Chris Trotter has some thoughtful comment on aspects of Labour’s policies.
“For all those tax-payers born after 1966, however, Labour’s policies on NZ Superannuation, Kiwisaver and a CGT may well result in a reduction of living-standards.”
“Why, then, does Labour persist with these business-friendly, Rich List-cossetting policies? Why not adopt fiscal measures more in keeping with its social-democratic principles? ”
[Sigh]. Labour still has yet to get my support. It seems like a dead party walking. There are some very good people in Labour’s ranks – Sue Moroney, Nania Mahuta, Cunliffe etc. But the top ranks of the MPs need to be cleaned out, and some new blood allowed through (Shearer is old blood masquerading as new blood).
I guess we really need to nurture a strong left grass roots (non-party aligned) movement articulating real left policies – and that would be more left than Trotter’s favoured social democracy. I envisage this as a network of groups with their own focus. The network could be co-ordinated by some joint actions and meetings focused on specific issues. This would need a communications network -like Global Peace and Justice:
With you Carol. The caucus is to blame, of course. They voted in the leaders. Can’t help but think if it was the Cunliffe/Mahuta ticket that had won we would see a different Labour.
Not to worry. Labour has had the moment of triumph which it seems to feel is most important – Trevor Mallard doing his excellent rant at John Banks and putting him on the spot. That’s it for the quarter June-Sept. I don’t think that anything significant and useful can now be expected to happen in Labour till next quarter so we can all go back to our pasttimes, meantime.
I think the trouble is that Labour views parliament as a proxy for the country and so a win there as Opposition is achieving something and showing the flag etc. This is despite discussion and condemnation on this blog and elsewhere. I think that entrenched groupthink rules! Memories of Helen and what she achieved – what was her recipe? Hold on while we write all the ingredients down, then tick off the boxes as we follow her practices. Nice Labour fruit cake anyone. Hock it off at stalls in the provinces as a fundraiser – you can rely on the hard workers there to carry on supporting us while we carry on ignoring and undermining them.
Where is the evidence of all the great communication we know is around? Why aren’t Labour getting good signals? They seem no better informed about the country and people’s concerns and ideas than in their earliest days. Perhaps Labour is behind the defeat of the new cable through lack of interest and investment in getting it as it would improve communications and opportunities in NZ and put some steel in our spine. But no, NZ Labour is of the type that can only get excited about some old chap wearing other people’s medals and his grand malfeasance of $63.20. Just milk and water and wine, no substance. And they aren’t even ensuring continuance of our water and milk. Soon Labour will be nothing but an empty wine bladder – what is the favourite tipple – chardonnay? Can this dross be recycled? Is it the right stuff?
Labour is now dominated by the old has been brigade…’true believers’ who simply cannot accept that the world has moved on from their glory days when they could soft peddle ‘rogernomics’ on NZ. I can almost picture them sitting in the pariamentary bar or wherever reminiscing on past glories and washing down bucket loads of ‘what’s, if’s and might have been’s’ with their favourite tipple.
And when they’re not looking backwards, they are only capable of conniving to hang on to the tattered shell of power that fell into their hands come hell or high water. And it seems they’re quite good at that. First one of their number became leader in a fashion not a million miles removed from some sort of royal appointment. And that bought them enough time to get together like so many Gepetos and fashion themselves a wee Pinnochio. An interim measure before the next in their royal lineage (Robertson) assumed the mantle of leader. Oh, that’s right. The wheels kind of fell off that last royal carriage while it was on its way to the coronation. Fall back plan? Citadel the puppet behind an unassailable wall of 67% disapproval and get working on those wheel repairs.
Labour is now dominated by the old has been brigade…’true believers’ who simply cannot accept that the world has moved on from their glory days when they could soft peddle ‘rogernomics’ on NZ
You called it: you also implied correctly what has happened to the next generation – the young have been co-opted into the old-has been way of doing and looking at things. In other words, far too many of the new gen in the LabourParty are simply old gen outlooks in younger looking bodies.
Tread water is probably the right answer. The Nats Coalition is sinking under the combined opposition pressures, well aided by the media.
Opposition parties do not attain power but Governments lose power through continued inertia from as many oppositions as possible, and we currently have plenty.
Under MMP the Nats, and hangers on, cannot get enough to seats to govern on their own.
Whereas a Labour Greens Winston coalition can easily achieve the required numbers. All that is required is concerted pressures at every opportunity, which is currently under way.
Where are you coming from,by the looks of that comment from deep in the bottom of a prozac bottle that is as empty of capsules as your wee rant is empty of the truth,
National +John(the convicted)Banks,+ the ‘Hairdo from Ohariu’ = a majority in the House, the fact that they are floundering as the Government is simply a reflection of their abysmal policies, and, the abysmal little shyster they have as Leader who is so far gone that His decision making looks like a set of disco lights,
Treading water isn’t enough (as they found out last election) – they have to be training up so they are seen as capable of doing a decent medley once they get the opportunity.
Fortran.
Problem is NZF are really National with a Smile.They are more likely to support National . To be honest I would not be happy with them being with Labour . They consist of a lot of racist members.I realise they were part of the last Labour Government but that was under Helen and there are not many with the abilty she has. Anyway she packed him of abroad out of harms way.The country needs Labour Green government and for a long while .
I totally agree with you, Carol. I have voted always voted Labour but at present I am in total despair because the Labour Party seem to be chasing the middle-to-right vote and forgetting that they need to represent the left. Labour need to ask themselves the question: “What are the policies that will get the non-voters from last election into the polling booths to vote for Labour?”
There are more than enough potential votes out there to be had but people need to be inspired. A charismatic leader would help and some decent policy. Labour’s National-lite policy induces the apathy that makes people from the left feel unrepresented and uninspired to vote.
One of Trotter’s commentators, under the ‘anonymous’ title, said, “In NZ there is no incentive to take risks producing goods and services when you can engage in exploitation of the financially vulnerable.” This short sentence strikes at the heart of the problem. Seriously challenge this state of affairs and you frighten a decent portion of the middle class. Fail to challenge it and you cease to represent the financially vulnerable, who look to the left to represent them. Labour looks more and more as if it has been nobbled by financial interests, with Shearer as yet another Key-style stand-in. I note that in his questions and answers on Stuff he said that he did not intend to turn out to be parliament’s longest serving member.
Rather than being a traitor to the left with his blogging and public commentating on this issue, it seems to me that he is still clinging hard to hope for a future for the party, and that he is actually unable to give up on it.
Trotter though should have a deeper understanding of whats gone on with Labour in recent years,
Hows that saying go, when your young your rebellious and left wing,but,once you get older and have responsibilities you become more right wing,
When i look at Labour from a historical perspective going back to my childhood i can see how Labour represented the reality,aspirations and needs of my parents who had nothing,
By nothing i mean 4 kids, 2 jobs,a State house and a few sticks of furniture,from there they went on to own the State house,shareholdings in various company’s,cars, and have regular up-dates of the substantial limps of furniture,
Thats what modern Labour is representative and a reflection of, if at all ‘Socialist’,and, i am pretty sure i heard Helen Clark ditch the ‘Socialist’ in favor of the ‘Social Democrat’,it is the Socialism of,for, and,by the middle classes who in effect have moved in social position from 4 kids,2 jobs, and, a few sticks of furniture upon the basis of previous Socialism and now won’t tolerate the boat being rocked in any way,
Unfortunately the new underclass have 4 kids,no jobs,a few sticks of furniture,and,no hope in the Labour Party that they can see or is being promoted from within the Parliament by the Party that offers to them any such path to a more comfortable life as what my,and, a whole generation of our parents were privy to,
Labour, to the new underclass,(which Labour had a large hand in creating), are the status quo of the denial of their existence while in Government, a refusal to reverse National’s continual financial attacks upon them, and thus, simply the agents which empower the right in the form of National Governments to mount the financial attacks upon the new underclass…
I note that in his questions and answers on Stuff he said that he did not intend to turn out to be parliament’s longest serving member.
I’ve often wondered how committed Shearer is to politics. He came back to NZ after a really well paid and prestigous gig at the UN. What could he do that wouldn’t be a “step down” for an obviously ambitious man? Did he join the party before or after he was approached by party power brokers to discuss a possible career option? I can’t see Shearer joining any political party without such a motive. He’s just not that into politics
Pity he didn’t get shoulder tapped by National really.
Labour voter born and raised I have gone Green Because Labour think they have to be Nat Lite so as Not to scare business. Well all they have managed to do is piss off all their liberal voters. I agree they need a good clean out, and let some of the young blood through.
God I’m struggling with this Labour lot at the moment.
Norman did a great job with Brownlee in the House yesterday. Would be great to see a full-throated Greens-Labour anti-City-asset-sales mission arise out of it.
Seriously imagine if Brownlee used his CEA powers to force asset sales.
Russel Norman wants the rest of the country to pay a ‘levy’ (a tax) to help pay for the Christchurch rebuild as an alternative to selling some of their assets. At least he seems to understand the folly of borrowing even more to avoid selling asets.
The rest of the country is already paying a lot to help Christchurch.
Russel Norman wants the rest of the country to pay a ‘levy’ (a tax) to help pay for the Christchurch rebuild as an alternative to selling some of their assets
I would resent that very much indeed! Sympathy for Christchurch, yes, paying for them, no.
I am interested in knowing what became of renters and flatters in Christchurch, but all I hear about is the middle class kiddies with houses and businesses.
BTW, all the roll eyes smilies as replies to Pete George are juvenile and stupid. Much more disruptive than replying to him would be!
Yeah i know, i was never able to ‘grow up’ and my stupidity is only matched by my ugliness,
Horses for courses ae, i find the smiley faces directed at that one both amusing and they make in my opinion a cleaner open mike and other posts where there is no longer the same circular debate occurring day after day without really imparting anything of substance…
Some good questions but, other than that, a load of bollocks as he looks to the past to fix the problems caused by that past. He’s right that Labour are just National Lite now.
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has brushed aside some bizarre and unsupported match-fixing claims made in Sir Graham Henry’s biography.
The allegations have caused a furore both here in New Zealand and around the world after Sir Graham claimed while watching a video review of the All Blacks’ quarter-final loss to France at the 2007 Rugby World Cup, he briefly suspected match-fixing played a part in the shock result.
Speaking about the claims today, Hansen, who was an assistant to Sir Graham at the time, said it was time to let the issue rest.
“Look, you’ve got to ask him about those things it’s irrelevant as far as I’m concerned, I’ve moved on. It’s 2012,” he said.
Penned by rugby writer Bob Howitt, Graham Henry Final Word stops short of making the allegations concrete. Instead, the passage describes Henry’s emotions and thoughts in the aftermath of the loss, as he dealt with the tidal wave of disapproval from heartbroken and disillusioned New Zealand rugby followers.
Howitt and the book’s publishers Harper Collins ran the controversial words past their lawyers with Howitt yesterday revealing some further portions have been removed from the final copy to avoid compromising their legal position.
However, the comments sparked immediate attention from local and foreign media with Sunday Times correspondent and regular critic of New Zealand rugby, Stephen Jones, taking to Twitter to voice his scepticism.
He, labelled the comments as a “Puke-making assault on Wayne Barnes by bitter Graham Henry”, while challenging the IRB to take action against the All Blacks’ 2011 World Cup winning coach.
The sport’s governing body offered a tentative response saying only that the comments had been “noted” as speculation began to mount as to the nature and substance of any further retort from the IRB and Barnes.
Brendan Gallagher, writing in Britain’s Daily Telegraph, mocked Sir Graham’s motives for voicing his suspicions, saying, “Hilarious Graham Henry trying to rewrite history”, mirroring the contempt held for 1995 All Blacks coach Laurie Mains’ accusations that food-poisoning derailed his side’s World Cup final against South Africa.
Sir Graham said he was “physically ill” after watching a tape of the match and asserted how numerous match statistics were so skewed against his side that he felt the performance of match referee Wayne Barnes deserved closer inspection.
His suspicions stemmed from the fact the All Blacks had enjoyed an overwhelming 73% territorial advantage in the match, winning 166 rucks to France’s 42 and made only 73 tackles compared with France’s 331, yet they had not been awarded a single penalty in the final 50 minutes of play.
Publicly Henry refused to point the finger at Barnes’ performance but upon his return to New Zealand voiced his concerns to the New Zealand Rugby Union and the International Rugby Board and asked if there were any review systems in place. But he was told there were no such avenues available.
Reaction here has included the suggestion that Sir Graham’s decision to speak out five years on from that fateful World Cup, less than a year after he found redemption with the All Blacks’ 2011 World Cup triumph over France, was inspired not so much through sour grapes but rather as a ploy to boost book sales.
A cynical and stupid ploy to sell more books and doing the current regime no favours in the process.
Careful Sir Graham or you’ll become a sad and cranky figure, which some say is accurate but winning a WC gives you some credit, don’t burn it trying to eek some extra dollars out of the rugby faithful.
