Does John Armstrong live in Auckland? He certainly doesn’t seem to have a clue about the crisis in Auckland affordable housing for beneficiaries and other renters on low incomes.
Armstrong champions Labour’s housing policy over that of National’s or Greens, even though Shearer was “all over the paddock” when talking about it this week, because:it’s “gone down well with the punters.” Which punters would this be? Those who will be able to afford to buy Labour’s planned houses?
He says the Greens have got it wrong because building state houses in Hobsonville wouldn’t work – the land’s too valuable, you see. And, furthermore, Armstrong reckons that is the wrong place for work-seeking beneficiaries to live, because it’s not near jobs. Does he realise it is precisely in such outer areas that beneficiaries and other low income people are looking for places to rent because there’s nothing available closer to the city? Also, the whole Massey area is being upgraded, including the Westgate centre, because it is seen as becoming a growth area in the future – which should mean more local jobs.
All Armstrong’s latest column shows is, which team he’s throwing his lot in with for the next election.
LOLZ, John Armstrong one of the reasons why i don’t read the Herald even when it’s free online, ”The Green Party’s housing policy would require the Government to go on a continual borrowing binge”
Really, the only answer that little quip deserves from anyone is ”Ha Ha Ha”, Armstrong resorts to bullshit (as usual), The Slippery lead National Government just for Armstrong’s education has in 4 years borrowed 42 billion dollars, not a binge, a f**king orgy of borrowing, that 42 billion dollar borrowing ‘orgy’ at 300 million bucks a weeks is the biggest amount of monies borrowed in the shortest amount of time by any Government in NZ,s history, and that borrowing is set to continue right up to November 2014 where the debt mountain will be topping out at 60 odd billion dollars,
Does Armstrong ever get down to looking at what gives every appearance of being a borrowing regime by this Slippery lead National Government managed by those who suck on P pipes for breakfast,
Money, just to educate John Armstrong, when owed to the Government by us peasants is counted in the Government books as an asset as will the houses that will be built with the money owed,
Depending on coalition negotiations we could expect the Green Party housing policy to take up 25% of the Labour Party proposed 100,000 homes, and it is my contention here that Labour should actually move to include the Green Party housing policy into a position alongside it’s own where everyone has a choice of bank mortgage or Government backed ‘rent to buy’,(place your bets now on the majority opting for Government backed rent to buy),
Armstrong’s whole argument ‘against’ the Green Party housing policy relies upon His prejudice against people who are NOT definitely middle class, His writing reeks of this condescension, why wouldn’t low income Kiwi’s keep their new homes neat tidy and well maintained, why wouldn’t low income Kiwi’s having the one chance they will ever get in this life to own their own homes not pay off the ‘equity’ in their new homes that the state holds as quickly as their incomes allow,
Why in fact doesn’t the fucking toe-rag well past His use-by date Herald hack writer Armstrong just not print lines in capitals saying ‘i hate the poor’,
Does the Herald’s pet hack writer own rental properties and can see part of the rental market disappearing into ‘rent to buy’ home ownership, lowering demand and forcing the Herald’s pet hack writer to take less in rent,
More to the point, are the bank’s getting a little jittery, a wee spot nervous, as they watch the Green party unveil a perfectly logical plan where Government acts as if it were a Government and provides not only the homes for the people it governs,(along with the jobs building them),and removes from the banks completely the need to finance such homes by becoming the lender of note for these homes by holding the equity in such homes instead of the banks via mortgage finance…
I would love to know, if as a young cadet reporter, Armstrong got a Housing Corporation mortgage at 4%, with the deposit capitalised using his family benefit.
This scheme and others, ensured that NZ was free of homelessness and poverty throughout the post World War 2 era.
witofi, been milling this ova
RNZ-(from the top of the Hill) “we don’t have authoritative broadsheet press in NZ”;
anglophile excess / Nordic Exceptionalism, that’s the ‘crux’ of it.
*some Sunday morning reading please?
(Gdansk the safety danzig)
Israel update; Assyrian retaliation threatened, and the Russian Foreign Ministry concurs
while (out of context) 12M is now owed to teachers, IRD Child Support and any other freakin ap
150,000 cases of Child Abuse reported in oh 12 (but hay, its only up a penny %: 16-14) down south Antarctic rapid changes are tongueing there groove into the Deep ocean as Owen Glenns funds are frozen; it’s trustees (sic) see it “no longer appropriate to distribute philanthropy in NZ” đ Ethics needed in the NZX effectively two counts of underarm trading yet don’t worry, according to the quoted bank advertisement “we can lend you enough money to get you out of debt”, sadly, been there, lost that. B.G & B.S
“Truth has no special time of it’s own. It’s hour is now always”
-Albert Schweitzer (any old dime. A dozen should do)
Armstrong’s been sucking up the spoonfuls fed from the Labour Leader’s office for the past 4 years. Sad thing is I used to respect him as a journalist. Not now.
What Armstrong cannot see is that the taxation from building the homes from the profits made by those contracted to do the building, from the higher level of consumption of building materials,from the increased taxation of an enlarged building workforce needed to build these houses and from the shift off of the dole of that labour force needed to build those houses will in fact far exceed any cost to the Government,
Economic illiterates like Armstrong are paid to seek out a plausible negative which the Herald gladly uses as a plank to beat upon the Political Party’s it’s backers dislike…
Seen the home screen on the stuff website yet? Paul Holmes ‘switching roles, he’ll be with Eve now’ the ‘resting kinght’s guide’ in the ever after. I’d link, but that means I’d have to click on it and I’m not going to give tosh like that any page views.
I can’t work out what’s worse – that a ‘news’ outlet thinks selling supernatural fairy tales is front page news, or that they’re starting to venerate Holmes, or that I feel like I’ve encountered a wormhole and I’m in a U.S. southern state. Gobsmackingly cloyingly awful.
Anyone notice that story in the NZHerald this morning about Judith Collins and the appointment of the Director of Human Rights Proceedings? The basic non-disclosure on the Conflict of Interest form is the story that will get her.
But if anyone needs to speak up for Catherine Rodgers, the applicant who was strongly recommended by the appointments panel and overruled by the Minister, Catherine Rodgers is a stunning lawyer.
It’s on Court record that under the utterly useless previous Director of Human Rights Proceedings (remember Robert Hesketh that previously disgraced District Court Judge), she marshalled the team that took on the government about the human rights of caregivers to be provided round the clock state assistance for caregivers.
The Crown and Ministers opposed her and her team every step of the way, court after court, over 7 years, and she and her team won. Right through to the Supreme Court. Anyone on the inside knows the kind of resources the Crown has at their legal disposal will understand what that means.
Catherine Rodgers is a seriously good lawyer, both in the professional and virtuous sense.
But now the story is on Collins. Hopefully its a story that gets some traction. Because if there’s one Minister who needs to go up against the wall come the revolution for crimes against the separation of judicial and executive function, it’s Judith Collins.
How deeply scummy is this government ? What does it take to chip the teflon and begin the unravelling ? Maybe this is an opportunity with the published photo at her mother-in-law’s funeral proving that Collins has been completely disingenuous in her denials of a conflict of interest. Here’s hoping the traction holds some place in the House this week .. come on Winston !!
Aye the selection of Robert Kee is looking more and more suspect. Collins and Rodgers know each other too. They spent time together on the Auckland Women Lawyers Association executive. The gossip that I have heard is that their relationship was not that good …
I think your confusing Catherine Rogers with Francis Joychild. Francis J did the caregiving case in the three Courts (Human Rights Tribunal, High Court and Appeal COurt). It never went to the Supreme Court. And the case wasn’t about round the clock assistance it was about payment for certain types of special cares for high needs family members.
Well there are some many scandals and sleazy carry on’s with this lot I think a lot of people are just turnig off. What I can’t understandis how this incompetent rable are still on top of the polls , Begs the quetion are they?
The latest payroll round – the first of the school term – was filled with errors. Staff who are on leave have incorrectly received full pay, changes that were made in November have not been actioned, staff are being forced to fill forms out twice with exactly the same information, some teachers had to be paid from school funds so they could afford groceries. It’s a nightmare – unnecessary bureaucracy, huge numbers of errors. Payroll systems have changed for the worse … The start of year is a critical period for payroll. At the start of this year, 64,733 changes were made for school employees, generating a 100% increase in workload for clerical staff.
What about NOVOPAYN. Sort of a derivative of Novocaine (a drug given to people to stop them feeling pain, especially during an operation on their teeth) – teachers getting their proper salary seems as hard as pulling teeth.
I think that all in the majority government should have their pay docked while such poor policy results continue. We need to have accountability from these well paid flunkies of our democratic institution, which is dirty and needs water blasting into all its crevices.
If I were cynical, I’d think JB was simply recycling ambergris – whale puke.
But JB’s long history of providing well researched and reputable links for his subtle and erudite analyses makes me ashamed of my own cynicism.
Green Party MP’s are today taking a canoe ride down the Waitara river in the yearly trek to highlight the plight of ‘despicable dirty rivers’,
The Waitara river as measured by NIWA has the lowest water quality of all rivers in New Zealand,
The Green Party has repeatedly ‘asked’ farmers to help clean up such filth as these rivers are not only the life-blood of continual farming they are in fact the taonga and life-blood of us all,
Fonterra the dairy giant has also repeatedly ‘asked’ farmers to clean up these rivers with little actual effect,
Those who are polluting our rivers should, while they still have time, give far more weight to having been ‘asked’ politely to address this issue,
The time when the Green Movement is willing to just ‘ask’ has all but expired, after ‘ask’ comes ‘tell’ and not long after ‘tell’ comes ‘force’, we all including the farming community have ‘choice’,
My ‘suggestion’ is that you begin to make the right ones…
I honestly believe the time for any leadership challenge has past the cut off point. Stick to Shearer but replace Grant Robertson as deputy and put Andrew Little in there. This should keep most within the party content and appeal to the broader supporter base. Little needs to take the Labour spokespersons role and champion creating job. Shearer needs to be kept in check so any overly overt moves right will be stamped out with Little there.
