I predict that soon people on the Left will hail the Morgan poll out yesterday as indicating the imminent collapse of Key’s government, and will say that Labour is on track to win back the government benches. I also predict that very little comment will be made by these same people when the TV3 and TVNZ polls come out on Sunday night.
Why? There is nothing different in it apart from rugby effects, as I expect the other polls to be as well. But authors write on what they want to. So do commentators with some limits from moderators.
But are you expecting large amounts of variance between polls by different companies? That in itself is pretty interesting bearing in mind that they are meant to be accurately measuring the same voting population.
But I will agree with your implied preposition that the polls from different organisations are quite different and probably highly inaccurate.
Nothing wrong with a bit of tribalism. Much better than pappy Blairism.
The Mad Butcher is a traitor. If he supports John Key then he supports:
The reduction of the state housing stock and tighening of state housing criteria, leading to the creation of slums,
The privatisation and Americanisation of our health system
The weakening of labour laws and protections, which will give employers the power to treat their workers like dirt
The destruction of our social safety net, leading to homelessness across the board
The privatisation of water services by councils, which will hit the poor the hardest
The privatisation of infrstructure, and possible sale to the Chinese
The loosening of standards with regards to air and water quality, leading to poor health among people
The sale of our farms to off shore owners
Etc.
I personally would support a boycott of his stores.
Please do keep going on… I love hearing all the baseless reasoning.
Explaining is losing, you seriously can’t STFU for one minute and reflect to see the wood for the trees.
Just more evidence that you lot might as well be on another planet when it comes to convincing the electorate you should be running the country.
Actually, I think it’s good that the left demonstrates some differences of opinions on such issues.
for better or for worse people like him
What people? I think it may be no accident that the Labour MPs who have been critical of Sir MB are women, and that the guys are more likely to either defend him or to resile from criticising him.
I most like watching rugby union, but also enjoy watching League from time to time, as well as listening to Radio Sport on occasions. I have never taken to the MB and his rants – to me he is an unlikeable irritation. I suspect his appeal is largely to male sports fans and especially male League fans (which probably includes a lot of MSM journalists)… that hardly makes him a popular man of the people generally.
And what about his support for policies that will screw people in those areas?
He. Is. A. Traitor.
I don’t care if he gives to charities. Charities always pick and choose who they help, and make people jump through hoops. Look at Habitat for Humanity. we are better off bringing back Housing Corp mortgages and increasing the state housing stock rather than relying on those clowns. And I bet you that butcher boy has all his workers on a 90-day trial period,
I have never taken to the MB and his rants – to me he is an unlikeable irritation. I suspect his appeal is largely to male sports fans and especially male League fans (which probably includes a lot of MSM journalists)… that hardly makes him a popular man of the people generally.
I despise organised sport generally (I am told that’s a serious character fault somewhat similar to kicking puppies – although I don’t do that) so I assess the MB on the basis of his ‘stores’ (cold, unpleasant and not particularly cheap) and his public persona – that of Shouty Man. I’ve learned by chatting to them, that he doesn’t pay his staff well enough to compensate them for a very unpleasant working environment, and muddled schedules, so I am very unimpressed with the man.
And, I dont think anyone will squeal to my work about it, as I dont tell anyone where I work. My employer will probably laugh anyway, my work holds the position that what goes on in their workers life outside their work is their own business (apart from getting stoned in the morning before coming to work).
That football-hating, Palestinian-hating, Mad Butcher-boosting, mediocrity-loving drip Brett “God I hate Football” Dale seems to have worked himself up into a lather after hearing Louisa Wall criticize his half-witted hero…
this idiot, Louisa Wall wont buy stuff from people who dont vote for her party what an idiot.
You have a track record of posting up crude, foolish, ill-informed rants on a large number of topics. For you to call Louisa Wall, or anyone else for that matter, an “idiot” is irony indeed.
I don’t hate Football, I love my football, go the all whites, and go the phoenix.
I dont hate any Palestinian’s? I dont know any Palestinian’s for that matter, If your talking about that guy who is alleged to have sleazy behavior towards woman, well I hope that gets dealt with, it hasnt nothing to do with where he is from.
If Louisa will only buy from business’s that will vote for her party, then I will call
her an idiot.
Ever since the World Cup started, you have been trumpeting more than normal how much you hate the game.
go the all whites,
Shows how much you know about football. The All Whites have (several seasons ago) transmogrified into the Ospreys. But, yes, they did have a glorious history, including wins over the All Blacks and more recently, the Wallabies…. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/welsh/6088622.stm
and go the phoenix.
That’s a soccer team.
I dont hate any Palestinian’s
Really? Then I invite others to look at what you wrote in January 2009, as Palestinian hospitals and homes and people were being massively and systematically destroyed. As your several comments demonstrate, you were completely in favour of the massacre…. http://thestandard.org.nz/israel-a-failed-democracy/#comment-113176
I dont know any Palestinian’s for that matter
You do but you’re just too insensitive to realize it. I am sure none of them has ever felt that they wanted to reveal their ethnicity to you, if you verbalize the sort of ignorant, hate-filled nonsense that you post on the internet.
If your talking about that guy who is alleged to have sleazy behavior towards woman
What on earth are you talking about?
Yes my spelling and grammar is awful.
Your spelling and grammar errors are trifling, compared to your mean-spirited and spurious comments about football, and, even worse, your callous and repeated statements of support for the perpetrators of mass murder.
Football is played with a round ball; NZ Soccer rebranded as NZ Football abut 6 years ago, you’ll only find ‘soccer’ in the USA.
Rugby, on the other hand, was a game developed at a toff’s school by people who lacked the ability to kick a ball, so picked it up and ran; later the ball became oval shaped.
Football is played with a round ball;
Correct, but not only with a round ball. Several kinds of football use an oval ball, and two (American and Canadian football) even use an “oblate spheroid.”
NZ Soccer rebranded as NZ Football abut 6 years ago,
Soccer New Zealand changed its name to NZ Football in compliance with a mischievous prank by John “Possumhead” O’Neill, the new head of the Australian Soccer Federation, who did the same thing over there—for no other reason than to annoy his erstwhile Australian Rugby Union colleagues, who had just fired him.
FIFA boss Sepp Blatter had been pleading for years with the ASF and Soccer New Zealand to change their names, but he had always been ignored. O’Neill managed to do it with his whimsical decree, however, manipulating Soccer New Zealand just like he did the New Zealand rugby bosses in 2002, when he wrested the hosting of the 2003 RWC off us.
you’ll only find ‘soccer’ in the USA.
And Canada, and Japan, and Korea, and Australia and New Zealand, and throughout the Pacific Islands. And what was the name of the stadium that hosted the final of the World Cup in South Africa last year?
Both New Zealand and Australian soccer bosses realized (and still do) that “football” is a contested term in both countries, though most people mean Rugby football or Australian Rules football.
Rugby, on the other hand, was a game developed at a toff’s school by people who lacked the ability to kick a ball, so picked it up and ran;
Nonsense, Ian. You seem like a bright guy, and I can’t believe that you would be dumb enough to swallow that Webb Ellis myth. That puts you in the same company as boofheads like Murray (“Too Many Dark Faces”) Deaker and the gin-swillers at the International Rugby Board.
later the ball became oval shaped.
That was so it could be drop-kicked further.
Kicking is an integral part of rugby football, as you know perfectly well.
Point of order! In the USA and NZ it’s called soccer, in the rest of the world, it’s football! I loathe team sports, but my son is a Phoenix fanatic, and projectile vomits when he hears people call it “soccer”. (I have been forced to realise that now, 2011, New Zealanders do all “talk American” (as predicted in the Listener in 1986), …Open Orifice’s NZ spell check is exactly the same as American English, and red-lines all the British (formerly NZ) spellings I use, for example….but that doesn’t mean I have to like it…
AFAIK, it’s been soccer in NZ only in the last 7-8 years, since we all started speaking American.. My son doesn’t hate living in NZ (he likes it much more than I do) but he’s even more sensitive to what things are called than I am…
Just the opposite, Vicky32. It’s been soccer since records began (and I know, having contributed to researching the history of the game in my town back to 1923). The move to standardising the game as football began about a decade ago, but has not been forced on the yanks because of the cultural dominance of their version of football (Gridiron). I do like the Guardian football correspondents’ habit of jokingly referring to the USA’s Major League Soccer as SoccerBall! (TM).
I’m comfortable with both versions, though, especially as soccer as a word comes from the abbreviation of Association Football, which clearly indicates it was football before it was soccer.
Have to agree about the bastardisation, sorry, americanisation, of our language though. I cringe every time I see the Jackal post his Asshole of the Week as if we were living in Shitkicker, Missouri or I hear the letter z mispronounced by our maleducated youth. And don’t get me started on the TV weather crew referring to ‘rain on the Westside’ or other such gang related bollocks. Grrrrr!
Have to agree about the bastardisation, sorry, americanisation, of our language though. I cringe every time I see the Jackal post his Asshole of the Week as if we were living in Shitkicker, Missouri or I hear the letter z mispronounced by our maleducated youth. And don’t get me started on the TV weather crew referring to ‘rain on the Westside’ or other such gang related bollocks. Grrrrr!
Thanks for clarifying, VoR! I am glad to be sure..
I first remember hearing ‘z’ mispronounced by the maleducated, in 1996, whilst working in an Intermediate school library… If people talking about their or someone else’s ass I always pretend to believe they mean donkey! 😀 But my un-favourite at the moment is ‘store’. A store is a warehouse. A retail outlet is a shop… online ‘stores’ particularly annoy me as they can’t be a ‘store’ in any sense, without physical premises!
I have tried to do some research on the “Special Honours List” out today, but have been unable to find what triggers the awards dates. They were first legislated for on 20th September 1999, but they appear to be able to be awarded at any time, unlike others such as New Year and Queen’s Birthday. Am I being cynical thinking that this list is in response to deflect the criticism of the SAS being the Afghanistan?
I’m not really keen on the SAS being in Afghanistan, but what I am uneasy about the most is the SAS being portrayed by the media (with approval from the NZDF) as pin-up boys, and tools to attract people into signing up. The NZSAS conduct their missions with strict secrecy, but the coverage of their activities could very well be putting them in danger, ie the photos of Willie Apiata. I am wondering if he has a price placed on his head by Taliban warlords.
I think anyone who steps into the spotlight has to be prepared to take the good with the bad, criticism wise, particularly if they express support for a political party (or its leader).
Exactly, a number of those who munched Sir Mad to millionaire status had better get used to regular sausages and brisket rather than pork roasts if his new chum ShonKey gets back in.
There is an argument that Sir Leitch sold off the shops in 07, but he sure continues to get personal mileage from the brand.
I had a lot of empathy for Peter Leitch during his cancer illness, and as a league fan know of some of the small kindnesses and donations he made that were not publically trumpeted.
His endorsement of ShonKey is a schmooze too far for me however. The kiwi attitude of not knocking ‘benevolent’ wealthy people is false, philanthropy is usually tinged with self aggrandisement, naming rights and “aw shucks”ism. I wonder how many of the tories defending Sir ’Mad now have ever bought one of his low to medium quality meat packs? I have always avoided the chain apart from the original shop due to the meat, but it filled a market gap for sure if you chart the working class areas the shops are consistently sited in.