I suspect this whole idea was not Henry’s but Bob Howitt’s. Henry has merely deferred to Howitt’s authority as a veteran rugby author and obediently mouthed Howitt’s words, despite the fact they are clearly nonsense.
…and doing the current regime no favours in the process.
The current regime immediately distanced themselves from Henry’s crank comments. Steve Hansen and Wayne Smith are far too diplomatic to actually refute them more forcefully.
Careful Sir Graham or you’ll become a sad and cranky figure, which some say is accurate but winning a WC gives you some credit,
Who reckons that a job like, for example, ‘Chair of the ACC’ would come with a work email account? Just in case things related to the job need to be discussed, and records kept of those discussions and the like.
Damned inconvenient for poor old Mr Judge too, I have to say, that when he buys a new computer he loses access to his personal email account. he’s a busy guy. He must have lost a lot of important stuff with that computer.
I think we just have to accept that we live in a post truth environment.
The claim seems to be that he didn’t have a work email account, so Collins forwarded the Boag email to his personal account. It then was leaked in a way damaging to Boag/Pullar, and then he got a new computer and lost his emails.
My immediate reaction was that Crusher is as desperate as she is thick. Any emails he sent will be backed up somewhere, as will any she sent. The GCSB doesn’t seem to have much to do that’s useful, why not unleash them on this one?
…But Ms Collins told the Herald last night that the email from Ms Boag was forwarded to Mr Judge’s personal and only email account…
Very strange. This at least should be able to be proven one way or another. Check the email of the other top brass and see what address they sent emails to Judge to. It would be suspicious in itself he deliberately chose to work from a personal account that belonged to him, in preference to a work account for which he might be accountable.
At what point did he stop using his work account, or did he never use it? Is that even legal under the circumstances, especially since a huge volume of privileged and highly personal private information seems to have become the private property of a personal email holder?
Could the SFO office be lurking in the background?
Wrong wrong. haven’t we learned from the Repubs in t.he USA started using private accounts to circumvent OI requests. I do not believe Judge had no work email. how can you work like that?
Not idea why tory managers seem to have difficulty with multiple email accounts – their minions who turn up here don’t seem to have too much of a problem 🙂
“In addition, I’ve now been advised that Mr Judge was given an iPad from ACC … and that iPad was wiped clean by Mr Judge’s computer expert before it was returned to ACC in June.”
Looks like he was trying to hide something.
These business-focused right-wingers – always much more efficient cos of their business background, than all those public-sector-nurtured lefties!
“In addition, I’ve now been advised that Mr Judge was given an iPad from ACC … and that iPad was wiped clean by Mr Judge’s computer expert before it was returned to ACC in June.”
And that should definitely not have happened. It was a business computer and so having it erased is actually destroying business records.
Former ACC Chairman John Judge says ACC Minister Judith Collins’ claims he hampered an investigation into a the leak of a sensitive email are untrue and an attempt to “blacken” his name.
…
Mr Judge today said Ms Collins’ comments were “pathetic”.
…
But Mr Judge said Ms Collins was aware that he replaced his home computer before the Privacy Commissioner’s inquiry was announced.
“Everything was transferred from my old computer to the new one anyway. It’s not like anything disappeared.”
Furthermore, he was not able to receive emails on his ACC iPad anyway.
He said Ms Collins “knew the truth” and was “just trying to blacken people”.
From the little I know about Judge, he is not going to sit back and quietly let Collins get away with this.
Also, I understand that forensic computer experts are able to recover deleted emails and other documents from computer hard drives etc (its their bread and butter work), so Collins’ claims don’t hold water IMO.
Also, I understand that forensic computer experts are able to recover deleted emails and other documents from computer hard drives etc (its their bread and butter work)
And that’s why you use security software which overwrites your hard drive 10-20x with layers upon layers of random data. Takes days to do.
Try doing a non-destructive surface test on a external USB 1TB drive. Lyn bounced one of her TimeMachine backup drives while it was running on the weekend. It has been running badblocks since monday night (do Mac’s have a surface scan application these days?).
Was 94% through its first and only pass this morning. So far zero damage detected….
“Also, I understand that forensic computer experts are able to recover deleted emails and other documents from computer hard drives etc (its their bread and butter work), so Collins’ claims don’t hold water IMO.”
Take what they say with a grain of salt, that industry has some of the biggest bullshitters in the IT game. When data gets overwritten no forensic expert can recover it, a single pass zero-write is unrecoverable to all intents & purposes.
More amuesment at the evidenced failure of right wing politics and their free market ideology has of course sprung from the well of broken Christchurch …
Free market ideology, that the market knows best and results in the best results when left alone, was implemented through the Resource Managemenrt Act, among many others… The idea was that the free market, when left alone to develop, would provide the best solutions as demanded by the cnsumer.
This ideology is still of course deeply ingrained and treasured by this National government and its disciples.
So when it comes to the best ever opportunity to leave the free market up to development, such as rebuilding an entire city, and prove their beloved ideology true……… what do they do? Intervene with the most heavily centralised planning structure ever conceived. All conceived from central authority with not a skeric of free market approach.
ha ha ha ha ha ha
the right and business free market ideologies fail AGAIN
Yes, vto. The neoliberal philosophy is just a front for doing whatever benefits the elite – a PR con-job while the elite accumulates and exercises more power and wealth for themselves.
The Government is proposing to change Local Government electoral laws so that donor trusts are outlawed. Sounds like an EFA 2 type attack on democracy to me. Shouldn’t there be riots in the streets and pictures of Banimarama approving the measure and all that sort of stuff?
John Key’s SkyCity convention centre deal made a “mockery” of the law aimed at protecting people from the ill effects of gambling, according to an article in an international academic journal.
The authors say the Prime Minister’s personal approach to SkyCity over the national convention centre was the “ultimate indicator” of the failure of the Gambling Act’s attempt to look after public health.
[…]
“The scale of profits from high-intensity commercial gambling has an unpleasant way of penetrating most political systems.”
[…]
Dr Adams said yesterday the Gambling Act was the legislative response to years of work in getting the health impact of gambling considered. “John Key’s gone ahead with the casino deal without embracing any of that.”
This report supports the Green Party complaint made to the Auditory General, which is investigating the deal.
John Key treats the government of the country as if it was a large corporation. He just does not care for the legal and democratic processes and cuts corners wherever he can.
It could be said he’s broken the law. Relevant section of the Gambling Act;
___________
11 No increase in casino gambling
A person must not increase the opportunities for casino gambling.
___________
12 What is increase in casino gambling
(2) An increase in the opportunities for casino gambling includes but is not limited to—
(a) an increase in the number of gaming machines unless the increase is accompanied by a reduction in the number of table games that the Casino Control Authority, or the Gambling Commission, believes is proportionate:
____________
Key might be PM but in this context I’d think he would legally still be a person. He’s certainly not above the law.
It is almost an unwritten rule that PMs dont make themselves available for Thursday’s question time. Clark certainly didn’t. They use Thursdays to get out and about.
felix .. you realize the acronym for ‘super important stuff’ is SIS ?? Thx for the smiles.
I am reminded once again of the Canadian comic visiting here a while ago — when told the name of our prime minister, he replied: ” John Key ? That what you ask for at a US gas station when you need to use the toilet !”
Yeah but that’s a convention followed because it’s expected that PMs have lots of other important PM stuff to do.
Today Key is playing talkback host again. Which is so much more important than question time that he’s doing it at exactly the same time as question time.
Oh hello Prime Minister. Raaleene here. Look I wondered what you use in your pool to keep it fresh? I’ve been trying that chlorine stuff and it turned us all green, our hair I mean because we are all blondes. Giggles.
Well Raaleene. I’m sorry that can’t help you with that. I’m so busy giving talkback shows, overseas visits and so on that I have no time available for it and so have a little man to do that.
In that case, why don’t the opposition MPs ring the talkback station and ask their questions of him there. That’d be funny. What to do? He couldn’t just hang up on David Shearer or Russell Norman or other senior pollies – could he?
Hey Anne That is creative thinking. Very creative thinking. Is there anyone alive in Labour who could do it? Probably Greens. Actual pollies trying to convey a question to the people-loving PM would soon get cut off, but get a cute Raaleene who would be a wolf in sheep’s clothing as in Trottter’s graphic, and some well put naive queries might knock the self-satisfied smile off the relaxed one.
Catching on like a terminal disease. I don’t recall any other government being referred to the Auditor General or taken to court on so many issues… Clearly National aren’t operating in the best interest of New Zealand.
Sadly, the other thing catching on is gubmint use in the House and elsewhere of ‘Planet Labour’ as a pejorative … used every day in the House to denigrate and deride Labour .. Crosby Trextor rides again. But surely Labour is smart enough to claim it back to use it to their own advantage ?? Only takes one or two to say for example: ” Here on Planet Labour we believe …… (choose your weapon) and it will diffuse National’s continuing use of it.
Two derailments – one on the Napier-Gisborne line and one on a north Auckland line – earlier this year are suspected to have been impacted by rotting sleepers, Mr Quinn says.
The replacement of the sleepers, expected to be completed by next year, is at a cost of between $250 and $1000 each.
Mr Quinn said KiwiRail was in a legal dispute with the supplier of the sleepers.
So it seems the wood in imported sleepers are the problem:
He said the decay was believed to have been present in the timber when it arrived in New Zealand.
Huh? Doesn’t NZ have a forestry industry? Don’t we have plenty of woo? Why are we importing (rotting) sleepers?
Also, Kudos to Brendan Horan of NZF who has been asking questions about these rotting sleepers in the House the last couple of days. He has tried and failed to table photos of said rotting tracks, taken by Kiwirail workers:
Brendan Horan: Is he aware that significant sections of the rail network are rotting and that the staff who would otherwise be tasked with repairing them are being made redundant?
Meanwhile RONS get more government attention than the efficiency and safety of our rail network.
Huh? Doesn’t NZ have a forestry industry? Don’t we have plenty of woo? Why are we importing (rotting) sleepers?
In short we are stuck with using imports because there’s nothing quite like Australian hard woods for their density, strength, durability and ease of machining and handling.
In efforts to replace imported eucalypts all manner of materials have been trialled and found to be unsuitable for use in both rail and the electrical transmission industry.
Bullying and the way that children are treated by authorities and schools is an example of how our society really is. It is not the good place that we want to believe, and we know that. But this guy has made a valuable doco and was talking to Kathryn Ryan this (Thursday) morning.
9-10am: Lee Hirsch, the director of an anti-bullying documentary
Film to see -International Film Festival screening Bully. in Auckland at Civic soon.
Carol re finance interviewer Das
He talked about the big money profits from small snips from handling financial transactions.
Sounds just like the Tobin tax to me. What a wonderful way of spreading the government revenue task don’t you think. Magic even.
Ah, yes, prism. But Mr Das says there are no magic bullets. People in western economies need to accept a lowering of standard of living (I guess meaning those living comfortably), to focus on getting back to production of real stuff.
Interesting that he explained all this to Bill English a while back, and Blinglish responded by asking what can NZ do. Das’s response was to position NZ to deal with the coming changes.
Mr Das also says NZ is in a good position because of our direct access to food supply, and the innovative, productive ideas amongst kiwis.
Also an interesting comment about Das’s response to an NZ journalist who said Das didn’t know what he is talking about.
Carol at 11 2 1
I have to agree with that NZ journalist who was belittling Mr Das. But for another reason than that dope would have mentioned. My reason is that Mr Das doesn’t know he is talking to people who actually don’t receive his thoughts and process them. Das has been lulled into thinking that Blinglish was listening and was open to his ideas, and would be likely to action them. Major fail on Mr Das.
And as for innovative, productive ideas amongst kiwis. They are merely like rose petals that get strewn on the roads that leaders’ chariots drive on (Roads of National Significance for instance). A bloom, a colour, a faint scent, that hails the great and god-given task of limiting innovation, crushing or ignoring ideas also all attempts to move the country as a whole to a ready position where it can cope with change and thrive as well, and that’s all of us.
Sorry Mr Das but we are determined to become a banana republic when the climate gets warmer and growing conditions are suitable. That’s our big goal.
prism, as I recall, the journalist’s reasons for saying that Das was wrong about the ponzi, investment banking system, was reference to something like the US’s recent growth rate. Das’s response was that it was a false indication of what was really happening in the US economy So I think Das was closer to understanding the realities than the NZ journo.
I do agree that Das was a bit over-optimistic about NZ’s possibilities -probably being courteous to his hosts.
Das is probably right on the goal-seeked nature of US GDP (and in fact, most GDP figures in the world).
And just as important, today the BEA revised historical GDP data retroactively. Of note 2010 GDP was revised from 3.0% to 2.4%, while Q3 2011 GDP was revised from 3.0% to 4.1%, indicating that the slowdown we are experiencing is in fact far worse than previously expected. It also shows that HFT trigger buying or selling on GDP data is completely meaningless as today’s data will be revised violently higher or lower in a year, making it completely irrelevant.
