“The major failures confronting New Zealand today stem from the neoliberal economic agenda that has dominated the past four decades with its blind faith in ‘free’ markets, the increasing privatisation of public policy and the out-dated approach to measuring our economic and fiscal performance. As articulated by Treasury during the 1980s and 90s the neoliberal agenda has played a critical role in reinforcing class differences, in generating a low wage economy and in promoting the social conditions for child poverty and for what is best described as a major social deficit.”
Selective faith in free markets… cos when labour is short the market woukd rise the wages/conditions to attract workers but in NZ we important people to offset the usual market response and to retain profit margins
And in relation to the repeal of the 3 strikes law, one of the many problems now facing NZ is stated as:
The archaic practices in justice and policing that have led to bulging prisons and incarceration levels that are among the highest in the developed world; and
With an embedded link to a briefing paper on our prison system.
But we need to read yesterdays announcement with Nash’s announced priorities. He gives me little (no pun intended) faith in a paradigm shift to funding/resourcing programmes proven to reduce recidivism, addictions, and so on.
Any criticism of Nash is welcome by me! Or Shane Jones for that matter. Can’t stand either of them.
Luckily Andrew Little will be leading the review of the Justice Department and Kelvin Davis as Corrections Minister will be working with him to reform the prison system. Andrew has already said that the planned new prison being will probably be canned.
Nash is an idiot and will be stomped on if tries to overplay his hand. I hope that he will eventually lose that Police portfolio. I’d like to see one of the Māori MPs in that role.
I’m not a subscriber to the ideology excuse. It’s convenient to blame a belief system for the ills of society but also somewhat self-defeating. Followers are ideologues and followers only … follow. IMO behind the so-called neo-liberalism is plain old greed; thirst for power, money, influence, social status etc.
If the political left really wanted to fight neo-liberalism they might take a leaf out of the old policeman’s book; follow the money.
Best analysis I’ve read about situation prior to election. Prof Ian Shirley taught me back in the day at Massey Palmerston North. Always clear and comprehensive explanations. I would like to read more of his recent writing.
You no how I said I had been examining my past and a few Incidence that I took no notice of well here is one.
Back in the day I had a M8 that I had known for 10 years through work .
I use to have a cup of tea with this person and he and another guy whom was like a scientist really onto it guy well every time I wen’t over these two would be playing Chest .
I new how the game was played and all the moves that the pieces can make and played a few games. I use to just watch tv while the battled away. Well one day I took on my M8 challenge and I played him and he whipped ass in three moves LOL.
Well I took that challenge seriously and I was playing my wife my children a computa I was clocking up 5 hours a day playing chest . And after 2 weeks I kicked my mate ass 4 times I had met the Challenger head on and won so I gave up playing him. You see I had all ready made up my mind that playing game’s I.E crash bandicoot video games was a waste of my precious time that I needed to build my Maunga so my children got the run of there video games lol .
Well there is a correction for my statements made yesterday which is I should have said that I try not to affect most people negatively, But some people get to feel the Thunder and some people are feeling the Thunder and they don’t even no it .
And I will keep using the Thunder to fight for equal right’s for all and my fight for OUR Mother Earth P.S to my clients you are just innocent bystanders and I have OUR whole World as my witness . Kia Kaha
“But some people get to feel the Thunder and some people are feeling the Thunder and they don’t even no it.”
What do you mean by “the Thunder” eco Maori?
Amazing, -knew bout –james, — also “Gerry I’m coming through”, Brownlee, ARHH !! –but did he know bout “button it sweetie” Paula? She would have a crush on our james me thinks.
The last paragraph reads:
“A bear, however hard he tries,
Grows tubby without exercise.
Our Teddy Bear is short and fat,
Which is not to be wondered at.
But do you think it worries him
To know that he is far from slim?
No, just the other way about –
He’s proud of being short and stout.”
Sometimes I wonder if your head isn’t stuffed like a Teddy bears!
Could be a little exercise to use each time a troll gets going – think up a suitable poem or piece of music for them. It would be like turning them into an art installation that we add to, and make them a feature that is less annoying and obstructive, and more inspirational so that we get creative. Also it would add to our artistic appreciation, so making a silk purse out of a sows ear, as traditionally spoken.
Found the following part interesting cos we also do not know the value of their purchases and if they may be a small number but buying high end properties?
“LINZ reported that five percent of buyers of 12,951 Auckland properties in the June quarter were not New Zealand tax residents, while 20 percent of properties were bought by 2,637 corporate or business entities. All but six of those entities stated they were resident in New Zealand for tax purposes, but no information was given on the ultimate residency status of the owners of those New Zealand companies or trust.
So the actual percentage of properties that could involve people without permanent residency could range between five percent and 20 percent. The data itself is therefore not useful in determining the actual scale of the foreign buying.
The simple answer is that no one knows exactly how much overseas capital has flowed into Auckland and how much of an impact it has had on prices, alongside the pressures of record high net migration and the lowest house building rate in history. It could be a lot or it could be not much.
But it’s clear that the difference in New Zealand’s policies with Australia have been a factor in New Zealand prices outperforming Australia’s.
The LINZ data is even more flawed than that Tracey. It is reporting property transfers, not property sales, but the narrative from it is persistently that of sales. Even in their reports they transpose the word ‘transfer’ for ‘sale’ when they’re not all sales.