’Mad is entitled to an opinion but so are the rest of us.
JK’s promise to try to get Coronation Street moved back to its original time slot seems a pretty blatant attempt to curry favour with the electorate. I doubt he even watches Coro, and probably wouldn’t understand it if he did.
I thought Key’s offer to interfere in TV programming was odd too. Coro rescheduling threats are keep coming up – it could be just a cunning way to get the oldies back to watching it some more.
Key would do more goods trying to get TVNZ to show something worth watching.
The irony is that it is his government’s scrapping of the Charter and its instructions for TVNZ to focus on the profit motive most probably contributed to it (though it could be argued that this goes back to 1988 when TVNZ lost its public service mandate — quality declined from there on in).
This is the concequence of a removal of any form of public service mandate from TVNZ – more cheffing shows (and Snookie), and less quality drama and documentaries.
Isn’t TVNZ still NZ’s state-supported broadcaster? What is the current position on the government attempting to interfere with or influence the daily operations of TVNZ channels?
TVNZ has no public service mandate. The only thing it has to do is make a profit and pay a dividend under the SOE Act 1986. The fact that it is state owned is inconsequential.
I am currently travelling overseas (in Helsinki at moment). Therefore I am accessing “The Standard” on an irregular basis.
Perhaps I misunderstand what “The Standard” represents. I thought with the election approaching this would be a forum for informing me on labour policies and how they were going in the election run up (who is perforning well, who is not, is the strategy correct etc). What do I get reading the last few weeks posts – Key this, National that …same old,same old (I appreciate your contributors have a pathological hatred of Key) …..but when if ever are you going to discuss anything labour (even when attacking National, discuss labour alternative policy)
Now maybe the sole reason for your blog is to attack National and any labour policy or actions undertaken by their representatives are largely irrelevant. If so perhaps someone could confirm this.
I write this as reading the Guardian recently (slightly left wing English newspaper) I was reminded how good this paper is. Supportive of labour but frequently critical of policy and party members (especially of the Blair govt) and resonable in assessing other parties (sympathetic to Lib Dems) including Tory govt. Why can’t The Standard at least aspire to this occasionally or have I missed the point – labour cheer leaders whose sole mission is to attack National/Act
[lprent: You have indeed missed the point of the site in both what you think we should do and what you think we are supporting.
Read the about which explains who we are. It is a site authored by various people from the broad labour movement. Only a few (like me) are also members of the Labour party. The most common point of agreement between us is that we don’t like the right and its policies.
We do report Labours policies and the Greens and anyone elses that we are interested in (including Nationals when we find some amongst the PR). But if you really want to look at Labours policies, then try Red Alert. Also look at No Right Turn for a more general left policy basis.
It is nice that you compare us to the Guardian, but they are a news outlet, whereas we are an opinion outlet for the authors and commentators. Quite a different style of operation and at a massively different scale. ]
Memo 310911
From: CT, Wgtn
To: Saturday Shift
Re: Operation Big Butch
In response to various requests I can confirm that all work today is on your normal hourly rate, not T1.5 for the first 3 hours and double time thereafter. You’re not in the bloody union Anthony, so don’t push it.
Thank you for your response to Thursday’s operation Free Speech. Contacting Campbell Larsen’s employer was a stroke of genius, should shut him up in the future. Please note, that in the event that the Warriors lose tomorrow, it was as a result of the coach’s failure to listen to PMJK. A win is of course attributed to PMJK’s changing shed speech before the game.
Is it just me or has Brian Edwards lost the plot in his old age. I’ve just been permanently banned from his blog because I dared challenged him on his views about certain things.
To be fair to Edwards, it wasn’t him that banned you. As your comment has been deleted, it’s hard to know whether you overstepped the mark or not, so perhaps you should outline what you said. Calling BE a Victorian prude earlier on was probably not wise, but I doubt it was for that!
I just challenged him on some of his social views, and the fact that he thinks that a teacher calling a 14 year old girl she ‘looked like a slut’ is somehow acceptable. Its really stuck in my craw since.
Don’t worry, millsy, you’re not the only one to incur the wrath of Brian Edwards. A few months back, the good doctor censored a transcript of mine because it “potentially libeled” that piece of self-regarding trash Paul Holmes.
We really need some political satire on public television in this country as we are in an insidious bullying environment where no one is allowed to speak ill of certain public figures or ‘icons’. Anyone daring to criticise is accused of somehow being unpatriotic. For me, this is the first step towards totalitarianism. It shows, for the safety of our democracy, that these people are ripe for satirising, and at the least criticism and questioning. These people include:
the PM
the Mad Butcher
the All Blacks including the very well paid ‘stars’
several cabinet ministers including Joyce, Tolley, Bennett, Brownlee, McCully
For example: you can just imagine the PM as some delirious clown cuddling up to the cleaver- waving, bling-ridden Mad Butcher. The cabinet ministers could be portrayed as a gang of school bullies.
But there is no funding for such entertainment, and in the vacuum they are left to behave as caricatures of themselves.
[lprent: Jumping pseudonyms requires that one of us has to release it from first time moderation. Eventually we stop making the effort and start filing them in spam. ]
The ‘vacuum’ is a credible left-wing opposition movement, not television entertainment. Attacking the mad butcher is just the latest example of stupidity.
Mr Bloggs called Mr Larsen a cockhole and then complains about how nasty the right are. Rather like the school bully reacting with indignation when his victim bloodies his nose.
Oh cry me a river Millsy – I’ve been called far worse on this site, for saying far less offensive things that pondscum Larsen did…
But I’ve never wished death on anyone, least of all someone who’s contributed as much to the working class as Peter Leitch.
Scratch the surface Millsy and you’ll find a whole heap of people from both sides of the political fence who are disgusted at Fenton, Walls, Larsen and that ilk for what they’ve said.
Sir Mad’s stores sold low to medium grade meat products to people at the bottom of the food chain, literally. He became a philanthropist and a walking brand. Facing your own mortality can change people. 80s unionist Rob Campbell jumped the fence after his brush with a nasty cancer, maybe the Butcher did likewise, more likely maybe he is just naive politically, the alternative is not attractive.
You only get flack when you are flying over the target.
Wassa matter bloggs, worried about something? You attempts to discredit or provoke me in this juvenile fashion are starting to look pretty damn desperate.
Wouldn’t it be ironic if you were picked up to do an add for National or the Mad Butcher chain.
[lprent: I don’t think he is an accountant. Perhaps you meant ‘ad’, which itself is short for advertisement. But such complexities are (alas) beyond you. This clown has now been banned for being an idiot troll who writes comments agreeing with his other identity. ]
Can somebody delete the above comment/ban this idiot? One git contacting Cambell’s employer is bad enough, but publicising his workplace is an invitation to the various whackjobs that lurk here to have a go as well, when the matter is completely unrelated to his employment.
[lprent: He was permanently banned earlier in the moderation sweep for being an idiot troll. In particular for using a second identity to support himself. ]
Larsen I very much doubt if his posts will ever look as desperate as a person wishing death on another human.
As Leitch, Fenton and yourself included are held accountable by their words you can never back down on your stupid staement about Leitchs death.
I will also make a stupid statement and suggest to you if I ever see you in public I will plant one right mug and you can spit some teeth out, ps Hayden Mahoney is the name so you it proves that i will stand up to foolish words as well.
Thank you Voice of reason, not partaking of drink at the moment. However i really think it demonstrates the “he said so I can say” type of debate that seems to be used by many in here.
Millsy yes I was threatening violence which you seem to think is very bad and a standard technique, however it is a threat not a wish of death. There is a difference there.
I am in no way saying my words were correct however if a person wishes death on another person then they do need to be receptive to emotive responses in reply.
Hmmm, just as an aside, you do know that threatening violence is a crime, Hayden? And the difference between the assault you are threatening and death is more often than not a matter of luck. Like this, which didn’t even involve hitting someone.
Bashing is not the way to resolve anything like this, it just plants one bad credit on another.
Campbell, your reputation has spread around the blogs quite a bit, and yeah, it’s hard to escape Google. If you stand by what you’ve said and accept any repercussions that’s your choice.
So I should apologize or else I deserve whatever I get? Is that what you are saying?
This little ‘incident’ is starting to reveal just how far some people are prepared to go to supress political commentary.
If butcher is the great guy that people say he is wouldnt he be horrified to know that abuse and threats of violence are being levelled on his behalf at someone who is only having their say.
The haters here seem to think that he would want me beaten up or abused – doesn’t that make them the ones that are bringing sir Peter into disrepute?
It’s not about suppressing political commentary, it’s expressing opinions on someone’s commentary. Has anyone tried to stop you saying or posting anything?
You can say or post what you like, and people can respond as they see fit, as long as the moderators allow it.
One of the things about the internet is that spur of the moment comments are in effect permanently recorded and available worldwide. More than a few will be caught out by that, sometimes a long time later.
Spur of the moment comment – that is precisely why all this supposed outrage is so ridiculous – if only my wishes were enough to change the world.
The discussion that followed was helpful in advancing peoples understanding of celebrity endorsement and the role it is likely to play in this election – not everyone wants that discussion to occur – that is why I have been subjected to such abuse.
I think people were offended by what you said, they weren’t trying to stop the following discussion. Hawk has realised his comments were over the top and inappropriate and followed up with a full apology – good for him for doing that – and you are still trying to divert blame to others “shutting down comment” and trying to pass the outrage off as ridiculous.
Try taking some real responsibility for what you posted. Sir Peter is widely liked and admired, try and understand how offended many people have been.
I hope you can learn something from this., eventually
Whatever Pete – I’m not about to apologize because you think I should. Hawk is a psycho, retraction or no. There is no comparison between his threat and my comment.
What I have learnt from this is that Peter has some very foul mouthed OCD friends who like to troll on blogs – he really should find better friends.
It’s not for me to think you should, your choice entirely whether you apologise or not, but if you keep blaming any subsequent kerfluffle on everyone and everything other than yourself donj’t be surprised if this keeps coming back to bite you on the bum.
I really have no idea who he is apart from occasional advertising of meat and other business and self-promotion (none of which I ever found to be of any particular interest). I gather from what Helen has said at various times that he is a warriors fan.
But I have never seen him say or do anything of any note by my standards. But I learnt that his appearance on anything I was watching was time to change channels
Of course I have never watched much TV, sports, or read the drivel sections of print media, or listened to commercial radio.
Welcome to the world of RWNJs. It is a bit like the borg. The instruction goes out to divert attention from stuff like credit rating downgrades to stuff like … well anything. The worst thing is that your comment was in terms of blogging quite mild, but this does nonstop the wing nuts from their faux angst.
You should see what Slater does. He continuously abuses and insults people but anyone who does the same to him and he then complains about rough treatment.
Commiserations about the idiot who emailed your work.
I just wish that they would realise that the left want a contest of ideas, not a violent winner take all confrontation.
Mr Larsen I stand corrected and realise my comments to you were foolish and wrong. Threating violence is not a wise option and I was wrong to post in such a manner.
I apoligise for my words and wish you the best in your future, I was not commenting on the political stance of yourself but rather the comments on a persons death.