This how you cause an “increase in GDP”, United States style:
Let’s say Q2 GDP growth annualised is going to print at 1.6%. The problem is that earlier Q1 GDP growth was higher at 1.7% annualised. Well that clearly shows that Q2 GDP growth reduced from Q1.
NO PROBLEM!
One week before Q2 figures print you revise and update the Q1 figure from 1.7% to 1.3%.
So when Q2 prints officially at 1.6%, all the news outlets can claim “Q2 shows strong GDP growth quarter on quarter!”
Das has my agreement on the fact that what we have all been experiencing economically for the past 27 odd years just aint sustainable, that un-ustainability extends to both our use of resources and the levels of our personal incomes,
Obviously none of us are going to voluntarily take cuts to our income and my view is that it will take a further collapse within the global economy,(coming), which in effect will force the comfortable middle class to address such an issue,
Das has the view of the future where the economies of both the US and Europe will become more insular inward looking, and, although Das does not say so, i assume more protectionist, gosh you know where the New Zealand economy was befor Sir(spit)Roger Douglas took a very large wrecking ball to it,
So, back to the future we all go,blinkers on please as we glibly rewrite economic history forgetting the absolute misery inflicted upon large swathes of our society by Roger’s(spit) unfortunate experiment,
The consensus needed here,as in New Zealand, is the realization that there can be only X amount of employment in any future economy therefor there will always be that X of unemployment,
Das tho made the strange assertion that simply printing money will be no silver bullet for the hard economic times ahead,and, if He provided any reasoning to put flesh upon such an assertion i missed such perhaps because about here my mind had turned to matters more primitive like putting the bash on my radio for broadcasting the glib propaganda of a belated newcomer to some other economic orthodoxy after having served the masters so well in making the huge fucking mess of that economy on a global scale,
In the New Zealand economy there is definitely a case to be made for the printing of monies, befor that is one of the Davids decides to use the primitive tool of Legislative or Regulatory devaluation of the New Zealand dollar to put that dollar into a value best suited to New Zealand exporters and manufacturers,
Obviously,while a regulatory devaluation will make gains for the sectors already mentioned there is nothing except inflation gained by the rest of us by doing such,
IF, we are to have a lower expectation in the future of our personal economic gains then we have to accomplish a number of things the first being the provision of affordable accommodation for all and the State printing such monies necessary to construct the needed amounts of high density housing also accomplishes by an increase in the money supply a gradual dilution of the New Zealand dollar and thus a devaluation along with a gradual rate of inflation increase for imported products,(much of which as resources we should be using less of),
My point being that as we stumble into that increasingly economically fraught future where our personal expectations will have to be lowered then it is going to be increasingly the province of the State to ensure that we are all housed at affordable levels and as i outline above in achieving a lower valued New Zealand dollar there must also be gains for the average head who will be expected to face that increasingly fraught economic future…
none of us are going to voluntarily take cuts to our income and my view is that it will take a further collapse within the global economy,(coming), which in effect will force the comfortable middle class to address such an issue,
This is a big question. In the past we have seen white collar workers sit back quite OK while their working class brethren were smashed and manufacturing jobs exported overseas. The benefits for the white collar workers – cheaper new cars, cheaper gadgets, a higher dollar for cheaper overseas holidays.
Now its their turn to be outsourced. In the NZ context however, we have seen the middle class and upper middle class sit back quietly as income inequality widens and as child poverty continues. Jenny may have a fit at me for targetting this socio-economic strata again but its a simple fact. Those on $100K plus, outside of very specific sectors, are far more likely to vote National than Labour.
Das tho made the strange assertion that simply printing money will be no silver bullet for the hard economic times ahead,and, if He provided any reasoning to put flesh upon such an assertion
His point will have been that money in the future will neither be a resource nor a store of value. The NZ situation is interesting in that we are physical resource rich and we have a lot of surplus labour. Therefore printing money will work for us as it will help us mobilise those economic resources.
My point being that as we stumble into that increasingly economically fraught future where our personal expectations will have to be lowered then it is going to be increasingly the province of the State to ensure that we are all housed at affordable levels
Here I mildly disagree with you in that I do not believe the state will understand what it needs to do until very late in the piece. Individual families and extended families will act and adapt far more quickly.
As for the lowering of expectations: that is already happening quietly and subtly on a vast range of fronts, even for families with 2 parents working decent jobs. In Auckland for instance, large numbers of people have given up on the idea of owning their house, on the idea of moving out of their parents’ house, on the idea of being able to use their own car every day to get to and fro.
The nice thing is – we’re going to slowly discover once again that the most important things in life are free.
You are right of course i should have qualified that paragraph thus, ”it SHOULD be increasingly the province of the State to ensure that we are all housed at affordable levels,
Sadly i agree with you also on the initial response from the State being basically head in the sand until such time as they hear a large and loud political voice highlighting such problems,
Even the Minister of Guesstimates and Riffmatic, Bill English has been drawn so far as to admit that whats happening now is at the least multi-decadal, (possibly as a convenient cop-out to a piece of His other BS book balancing by 2015), and, my prognosis for the Global economy is far far gloomier than just a struggle for a decade or two…
Charter schools to open by 2014
New Zealand charter schools will be allowed to reshape the national curriculum but will be required to meet education targets set by the Government.
Education Minister Hekia Parata and Associate Education Minister John Banks this morning announced the framework for the country’s model of charter schools, which will be known as Partnership Schools or Kura Hourua.
The schools can choose between the New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) or Te Marautanga o Aotearoa (TMoA) “or use or develop an alternative curriculum framework that is mapped to the principles of the NCA or TMoA”.
Legislation will be introduced to Parliament this year, and formal requests for proposals from potential charter school sponsors will be called for once the legislation passes.
All sponsors will be expected to open their schools for the beginning of the 2014 school year.
The schools will be required to report publicly on an annual basis on progress against the negotiated school-level targets and have that data included in any student achievement information provided by the Government for parents.
Partnership Schools will be approved by the Education Minister, and the Government has the right to intervene if a sponsor breaches a contract.
Partnership Schools must report against National Standards for years 1-8 students and must offer NCEA or an equivalent qualification recognised by industry and tertiary providers in New Zealand.
The schools can negotiate the percentage of registered teachers they wish to employ as part of their contracts and negotiate salary levels and employment conditions with employees.
All non-teaching and unregistered employees will undergo police vetting.
The schools can set their own school hours and term dates.
They must accept all students who apply regardless of background or ability, using a ballot if they are oversubscribed.
And how many of them will fail financially,(in the middle of the school term),thus enabling the ‘owners’ of such schools to double dip into the education budget…
It still begs the question of why these same aims for a better education system involving consultation with parents and teachers can’t be achieved within the current state school system: i.e. without including an extra bunch of ticket clippers and consultants?
And this:
The schools can negotiate the percentage of registered teachers they wish to employ as part of their contracts and negotiate salary levels and employment conditions with employees.
All non-teaching and unregistered employees will undergo police vetting.
So the only real difference charter schools offer is the possibility of using untrained/unregistered teachers, and of avoiding dealing with the unions. How is this going to result in better education?
Fair enough, Adrian. I asked a question. You have an answer. I don’t know anything much about types of wood, their best uses and what we can grow here. I’ll leave that for others to discuss/inform me on.
The reason kiwi wood is soft is that the growing conditions are too good and the trees grow fast. The reason aussie woods are hard is that the growing conditions are crap and they grow slowly. The same trees grown in Aotearoa or Brazil do not produce hardwood. However, plantation planting of natives would be a much better bet in the long term than pinus radiata, which basically just kills everything else around it. Pinus radiata is good for a quick buck and often used to be grown in the central North Island by prison labour. If this was then exported, it was in violation of human rights agreements, but Fletchers was always more important than anything else in the country.
If this was then exported, it was in violation of human rights agreements, but Fletchers was always more important than anything else in the country.
And the only reason Fletchers got their mitts on it was because we stupidly privatised those forests as they were about to make shitloads of money for the NZ public
However, plantation planting of natives would be a much better bet in the long term than pinus radiata
That’s what I’ve been thinking for quite a few years now. Native wood is of a much better quality than radiata pine and so the extra growing time is worth it but no commercial entity would ever plant it as they need to see profits in the short term (I’ve even heard that radiata plantations have dropped back from 30 years of growing to 18 so even that low quality is decreased). The only entity with the longevity to do such planting of natives would be the government.
Unless we put in decent protections for state assets that holds such sales as treason with a minimum 20 years in max security jail. If we did that then even the Tories may twig that we don’t want them to sell our stuff.
However, plantation planting of natives would be a much better bet in the long term than pinus radiata, which basically just kills everything else around it. Pinus radiata is good for a quick buck
I’m amazed that Landcorp didn’t put native trees in their plantation down south. Instead they have put in pines which they say won’t spread because they are following these good practices – recites five different things they have to do to keep wilding pines under control. There is a sad and stern comment from the Foresters Ferret down there about how a Lord of the Realm shouldn’t be encouraging people who are talking about destroying property. This about the threat that their plantation pines will be pulled out by affronted members of the public because they have been planted in close proximity to native plants from a massive effort by the public, now under threat of infestation by Landcorp’s project. Which they assure us will never happen, never, never for the full twenty-forty years before the pines mature. This is all from a Radionz interview from a few days back, possibly in early or midday rural slot.
Surely you know that Rimu is a softwood.
About the only fairly common, and reasonably durable, native hardwoods I am aware of are the Tawhai family of native beechs. These would be the Red, Hard, Black and Mountain beechs. The Silver beech is not as durable.
Sigh. I miss the availability of Rimu though. About 30 years ago I built a lot of shelving in my then house. I had the choice of pine or Rimu. Rimu was at that time only about two thirds the cost of pine! It was a very hard choice to make.
Shows us all just how f**king primitive and short-sighted our colonial for-fathers were and still are right,
The Rimu,Tawa,Kauri along with the rest of what are now extremely valuable species of trees valued all over the world are bowled over like nine pins, in a lot of cases the timber wasted in the headlong rush to clear land for pasture,
This didnt stop there either as the destruction continued to the tops of mountain ranges,although having viewed how the Tararua range was felled and milled i do have some grudging respect for those who’s labour accomplished what was in those days no easy task,
Instead of creating an industry around the growing of such valuable wood where plantations of the future could be planted and milled sustainably such forests were simply raped and left to their own devices,
Having watched the Tararua forest park re-generate itself over my life-time i cannot help the feeling whenever i am deep within Her heart that given another 30 years the same destruction will again be inflicted…
Puriri is also pretty hard (and fast growing in good conditions) as is Totara, and both timbers have been used historically in New Zealand for railway sleepers
As for beeches, it’s my experience that rot down pretty quickly in the bush, though red beech can last a while.
According to this report on Radio NZ National this morning on Morning Report, the problem is with hardwood sleepers that have been imported from Peru over the last decade, which are rotting from within from a fungal problem.
The Government took ownership of ONTRACK, the actual lines on July 1 2004, so it has owned them for just on 8 years.
Could have been either the Public or private owners who bought the ones having problems.
Don’t we grow plantation Australian hardwoods? Also I recall an item a while back about a NZ company making recycled concrete railway sleepers which KiwiRail was going to try out. Wonder what happened to that? And finally, surely there is (yet another) bio-security issue around the fungus that’s rotting the sleepers?
Totara might be OK but normally sleepers are Aussie hardwoods. Radiata treated with creosote has been used extensively as have reinforced concrete. Overseas concrete is the go……
Clearly, the Peruvian “hardwood” was cheap, but probably only cheap for a reason………..
Scott GN 13 4
Good point. I haven’t heard that mentioned yet. And who is watching how Kiwi Rail handles the already estimated 7,000 sleepers from site to destruction under controlled fire. Got to be. Which wimpy state or privatised agency will be in charge of the party. And then who pays for the carbon released. Oh woe is us, will our decision makers ever be paid according to results with a ten year continuance of responsibility after end of contract? Maybe that will make them think, plus also a tattoo that goes on their foreheads in indelible ink – Shammer, scammer or something of that nature.
Nightingale says the proposed change is a sign of the Government’s intent to maximise revenue out of the existing tax system, as indicated in the 2012 Budget.
The proposed tax on lease inducements is almost certain to go ahead, Nightingale says.
“The Government’s consulting on it, but I’d be very surprised if it didn’t proceed. They’re chasing every last dollar of tax revenue at the moment.
Except introducing something sensible like a CGT/land tax, or rolling back the personal tax cuts. They could even bring back gift duty, or a more modern form of it.