A number of transfers would simply be change of title; transferring from an individual to a trust, family estate changes, business to business transfers etc. Just what the proportions are they don’t say and they absolutely should be saying because the data is untruthful without that information.
I hope she can make a difference. Labour have been very weak on numbers, they rarely pulled National up when they made shit up like that.
The LINZ reports were pretty blatant and the response really should have been….
“Hang on a minute, you keep saying that only 5% of sales were to foreign tax residents when your own data says that the 5% is of total transfers …. not total sales.”
It’s pretty simple maths too, they only need to know how many houses were actually sold and that data is available elsewhere. LINZ report 48,603 property transfers from April 2017 to June 2017, somewhat more than the numbers of genuine sales the likes of REINZ report.
If half of all property transfers were not sales, and there was no foreign content in those non-sales, then the true number would be 10% of sales were to foreign tax residents.
It was a little convenient that the approach National took would invariably understate the true percentage of foreign buyers.
Thanks Pat.
Bernard Hickey: “So the actual percentage of properties that could involve people without permanent residency could range between five percent and 20 percent. The data itself is therefore not useful in determining the actual scale of the foreign buying.”
The previous Government was not trying to deceive us was it?
Sadly the changes might take a long time to have an effect and meantime the dropping of capital value of houses will annoy some investors.
A. Agents told us the market always slows pre election
B. LVR by RB may be the factor in lower prices in Auckland although I note Wellington is up 10% year on year, not anything the “nothing to see here” Nats did
1. It’s always possible that the reason the American left is going after Russian influence on elections in western countries isn’t because they’re dupes of the establishment, but because they’re concerned about Russian influence on elections in western countries.
2. Jamie Raskin is right. Instead of quibbling about this or that detail, the pro-Putin left needs to ask itself why it’s backing conservative authoritarian nationalists against liberal democracy. And if they won’t ask themselves, the rest of us should at least think about what the reasons might be.
Can you just clear up the point – which country is the conservative authoritarian nationalists and which the liberal democracy vis a vis Russia and the USA? They both seem in a state of flux, and I’m not sure whether you are being ironic?
I think you might have the wrong end of the stick there. Its not about backing Putin or Trump or whoever. Its about how its possible to believe the fantasy which is #russiagate. Its a bit like reading the bible and thinking its a real story. Bush may have said “you’re either with us or against us” but there are more options. We may just think your story really sucks
2/ Heart of Texas, a Russian-controlled Facebook group that promotes secession, planned an anti-Muslim rally in May. https://t.co/tKOZ6u6Yd0— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) November 1, 2017
So if I have this correct. Russia supposedly used some super mind control techniques to convince patriotic texans to be involved in large scale protests and counter protests inside the US from its troll farm somewhere in Russia all for the cost of $200?
This would neatly fit in with the work they were doing with Pokemon Go I suppose where they were leading unsuspecting gamers to black lives matter events so they would end up voting for the Donald.
Amongst ways of managing the country better for better outcomes for all of us, this procedure from Harvard Business Review is probably behind the leaner and meaner, ‘cutting out the fat’ philosophy. It no doubt works when first reviewing a business or department and trying for more efficiency, but how often can it then be repeated still retaining good quality of resource, and good quality of adequate staff on reasonable wages?
https://hbr.org/1991/05/profit-priorities-from-activity-based-costing Fully exploiting ABC as a guide to profitability, however, requires a conceptual break from traditional cost accounting systems and a willingness to act on the insights ABC analysis provides. Managers must refrain from allocating all expenses to individual units and instead separate the expenses and match them to the level of activity that consumes the resources. Very simply, managers should separate the expenses incurred to produce individual units of a particular product from the expenses needed to produce different products or to serve different customers, independent of how many units are produced or sold.
Then managers must be prepared to act. First, they should explore ways to reduce the resources required to perform various activities. Then to transform those reductions into profits, they must either reduce spending on those resources or increase the output those resources produce. The actions allow the insights from ABC to be translated into increased profits at the bottom line.
I’m reading a book set in 11th century Britain, and these quotes refer to Wales at the time.
…here in a half-barbaric Welsh landholder, no great lord, but a mere squireling elevated among his inferiors to a status he barely rated, at least in Norman eyes. It was the difference between them that Robert [the Norman] thoughtin hierarchies, and Rhisiart [the Welshman] thought in blood-ties, high and low of one mind and in one kinship, and not a man among them aware of inferiority, only of his due place in a united family…. p67
[A bribe was offered by Robert to Rhisiart to persuade the village people to give up a religious treasure to Robert] ‘Money!’ said Rhisiart in the most extraordinary of tones, at once curious, derisory and revolted. He knew about money, of course, and even understood its use, but as an aberration in human relations. In the rural parts of Wales, which indeed were almost all of Wales, it was hardly used at all, and hardly needed. Provision was made in the code for all necessary exchange of goods and services, nobody was so poor as to be without the means of living, and beggars were unknown. The kinship took care of its helpless members, and every house was open as of right. p.69
from A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters.
The author Ellis Peters had made a study of Wales at that period and has a good take on conditions and practices. This approach of the Welsh sounds interesting and could serve us in the times to come. It should be noted that some of the Welsh found the English way of doing things and their moneyed way of life offered more opportunity for luxury and extravagance and the English were determined to absorb Wales, and were able to subvert them and take control of the land and people and ensure that their royalty died out.