I would not carry out my threat to you and once again present my regret on my statement, I hope that by posting as you did you sufffer no ill fortune through the acts and words of others as I attempted to do you to. As they say two wrongs do not make a right, so I to will stand shamed for my ill thought out remarks.
Did you take it down Hawk? I got this when I followed the link… (I am registered with Badoo, although I don’t bother going there.)
“Pagina non trovata
La pagina che stai cercando potrebbe essere stata rimossa, rinominata o temporaneamente non disponibile.”
(Page not found. The page you are looking for might have been removed or is temporarily not available).
I did indeed and would like to thank Ianupnorth for alerting me to the fact that I was still listed as a registered. That coupled with the fact that it was able to be noticed by people with google.
So a slight heads up that activites you do years ago unless closed down can be still traced. 🙂
So a slight heads up that activites you do years ago unless closed down can be still traced.
True! If I google my real name, the first hit is my having signed the condolence book for John Nathan Turner (Doctor Who producer who died in 2002 or thereabouts!) Not that I mind, but it’s far from the only thing I’ve done before or since.
Worse still, when I google my name, I find stuff has been uploaded with my name attached related to activities long before the advent of the http://WWW... from the 1960s. This includes class photos from the 60s, uploaded to one of those old friends sites, with every member of the class in the photo named. Why on earth does the person who uploaded this think that any of us wanted that kind of public visibility?
Why on earth does the person who uploaded this think that any of us wanted that kind of public visibility?
They just think “well, I don’t mind, so why should they?”. My son has been very firm with me, that I must not put photos of anyone without their express permission, so all my Facebook photos are of those family members who either have given permission or are beyond asking (dead and gone.) No school photos! 🙂
Some of the comments on this thread are so politically correct – meaning the only political stance that is correct (or allowed) is that of the current right wing administration.
Yay more votes to switch to the Greens due to the incompetent Labour clowns thinking that the left vote belongs to them, fancy attacking the Mad Butcher, the words pathetic and vacuous spring to mind.
Keep going Labour supporters, self destruction is a beautiful thing to watch.
Feeling righteous does not serve working class New Zealanders. Every time there has been any progress sticking it to this government over their bad management of the economy, some dickhead like Mallard, Curran or Fenton plants their foot firmly in their mouth. Cheered on by fools.
Maybe the intelligent New Zealanders intending to vote this 26 November will have read the real back stories and will not be swayed by celebrity vote.
As one of those ‘fools’ you have accused of ‘cheering’ people on, I would prefer to use my freedom of expression rights still available to me as and when I please, not when you please.
Sometimes it is more important to have a say than stay silent when so many Key-paid crosby textor ringins are attacking.
Freedom of speech will always be my thing, and I will continue to say that when people like Peter Leitch in 2008 said he didn’t get involved in politics because Helen Clark was the current Prime Minister, yet deliberately politicises his intended vote for Key in 2011, and several posters have steadfastly maintained that he also used his illness for the sympathy vote for Key, I have the right to call his actions hypocritical, irresponsible and reprehensible.
It is also important to remind the populace, that seem to have very short memories, of the vicious, lying attacks on Helen Clark in the leadup to the 2008 election. I haven’t forgotten. That remark of Campbell Larsen was nothing compared to that time when New Zealand politics and religion, thanks to the rightwing parties, drove New Zealand to the baser part of its underbelly when a woman politician became our Prime Minister and a centre-left one at that. That savage ugliness is rearing its head again this year.
You see, this year is very important to the neo-conservatives; it will be the moment, if Key makes it back in, to put the final touches to the sell off of New Zealand and open up the surrounding environment to the mineral hunters, the oil searchers and everything else that will damage my beloved country, with greed the only motivator – jobs being such a small number and the financial benefit to all New Zealanders minute – the future environmental damage irreversible.
How this election eventuates will inform me better than anything else just how many braincells people have got when it comes to making their decisions based on policy or PR. I don’t mean on Key or Goff. I mean on the future impact of both left and right policies and that is always to be examined alongside the influences on left and right and the teams of left and right.
I’m interested in what these trades academy places are that Anne Tolley is talking about?
Have the NActs shut down one successful way of teaching skills for another ‘same’ under a different name, costing us all a mint and achieving nothing new but slowing down progress?
I looked at the completion figures quoted on page 3 and while they were low, at that time there was low unemployment and the mainly up to 25 years participants (61%) would have been changing employment/training not realising the world was going to fall in.
Also, that graph was reflecting 2006 figures.
I will quote a little from it which shows how much was being done for youth in 2007.
‘CONSTRUCTION TASTER IN SCHOOLS
After consultation with the education sector and industry, the BCITO established that there was a need in schools for a construction industry ‘taster’ course. As a result, the Building, Construction and Allied Trade Skills (BCATS) initiative has been developed – two new entry level qualifications being introduced by the BCITO and BETA Group (Built Environment Training Alliance) for year 11 and 12 students.
The qualifications give students an array of skills that can be applied across a broad spectrum of construction sector areas. On top of the newly developed BCATS unit standards that are construction specific, the qualifications will integrate with core areas of the school curriculum and NCEA. By providing construction-related examples in a number of core subjects, they will encourage maths (for example) to be taught in the classroom as well as being reinforced in the workshop.
The BCITO is working with schools throughout the country and aims to roll out the BCATS qualifications in 2008.
Providing an introduction at school to a career in the building and construction industry helps young people to make informed decisions about a career path. They can then enter an apprenticeship with a strong grounding – an attractive proposition for future employers. ‘
I’ve looked up BCITO’s current website; at first sighting it appears they didn’t exist before National appointed them to run the trades academies… until I found this further on:
I was teaching BCAT’s on practicum in 2008. Both schools had been doing similar programs, for quite a few years before, for engineering and motor trades. http://www.mito.org.nz/
ITO’s were first set up in 1992, I think. Part of “Modern Apprenticeships”.
I guess what I am trying to say here is that I and many others are sick of name changing and complaining about a programme that carries on the same under another political party but with a different name; it costs money, people lose faith and youth most importantly feel used.
Can you tell me what is happening now?
I was also encouraged to find a site about Morrinsville College’s plans for years 12 and 13 re transition studies and in general studies to suit all students. Maybe the teachers, parents and school boards are working together on behalf of their students, sons/daughters for a better outcome. That would be nice.
These are actually requirements from the new New Zealand curriculum.
Which was the result of years of consultation, research and reference to worldwide best practice.
Unlike National standards, which was a knee jerk by ideological politicians. And conflicts with most of what we know about effective education.
IEP’s (Individual education plans), to suit students strengths and needs are required for all students.
The ITO and NCEA standards need a good tidy up to meet the new curriculum requirements, as most were written before the curriculum was adopted. This is now in progress. So long as it is not identified for funding cuts.
Trade academy type classes, at least in the schools I have been involved in, are working well. However they have existed for a long time now. Were just called Technology classes in:. Automotive, Engineering, Furniture etc.
Schools get a little annoyed when politicians take credit for things which were initiatives by schools and their communities.
I noticed that when Heatley was interviewed on The Nation this morning he did not disclose to the country that there was an income formula.
Due to being on the Housing New Zealand list I thought that I would go and look at some of the places that I could be offered. I spoke to a person on NZ super who has been in a HNZ 1 bedroom for two decades. The following is a summary of what I was told.
HNZ don’t listen.
People walk through the complex and they don’t live here.
There is no fencing.
There was a home invasion a few months ago and a woman was beaten up.
A car window was broken last week.
A rough guy lives there, he is on his last chance and his mates stay over and sometimes their pit bulls roam.
Stereos are heard all the time.
Bottles are smashed.
One lady moved out because she could not take the addiction problems.
My other observations
One complex is really untidy and families live there.
The properties are close together.
The weeds are over grown.
Rubbish is not picked up.
Old couches are in carports.
HNZ need to supply every six months a huge bin for dumping rubbish and another bin for weeds as a lot of people cannot afford to dispose of rubbish.
Now that the most poor, unwell and aged (providing they meet the income formula) could be housed, I fear that social problems are going to escalate and ghettos (cramping, people living in fear who easily become angered) is the future HNZ.
Heatley is going to subdivide larger properties. For now no one is being turfed out of their HNZ property, no doubt this will occur after the election if National gets back in. The average income for a person in a HNZ property is the minimum wage and where does Heatley think they can afford to live.
Anyone who has played a round of golf on the RNZAF golf course, which runs outside the runways of the military base, will know that if you hit a ball anywhere near the runway you will be subject to prosecution for trespass. Theory has it that there are apparently people on 24 hour surveillance patrol.
And suddenly the runways (through ministerial assent – no doubt as a result of
John’ll-fix-it intervention) are going to be opened up for at least 72 hours for a load of petrol heads to wander around at will.
Yeah but there are a hell of lot of petrol heads out there in the west and Whenuapai borders John’ll-fix-it’s electorate. Paula could do with a fillip as well.
Do you remember the protestations from the NATs when Waitakere wanted to push for this to become a commercial airport? “No this is a strategic defensive piece and must remain so…” Ah, well.
I see the bloody useless NZ Herald has got a story on the Warrior’s late Sonny Fai as the number one news story most affecting New Zealand this afternoon.
I see the sense in what you are saying but surely just one media channel could pitch their wares at the large group of New Zealanders who would like to see some substantial news analysis and coverage.
Unfortunately, our journalists aren’t that principled and our television stations aren’t that objective and the average New Zealander really doesn’t give a shit.
Sorry – I wish I could share better news.
PS Channel 7 did that – sort of, but Key is getting rid of it. No one is marching in the street and it appears that Russell Brown has been bought and sold…
I hope people fight Key’s smiling fascism before it is too late.
In the final countdown you cannot wholly blame the media for printing what the mainstream NZers want.
Actually, we can. Their job isn’t to give what people want but what they need which is credible and reliable information at which our MSM completely fails.
Unfortunately, the owners of media don’t want New Zealanders to live the good life because their profits are all that matters and people want to buy those papers that tell them lies. I know you want to believe the best of New Zealanders but quite frankly, Draco T Bastard, those honourable New Zealanders no longer exist in any great number. Why do you think Key got voted in on a smile and a bribe of undelivered $50 tax cuts?
No handle, just a sad understanding from going through the fallout of almost two elections now that tells me people can not believe that John Key could possibly be the massive disappointment he will be.
Also, that the governments including Douglas, Richardson and Key/Douglas have fed people the line that greed is good and objective judgement, critical analysis of policy from parties is bad and celebrity endorsement is all a government needs to run a country.
Your continued indictment of one poster that chooses to air their own opinion is now beginning to worry me. Who are you and what are your reasons for attacking my freedom to have an opinion. We can go on with this ‘conversation’ as long as you like but I generally like to have a useful debate; so far you are not providing that.
On her 8.08pm message it was: “Your contempt for voters is unappealing.” What’s with this person?
My hope is that people will actually concentrate on what is being perpetrated by government upon them. She/he could better spend their time telling Key that his contempt for voters is irresponsible/unappealing.
Easily a million, and millions more globally in support. In several US cities already and starting to spread to Australia. Tomorrow sees a new push.The flashmob in Queens Street today is a hint that it could even reach NZ.
I have an acquaintance of mine – “Al”, an ACT supporter of all things! – who took part in the march. He was handed a loudspeaker and he started chanting some pretty good anti-government slogans.