The consequence of this inattention is an irreversible commitment to dangerous climate change. Twenty years ago, the United States signed, and the Senate ratified, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The objective of this treaty was to “prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system,” which was defined in the Copenhagen Accord of 2009 as limiting the overall temperature increase to 2 degrees Celsius. There are three reasons why that goal is now unobtainable. First, even if greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere could be held steady at 2005 levels, scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography have calculated that global temperature would rise by 2.4 degrees Celsius if not for the air pollution that is masking the warming by blocking some of the sun’s rays. Second, as a 2011 paper by British climate researchers explains, emissions reductions that are constrained to levels thought to be compatible with economic growth are not sufficient to stay below 2 degrees Celsius. Only a period of planned austerity and an intensive effort to build a carbon-free energy system could now achieve the goal of avoiding dangerous climate change. Finally, the International Energy Agency has estimated that the carbon-emitting energy infrastructure that will push global temperature rise beyond 2 degrees Celsius is already 80 percent complete, and will be fully installed by 2017. This will lock in future emissions unless capital equipment is retired earlier than anticipated. The best we can now hope for is to avoid catastrophic global warming in excess of 4 degrees Celsius, which will require an aggressive response by governments around the world.
Family Fist get a serve from US rockers Train. The band’s song ‘Marry Me’ was used without authorisation on a gay hate site called ‘protectmarrige.org’.
Train say:
“We take the idea of marriage very seriously and believe it is the right of all consenting adults, regardless of sexual orientation.
Marry Me is about just that, finding that special love and making it last forever. Everyone should be allowed to have that.”
McDonald’s other crimes have been released to the public though they weren’t before as they may have influenced the decision on murder.
Surely that is the whole point, seeing the behaviour in a series rather than presenting him as a man who had done some mistaken acts against his family. Setting neighbour’s shed on fire, killing a lot of calves etc etc.
This man’s background means that he was presented to the jury in a false way. Crime scenes aren’t cleaned up before examination by authorities, so why should defendants be presented relatively clean. It has allowed a likely wrongful judgment by the jury.
Not sure I agree prism. Juries are meant to be given evidence that is relevant to the case, and these other crimes, committed two and three years earlier than the murder, may not have been seen as relevant. The deer shooting incident showed that MacDonald was capable of shooting accurately at night, and the other two were against the Guys themselves. These crimes by themselves showed him as a man capable of vengeful destruction. A litany of such crimes, including those without a direct link to the case, may have prejudiced the jury by shifting the focus to MacDonald’s character, rather than the question as to whether he did or did not kill Scott Guy.
Character is however, but one factor to take into account. People are not convicted or acquitted of being bad arses, they are convicted of crimes. And the stuff that was put before the jury was sufficient to show what he was capable of doing.
If he did do it, then telling the jury about those unmentioned things might have led them to convict. But the point is that they would have also led them to convict if he didn’t do it.
National has now opened the doors to allow a chain of “Destiny” schools to infect our quality public education system. The very best way to ensure that we have the likes of creationism, anti gay propaganda and social intolerance is taught to our children by non qualified fanatics. The fact that this initiative is led by someone who has failed the very basics of political ethics is fitting.
Dave Kennedy 18
Yes I fear that Destiny will be our destiny now we have had this piece of policy shit from the Density Party. All the oddballs can have a go, it’s based on USA ideas which have produced such a happy, healthy, flourishing society. Business can reach direct into the children’s minds instead of just dangling tv ads in front of them. There will be some successes with sports academies and whanau style learning units with te reo but Maori having successes will not be equalled by any success from pakeha, more than they would have at a state school.
Can Graham Capill become an owner? John Banks fancies himself as a role model for children. And all the warped authoritarian types can have a go. And they can be taught by someone of standing in the community. Rodney Hide, Roger Douglas, a woman who has blonde children and wants to teach the world to sing about Aryan traits (that’s one in the USA I think and I saw it on youtube) The Cooperites, the Potterites, where is the protection for the children from the brainwashed parents of cults. .
the national-banks party have now opened the door to the crummiest chapter in the life and times of new zealand.
they beleive their own thoughts to be facts and because they are idiots what they produce will match the inanity of their miniscule comprhension.
The ideas and policies come from offshore, and the government of the day simply attempt to pass what they are told to, while they have a majority.
Simply , the reason why we have such low quality politicians, is because it takes a low quality human being to willingly participate in betraying ones country, and peoples.
Former ACC Chairman John Judge says ACC Minister Judith Collins’ claims he hampered an investigation into a the leak of a sensitive email are untrue and an attempt to “blacken” his name.
[…]
But Mr Judge said Ms Collins was aware that he replaced his home computer before the Privacy Commissioner’s inquiry was announced.
“Everything was transferred from my old computer to the new one anyway. It’s not like anything disappeared.”
Furthermore, he was not able to receive emails on his ACC iPad anyway.
He said Ms Collins “knew the truth” and was “just trying to blacken people”.
The email was among documents submitted by ACC to police to support a complaint it made against Ms Pullar.
Will Judith Collins now sue Mr Judge? Surely ‘He said Ms Collins “knew the truth” and was “just trying to blacken people”’ is as defamatory as anything that Mallard and Little said.
ACC Minister Judith Collins says she will not descend to “name calling” after the former ACC chair reportedly accused her of trying to blacken his name and labelling claims against him “pathetic”.
[…]
Collins was asked in an Official Information Act request by Fairfax if she had been given “any information about John Judge’s home computer being destroyed since he received the email or emails [relating to Michelle Boag’s email to Ms Collins] and if so what information has been received”.
Collins responded: “Yes, the information I have received is that Mr Judge’s home computer was replaced in April this year.”
This afternoon she said she had received “slightly different” detail around what happened.
“I’d rather say [the computer was] replaced, but there are some parts of it may well have been destroyed”
She did not know whether that had delayed or hampered inquiries by the Privacy Commissioner and Auditor General.
“That is not something I have knowledge of.”
Collins said this afternoon she had passed on the information about Judge’s computer because it was requested under the Official Information Act.
” I make no judgment on it, I’m simply saying that’s what I’ve been advised.
Ms Collins last night told the Herald that the Privacy Commission’s investigation into who leaked an email which identified Bronwyn Pullar as the woman at the centre of a massive ACC privacy breach had been stymied by Mr Judge, replacing or wiping his computers.
But Judge called her on it and she had to withdraw…. no apology though.
With John Key playing talkback host today, Anne had the good idea earlier that opposition MPs should call in and hold him to account there instead of in the debating chamber.
Unfortunately the flaw in that plan is that DJ Johnny doesn’t take calls from the public. Imagine that. The PM hosts a talkback radio show and no-one is allowed to talk back. Says it all, innit.
This PMs idea of communicating with the citizenry is we listen to him talking to the famous and powerful. Sorry ordinary kiwis, you’re not good enough. Speak when you’re spoken to, peasant.
Slippery is a little ‘fragile’ at the moment, polling numbers being abysmal and being royally done by the Maori Council who can’t be bought with the crumbs off of His table has left Him more than a little vulnerable to the suggestion that He aint that special after all…
Just got the rates bills through from the Auckland council.
Apparently the rates rises have been capped at 10% vs 2011……. and surprise, surprise every one of my rates notices has gone up by 10% vs. the previous year.
Oh well, I suppose it’s good way to ensure a high turnout at the next Auckland council elections.
We had a plethora of drips to vote for at the council elections for many a year, the previous mayor for the Northshore was Andrew Williams….. as usual we go from one retard to another to another to another.
Despite which side of the political spectrum they come from they all have common traits of extreme autolatry, aeolism, and abliguration – and of course increasing the rates with gay abandon.
Hmmm, you were of far more interest, (as a humorist), when you were whining over Len shaking you down for any available loose coin in the form of rates rises…
No, it makes me a commenter on the lunacy of a rating system which sees increases being foisted on the public in the order of 10% per annum year on year.
According to some the word abligurition only ever occurred in Samuels effort of 1755, having not perused every English dictionary ever printed i cannot vouch for the veracity of such a claim,
PS, about 10 minutes worth of perusal educated me to your abysmal lack of spelling accuracy which marks your attempt to bamboozle an abject failure,
Take the D for you know what and sit in the relevant corner…
Lobbying Code of Conduct
Lobbying Code of Conduct – PDF 35KB
In 2008 the Australian Government introduced a Lobbying Code of Conduct and established a Register of Lobbyists.
The Code underpins the Register and sets out the requirements for contact between third-party lobbyists and Government representatives, indicates what will be publicly available on the Register and outlines the conditions for successful registration of lobbyists. It also defines lobbyists, clients, Government representatives and lobbying activities for the purposes of the Register.
Preamble
Application
Definitions
No contact between government representatives and unregistered lobbyists
Register of Lobbyists
Access to the register of lobbyists
Prohibition on Lobbying Activities
Principles of engagement with government representatives
Reporting of breaches of code
Registration
_____________________________________________________________________________
Another weak link welded back into the chain?, 3News having a little speculate over whether Slippery the Prime minister is about to re-instate old Lizard eyes, Nick’the meds’Smith into the role of Minister of Local Government,
Yeah bring the cretin back, if anything the damage done by the likes of Him and Banks will pull this abysmal Slippery National Government down all the faster…
In a draft report on the state of gender equality in New Zealand, the UN’s committee on the elimination of discrimination against women said it was concerned new welfare laws would likely “predominantly affect Maori women and reduce their social benefits”.
It recommended the Government ensure its ongoing reforms did not discriminate against disadvantaged groups of women and called for an independent evaluation of their impact.
The unedited draft report, presented to the Government this week, did not mention specific policies – but among the Government’s most controversial welfare reforms have been those targeted at women on benefits.
Meanwhile Bill English is talking about performance pay for getting people off welfare:
Mr English says some of the ministry’s funding will be performance-based but only in areas where it is specifically tied to getting people off long-term welfare, and baseline funding will be unaffected.
Hey Jenny, you pro-war activist, how is the Syrian “popular uprising” going for you?
What do you think of the footage of pro-Assad soldiers being executed by the “Free Syrian Army”? Just a bit of collateral damage justified in the name of a good cause?
Do you agree with Israel trying to “Lebonize” Syria, making it a weak and divided state, just so Israel can target Iran more easily?
Oliver Hartwich writes – New Zealanders recently learned about a new feature film. It will be about former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern – and taxpayers will subsidise it to the tune of NZ$800,000. Ardern had nothing personally to do with either the film or the subsidy. But her government’s ...
TL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above that was recorded yesterday afternoon above between and The Kākā’s climate correspondent : An independent review panel into the emergency response to Cyclone Gabrielle in Hawkes Bayconcluded “that ...
There are now only a few days left to give feedback on the Draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport 2024-34 (see our earlier post this week on GPS submission guides). As we’ve reported, the GPS is a disaster for Local Government, so we were particularly interested to hear ...
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Open access notables A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North, van Wijngaarden et al., Climatic Change:The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased ...
Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On ...
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...
New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
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 ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
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Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
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For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
Photo by Alvan Nee on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand. My earlier article – Can ‘Good’ be the Greater Evil? – looked at the issue of how wars should end, and how Good versus Evil ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 AMMA by Saraid de Silva (Moa Press, $38)A stunning debut novel reviewed by Brannavan ...
From Steve Martin to Ricky Stanicky, a pick’n’mix of things worth watching and listening to this long weekend. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. If you’re at a loss for something to occupy yourself with this Easter, don’t panic: The Spinoff’s got ...
Jesus had dinner with his 12 disciples right before he died. Noted historian Madeleine Chapman finds out who really deserved to be there.First published in 2018 but let’s be honest, the subject is timeless. As you sit on your couch this Easter Sunday, eating a chocolate egg you know ...
The newly-promoted Northern League club is on a mission to return to the National League for the first time in two decades. Plenty about domestic football in New Zealand has changed in that time – but the sense that this amateur competition is not an entirely level playing field remains. ...
Comment: Every year on February 2, a dozen men in tuxedos and top hats approach the burrow of a groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania and entice the beaver-like rodent to emerge and predict the weather. If the groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, sees its own shadow when it is summoned, legend ...
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Auckland Council has put a deadline on new weather-impacted property owners applying for categorisation as government funding looks set to run out. Councillors have voted to support a deadline of September 30 for property owners who haven’t accessed support to come forward and engage with the council’s recovery office. It ...
NONFICTION 1 BBQ Economics by Liam Dann (Penguin Random House, $40) “It’s official,” wrote Dann nine days ago in the Herald, where he works as business editor at large, “we’re in recession.” Yeah, great. He delivered the bad stats: “GDP fell 0.1 percent in the December 2023 quarter, compared with ...
By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
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Chris Trotter has some thoughtful comment on aspects of Labour’s policies.
“For all those tax-payers born after 1966, however, Labour’s policies on NZ Superannuation, Kiwisaver and a CGT may well result in a reduction of living-standards.”
“Why, then, does Labour persist with these business-friendly, Rich List-cossetting policies? Why not adopt fiscal measures more in keeping with its social-democratic principles? ”
Read it in full at
http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.co.nz/
[Sigh]. Labour still has yet to get my support. It seems like a dead party walking. There are some very good people in Labour’s ranks – Sue Moroney, Nania Mahuta, Cunliffe etc. But the top ranks of the MPs need to be cleaned out, and some new blood allowed through (Shearer is old blood masquerading as new blood).