With respect, that is not the sort of model for society that I believe in, and looking backwards is not a roadmap for the future. Those were feudal times …
syclingmad
Perhaps you will be able to hop on your cycle and go towards the future with great confidence and belief that all will be well.
I do not have such confidence and looking at how poorly we have applied knowledge and let standards slip up till now, I believe such lack of confidence is entirely justified. We are slipping back into colonial times in NZ with shonky and make-do houses, laws and lack of respect for those without money or the means to earn it. So good luck to you. I want to have a circle of mutual assistance for those who don’t hit the jackpot.
I didn’t say I have confidence – I presented an alternative pathway forward. Circle the wagons isn’t the approach to succeed. And everyone has the resources to contribute in some way, even just employing the grey matter in creative and innovative ways is what we need into the future.
Sure – re-imagining the way business is done. Thinking beyond profit. Impact on people and the environment.
The sorts of initiatives and broader thinking espoused and put into action by Christopher Luxon. And before people start regaling me with stories of deplorable wages at Air NZ or shutting down maintenance facilities, Rome wasn’t build in a day, as they say.
Thanks, syclinmad. Do you think neoliberalism will already have assimilated social enterprise and made it its own? Bastardised it to suit? Captured and corrupted it (It’s what neo-lib does 🙂
See I don’t get hung up on the labels and the categorising. What we have is a mixed economy with a “capitalist” (I hate using that term) organising principle. It will ever be so. What we need to do is find a way to make it more compassionate for all its members and to care for the great provider – mother earth.
So I choose to work within rather than throw rocks from the outside. Can it be done – who knows, but dire predictions for the climate sure hold everyone’s feet to the flames. And recruit everyone to this cause rather than exclude on the basis of ideology or past deed.
How can a person think “beyond profit”? Is that profit with a small “p”, ’cause every organism seeks to profit from its actions; few want to lose. Actually, none.
Neoliberalism is well skilled at coopting and bastardising social justice and Good Things. I like the idea of subverting that. No reason we can’t colonise them.
Unfortunately in this capitalist framed society, social enterprise will be as cynically used by some entrepreneurs as “greenwashing.”
There was a great site for advertising awards for ads highlighting the appropriation of good intent, but random delivery (but I can’t recall the name), but did find this one on Youtube:
I’ve been following the social enterprise movement for a while now, and agree with the stated intent of many of those disseminating the information, and have been heartened to see some of the (usually overseas) examples of social enterprise.
However, despite those examples, have been cynical about the use of this term in regards to NZ, because the few workshops I did attend were more about creating standard business opportunities rather than true social enterprise.
It is not “subversion” if it appropriated and used to bolster the same attitude towards growing business and what constitutes success.
I support – like you – a change, but I am trying to be vigilant that the change I support is fundamental and not just window dressing. I will be heartened to see true social enterprise take place in NZ, and would be very glad to see government support in the way of grants or tax rebates for businesses that follow a robust new model. A step up from Maryland recognising B-Corps in the US.
It has been a while since I checked the number of B-Corps in NZ, but they have increased. Interestingly, a cluster around Christchurch that didn’t exist before, but may be reflective of the growth in community that has happened since the 2011 earthquake.
As our local paper diminishes so they have pulled out Sports reporters. As she gave me a haircut my barber pointed out that the children’ sports teams that her husband’s work sponsored, would no longer get the exposure. So should they pull the sponsorship?
Well, if they consider the children purely as running billboards then I guess so.
If they consider the benefit that their contribution makes to community wellbeing, with the added kudos afforded their business by the team members, their family and their supporters – well they should keep contributing. As sacha points out, they will still get their support noted on social media.
Many Thanks to Forbes Magazine and CNN new’s for seeing the Great Potential of OUR great Lady leader and prime minister Jacinda Ardern and showing the man that crowned her Winston Peters OUR coalition government is the BEST . Kia Kaha
Here is a link to Suzie’s twitter post on her announcement at the end of Morning Report today that she is having major surgery tomorrow – a possible hysterectomy – due to long term endometriosis. She will probably not be back on air this side of Christmas.
RNZ are apparently putting together an article or something on endometriosis etc which will then be put up on their website.
Kim Hill, Mihingarangi Forbes, John Campbell and Philippa Tolley will be filling in on Morning Report.
I have not had this awful condition but have family and friends who have had it. And I know that we have a couple of absolutely excellent (female) doctors/surgeons here in Wellington who are experts in endometriosis. So hoping Suzie will be well looked after and back to full health in the near future.
EDIT – here is a link to the Endometriosis Support NZ website with a good explanation of Endo.
Yes guys – there is no reason why you should not also have a look and find out more.
Thanks for putting that up vv and I’m sure we all wish Suzie well. It is good if we have the means to do away with painful debilitating chronic conditions.
First post of the day: Sun spots! Will they drive a wedge in the coalition between Labour and the Greens?
145 comments denying climate change, 68 more blaming sunspots on Winston, 113 demanding a military coup against the communists.
Second post of the day: Will NZ First/Green tension over rival favourites in the Great British Bake off bring down the coalition?
120 comments calling the Greens communists. 100 more denying climate change.