There’s hope for “Al” yet!
As for the meainstream media not convering the protest… shameful! (I’ll have more on my blog soon. Just waiting for some pics to arrive.)
The Labour MP’s are nothing but a pack of nutters. Imagine having a crowd like that running the country. Thank god for the John Key’s of this world. The national government have kept this country stable, and I hate to think what it would of been like at this stage with the Labour halfwits. The way Darien Fenton and Louisa Wall have put down Peter Leitch is nothing short of disgusting, Phil Goff should be ashamed of himself for allowing types like that out of the kennel.
At one time it was okay for the rich and powerful to fete the politician, and what flowed from that relationship was generally considered of no ill effect. The Prime Minister could also be seen in the company of the successfully wealthy and even be ‘matesy’ with the monied without both coming across as sycophantic or the relationship thought ill advised. And then there was ‘murdoch-gate’ where the relationships were exposed for what they truly were – avenues for corruption.
I have been in the company of the mad butcher, I have even masticated on his meat. He is a decent man – not a god above reproach.
People have every right to criticise the relationship or to make disparaging remarks about the mad butcher or anyone else they an issue with – its called free speech. Dislike the nature of the free speech but it is completely ‘nutty’ from a democratic perspective to not defend the right to free speech no matter how offensive it is found on a personal level. A democracy demands no less.
I have been in the company of the mad butcher, I have even masticated on his meat. He is a decent man – not a god above reproach.
Adele, your wording makes me think of MB’s radio advert, the squickiest jingle in creation … “You can’t beat/The Mad Butcher’s meat”… It’s not just on commercial radio, it’s on the BBC WS! (Which has adverts now, and has for maybe the past 2 years, though not on Sundays!) 🙂
Yeah, Dianne, because Labour didn’t leave this country $16.7 billion in debt; borrowing $380 million a week; cutting taxes twice, when we couldn’t afford it; and seeing unemployment double in three years. No, it was National who achieved that.
Frank its $77billion National are borrowing to buy this election $18 billion a year they are borrowing Dianne interest going up by $600 million really stable i suppose with a personality like yours you could call it stable in the same sort as the Greek stable.
Quite true.. Mik e. I didn’t make my post above as clear as I could have. (That’ll teach me to post at such an ungodly hour, without caffeine in my bloodstream…)
Do you remember posting: “The worst thing is that your comment was in terms of blogging quite mild, but this does nonstop the wing nuts from their faux angst.”
Yes Pete
There is a typo and the sentence is a bit non sensical.
I meant to say
The worst thing is that your comment was in terms of blogging quite mild, but this does not stop the wing nuts from their faux angst
And I am struggling to understand your criticism. Dianne whoever he or she is jumps up and down about a rather muted criticism of Leitch and then essentially calls a couple of Labour MPs dogs. I am merely pointing out the hypocrisy of this.
If you can point out where I have criticised Leitch you might have a point but I am certain that you will not be able to do so.
You find it “disgusting that you should suggest that two respected female Labour MPs are dogs.”
(Actual statement: “Phil Goff should be ashamed of himself for allowing types like that out of the kennel.” which I think is certainly over the top)
And you refer to wishing death on someone as “a rather muted criticism of Leitch”.
Pete George – defending and celebrating the abusive, threatening bullies on blogs.
My ‘retraction’ was posted long ago:
“Obviously I don’t actually wish him an untimely death – after all it’s not like I was threatening to catapult a bus onto him – chortle -”
1. Saying that Goff let the two MPs “out of the kennel” is suggesting they are dogs.
2. You have taken my comment out of context. I said that the comment “was in terms of blogging quite mild” and I stand by that. Just check out the sewer.
3. Please point out where I used the words “a rather muted criticism of Leitch”. I cannot find it and I am pretty sure I did not use these words.
If you are Dianne Foreman, and it sounds exactly like something she would say, you are exactly what keeps women in a subordinate position. I can see why you would want that, given your subordinate position to Don Brash and co, and also as a rotundtable associate, not allowed at the big table of the boys. Still, many National supporter women have stated that there shouldn’t be so many women in parliament which proves the point about NAct women wanting men to make their decisions for them and play the weak little females – pathetic.
We know, if you are Dianne Foreman, that you are as cunning as your phallic symbol John Key, in e.g. arranging special fundraising dinners where rich businessmen in Tower and Talley, etc. the business thieves of the rotundtable that are slavering at the lips over the prospect of finally owning all our precious all-New Zealander-owned assets, tobacco barons helped by the Matthew Hootens and Owen Glenns of New Zealand lobbying to deliberately damage New Zealanders’ health, especially so many young Maori women, under most stress in this society, give John Key and NAct lots of cash because they will get to privatise everything at fire sale prices that once belonged to all-New Zealanders.
Still keeping up Dianne? – Long sentence I know but the list of crimes against you pondscum is growing ever longer. Eventually more New Zealanders will start taking some responsibility in finding this out for themselves. Meanwhile The Standard is doing their work for them. Eventually more New Zealanders will begin to understand what they are sacrificing for their 30 pieces of gold.
Also, you won some business award with your icecream, which is enough to make anyone scream. It was soon after the fundraising dinner and the election you helped Key to win – payback for you. You may actually be a good entrepreneur but when you sell yourself to your particular ‘devil’ – in this case Key – it will never be clear why you won. It doesn’t seem to matter though where greed is involved.
She’s a private hospital owner and will be looking to gain wealth at the expense of New Zealanders when the health system is privatised.
And, if you, ‘Dianne’ are not Dianne Foreman, fine. Being Dianne Foreman is not a compliment and my sincere apologies for thinking you were.
But, I’ve been wanting to say this to Dianne Foreman for a very long time – she’s a disgrace to a New Zealand of social equity. She is a greedy elitist and and she will operate behind the scenes to bring people of the same low calibre of humanity into positions of power and affluence.
That will automatically exclude 90% of New Zealanders from the lifestyle that they work hard to gain and therefore deserve.
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The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning 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,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...
Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julien Cooper, Honorary Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Julien Cooper The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new ...
The sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign ...
The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
Rock The Vote NZ, known for its advocacy for minor party unity and its role within the Freedoms NZ Coalition during the 2023 General Election, celebrates this merger as a strategic enhancement of its operational strength and outreach. ...
Nearly everyone has experienced the frustration of something you use breaking and being difficult or expensive to fix. Proposed legislation could change that. It’s been raining on and off all Sunday afternoon but people are lining up outside a building in a corner of Gribblehirst Park in Sandringham, Auckland. In ...
What does a forever relationship look like when you don’t believe in marriage? And how do you celebrate it? This essay is part of our Sunday Essay series, made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.I’m going to do it, right now. I’m going to say ...
FICTION 1 Take Two by Danielle Hawkins (Allen & Unwin, $36.99) There’s commercial fiction, like this book, and then there’s quality fiction, quality writers, quality literature; the forthcoming Auckland Writers Festival is full of quality, and ReadingRoom has two tickets to give away to the following events: Paul Lynch (Dublin ...
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You can’t have missed the Gallipoli story as the movies, documentaries, essays and books capture what it was like for New Zealand troops in their eight-month campaign on the Peninsula. But this Anzac Day the Auckland War Memorial Museum has published a book that sheds light on a little-known aspect of the ...
The Prime Minister has committed to resuming direct flights to Thailand. But it’s not a promise he will be able to deliver on anytime soon. The post Prime Minister jumps the gun in Thailand appeared first on Newsroom. ...
It’s not that long ago Eliza McCartney was seriously wondering if the Paris Olympics would be her pole vaulting swansong. After years of being hounded by injury after injury, the Rio Olympics bronze medallist was still confident she would compete at her second Olympics in Paris in July, unless something ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Musk’s vociferous opposition to ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Pacific Media Watch Journalists who report on environmental issues are encountering growing difficulties in many parts of the world, reports Reporters Without Borders. According to the tally kept by RSF, 200 journalists have been subjected to threats and physical violence, including murder, in the past 10 years because they were ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
ACT's Rural Communities and Veterans spokesman Mark Cameron responds to cancellations and protests of ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington. He says, "These pitiful attempts to detract from ANZAC Day are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
I predict that soon people on the Left will hail the Morgan poll out yesterday as indicating the imminent collapse of Key’s government, and will say that Labour is on track to win back the government benches. I also predict that very little comment will be made by these same people when the TV3 and TVNZ polls come out on Sunday night.
We can probably expect to see a sizable dent in the “Country heading in the right direction” in the next poll due to the credit downgrade, I think.
Why? There is nothing different in it apart from rugby effects, as I expect the other polls to be as well. But authors write on what they want to. So do commentators with some limits from moderators.
But are you expecting large amounts of variance between polls by different companies? That in itself is pretty interesting bearing in mind that they are meant to be accurately measuring the same voting population.
But I will agree with your implied preposition that the polls from different organisations are quite different and probably highly inaccurate.
Did you see this ?? Only one question was even minutely questioning Key. Just another smile and wave day.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/video.cfm?c_id=280&gal_objectid=10755634&gallery_id=121853
John Key actually performed pretty well in that interview, I think. None of his usual smarmy bullshit and didn’t mangle any of his words.
Dear Labour,
Please stop attacking the Mad Butcher, for better or for worse people like him, and you come across like a bunch of dicks.
Also let a bad story die, don’t reignite it.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10755757
The Herald editorial has a say on it too. It makes a general observation:
A few of the old school here might like to ponder on that.
Nothing wrong with a bit of tribalism. Much better than pappy Blairism.
The Mad Butcher is a traitor. If he supports John Key then he supports:
The reduction of the state housing stock and tighening of state housing criteria, leading to the creation of slums,
The privatisation and Americanisation of our health system
The weakening of labour laws and protections, which will give employers the power to treat their workers like dirt
The destruction of our social safety net, leading to homelessness across the board
The privatisation of water services by councils, which will hit the poor the hardest
The privatisation of infrstructure, and possible sale to the Chinese
The loosening of standards with regards to air and water quality, leading to poor health among people
The sale of our farms to off shore owners
Etc.
I personally would support a boycott of his stores.
Wow, just….wow…..
What do you find so “wow” exactly?
Anything in that list you’d like to challenge?
Or are you just having trouble with the jarring contrast between Key’s PR and his politics?
Please do keep going on… I love hearing all the baseless reasoning.
Explaining is losing, you seriously can’t STFU for one minute and reflect to see the wood for the trees.
Just more evidence that you lot might as well be on another planet when it comes to convincing the electorate you should be running the country.
What baseless reasoning? John Key has either already implemented those policies or said that they will be implemented next term.
“explaining is losing”.
Smile, wave, and say “thankyou sir, may I have another?” There’s a winning strategy.
Actually, I think it’s good that the left demonstrates some differences of opinions on such issues.
for better or for worse people like him
What people? I think it may be no accident that the Labour MPs who have been critical of Sir MB are women, and that the guys are more likely to either defend him or to resile from criticising him.
I most like watching rugby union, but also enjoy watching League from time to time, as well as listening to Radio Sport on occasions. I have never taken to the MB and his rants – to me he is an unlikeable irritation. I suspect his appeal is largely to male sports fans and especially male League fans (which probably includes a lot of MSM journalists)… that hardly makes him a popular man of the people generally.
