That was in 2013. It was a waste of money then but the latest version was far worse. The one we just held cost us at least $250 million and had only a few entries, If you think $36 million was bad what do you think of $250 million?
Now what good things could we have done with that sort of money?
"….it won't have even bought votes. Maybe some doations."
I can see the sense in that.
Using taxpayers money to give donations to yourself through a grateful and wealthy third party makes a lot of sense.
I mean, if you gave that money to poor people, they would just spend and not have any left over to donate to your party, no matter how grateful they were.
Give it to rich people makes much more sense, they can always scratch around for a couple of loose thou or so down the back of the couch to donate to your party.
That at least is a rational response. Cleaning the port area up might be a good idea (I don't really know and am not qualified to comment as I don't live there). Having the Yacht races doesn't seem essential for that though.
Claiming that the America's Cup is good for the country isn't even a rational proposal in my opinion. And I used to sail when I was a lot younger so I am likely to be in the group that might be interested.
Here is a piece from a few days ago when it was the tenth year since a western alliance of the USA, the UK and France bombed Libya, under the pretense of a humanitarian intervention…the result today being worse than one can imagine..and as is the case in those countries, our own media always seems to make room for news that promotes military intervention, but never an equal or more often no opposing voices to these actions…why is that?
So of course when it all goes wrong or the west is caught fabricating reasons for military intervention on so called humanitarian grounds our media is also silent…why is that?
And while we are on the issue of propaganda by omission, think about Julian Assange, a near media black out him now, though when the alleged 'rape' charges were being pushed, our media couldn't dive into the shit deep enough…why is that?
Propaganda By Omission: Libya, Syria, Venezuela And The UK
" Maya Garner, a spokesperson for the IUNW commented: "The UK and its allies, which played a key role in the removal of Colonel Gaddafi's murderous regime in 2011, have failed to do enough to stabilise Libya, while profiteering from the sale of weapons to Tripoli."
@Jenny how to get there
So lets be clear here, are you saying that allowing the OCPW/USA/UK/France falsify OCPW documents and reports that allow for military strikes in Syria is OK with you because Assad must be removed by the western intervention if necessary?
I do not allow and would not allow OCPW etc to falsify documents and reports, as you impute I am.
You are twisting things to fit your preconceived views of my motives.
I don't have a hidden agenda. I have been to Syria and witnessed the Assad regime close up. Admittedly that was just before the war, in 2010, but I have followed events there very closely ever since, including watching live feeds of the regime's first atrocities against civilians in places I had been in only months before and knew well.
To me the most telling quote in the following video, is this one. @7:37 minutes in.
Which I have transcribed for you below:
"….It is important to note that these chemical attacks are not the only documented war crimes that have been committed by Syrian Government forces throughout this entire conflict There are plenty of other human rights violations that have been committed by the Syrian Arab Army that the West could easily have used to justify invading Syria years ago…."
Syria Chemical Attacks: 10 Truther Arguments Debunked
One of those 'other' war crimes is the undeniable total destruction of the Syrian city of Homs. Apologists for the Assad regime on this blogsite have consistently and repeatedly refused to address or admit to the evidence of their own eyes to the scale of this mass murder of a Syrian civilian population by the Assad regime.
This is an unaparralled war crime, no other government in human history has carpet bombed its own cities.
This and other monstrous war crimes and human rights abuses by the Assad regime are swept under the carpet and ignored by Assad apologists to give credence to the 'regime change conspiracy' narrative.
Something I didn't know until today, the BBC world Service is unregulated….so in other words, can publish or provide to other countries news services like New Zealand's, news that has no regulatory oversight what so ever…
" BBC World Service is not regulated by Ofcom. Instead the BBC is responsible for setting its overall strategic direction, the budget and guarding its editorial independence for World Service. It must set and publish a Licence for the World Service, which defines its remit, scope, annual budget and main commitments, as well as "objectives, targets and priorities" which are agreed with the Foreign Secretary."
I could go on with examples of Raab's anti progressive/Left positions but you get the idea…
So the mystery around to where at least some of our own misinformed, underinformed international news/views comes from is easily explained.
One of the strange thing I thought of while typing this comment, is how many so called ‘lefties’ agree vehemently with all the positions of the UK conservative Foreign Secretary…..hilarious.
Our Labour government is proposing to do away with our totally government run and controlled radio, for a few shekels. Jack in the Beanstalk sold solid milkfat for unknown types of beans that happily grew into a giant plant which he climbed then found gold and a magic harp. Fairytales like this are what Labour believe in, in their hearts if they have any.
They are planning to put the mostly commercial tv model to use for radio, the one place where they should get their message over without tilting someone's elbow. The bloody fools, they have put the cowherd in charge of running the farm, and he is selling it off like Jack while the few who should understand this and be responsible look the other way. Faafoi has announced:
"A new public media entity would operate with a mixed funding model, drawing part of its revenue from commercial sources and part from government funding," Faafoi confirmed.
"It would provide content across a variety of platforms, and have full editorial and operational independence from Government enshrined in legislation." (This was copied from the newspaper piece on Apr.1/2021 – Panel to oversee radio, TV proposal)
..Broadcasting Minister Kris Faafoi has said he expects to take a case for the proposal to the Cabinet in October…
The members of the governance group appointed by Faafoi are Tracey Martin, Glen Scanlon, Michael Anderson, SandraKailahi, Bailey Mackey, William Earl, John Quirk, and Trisha Dunleavy….
Details about them are in the on line piece.
1984 deja vu all over again, Labour being the pointy-headed kids on the block, demonstrating (to whom?) how cleaver [sic] they are, modern, efficient, smaller government etc. How Labour can sell off, virtually, this major item of national importance capable of delivering excellent product, and tarnish it, with the old adage of commercial doing it better – that's an oxymoron. But Labour appears to be run by morons, lost in the world of Now which I can see clearly by standing away from it, noticing, educating myself, thinking about it, they are too close, too tied to the 'beltway'.
These people, (are they?) running the Labour Party are driving us right into the BBC-media state, which is the one that helped bring down silly Jeremy Corbyn who waited to do anything to first see what the people had to say. The people couldn't see clearly what was happening because there isn't a clear path that they know to follow, to the actual news and explanations about its background. That was then, now BBC has jumped through the flaming hoop like a well-trained little hound.
And UK Labour is held in limbo apparently by the anti-Palestine group who control and will agitate against any power that the terminal left try to exert. We will have our own agitators controlling everything we say and do that is outside of a closed agenda decided by others who have the media's ear.