An innovative option, but roadblocks remain. Cunliffe would need to to be given a serious front bench position and Grant would have to back the overall move. The change would also have to go through, around or over Mallard et al. Not easy.
Mallards needs to be put in his place, a return to the house will be as speaker full-stop. A few others need to go at the end of this term. Fresh blood is needed & this issue needs to be addressed this month, Labour need to take a leaf out of the Greens book ‘refresh.’
Ego’s etc aside and they are all going to need to suck it up and concentrate on the job of sorting the mess National have done. Of course Cunliffe needs to be on the front bench. A rover like Joyce perhaps certainly the innovation portfolio.Â
   Â
Just for clarification ‘overtly right’ are policy’s like raising the age of retirement & ‘compulsory’ Kiwi saver ( low income earners can not afford).
Yuk, Andrew Little. Gross.
Mumble-pants is already unmarketable enough without that greaseball standing next to him.
Image and communication are Labour’s most pressing problems, Little would just exasperate those.
I honestly believe the time for any leadership challenge has past the cut off point.
Most people were predicting the its too late for change claim to come out in 12 months, you’re a bit early. If we take Shearer’s performance into account, I would say 3 weeks before the election should be considered the cut off point.
I honestly believe the time for any leadership challenge has past the cut off point
I honestly believe the need for a leadership challenge has never been more urgent. Let’s face it. labour is going nowhere. The polls have stalled, the front bench is not firing, and the Nats keep offering up these huge targets which somehow Labour keeps missing. Key is toying with Shearer.
Honestly, something has to change or we will have three more years of tory rule.
The Monday vote is not a vote on a “leadership challenge”. It is a vote on how caucus sees the rest of the Labour Party.
We need to see evidence that caucus is willing to listen to the membership and that it is willing to give the members (and affiliates) a voice. The energy and excitement a Primary process would build for Labour going into 2014 would be amazing.
And if Key gets back in then the gloves will come off, and that Power mad, megalomaniac, will sell , mine, and drill everything in sight. And still Labour will sit with their fingers in their ears.
The time for the members and unions to have a say is now. Any shuffle within the current failed regime will be compared to re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
13 MP to withhold Confidence in Shearer on Monday.
That is all that is needed to stop the paralysis of the past four years.
Mallard, TRP, various proxies, Mike Smith and Mike Williams are driving a wedge between the members and the Caucus. They have done nothing to unite the party. They think the only problem in the party is The Standard.
The Confidence Vote outcome on Monday will determine their future status. Yes, Mallard is hitting on MPs. He knows his political future is at risk. The pressure has got to him. Hence the incompetent attempt at the Leadership. He lost his rag on these pages yesterday.
Mallard will bully the List members like Darien Fenton who are dependant on a decent list position. He won’t try to bully an Electorate MP like Louisa Wall, because Trevor is a two bit coward.
For Labour to connect with the widest possible cross section of New Zealand society we need to be seen as the Party that:
a) has the right ideas;
b) the right people in place to execute the strategies derived from those ideas, and
c) the right Leader who can convince the public that Labour has a) & b).
Your friendly MP is today pondering how she/he will vote on the CONFIDENCE MOTION at the Caucus meeting on Monday.
Please help them with these three simple questions.
Call now.
My friendly MP is a deceptive Tory lawyer, another ‘safe seat’ that went west in 08 never to return with the bozo labour candidate who’s failed to hold ut or retake it in 2011. Feckless at best.
Personally I’m just sick of losing.
This leader Shearer, according to poll tracking, won’t win.
I want the right to at least ask the question with my vote:
can we please pick the right one, the one that will have the best chance of winning.
We just haven’t had the chance to even ask that question as Members.
“New Zealand needs to strengthen global linkages and tackle government spending and regulatory issues that diminish productivity and competitiveness if it is to lift its economic performance.”
“the other main way of improving prosperity in the longer run – labour productivity growth.”
“First … is the need to lift savings rates.”
“quality of investment is also an issue, with much of it going into housing rather than productivity-promoting investment.”
“New Zealand needs to be more welcoming to foreign investment, and should “re-examine the factors, including tax and regulation, that diminish and distort the incentives to both save and invest”.”
“Second on his priority list is for the Government to return its books to surplus.”
“”This is one reason why it is critical to cut back ineffective government spending, and ensure that our welfare spending is targeted better at those in need.””
“Finally Wheeler calls for a focus on the fat tail of underperformance in the education system.”
” “The bottom income deciles are populated by those with lesser skills, and those who experience prolonged and recurrent spells of unemployment. Addressing these groups would both promote productivity and reduce inequality.”
All of which is bog-standard, Right-wing, how-to-get-an-MBA-without-having-to-think singspiel.
And I somehow don’t think David Shearer et al would disagree with one single word of it.
Wheeler is using snake talk, what he is saying is a return to deregulation is needed and fast tracked at that. Foreign investment ‘sell sell sell’ New Zealand…land, houses, assets so his mates & him can make big profits! Add a more ‘flexible employment market’ ( law changes) increases productivity…and keeps those pesky Unions in their place.
 This guy is scum & needs a good look into his books for any irregular behavior… Stalin style preferably!Â
Frak this guy Wheeler. Another 1980’s trainee of Milton Friedman. Absolutely moronic and unaware of the situation our civilisation is in, and how his ilk are directly responsible.
My point is that I can hear every point of Wheeler’s speech coming out of Shearer’s mouth – and with most of the Labour caucus standing behind him nodding.
Blah blah blah blah blah. Its like they have some speech somewhere in a word file and print it off and give it to whoever is the reserve bank governor of the time.
Wheeler has no brains, that is clear. His message there is keep spinning the wheel faster and faster. Where is some analytical thought? Some original ideas? ha ha ha what a tosser spinning the same shit.
Here is how NZ could easily improve imo….
We need to own our country and its assets. The rich always chase the asset and keep it. Because that leads to long term wealth. So that is what we should do. We can start by banning foreign ownership of our land. Business does not need to own the land. Foreign ownership of land is the most dumbfuck idea going and it is only a negative to us. That is why so many other countries do not allow it, like China. Duh.
We also need to drive down the value of capital assets such as land, housing, plant, business, machinery everything. Paying vast sums to simply buy the capital asset drains the income which flows from that asset and benefits only the creators of credit, the privately owned banks.
Drive down capital values and drive ownership into New Zealanders hands, as many of them as possible.
Then watch the country go from strength to strength.
Come on you bloody dickheads Wheeler and English, do some fucking thinking dumbos. THINK.
The benefit system is under attack by national,we know that, but my situation is that
my disabilities are long term,i had go give up work because of them,i was given a
temporary additional support aligned to my housing costs,and a disability allowance,
all went ok until renewel a month ago, where because of increased medical costs
my disability allowance increased, but i was astounded my level of benefit stayed
the same,i phoned winz and was told that the disability allowance is seen as income
when you have temporary additonal support, penny pinching or just plain nasty?
If you are within the time limit, make an appointment with your case manager and demand the papers to appeal the decision,
Yes they are trying to cut costs by doing what you point out, hoping you will not have either the skills or energy to take their decision to the appeal authority,
I have heard of peoples disability allowance cancelled because they supposedly did not file a renewal,not just once but 3 years in a row,
The problem with that little fallacy is that the disability allowance form for the Invalids Benefit is part of the yearly renewal form for that benefit and it was impossible for WINZ to have missed it…
You have the legal right to review the decision. You don’t need an appointment but as you will know when you submit the Review of Decision form make sure you get a copy that is date stamped in case it is later “lost”.
Contact your local benefit rights service. Mine in Wellington is highly informed and experienced (some benefit rights advocates have little in the way of training and basically go in with you….and that’s about it. The BRS in Wellington has the right type of experience and quality advice you can count on so consider calling them 04 2102012 between 9.30am – 3.30 Tuesday – Friday, and they are in a meeting Monday morning so phone in the afternoon.)
I don’t know about TAS because I’m still on Special benefit which started being phased out in 2006 as I’m on IB too. What happened to you sounds very fishy to me.
You will feel better after you speak with an advocate who KNOWS what they are talking about.
It will help if you take what they tell you over the phone and write this exact wording on the review of decision form (you have to state why you disagree with their decision). I’m cheering you on. LFTHG.
You may find that it never even makes it to the hearing stage as the mistake could be picked up in an internal review.
Thanks all, AWW i will use the ph num and contact them, when i posted i was
wondering if anyone else had a similar problem, I do have a fighting spirit
so now i can go in to battle,so to speak, so thanks all for your support đ
I do have a fighting spirit so now i can go in to battle
Every WINZ appointment should be seen as a battle. There is strength in numbers, if possible, I’d recommend going to the appointment with another person, if you feel comfortable with them witnessing the conversation. A 2 vs 1 environment will change the nature of the appointment, and therefore how you get treated.
Even better if your wing-person is knowledgeable about WINZ tricks. Places like city mission, sallies or Auckland Action Against Poverty can help.