I’d say most of Louisa’s electorate like him, men and women. I take it you aren’t from South Auckland?
It’s just a stupid issue to focus on when you are trying to win an election.
And what about his support for policies that will screw people in those areas?
He. Is. A. Traitor.
I don’t care if he gives to charities. Charities always pick and choose who they help, and make people jump through hoops. Look at Habitat for Humanity. we are better off bringing back Housing Corp mortgages and increasing the state housing stock rather than relying on those clowns. And I bet you that butcher boy has all his workers on a 90-day trial period,
I despise organised sport generally (I am told that’s a serious character fault somewhat similar to kicking puppies – although I don’t do that) so I assess the MB on the basis of his ‘stores’ (cold, unpleasant and not particularly cheap) and his public persona – that of Shouty Man. I’ve learned by chatting to them, that he doesn’t pay his staff well enough to compensate them for a very unpleasant working environment, and muddled schedules, so I am very unimpressed with the man.
“Darien should have stood by her comments. The world needs more people like her, who would stick it to the powerful in the name of the powerless.
Mad Butcher, you are dirty stinking flithy traitor.”
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-30092011/#comment-379950
Unlike Darien, I stand by my comments.
And, I dont think anyone will squeal to my work about it, as I dont tell anyone where I work. My employer will probably laugh anyway, my work holds the position that what goes on in their workers life outside their work is their own business (apart from getting stoned in the morning before coming to work).
So let me get this right, this idiot, Louisa Wall wont buy stuff from people who dont vote for her party? what an idiot.
That football-hating, Palestinian-hating, Mad Butcher-boosting, mediocrity-loving drip Brett “God I hate Football” Dale seems to have worked himself up into a lather after hearing Louisa Wall criticize his half-witted hero…
this idiot, Louisa Wall wont buy stuff from people who dont vote for her party what an idiot.
You have a track record of posting up crude, foolish, ill-informed rants on a large number of topics. For you to call Louisa Wall, or anyone else for that matter, an “idiot” is irony indeed.
By the way, you mis-spelled don’t and won’t.
Morrisey:
I don’t hate Football, I love my football, go the all whites, and go the phoenix.
I dont hate any Palestinian’s? I dont know any Palestinian’s for that matter, If your talking about that guy who is alleged to have sleazy behavior towards woman, well I hope that gets dealt with, it hasnt nothing to do with where he is from.
If Louisa will only buy from business’s that will vote for her party, then I will call
her an idiot.
Yes my spelling and grammar is awful.
Brett Dale is still bewildered.
I don’t hate Football, I love my football,
Ever since the World Cup started, you have been trumpeting more than normal how much you hate the game.
go the all whites,
Shows how much you know about football. The All Whites have (several seasons ago) transmogrified into the Ospreys. But, yes, they did have a glorious history, including wins over the All Blacks and more recently, the Wallabies….
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/welsh/6088622.stm
and go the phoenix.
That’s a soccer team.
I dont hate any Palestinian’s
Really? Then I invite others to look at what you wrote in January 2009, as Palestinian hospitals and homes and people were being massively and systematically destroyed. As your several comments demonstrate, you were completely in favour of the massacre….
http://thestandard.org.nz/israel-a-failed-democracy/#comment-113176
I dont know any Palestinian’s for that matter
You do but you’re just too insensitive to realize it. I am sure none of them has ever felt that they wanted to reveal their ethnicity to you, if you verbalize the sort of ignorant, hate-filled nonsense that you post on the internet.
If your talking about that guy who is alleged to have sleazy behavior towards woman
What on earth are you talking about?
Yes my spelling and grammar is awful.
Your spelling and grammar errors are trifling, compared to your mean-spirited and spurious comments about football, and, even worse, your callous and repeated statements of support for the perpetrators of mass murder.
Football is played with a round ball; NZ Soccer rebranded as NZ Football abut 6 years ago, you’ll only find ‘soccer’ in the USA.
Rugby, on the other hand, was a game developed at a toff’s school by people who lacked the ability to kick a ball, so picked it up and ran; later the ball became oval shaped.
Football is played with a round ball;
Correct, but not only with a round ball. Several kinds of football use an oval ball, and two (American and Canadian football) even use an “oblate spheroid.”
NZ Soccer rebranded as NZ Football abut 6 years ago,
Soccer New Zealand changed its name to NZ Football in compliance with a mischievous prank by John “Possumhead” O’Neill, the new head of the Australian Soccer Federation, who did the same thing over there—for no other reason than to annoy his erstwhile Australian Rugby Union colleagues, who had just fired him.
FIFA boss Sepp Blatter had been pleading for years with the ASF and Soccer New Zealand to change their names, but he had always been ignored. O’Neill managed to do it with his whimsical decree, however, manipulating Soccer New Zealand just like he did the New Zealand rugby bosses in 2002, when he wrested the hosting of the 2003 RWC off us.
you’ll only find ‘soccer’ in the USA.
And Canada, and Japan, and Korea, and Australia and New Zealand, and throughout the Pacific Islands. And what was the name of the stadium that hosted the final of the World Cup in South Africa last year?
Both New Zealand and Australian soccer bosses realized (and still do) that “football” is a contested term in both countries, though most people mean Rugby football or Australian Rules football.
Rugby, on the other hand, was a game developed at a toff’s school by people who lacked the ability to kick a ball, so picked it up and ran;
Nonsense, Ian. You seem like a bright guy, and I can’t believe that you would be dumb enough to swallow that Webb Ellis myth. That puts you in the same company as boofheads like Murray (“Too Many Dark Faces”) Deaker and the gin-swillers at the International Rugby Board.
later the ball became oval shaped.
That was so it could be drop-kicked further.
Kicking is an integral part of rugby football, as you know perfectly well.
Point of order! In the USA and NZ it’s called soccer, in the rest of the world, it’s football! I loathe team sports, but my son is a Phoenix fanatic, and projectile vomits when he hears people call it “soccer”. (I have been forced to realise that now, 2011, New Zealanders do all “talk American” (as predicted in the Listener in 1986), …Open Orifice’s NZ spell check is exactly the same as American English, and red-lines all the British (formerly NZ) spellings I use, for example….but that doesn’t mean I have to like it…
Point of order! In the USA and NZ it’s called soccer,
Invalid. You forgot, or neglected, to add Canada, and Japan, and Korea, and Australia, and the islands of the Pacific.
my son is a Phoenix fanatic, and projectile vomits when he hears people call it “soccer”.
Your son must hate being alive then. Perhaps he needs to realize what country he lives in.
AFAIK, it’s been soccer in NZ only in the last 7-8 years, since we all started speaking American.. My son doesn’t hate living in NZ (he likes it much more than I do) but he’s even more sensitive to what things are called than I am…
Just the opposite, Vicky32. It’s been soccer since records began (and I know, having contributed to researching the history of the game in my town back to 1923). The move to standardising the game as football began about a decade ago, but has not been forced on the yanks because of the cultural dominance of their version of football (Gridiron). I do like the Guardian football correspondents’ habit of jokingly referring to the USA’s Major League Soccer as SoccerBall! (TM).
I’m comfortable with both versions, though, especially as soccer as a word comes from the abbreviation of Association Football, which clearly indicates it was football before it was soccer.
Have to agree about the bastardisation, sorry, americanisation, of our language though. I cringe every time I see the Jackal post his Asshole of the Week as if we were living in Shitkicker, Missouri or I hear the letter z mispronounced by our maleducated youth. And don’t get me started on the TV weather crew referring to ‘rain on the Westside’ or other such gang related bollocks. Grrrrr!
Thanks for clarifying, VoR! I am glad to be sure..
I first remember hearing ‘z’ mispronounced by the maleducated, in 1996, whilst working in an Intermediate school library… If people talking about their or someone else’s ass I always pretend to believe they mean donkey! 😀 But my un-favourite at the moment is ‘store’. A store is a warehouse. A retail outlet is a shop… online ‘stores’ particularly annoy me as they can’t be a ‘store’ in any sense, without physical premises!
I have tried to do some research on the “Special Honours List” out today, but have been unable to find what triggers the awards dates. They were first legislated for on 20th September 1999, but they appear to be able to be awarded at any time, unlike others such as New Year and Queen’s Birthday. Am I being cynical thinking that this list is in response to deflect the criticism of the SAS being the Afghanistan?
I’m not really keen on the SAS being in Afghanistan, but what I am uneasy about the most is the SAS being portrayed by the media (with approval from the NZDF) as pin-up boys, and tools to attract people into signing up. The NZSAS conduct their missions with strict secrecy, but the coverage of their activities could very well be putting them in danger, ie the photos of Willie Apiata. I am wondering if he has a price placed on his head by Taliban warlords.
I think anyone who steps into the spotlight has to be prepared to take the good with the bad, criticism wise, particularly if they express support for a political party (or its leader).
The butcher built his empire on the back of poor working class people now he’s in the ranks of the elite .
Exactly, a number of those who munched Sir Mad to millionaire status had better get used to regular sausages and brisket rather than pork roasts if his new chum ShonKey gets back in.
There is an argument that Sir Leitch sold off the shops in 07, but he sure continues to get personal mileage from the brand.
I had a lot of empathy for Peter Leitch during his cancer illness, and as a league fan know of some of the small kindnesses and donations he made that were not publically trumpeted.
His endorsement of ShonKey is a schmooze too far for me however. The kiwi attitude of not knocking ‘benevolent’ wealthy people is false, philanthropy is usually tinged with self aggrandisement, naming rights and “aw shucks”ism. I wonder how many of the tories defending Sir ’Mad now have ever bought one of his low to medium quality meat packs? I have always avoided the chain apart from the original shop due to the meat, but it filled a market gap for sure if you chart the working class areas the shops are consistently sited in.
’Mad is entitled to an opinion but so are the rest of us.
Yeah but our opinions don’t create negative stories in the paper taking the spotlight off National’s massive screw ups.
I see John Key has his Election Posters on sale.
that’s a dead link sukie :[
JK’s promise to try to get Coronation Street moved back to its original time slot seems a pretty blatant attempt to curry favour with the electorate. I doubt he even watches Coro, and probably wouldn’t understand it if he did.
I thought Key’s offer to interfere in TV programming was odd too. Coro rescheduling threats are keep coming up – it could be just a cunning way to get the oldies back to watching it some more.
Key would do more goods trying to get TVNZ to show something worth watching.
Er, not all Coro fans are old! My 25 year old niece and her friends are serious watchers..
The irony is that it is his government’s scrapping of the Charter and its instructions for TVNZ to focus on the profit motive most probably contributed to it (though it could be argued that this goes back to 1988 when TVNZ lost its public service mandate — quality declined from there on in).
This is the concequence of a removal of any form of public service mandate from TVNZ – more cheffing shows (and Snookie), and less quality drama and documentaries.
Apart from Coronation Street, does TV1 have anything worth watching these days?
Um..no.
That’s why I had to cross over to the dark side and get sky. Now I pay $70 a month for 100-odd channels of nothing worth watching 🙂
It does occasionally, but they don’t exactly promote their good stuff, it’s more a mattter of chance discovering it..