I guess we really need to nurture a strong left grass roots (non-party aligned) movement articulating real left policies – and that would be more left than Trotter’s favoured social democracy. I envisage this as a network of groups with their own focus. The network could be co-ordinated by some joint actions and meetings focused on specific issues. This would need a communications network -like Global Peace and Justice:
http://gpjanz.wordpress.com/
But the top ranks of the MPs need to be cleaned out, and some new blood allowed through
Should have been done last term, but with fewer MPs it they have just concentrated the old dross.
A cleanup now can’t be done until 2014. Tread water until then? Or keep slowly sinking?
🙄
With you Carol. The caucus is to blame, of course. They voted in the leaders. Can’t help but think if it was the Cunliffe/Mahuta ticket that had won we would see a different Labour.
Its like saying, that when Obama and Key won their respective elections, the direction of the country was going to change for the better…
Some knew that was never going to be true, and many fell for it.
Same would apply to your wishful thinking!
Not to worry. Labour has had the moment of triumph which it seems to feel is most important – Trevor Mallard doing his excellent rant at John Banks and putting him on the spot. That’s it for the quarter June-Sept. I don’t think that anything significant and useful can now be expected to happen in Labour till next quarter so we can all go back to our pasttimes, meantime.
I think the trouble is that Labour views parliament as a proxy for the country and so a win there as Opposition is achieving something and showing the flag etc. This is despite discussion and condemnation on this blog and elsewhere. I think that entrenched groupthink rules! Memories of Helen and what she achieved – what was her recipe? Hold on while we write all the ingredients down, then tick off the boxes as we follow her practices. Nice Labour fruit cake anyone. Hock it off at stalls in the provinces as a fundraiser – you can rely on the hard workers there to carry on supporting us while we carry on ignoring and undermining them.
Where is the evidence of all the great communication we know is around? Why aren’t Labour getting good signals? They seem no better informed about the country and people’s concerns and ideas than in their earliest days. Perhaps Labour is behind the defeat of the new cable through lack of interest and investment in getting it as it would improve communications and opportunities in NZ and put some steel in our spine. But no, NZ Labour is of the type that can only get excited about some old chap wearing other people’s medals and his grand malfeasance of $63.20. Just milk and water and wine, no substance. And they aren’t even ensuring continuance of our water and milk. Soon Labour will be nothing but an empty wine bladder – what is the favourite tipple – chardonnay? Can this dross be recycled? Is it the right stuff?
Labour is now dominated by the old has been brigade…’true believers’ who simply cannot accept that the world has moved on from their glory days when they could soft peddle ‘rogernomics’ on NZ. I can almost picture them sitting in the pariamentary bar or wherever reminiscing on past glories and washing down bucket loads of ‘what’s, if’s and might have been’s’ with their favourite tipple.
And when they’re not looking backwards, they are only capable of conniving to hang on to the tattered shell of power that fell into their hands come hell or high water. And it seems they’re quite good at that. First one of their number became leader in a fashion not a million miles removed from some sort of royal appointment. And that bought them enough time to get together like so many Gepetos and fashion themselves a wee Pinnochio. An interim measure before the next in their royal lineage (Robertson) assumed the mantle of leader. Oh, that’s right. The wheels kind of fell off that last royal carriage while it was on its way to the coronation. Fall back plan? Citadel the puppet behind an unassailable wall of 67% disapproval and get working on those wheel repairs.
You called it: you also implied correctly what has happened to the next generation – the young have been co-opted into the old-has been way of doing and looking at things. In other words, far too many of the new gen in the LabourParty are simply old gen outlooks in younger looking bodies.
You’ll be standing as an independant sometime CV?
Agree PG, it’s like an ageing board of directors doing everything to ensure they keep their comfy seats at the expense of the organisation.
Pete
Tread water is probably the right answer. The Nats Coalition is sinking under the combined opposition pressures, well aided by the media.
Opposition parties do not attain power but Governments lose power through continued inertia from as many oppositions as possible, and we currently have plenty.
Under MMP the Nats, and hangers on, cannot get enough to seats to govern on their own.
Whereas a Labour Greens Winston coalition can easily achieve the required numbers. All that is required is concerted pressures at every opportunity, which is currently under way.
Where are you coming from,by the looks of that comment from deep in the bottom of a prozac bottle that is as empty of capsules as your wee rant is empty of the truth,
National +John(the convicted)Banks,+ the ‘Hairdo from Ohariu’ = a majority in the House, the fact that they are floundering as the Government is simply a reflection of their abysmal policies, and, the abysmal little shyster they have as Leader who is so far gone that His decision making looks like a set of disco lights,
Flick,this one day, flick,that another day…
Fortran is just trialling lines for his masters.
Treading water isn’t enough (as they found out last election) – they have to be training up so they are seen as capable of doing a decent medley once they get the opportunity.
Too many old salts don’t help
+ 🙄
Fortran.
Problem is NZF are really National with a Smile.They are more likely to support National . To be honest I would not be happy with them being with Labour . They consist of a lot of racist members.I realise they were part of the last Labour Government but that was under Helen and there are not many with the abilty she has. Anyway she packed him of abroad out of harms way.The country needs Labour Green government and for a long while .
I totally agree with you, Carol. I have voted always voted Labour but at present I am in total despair because the Labour Party seem to be chasing the middle-to-right vote and forgetting that they need to represent the left. Labour need to ask themselves the question: “What are the policies that will get the non-voters from last election into the polling booths to vote for Labour?”
There are more than enough potential votes out there to be had but people need to be inspired. A charismatic leader would help and some decent policy. Labour’s National-lite policy induces the apathy that makes people from the left feel unrepresented and uninspired to vote.
One of Trotter’s commentators, under the ‘anonymous’ title, said, “In NZ there is no incentive to take risks producing goods and services when you can engage in exploitation of the financially vulnerable.” This short sentence strikes at the heart of the problem. Seriously challenge this state of affairs and you frighten a decent portion of the middle class. Fail to challenge it and you cease to represent the financially vulnerable, who look to the left to represent them. Labour looks more and more as if it has been nobbled by financial interests, with Shearer as yet another Key-style stand-in. I note that in his questions and answers on Stuff he said that he did not intend to turn out to be parliament’s longest serving member.
Rather than being a traitor to the left with his blogging and public commentating on this issue, it seems to me that he is still clinging hard to hope for a future for the party, and that he is actually unable to give up on it.
Trotter though should have a deeper understanding of whats gone on with Labour in recent years,
Hows that saying go, when your young your rebellious and left wing,but,once you get older and have responsibilities you become more right wing,
When i look at Labour from a historical perspective going back to my childhood i can see how Labour represented the reality,aspirations and needs of my parents who had nothing,
By nothing i mean 4 kids, 2 jobs,a State house and a few sticks of furniture,from there they went on to own the State house,shareholdings in various company’s,cars, and have regular up-dates of the substantial limps of furniture,
Thats what modern Labour is representative and a reflection of, if at all ‘Socialist’,and, i am pretty sure i heard Helen Clark ditch the ‘Socialist’ in favor of the ‘Social Democrat’,it is the Socialism of,for, and,by the middle classes who in effect have moved in social position from 4 kids,2 jobs, and, a few sticks of furniture upon the basis of previous Socialism and now won’t tolerate the boat being rocked in any way,
Unfortunately the new underclass have 4 kids,no jobs,a few sticks of furniture,and,no hope in the Labour Party that they can see or is being promoted from within the Parliament by the Party that offers to them any such path to a more comfortable life as what my,and, a whole generation of our parents were privy to,
Labour, to the new underclass,(which Labour had a large hand in creating), are the status quo of the denial of their existence while in Government, a refusal to reverse National’s continual financial attacks upon them, and thus, simply the agents which empower the right in the form of National Governments to mount the financial attacks upon the new underclass…
+1
I note that in his questions and answers on Stuff he said that he did not intend to turn out to be parliament’s longest serving member.
I’ve often wondered how committed Shearer is to politics. He came back to NZ after a really well paid and prestigous gig at the UN. What could he do that wouldn’t be a “step down” for an obviously ambitious man? Did he join the party before or after he was approached by party power brokers to discuss a possible career option? I can’t see Shearer joining any political party without such a motive. He’s just not that into politics
Pity he didn’t get shoulder tapped by National really.
“What are the policies that will get the non-voters from last election into the polling booths to vote for Labour?”
What if most of the non-voters who may vote for Labour with the right policy mix are from the centre?
There seems to be assumptions that those who didn’t vote but might are leftish and would vote for Labour if only they had more leftish policies.
Didn’t Labour try a bit more leftish last election?
( 🙄 )
PG 😯
Labour voter born and raised I have gone Green Because Labour think they have to be Nat Lite so as Not to scare business. Well all they have managed to do is piss off all their liberal voters. I agree they need a good clean out, and let some of the young blood through.
God I’m struggling with this Labour lot at the moment.
Norman did a great job with Brownlee in the House yesterday. Would be great to see a full-throated Greens-Labour anti-City-asset-sales mission arise out of it.
Seriously imagine if Brownlee used his CEA powers to force asset sales.
Sorry. “… his CERA powers”
Russel Norman wants the rest of the country to pay a ‘levy’ (a tax) to help pay for the Christchurch rebuild as an alternative to selling some of their assets. At least he seems to understand the folly of borrowing even more to avoid selling asets.
The rest of the country is already paying a lot to help Christchurch.
🙄
🙄 on so many fucking levels
I would resent that very much indeed! Sympathy for Christchurch, yes, paying for them, no.
I am interested in knowing what became of renters and flatters in Christchurch, but all I hear about is the middle class kiddies with houses and businesses.
BTW, all the roll eyes smilies as replies to Pete George are juvenile and stupid. Much more disruptive than replying to him would be!
Yeah i know, i was never able to ‘grow up’ and my stupidity is only matched by my ugliness,
Horses for courses ae, i find the smiley faces directed at that one both amusing and they make in my opinion a cleaner open mike and other posts where there is no longer the same circular debate occurring day after day without really imparting anything of substance…
The whole point of being in a community is that there’s someone there to help when needed. You seem to be against this concept.
🙄
Okay then. Easy to rebuild a city with sympathy.
🙄
Exactly Carol, I am right with you on all of your discerning comments and suggestions.
Actual Link
Some good questions but, other than that, a load of bollocks as he looks to the past to fix the problems caused by that past. He’s right that Labour are just National Lite now.
http://tvnz.co.nz/rugby-news/hansen-brushes-aside-sir-graham-s-match-fixing-suspicions-4994166
Hansen brushes aside Sir Graham’s match fixing suspicions
by DAVID SKIPWITH, Monday July 30, 2012 Source: ONE Sport
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has brushed aside some bizarre and unsupported match-fixing claims made in Sir Graham Henry’s biography.
The allegations have caused a furore both here in New Zealand and around the world after Sir Graham claimed while watching a video review of the All Blacks’ quarter-final loss to France at the 2007 Rugby World Cup, he briefly suspected match-fixing played a part in the shock result.
Speaking about the claims today, Hansen, who was an assistant to Sir Graham at the time, said it was time to let the issue rest.
“Look, you’ve got to ask him about those things it’s irrelevant as far as I’m concerned, I’ve moved on. It’s 2012,” he said.
Penned by rugby writer Bob Howitt, Graham Henry Final Word stops short of making the allegations concrete. Instead, the passage describes Henry’s emotions and thoughts in the aftermath of the loss, as he dealt with the tidal wave of disapproval from heartbroken and disillusioned New Zealand rugby followers.
Howitt and the book’s publishers Harper Collins ran the controversial words past their lawyers with Howitt yesterday revealing some further portions have been removed from the final copy to avoid compromising their legal position.
However, the comments sparked immediate attention from local and foreign media with Sunday Times correspondent and regular critic of New Zealand rugby, Stephen Jones, taking to Twitter to voice his scepticism.
He, labelled the comments as a “Puke-making assault on Wayne Barnes by bitter Graham Henry”, while challenging the IRB to take action against the All Blacks’ 2011 World Cup winning coach.
The sport’s governing body offered a tentative response saying only that the comments had been “noted” as speculation began to mount as to the nature and substance of any further retort from the IRB and Barnes.
Brendan Gallagher, writing in Britain’s Daily Telegraph, mocked Sir Graham’s motives for voicing his suspicions, saying, “Hilarious Graham Henry trying to rewrite history”, mirroring the contempt held for 1995 All Blacks coach Laurie Mains’ accusations that food-poisoning derailed his side’s World Cup final against South Africa.
Sir Graham said he was “physically ill” after watching a tape of the match and asserted how numerous match statistics were so skewed against his side that he felt the performance of match referee Wayne Barnes deserved closer inspection.
His suspicions stemmed from the fact the All Blacks had enjoyed an overwhelming 73% territorial advantage in the match, winning 166 rucks to France’s 42 and made only 73 tackles compared with France’s 331, yet they had not been awarded a single penalty in the final 50 minutes of play.
Publicly Henry refused to point the finger at Barnes’ performance but upon his return to New Zealand voiced his concerns to the New Zealand Rugby Union and the International Rugby Board and asked if there were any review systems in place. But he was told there were no such avenues available.