Good luck
This has happened to me to in the last month re renewal. Both TAS for rent and my DA has not been paid. I do not receive the maximum DA so this is not a cost on TAS, (the cut off point for DA is in the mid 50,s but check this). Anything under the cut off for DA has nothing to do with TAS, but TAS can be paid for health costs once over the cut off. Tying DA with TAS is not on as both are individual supplements in there own right with different renewal dates, (TAS every 13 weeks, DA every year).
I read in the NZ Herald today that over the summer 9 million has been paid out by ACC for sunburn, insect bites, barbecue accidents etc. (All trivial stuff).
Something is going down at Work and Income, possibly a directive from Bennett as she can issue one.
an Aad for burglar Good king wencheslas (with a thin paddy and Veuve Clicquot to swallow)
literally, there is no sacred fish sword
evocatively, that’s a different kettle of wish
were you there when they crucified. My Lord!
(there Definitely / Maybe a Champagne Super nova)
From The Stiff Kittens at The Electric Circus
To The Fan Club, Tell Laura I Love Her and that she is the missing link between Elvis Presley and The Banshees. This is our happy Fun House, no need to be a Mayflower at The Electric Ballroom;
King Kong’s not AnTwerp at all swinging Dead Souls at The Moonlight Club (is Kevin The Trojan Horse candidate with Insight?) on a Manchester Beach across the Mersey they Send No Flowers from Republica. Heaven is not The Rock Garden or The Boys Club (Hitchcock Railway) Bus, Le Palace or The Hacienda.
It’s The Venue for Movement and Ceremony, Utopia / Hal4, in The Day of The Lords as New Dawn Fades Something Must Break now 24 Hours into The Eternal Decades Shadowplay just like Sister Ray said, have a good night have a good night have a good night.
-Man of Principle (new world boy on the old Kings Road)
p**s. Phil Collins Henry Rollins Murder Ballads get down get down little Henry Lee
and the wind did howl and the wind did blow she plugged him through and through
they call her The Wild Rose (sorry if I interrupted any mans coitus)
bad things come in threes
Third Eye Blind Hows It Gonna Be. Kryptonite Three Doors get Down. Come on baby light my buick
getting back to The Good Oil,
Yishar shining and clear elaion
shake the fruit with a light stick
bruise in mortar crushed in a press loaded
with wood or stones.rudely hear the whiffletree creek
reservoirs clarified Oil of Tekoa was reckoned nga best. ha!
Trade by the honorable of the earth surpassed that of the Egyptian harvests
Till mercantile cupidity purchased Hebrew slaves repaid by Nebuchadnezzar.
Alexander completed the causeway so the anti-septic function came in Handy
old oil Celsus applied externally with friction to fevers. James certainly recommended it
-Rx (Philo Pliny and Galen)
Job done at 5:13 He catches the wise in their craftiness, and the schemes of the wily are swept away
12:3 a man cannot be established through wickedness yet the righteous cannot be uprooted
8:3 for whoever finds me finds life
Love changes everything (plenty to dive into or pennon there through the limestone at 60 per cm2)
dying to the self everyday wears out soles. Sikhism is strongly opposed to caste divisions.Baptised by the sword (interestingly) all may eat together in the kitchen at parties.
-Singh (thats an irreverent non-extremist pun jab) Has he lost his mind? can he see or is he blind
he was turned to steel in the great magnetic field.
The NZ Labour Party Youth section is important but has the Leadership become relevant to the 16+ young adults who will vote in 2014?
A slice of the Opinion Polls that I saw in the course of a marketing strategy session indicated that the youth of NZ will vote
1. Green
2. National, marginally ahead of
3. Labour.
NOT the positioning for a Party of Radical roots. The Youth saw the greens as the ones challenging the status quo. Many saw Labour as defenders of a status quo.
The Labour MPs need to consider how 16+ kids view them. Obviously there is a signigicant perseption thing that needs to be changed.
Boudicea, I could have told you that for half what you paid!
It is so obvious at Freshers Week in any third level institution.
The Youth will vote Green unless Labour makes a dramatic shift.
I know some union people are doing great work on making young workers politically aware. Will they become Labour voters? Probably yes. The new leaders of the Unions are the key to Labour’s much needed re-birth.
I agree with the concept of ‘new’ Union leaders having a large part in changing Labour’s fortunes. There are a high number of piss weak General Secretary’s that need to be moved out, & the standard of union organisers being employed by some outfits is also unbelievably poor. Too many of these GS’s are in with the sad old faces within labour which is the problem. Â
Chris Trotter had some interesting things to say about Shearers speech and his style of delivery at the recent Young Labour summer camp on Citizen A with Bomber.
Our four children are ALL Green party supporters, despite both of us having worked hard for Labour all our lives.
Last week our youngest son laughed at me and said, “Dad, why would I belong to any organization where I had no say in choosing the leaders? We Greens elect our own leaders and rank our list candidates. Labour is so past it’s use by date.”
Need to get Shearer on an electric guitar…or maybe playing bass.
Can we get him in a dub/reggae band? Like the Mayor off Portlandia?
It’ll have to be real roots reggae.
Other than that, Labour has no chance of attracting youth. Key has sewn up the idiocracy vote (despite Shearer’s best efforts). Greens get the youth who are aware of their future.
What does Labour offer youth. Look at the top MPs since 2008. Stuffy old twats. Don’t expect the youth to vote for their oppressors.
Seriously Rogue Trooper you should step up and write a blog of your own.
Would need an international audience.
But you appear to have a mind like the old arcade game Defender; flashes and reverses, and grand fractal jumps.
– You have several degrees, some of them arts, quite a lot of classics and philosophy
– You are at least in your 40s
– You have described yourself as being from somewhere Deep South
– You are saturated in Ellul and other Christianarchies
– You have memorised a whole bunch of songs, films, and Coltrane-style poetry
Most from this era have simply have that mind wrapped in lines of scar/e tissue in which the whips of the world have worn too deep a groove in their minds. How you sustain that still is quite beyond me.
You have more freedom in that spectral writing-jazz of yours than most have long since forgotten, yet with no shade of The Quiet American or other post-redemptive melancholies.
All it would take is at least a post every week.
What do you think? Can’t hide here under a little bushel forever you know.
I believe I know what the future holds for the world…yet not myself. I have an idea of what is going on since I opened up and began “commenting” on The Standard…(repeated empirical reality testing)…and it is related to words and energy forms, in particular the electromagnetic spectrum…yet this is not occurring in Isolation…I have a deep well of gratitude to many from this site and those that echo beyond…
It is a matter of conceptualization…there are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophies…a lot is related to what quantum physics has revealed to us…I owe a great obligation to lprent…may be on the radio and in a band soon…yet waiting patiently, reading, gardening, cooking, cleaning…(and to the tr. yes, I can go anyway in the city I live in and be greeted warmly by people from right across the spectrum yet I’m open about my politics and faith and previous flouting of the Law; may be a lesson in there?). I did not go to University (as a mature student) or develop my knowledge and “understanding” to be materialistically wealthy; I have never been ambitious, although a PhD sounded attractive for a while back…in the deep, distant past. I learn to understand, and like others on here, share that understanding for free.
Wherever you go, there you is no “point” at which our skins stop and The Universe starts.
A Very Big uncalled for ThankUturn. :). (and the A MAZERati)
nite
So I am curious about something. You have maintained that Labour is a right-wing party however the vast, overwhelming consensus among political scientists and the politicians themselves, from all sides, is that Labour is a centre left party.
however the vast, overwhelming consensus among political scientists and the politicians themselves, from all sides, is that Labour is a centre left party.
That reminds me of the old advertising trick where the advertiser would point out how many millions had been sold and then say that x millions of people can’t be wrong. The problem, of course, is that they can.
So, back up your argument.
I have. Several times in fact. Go have a look at what I’ve said about Labour’s KiwiBuild.
But there is a problem – you have personally stated your belief that Labour is a centre-right party however you also mentioned that those who can produce the most factual support for their claims is the opinion that should be more widely held rendering the second opinion worthless.
And the facts overwhelmingly support the view that Labour is a centre-left party therefore shouldn’t you declare your opinion as worthless?
N***ism may have been an ideology to which the United States was â and to which the president is â implacably opposed, but it is hardly âsenseless.â By the early 1930s, the N**i party had hundreds of thousands of devoted members and repeatedly attracted a third of the votes in German elections; its political leaders campaigned on a platform comprising 25 non-senseless points, including the âunification of all Germans,â a demand for âland and territory for the sustenance of our people,â and an assertion that âno Jew can be a member of the race.â Suffice it to say, many sensible Germans were persuaded.
On a different topic I only just noticed this across at kiwiblog:http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2013/02/why_did_labour_put_trevor_up.html which had been speculated about here. But was interested to see the idea that Annette won’t stand for Wellington mayor to keep Andrew out of Rongatai. Hardly the image of party renewal that they are after.
I read that too. If it is true, then it is a disgrace, and it only re-enforces my view of the hopeless state the Labour Party is in. Sorry, my view remains to be, a fresh start for the combined left can only be made by forming a new, inclusive, smart and well organised, newly staffed Left Party, that will not carry such baggage as Labour, either incorporate enough “green” policies, or work better with the Greens, and put Labour into the redundant category.
This upsets some, but I see NO other option now, with Shearer and other hopeless members in Parliament just clinging to their seats and positions.
For all those that have any “doubts” that people get BRAINWASHED by listening to private radio or other media, perhaps have a look at this quite frank set of information from the privately run ‘The Radio Network’, apparently owned largely by an Australian media corporation, and partly by a US share-holder, covering much of NZ radio:
There are comparisons between “media content distribution” and other criterias or information statistics.