Isn’t TVNZ still NZ’s state-supported broadcaster? What is the current position on the government attempting to interfere with or influence the daily operations of TVNZ channels?
TVNZ has no public service mandate. The only thing it has to do is make a profit and pay a dividend under the SOE Act 1986. The fact that it is state owned is inconsequential.
A Labour mistake.
Colonial Viper,
that Labour should correct as soon as possible.
Yep.
By not correcting it they have created a media smashing machine aimed at themselves.
I am currently travelling overseas (in Helsinki at moment). Therefore I am accessing “The Standard” on an irregular basis.
Perhaps I misunderstand what “The Standard” represents. I thought with the election approaching this would be a forum for informing me on labour policies and how they were going in the election run up (who is perforning well, who is not, is the strategy correct etc). What do I get reading the last few weeks posts – Key this, National that …same old,same old (I appreciate your contributors have a pathological hatred of Key) …..but when if ever are you going to discuss anything labour (even when attacking National, discuss labour alternative policy)
Now maybe the sole reason for your blog is to attack National and any labour policy or actions undertaken by their representatives are largely irrelevant. If so perhaps someone could confirm this.
I write this as reading the Guardian recently (slightly left wing English newspaper) I was reminded how good this paper is. Supportive of labour but frequently critical of policy and party members (especially of the Blair govt) and resonable in assessing other parties (sympathetic to Lib Dems) including Tory govt. Why can’t The Standard at least aspire to this occasionally or have I missed the point – labour cheer leaders whose sole mission is to attack National/Act
[lprent: You have indeed missed the point of the site in both what you think we should do and what you think we are supporting.
Read the about which explains who we are. It is a site authored by various people from the broad labour movement. Only a few (like me) are also members of the Labour party. The most common point of agreement between us is that we don’t like the right and its policies.
We do report Labours policies and the Greens and anyone elses that we are interested in (including Nationals when we find some amongst the PR). But if you really want to look at Labours policies, then try Red Alert. Also look at No Right Turn for a more general left policy basis.
It is nice that you compare us to the Guardian, but they are a news outlet, whereas we are an opinion outlet for the authors and commentators. Quite a different style of operation and at a massively different scale. ]
Whats wrong with attacking National/ACT?
Nothing – if you leave yourself open to criticism mean you deserve to receive it.
Memo 310911
From: CT, Wgtn
To: Saturday Shift
Re: Operation Big Butch
In response to various requests I can confirm that all work today is on your normal hourly rate, not T1.5 for the first 3 hours and double time thereafter. You’re not in the bloody union Anthony, so don’t push it.
Thank you for your response to Thursday’s operation Free Speech. Contacting Campbell Larsen’s employer was a stroke of genius, should shut him up in the future. Please note, that in the event that the Warriors lose tomorrow, it was as a result of the coach’s failure to listen to PMJK. A win is of course attributed to PMJK’s changing shed speech before the game.
That is all.
Is it just me or has Brian Edwards lost the plot in his old age. I’ve just been permanently banned from his blog because I dared challenged him on his views about certain things.
Nah, it’s just you and your putrescent cant.
To be fair to Edwards, it wasn’t him that banned you. As your comment has been deleted, it’s hard to know whether you overstepped the mark or not, so perhaps you should outline what you said. Calling BE a Victorian prude earlier on was probably not wise, but I doubt it was for that!
I just challenged him on some of his social views, and the fact that he thinks that a teacher calling a 14 year old girl she ‘looked like a slut’ is somehow acceptable. Its really stuck in my craw since.
Don’t worry, millsy, you’re not the only one to incur the wrath of Brian Edwards. A few months back, the good doctor censored a transcript of mine because it “potentially libeled” that piece of self-regarding trash Paul Holmes.
Whilst moderating earlier, I had cause to add a note on your comment for behavior. Perhaps you need to look closer to home for a reason?
We really need some political satire on public television in this country as we are in an insidious bullying environment where no one is allowed to speak ill of certain public figures or ‘icons’. Anyone daring to criticise is accused of somehow being unpatriotic. For me, this is the first step towards totalitarianism. It shows, for the safety of our democracy, that these people are ripe for satirising, and at the least criticism and questioning. These people include:
the PM
the Mad Butcher
the All Blacks including the very well paid ‘stars’
several cabinet ministers including Joyce, Tolley, Bennett, Brownlee, McCully
For example: you can just imagine the PM as some delirious clown cuddling up to the cleaver- waving, bling-ridden Mad Butcher. The cabinet ministers could be portrayed as a gang of school bullies.
But there is no funding for such entertainment, and in the vacuum they are left to behave as caricatures of themselves.
We do have political satire in this country.
http://blog.labour.org.nz/
[lprent: Jumping pseudonyms requires that one of us has to release it from first time moderation. Eventually we stop making the effort and start filing them in spam. ]
You cant have political satire anymore, aunty helen made sure of that.
The ‘vacuum’ is a credible left-wing opposition movement, not television entertainment. Attacking the mad butcher is just the latest example of stupidity.
The mad butcher claims to be a working class hero can you get your handle around that.
Hence Labour’s crude smear techniques whereby its opponents must forever be dismissed as morally compromised.
Pointing out the truth is not a smear.
Go on Hilary – clearly you’re in the mood for Fentonesque satire – have a go at Sir Peter Blake. Why not have a go at knocking Sir Ed Hilary?
How about some pearls of ‘wisdom’ from Mills? Or that cockhole Larsen?
That’d be in keeping with the tone set by the emetic liberal-left this last week.
Sir Ed is a bit of a hero of mine, but he was also human and so was not perfect. He did have the wisdom to realise that himself.
Mr Bloggs called Mr Larsen a cockhole and then complains about how nasty the right are. Rather like the school bully reacting with indignation when his victim bloodies his nose.
Sorry I mean, how nasty the left are…
Oh cry me a river Millsy – I’ve been called far worse on this site, for saying far less offensive things that pondscum Larsen did…
But I’ve never wished death on anyone, least of all someone who’s contributed as much to the working class as Peter Leitch.
Scratch the surface Millsy and you’ll find a whole heap of people from both sides of the political fence who are disgusted at Fenton, Walls, Larsen and that ilk for what they’ve said.
Sir Mad’s stores sold low to medium grade meat products to people at the bottom of the food chain, literally. He became a philanthropist and a walking brand. Facing your own mortality can change people. 80s unionist Rob Campbell jumped the fence after his brush with a nasty cancer, maybe the Butcher did likewise, more likely maybe he is just naive politically, the alternative is not attractive.
You are trolling Joe Bloggs. You call Larsen pond scum and then protest indignantly about someone saying something not very nice.
So transparent, so hypocritical, so trollish …
Leaving the others out of it, for goodness’ sake, what did Fenton say that was so bad? Really?
Isn’t telling the truth a absolute defense vs defamation ?
Mr Larsen is clearly a cockhole………… or perhaps he is a cunt ?
You only get flack when you are flying over the target.
Wassa matter bloggs, worried about something? You attempts to discredit or provoke me in this juvenile fashion are starting to look pretty damn desperate.
You only get flack when you are flying over the target.
[deleted]
Thanks for the free promotion : )
Wouldn’t it be ironic if you were picked up to do an add for National or the Mad Butcher chain.
[lprent: I don’t think he is an accountant. Perhaps you meant ‘ad’, which itself is short for advertisement. But such complexities are (alas) beyond you. This clown has now been banned for being an idiot troll who writes comments agreeing with his other identity. ]
Can somebody delete the above comment/ban this idiot? One git contacting Cambell’s employer is bad enough, but publicising his workplace is an invitation to the various whackjobs that lurk here to have a go as well, when the matter is completely unrelated to his employment.
[lprent: He was permanently banned earlier in the moderation sweep for being an idiot troll. In particular for using a second identity to support himself. ]
Larsen I very much doubt if his posts will ever look as desperate as a person wishing death on another human.
As Leitch, Fenton and yourself included are held accountable by their words you can never back down on your stupid staement about Leitchs death.
I will also make a stupid statement and suggest to you if I ever see you in public I will plant one right mug and you can spit some teeth out, ps Hayden Mahoney is the name so you it proves that i will stand up to foolish words as well.
Now we see the good old fashioned Tory tactic of threatening violence.
Bit early to be on the piss, Hayden. Good luck with your anger management issues though.
Thank you Voice of reason, not partaking of drink at the moment. However i really think it demonstrates the “he said so I can say” type of debate that seems to be used by many in here.
Millsy yes I was threatening violence which you seem to think is very bad and a standard technique, however it is a threat not a wish of death. There is a difference there.
I am in no way saying my words were correct however if a person wishes death on another person then they do need to be receptive to emotive responses in reply.
Hmmm, just as an aside, you do know that threatening violence is a crime, Hayden? And the difference between the assault you are threatening and death is more often than not a matter of luck. Like this, which didn’t even involve hitting someone.
Point taken VOF and I had posted a statement of retraction before I read your post.
Sweet as.
Bashing is not the way to resolve anything like this, it just plants one bad credit on another.
Campbell, your reputation has spread around the blogs quite a bit, and yeah, it’s hard to escape Google. If you stand by what you’ve said and accept any repercussions that’s your choice.
So I should apologize or else I deserve whatever I get? Is that what you are saying?
This little ‘incident’ is starting to reveal just how far some people are prepared to go to supress political commentary.
If butcher is the great guy that people say he is wouldnt he be horrified to know that abuse and threats of violence are being levelled on his behalf at someone who is only having their say.
The haters here seem to think that he would want me beaten up or abused – doesn’t that make them the ones that are bringing sir Peter into disrepute?
It’s not about suppressing political commentary, it’s expressing opinions on someone’s commentary. Has anyone tried to stop you saying or posting anything?
You can say or post what you like, and people can respond as they see fit, as long as the moderators allow it.
One of the things about the internet is that spur of the moment comments are in effect permanently recorded and available worldwide. More than a few will be caught out by that, sometimes a long time later.
Spur of the moment comment – that is precisely why all this supposed outrage is so ridiculous – if only my wishes were enough to change the world.
The discussion that followed was helpful in advancing peoples understanding of celebrity endorsement and the role it is likely to play in this election – not everyone wants that discussion to occur – that is why I have been subjected to such abuse.
I think people were offended by what you said, they weren’t trying to stop the following discussion. Hawk has realised his comments were over the top and inappropriate and followed up with a full apology – good for him for doing that – and you are still trying to divert blame to others “shutting down comment” and trying to pass the outrage off as ridiculous.
Try taking some real responsibility for what you posted. Sir Peter is widely liked and admired, try and understand how offended many people have been.
I hope you can learn something from this., eventually
Whatever Pete – I’m not about to apologize because you think I should. Hawk is a psycho, retraction or no. There is no comparison between his threat and my comment.
What I have learnt from this is that Peter has some very foul mouthed OCD friends who like to troll on blogs – he really should find better friends.
It’s not for me to think you should, your choice entirely whether you apologise or not, but if you keep blaming any subsequent kerfluffle on everyone and everything other than yourself donj’t be surprised if this keeps coming back to bite you on the bum.
Sir Peter is widely liked and admired
By whom?
I really have no idea who he is apart from occasional advertising of meat and other business and self-promotion (none of which I ever found to be of any particular interest). I gather from what Helen has said at various times that he is a warriors fan.