Third post of the day: Halloween – Will Jacinda’s distribution of lollies cause coalition tensions with the social conservatives of NZ First?
45 comments claiming Jacinda was spotted on a broom flying over Wellington, 148 comments of even more vile women hatred, 98 demanding euthenasia of all NZ First voters over 65, and 102 making an incredibly lame comparison between socialism and free lollies.
“45 comments claiming Jacinda was spotted on a broom flying over Wellington, 148 comments of even more vile women hatred, 98 demanding euthenasia of all NZ First voters over 65, and 102 making an incredibly lame comparison between socialism and free lollies.”
“They’ve already got a measure of underemployment in there, which counts people who are working less than full time who would like to be working more hours,” Crampton said.
“They’re already tracking this. If it’s something you care about, you should be tracking the underemployment measure.”
Need to be tracking the over employment figure as well – those working more than 40 hours per week.
Crampton said it was important that the Government Statistician not be seen to be making changes at the request of her political masters.
“They shouldn’t be under any pressure to redefine measures with a change of government.”
The government does need to be confidant of the information that they’re getting from a state department and just because they meet ILO standards doesn’t mean that they’re at best practice. In fact, saying that they meet standards sounds remarkably like an excuse not to better themselves.
Former Reserve Bank special advisor Michael Reddell said the merit of existing measurements was the fact they can be compared internationally “and that isn’t something to sacrifice lightly”.
Meeting standards is the minimum needed, exceeding them is what we need to be doing if at all possible (and it usually is).
Standards aren’t static no matter how much some people seem to think that they should be.
“From a macro policy perspective, it usually doesn’t matter much which measure one uses – they all usually (but not always) move quite similarly cyclically – and so people like the Reserve Bank will sensibly prefer the series with the longest run of data (current official measure).”
Translation from EX-RBNZ governor: The RBNZ regularly ignores data it doesn’t like.
“But they are independent and they measure things independently and it’s one of the checks and balances on our government system.”
They may be independent but the last government still managed to use them to lie after a change in the statistic gathering/interpretation dropped the unemployment rate by ~0.5% which they claimed as a government success. This would probably explain the lack of belief in those statistics.
The problem as I see it is that RBNZ, Treasury, and Statistics NZ, for example, produce reports and press releases that are not easily digestible for general consumption by the general public. So, complex information gets reduced down to singular indices such as CPI, GDP, and Unemployment that are really aggregate measures and thus completely misunderstood by most if not all.
Our nation’s employment insurance organization is charging me insurance cost based on $31.720 but they forecast my income for 20018 at $22.466 and we no that if I get injured they are not going to pay me out 80 % of 31.720 they will pay me 80 % of 22.466.
There excuse is that is the minimum charge out rate WTF my reply was I will agree to disagree with that Policy Ka pai
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Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy.Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Renowned musician, advocate, and proud born and raised daughter of Tauranga, Ria Hall, is announcing her candidacy for Mayor of Tauranga and Pāpāmoa Ward for the upcoming election on July 20th. ...
The new Aotearoa histories curriculum is rich with potential. There’s still work to be done, but the education minister’s criticisms about ‘balance’ miss the mark, argues primary school teacher Jessie Moss. In 2015, Ōtorohanga College students presented to parliament a petition signed by more than 10,000 people calling for a ...
For too long our so-called national bird has maintained its stranglehold on the economy of regional New Zealand. Thanks to the fast track legislation, we will have our revenge. Theories abound on what ails New Zealand’s economy. National leader Chris Luxon has posited that we’re negative, wet, whiny, and inward-looking; ...
Late one afternoon in March 1860 a man in a thin green velveteen jacket and a wide-awake hat arrived on foot at a sheep station named Glenmark, about 65 kilometres north of Christchurch. The man was in his mid-fifties but he looked older. Several people who met him that day ...
If building one of Auckland’s possible waterfront stadiums was funded privately, it would need to hold a sold-out Ed Sherran concert every weekday for 25 years. That’s Rob Hamlin’s finding – he’s a senior marketing lecturer at the University of Otago. “It’s not going to happen; forget about it,” he ...
Comment: The debate over the future relationship between news and social media is bringing us closer to a long-overdue reckoning. Social media isn’t trying to kill journalism, because social media has never really cared about journalism. Social media is resolutely in the attention business. News propels some attention — perhaps ...
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For the past 12 years, Georgia-Rose Brown has balanced on the brink of making an Olympic Games – but always landed gracefully on the wrong side. Reaching the Olympics is a dream the gymnast has harboured since she was a six-year-old; a dream that would dwindle every four years, yet ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra A new Commonwealth Prac Payment will provide students with $319.50 a week when they are on clinical and professional placements. The payment will be means tested and start from July 1 next year, which ...
Asia Pacific Report About 500 people honoured Palestinian journalists in the heart of the New Zealand city of Auckland today for their brave coverage of Israel’s War on Gaza, now in its seventh month with almost 35,000 people killed, mostly women and children. Marking the annual May 3 World Press ...
The Government Communications Security Bureau denies hosting a foreign spying capability flagged by the watchdog, differentiating it from the system recently criticised. ...
RNZ News A group of academic staff at New Zealand’s largest university have expressed concern at the administration’s move to block a protest encampment that was planned to take place on campus calling for support for the rights of Palestinians. This week, the University of Auckland warned that while it ...
