) how much the report cost
b) why his officials were allowed to commission a report so poorly scoped and lacking supporting research that he as Minister could discount it before publication.
despite being invited onto Radio NZ to talk about the research his Ministry commissioned.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2547839/steven-joyce-critical-of-report-on-nz-competitiveness.asx
Chris Trotter on the events of the 2011 Labour Conference and what has happened since.
The winners and the losers of the reshuffle depended on how loyal they were to David Shearer.
Pretty scary stuff.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/opinion/8367976/Dishing-out-rewards-to-hungry-enforcers
Interesting. Thanks for the link, SP.
Lucky no-one is prepared to vate for them. They are unfit to run a country.
Great post Paddy which has me thinking I don’t know why David Cunliffe doesn’t push on and form a new left wing party. He has been treated very poorly indeed & I really think there is room, with a good following that would ensue, including current Labour MP’s. Take Nanaia Mahuta she would win her Waikato seat hands down as would a number of others like Dalziel, Â however I also believe a new left party would easily pass the 5 % threshold with a possible 9 to 10 MPs all up. I just don’t like the current direction, when you haveÂ
a former General Secretary bailing after a relatively short stint you have to think all is not ‘left.’ within the current Labour Party line up. And arguably policies that have come out are far too right/centralistic in my view.Â
Crunch the numbers & make a move DC, the sooner the better.Â
“Great post Paddy which has me thinking I donât know why David Cunliffe doesnât push on and form a new left wing party.”
He told me he won’t. I think it’s because he’s committed to the party, or something like that.
Thanks The Allen very loyal of him all things considered.
I always work on if you don’t ask you don’t get.
Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose.
This time we all lose.
My friend. Getting the response “No” to your question is some marvellous progress.
Of course I couldn’t and wouldn’t quote from a private email, but he’s a nice bloke.
I do believe, at the end, he’ll be the one that got away from us all.
Though I did say it was going to get messy and soon, so maybe too soon for epitaphs.
Who really knows?
Reality is he probably thought I was Patrick Gower trying to trap him, so I didn’t read too much into his reply. đ
Ha!
Dear Chris Trotter reminds us of that black day in Labour History. His deccription of that angry boy Chris Hipkins is so correct. I’ve a vivid recollection of his distorted hate filled face a screaming into the mike. The wretched have taken control. Shame too on Darien Fenton. She has a black name in the annals if the NZLP.
http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2013/03/running-dogs.html?m=1
“The Pack are well rewarded. Ms Fenton and Ms Curran both rise two places in the pecking order, while Mr Twyford goes up three to take a seat on the front bench. Megan Woods enters the top twenty â a back-bencher no longer. Andrew Little rises with her. Mr Shearerâs chief swordsman, Chris Hipkins, climbs five places to claim the shadow portfolio of Education from Mr Cunliffeâs running-mate, Nanaia Mahuta.”
As my dear mum said, don’t waste time with bad people, fight fire with fire.
RNZ-Council for Educational Research-“secondary schools have deteriorated over the last three years.”
Diabetes-7% per capita, 19% showing early signs; Cheque anybody?
yes, the Hong Kong commissioned study STRONGLY SUGGESTS, tax reductions and rapid inter-city rail; overall marks for poor competitiveness like the 100’s of cops off the front-line of poor fitness. Yep!, but that’s ok, the US are going to “directly fund the Syrian opposition.”
so lets enjoy a SNickers Jah,
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings until she was Unchained from the squared circle of Le Mans disasterous latitudes. Her father projected that the eastern provinces could be reorganized, the lion placated; The Argo saga naught but another fleecing; “it’s the end of the Middle Earth as we know it.”
More foot-in-mouth due to poor preparation. The heel of Pegasus was as quenching as Na Drini Cuprija; At a Hungry meeting 63% wish to ban foreign property buyers (above 30.9C no increase in pressure is going to liquify CO2 of Gauss) Still, try telling anechoic chamber that Tiberius freed both slave and lion. Gnaeus either / found an Island or an Ogygian deluge.(what else are you gonna do when it’s hot outside, little shade and freakin sport’s on the box)
Steven Joyce has been pushing the foreign investment angle again, seems to have a fixation on it….