But I have never seen him say or do anything of any note by my standards. But I learnt that his appearance on anything I was watching was time to change channels
Of course I have never watched much TV, sports, or read the drivel sections of print media, or listened to commercial radio.
Essentially to me he is a non-entity.
By whom?
By ex Labour voters. The Labour Party risks becoming the non-entity.
What in the hell does that have to do with my comment? Just evidence that you’re a bit of vacuous loudmouth?
Pete George is worried about Labour becoming a “non entity”?
Dude you better look in the mirror and see what party you are standing for lol
Hi Campbell.
Welcome to the world of RWNJs. It is a bit like the borg. The instruction goes out to divert attention from stuff like credit rating downgrades to stuff like … well anything. The worst thing is that your comment was in terms of blogging quite mild, but this does nonstop the wing nuts from their faux angst.
You should see what Slater does. He continuously abuses and insults people but anyone who does the same to him and he then complains about rough treatment.
Commiserations about the idiot who emailed your work.
I just wish that they would realise that the left want a contest of ideas, not a violent winner take all confrontation.
Mr Larsen I stand corrected and realise my comments to you were foolish and wrong. Threating violence is not a wise option and I was wrong to post in such a manner.
I apoligise for my words and wish you the best in your future, I was not commenting on the political stance of yourself but rather the comments on a persons death.
I would not carry out my threat to you and once again present my regret on my statement, I hope that by posting as you did you sufffer no ill fortune through the acts and words of others as I attempted to do you to. As they say two wrongs do not make a right, so I to will stand shamed for my ill thought out remarks.
Had any luck Hawk? http://badoo.com/01096401528
On none at all, such is life. LOL…
I did indeed and would like to thank Ianupnorth for alerting me to the fact that I was still listed as a registered. That coupled with the fact that it was able to be noticed by people with google.
So a slight heads up that activites you do years ago unless closed down can be still traced. 🙂
True! If I google my real name, the first hit is my having signed the condolence book for John Nathan Turner (Doctor Who producer who died in 2002 or thereabouts!) Not that I mind, but it’s far from the only thing I’ve done before or since.
Worse still, when I google my name, I find stuff has been uploaded with my name attached related to activities long before the advent of the http://WWW... from the 1960s. This includes class photos from the 60s, uploaded to one of those old friends sites, with every member of the class in the photo named. Why on earth does the person who uploaded this think that any of us wanted that kind of public visibility?
They just think “well, I don’t mind, so why should they?”. My son has been very firm with me, that I must not put photos of anyone without their express permission, so all my Facebook photos are of those family members who either have given permission or are beyond asking (dead and gone.) No school photos! 🙂
Some of the comments on this thread are so politically correct – meaning the only political stance that is correct (or allowed) is that of the current right wing administration.
Yay more votes to switch to the Greens due to the incompetent Labour clowns thinking that the left vote belongs to them, fancy attacking the Mad Butcher, the words pathetic and vacuous spring to mind.
Keep going Labour supporters, self destruction is a beautiful thing to watch.
As a green supporter I thank you…
******************************P.S. Can anyone advise me if ‘myspace’ is a greenie
Feeling righteous does not serve working class New Zealanders. Every time there has been any progress sticking it to this government over their bad management of the economy, some dickhead like Mallard, Curran or Fenton plants their foot firmly in their mouth. Cheered on by fools.
handle.
Maybe the intelligent New Zealanders intending to vote this 26 November will have read the real back stories and will not be swayed by celebrity vote.
As one of those ‘fools’ you have accused of ‘cheering’ people on, I would prefer to use my freedom of expression rights still available to me as and when I please, not when you please.
Sometimes it is more important to have a say than stay silent when so many Key-paid crosby textor ringins are attacking.
Freedom of speech will always be my thing, and I will continue to say that when people like Peter Leitch in 2008 said he didn’t get involved in politics because Helen Clark was the current Prime Minister, yet deliberately politicises his intended vote for Key in 2011, and several posters have steadfastly maintained that he also used his illness for the sympathy vote for Key, I have the right to call his actions hypocritical, irresponsible and reprehensible.
It is also important to remind the populace, that seem to have very short memories, of the vicious, lying attacks on Helen Clark in the leadup to the 2008 election. I haven’t forgotten. That remark of Campbell Larsen was nothing compared to that time when New Zealand politics and religion, thanks to the rightwing parties, drove New Zealand to the baser part of its underbelly when a woman politician became our Prime Minister and a centre-left one at that. That savage ugliness is rearing its head again this year.
You see, this year is very important to the neo-conservatives; it will be the moment, if Key makes it back in, to put the final touches to the sell off of New Zealand and open up the surrounding environment to the mineral hunters, the oil searchers and everything else that will damage my beloved country, with greed the only motivator – jobs being such a small number and the financial benefit to all New Zealanders minute – the future environmental damage irreversible.
How this election eventuates will inform me better than anything else just how many braincells people have got when it comes to making their decisions based on policy or PR. I don’t mean on Key or Goff. I mean on the future impact of both left and right policies and that is always to be examined alongside the influences on left and right and the teams of left and right.
Very well said!
Mouthing off about ‘rights’ may make a certain type of person feel better but it does nothing to win elections.
handle, if you have to sell your soul to ‘win’ the election it hasn’t been worth it.
Jum, superb words!
Absolutely fascinating the news is:
First I read this headline:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/5714576/Southland-a-great-place-to-raise-kids-parents
Then I read this one:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/5714575/ES-urged-to-speak-up-on-dirty-lignite
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1109/S00619/folly-of-governments-hands-off-approach-to-lifting-skills.htm
I’m interested in what these trades academy places are that Anne Tolley is talking about?
Have the NActs shut down one successful way of teaching skills for another ‘same’ under a different name, costing us all a mint and achieving nothing new but slowing down progress?
The first trades academy type classes were individual school initiatives, which started before National was in power.
Tech teachers concentrating on BCITO, BCATS and other pre trade qualifications is not new.
KJT,
Thank you very much for that information.
Jum
KJT,
I found this site:
http://www.branz.co.nz/cms_show_download.php?id=fb36baaea67856c30dd169b6bece6e68759c288e
(BUILD October/November 2007)
the piece was published in 2007.
I looked at the completion figures quoted on page 3 and while they were low, at that time there was low unemployment and the mainly up to 25 years participants (61%) would have been changing employment/training not realising the world was going to fall in.
Also, that graph was reflecting 2006 figures.
I will quote a little from it which shows how much was being done for youth in 2007.
‘CONSTRUCTION TASTER IN SCHOOLS
After consultation with the education sector and industry, the BCITO established that there was a need in schools for a construction industry ‘taster’ course. As a result, the Building, Construction and Allied Trade Skills (BCATS) initiative has been developed – two new entry level qualifications being introduced by the BCITO and BETA Group (Built Environment Training Alliance) for year 11 and 12 students.
The qualifications give students an array of skills that can be applied across a broad spectrum of construction sector areas. On top of the newly developed BCATS unit standards that are construction specific, the qualifications will integrate with core areas of the school curriculum and NCEA. By providing construction-related examples in a number of core subjects, they will encourage maths (for example) to be taught in the classroom as well as being reinforced in the workshop.
The BCITO is working with schools throughout the country and aims to roll out the BCATS qualifications in 2008.
Providing an introduction at school to a career in the building and construction industry helps young people to make informed decisions about a career path. They can then enter an apprenticeship with a strong grounding – an attractive proposition for future employers. ‘
I’ve looked up BCITO’s current website; at first sighting it appears they didn’t exist before National appointed them to run the trades academies… until I found this further on:
http://www.bcito.org.nz/sites/bcito.org.nz/files/file_attachments/2008-issue-1.pdf
talking about Gateway.
I was teaching BCAT’s on practicum in 2008. Both schools had been doing similar programs, for quite a few years before, for engineering and motor trades. http://www.mito.org.nz/
ITO’s were first set up in 1992, I think. Part of “Modern Apprenticeships”.
The building and construction ITO was one of the first. http://www.bcito.org.nz/
Schools were using ITO materials previously for tech students.
KJT,
I guess what I am trying to say here is that I and many others are sick of name changing and complaining about a programme that carries on the same under another political party but with a different name; it costs money, people lose faith and youth most importantly feel used.
Can you tell me what is happening now?
I was also encouraged to find a site about Morrinsville College’s plans for years 12 and 13 re transition studies and in general studies to suit all students. Maybe the teachers, parents and school boards are working together on behalf of their students, sons/daughters for a better outcome. That would be nice.
These are actually requirements from the new New Zealand curriculum.
Which was the result of years of consultation, research and reference to worldwide best practice.
Unlike National standards, which was a knee jerk by ideological politicians. And conflicts with most of what we know about effective education.
IEP’s (Individual education plans), to suit students strengths and needs are required for all students.
The ITO and NCEA standards need a good tidy up to meet the new curriculum requirements, as most were written before the curriculum was adopted. This is now in progress. So long as it is not identified for funding cuts.
Trade academy type classes, at least in the schools I have been involved in, are working well. However they have existed for a long time now. Were just called Technology classes in:. Automotive, Engineering, Furniture etc.
Schools get a little annoyed when politicians take credit for things which were initiatives by schools and their communities.
KJT said: ‘Schools get a little annoyed when politicians take credit for things which were initiatives by schools and their communities.’
I’ll bet they do!
I noticed that when Heatley was interviewed on The Nation this morning he did not disclose to the country that there was an income formula.
Due to being on the Housing New Zealand list I thought that I would go and look at some of the places that I could be offered. I spoke to a person on NZ super who has been in a HNZ 1 bedroom for two decades. The following is a summary of what I was told.
HNZ don’t listen.
People walk through the complex and they don’t live here.
There is no fencing.
There was a home invasion a few months ago and a woman was beaten up.
A car window was broken last week.
A rough guy lives there, he is on his last chance and his mates stay over and sometimes their pit bulls roam.
Stereos are heard all the time.
Bottles are smashed.
One lady moved out because she could not take the addiction problems.
My other observations
One complex is really untidy and families live there.
The properties are close together.
The weeds are over grown.
Rubbish is not picked up.
Old couches are in carports.
HNZ need to supply every six months a huge bin for dumping rubbish and another bin for weeds as a lot of people cannot afford to dispose of rubbish.
Now that the most poor, unwell and aged (providing they meet the income formula) could be housed, I fear that social problems are going to escalate and ghettos (cramping, people living in fear who easily become angered) is the future HNZ.
Heatley is going to subdivide larger properties. For now no one is being turfed out of their HNZ property, no doubt this will occur after the election if National gets back in. The average income for a person in a HNZ property is the minimum wage and where does Heatley think they can afford to live.
This item of news contradicts the folklore that builds around institutions.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10755731
V8 Supercars to race at Whenuapai.
Anyone who has played a round of golf on the RNZAF golf course, which runs outside the runways of the military base, will know that if you hit a ball anywhere near the runway you will be subject to prosecution for trespass. Theory has it that there are apparently people on 24 hour surveillance patrol.
And suddenly the runways (through ministerial assent – no doubt as a result of
John’ll-fix-it intervention) are going to be opened up for at least 72 hours for a load of petrol heads to wander around at will.