Genterwocky After a hard days marching, Sir Doocey calls in at the Village Tavern For a pint of ale and a pork pie. The grim villagers stare at him. “Do not be travelling on the forest road,” warns a crusty old beak. “And why is that, antique peasant?” Grins Sir ...
Political conferences after a party returns to power are usually a chance for some healthy, even unhealthy backslapping. Yet National Party president Sylvia Wood’s address to its mainland representatives on Saturday hardly contained the unalloyed delight that one might have expected following National’s escape from the wilderness of opposition. Yes, ...
Comment: Almost half the world is voting in national elections this year and artificial intelligence is the elephant in the room. There are genuine fears AI-generated or AI-edited deepfakes will potentially manipulate election outcomes not just in the US and UK, but critically in countries such as India. For that ...
Ahead of the reality franchise’s return to New Zealand, allow us to introduce the eight brides and grooms. Chuck on a veil and tie back your man bun, because it’s time to say “I do” to a new season of Married at First Sight NZ. The reality TV “social experiment” ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Norton, Professor in the Practice of Higher Education Policy, Australian National University Every year on June 1, student debt in Australia is indexed to inflation. In 2023, high inflation pushed the indexation rate to 7.1%, the highest since 1990. This ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Changes in the May 14 budget will cut the student debt of more than three million people, wiping more than $3 billion from what people owe. The government will cap the HELP indexation rate ...
Asia Pacific Report The prosecutor’s office at the International Criminal Court (ICC) has appealed for an end to what it calls intimidation of its staff, saying such threats could constitute an offence against the “administration of justice” by the world’s permanent war crimes court. The Hague-based office of ICC Prosecutor ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk A women’s union in New Caledonia has staged a sit-in protest this week to support senior Kanak indigenous journalist Thérèse Waia, who works for public broadcaster Nouvelle-Calédonie la Première, after a smear attack by critics. The peaceful demonstration was held on ...
New Zealand Food Safety is monitoring overseas recalls of Indian packaged spice products manufactured by MDH and Everest due to concerns over a cancer-causing pesticide. ...
By Stephen Wright and Stefan Armbruster of BenarNews Fiji’s ranking in a global press freedom index has jumped into the top tier of countries with free or mostly free media after its government last year repealed a draconian law that threatened journalists with prison for doing their jobs. Fiji’s improvement ...
We might be in Invercargill but all anyone can talk about is Gore. Specifically, Salford Street. That’s where three-year-old Lachlan Jones lived, south of the centre of town, between the A&P Showgrounds and the Mataura River. Roughly 1.2 km away from the single level home he lived in with his ...
MONDAY I lined up the latest round of civil servants from city hall against the wall, and signalled for the firing squad to drop their rifles. I stepped up onto a wooden crate to look at the office workers in the eye. But that didn’t feel right, so I found ...
Keen hiker and second-year MSc student Liam Hewson wears two hats when he’s in the great outdoors. “The scientist in me appreciates nature and goes, ‘Oh, there’s that thing and there’s another thing,’ but then the tramper and the outdoorsy person in me thinks, ‘Cool bush.’” Born and bred in ...
After a long and illustrious career as a goal kicker, Dan Carter’s favourite way to unwind is… kicking goals. Why can’t he get enough of it? And what it’s like to watch him do it for an hour straight? A semicircle of people wielding cameras and phones has formed in ...
Dame Susan Devoy takes us through her life in television, including late night ER debriefs, her proudest CTI moment and the show she watches in secret. Quite aside from her four world champion squash titles, Dame Susan Devoy will likely go down in history as one of the best Celebrity ...
Hera Lindsay Bird reveals the best places in Ōtepoti to score more for your apocalypse-prep book hoard.Sometimes I get the feeling I’ve been killed in a car crash, and this second half of my life is just the brain unspooling itself, like one of those episodes of a hospital ...
ThreeNow’s new murder mystery series takes us on a dark, damp journey into the Australian wilderness.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. High Country is ThreeNow’s new Australian eight-part crime drama, set in a remote part of the Victorian highlands. It tells ...
Introducing a new way to read The Spinoff every weekend. After nearly 10 years of being an online magazine, we’re finally embracing the weekend liftout. Despite our best efforts to convince you otherwise, writers and editors at The Spinoff don’t work weekend. It is through the sheer power of technology ...
Tip one: let yourself be nurtured by this big old man. Tip two: don’t ask him to adopt you. So, you’ve arrived at your first session with a new therapist. He tells you to make yourself comfortable and you opt for the tweed armchair, hoping it makes you look like ...
I didn’t know books could open you back up; that there were books that stayed with you, where reading was like a chemical event. I knew nothing.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.Not too long ago, I was listening to the American ...
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Everyone thinks he’s dead. Every day they expect his body to be washed up along the coast. Most likely up Karitane way, the way the tide’s running. But nobody’ll be too surprised if his body’s never found. Even in death he wouldn’t have wished for such attention. He would have ...
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Analysis - A poll showing the opposition is more popular than the government raises questions, politicians go through their 'trial by pay rise' and a Green MP loses her cool in the debating chamber. ...