Anne Perry could write a great novel using her modern detective but ferreting out dark secrets, undercurrents and venality here just as she did for London in the Victorian years.
@greywarshark…yes it is very sad that out Labour government now is Left only in peoples imaginations…the are a Free Market liberal party…just check out what is happening to our public Libraries and Universities across most of NZ…not only are Labour free market fundamentalism their free market policies leads directly to anti intellectualism.
One of the strange thing I thought of while typing this comment, is how many so called ‘lefties’ agree vehemently with all the positions of the UK conservative Foreign Secretary…..hilarious.
Certainly no more 'hilarious' than the otherwise left supporters that uncritically endorse a murderous kleptocracy.
You are starting to sound like some sort of unhinged anti Putin fundamentalist here Stuart Munro..anyway I will say this again, and hopefully for the last time…show the readers of The Standard just one time I have said anything pro Putin or have linked to one piece that is pro Putin…
If you cannot find that one time, then Stuart Munro you are then honour bound to give me a full apology, or if it turns out you are not a honourable person ..then how about not commenting on my comments in the future if you all you can do is spread lies and innuendo.
Show us one – just one time you have departed from the Kremlin script on:
Syria, Novichoks, Navalny, Ukraine
Which makes your views less part of genuine individual opinion, which should be tolerated, and more like braying the cant of a mischievous propagandist, which should not.
It ought not to surprise you if many leftists here occasionally find common ground with a conservative UK foreign office, if only because policy endures beyond individual governments.
The UK position on Russia necessarily reflects the concerns of fellow NATO members who face invasion if Russia is allowed to do whatever it will. If your views were ever informed by the experiences of anyone from eastern Europe instead of your go to nutbar sites, you might have a glimmering of why that might not be an appealing prospect.
"occasionally find common ground with a conservative UK foreign office,"
Slightly more than occasional…
Julian Assange
Venezuela
Navalny
Syria regime change
Russiagate
China
Libya (when it was happening)
Ukraine
etc etc etc…man you and Boris (and Thatcher probably) would get on real well, seems like a very similar world view you guys got going there…sort looks a lot like a modernist colonialist ideology when you think about it for one second….which of course you don't, though for most intelligent people it is quite obvious you and your pals are in fact just modern colonists only just under the surface, which is why I have always described you lot as nothing more than [deleted] only waiting for the order to arrive.
Yep the irony is that you and so many like you who go on and on about authoritarianism are all just under the surface craving that very thing..it's so transparent it actually quite funny….just like all those conservative preachers who everyone know are going to get busted for something dodgy in the not too distant future…that is you right there pal, shit for all we know you probably admire Putin deep down yourself, I wouldn't be surprised if something like that came out if you where on the couch for half an hour..LOL!!
Actually lets see what Putin has to say about Russiagate himself, it seems that unlike Biden and Boris Putin has no problem sitting down with hostile foreign journo's…
I don't need to hear Putin's version. I heard everything I need to know about him decades ago – and he hasn't changed a bit.
Maybe, just maybe, you should search out the other side of the story – the one you have chosen is not remotely tenable.
I get that you're young, and have no access to primary sources. Doesn't mean you can take the devil at his word however.
You might want to reflect upon why it is that the main Russiagate deniers are the kind of loons who stormed the capitol. Are these your fellow travellers? Maybe you're not as Left as you think.
We need unions for sure, that understand employers and watch out for union members.
Whenever we use Amazon for online shopping delivery, we should feel guilty. The company’s labour practices are notoriously unsafe. Shop floor employees in Amazon warehouses are required to work punishing ten to 12 hour shifts that routinely require them to walk 24 kilometres a day to fill orders and stack shelves. Meanwhile, their work output and journeys round the warehouses are being electronically tracked and timed to maximise efficiency…
You just don't like facing criticism about your controversial opinions. You delete comments that are critical of you as if you occupy some hallowed ground because of the length and wordiness of your posts.
I deleted a nasty insult and if you use it again, I will delete it again and step up the ‘censorship’ until you stop insulting other commenters here with your despicable language or until you will lose your commenting privileges here, which you will undoubtedly label ‘cancelled’.
The Pre-Moderation filter is my friend; you keep an eye on your own behaviour here, which is the issue, as far as I am concerned, and you don’t need to concern yourself with how I apply my ‘censorship’ to others, as this is already covered well by another commenter who feels compelled to act as ‘critic and conscience’ on and of this site.
By Bryce Edwards* (says a mouthful and i assume it isn't an April fool)
Opinion: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern can essentially say "kia kaha" as much as she wants to those at the bottom of the housing market, but it won't help their plight. Eventually her government is going to have to take state housing seriously as a tool for helping solve the housing crisis – especially for low-to-average income earners, who were ignored in last week's housing package announcement.
State housing – government housing setting a base for housing the poor, many of whom the government has helped to make that way, what a good idea.
Seeing successive governments have followed in 1984 Labour's footsteps and discarded a great range of jobs as a sacrifice to bring in cheap goods and open trading lines, at the same time keeping wages down so that those still working find it impossible to have a life without two wages and devil take the children, say the gummint; what a good idea that government ploughs some of that money into reasonable housing in an appropriate place.
With all that in mind, it is essential for the government to get off its fat bum, (not PC? they deserve worse), and do some appropriate state housing. And could you also raise the bar on the high jump for speculators whether NZ born, white, green or orange, and foreign-born of whatever colour or ethnicity. Remember Rackman in the UK! How come we repeat the history when we have had so much education to enable us to learn about?
Perec or Peter Rachman came to England during the war as a refugee from Poland. He died a millionaire in 1962. Rachman started work in an estate agency in Shepherds Bush but soon branched out on his own to exploit the post-war housing shortage. Infamous residents – Peter Rachman
Agree entirely Incog. Bryce Edwards is a devious and misleading commentator who seems to be a slave to the right. The figures he quotes in his article give an entirely false impression.
As the figures in your link show, the Labour-led government will increase public housing by 14,000 in the period 2018-2024, an increase of 20%. Creditable, though more still would be preferable.
Over the 9 years of the Key junta the number of state houses actually decreased. Key and English sold them off to bolster the public accounts so that they could give tax cuts to their mates.
"Labour-led government will increase public housing". That is probably OK as far as it goes. After all one more house would make that claim true. But why do you think it will be on anything like the scale in the proposal you have linked to?