“We must welcome more foreign investment – Joyce”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10868108
As of March 2012 NZ had $304 billion of foreign investment already. Joyce wants to take that up to $500billion yet no-one can even demonstrate that we’ve benefited from the existing investment.
In the 2011/2012 year NZ exported $62billion and imported $60billion, our terms of trade were good. It’s the investment positon which caused our last current account deficit of $9billion, NZ sent $16billion offshore in dividends to those foreign investors and collected only $5.4billion from offshore investments.
If we take in another $200billion like Joyce wants we can extrapolate that to an extra $10billion in dividends, sending $26billion offshore. It’s real headbanger stuff.
Motorhead-“Ace of Spades” (not Whisky In The Jar)
Heh, yep that’s a headbanger…
But seriously, I think there needs to be more examination of orthodox economics on the left. Our international trade is all foreign exchange related. In simple terms NZ sold $76billion worth of $NZD and bought back only $68billion. We can’t carry a $9billion differential in our foreign currency dealing, the $NZD would crash bigtime. So we take in more overseas investment in order to buy back all the $NZD we sold.
IMO all the talk about intervening in the forex market to bring down the $NZD is completely on the wrong track, because we’re already intervening to keep the $NZD up. If we want to get the $NZD down we’d be better off looking at cutting back on the foreign investment and/or overseas borrowing instead of trying to play the forex markets.
Hold your breath and one turns blue. (appreciate your analysis, like Poission)
How appropriate/ proper/ LAWFUL is it for Auckland Council CEO Doug McKay to investigate himself, when it is HIS actions which are the subject of the complaint???
DUH?
ANTI-CORRUPTION ‘WHISTLE-BLOWERS’ EXPOSE HOW AUCKLAND COUNCIL CEO DOUG MCKAY HAS AUTHORISED THE ‘BLOCKING’ OF EMAILS TO ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES WITHOUT THEIR KNOWLEDGE OR AUTHORITY
Gary Osbourne http://www.allaboutauckland.com/video/1907/accusations-of-corruption-within-councils
Grace Haden http://www.allaboutauckland.com/video/1907/accusations-of-corruption-within-councils/1
Penny Bright http://www.allaboutauckland.com/video/1907/accusations-of-corruption-within-councils/2
Also – what Bernard Orsman wrote about it in today’s NZ Herald:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10868429
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption campaigner’.
2013 Auckland Mayoral Candidate.
(For more background information exposing the, in my considered opinion, dodgy role of the CEO of Auckland Council, and the General Counsel for Auckland Council – see the following ten new ‘Items fo Evidence’ which I was allowed to ‘adduce’ in the Occupy Auckland vs Auckland Council Appeal (in which I defended myself as a ‘Named Respiondent’).
http://www.occupyaucklandvsaucklandcouncilappeal.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/OCCUPY-AUCKLAND-APPEAL-APPLICATION-BY-APPELLANT-BRIGHT-TO-ADDUCE-NEW-EVIDENCE-pdf.pdf
Doug was handpicked by Hide/Key for these and his many other talents Penny.
Duncan Garner just played Chauvel’s speech on radio. Said it was a slap in the face for half the Labour caucus.
Can not say I blame him as he gave up a very successful legal career for what? I had dinner with him once it was a great night out and we were all buoyant with Labour’s future, a different era to now!
Seems Aucklanders is going to get the same treatment as ChCh/Dunedin when it comes to bailing out the rugby heads.
*Council votes to accept Eden Park ‘gift’ *
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/auckland-city-council/news/article.cfm?o_id=13&objectid=10865550
Anyone like to open a book on the liklihood of a positive outcome!
just to reiterate,
19% (1 in 5) New Zealanders has Glucose Metabolism Disorder (precursor)
215000 people live with diabetes which is to double in the next couple of decades; sticky mess.
Campbell- “Third most obese nation in the world.”
Family Court changes
-“domestic violence will increase” -a Real Judge, Murfitt, speaks across the bench.
(HB already ranks #1for Wrath in a national survey by police into provinces Seven Deadly Sins; Lust and Envy not far behind; Greed, not as Bad here…)
the freakin MSM; gold prices dropping, with a tailing that “the Central Banks of Russia and China” have sluiced ” Enormous purchases of Gold.” ya don’t say, where you been the last couple of years?