Well, who would have thought it?
Hey, it’s the North Shore; hopefully Ben can get in and put a dampner on this drivel. What’s wrong with using Hampton Downs or Taupo?
Yeah but there are a hell of lot of petrol heads out there in the west and Whenuapai borders John’ll-fix-it’s electorate. Paula could do with a fillip as well.
Do you remember the protestations from the NATs when Waitakere wanted to push for this to become a commercial airport? “No this is a strategic defensive piece and must remain so…” Ah, well.
I see the bloody useless NZ Herald has got a story on the Warrior’s late Sonny Fai as the number one news story most affecting New Zealand this afternoon.
Fucking ingrates posing as media journalism.
Colonial Viper,
In the final countdown you cannot wholly blame the media for printing what the mainstream NZers want.
They still seem happy to read the ‘stuff’ that the same type of people who paid for murder victim’s phones to be hacked… are continuing to spew out.
I would happily sue them but nobody wants to support that – yet.
I see the sense in what you are saying but surely just one media channel could pitch their wares at the large group of New Zealanders who would like to see some substantial news analysis and coverage.
Colonial Viper – agree 100 per cent.
Unfortunately, our journalists aren’t that principled and our television stations aren’t that objective and the average New Zealander really doesn’t give a shit.
Sorry – I wish I could share better news.
PS Channel 7 did that – sort of, but Key is getting rid of it. No one is marching in the street and it appears that Russell Brown has been bought and sold…
I hope people fight Key’s smiling fascism before it is too late.
Actually, we can. Their job isn’t to give what people want but what they need which is credible and reliable information at which our MSM completely fails.
Draco T Bastard,
True; that is the utopian New Zealand thinking.
Unfortunately, the owners of media don’t want New Zealanders to live the good life because their profits are all that matters and people want to buy those papers that tell them lies. I know you want to believe the best of New Zealanders but quite frankly, Draco T Bastard, those honourable New Zealanders no longer exist in any great number. Why do you think Key got voted in on a smile and a bribe of undelivered $50 tax cuts?
Your contempt for voters is irresponsible.
No handle, just a sad understanding from going through the fallout of almost two elections now that tells me people can not believe that John Key could possibly be the massive disappointment he will be.
Also, that the governments including Douglas, Richardson and Key/Douglas have fed people the line that greed is good and objective judgement, critical analysis of policy from parties is bad and celebrity endorsement is all a government needs to run a country.
Your continued indictment of one poster that chooses to air their own opinion is now beginning to worry me. Who are you and what are your reasons for attacking my freedom to have an opinion. We can go on with this ‘conversation’ as long as you like but I generally like to have a useful debate; so far you are not providing that.
Yes, it’s all about you, dear.
CONdescending little prick
whaa…?
On her 8.08pm message it was: “Your contempt for voters is unappealing.” What’s with this person?
My hope is that people will actually concentrate on what is being perpetrated by government upon them. She/he could better spend their time telling Key that his contempt for voters is irresponsible/unappealing.
Just another anonymous, bored little troll, Jum. To be forgotten in a day…
That attitude just typifies Labour’s failings. What an embarrassment you lot are.
handle – two sentences with something resembling a purpose; see if you can handle that.
Rihanna’s emergency bikini wax is news (TV1, Stuff) but Occupy Wall Street doesn’t get a mention? Shame on our news media.
Di:
No MSM is covering the wall street protests it would seem.
If it got to be a million people, then they might.
How about 46 million people on Food Stamps.
Is that enough, or is the MSM going to ignore all of them too?
Easily a million, and millions more globally in support. In several US cities already and starting to spread to Australia. Tomorrow sees a new push.The flashmob in Queens Street today is a hint that it could even reach NZ.
This was covered by the Dompost today,
“Navy marches through Wellington”
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/5716264/Navy-marches-through-Wellington?comment_msg=posted#post_comment
This was not – except on the National Radio website,
“March against police surveillance bill”
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/87042/march-against-police-surveillance-bill
I have an acquaintance of mine – “Al”, an ACT supporter of all things! – who took part in the march. He was handed a loudspeaker and he started chanting some pretty good anti-government slogans.
There’s hope for “Al” yet!
As for the meainstream media not convering the protest… shameful! (I’ll have more on my blog soon. Just waiting for some pics to arrive.)
The Labour MP’s are nothing but a pack of nutters. Imagine having a crowd like that running the country. Thank god for the John Key’s of this world. The national government have kept this country stable, and I hate to think what it would of been like at this stage with the Labour halfwits. The way Darien Fenton and Louisa Wall have put down Peter Leitch is nothing short of disgusting, Phil Goff should be ashamed of himself for allowing types like that out of the kennel.
Dianne
At one time it was okay for the rich and powerful to fete the politician, and what flowed from that relationship was generally considered of no ill effect. The Prime Minister could also be seen in the company of the successfully wealthy and even be ‘matesy’ with the monied without both coming across as sycophantic or the relationship thought ill advised. And then there was ‘murdoch-gate’ where the relationships were exposed for what they truly were – avenues for corruption.
I have been in the company of the mad butcher, I have even masticated on his meat. He is a decent man – not a god above reproach.
People have every right to criticise the relationship or to make disparaging remarks about the mad butcher or anyone else they an issue with – its called free speech. Dislike the nature of the free speech but it is completely ‘nutty’ from a democratic perspective to not defend the right to free speech no matter how offensive it is found on a personal level. A democracy demands no less.
Adele, your wording makes me think of MB’s radio advert, the squickiest jingle in creation … “You can’t beat/The Mad Butcher’s meat”… It’s not just on commercial radio, it’s on the BBC WS! (Which has adverts now, and has for maybe the past 2 years, though not on Sundays!) 🙂
Vicky,
I got the notion to play with the theme ‘meat’ from an earlier post of yours. So thank you for the initial prompt. 🙂
It’s good, thanks! 😀
Yeah, Dianne, because Labour didn’t leave this country $16.7 billion in debt; borrowing $380 million a week; cutting taxes twice, when we couldn’t afford it; and seeing unemployment double in three years. No, it was National who achieved that.
Thank god for the John Keys of this world, huh?
So far, this is the debt John Key is leaving us: http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/5106876/Government-debt-rises-to-71-6-billion?comment_msg=posted#post_comment
And this has been John Key’s legacy in job creation: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10692801
Enjoy.
Frank its $77billion National are borrowing to buy this election $18 billion a year they are borrowing Dianne interest going up by $600 million really stable i suppose with a personality like yours you could call it stable in the same sort as the Greek stable.
Quite true.. Mik e. I didn’t make my post above as clear as I could have. (That’ll teach me to post at such an ungodly hour, without caffeine in my bloodstream…)
To back up your comments; http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/5106876/Government-debt-now-71-6-billion?comment_msg=posted#post_comment
Just imagine if Labour had borrowed that amount of money. The rightwing blogosphere would be in melt-down, and calling for armed revolution.
But when National does it – well, that’s ok, chaps, would you like fries with that $77 billion?
Dianne foreman I presume
Dianne I find it even more disgusting that you should suggest that two respected female Labour MPs are dogs.
Care to apologise?
Double standards Greg? Do you remember posting:
“The worst thing is that your comment was in terms of blogging quite mild, but this does nonstop the wing nuts from their faux angst.”
Do you remember posting:
“The worst thing is that your comment was in terms of blogging quite mild, but this does nonstop the wing nuts from their faux angst.”
Yes Pete
There is a typo and the sentence is a bit non sensical.
I meant to say
The worst thing is that your comment was in terms of blogging quite mild, but this does not stop the wing nuts from their faux angst
And I am struggling to understand your criticism. Dianne whoever he or she is jumps up and down about a rather muted criticism of Leitch and then essentially calls a couple of Labour MPs dogs. I am merely pointing out the hypocrisy of this.
If you can point out where I have criticised Leitch you might have a point but I am certain that you will not be able to do so.
I’ll spell it out.
You find it “disgusting that you should suggest that two respected female Labour MPs are dogs.”
(Actual statement: “Phil Goff should be ashamed of himself for allowing types like that out of the kennel.” which I think is certainly over the top)
And you refer to wishing death on someone as “a rather muted criticism of Leitch”.
Pete George – defending and celebrating the abusive, threatening bullies on blogs.
My ‘retraction’ was posted long ago:
“Obviously I don’t actually wish him an untimely death – after all it’s not like I was threatening to catapult a bus onto him – chortle -”
There will not be an apology.
Stop wasting peoples time and trying my patience.
Oh Pete
1. Saying that Goff let the two MPs “out of the kennel” is suggesting they are dogs.
2. You have taken my comment out of context. I said that the comment “was in terms of blogging quite mild” and I stand by that. Just check out the sewer.
3. Please point out where I used the words “a rather muted criticism of Leitch”. I cannot find it and I am pretty sure I did not use these words.
I did use those words but in describing Fenton’s statement about Leitch. Way to take phrases out of contex Pete Squirrel.
If you want to imply someone is a bitch Dianne, please look in the mirror.
If you are Dianne Foreman, and it sounds exactly like something she would say, you are exactly what keeps women in a subordinate position. I can see why you would want that, given your subordinate position to Don Brash and co, and also as a rotundtable associate, not allowed at the big table of the boys. Still, many National supporter women have stated that there shouldn’t be so many women in parliament which proves the point about NAct women wanting men to make their decisions for them and play the weak little females – pathetic.
We know, if you are Dianne Foreman, that you are as cunning as your phallic symbol John Key, in e.g. arranging special fundraising dinners where rich businessmen in Tower and Talley, etc. the business thieves of the rotundtable that are slavering at the lips over the prospect of finally owning all our precious all-New Zealander-owned assets, tobacco barons helped by the Matthew Hootens and Owen Glenns of New Zealand lobbying to deliberately damage New Zealanders’ health, especially so many young Maori women, under most stress in this society, give John Key and NAct lots of cash because they will get to privatise everything at fire sale prices that once belonged to all-New Zealanders.
Still keeping up Dianne? – Long sentence I know but the list of crimes against you pondscum is growing ever longer. Eventually more New Zealanders will start taking some responsibility in finding this out for themselves. Meanwhile The Standard is doing their work for them. Eventually more New Zealanders will begin to understand what they are sacrificing for their 30 pieces of gold.
Also, you won some business award with your icecream, which is enough to make anyone scream. It was soon after the fundraising dinner and the election you helped Key to win – payback for you. You may actually be a good entrepreneur but when you sell yourself to your particular ‘devil’ – in this case Key – it will never be clear why you won. It doesn’t seem to matter though where greed is involved.
She’s a private hospital owner and will be looking to gain wealth at the expense of New Zealanders when the health system is privatised.
And, if you, ‘Dianne’ are not Dianne Foreman, fine. Being Dianne Foreman is not a compliment and my sincere apologies for thinking you were.
But, I’ve been wanting to say this to Dianne Foreman for a very long time – she’s a disgrace to a New Zealand of social equity. She is a greedy elitist and and she will operate behind the scenes to bring people of the same low calibre of humanity into positions of power and affluence.
That will automatically exclude 90% of New Zealanders from the lifestyle that they work hard to gain and therefore deserve.
thats SO fukdup
Dan Carter out of entire RWC
That can’t be good.