I would think the “editorial” content is highly over-stated, as that must include anything but the bare net commercials they hammer your brain and mind with incessantly, repeatedly so it STICKS!
The “editorial content” will in the case of ZM, ZB, or any other of their stations, same as Radio Pacific (another radio broadcaster, not part of this lot), certainly include the highly frequent repeating of the station, it’s mission message and announcements for what comes up, what infotainment they present, and the likes.
So it does not equate with “REAL information”.
I thought this is worth having a look at, to see, how commercial radio works, compared to other commercial media, and how much of the contents is nothing but commercial advertising and much other CRAP.
NZ has the worst statistics and conditions and standards for public broadcasting, when compared with most developed “western” countries, that is for sure. It is dominated by commercial interests, and that even in the state run TV stations. Only Radio NZ National seems to be different, but even they have their internal “rules”, set by the ones that run that station.
Shocking truth. But so many grew up and grow up with this endless inundation of brainwashing into consumerism, superficiality, opportunistic thinking, and individual prioritising, which all somehow is in conflict in maintaining a working “social fabric” and unity.
Graham Adams assesses the fallout of the Cass Review â The press release last Thursday from the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls didnât make the mainstream news in New Zealand but it really should have. The startling title of Reem Alsalemâs statement â âImplementation of âCass ...
This open-for-business, under-new-management cliché-pockmarked government of Christopher Luxon is not the thing of beauty he imagines it to be. It is not the powerful expression of the will of the people that he asserts it to be. It is not a soaring eagle, it is a malodorous vulture. This newest poll should make ...
The latest labour market statistics, showing a rise in unemployment. There are now 134,000 unemployed - 14,000 more than when the National government took office. Which is I guess what happens when the Reserve Bank causes a recession in an effort to Keep Wages Low. The previous government saw a ...
Three opinion polls have been released in the last two days, all showing that the new government is failing to hold their popular support. The usual honeymoon experienced during the first year of a first term government is entirely absent. The political mood is still gloomy and discontented, mainly due ...
National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”.As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
Chris Trotter writes – ITâS A COMMONPLACEÂ of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: âWeâll govern for all New Zealanders.â On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
 Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-rightâs plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of Historyâs clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.ITâS A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Actâs and NZ Firstâs extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country heâs described as âfragileâ, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of MÄori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz  from the Beehive The governmentâs official website â which Point of Order monitors daily â not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winterâs night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfatherâs house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of MÄori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary â including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal â that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealandâs media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been Nationalâs media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but heâs not ...
Chris Trotter writes –Â New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Keyâs flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMPâs five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy.Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as âits largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliffâ. ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Governmentâs Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. Itâs important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the countryâs leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that âcorruptâ the nationâs ...
Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
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 Governmentâs Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. Itâs important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
Peter Dunne writes –Â The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that âthe first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.â 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 OECDâs 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 Commissionâs 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 governmentâs official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious:Â 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 inquisition  NOTE – 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 Tamarikiâs statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. âThere 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 âfirst strikeâ (that is, a âstage-1 convictionâ under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a âsecond strikeâ. 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 doesnât normally happen in politics. Thatâs 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 âsaveâ 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 Governmentâs official website – arrived in Point of Orderâs 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 â as may be discerned from the screenshot above â has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. Â ...
Todayâs Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and itâs only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. âThis is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. âThe government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicineâ, said Ayesha Verrall âThis is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoonâs interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour childrenâs spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te PÄti MÄori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veteransâ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veteransâ affairs spokesperson Greg OâConnor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxonâs management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonightâs court decision to overturn the summons of the Childrenâs Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about MÄori without evidence, says Te PÄti MÄori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. âThe judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last yearâs severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labourâs environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our countryâs most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Governmentâs Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a âget out of jail freeâ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te PÄti MÄori Justice Spokesperson, TÄkuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, MÄori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealandâs good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National governmentâs lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te PÄti MÄori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. âThis act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.â Said Te PÄti MÄori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for TÄmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te PÄti MÄori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mĆ TÄmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with MÄori 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 Governmentâs democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. âOur Governmentâs thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening â  Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealandâs foreign policy, weâd like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. âCreating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northlandâs marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. âThis is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the countryâs total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. âThe beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ć-RÄkau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mĆ Ć-RÄkau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ć-RÄkau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Governmentâs plan to supercharge New Zealandâs EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four â and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Governmentâs plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. âI have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People â Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Governmentâs plan to restore law and order. âSpeaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealandâs human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). âNew Zealandâs goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. âIâm putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure âone stop shopâ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. âThe NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
WhÄnau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. âGiving these whÄnau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Governmentâs goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave OâSullivan (OBE). âOur sympathies are with the OâSullivan family with the sad news of Dave OâSullivanâs recent passing,â Mr Peters says. âHis contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmacâs largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff.  âAccess to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwisâ lives. Weâve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,â says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. âWe know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,â Dr Reti says. âEvery day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikoheâs new $14.7 million sports complex. âThe completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,â Mr Jones says. âThis facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Petersâ engagements in TĂŒrkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges.  âReturning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,â Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen â good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood â a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - Â It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Â Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Â Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. âOur Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealandâs hydrogen future, with the opening of the countryâs first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. âI want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealandâs own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealandâs energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
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. âThe report shows that New Zealandâs emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,â Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where heâll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Governmentâs work to restore law and order. âAttending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealandâs human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the worldâs largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. âThe reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealandâs 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  NgÄ 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. âOur 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 Zealandâs overseas missions.  âOur diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealandâs interests around the world,â Mr Peters says.  âI 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. Â âOver 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. âIt 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. âOur coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
Rongotai MP Julie Anne Genter has apologised in Parliament after National accused her of intimidating and attacking one of its ministers in the House. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Prime Minister and state and territory leaders met on Wednesday as the national cabinet to discuss a crisis gripping Australia â the horrific number of women murdered this year. The killings have shocked ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Radhika Raghav, Teaching Fellow, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Otago Netflix Indian director Sanjay Leela Bhansali is known for his big-budget Bollywood production, featuring grand sets, star casts, meticulously choreographed dance sequences and lavish costumes, jewellery and furnishings. ...
Sir Robert devoted his life to disability rights after living in institutions in his younger years, says KaihautĆ« Tika HauÄtanga | Disability Rights Commissioner Prudence Walker. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University Violence against women is not a womenâs problem to solve, it is a whole of society problem to solve; and men in particular have to take responsibility. Those were the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jessica Allen, Senior Lecturer in Chemical and Renewable Energy Engineering, University of Newcastle Snapshot freddy/ShutterstockPlans to revive an old coal-fired power station using bioenergy are being considered in the Hunter region of New South Wales. Similar plans for the station ...
Responding to the long-awaited release of judgesâ special allowances, including free air travel and hotels for spouses, generous sabbaticals, and access to limousines, Taxpayersâ Union spokesman Alex Murphy said: âIn what world does your employer ...
Analysis - The United States has unveiled plans to boost the weapons trade with Australia and the UK, on the same day that Winston Peters is expected to sketch NZ's position on AUKUS. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrea Carson, Professor of Political Communication, Department of Politics, Media and Philosophy, La Trobe University Since Australiaâs First Nations Voice to Parliament referendum in October 2023, diverse commentaries have sought to explain why it failed. But what does an analysis of media ...
Lawyers representing two iwi as well as the MÄori Women’s Welfare League on Wednesday asked the Court of Appeal to overturn last week’s High Court decision on the Waitangi Tribunal’s decision to summons Children’s Minister Karen Chhour. The Tribunal is currently investigating the Governmentâs decision to repeal section 7AA of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government will introduce legislation to ban deepfake pornography and provide more funding for the eSafety Commission to pilot age-assurance technologies. The contribution of internet sites to gender-based violence was one major issue ...
Average ordinary time hourly earnings, as measured by the Quarterly Employment Survey (QES), increased 5.2 percent in the year to the March 2024 quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ today. Annual wage cost inflation, as measured by the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dimitrios Salampasis, FinTech Capability Lead | Senior Lecturer, Emerging Technologies and FinTech, Swinburne University of Technology Clem Onojeghuo/Unsplash In the digital era, the job market is increasingly becoming a minefield â demanding and difficult to navigate. According to the Australian Bureau ...
As of the March 2024 quarter, we can now look back on 20 years of data related to youth not in employment, education, or training (NEET), as collected by the Household Labour Force Survey (HLFS), according to figures released by Stats NZ today. "The ...
Thousands of workers attended public events in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch today to celebrate International Workersâ Day (May Day), but union representatives are urging caution and vigilance over the Governmentâs blatantly "anti-worker" ...
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.3 percent in the March 2024 quarter, compared with 4.0 percent in the previous quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ today. ...
The PSA is warning the Government that the sensitive information of New Zealanders held by various agencies will fall into the wrong hands if the latest round of proposed cuts goes ahead. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Talitha Best, Professor of Psychology, CQUniversity Australia Victoria Rodriguez/Unsplash How do sugar rushes work? â W.H, age nine, from Canberra What a terrific question W.H! Letâs explore this, starting with some of the basics. What is sugar? ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karinna Saxby, Research Fellow, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne MART PRODUCTION/Pexels Increasing income support could help keep women and children safe according to new work demonstrating strong links between financial insecurity and domestic violence. ...