What a trusting person you are. They say that, this time, they are going to achieve something significant. You actually seem to believe, in spite of all the evidence from past promises, that they will do what they have promised.
Well, back in 2017 they promised that they would build 100,000 houses in 10 years. Then they gave some estimates for the first 3 years. And how did they get on? All true believers now look in the other direction. It was a total disaster wasn't it?
They promised that by the end of 2021 there would be light rail to Mt Roskill. No ifs, no buts. It would be there. Well they haven't even got a route so far, so what are the chances that it will be achieved?
But we are now asked to believe that things will be different this time. This time the numbers they promise are really truly going to happen. And everyone can believe in the tooth fairy as well I suppose.
It all comes down to money, or the 16 billions they gave the rich so that a few breadcrumbs can fall off the table. There is no money for infrastructure, housing or any other improvement we wish to see. If there isn't a Corporate in line of bolstering their pockets, we are simply out of luck. Look at the timber shortage and the commercial manoeuvring in NZ. Anyone can see we are being blackmailed to give up on public housing. Meanwhile, the government needs to fill the hole of 16 bill. with log exports. Aren't they?
As the figures in your link show, the Labour-led government will increase public housing by 14,000 in the period 2018-2024, an increase of 20%. Creditable, though more still would be preferable.
You mean the same Labour that promised 100,000 houses in ten years about 3 1/2 years ago and failed embarrassingly to the point of giving in and saying it was bollocks?
Why are we supposed t trust their housing promises again?
National decreased the overall state housing stock in its period in power.
Labour is increasing it. Has done so. Will it get to 14,000? Maybe. Would have to pull finger, but it's already moving in the correct direction.
You know what's worse than trying to get X number of extra homes built and failing? Not even trying.
So National didn't promise or try to improve things (well, except towards the end, when they started promising to halve child poverty in a sudden pretence of caring). Labour has tried to achieve its goals, failed on some and succeeded on others.
One of the things about "whataboutism" is that it does introduce the concept of hypocrisy, in that a party which criticises another party for doing 'nothing' or 'not enough' when it actually made things worse by selling off housing which it did not replace as it promised, is accountable. The 'what about you' points out this hypocrisy.
How many were sold in areas where they were no longer needed due to population shift? The question really should be, "How many sold……… and for what reason?"
In the town where I live, our National MP assured us in Grey Power that houses would be built to replace those sold. They weren't. Houses that I looked at as being up for sale but in need of refurbishment under National were not sold under Labour,
and are being done up. As well, a hundred more are being built in the region. The spokesperson for Grey Power locally (not me!) reported to our recent AGM that he was very pleased with local and national (small 'n', =note) government efforts in addressing housing needs locally.
Certainly not a city's (1140) worth as the National govt did in Tauranga – who decided that was a remotely good idea to lose the income from freehold properties & the valuable land they stand on in a city with a shortage of it. The "idea" failed were English put both the entire stock of Tauranga & Invercargill up as Invercargill in 2014-2016, into 2017 when the sale was completed, was experiencing none of the demand for property Tauranga did and still does. Now the tax payer supplements the "market" rents – so lost income, lost land and supplemented rents on 1140 properties hardly stacks up as a brilliant idea by any assessment. The owners Accessible Properties had approx 1600 properties in 2017 now they have 2700 approx so any claim it would lead to social housing providers providing extra social housing on the back of it is bunkum – they are profit for purpose supported by tax payers money.
Your Government, your Prime Minister. Why are they letting Australia hang in the wind? Why are they not backing us up in this very serious confrontation with the Chinese dictatorship.
Here's why tenants shouldn't worry about housing changes
Sell and run?
Property investors won't sell up and run, due to a very common trait. Most are wusses when it comes to risk. That’s not a bad thing. They know their tolerance level and they’re stable investors. They won't switch asset classes easily and often have no diversification.
This is good news for tenants as their attitude to risk makes them more prepared to absorb regulatory shock. Long term, tax-free capital gains on borrowed money will always attract them.
Sound reason in this article by Janine Starks. Make a mockery (and she does mock them) of landlord's claims they are going to hammer tenants for this.
The simple theory of supply and demand has not led to desirable outcomes for all, which is I assume what everyone wants. Constraints on the supply side render the theory inadequate, therefore some intervention is required.
I am fairly certain that homes aren't being destroyed and house numbers are rising quite rapidly, if not rapidly enough.
I imagine rents will rise at about the same pace as they have historically, that is well above wage growth. As it ever was 🙁
Simon Angelo is quite impressed with what the government has done and not that keen on small scale residential rental / investment as a business.
Even more disingenuous is suggesting that most residential rental homes are a ‘business.’ Most operators do not provide the service at any scale. Nor are they incentivised to grow profits by delivering a more productive service.
A low-yield building that mainly allows one customer to have a roof over their head looks more like a social good, not a market product. Perhaps we need to change the way we provide it?
Businesses produce profits across many customers. They, in turn, are subject to industry, health, trading, taxation, and countless specific regulations.
Angelo does have a barrow to push, he sells investment products other than housing. He's quite keen on the idea of a listed company that builds and rents medium to high density housing, either as a partial float of Housing New Zealand, or a new entity.
There's already a couple of outfits doing the build to rent thing Du Val, and Williams Corp who've previously been pre-sold builders but have been popping up on my Facebook feed with build to rent product returning 10%
Perhaps you have trouble recognising what a number is, because you very, very rarely back up anything you write with numbers, via links or otherwise.
I thought the article was very well thought out by a person well established in the personal finance and investment industry. It was also a relief to hear someone in that industry not hand-wring about the recent legislative changes and show that this will in fact stabilise the rental market by weeding out amateur and leveraged party-time investors.
I haven't watched all of it yet Robert, but I plan to.
Yes, for something like this I think you are quite entitled to be proud of it and to make available to others. Mind you, I think the rampant growth of your beard almost puts the growth of the vegetation to shame.
Thanks Robert, just finished watching it all the way through. Very inspiring for what i am doing here though mine will be a fraction of the size. I have very sheltered but sunny half an acre in Whangarei.
Last winter i planted a good 150 native plants and lots of comfrey. This winter i will put in plum and apricot trees now i have mostly finished my terracing. I've got four pineapple plants in pots to go in and will do more once once the pineapples are available again at the growers market. I'm also looking to put in mandarins, grapes, bananas and thornless blackberries.
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Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8. The universe was ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
Peter Dunne writes – The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisitionNOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – 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 politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
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. ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
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 ...