Moria?
Get rid of all sources of added sugar and fructose from the diet. That generally sorts things real quick. (Typing as I sip my JD & coke…)
“Big Fat Lies” đ
by the age of 20 was onto Jim’s Black, and back then there was also Jim’s Rye; Absolutely Fabulous in Wainuiomata, strangely enough (some Diesel Progress), yet you probably already ran that up on the Test Bench. (just quaffed a non-diet Sprite; gonna burn now)
Colonial Viper:
Haha: I read that Japanese women believe in the power of beer, naturally brewed and without additives that is (“Reinheitsgebot”), they even bathe in it, as it keeps their skin smooth and young. No need for sugar there, aye.
It’s getting interesting on Chris Trotter’s blog.
Here’s a response to his latest post:
Felix Marwick said…
“Even from the Media Table, the animosity directed towards caucus members who spoke in favour of the rank-and-fileâs resolutions (the most effective of whom, by far, was Lianne Dalziel) was unmistakeable.”
Really Chris?
I recall us being surprised (and for news purposes) quite happy that MPs and delegates were expressing the views that they were. Generally we’ve been excluded from such debates in the past.
I certainly don’t remember any of my colleagues expressing animosity at those that were critical of the hierarchy.
I do, however, recall you going and high fiving with delegates when the 40% caucus vote remit was passed. I also recall you telling a political editor to “get f**ked” when they joked that perhaps the remit should have had support of 60% of the conference.
And I do wonder how it’s consistent that the Shearer camp, which had been derided at the time by its critics inept and incompetent, suddenly became Machiavellian enough to co-opt the entire press gallery to their cause?
For the record; I do not give a flying bollock as to who leads the Labour Party. I, unlike you, am not a player in that game.
Felix Marwick
Chief Political Reporter
Newstalk ZB
“Felix” is latin for the “happy one” or “lucky one”, I suppose, and the surname sounds like “Marmite” to me. Combining the two gives me a messy impression, of perhaps a brownish smeared face after attempted eating, reminding me of guess who, Adolphus H., ruling 1933 to 1945.
NZ media are to me mostly gutter media, that is most, not all, and 1ZB qualifies for “gutter”, hence not to be taken seriously.
Your first paragraph dramatically lowers any value your second might have had,
Interesting. If Marwick is “not a player in the game” why is he injecting himself on to the playing field now?
If Trotter’s recollections of Conference did not match his, it would have been a simple matter of stating his own experience for the record.
I wonder, did NewstalkZB also run with the story that a Cunliffe takeover bid had been imminent at Conference?
If so…how did Marwick reach that conclusion?
Actually, I was merely suggesting that saying any particular journo is reminiscent of AH lowers the credibility of other statements.
As to Marwick, it seems to me that he was already doing what you suggested: commenting on the bits that he personally was acquainted with. The clue is in the use of phrases like “I recall us being surprised”… and “I certainly donât remember “… and “I do, however, recall you going”… and “I also recall you telling”…
Without simply repasting what has already been posted, Marwick seems to be suggesting that Trotter’s claim of animosity from the media table was possibly skewed by Trotter’s own animosity towards the media table.
Floating Down the Mighty River with only one paddle!
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/8369736/Aussies-may-get-slice-of-Mighty-River
Chris Trotter exposes more about the scheming and back-stabbing at the last Labour Conference in November last year.
“Running Dogs” is the title of his blog post today:
http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.co.nz/2013/03/running-dogs.html
Now if this does not open the eyes of more now, I do not know what will!
It shows that Labour MPs have in large numbers totally lost their ways, and they had their knives out, disliking “democracy” from the party members. They were “working” on members and colleagues, so no wonder we got the Cunliffe “hanging” and demotion after all that. It is disgusting from my point of view.
I trust that someone of the TS team or moderating collective may feel up to write a post on it. I am too worn out for now, so have a read and reflect perhaps.
‘Despite the high dollar…”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10868511
“women are not doing enough housework” (please don’t shoot the messenger Queenie, just the piano player’s been thinking…)
Suffer the little children and at least let them pee
http://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/transgender-girl-s-parents-sue-for-her-right-to-use-the-bathroom-201415013.html
cutting through the waves
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/international-politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503226&objectid=10868418