ANALYSIS:By Olli Hellmann, University of Waikato When New Zealanders commemorate Anzac Day today on April 25, itâs not only to honour the soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and subsequent conflicts, but also to mark a defining event for national identity. The battle of Gallipoli against ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark A Gregory, Associate Professor, School of Engineering, RMIT University The telecommunications industry faces a major shakeup following the release of the post-incident report on last Novemberâs 12-hour Optus outage. Telecommunications companies will have to share more information with customers during future ...
Welcome to The Spinoff Bookseller Confessional, in which we get to know Aotearoaâs booksellers. This week: Eden Denyer, bookseller at Unity Books Auckland.Weirdest question/request youâve had on the shop floorA mother came in looking for anything we might have on Alaskan bison as that was her little boyâs ...
NZCTU Economist Craig Renney said new data released by Statistics New Zealand shows the need for Government to act now, with unemployment rising from 3.4% to 4.3%. ...
The outpouring of anger over Maiki Shermanâs hyperbolic presentation of this weekâs ânightmareâ poll is itself an overreaction, argues Stewart Sowman-Lund. Politicians love nothing more than to pretend they donât care about polls. This week, deputy prime minister Winston Peters said he didnât give a âratâs derriereâ about a TVNZ ...
Asia Pacific Report NgÄti Kahungunu in Aotearoa New Zealandâs Hawkes Bay region has become the first indigenous MÄori iwi (tribe) to sign a resolution calling for a âceasefire in Palestineâ, reports Te Ao MÄori News. Reporter Te Aniwaniwa Paterson talked to Te OtÄne Huata, who has been organising peace rallies ...
By Dale Luma in Port Moresby âWe want grants and not concessional loans,â is the crisp message from Papua New Guinea businesses directly affected by the Black Wednesday looting four months ago. The businesses, which lost millions after the January 10 rioting and looting, say they need grants as part ...
Happy May Day. Join a union. Q: Whatâs 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 âheartily 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 â 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 TĆ« discussion paper released today proposes sweeping changes to New Zealandâs media industry. The principalâs 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 Governmentâs spending cuts are again targeting support for MÄori with proposed reform of the agency charged with advising on MÄori 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 industryâs ...
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? Thatâs 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 â 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 â commonly known as shooting stars â 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 (COâ) in Earthâs atmosphere are unprecedented in human history. But COâ 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 Spinoffâs 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 governmentâs 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-leaderâs 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 Shawâs trademark wit ...
Two months ago, MPs unanimously voted to give themselves a week off in Efeso Collinsâ honour. On Tuesday, most were too busy to give even an hour of their time. The day FaâanÄnÄ Efeso Collins died, parliament felt different. In a building that operates at a breakneck pace, everyone stopped ...
Indiaâs election involves hundreds of millions of people and is a months-long affair. Hereâs how voting works and whatâs at stake.The biggest-ever election in world history started on April 19, with more than 10% of the worldâs population eligible to vote. Elections in India, the worldâs most populous country ...
“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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Comment: Journalists are very good at telling other peopleâs 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 publicâs attitude toward journalism is more alarming than the last. In the last month we have ...
Opinion: A young MÄori 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 havenât recognised the symptoms â and donât 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 boyâs mother was accused of disposing of her sonâs body. The second season of Newsroomâs 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 âKimâ. She has worked here for three years, ...
I am surprised that I am getting Face TV on my free-to-air telly. It seems this will be happening until the analog switch off later in the year.
Does John Armstrong live in Auckland? He certainly doesn’t seem to have a clue about the crisis in Auckland affordable housing for beneficiaries and other renters on low incomes.
Armstrong champions Labour’s housing policy over that of National’s or Greens, even though Shearer was “all over the paddock” when talking about it this week, because:it’s “gone down well with the punters.” Which punters would this be? Those who will be able to afford to buy Labour’s planned houses?
He says the Greens have got it wrong because building state houses in Hobsonville wouldn’t work – the land’s too valuable, you see. And, furthermore, Armstrong reckons that is the wrong place for work-seeking beneficiaries to live, because it’s not near jobs. Does he realise it is precisely in such outer areas that beneficiaries and other low income people are looking for places to rent because there’s nothing available closer to the city? Also, the whole Massey area is being upgraded, including the Westgate centre, because it is seen as becoming a growth area in the future – which should mean more local jobs.
All Armstrong’s latest column shows is, which team he’s throwing his lot in with for the next election.
LOLZ, John Armstrong one of the reasons why i don’t read the Herald even when it’s free online, ”The Green Party’s housing policy would require the Government to go on a continual borrowing binge”
Really, the only answer that little quip deserves from anyone is ”Ha Ha Ha”, Armstrong resorts to bullshit (as usual), The Slippery lead National Government just for Armstrong’s education has in 4 years borrowed 42 billion dollars, not a binge, a f**king orgy of borrowing, that 42 billion dollar borrowing ‘orgy’ at 300 million bucks a weeks is the biggest amount of monies borrowed in the shortest amount of time by any Government in NZ,s history, and that borrowing is set to continue right up to November 2014 where the debt mountain will be topping out at 60 odd billion dollars,
Does Armstrong ever get down to looking at what gives every appearance of being a borrowing regime by this Slippery lead National Government managed by those who suck on P pipes for breakfast,
Money, just to educate John Armstrong, when owed to the Government by us peasants is counted in the Government books as an asset as will the houses that will be built with the money owed,
Depending on coalition negotiations we could expect the Green Party housing policy to take up 25% of the Labour Party proposed 100,000 homes, and it is my contention here that Labour should actually move to include the Green Party housing policy into a position alongside it’s own where everyone has a choice of bank mortgage or Government backed ‘rent to buy’,(place your bets now on the majority opting for Government backed rent to buy),
Armstrong’s whole argument ‘against’ the Green Party housing policy relies upon His prejudice against people who are NOT definitely middle class, His writing reeks of this condescension, why wouldn’t low income Kiwi’s keep their new homes neat tidy and well maintained, why wouldn’t low income Kiwi’s having the one chance they will ever get in this life to own their own homes not pay off the ‘equity’ in their new homes that the state holds as quickly as their incomes allow,
Why in fact doesn’t the fucking toe-rag well past His use-by date Herald hack writer Armstrong just not print lines in capitals saying ‘i hate the poor’,
Does the Herald’s pet hack writer own rental properties and can see part of the rental market disappearing into ‘rent to buy’ home ownership, lowering demand and forcing the Herald’s pet hack writer to take less in rent,
More to the point, are the bank’s getting a little jittery, a wee spot nervous, as they watch the Green party unveil a perfectly logical plan where Government acts as if it were a Government and provides not only the homes for the people it governs,(along with the jobs building them),and removes from the banks completely the need to finance such homes by becoming the lender of note for these homes by holding the equity in such homes instead of the banks via mortgage finance…
You are just too funny Mr bad12!
I would love to know, if as a young cadet reporter, Armstrong got a Housing Corporation mortgage at 4%, with the deposit capitalised using his family benefit.
This scheme and others, ensured that NZ was free of homelessness and poverty throughout the post World War 2 era.
witofi, been milling this ova
RNZ-(from the top of the Hill) “we don’t have authoritative broadsheet press in NZ”;
anglophile excess / Nordic Exceptionalism, that’s the ‘crux’ of it.
*some Sunday morning reading please?
(Gdansk the safety danzig)
Israel update; Assyrian retaliation threatened, and the Russian Foreign Ministry concurs
while (out of context) 12M is now owed to teachers, IRD Child Support and any other freakin ap
150,000 cases of Child Abuse reported in oh 12 (but hay, its only up a penny %: 16-14) down south Antarctic rapid changes are tongueing there groove into the Deep ocean as Owen Glenns funds are frozen; it’s trustees (sic) see it “no longer appropriate to distribute philanthropy in NZ” đ Ethics needed in the NZX effectively two counts of underarm trading yet don’t worry, according to the quoted bank advertisement “we can lend you enough money to get you out of debt”, sadly, been there, lost that. B.G & B.S
“Truth has no special time of it’s own. It’s hour is now always”
-Albert Schweitzer (any old dime. A dozen should do)
Armstrong’s been sucking up the spoonfuls fed from the Labour Leader’s office for the past 4 years. Sad thing is I used to respect him as a journalist. Not now.
What Armstrong cannot see is that the taxation from building the homes from the profits made by those contracted to do the building, from the higher level of consumption of building materials,from the increased taxation of an enlarged building workforce needed to build these houses and from the shift off of the dole of that labour force needed to build those houses will in fact far exceed any cost to the Government,
Economic illiterates like Armstrong are paid to seek out a plausible negative which the Herald gladly uses as a plank to beat upon the Political Party’s it’s backers dislike…
I opening a book on the who Team Shearer has pencilled in to the Govt Press Secretary role:
John Armstrong. 5 to 2
Fran Mold. 33 to 1
Josie Pagani. 5 to 1
Seen the home screen on the stuff website yet? Paul Holmes ‘switching roles, he’ll be with Eve now’ the ‘resting kinght’s guide’ in the ever after. I’d link, but that means I’d have to click on it and I’m not going to give tosh like that any page views.
I can’t work out what’s worse – that a ‘news’ outlet thinks selling supernatural fairy tales is front page news, or that they’re starting to venerate Holmes, or that I feel like I’ve encountered a wormhole and I’m in a U.S. southern state. Gobsmackingly cloyingly awful.
Anyone notice that story in the NZHerald this morning about Judith Collins and the appointment of the Director of Human Rights Proceedings? The basic non-disclosure on the Conflict of Interest form is the story that will get her.
But if anyone needs to speak up for Catherine Rodgers, the applicant who was strongly recommended by the appointments panel and overruled by the Minister, Catherine Rodgers is a stunning lawyer.