Reaction here has included the suggestion that Sir Graham’s decision to speak out five years on from that fateful World Cup, less than a year after he found redemption with the All Blacks’ 2011 World Cup triumph over France, was inspired not so much through sour grapes but rather as a ploy to boost book sales.
The book is available in stores today.
A cynical and stupid ploy to sell more books and doing the current regime no favours in the process.
Careful Sir Graham or you’ll become a sad and cranky figure, which some say is accurate but winning a WC gives you some credit, don’t burn it trying to eek some extra dollars out of the rugby faithful.
A cynical and stupid ploy to sell more books…
I suspect this whole idea was not Henry’s but Bob Howitt’s. Henry has merely deferred to Howitt’s authority as a veteran rugby author and obediently mouthed Howitt’s words, despite the fact they are clearly nonsense.
…and doing the current regime no favours in the process.
The current regime immediately distanced themselves from Henry’s crank comments. Steve Hansen and Wayne Smith are far too diplomatic to actually refute them more forcefully.
Careful Sir Graham or you’ll become a sad and cranky figure, which some say is accurate but winning a WC gives you some credit,
Winning it like THIS gives him credit? ….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=1XBqetaCfgo
Who reckons that a job like, for example, ‘Chair of the ACC’ would come with a work email account? Just in case things related to the job need to be discussed, and records kept of those discussions and the like.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10823956
Damned inconvenient for poor old Mr Judge too, I have to say, that when he buys a new computer he loses access to his personal email account. he’s a busy guy. He must have lost a lot of important stuff with that computer.
I think we just have to accept that we live in a post truth environment.
Very odd indeed, I would have thought that emails while at a place of employment on their computer were the property of that place of employment.
However, I’ve got a friend who’s high up in IT provision and support within the public service and he has suggested that it is unbelievably loose.
The claim seems to be that he didn’t have a work email account, so Collins forwarded the Boag email to his personal account. It then was leaked in a way damaging to Boag/Pullar, and then he got a new computer and lost his emails.
Just bad luck I guess.
I’m just intrigued that his home computer is the only possible source for his emails – no servers or anything…
They would also have records of the emails at his ISP.
Wtf? Who wipes computers when there is an investigation going on? Oh that’s right, guilty people!
or people who internet bank and know other people will have access to the machine when they return it.
Internet banking is secure – the browser doesn’t record information relating to secure connections.
Boldest claim of the day on the interwebs.
^ 2nd boldest claim of the day on the interwebz 🙂
I thought that saving data was one of the reasons organisations have networks with network backups. Silly me.
First thought on reading the news,”Huh! Why am I not surprised?” Second thought, “Probably all organised by Judith Collins’ “get me out of this” team.
My immediate reaction was that Crusher is as desperate as she is thick. Any emails he sent will be backed up somewhere, as will any she sent. The GCSB doesn’t seem to have much to do that’s useful, why not unleash them on this one?
From the article cited above:
…But Ms Collins told the Herald last night that the email from Ms Boag was forwarded to Mr Judge’s personal and only email account…
Very strange. This at least should be able to be proven one way or another. Check the email of the other top brass and see what address they sent emails to Judge to. It would be suspicious in itself he deliberately chose to work from a personal account that belonged to him, in preference to a work account for which he might be accountable.
At what point did he stop using his work account, or did he never use it? Is that even legal under the circumstances, especially since a huge volume of privileged and highly personal private information seems to have become the private property of a personal email holder?
Could the SFO office be lurking in the background?
Wrong wrong. haven’t we learned from the Repubs in t.he USA started using private accounts to circumvent OI requests. I do not believe Judge had no work email. how can you work like that?
And McCully, of course.
Not idea why tory managers seem to have difficulty with multiple email accounts – their minions who turn up here don’t seem to have too much of a problem 🙂
But also this;
Looks like he was trying to hide something.
These business-focused right-wingers – always much more efficient cos of their business background, than all those public-sector-nurtured lefties!
Hah! Natz business-like practice with a key bankster in charge?
Is this the kind of modus operandi that smacks of Enron document-shredding scandal?
yes carol i noticed that sentence too. Very efficient at losing stuff, when they want to.
collins benefits most though because they can’t rule out a leak from somewhere else.
yes rosy we are back to the “I know nothing” defence or maybe “it wasn’t me” – either way their tactics effectively block this avenue methinks.
And that should definitely not have happened. It was a business computer and so having it erased is actually destroying business records.
Popcorn time – Ms Collins may have bitten off more than she can chew.
John Judge’s response to her latest claims in the above Herald report – http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10824103
Former ACC Chairman John Judge says ACC Minister Judith Collins’ claims he hampered an investigation into a the leak of a sensitive email are untrue and an attempt to “blacken” his name.
…
Mr Judge today said Ms Collins’ comments were “pathetic”.
…
But Mr Judge said Ms Collins was aware that he replaced his home computer before the Privacy Commissioner’s inquiry was announced.
“Everything was transferred from my old computer to the new one anyway. It’s not like anything disappeared.”
Furthermore, he was not able to receive emails on his ACC iPad anyway.
He said Ms Collins “knew the truth” and was “just trying to blacken people”.
From the little I know about Judge, he is not going to sit back and quietly let Collins get away with this.
Also, I understand that forensic computer experts are able to recover deleted emails and other documents from computer hard drives etc (its their bread and butter work), so Collins’ claims don’t hold water IMO.
And that’s why you use security software which overwrites your hard drive 10-20x with layers upon layers of random data. Takes days to do.
Try doing a non-destructive surface test on a external USB 1TB drive. Lyn bounced one of her TimeMachine backup drives while it was running on the weekend. It has been running badblocks since monday night (do Mac’s have a surface scan application these days?).
Was 94% through its first and only pass this morning. So far zero damage detected….
Luffly, get the Tory’s throwing each other off of the 16th floor, this is definitely turning into a new ‘blood sport’,
Parliament could just about use the addition of a ‘cage’ on the floor of the House so we all get to watch live…
“Also, I understand that forensic computer experts are able to recover deleted emails and other documents from computer hard drives etc (its their bread and butter work), so Collins’ claims don’t hold water IMO.”
Take what they say with a grain of salt, that industry has some of the biggest bullshitters in the IT game. When data gets overwritten no forensic expert can recover it, a single pass zero-write is unrecoverable to all intents & purposes.
More amuesment at the evidenced failure of right wing politics and their free market ideology has of course sprung from the well of broken Christchurch …
Free market ideology, that the market knows best and results in the best results when left alone, was implemented through the Resource Managemenrt Act, among many others… The idea was that the free market, when left alone to develop, would provide the best solutions as demanded by the cnsumer.
This ideology is still of course deeply ingrained and treasured by this National government and its disciples.
So when it comes to the best ever opportunity to leave the free market up to development, such as rebuilding an entire city, and prove their beloved ideology true……… what do they do? Intervene with the most heavily centralised planning structure ever conceived. All conceived from central authority with not a skeric of free market approach.
ha ha ha ha ha ha
the right and business free market ideologies fail AGAIN
Yes, vto. The neoliberal philosophy is just a front for doing whatever benefits the elite – a PR con-job while the elite accumulates and exercises more power and wealth for themselves.
The Government is proposing to change Local Government electoral laws so that donor trusts are outlawed. Sounds like an EFA 2 type attack on democracy to me. Shouldn’t there be riots in the streets and pictures of Banimarama approving the measure and all that sort of stuff?
Moves to ensure they can swing the likes of Brewer or Fletcher back into the akl mayors chains.
I note they’re carefully keeping clear of applying a similar change to central government electoral laws …
I’m still wondering why the two are separate.
Because it suits them? Or are you asking specifically why it suits them?
The latter. Why are two systems that should be identical run under different rules?
The Herald has an article reporting that an article by some Auckland Uni academics claims that John key’s Sky City deal was against the law:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10823966
This report supports the Green Party complaint made to the Auditory General, which is investigating the deal.
John Key treats the government of the country as if it was a large corporation. He just does not care for the legal and democratic processes and cuts corners wherever he can.
He needs to be held to account in a major way.
It could be said he’s broken the law. Relevant section of the Gambling Act;
___________
11 No increase in casino gambling
A person must not increase the opportunities for casino gambling.
___________
12 What is increase in casino gambling
(2) An increase in the opportunities for casino gambling includes but is not limited to—
(a) an increase in the number of gaming machines unless the increase is accompanied by a reduction in the number of table games that the Casino Control Authority, or the Gambling Commission, believes is proportionate:
____________
Key might be PM but in this context I’d think he would legally still be a person. He’s certainly not above the law.
Parliament is sitting today at 2pm but DJ Johnny has something far more important to do than be held to account in a democratic institution.
Is it Thursday? he only does 2 days in the house.
It is almost an unwritten rule that PMs dont make themselves available for Thursday’s question time. Clark certainly didn’t. They use Thursdays to get out and about.
Doing super important stuff.
There’s usually more than half the seats empty whenever I watch parliament TV, so a lot of MPs must have other super important stuff.
It wouldn’t be hard to find more important stuff than a lot of the drivel that gets presented as ‘debate”.
This one last night was an awful example: http://inthehouse.co.nz/node/14243
Rock ‘n’ 🙄
felix .. you realize the acronym for ‘super important stuff’ is SIS ?? Thx for the smiles.
I am reminded once again of the Canadian comic visiting here a while ago — when told the name of our prime minister, he replied: ” John Key ? That what you ask for at a US gas station when you need to use the toilet !”
What a tragedy for us all.
“John Key ? That what you ask for at a US gas station when you need to use the toilet”
Bahahahaha!
You’re gunna love this felix!
Haha! That whole column is connected to our Johnny in so many little ways!
“drinking a little too much and taking valium”
That’s our boy, alright! But how did Ann Landers know?
Also known as, doing a runner…
That’s right HG. Neither the prime-minister nor the leader of the opposition are present in the House on Thursdays. Been that way for years.
But how many of them spend the time doing some DJ’ing on a trashy radio station programme?
HG
But Key, Shearer and Winston are all in Samoa.
No they aren’t.
Yeah but that’s a convention followed because it’s expected that PMs have lots of other important PM stuff to do.
Today Key is playing talkback host again. Which is so much more important than question time that he’s doing it at exactly the same time as question time.
Neat eh?
ps he had a day off yesterday too.
Oh hello Prime Minister. Raaleene here. Look I wondered what you use in your pool to keep it fresh? I’ve been trying that chlorine stuff and it turned us all green, our hair I mean because we are all blondes. Giggles.
Well Raaleene. I’m sorry that can’t help you with that. I’m so busy giving talkback shows, overseas visits and so on that I have no time available for it and so have a little man to do that.
In that case, why don’t the opposition MPs ring the talkback station and ask their questions of him there. That’d be funny. What to do? He couldn’t just hang up on David Shearer or Russell Norman or other senior pollies – could he?
Hey Anne That is creative thinking. Very creative thinking. Is there anyone alive in Labour who could do it? Probably Greens. Actual pollies trying to convey a question to the people-loving PM would soon get cut off, but get a cute Raaleene who would be a wolf in sheep’s clothing as in Trottter’s graphic, and some well put naive queries might knock the self-satisfied smile off the relaxed one.
“Is there anyone alive in Labour”
Well said, well said.
I’m in Labour, let me get some internal polling done on that question before I take a position to answer you with.
Over nine months in Labour and still nothing to show for it.Come on baby!
Anne that’s brilliant.
Hello Labour and the Greens, please do this kthnx
The “Key-Banks” Government. Heh, catching on.
Catching on like a terminal disease. I don’t recall any other government being referred to the Auditor General or taken to court on so many issues… Clearly National aren’t operating in the best interest of New Zealand.
Sadly, the other thing catching on is gubmint use in the House and elsewhere of ‘Planet Labour’ as a pejorative … used every day in the House to denigrate and deride Labour .. Crosby Trextor rides again. But surely Labour is smart enough to claim it back to use it to their own advantage ?? Only takes one or two to say for example: ” Here on Planet Labour we believe …… (choose your weapon) and it will diffuse National’s continuing use of it.
Get smarter Labour, PLEASE !!
Or here on “planet earth” unlike in National’s “fantasy world”.
David Clark labeled his speech yesterday “A visit from one of the aliens from Planet Labour” but didn’t actually talk about it.
Transcript: David Clark’s speech on the Estimates Debate – Vote Finance
+ 🙄 +
Hmmm… interesting. Rotting sleepers have probably caused derailments over the last year:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10824040
So it seems the wood in imported sleepers are the problem:
Huh? Doesn’t NZ have a forestry industry? Don’t we have plenty of woo? Why are we importing (rotting) sleepers?
Also, Kudos to Brendan Horan of NZF who has been asking questions about these rotting sleepers in the House the last couple of days. He has tried and failed to table photos of said rotting tracks, taken by Kiwirail workers:
http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/PB/Business/QOA/2/8/a/50HansQ_20120801_00000001-1-KiwiRail-Turnaround-Plan.htm
http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/PB/Business/QOA/1/7/c/50HansQ_20120731_00000009-9-KiwiRail-Minister-s-Statements.htm
Meanwhile RONS get more government attention than the efficiency and safety of our rail network.