Happy May Day. Join a union. Q: What’s worse than a staff break room where the only place to sit and have a cup of tea is on a teetering stack of old pornography magazines? A: Your boss replacing the magazine stacks with chairs that are “heartily encrusted with ...
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor Former opposition leader Matthew Wale has been announced as the second prime ministerial candidate ahead of the election in Solomon Islands tomorrow. He will face off against former foreign affairs minister Jeremiah Manele, who was announced by the Coalition for National Unity and Transformation ...
We get but one birthday a year – why not make it last as long as possible by scheduling as many meals with friends and family as you can? This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter, The Boil Up. How do you celebrate your birthday? Do you celebrate at ...
A Koi Tū discussion paper released today proposes sweeping changes to New Zealand’s media industry. The principal’s key author, Gavin Ellis, explains how journalists have a key role to play in making others value their role in society. This is an abridged version of a piece first published on knightlyviews.com ...
The Government’s spending cuts are again targeting support for Māori with proposed reform of the agency charged with advising on Māori wellbeing and development. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Douglas, Honorary Senior Lecturer, UNSW Aviation., UNSW Sydney The history of budget jet airlines in Australia is a long road littered with broken dreams. New entrants have consistently struggled to get a foothold. Low-cost carrier Bonza has just become the industry’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rosalind Dixon, Director, Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law, UNSW Sydney Australia is finally having a sustained conversation about violence against women and what we can do about it. It is more than time. Australian women and girls continue to experience ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne stockfour/Shutterstock Preliminary bulk billing data released this week shows a 2.1% rise in bulk billing up to March. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samantha Schulz, Senior Lecturer, University of Adelaide Australia is once again grappling with how we can stop gendered violence in our country. Protests over the weekend show there is enormous community anger over the number of women who are dying and National ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University AnastasiaDudka/Shutterstock What if the government was doing everything it could to stop thieves making off with our money, except the one thing that could really work? That’s how it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Erin Harrington, Senior Lecturer in English and Cultural Studies, University of Canterbury The Conversation It seems to be a time of old favourites. This month our experts have recommended two new seasons – the second season of Alone Australia (although ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonti Horner, Professor (Astrophysics), University of Southern Queensland A bright Eta Aquariid meteor photobombed this photo of comet C/2020 F8 (SWAN) in May 2020.Jonti Horner Meteors – commonly known as shooting stars – can be seen on any night of the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Flannery, Honorary fellow, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock Current concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in Earth’s atmosphere are unprecedented in human history. But CO₂ levels today, and those that might occur in coming decades, did occur millions of years ago. ...
Winston Peters has been keen to dismiss speculation on our involvement in Aukus but will give a speech tonight on the direction of our foreign policy, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Usmar, Lecturer in Critical Media Literacies, Auckland University of Technology Getty Images With the coalition government’s ban of student mobile phones in New Zealand schools coming into effect this week, reaction has ranged from the sceptical (kids will just get ...
Hospitals around the country are not allowed to make a single hiring decision without the approval of Te Whatu Ora's head office, including for cleaners and administration staff. ...
A new report on protecting journalism and democracy in New Zealand recommends a levy be charged on global platforms like Facebook and Google to fund media firms undertaking public interest reporting. It also calls for the reinstatement of a powerful Broadcasting Commission to distribute public funding for journalism and other ...
On International Workers' Day, also known as May Day, the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi and the wider union movement are celebrating the proud history of the labour movement during a tough time for working people. ...
From bills to beards, a walk through the former Green co-leader’s time in politics. After close to a decade in politics, James Shaw is preparing to bid farewell to parliament. Tonight will see the former minister deliver his valedictory address, certain to be a speech filled with Shaw’s trademark wit ...
Two months ago, MPs unanimously voted to give themselves a week off in Efeso Collins’ honour. On Tuesday, most were too busy to give even an hour of their time. The day Fa’anānā Efeso Collins died, parliament felt different. In a building that operates at a breakneck pace, everyone stopped ...
India’s election involves hundreds of millions of people and is a months-long affair. Here’s how voting works and what’s at stake.The biggest-ever election in world history started on April 19, with more than 10% of the world’s population eligible to vote. Elections in India, the world’s most populous country ...
Comment: Journalists are very good at telling other people’s stories, but they fall well short when writing about their own profession. Perhaps that is why it is so undervalued. Every successive poll on the public’s attitude toward journalism is more alarming than the last. In the last month we have ...
Opinion: A young Māori woman and her Pacific partner arrive at their local hospital by ambulance. She has gone into labour at just under 24 weeks, but the couple haven’t recognised the symptoms – and don’t know the risks of premature birth for their baby. By the time they arrive, ...
Behind closed doors, NZ First will be arguing fiercely against any watering down of the ministerial decision-making powers in the Bill The post Bishop backtracks after fast-track backlash appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Emotional scenes played out in the Invercargill courthouse on the first two days of the coronial inquest into the death of Gore toddler Lachlan Jones, in which the boy’s mother was accused of disposing of her son’s body. The second season of Newsroom’s award-nominated podcast The Boy in the Water ...
Opinion: The impression from the carpark is very inviting. The area is well fenced but barred so there is easy visibility of loved ones. Inside, the spaces are welcoming and clean and staff are friendly and clearly comfortable. I am greeted by ‘Kim’. She has worked here for three years, ...
After the Christchurch earthquake, the then-national civil defence boss compared his experience to “putting a team on the rugby field who have never ever played together before”. Now, eight years later – and following a damning inquiry into the emergency response of cyclones Gabrielle, Hale and the Auckland anniversary weekend floods – ...
“I had just come off the end of a major robbery case which I had been working on for six months when I got a call on the afternoon of September 1, 1992, that some remains had been found at a building site in Devonport, so I drove over with ...
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OMG Auckland airport is chaos inside and out this morning.
another plague flight arrived? What happened?
just easter travel
Start the long weekend off with this gem
https://twitter.com/simonjward/status/1377591993224822787
that was excellent.
It may have been had I been able to understand the words she was singing.
ironic
Talented, funny and entertaining. 🙂
Great article on Stuff today. I hope it gets the attention it deserves.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/300266207/coroners-report-tells-of-erratic-controlling-and-abusive-behaviour-that-ended-in-murder-suicide
Like watching a slow motion train wreck
Brazil health System on verge of collapse with covid
https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24933283-500-brazil-faces-health-system-collapse-as-covid-19-cases-skyrocket/?utm_source=nsday&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NSDAY_010421
NZ health system on the verge of collapse without covid
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/439170/new-zealand-hospitals-in-crisis-after-biggest-january-february-on-record
Trans Tasman Bubble just days away.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/ministry-health-documents-reveal-trans-tasman-bubble-may-just-days-away
How about this. But instead of relying on a charity to fund it?