It’s on Court record that under the utterly useless previous Director of Human Rights Proceedings (remember Robert Hesketh that previously disgraced District Court Judge), she marshalled the team that took on the government about the human rights of caregivers to be provided round the clock state assistance for caregivers.
The Crown and Ministers opposed her and her team every step of the way, court after court, over 7 years, and she and her team won. Right through to the Supreme Court. Anyone on the inside knows the kind of resources the Crown has at their legal disposal will understand what that means.
Catherine Rodgers is a seriously good lawyer, both in the professional and virtuous sense.
But now the story is on Collins. Hopefully its a story that gets some traction. Because if there’s one Minister who needs to go up against the wall come the revolution for crimes against the separation of judicial and executive function, it’s Judith Collins.
Yes, just read it and came here to post .. I will add the link for you.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10862947
How deeply scummy is this government ? What does it take to chip the teflon and begin the unravelling ? Maybe this is an opportunity with the published photo at her mother-in-law’s funeral proving that Collins has been completely disingenuous in her denials of a conflict of interest. Here’s hoping the traction holds some place in the House this week .. come on Winston !!
Oi yey.
Aye the selection of Robert Kee is looking more and more suspect. Collins and Rodgers know each other too. They spent time together on the Auckland Women Lawyers Association executive. The gossip that I have heard is that their relationship was not that good …
I think your confusing Catherine Rogers with Francis Joychild. Francis J did the caregiving case in the three Courts (Human Rights Tribunal, High Court and Appeal COurt). It never went to the Supreme Court. And the case wasn’t about round the clock assistance it was about payment for certain types of special cares for high needs family members.
Yep right you are Jonno. I believe Catherine was involved in the proceedings challenging the legality of working for families.
Well there are some many scandals and sleazy carry on’s with this lot I think a lot of people are just turnig off. What I can’t understandis how this incompetent rable are still on top of the polls , Begs the quetion are they?
Datacom January 2008:
The latest payroll round – the first of the school term – was filled with errors. Staff who are on leave have incorrectly received full pay, changes that were made in November have not been actioned, staff are being forced to fill forms out twice with exactly the same information, some teachers had to be paid from school funds so they could afford groceries. It’s a nightmare – unnecessary bureaucracy, huge numbers of errors. Payroll systems have changed for the worse … The start of year is a critical period for payroll. At the start of this year, 64,733 changes were made for school employees, generating a 100% increase in workload for clerical staff.
Sound familiar?
Now imagine that twice as bad and happening every single month, and you have NOGOPAY.
What about NOVOPAYN. Sort of a derivative of Novocaine (a drug given to people to stop them feeling pain, especially during an operation on their teeth) – teachers getting their proper salary seems as hard as pulling teeth.
I think that all in the majority government should have their pay docked while such poor policy results continue. We need to have accountability from these well paid flunkies of our democratic institution, which is dirty and needs water blasting into all its crevices.
Nice. Yours is better than mine. Hope the staffers notice it.
Hmmm.
If I were cynical, I’d think JB was simply recycling ambergris – whale puke.
But JB’s long history of providing well researched and reputable links for his subtle and erudite analyses makes me ashamed of my own cynicism.
lol. yeah, right.
Green Party MP’s are today taking a canoe ride down the Waitara river in the yearly trek to highlight the plight of ‘despicable dirty rivers’,
The Waitara river as measured by NIWA has the lowest water quality of all rivers in New Zealand,
The Green Party has repeatedly ‘asked’ farmers to help clean up such filth as these rivers are not only the life-blood of continual farming they are in fact the taonga and life-blood of us all,
Fonterra the dairy giant has also repeatedly ‘asked’ farmers to clean up these rivers with little actual effect,
Those who are polluting our rivers should, while they still have time, give far more weight to having been ‘asked’ politely to address this issue,
The time when the Green Movement is willing to just ‘ask’ has all but expired, after ‘ask’ comes ‘tell’ and not long after ‘tell’ comes ‘force’, we all including the farming community have ‘choice’,
My ‘suggestion’ is that you begin to make the right ones…
Ask the farmers? And there are people who belief this is not a waste of time? Makes Footrot flats a futuristic movie.
Upcoming Vote
I honestly believe the time for any leadership challenge has past the cut off point. Stick to Shearer but replace Grant Robertson as deputy and put Andrew Little in there. This should keep most within the party content and appeal to the broader supporter base. Little needs to take the Labour spokespersons role and champion creating job. Shearer needs to be kept in check so any overly overt moves right will be stamped out with Little there.
An innovative option, but roadblocks remain. Cunliffe would need to to be given a serious front bench position and Grant would have to back the overall move. The change would also have to go through, around or over Mallard et al. Not easy.
Mallards needs to be put in his place, a return to the house will be as speaker full-stop. A few others need to go at the end of this term. Fresh blood is needed & this issue needs to be addressed this month, Labour need to take a leaf out of the Greens book ‘refresh.’
Ego’s etc aside and they are all going to need to suck it up and concentrate on the job of sorting the mess National have done. Of course Cunliffe needs to be on the front bench. A rover like Joyce perhaps certainly the innovation portfolio.Â
   Â
Just for clarification ‘overtly right’ are policy’s like raising the age of retirement & ‘compulsory’ Kiwi saver ( low income earners can not afford).
Yuk, Andrew Little. Gross.
Mumble-pants is already unmarketable enough without that greaseball standing next to him.
Image and communication are Labour’s most pressing problems, Little would just exasperate those.
I honestly believe the time for any leadership challenge has past the cut off point.
Most people were predicting the its too late for change claim to come out in 12 months, you’re a bit early. If we take Shearer’s performance into account, I would say 3 weeks before the election should be considered the cut off point.
I honestly believe the time for any leadership challenge has past the cut off point
I honestly believe the need for a leadership challenge has never been more urgent. Let’s face it. labour is going nowhere. The polls have stalled, the front bench is not firing, and the Nats keep offering up these huge targets which somehow Labour keeps missing. Key is toying with Shearer.
Honestly, something has to change or we will have three more years of tory rule.
It’s not they somehow keep missing, it’s that They are incapable of hitting.
Geez the hollowmen must be loving this, trevz pillow talk must be a world class session in mutual admiration for each others awesomeness
“I honestly believe the time for any leadership challenge has past the cut off point”
“I honestly believe the need for a leadership challenge has never been more urgent.”
I honestly believe you’ve both got it right.
The Monday vote is not a vote on a “leadership challenge”. It is a vote on how caucus sees the rest of the Labour Party.
We need to see evidence that caucus is willing to listen to the membership and that it is willing to give the members (and affiliates) a voice. The energy and excitement a Primary process would build for Labour going into 2014 would be amazing.
“It is a vote on how caucus sees the rest of the Labour Party.”
Sadly amusing that either of them is going to be upset if they have to rely on the other for support at present.
And if Key gets back in then the gloves will come off, and that Power mad, megalomaniac, will sell , mine, and drill everything in sight. And still Labour will sit with their fingers in their ears.
The time for the members and unions to have a say is now. Any shuffle within the current failed regime will be compared to re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
13 MP to withhold Confidence in Shearer on Monday.
That is all that is needed to stop the paralysis of the past four years.
The time for strength is now.
And you probably have the Mallafia ringing everyone over, and over, just to remind, and warn them about the vote..
Mallard, TRP, various proxies, Mike Smith and Mike Williams are driving a wedge between the members and the Caucus. They have done nothing to unite the party. They think the only problem in the party is The Standard.
The Confidence Vote outcome on Monday will determine their future status. Yes, Mallard is hitting on MPs. He knows his political future is at risk. The pressure has got to him. Hence the incompetent attempt at the Leadership. He lost his rag on these pages yesterday.
Mallard will bully the List members like Darien Fenton who are dependant on a decent list position. He won’t try to bully an Electorate MP like Louisa Wall, because Trevor is a two bit coward.
“Despite all the intractable social problems and the need for new economic positions, big ideas are largely missing from New Zealand politics at the moment.”
A commentary by Bryce Edwards:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10862864
For Labour to connect with the widest possible cross section of New Zealand society we need to be seen as the Party that:
a) has the right ideas;
b) the right people in place to execute the strategies derived from those ideas, and
c) the right Leader who can convince the public that Labour has a) & b).
Your friendly MP is today pondering how she/he will vote on the CONFIDENCE MOTION at the Caucus meeting on Monday.
Please help them with these three simple questions.
Call now.
My friendly MP is a deceptive Tory lawyer, another ‘safe seat’ that went west in 08 never to return with the bozo labour candidate who’s failed to hold ut or retake it in 2011. Feckless at best.
For me at least it’s about simply showing respect to the members and supporters who get MP’s in Labour into parliament in the first place.
I saw real flagrant self-interest from MPs at the November 2012 Conference, arguing against democratisation of the party.
They remain in power, appear not to need the members’ help in any form, and can therefore flagrantly disregard and disrespect the membership.
They are not my employers. They don’t own me.
They have to co-operate.
They have to co-operate with me if they are to win back power.
I simply want the chance to hold then to account, and to say that with my vote on the leadership of the Labour Party.
Personally I’m just sick of losing.
This leader Shearer, according to poll tracking, won’t win.
I want the right to at least ask the question with my vote:
can we please pick the right one, the one that will have the best chance of winning.
We just haven’t had the chance to even ask that question as Members.
I want the right to ask the question.
I read in the Herald:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10862970
that Graeme Wheeler is saying:
“New Zealand needs to strengthen global linkages and tackle government spending and regulatory issues that diminish productivity and competitiveness if it is to lift its economic performance.”