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“The major failures confronting New Zealand today stem from the neoliberal economic agenda that has dominated the past four decades with its blind faith in ‘free’ markets, the increasing privatisation of public policy and the out-dated approach to measuring our economic and fiscal performance. As articulated by Treasury during the 1980s and 90s the neoliberal agenda has played a critical role in reinforcing class differences, in generating a low wage economy and in promoting the social conditions for child poverty and for what is best described as a major social deficit.”
http://briefingpapers.co.nz/the-challenges-ahead-for-the-new-government/
Fascinating article, thanks for sharing.
Selective faith in free markets… cos when labour is short the market woukd rise the wages/conditions to attract workers but in NZ we important people to offset the usual market response and to retain profit margins
And in relation to the repeal of the 3 strikes law, one of the many problems now facing NZ is stated as:
With an embedded link to a briefing paper on our prison system.
But we need to read yesterdays announcement with Nash’s announced priorities. He gives me little (no pun intended) faith in a paradigm shift to funding/resourcing programmes proven to reduce recidivism, addictions, and so on.
Nash still seems to be a neo-liberal clingon.
I was trying to make the point without saying that in light of the aversion of some to early criticism of the Labour/NZF C abinet.
Any criticism of Nash is welcome by me! Or Shane Jones for that matter. Can’t stand either of them.
Luckily Andrew Little will be leading the review of the Justice Department and Kelvin Davis as Corrections Minister will be working with him to reform the prison system. Andrew has already said that the planned new prison being will probably be canned.
Nash is an idiot and will be stomped on if tries to overplay his hand. I hope that he will eventually lose that Police portfolio. I’d like to see one of the Māori MPs in that role.
I’m not a subscriber to the ideology excuse. It’s convenient to blame a belief system for the ills of society but also somewhat self-defeating. Followers are ideologues and followers only … follow. IMO behind the so-called neo-liberalism is plain old greed; thirst for power, money, influence, social status etc.
If the political left really wanted to fight neo-liberalism they might take a leaf out of the old policeman’s book; follow the money.
+1
There is certainly a large amount of that. It seems truly amazing how many authoritarian followers don’t realise that they are followers.
Best analysis I’ve read about situation prior to election. Prof Ian Shirley taught me back in the day at Massey Palmerston North. Always clear and comprehensive explanations. I would like to read more of his recent writing.
You no how I said I had been examining my past and a few Incidence that I took no notice of well here is one.
Back in the day I had a M8 that I had known for 10 years through work .
I use to have a cup of tea with this person and he and another guy whom was like a scientist really onto it guy well every time I wen’t over these two would be playing Chest .
I new how the game was played and all the moves that the pieces can make and played a few games. I use to just watch tv while the battled away. Well one day I took on my M8 challenge and I played him and he whipped ass in three moves LOL.
Well I took that challenge seriously and I was playing my wife my children a computa I was clocking up 5 hours a day playing chest . And after 2 weeks I kicked my mate ass 4 times I had met the Challenger head on and won so I gave up playing him. You see I had all ready made up my mind that playing game’s I.E crash bandicoot video games was a waste of my precious time that I needed to build my Maunga so my children got the run of there video games lol .
Well there is a correction for my statements made yesterday which is I should have said that I try not to affect most people negatively, But some people get to feel the Thunder and some people are feeling the Thunder and they don’t even no it .
And I will keep using the Thunder to fight for equal right’s for all and my fight for OUR Mother Earth P.S to my clients you are just innocent bystanders and I have OUR whole World as my witness . Kia Kaha
Kia ora Eco Maori
Thank’s Tracy That’s the way Jack Promoting OUR science for our Moko to learn science is one of the tools we have to make OUR future bright Ka pai
“But some people get to feel the Thunder and some people are feeling the Thunder and they don’t even no it.”
What do you mean by “the Thunder” eco Maori?
You might be feeling it and not even knowing right now.
james, —james -james –hold the ladder steady,, hold the ladder steady-
“Georg was a goat and his beard was yellow,
And James was a very small snail.”
A.A.Milne.
Knew a thing or two did AA.Milne.
He knew about Gerry Brownlee.
http://voetica.com/voetica.php?collection=3&poet=685&poem=3335
Amazing, -knew bout –james, — also “Gerry I’m coming through”, Brownlee, ARHH !! –but did he know bout “button it sweetie” Paula? She would have a crush on our james me thinks.
Only if she rolled over in her sleep. I’m sure A.A. had something on Paula; the first paragraph of “Teddy Bear”?
https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/teddy-bear-by-aa-milne
Nice to know that you are the kind of per son who is happy to “fat shame” a woman – classy.
“A bear, however hard he tries,
Grows tubby without exercise.
Our Teddy Bear is short and fat,
Which is not to be wondered at;
He-He Robert.
Oh, James, you are a duffer!
The last paragraph reads:
“A bear, however hard he tries,
Grows tubby without exercise.
Our Teddy Bear is short and fat,
Which is not to be wondered at.
But do you think it worries him
To know that he is far from slim?
No, just the other way about –
He’s proud of being short and stout.”
Sometimes I wonder if your head isn’t stuffed like a Teddy bears!
Could be a little exercise to use each time a troll gets going – think up a suitable poem or piece of music for them. It would be like turning them into an art installation that we add to, and make them a feature that is less annoying and obstructive, and more inspirational so that we get creative. Also it would add to our artistic appreciation, so making a silk purse out of a sows ear, as traditionally spoken.
no effect?….we’ll see
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2017/11/01/57702/what-happened-without-a-foreign-ban-and-cgt
Found the following part interesting cos we also do not know the value of their purchases and if they may be a small number but buying high end properties?