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-best-medicine-doesnt-always-come-in-a-bottle/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=today-in-science&utm_content=link&utm_term=2021-04-01_top-stories&spMailingID=69909708&spUserID=MzA0NTQ4NDI1MzE5S0&spJobID=2100187857&spReportId=MjEwMDE4Nzg1NwS2
Afterall we gave millionaire yacht racers $36 million leg up.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff-nation/assignments/is-36m-well-spent-on-the-americas-cup/9151816/Americas-Cup-Is-it-worth-36m
We can shell out for those at the top of society, why can't we do it for those at the bottom?
$36 million?
That was in 2013. It was a waste of money then but the latest version was far worse. The one we just held cost us at least $250 million and had only a few entries, If you think $36 million was bad what do you think of $250 million?
Now what good things could we have done with that sort of money?
It's far worse, and it won't have even bought votes. Maybe some doations.
Gabby5.1.1
2 April 2021 at 11:12 am
"….it won't have even bought votes. Maybe some doations."
I can see the sense in that.
Using taxpayers money to give donations to yourself through a grateful and wealthy third party makes a lot of sense.
I mean, if you gave that money to poor people, they would just spend and not have any left over to donate to your party, no matter how grateful they were.
Give it to rich people makes much more sense, they can always scratch around for a couple of loose thou or so down the back of the couch to donate to your party.
Money well spent imo… purely because it inevitably ends up in forcing a little bit more of the industrial shite off the waterfront.
That at least is a rational response. Cleaning the port area up might be a good idea (I don't really know and am not qualified to comment as I don't live there). Having the Yacht races doesn't seem essential for that though.
Claiming that the America's Cup is good for the country isn't even a rational proposal in my opinion. And I used to sail when I was a lot younger so I am likely to be in the group that might be interested.
Rich ppl playing trumps poor ppl working evrytime.
Here is a piece from a few days ago when it was the tenth year since a western alliance of the USA, the UK and France bombed Libya, under the pretense of a humanitarian intervention…the result today being worse than one can imagine..and as is the case in those countries, our own media always seems to make room for news that promotes military intervention, but never an equal or more often no opposing voices to these actions…why is that?
So of course when it all goes wrong or the west is caught fabricating reasons for military intervention on so called humanitarian grounds our media is also silent…why is that?
And while we are on the issue of propaganda by omission, think about Julian Assange, a near media black out him now, though when the alleged 'rape' charges were being pushed, our media couldn't dive into the shit deep enough…why is that?
Propaganda By Omission: Libya, Syria, Venezuela And The UK
https://www.medialens.org/2021/propaganda-by-omission-libya-syria-venezuela-and-the-uk/
Are the Brits selling arms to the factions?
Yes they do…
Posted: 12 February 2021
" Maya Garner, a spokesperson for the IUNW commented: "The UK and its allies, which played a key role in the removal of Colonel Gaddafi's murderous regime in 2011, have failed to do enough to stabilise Libya, while profiteering from the sale of weapons to Tripoli."
https://www.journalism.co.uk/press-releases/government-must-halt-arm-sales-to-libya-and-countries-fuelling-the-deadly-civil-war-says-human-rights-group/s66/a794728/
Following Assad’s genocidal erasing of tens of thousands Syrians, the clean up gang come along behind him to finish the job.
Erasing People through Disinformation
https://newpol.org/erasing-people-through-disinformation-syria-and-the-anti-imperialism-of-fools/?fbclid=IwAR1XxbXquhnE-Na92_rO-h56zYv_cDU-uEp3-HYVk5Oo9kIlUhnd42hFH_k
@Jenny how to get there
So lets be clear here, are you saying that allowing the OCPW/USA/UK/France falsify OCPW documents and reports that allow for military strikes in Syria is OK with you because Assad must be removed by the western intervention if necessary?
@Adrian Thornton
I do not allow and would not allow OCPW etc to falsify documents and reports, as you impute I am.
You are twisting things to fit your preconceived views of my motives.
I don't have a hidden agenda. I have been to Syria and witnessed the Assad regime close up. Admittedly that was just before the war, in 2010, but I have followed events there very closely ever since, including watching live feeds of the regime's first atrocities against civilians in places I had been in only months before and knew well.
To me the most telling quote in the following video, is this one. @7:37 minutes in.
Which I have transcribed for you below:
"….It is important to note that these chemical attacks are not the only documented war crimes that have been committed by Syrian Government forces throughout this entire conflict There are plenty of other human rights violations that have been committed by the Syrian Arab Army that the West could easily have used to justify invading Syria years ago…."
Syria Chemical Attacks: 10 Truther Arguments Debunked
One of those 'other' war crimes is the undeniable total destruction of the Syrian city of Homs. Apologists for the Assad regime on this blogsite have consistently and repeatedly refused to address or admit to the evidence of their own eyes to the scale of this mass murder of a Syrian civilian population by the Assad regime.
This is an unaparralled war crime, no other government in human history has carpet bombed its own cities.
This and other monstrous war crimes and human rights abuses by the Assad regime are swept under the carpet and ignored by Assad apologists to give credence to the 'regime change conspiracy' narrative.
https://thestandard.org.nz/heroes-2/#comment-1299116
[Link fixed]
Something I didn't know until today, the BBC world Service is unregulated….so in other words, can publish or provide to other countries news services like New Zealand's, news that has no regulatory oversight what so ever…
" BBC World Service is not regulated by Ofcom. Instead the BBC is responsible for setting its overall strategic direction, the budget and guarding its editorial independence for World Service. It must set and publish a Licence for the World Service, which defines its remit, scope, annual budget and main commitments, as well as "objectives, targets and priorities" which are agreed with the Foreign Secretary."
https://www.bbc.com/aboutthebbc/governance/regulation
This foreign Secretary…
UK Continues To Recognize Guaido As Venezuela's Interim President – Foreign Secretary
https://www.urdupoint.com/en/world/uk-continues-to-recognize-guaido-as-venezuela-1134905.html
On Russia..