“the other main way of improving prosperity in the longer run – labour productivity growth.”
“First … is the need to lift savings rates.”
“quality of investment is also an issue, with much of it going into housing rather than productivity-promoting investment.”
“New Zealand needs to be more welcoming to foreign investment, and should “re-examine the factors, including tax and regulation, that diminish and distort the incentives to both save and invest”.”
“Second on his priority list is for the Government to return its books to surplus.”
“”This is one reason why it is critical to cut back ineffective government spending, and ensure that our welfare spending is targeted better at those in need.””
“Finally Wheeler calls for a focus on the fat tail of underperformance in the education system.”
” “The bottom income deciles are populated by those with lesser skills, and those who experience prolonged and recurrent spells of unemployment. Addressing these groups would both promote productivity and reduce inequality.”
All of which is bog-standard, Right-wing, how-to-get-an-MBA-without-having-to-think singspiel.
And I somehow don’t think David Shearer et al would disagree with one single word of it.
Wheeler is using snake talk, what he is saying is a return to deregulation is needed and fast tracked at that. Foreign investment ‘sell sell sell’ New Zealand…land, houses, assets so his mates & him can make big profits! Add a more ‘flexible employment market’ ( law changes) increases productivity…and keeps those pesky Unions in their place.
 This guy is scum & needs a good look into his books for any irregular behavior… Stalin style preferably!Â
Frak this guy Wheeler. Another 1980’s trainee of Milton Friedman. Absolutely moronic and unaware of the situation our civilisation is in, and how his ilk are directly responsible.
Thanks English, a genius fucking appointment.
I agree.
My point is that I can hear every point of Wheeler’s speech coming out of Shearer’s mouth – and with most of the Labour caucus standing behind him nodding.
As expected from Shonkeys mob, the opportunity to put a compliant lapdog in wasn’t missed.
Blah blah blah blah blah. Its like they have some speech somewhere in a word file and print it off and give it to whoever is the reserve bank governor of the time.
Yes I often have the feeling the same speech was used previously and will be recycled again as numerical order dictates.
I get the same impression when Shearer Says rolls out.
This one was left behind from the 1984-86 years.
Wheeler has no brains, that is clear. His message there is keep spinning the wheel faster and faster. Where is some analytical thought? Some original ideas? ha ha ha what a tosser spinning the same shit.
Here is how NZ could easily improve imo….
We need to own our country and its assets. The rich always chase the asset and keep it. Because that leads to long term wealth. So that is what we should do. We can start by banning foreign ownership of our land. Business does not need to own the land. Foreign ownership of land is the most dumbfuck idea going and it is only a negative to us. That is why so many other countries do not allow it, like China. Duh.
We also need to drive down the value of capital assets such as land, housing, plant, business, machinery everything. Paying vast sums to simply buy the capital asset drains the income which flows from that asset and benefits only the creators of credit, the privately owned banks.
Drive down capital values and drive ownership into New Zealanders hands, as many of them as possible.
Then watch the country go from strength to strength.
Come on you bloody dickheads Wheeler and English, do some fucking thinking dumbos. THINK.
Thinking not allowed, following hollowmen script is. English is below average at best and looks good alongside the rest of caucus.
The benefit system is under attack by national,we know that, but my situation is that
my disabilities are long term,i had go give up work because of them,i was given a
temporary additional support aligned to my housing costs,and a disability allowance,
all went ok until renewel a month ago, where because of increased medical costs
my disability allowance increased, but i was astounded my level of benefit stayed
the same,i phoned winz and was told that the disability allowance is seen as income
when you have temporary additonal support, penny pinching or just plain nasty?
*sigh*
If you are within the time limit, make an appointment with your case manager and demand the papers to appeal the decision,
Yes they are trying to cut costs by doing what you point out, hoping you will not have either the skills or energy to take their decision to the appeal authority,
I have heard of peoples disability allowance cancelled because they supposedly did not file a renewal,not just once but 3 years in a row,
The problem with that little fallacy is that the disability allowance form for the Invalids Benefit is part of the yearly renewal form for that benefit and it was impossible for WINZ to have missed it…
You have the legal right to review the decision. You don’t need an appointment but as you will know when you submit the Review of Decision form make sure you get a copy that is date stamped in case it is later “lost”.
Contact your local benefit rights service. Mine in Wellington is highly informed and experienced (some benefit rights advocates have little in the way of training and basically go in with you….and that’s about it. The BRS in Wellington has the right type of experience and quality advice you can count on so consider calling them 04 2102012 between 9.30am – 3.30 Tuesday – Friday, and they are in a meeting Monday morning so phone in the afternoon.)
I don’t know about TAS because I’m still on Special benefit which started being phased out in 2006 as I’m on IB too. What happened to you sounds very fishy to me.
You will feel better after you speak with an advocate who KNOWS what they are talking about.
It will help if you take what they tell you over the phone and write this exact wording on the review of decision form (you have to state why you disagree with their decision). I’m cheering you on. LFTHG.
You may find that it never even makes it to the hearing stage as the mistake could be picked up in an internal review.
Thanks all, AWW i will use the ph num and contact them, when i posted i was
wondering if anyone else had a similar problem, I do have a fighting spirit
so now i can go in to battle,so to speak, so thanks all for your support đ
I do have a fighting spirit so now i can go in to battle
Every WINZ appointment should be seen as a battle. There is strength in numbers, if possible, I’d recommend going to the appointment with another person, if you feel comfortable with them witnessing the conversation. A 2 vs 1 environment will change the nature of the appointment, and therefore how you get treated.
Even better if your wing-person is knowledgeable about WINZ tricks. Places like city mission, sallies or Auckland Action Against Poverty can help.
Good luck
Celebrate The Bullet when there is Too Much Pressure
Sicko
Moore clearly seen
Just plain NASTY.
Basically they are saying your increased medical costs are a luxury you should give up.
This has happened to me to in the last month re renewal. Both TAS for rent and my DA has not been paid. I do not receive the maximum DA so this is not a cost on TAS, (the cut off point for DA is in the mid 50,s but check this). Anything under the cut off for DA has nothing to do with TAS, but TAS can be paid for health costs once over the cut off. Tying DA with TAS is not on as both are individual supplements in there own right with different renewal dates, (TAS every 13 weeks, DA every year).
I read in the NZ Herald today that over the summer 9 million has been paid out by ACC for sunburn, insect bites, barbecue accidents etc. (All trivial stuff).
Something is going down at Work and Income, possibly a directive from Bennett as she can issue one.
A new TV show by charlie brooker has started, called Charlie Brooker’s Weekly Wipe
an Aad for burglar Good king wencheslas (with a thin paddy and Veuve Clicquot to swallow)
literally, there is no sacred fish sword
evocatively, that’s a different kettle of wish
were you there when they crucified. My Lord!
(there Definitely / Maybe a Champagne Super nova)
-Victa ( a martyr for the piles) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112637/
From The Stiff Kittens at The Electric Circus
To The Fan Club, Tell Laura I Love Her and that she is the missing link between Elvis Presley and The Banshees. This is our happy Fun House, no need to be a Mayflower at The Electric Ballroom;
King Kong’s not AnTwerp at all swinging Dead Souls at The Moonlight Club (is Kevin The Trojan Horse candidate with Insight?) on a Manchester Beach across the Mersey they Send No Flowers from Republica. Heaven is not The Rock Garden or The Boys Club (Hitchcock Railway) Bus, Le Palace or The Hacienda.
It’s The Venue for Movement and Ceremony, Utopia / Hal4, in The Day of The Lords as New Dawn Fades Something Must Break now 24 Hours into The Eternal Decades Shadowplay just like Sister Ray said, have a good night have a good night have a good night.
-Man of Principle (new world boy on the old Kings Road)
p**s. Phil Collins Henry Rollins Murder Ballads get down get down little Henry Lee
and the wind did howl and the wind did blow she plugged him through and through
they call her The Wild Rose (sorry if I interrupted any mans coitus)
Ah, a random spell-check ap goes feral and attacks its master.
:), but wait, there’s more…
bad things come in threes
Third Eye Blind Hows It Gonna Be. Kryptonite Three Doors get Down. Come on baby light my buick
getting back to The Good Oil,
Yishar shining and clear elaion
shake the fruit with a light stick
bruise in mortar crushed in a press loaded
with wood or stones.rudely hear the whiffletree creek
reservoirs clarified Oil of Tekoa was reckoned nga best. ha!
Trade by the honorable of the earth surpassed that of the Egyptian harvests
Till mercantile cupidity purchased Hebrew slaves repaid by Nebuchadnezzar.
Alexander completed the causeway so the anti-septic function came in Handy
old oil Celsus applied externally with friction to fevers. James certainly recommended it
-Rx (Philo Pliny and Galen)
Job done at 5:13 He catches the wise in their craftiness, and the schemes of the wily are swept away
12:3 a man cannot be established through wickedness yet the righteous cannot be uprooted
8:3 for whoever finds me finds life
Love changes everything (plenty to dive into or pennon there through the limestone at 60 per cm2)
dying to the self everyday wears out soles. Sikhism is strongly opposed to caste divisions.Baptised by the sword (interestingly) all may eat together in the kitchen at parties.
-Singh (thats an irreverent non-extremist pun jab) Has he lost his mind? can he see or is he blind
he was turned to steel in the great magnetic field.
The NZ Labour Party Youth section is important but has the Leadership become relevant to the 16+ young adults who will vote in 2014?