“LINZ reported that five percent of buyers of 12,951 Auckland properties in the June quarter were not New Zealand tax residents, while 20 percent of properties were bought by 2,637 corporate or business entities. All but six of those entities stated they were resident in New Zealand for tax purposes, but no information was given on the ultimate residency status of the owners of those New Zealand companies or trust.
So the actual percentage of properties that could involve people without permanent residency could range between five percent and 20 percent. The data itself is therefore not useful in determining the actual scale of the foreign buying.
The simple answer is that no one knows exactly how much overseas capital has flowed into Auckland and how much of an impact it has had on prices, alongside the pressures of record high net migration and the lowest house building rate in history. It could be a lot or it could be not much.
But it’s clear that the difference in New Zealand’s policies with Australia have been a factor in New Zealand prices outperforming Australia’s.
“
The LINZ data is even more flawed than that Tracey. It is reporting property transfers, not property sales, but the narrative from it is persistently that of sales. Even in their reports they transpose the word ‘transfer’ for ‘sale’ when they’re not all sales.
A number of transfers would simply be change of title; transferring from an individual to a trust, family estate changes, business to business transfers etc. Just what the proportions are they don’t say and they absolutely should be saying because the data is untruthful without that information.
Eugenie Sage is the new Minister in charge of LINZ. I am looking forward to her getting her teeth into that portfolio.
I hope she can make a difference. Labour have been very weak on numbers, they rarely pulled National up when they made shit up like that.
The LINZ reports were pretty blatant and the response really should have been….
“Hang on a minute, you keep saying that only 5% of sales were to foreign tax residents when your own data says that the 5% is of total transfers …. not total sales.”
It’s pretty simple maths too, they only need to know how many houses were actually sold and that data is available elsewhere. LINZ report 48,603 property transfers from April 2017 to June 2017, somewhat more than the numbers of genuine sales the likes of REINZ report.
If half of all property transfers were not sales, and there was no foreign content in those non-sales, then the true number would be 10% of sales were to foreign tax residents.
It was a little convenient that the approach National took would invariably understate the true percentage of foreign buyers.
@Tracey 8.17
‘outperforming’ – like on the highwire on a bicycle?
Thanks Pat.
Bernard Hickey: “So the actual percentage of properties that could involve people without permanent residency could range between five percent and 20 percent. The data itself is therefore not useful in determining the actual scale of the foreign buying.”
The previous Government was not trying to deceive us was it?
Sadly the changes might take a long time to have an effect and meantime the dropping of capital value of houses will annoy some investors.
And amidst it all please let us remember that
A. Agents told us the market always slows pre election
B. LVR by RB may be the factor in lower prices in Auckland although I note Wellington is up 10% year on year, not anything the “nothing to see here” Nats did
Max Blumenthal on the dangers for the left of the cynical russia narrative in us politics.
1. It’s always possible that the reason the American left is going after Russian influence on elections in western countries isn’t because they’re dupes of the establishment, but because they’re concerned about Russian influence on elections in western countries.
2. Jamie Raskin is right. Instead of quibbling about this or that detail, the pro-Putin left needs to ask itself why it’s backing conservative authoritarian nationalists against liberal democracy. And if they won’t ask themselves, the rest of us should at least think about what the reasons might be.
Can you just clear up the point – which country is the conservative authoritarian nationalists and which the liberal democracy vis a vis Russia and the USA? They both seem in a state of flux, and I’m not sure whether you are being ironic?
Why are you confused? There’s a serious problem of left-wingers backing Putin but none I’m aware of left-wingers backing Trump. Context is important.
Also: false equivalence ought to be embarrassing but apparently isn’t for a lot of people.
I think you might have the wrong end of the stick there. Its not about backing Putin or Trump or whoever. Its about how its possible to believe the fantasy which is #russiagate. Its a bit like reading the bible and thinking its a real story. Bush may have said “you’re either with us or against us” but there are more options. We may just think your story really sucks
Definitely no Russian interference in the US. Not a bit.
/
https://twitter.com/TexasTribune/status/925861609628676096
https://www.texastribune.org/2017/11/01/russian-facebook-page-organized-protest-texas-different-russian-page-l/
So if I have this correct. Russia supposedly used some super mind control techniques to convince patriotic texans to be involved in large scale protests and counter protests inside the US from its troll farm somewhere in Russia all for the cost of $200?
This would neatly fit in with the work they were doing with Pokemon Go I suppose where they were leading unsuspecting gamers to black lives matter events so they would end up voting for the Donald.
It’s fucking ridiculous.
RIP Dennis Banks – a true hero of the people
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Banks
Amongst ways of managing the country better for better outcomes for all of us, this procedure from Harvard Business Review is probably behind the leaner and meaner, ‘cutting out the fat’ philosophy. It no doubt works when first reviewing a business or department and trying for more efficiency, but how often can it then be repeated still retaining good quality of resource, and good quality of adequate staff on reasonable wages?
https://hbr.org/1991/05/profit-priorities-from-activity-based-costing
Fully exploiting ABC as a guide to profitability, however, requires a conceptual break from traditional cost accounting systems and a willingness to act on the insights ABC analysis provides. Managers must refrain from allocating all expenses to individual units and instead separate the expenses and match them to the level of activity that consumes the resources. Very simply, managers should separate the expenses incurred to produce individual units of a particular product from the expenses needed to produce different products or to serve different customers, independent of how many units are produced or sold.