Dominic Raab to call on Nato allies to ‘face down’ threat from Russia
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/dominic-raab-nato-blinken-russia-b1821346.html
Dominic Raab re; Navalny
https://twitter.com/dominicraab/status/1351077741056172039?lang=en
Dominic Raab re; Assange
Silence
I could go on with examples of Raab's anti progressive/Left positions but you get the idea…
So the mystery around to where at least some of our own misinformed, underinformed international news/views comes from is easily explained.
One of the strange thing I thought of while typing this comment, is how many so called ‘lefties’ agree vehemently with all the positions of the UK conservative Foreign Secretary…..hilarious.
Aye and there's the rub!
Our Labour government is proposing to do away with our totally government run and controlled radio, for a few shekels. Jack in the Beanstalk sold solid milkfat for unknown types of beans that happily grew into a giant plant which he climbed then found gold and a magic harp. Fairytales like this are what Labour believe in, in their hearts if they have any.
They are planning to put the mostly commercial tv model to use for radio, the one place where they should get their message over without tilting someone's elbow. The bloody fools, they have put the cowherd in charge of running the farm, and he is selling it off like Jack while the few who should understand this and be responsible look the other way. Faafoi has announced:
"A new public media entity would operate with a mixed funding model, drawing part of its revenue from commercial sources and part from government funding," Faafoi confirmed.
"It would provide content across a variety of platforms, and have full editorial and operational independence from Government enshrined in legislation." (This was copied from the newspaper piece on Apr.1/2021 – Panel to oversee radio, TV proposal)
On-line – https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/124710016/rnz-tvnz-merger-will-now-get-down-to-the-nitty-gritty-says-minister
..Broadcasting Minister Kris Faafoi has said he expects to take a case for the proposal to the Cabinet in October…
The members of the governance group appointed by Faafoi are Tracey Martin, Glen Scanlon, Michael Anderson, Sandra Kailahi, Bailey Mackey, William Earl, John Quirk, and Trisha Dunleavy….
Details about them are in the on line piece.
1984 deja vu all over again, Labour being the pointy-headed kids on the block, demonstrating (to whom?) how cleaver [sic] they are, modern, efficient, smaller government etc. How Labour can sell off, virtually, this major item of national importance capable of delivering excellent product, and tarnish it, with the old adage of commercial doing it better – that's an oxymoron. But Labour appears to be run by morons, lost in the world of Now which I can see clearly by standing away from it, noticing, educating myself, thinking about it, they are too close, too tied to the 'beltway'.
These people, (are they?) running the Labour Party are driving us right into the BBC-media state, which is the one that helped bring down silly Jeremy Corbyn who waited to do anything to first see what the people had to say. The people couldn't see clearly what was happening because there isn't a clear path that they know to follow, to the actual news and explanations about its background. That was then, now BBC has jumped through the flaming hoop like a well-trained little hound.
And UK Labour is held in limbo apparently by the anti-Palestine group who control and will agitate against any power that the terminal left try to exert. We will have our own agitators controlling everything we say and do that is outside of a closed agenda decided by others who have the media's ear.
Anne Perry could write a great novel using her modern detective but ferreting out dark secrets, undercurrents and venality here just as she did for London in the Victorian years.
@greywarshark…yes it is very sad that out Labour government now is Left only in peoples imaginations…the are a Free Market liberal party…just check out what is happening to our public Libraries and Universities across most of NZ…not only are Labour free market fundamentalism their free market policies leads directly to anti intellectualism.
There is no turning Labour Left!..abandon ship.
One of the strange thing I thought of while typing this comment, is how many so called ‘lefties’ agree vehemently with all the positions of the UK conservative Foreign Secretary…..hilarious.
Certainly no more 'hilarious' than the otherwise left supporters that uncritically endorse a murderous kleptocracy.
You are starting to sound like some sort of unhinged anti Putin fundamentalist here Stuart Munro..anyway I will say this again, and hopefully for the last time…show the readers of The Standard just one time I have said anything pro Putin or have linked to one piece that is pro Putin…
If you cannot find that one time, then Stuart Munro you are then honour bound to give me a full apology, or if it turns out you are not a honourable person ..then how about not commenting on my comments in the future if you all you can do is spread lies and innuendo.
In other words put up or shut up.
Right back at you, you tragic dupe.
Show us one – just one time you have departed from the Kremlin script on:
Syria, Novichoks, Navalny, Ukraine
Which makes your views less part of genuine individual opinion, which should be tolerated, and more like braying the cant of a mischievous propagandist, which should not.
It ought not to surprise you if many leftists here occasionally find common ground with a conservative UK foreign office, if only because policy endures beyond individual governments.
The UK position on Russia necessarily reflects the concerns of fellow NATO members who face invasion if Russia is allowed to do whatever it will. If your views were ever informed by the experiences of anyone from eastern Europe instead of your go to nutbar sites, you might have a glimmering of why that might not be an appealing prospect.
"occasionally find common ground with a conservative UK foreign office,"
Slightly more than occasional…
Julian Assange
Venezuela
Navalny
Syria regime change
Russiagate
China
Libya (when it was happening)
Ukraine
etc etc etc…man you and Boris (and Thatcher probably) would get on real well, seems like a very similar world view you guys got going there…sort looks a lot like a modernist colonialist ideology when you think about it for one second….which of course you don't, though for most intelligent people it is quite obvious you and your pals are in fact just modern colonists only just under the surface, which is why I have always described you lot as nothing more than [deleted] only waiting for the order to arrive.
Yep the irony is that you and so many like you who go on and on about authoritarianism are all just under the surface craving that very thing..it's so transparent it actually quite funny….just like all those conservative preachers who everyone know are going to get busted for something dodgy in the not too distant future…that is you right there pal, shit for all we know you probably admire Putin deep down yourself, I wouldn't be surprised if something like that came out if you where on the couch for half an hour..LOL!!
Actually lets see what Putin has to say about Russiagate himself, it seems that unlike Biden and Boris Putin has no problem sitting down with hostile foreign journo's…
I don't need to hear Putin's version. I heard everything I need to know about him decades ago – and he hasn't changed a bit.
Maybe, just maybe, you should search out the other side of the story – the one you have chosen is not remotely tenable.
I get that you're young, and have no access to primary sources. Doesn't mean you can take the devil at his word however.
You might want to reflect upon why it is that the main Russiagate deniers are the kind of loons who stormed the capitol. Are these your fellow travellers? Maybe you're not as Left as you think.
We need unions for sure, that understand employers and watch out for union members.