A slice of the Opinion Polls that I saw in the course of a marketing strategy session indicated that the youth of NZ will vote
1. Green
2. National, marginally ahead of
3. Labour.
NOT the positioning for a Party of Radical roots. The Youth saw the greens as the ones challenging the status quo. Many saw Labour as defenders of a status quo.
The Labour MPs need to consider how 16+ kids view them. Obviously there is a signigicant perseption thing that needs to be changed.
Boudicea, I could have told you that for half what you paid!
It is so obvious at Freshers Week in any third level institution.
The Youth will vote Green unless Labour makes a dramatic shift.
I know some union people are doing great work on making young workers politically aware. Will they become Labour voters? Probably yes. The new leaders of the Unions are the key to Labour’s much needed re-birth.
I agree with the concept of ‘new’ Union leaders having a large part in changing Labour’s fortunes. There are a high number of piss weak General Secretary’s that need to be moved out, & the standard of union organisers being employed by some outfits is also unbelievably poor. Too many of these GS’s are in with the sad old faces within labour which is the problem. Â
+1
Chris Trotter had some interesting things to say about Shearers speech and his style of delivery at the recent Young Labour summer camp on Citizen A with Bomber.
Our four children are ALL Green party supporters, despite both of us having worked hard for Labour all our lives.
Last week our youngest son laughed at me and said, “Dad, why would I belong to any organization where I had no say in choosing the leaders? We Greens elect our own leaders and rank our list candidates. Labour is so past it’s use by date.”
My replies fell on deaf ears.
Hmmmm. Far too many captured by Beltway thinking and hoping to get Parliamentary Services jobs.
analytical and applied to the grindstone
Need to get Shearer on an electric guitar…or maybe playing bass.
Can we get him in a dub/reggae band? Like the Mayor off Portlandia?
It’ll have to be real roots reggae.
Other than that, Labour has no chance of attracting youth. Key has sewn up the idiocracy vote (despite Shearer’s best efforts). Greens get the youth who are aware of their future.
What does Labour offer youth. Look at the top MPs since 2008. Stuffy old twats. Don’t expect the youth to vote for their oppressors.
The Selecto/er that you are đ đ đ
Thank you EB. I’ll request a 50% credit from the agency!
sucking back the pea
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10862973
and with a Huff
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/01/31/north-korea-martial-law_n_2588013.html?
and a puff
http://www.independent.ie/world-news/asia-pacific/north-korea-under-martial-law-as-troops-told-to-be-ready-for-war-3371117.html
will there be toil and trouble
http://nwww.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20130201000831
-Sam Gae Tang (Tom Yummmb)
Seriously Rogue Trooper you should step up and write a blog of your own.
Would need an international audience.
But you appear to have a mind like the old arcade game Defender; flashes and reverses, and grand fractal jumps.
Think on it. You’re good.
two kind (partly your doing)
So allow me a moments’ presumption:
– You have several degrees, some of them arts, quite a lot of classics and philosophy
– You are at least in your 40s
– You have described yourself as being from somewhere Deep South
– You are saturated in Ellul and other Christianarchies
– You have memorised a whole bunch of songs, films, and Coltrane-style poetry
Most from this era have simply have that mind wrapped in lines of scar/e tissue in which the whips of the world have worn too deep a groove in their minds. How you sustain that still is quite beyond me.
You have more freedom in that spectral writing-jazz of yours than most have long since forgotten, yet with no shade of The Quiet American or other post-redemptive melancholies.
All it would take is at least a post every week.
What do you think? Can’t hide here under a little bushel forever you know.
I believe I know what the future holds for the world…yet not myself. I have an idea of what is going on since I opened up and began “commenting” on The Standard…(repeated empirical reality testing)…and it is related to words and energy forms, in particular the electromagnetic spectrum…yet this is not occurring in Isolation…I have a deep well of gratitude to many from this site and those that echo beyond…
It is a matter of conceptualization…there are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophies…a lot is related to what quantum physics has revealed to us…I owe a great obligation to lprent…may be on the radio and in a band soon…yet waiting patiently, reading, gardening, cooking, cleaning…(and to the tr. yes, I can go anyway in the city I live in and be greeted warmly by people from right across the spectrum yet I’m open about my politics and faith and previous flouting of the Law; may be a lesson in there?). I did not go to University (as a mature student) or develop my knowledge and “understanding” to be materialistically wealthy; I have never been ambitious, although a PhD sounded attractive for a while back…in the deep, distant past. I learn to understand, and like others on here, share that understanding for free.
Wherever you go, there you is no “point” at which our skins stop and The Universe starts.
A Very Big uncalled for ThankUturn. :). (and the A MAZERati)
nite
-Joey
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concrete_Blonde
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concrete_poetry
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdpTcvSn8HQ
(Three Pillars and I only Fell over the centre one just now; thats how it works, no cards up the sleeve, no sleight of hand; Real Magic and I am grateful for His / Their Blessing)
đ đ đ
May all your liminal thresholds be danced over, all thaumaturgies turn real, all entrances en-trance, all numens illumine, ake ake ake.
reply after church
A reaction to the election of Park Geun-hye, daughter of former leader Park Chung-hee who seized power by coup in 1961?.
Now that I am off my week long block I would like to send a question Draco’s way…
Draco – you said If two people are discussing something and one person can back up their arguments with facts and the other canât then the second opinion is worthless.
So I am curious about something. You have maintained that Labour is a right-wing party however the vast, overwhelming consensus among political scientists and the politicians themselves, from all sides, is that Labour is a centre left party.
So, back up your argument.
No wonder you got banned for a week.
They’re using the conventional contemporary political wisdom TC, we’re using a traditional perspective.
Nothing from The Bastard?
Have you ever gotten into a pendantry war with Lanthanide? You both seem like you’re cut from the same cloth.
That reminds me of the old advertising trick where the advertiser would point out how many millions had been sold and then say that x millions of people can’t be wrong. The problem, of course, is that they can.
I have. Several times in fact. Go have a look at what I’ve said about Labour’s KiwiBuild.
Thanks for answering.
But there is a problem – you have personally stated your belief that Labour is a centre-right party however you also mentioned that those who can produce the most factual support for their claims is the opinion that should be more widely held rendering the second opinion worthless.
And the facts overwhelmingly support the view that Labour is a centre-left party therefore shouldn’t you declare your opinion as worthless?
These are all your own words Draco.
RWNJ’s at the NRO hit a new low.
N***ism may have been an ideology to which the United States was â and to which the president is â implacably opposed, but it is hardly âsenseless.â By the early 1930s, the N**i party had hundreds of thousands of devoted members and repeatedly attracted a third of the votes in German elections; its political leaders campaigned on a platform comprising 25 non-senseless points, including the âunification of all Germans,â a demand for âland and territory for the sustenance of our people,â and an assertion that âno Jew can be a member of the race.â Suffice it to say, many sensible Germans were persuaded.
More crazy, spot the difference.
all at sea; maybe The South should listen to more Medlocke
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NT9xbcPyves
or
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzZLBXhsnHc
and finish with
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHQ_aTjXObs
(cos I been down)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvaEJzoaYZk
and found
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkpoXBbOAS8
(I used to drink, it let me think of other people and other places)
-Sam
oops, forgot, Johnette Napolitano is my alter / ego; I was a vampire now I’m nothing all; Let the
Bloodletting begin…
On a different topic I only just noticed this across at kiwiblog:http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2013/02/why_did_labour_put_trevor_up.html which had been speculated about here. But was interested to see the idea that Annette won’t stand for Wellington mayor to keep Andrew out of Rongatai. Hardly the image of party renewal that they are after.
I read that too. If it is true, then it is a disgrace, and it only re-enforces my view of the hopeless state the Labour Party is in. Sorry, my view remains to be, a fresh start for the combined left can only be made by forming a new, inclusive, smart and well organised, newly staffed Left Party, that will not carry such baggage as Labour, either incorporate enough “green” policies, or work better with the Greens, and put Labour into the redundant category.
This upsets some, but I see NO other option now, with Shearer and other hopeless members in Parliament just clinging to their seats and positions.
For all those that have any “doubts” that people get BRAINWASHED by listening to private radio or other media, perhaps have a look at this quite frank set of information from the privately run ‘The Radio Network’, apparently owned largely by an Australian media corporation, and partly by a US share-holder, covering much of NZ radio:
http://www.radionetwork.co.nz/advertise/why-radio
There are comparisons between “media content distribution” and other criterias or information statistics.
I would think the “editorial” content is highly over-stated, as that must include anything but the bare net commercials they hammer your brain and mind with incessantly, repeatedly so it STICKS!
The “editorial content” will in the case of ZM, ZB, or any other of their stations, same as Radio Pacific (another radio broadcaster, not part of this lot), certainly include the highly frequent repeating of the station, it’s mission message and announcements for what comes up, what infotainment they present, and the likes.
So it does not equate with “REAL information”.
I thought this is worth having a look at, to see, how commercial radio works, compared to other commercial media, and how much of the contents is nothing but commercial advertising and much other CRAP.
NZ has the worst statistics and conditions and standards for public broadcasting, when compared with most developed “western” countries, that is for sure. It is dominated by commercial interests, and that even in the state run TV stations. Only Radio NZ National seems to be different, but even they have their internal “rules”, set by the ones that run that station.
Shocking truth. But so many grew up and grow up with this endless inundation of brainwashing into consumerism, superficiality, opportunistic thinking, and individual prioritising, which all somehow is in conflict in maintaining a working “social fabric” and unity.
See the “design” in all this?
true