Carol
I think we do have plenty of woo. Making love and not war has for a long time been a favourite pasttime.
Nice catch, prism 🙂
Thanks.
Well, plenty of wood for making love can also be handy.
there are pills for that
In short we are stuck with using imports because there’s nothing quite like Australian hard woods for their density, strength, durability and ease of machining and handling.
In efforts to replace imported eucalypts all manner of materials have been trialled and found to be unsuitable for use in both rail and the electrical transmission industry.
And there’s always been a risk of importing all sorts of nasties along with the timber.
Thanks. I don’t have knowledge of such things. Fair enough. Therefore it needs stronger scrutiny of the wood imported.
Bullying and the way that children are treated by authorities and schools is an example of how our society really is. It is not the good place that we want to believe, and we know that. But this guy has made a valuable doco and was talking to Kathryn Ryan this (Thursday) morning.
9-10am: Lee Hirsch, the director of an anti-bullying documentary
Film to see -International Film Festival screening Bully. in Auckland at Civic soon.
Excellent interview going on right now on Nine-to-Noon:
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/20120802
10:05 Feature guest: Satyajit Das – derivatives expert and global risk analyst
He worked in the investment, derivatives banking
scaminstitutions, and came to be a big critic of the debt-based ponzi scheme.Hi Carol .. how do you do the line-through crossing-out please ??
using < etc insert text to strike through
Put strike in between each bracket.
Carol re finance interviewer Das
He talked about the big money profits from small snips from handling financial transactions.
Sounds just like the Tobin tax to me. What a wonderful way of spreading the government revenue task don’t you think. Magic even.
Ah, yes, prism. But Mr Das says there are no magic bullets. People in western economies need to accept a lowering of standard of living (I guess meaning those living comfortably), to focus on getting back to production of real stuff.
Interesting that he explained all this to Bill English a while back, and Blinglish responded by asking what can NZ do. Das’s response was to position NZ to deal with the coming changes.
Mr Das also says NZ is in a good position because of our direct access to food supply, and the innovative, productive ideas amongst kiwis.
Also an interesting comment about Das’s response to an NZ journalist who said Das didn’t know what he is talking about.
Carol at 11 2 1
I have to agree with that NZ journalist who was belittling Mr Das. But for another reason than that dope would have mentioned. My reason is that Mr Das doesn’t know he is talking to people who actually don’t receive his thoughts and process them. Das has been lulled into thinking that Blinglish was listening and was open to his ideas, and would be likely to action them. Major fail on Mr Das.
And as for innovative, productive ideas amongst kiwis. They are merely like rose petals that get strewn on the roads that leaders’ chariots drive on (Roads of National Significance for instance). A bloom, a colour, a faint scent, that hails the great and god-given task of limiting innovation, crushing or ignoring ideas also all attempts to move the country as a whole to a ready position where it can cope with change and thrive as well, and that’s all of us.
Sorry Mr Das but we are determined to become a banana republic when the climate gets warmer and growing conditions are suitable. That’s our big goal.
prism, as I recall, the journalist’s reasons for saying that Das was wrong about the ponzi, investment banking system, was reference to something like the US’s recent growth rate. Das’s response was that it was a false indication of what was really happening in the US economy So I think Das was closer to understanding the realities than the NZ journo.
I do agree that Das was a bit over-optimistic about NZ’s possibilities -probably being courteous to his hosts.
Das is probably right on the goal-seeked nature of US GDP (and in fact, most GDP figures in the world).
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/q2-gdp-beats-expectations-historical-gdp-data-revised
This how you cause an “increase in GDP”, United States style:
Let’s say Q2 GDP growth annualised is going to print at 1.6%. The problem is that earlier Q1 GDP growth was higher at 1.7% annualised. Well that clearly shows that Q2 GDP growth reduced from Q1.
NO PROBLEM!
One week before Q2 figures print you revise and update the Q1 figure from 1.7% to 1.3%.
So when Q2 prints officially at 1.6%, all the news outlets can claim “Q2 shows strong GDP growth quarter on quarter!”
Das has my agreement on the fact that what we have all been experiencing economically for the past 27 odd years just aint sustainable, that un-ustainability extends to both our use of resources and the levels of our personal incomes,
Obviously none of us are going to voluntarily take cuts to our income and my view is that it will take a further collapse within the global economy,(coming), which in effect will force the comfortable middle class to address such an issue,
Das has the view of the future where the economies of both the US and Europe will become more insular inward looking, and, although Das does not say so, i assume more protectionist, gosh you know where the New Zealand economy was befor Sir(spit)Roger Douglas took a very large wrecking ball to it,
So, back to the future we all go,blinkers on please as we glibly rewrite economic history forgetting the absolute misery inflicted upon large swathes of our society by Roger’s(spit) unfortunate experiment,
The consensus needed here,as in New Zealand, is the realization that there can be only X amount of employment in any future economy therefor there will always be that X of unemployment,
Das tho made the strange assertion that simply printing money will be no silver bullet for the hard economic times ahead,and, if He provided any reasoning to put flesh upon such an assertion i missed such perhaps because about here my mind had turned to matters more primitive like putting the bash on my radio for broadcasting the glib propaganda of a belated newcomer to some other economic orthodoxy after having served the masters so well in making the huge fucking mess of that economy on a global scale,
In the New Zealand economy there is definitely a case to be made for the printing of monies, befor that is one of the Davids decides to use the primitive tool of Legislative or Regulatory devaluation of the New Zealand dollar to put that dollar into a value best suited to New Zealand exporters and manufacturers,
Obviously,while a regulatory devaluation will make gains for the sectors already mentioned there is nothing except inflation gained by the rest of us by doing such,
IF, we are to have a lower expectation in the future of our personal economic gains then we have to accomplish a number of things the first being the provision of affordable accommodation for all and the State printing such monies necessary to construct the needed amounts of high density housing also accomplishes by an increase in the money supply a gradual dilution of the New Zealand dollar and thus a devaluation along with a gradual rate of inflation increase for imported products,(much of which as resources we should be using less of),
My point being that as we stumble into that increasingly economically fraught future where our personal expectations will have to be lowered then it is going to be increasingly the province of the State to ensure that we are all housed at affordable levels and as i outline above in achieving a lower valued New Zealand dollar there must also be gains for the average head who will be expected to face that increasingly fraught economic future…
This is a big question. In the past we have seen white collar workers sit back quite OK while their working class brethren were smashed and manufacturing jobs exported overseas. The benefits for the white collar workers – cheaper new cars, cheaper gadgets, a higher dollar for cheaper overseas holidays.
Now its their turn to be outsourced. In the NZ context however, we have seen the middle class and upper middle class sit back quietly as income inequality widens and as child poverty continues. Jenny may have a fit at me for targetting this socio-economic strata again but its a simple fact. Those on $100K plus, outside of very specific sectors, are far more likely to vote National than Labour.
His point will have been that money in the future will neither be a resource nor a store of value. The NZ situation is interesting in that we are physical resource rich and we have a lot of surplus labour. Therefore printing money will work for us as it will help us mobilise those economic resources.
Here I mildly disagree with you in that I do not believe the state will understand what it needs to do until very late in the piece. Individual families and extended families will act and adapt far more quickly.
As for the lowering of expectations: that is already happening quietly and subtly on a vast range of fronts, even for families with 2 parents working decent jobs. In Auckland for instance, large numbers of people have given up on the idea of owning their house, on the idea of moving out of their parents’ house, on the idea of being able to use their own car every day to get to and fro.
The nice thing is – we’re going to slowly discover once again that the most important things in life are free.
You are right of course i should have qualified that paragraph thus, ”it SHOULD be increasingly the province of the State to ensure that we are all housed at affordable levels,
Sadly i agree with you also on the initial response from the State being basically head in the sand until such time as they hear a large and loud political voice highlighting such problems,
Even the Minister of Guesstimates and Riffmatic, Bill English has been drawn so far as to admit that whats happening now is at the least multi-decadal, (possibly as a convenient cop-out to a piece of His other BS book balancing by 2015), and, my prognosis for the Global economy is far far gloomier than just a struggle for a decade or two…
(get the right comment link this time!)
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10824053
>>Parata said the schools would be based on international best practise and would have high levels of accountability and flexibility.
international best practise and charter schools in the same breathe HA
Ipredict should set up a book on how long before a charter school fiddles its results.
And how many of them will fail financially,(in the middle of the school term),thus enabling the ‘owners’ of such schools to double dip into the education budget…
And leave the kids in limbo.
It still begs the question of why these same aims for a better education system involving consultation with parents and teachers can’t be achieved within the current state school system: i.e. without including an extra bunch of ticket clippers and consultants?
And this:
So the only real difference charter schools offer is the possibility of using untrained/unregistered teachers, and of avoiding dealing with the unions. How is this going to result in better education?
>All non-teaching and unregistered employees will undergo police vetting
So does that mean that there will be unregistered teachers?
Will ero have any role?
And carol you are right this looks a lot like our schools today.
Yes, as many of them as the school wants, which will be a disaster.
http://charterschoolscandals.blogspot.co.nz/
http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2011-06-23/news/mckay-scholarship-program-sparks-a-cottage-industry-of-fraud-and-chaos/
Sleepers have pretty much always been imported, mostly jarra from Oz. Our only suitable hardwoods are probably heart rimu. Hey, lets use that.
Fair enough, Adrian. I asked a question. You have an answer. I don’t know anything much about types of wood, their best uses and what we can grow here. I’ll leave that for others to discuss/inform me on.
The reason kiwi wood is soft is that the growing conditions are too good and the trees grow fast. The reason aussie woods are hard is that the growing conditions are crap and they grow slowly. The same trees grown in Aotearoa or Brazil do not produce hardwood. However, plantation planting of natives would be a much better bet in the long term than pinus radiata, which basically just kills everything else around it. Pinus radiata is good for a quick buck and often used to be grown in the central North Island by prison labour. If this was then exported, it was in violation of human rights agreements, but Fletchers was always more important than anything else in the country.
And the only reason Fletchers got their mitts on it was because we stupidly privatised those forests as they were about to make shitloads of money for the NZ public
That’s what I’ve been thinking for quite a few years now. Native wood is of a much better quality than radiata pine and so the extra growing time is worth it but no commercial entity would ever plant it as they need to see profits in the short term (I’ve even heard that radiata plantations have dropped back from 30 years of growing to 18 so even that low quality is decreased). The only entity with the longevity to do such planting of natives would be the government.
And just as that high quality native wood comes on stream, the Tories will sell it to Fletchers and Carter Holt.
Unless we put in decent protections for state assets that holds such sales as treason with a minimum 20 years in max security jail. If we did that then even the Tories may twig that we don’t want them to sell our stuff.
Murray Olsen 13 1 1
I’m amazed that Landcorp didn’t put native trees in their plantation down south. Instead they have put in pines which they say won’t spread because they are following these good practices – recites five different things they have to do to keep wilding pines under control. There is a sad and stern comment from the Foresters Ferret down there about how a Lord of the Realm shouldn’t be encouraging people who are talking about destroying property. This about the threat that their plantation pines will be pulled out by affronted members of the public because they have been planted in close proximity to native plants from a massive effort by the public, now under threat of infestation by Landcorp’s project. Which they assure us will never happen, never, never for the full twenty-forty years before the pines mature. This is all from a Radionz interview from a few days back, possibly in early or midday rural slot.
Surely you know that Rimu is a softwood.
About the only fairly common, and reasonably durable, native hardwoods I am aware of are the Tawhai family of native beechs. These would be the Red, Hard, Black and Mountain beechs. The Silver beech is not as durable.
Sigh. I miss the availability of Rimu though. About 30 years ago I built a lot of shelving in my then house. I had the choice of pine or Rimu. Rimu was at that time only about two thirds the cost of pine! It was a very hard choice to make.
Shows us all just how f**king primitive and short-sighted our colonial for-fathers were and still are right,
The Rimu,Tawa,Kauri along with the rest of what are now extremely valuable species of trees valued all over the world are bowled over like nine pins, in a lot of cases the timber wasted in the headlong rush to clear land for pasture,
This didnt stop there either as the destruction continued to the tops of mountain ranges,although having viewed how the Tararua range was felled and milled i do have some grudging respect for those who’s labour accomplished what was in those days no easy task,
Instead of creating an industry around the growing of such valuable wood where plantations of the future could be planted and milled sustainably such forests were simply raped and left to their own devices,
Having watched the Tararua forest park re-generate itself over my life-time i cannot help the feeling whenever i am deep within Her heart that given another 30 years the same destruction will again be inflicted…
Puriri is also pretty hard (and fast growing in good conditions) as is Totara, and both timbers have been used historically in New Zealand for railway sleepers
As for beeches, it’s my experience that rot down pretty quickly in the bush, though red beech can last a while.