Whenever we use Amazon for online shopping delivery, we should feel guilty. The company’s labour practices are notoriously unsafe. Shop floor employees in Amazon warehouses are required to work punishing ten to 12 hour shifts that routinely require them to walk 24 kilometres a day to fill orders and stack shelves. Meanwhile, their work output and journeys round the warehouses are being electronically tracked and timed to maximise efficiency…
Gordon Campbell on Amazon and their workers –
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL2103/S00109/on-the-battle-to-bring-some-humanity-into-amazons-work-practices.htm
Translation: You don't have one and it disinterests you.
Yet you promote low expectations when advocating for more dominance of the residential retail market by amateur landlords.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
[The first step of the Moderation process often is moving a comment/thread to OM – Incognito]
Translation: You don't have one and it disinterests you.
Considering that the site search engine gives over 250 results on my handle and the word 'inequality' – then I think you're making shit up again.
Meh. Inequality is a dependent part of the current capitalist system you champion. You love it.
Last time you just started making shit up it nearly ended badly. Is this what you're angling for again?
Because your deliberate baiting here is both unsubtle and going to go unrewarded.
That is hardly fair given what you make up about others, that we don't really care about black people etc.
You just don't like facing criticism about your controversial opinions. You delete comments that are critical of you as if you occupy some hallowed ground because of the length and wordiness of your posts.
Fuck off. (Happy now?)
That's hardly constructive.
[The Easter bunny needs cheering up and I’ve volunteered your services. Have fun, you two, and see you after Easter – Incognito]
See my Moderation note @ 2:41 pm.
I assume you censored my comment…shame, it suited them perfectly. I will keep an eye out and see if you apply your censorship fairly in the future.
I deleted a nasty insult and if you use it again, I will delete it again and step up the ‘censorship’ until you stop insulting other commenters here with your despicable language or until you will lose your commenting privileges here, which you will undoubtedly label ‘cancelled’.
The Pre-Moderation filter is my friend; you keep an eye on your own behaviour here, which is the issue, as far as I am concerned, and you don’t need to concern yourself with how I apply my ‘censorship’ to others, as this is already covered well by another commenter who feels compelled to act as ‘critic and conscience’ on and of this site.
Stop your moaning and lift your game.
"Stop your moaning and lift your game" …. going to end your comment with that, really?
Fair enough.
Have a good Easter, Adrian.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/on-the-inside/439661/state-builds-missing-from-govt-housing-package Apr. 1/21
By Bryce Edwards* (says a mouthful and i assume it isn't an April fool)
Opinion: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern can essentially say "kia kaha" as much as she wants to those at the bottom of the housing market, but it won't help their plight. Eventually her government is going to have to take state housing seriously as a tool for helping solve the housing crisis – especially for low-to-average income earners, who were ignored in last week's housing package announcement.
State housing – government housing setting a base for housing the poor, many of whom the government has helped to make that way, what a good idea.
Seeing successive governments have followed in 1984 Labour's footsteps and discarded a great range of jobs as a sacrifice to bring in cheap goods and open trading lines, at the same time keeping wages down so that those still working find it impossible to have a life without two wages and devil take the children, say the gummint; what a good idea that government ploughs some of that money into reasonable housing in an appropriate place.
Of course not in low-lying areas where they are packed closely together where the temperature rises high, in Sydney to 50degrees in day, falling to a 'low' of 30degrees appr. at night. https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018789468/sydney-s-western-suburbs-australian-nightmare
With all that in mind, it is essential for the government to get off its fat bum, (not PC? they deserve worse), and do some appropriate state housing. And could you also raise the bar on the high jump for speculators whether NZ born, white, green or orange, and foreign-born of whatever colour or ethnicity. Remember Rackman in the UK! How come we repeat the history when we have had so much education to enable us to learn about?
Perec or Peter Rachman came to England during the war as a refugee from Poland. He died a millionaire in 1962. Rachman started work in an estate agency in Shepherds Bush but soon branched out on his own to exploit the post-war housing shortage.
Infamous residents – Peter Rachman
I can’t be bothered with Bryce. His pieces and contributions used to be ok many years ago, but now he’s almost as bad, boring, and biased as Plan B.
Just for you, Bryce: https://www.hud.govt.nz/community-and-public-housing/increasing-public-housing/public-housing-plan/
Agree entirely Incog. Bryce Edwards is a devious and misleading commentator who seems to be a slave to the right. The figures he quotes in his article give an entirely false impression.
As the figures in your link show, the Labour-led government will increase public housing by 14,000 in the period 2018-2024, an increase of 20%. Creditable, though more still would be preferable.
Over the 9 years of the Key junta the number of state houses actually decreased. Key and English sold them off to bolster the public accounts so that they could give tax cuts to their mates.
"Labour-led government will increase public housing". That is probably OK as far as it goes. After all one more house would make that claim true. But why do you think it will be on anything like the scale in the proposal you have linked to?
What a trusting person you are. They say that, this time, they are going to achieve something significant. You actually seem to believe, in spite of all the evidence from past promises, that they will do what they have promised.
Well, back in 2017 they promised that they would build 100,000 houses in 10 years. Then they gave some estimates for the first 3 years. And how did they get on? All true believers now look in the other direction. It was a total disaster wasn't it?
They promised that by the end of 2021 there would be light rail to Mt Roskill. No ifs, no buts. It would be there. Well they haven't even got a route so far, so what are the chances that it will be achieved?
But we are now asked to believe that things will be different this time. This time the numbers they promise are really truly going to happen. And everyone can believe in the tooth fairy as well I suppose.
It all comes down to money, or the 16 billions they gave the rich so that a few breadcrumbs can fall off the table. There is no money for infrastructure, housing or any other improvement we wish to see. If there isn't a Corporate in line of bolstering their pockets, we are simply out of luck. Look at the timber shortage and the commercial manoeuvring in NZ. Anyone can see we are being blackmailed to give up on public housing. Meanwhile, the government needs to fill the hole of 16 bill. with log exports. Aren't they?
https://www.hud.govt.nz/urban-development/the-housing-acceleration-fund/
You mean the same Labour that promised 100,000 houses in ten years about 3 1/2 years ago and failed embarrassingly to the point of giving in and saying it was bollocks?
Why are we supposed t trust their housing promises again?
How many houses has the National party built or promised to build – anyone?
Probably a few.
I don't know.
Do you mind pointing out the relevance other than whataboutism?
Are they the current government making promises?
I know it is annoying, but at some stage it needs to sink in to you Key hasn't been around for 4 years or so.
Or a we going to go with "It is ok Labour are shit at (insert issue), because the other lot were nearly as shit” for another 3 years?
National decreased the overall state housing stock in its period in power.
Labour is increasing it. Has done so. Will it get to 14,000? Maybe. Would have to pull finger, but it's already moving in the correct direction.
You know what's worse than trying to get X number of extra homes built and failing? Not even trying.
So National didn't promise or try to improve things (well, except towards the end, when they started promising to halve child poverty in a sudden pretence of caring). Labour has tried to achieve its goals, failed on some and succeeded on others.
One of the things about "whataboutism" is that it does introduce the concept of hypocrisy, in that a party which criticises another party for doing 'nothing' or 'not enough' when it actually made things worse by selling off housing which it did not replace as it promised, is accountable. The 'what about you' points out this hypocrisy.
Easter holiday quiz
How many State houses has Labour sold off since 2017
Not as many as the number of Easter eggs I have eaten today.
How many were sold in areas where they were no longer needed due to population shift? The question really should be, "How many sold……… and for what reason?"
In the town where I live, our National MP assured us in Grey Power that houses would be built to replace those sold. They weren't. Houses that I looked at as being up for sale but in need of refurbishment under National were not sold under Labour,
and are being done up. As well, a hundred more are being built in the region. The spokesperson for Grey Power locally (not me!) reported to our recent AGM that he was very pleased with local and national (small 'n', =note) government efforts in addressing housing needs locally.
“How many were sold in areas where they were no longer needed due to population shift?”
Exactly what National said
Let's see…
current housing stock (dec 2020) 67,364 (63,788 state rentals).
dec 2017: 63,209 (61,323 rentals).
So several thousand fewer than they bought or built.
dec 2015: 67,182 (65,681 rentals).
Seems to be the usual for the last 40 years. Nats sell off state housing, then complain that Labour haven't repaired their damage quickly enough.
Certainly not a city's (1140) worth as the National govt did in Tauranga – who decided that was a remotely good idea to lose the income from freehold properties & the valuable land they stand on in a city with a shortage of it. The "idea" failed were English put both the entire stock of Tauranga & Invercargill up as Invercargill in 2014-2016, into 2017 when the sale was completed, was experiencing none of the demand for property Tauranga did and still does. Now the tax payer supplements the "market" rents – so lost income, lost land and supplemented rents on 1140 properties hardly stacks up as a brilliant idea by any assessment. The owners Accessible Properties had approx 1600 properties in 2017 now they have 2700 approx so any claim it would lead to social housing providers providing extra social housing on the back of it is bunkum – they are profit for purpose supported by tax payers money.
I’m surprised that you don’t know, given the on-going importance of this issue.
Better to have tried and failed (Labour), than to have never tried at all (National), imho.
"Nearly as shit"! Mate, yer dreaming.
https://www.hud.govt.nz/assets/News-and-Resources/Statistics-and-Research/Housing-Dashboard-2020/Housing-Dashboard-February-2021.pdf
Andrew Bolt asks of Kiwis:
Perhaps he should ask Peter Dutton.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2021/04/australian-tv-host-andrew-bolt-launches-extraordinary-tirade-against-backstabbing-new-zealand-for-sucking-up-to-china.html
Sound reason in this article by Janine Starks. Make a mockery (and she does mock them) of landlord's claims they are going to hammer tenants for this.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/opinion-analysis/300266869/heres-why-tenants-shouldnt-worry-about-housing-changes
Grasping at straws, the simple theory of supply and demand will prevail, you just watch.
The simple theory of supply and demand has not led to desirable outcomes for all, which is I assume what everyone wants. Constraints on the supply side render the theory inadequate, therefore some intervention is required.
I am fairly certain that homes aren't being destroyed and house numbers are rising quite rapidly, if not rapidly enough.
I imagine rents will rise at about the same pace as they have historically, that is well above wage growth. As it ever was 🙁
No they won't cut and run.
They will just ramp up every ones rent.
This is probably the 'uninvestable' reasoning that she refers to
https://www.wealthmorning.com/2021/03/29/637883/help-they-just-made-housing-uninvestable/
Simon Angelo is quite impressed with what the government has done and not that keen on small scale residential rental / investment as a business.
Angelo does have a barrow to push, he sells investment products other than housing. He's quite keen on the idea of a listed company that builds and rents medium to high density housing, either as a partial float of Housing New Zealand, or a new entity.
https://www.wealthmorning.com/2021/03/15/637215/how-investors-could-solve-the-housing-crisis/
There's already a couple of outfits doing the build to rent thing Du Val, and Williams Corp who've previously been pre-sold builders but have been popping up on my Facebook feed with build to rent product returning 10%
Do you mind posting some actual numbersm with links, as no offence, but the link is a bit shit proving whatever point you are trying to make,
There were plenty of numbers in that link.
Perhaps you have trouble recognising what a number is, because you very, very rarely back up anything you write with numbers, via links or otherwise.
I thought the article was very well thought out by a person well established in the personal finance and investment industry. It was also a relief to hear someone in that industry not hand-wring about the recent legislative changes and show that this will in fact stabilise the rental market by weeding out amateur and leveraged party-time investors.
Is there room here for shameless self-promotion?
One hour (a whole hour?!?) mooching about in my forest-garden, ruminating aloud, in the presence of nimble cameraman James Jubb 🙂
I haven't watched all of it yet Robert, but I plan to.
Yes, for something like this I think you are quite entitled to be proud of it and to make available to others. Mind you, I think the rampant growth of your beard almost puts the growth of the vegetation to shame.
Thanks, Alwyn – I hope you enjoy the watch. As to my beard; it's synchronised it's progress with that of the forest, I'm sure 🙂
Thanks Robert, just finished watching it all the way through. Very inspiring for what i am doing here though mine will be a fraction of the size. I have very sheltered but sunny half an acre in Whangarei.
Last winter i planted a good 150 native plants and lots of comfrey. This winter i will put in plum and apricot trees now i have mostly finished my terracing. I've got four pineapple plants in pots to go in and will do more once once the pineapples are available again at the growers market. I'm also looking to put in mandarins, grapes, bananas and thornless blackberries.
Here is a link re the pineapple people:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/2018788272/tropical-fruit-coffee-potential-crops-for-winterless-north
Thanks for sticking with it, solkta and thanks for the interesting link.
Interesting musings on the housing package by Brian Easton
https://www.pundit.co.nz/content/taxing-questions-about-taxing-housing
https://youtu.be/LanCLS_hIo4