According to this report on Radio NZ National this morning on Morning Report, the problem is with hardwood sleepers that have been imported from Peru over the last decade, which are rotting from within from a fungal problem.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2526905/rotting-sleepers-could-have-compromised-safety.asx
So the rot started while Kiwirail was in private ownership?
But who was responsible for, or owned the rails/tracks?
The Government took ownership of ONTRACK, the actual lines on July 1 2004, so it has owned them for just on 8 years.
Could have been either the Public or private owners who bought the ones having problems.
Don’t we grow plantation Australian hardwoods? Also I recall an item a while back about a NZ company making recycled concrete railway sleepers which KiwiRail was going to try out. Wonder what happened to that? And finally, surely there is (yet another) bio-security issue around the fungus that’s rotting the sleepers?
the Aussie hard woods we grow are to immature to be stable they need to grow for 800years or so
The Western Line in Auckland has concrete sleepers.
Am pretty sure the new double tracking on the Kapiti line also used concrete sleepers…
Totara might be OK but normally sleepers are Aussie hardwoods. Radiata treated with creosote has been used extensively as have reinforced concrete. Overseas concrete is the go……
Clearly, the Peruvian “hardwood” was cheap, but probably only cheap for a reason………..
cheap like the new trains
Scott GN 13 4
Good point. I haven’t heard that mentioned yet. And who is watching how Kiwi Rail handles the already estimated 7,000 sleepers from site to destruction under controlled fire. Got to be. Which wimpy state or privatised agency will be in charge of the party. And then who pays for the carbon released. Oh woe is us, will our decision makers ever be paid according to results with a ten year continuance of responsibility after end of contract? Maybe that will make them think, plus also a tattoo that goes on their foreheads in indelible ink – Shammer, scammer or something of that nature.
Here’s a very interesting story on stuff:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/7398670/Tax-likely-on-lease-sweetener
Except introducing something sensible like a CGT/land tax, or rolling back the personal tax cuts. They could even bring back gift duty, or a more modern form of it.
Conspiracy of silence: The irresponsible politics of climate change.
The consequence of this inattention is an irreversible commitment to dangerous climate change. Twenty years ago, the United States signed, and the Senate ratified, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The objective of this treaty was to “prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system,” which was defined in the Copenhagen Accord of 2009 as limiting the overall temperature increase to 2 degrees Celsius. There are three reasons why that goal is now unobtainable. First, even if greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere could be held steady at 2005 levels, scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography have calculated that global temperature would rise by 2.4 degrees Celsius if not for the air pollution that is masking the warming by blocking some of the sun’s rays. Second, as a 2011 paper by British climate researchers explains, emissions reductions that are constrained to levels thought to be compatible with economic growth are not sufficient to stay below 2 degrees Celsius. Only a period of planned austerity and an intensive effort to build a carbon-free energy system could now achieve the goal of avoiding dangerous climate change. Finally, the International Energy Agency has estimated that the carbon-emitting energy infrastructure that will push global temperature rise beyond 2 degrees Celsius is already 80 percent complete, and will be fully installed by 2017. This will lock in future emissions unless capital equipment is retired earlier than anticipated. The best we can now hope for is to avoid catastrophic global warming in excess of 4 degrees Celsius, which will require an aggressive response by governments around the world.
Family Fist get a serve from US rockers Train. The band’s song ‘Marry Me’ was used without authorisation on a gay hate site called ‘protectmarrige.org’.
Train say:
“We take the idea of marriage very seriously and believe it is the right of all consenting adults, regardless of sexual orientation.
Marry Me is about just that, finding that special love and making it last forever. Everyone should be allowed to have that.”
WTF is that article in the entertainment section? It should be in the politics and/or crime sections.
Because they are giving us circuses instead of bread?
Because that anti-gay marriage website is a joke?
McDonald’s other crimes have been released to the public though they weren’t before as they may have influenced the decision on murder.
Surely that is the whole point, seeing the behaviour in a series rather than presenting him as a man who had done some mistaken acts against his family. Setting neighbour’s shed on fire, killing a lot of calves etc etc.
This man’s background means that he was presented to the jury in a false way. Crime scenes aren’t cleaned up before examination by authorities, so why should defendants be presented relatively clean. It has allowed a likely wrongful judgment by the jury.
Not sure I agree prism. Juries are meant to be given evidence that is relevant to the case, and these other crimes, committed two and three years earlier than the murder, may not have been seen as relevant. The deer shooting incident showed that MacDonald was capable of shooting accurately at night, and the other two were against the Guys themselves. These crimes by themselves showed him as a man capable of vengeful destruction. A litany of such crimes, including those without a direct link to the case, may have prejudiced the jury by shifting the focus to MacDonald’s character, rather than the question as to whether he did or did not kill Scott Guy.
The character of the person on trial is relevant to the case.
EDIT: But possibly only as an adjunct to sentencing.
Character is however, but one factor to take into account. People are not convicted or acquitted of being bad arses, they are convicted of crimes. And the stuff that was put before the jury was sufficient to show what he was capable of doing.
Yep.
If he did do it, then telling the jury about those unmentioned things might have led them to convict. But the point is that they would have also led them to convict if he didn’t do it.
For a minute there, I though you were talking about the Golden Arches!
National has now opened the doors to allow a chain of “Destiny” schools to infect our quality public education system. The very best way to ensure that we have the likes of creationism, anti gay propaganda and social intolerance is taught to our children by non qualified fanatics. The fact that this initiative is led by someone who has failed the very basics of political ethics is fitting.
http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2012/08/nz-charter-schools-defined.html
Dave Kennedy 18
Yes I fear that Destiny will be our destiny now we have had this piece of policy shit from the Density Party. All the oddballs can have a go, it’s based on USA ideas which have produced such a happy, healthy, flourishing society. Business can reach direct into the children’s minds instead of just dangling tv ads in front of them. There will be some successes with sports academies and whanau style learning units with te reo but Maori having successes will not be equalled by any success from pakeha, more than they would have at a state school.
Can Graham Capill become an owner? John Banks fancies himself as a role model for children. And all the warped authoritarian types can have a go. And they can be taught by someone of standing in the community. Rodney Hide, Roger Douglas, a woman who has blonde children and wants to teach the world to sing about Aryan traits (that’s one in the USA I think and I saw it on youtube) The Cooperites, the Potterites, where is the protection for the children from the brainwashed parents of cults. .
the national-banks party have now opened the door to the crummiest chapter in the life and times of new zealand.
they beleive their own thoughts to be facts and because they are idiots what they produce will match the inanity of their miniscule comprhension.
tick tock C.hook
+1
Not quite..
The ideas and policies come from offshore, and the government of the day simply attempt to pass what they are told to, while they have a majority.
Simply , the reason why we have such low quality politicians, is because it takes a low quality human being to willingly participate in betraying ones country, and peoples.
Idiots, possibly, traitors, certainly!
Judge disputes Collin’s claims about his computer and ACC emails:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10824103
So…. who is telling the truth?
Will Judith Collins now sue Mr Judge? Surely ‘He said Ms Collins “knew the truth” and was “just trying to blacken people”’ is as defamatory as anything that Mallard and Little said.
Ah, it seems we now have a back-down from the crushless one:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7401888/Former-ACC-chair-defends-action
But she did make a judgement on it last night:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10824103
But Judge called her on it and she had to withdraw…. no apology though.
With John Key playing talkback host today, Anne had the good idea earlier that opposition MPs should call in and hold him to account there instead of in the debating chamber.
Unfortunately the flaw in that plan is that DJ Johnny doesn’t take calls from the public. Imagine that. The PM hosts a talkback radio show and no-one is allowed to talk back. Says it all, innit.
This PMs idea of communicating with the citizenry is we listen to him talking to the famous and powerful. Sorry ordinary kiwis, you’re not good enough. Speak when you’re spoken to, peasant.
He is not one of us. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6qwlEMjZGI
Slippery is a little ‘fragile’ at the moment, polling numbers being abysmal and being royally done by the Maori Council who can’t be bought with the crumbs off of His table has left Him more than a little vulnerable to the suggestion that He aint that special after all…
Just got the rates bills through from the Auckland council.
Apparently the rates rises have been capped at 10% vs 2011……. and surprise, surprise every one of my rates notices has gone up by 10% vs. the previous year.
Oh well, I suppose it’s good way to ensure a high turnout at the next Auckland council elections.
Who is your candidate, Doctor Dullard Don Brash,or, snigger, the master of snout’n’trough himself rorting Rodney Hide…
We had a plethora of drips to vote for at the council elections for many a year, the previous mayor for the Northshore was Andrew Williams….. as usual we go from one retard to another to another to another.
Despite which side of the political spectrum they come from they all have common traits of extreme autolatry, aeolism, and abliguration – and of course increasing the rates with gay abandon.
Aaah the poor old ‘ownership’ class, really my heart bleeds for you, should have stuck to the humble State rental at 25% of income buckwheat,
Nay, you all should be demanding such…
I see the smoking has been particularly good for your cognitive abilities.
Hmmm, you were of far more interest, (as a humorist), when you were whining over Len shaking you down for any available loose coin in the form of rates rises…
Oh, it won’t be me he’s shaking down, I’ll be passing the cost on.
Which makes you what, a ticket clipper whining about having your ticket clipped by a bigger one…
He aims, he shoots, he SCORES
No, it makes me a commenter on the lunacy of a rating system which sees increases being foisted on the public in the order of 10% per annum year on year.
Nah, they aren’t increases, they’re the decreases that National and ACT promised would come with the SuperCity.
There’s a job for you in the Treasury with that kind of logic.
You are just SO amusing, its a bit hard to eat my dinner with a gut that wants to break out in great gales of mad laughter,
(1) As CV said, You voted for it,
(2) Don’t pay it….
(1) No I didn’t.
(2) I’ll be passing the cost on.
Perhaps some antacid for the boborygmi ?
PS, just for your ongoing edification,education,and, enlightenment, its Abligurition not abliguration,
Samuel would be rolling in His tomb at such bastardry of His English…
How cute, you’ve spent an hour looking up words in the dictionary.
ps, I wonder if that was actually ever in Johnson’s dictionary ?
pps, Capitilasation, spacing etc. you must try harder !
According to some the word abligurition only ever occurred in Samuels effort of 1755, having not perused every English dictionary ever printed i cannot vouch for the veracity of such a claim,
PS, about 10 minutes worth of perusal educated me to your abysmal lack of spelling accuracy which marks your attempt to bamboozle an abject failure,
Take the D for you know what and sit in the relevant corner…
Please accept my most enthusiastic contrafibulations.
Or a high turnout at the General Election to turf out the losers who foisted this council clusterfuck upon you.
Just got the rates bills through from the Auckland council.
Left mine on the “to open file”. Should take a couple of days to psyche myself up enough to open them.
I suggest a stiff port and an open fire nearby.
Lobbying – Code of Conduct and Register of Lobbyists – the Australian experience.
http://lobbyists.pmc.gov.au/conduct_code.cfm
Lobbying Code of Conduct
Lobbying Code of Conduct – PDF 35KB
In 2008 the Australian Government introduced a Lobbying Code of Conduct and established a Register of Lobbyists.
The Code underpins the Register and sets out the requirements for contact between third-party lobbyists and Government representatives, indicates what will be publicly available on the Register and outlines the conditions for successful registration of lobbyists. It also defines lobbyists, clients, Government representatives and lobbying activities for the purposes of the Register.
Preamble
Application
Definitions
No contact between government representatives and unregistered lobbyists
Register of Lobbyists
Access to the register of lobbyists
Prohibition on Lobbying Activities
Principles of engagement with government representatives
Reporting of breaches of code
Registration
_____________________________________________________________________________
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption campaigner’
http://www.dodgyjohnhasgone.com
Another weak link welded back into the chain?, 3News having a little speculate over whether Slippery the Prime minister is about to re-instate old Lizard eyes, Nick’the meds’Smith into the role of Minister of Local Government,
Yeah bring the cretin back, if anything the damage done by the likes of Him and Banks will pull this abysmal Slippery National Government down all the faster…
Family First guide to disciplining your child
If Mum or Dad can’t find a baseball bat, Family First director Bob McCoskrie points out that a hairbrush is also effective….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQ_8wljii24
I see this article has slipped out of sight on the Herald’s main page, but it’s worth taking note of:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10824146
Meanwhile Bill English is talking about performance pay for getting people off welfare:
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/112240/msd%27s-baseline-funding-won%27t-be-cut-english
US Presidential finding from early 2012, CIA, Mossad, Turkish logistics elements, Qatarian financing, Saudi fighters, etc. all active in Syrian
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mh7_z9nZsZQ&feature=g-u-u
Hey Jenny, you pro-war activist, how is the Syrian “popular uprising” going for you?
What do you think of the footage of pro-Assad soldiers being executed by the “Free Syrian Army”? Just a bit of collateral damage justified in the name of a good cause?
Do you agree with Israel trying to “Lebonize” Syria, making it a weak and divided state, just so Israel can target Iran more easily?