Then managers must be prepared to act. First, they should explore ways to reduce the resources required to perform various activities. Then to transform those reductions into profits, they must either reduce spending on those resources or increase the output those resources produce. The actions allow the insights from ABC to be translated into increased profits at the bottom line.
I’m reading a book set in 11th century Britain, and these quotes refer to Wales at the time.
…here in a half-barbaric Welsh landholder, no great lord, but a mere squireling elevated among his inferiors to a status he barely rated, at least in Norman eyes. It was the difference between them that Robert [the Norman] thoughtin hierarchies, and Rhisiart [the Welshman] thought in blood-ties, high and low of one mind and in one kinship, and not a man among them aware of inferiority, only of his due place in a united family…. p67
[A bribe was offered by Robert to Rhisiart to persuade the village people to give up a religious treasure to Robert] ‘Money!’ said Rhisiart in the most extraordinary of tones, at once curious, derisory and revolted. He knew about money, of course, and even understood its use, but as an aberration in human relations. In the rural parts of Wales, which indeed were almost all of Wales, it was hardly used at all, and hardly needed. Provision was made in the code for all necessary exchange of goods and services, nobody was so poor as to be without the means of living, and beggars were unknown. The kinship took care of its helpless members, and every house was open as of right. p.69
from A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters.
The author Ellis Peters had made a study of Wales at that period and has a good take on conditions and practices. This approach of the Welsh sounds interesting and could serve us in the times to come. It should be noted that some of the Welsh found the English way of doing things and their moneyed way of life offered more opportunity for luxury and extravagance and the English were determined to absorb Wales, and were able to subvert them and take control of the land and people and ensure that their royalty died out.
With respect, that is not the sort of model for society that I believe in, and looking backwards is not a roadmap for the future. Those were feudal times …
Social enterprise is the way forward.
syclingmad
Perhaps you will be able to hop on your cycle and go towards the future with great confidence and belief that all will be well.
I do not have such confidence and looking at how poorly we have applied knowledge and let standards slip up till now, I believe such lack of confidence is entirely justified. We are slipping back into colonial times in NZ with shonky and make-do houses, laws and lack of respect for those without money or the means to earn it. So good luck to you. I want to have a circle of mutual assistance for those who don’t hit the jackpot.
I didn’t say I have confidence – I presented an alternative pathway forward. Circle the wagons isn’t the approach to succeed. And everyone has the resources to contribute in some way, even just employing the grey matter in creative and innovative ways is what we need into the future.
syclingmad – can you tell me, in not too many words, what you mean by “social enterprise”?
Thanks.
Sure – re-imagining the way business is done. Thinking beyond profit. Impact on people and the environment.
The sorts of initiatives and broader thinking espoused and put into action by Christopher Luxon. And before people start regaling me with stories of deplorable wages at Air NZ or shutting down maintenance facilities, Rome wasn’t build in a day, as they say.
Derek Handley also advocates this approach.
Thanks, syclinmad. Do you think neoliberalism will already have assimilated social enterprise and made it its own? Bastardised it to suit? Captured and corrupted it (It’s what neo-lib does 🙂
See I don’t get hung up on the labels and the categorising. What we have is a mixed economy with a “capitalist” (I hate using that term) organising principle. It will ever be so. What we need to do is find a way to make it more compassionate for all its members and to care for the great provider – mother earth.
So I choose to work within rather than throw rocks from the outside. Can it be done – who knows, but dire predictions for the climate sure hold everyone’s feet to the flames. And recruit everyone to this cause rather than exclude on the basis of ideology or past deed.
How can a person think “beyond profit”? Is that profit with a small “p”, ’cause every organism seeks to profit from its actions; few want to lose. Actually, none.
Neoliberalism is well skilled at coopting and bastardising social justice and Good Things. I like the idea of subverting that. No reason we can’t colonise them.
“Social enterprise is the way forward.”
Unfortunately in this capitalist framed society, social enterprise will be as cynically used by some entrepreneurs as “greenwashing.”
There was a great site for advertising awards for ads highlighting the appropriation of good intent, but random delivery (but I can’t recall the name), but did find this one on Youtube:
https://youtu.be/5jx0ZjAXWwQ
By some, maybe. But I’d rather be trying to subvert for the better than being perpetually disappointed that the revolution hasn’t happened yet …
I’m not being clear, so I’ll try to clarify.
I’ve been following the social enterprise movement for a while now, and agree with the stated intent of many of those disseminating the information, and have been heartened to see some of the (usually overseas) examples of social enterprise.
However, despite those examples, have been cynical about the use of this term in regards to NZ, because the few workshops I did attend were more about creating standard business opportunities rather than true social enterprise.
It is not “subversion” if it appropriated and used to bolster the same attitude towards growing business and what constitutes success.
I support – like you – a change, but I am trying to be vigilant that the change I support is fundamental and not just window dressing. I will be heartened to see true social enterprise take place in NZ, and would be very glad to see government support in the way of grants or tax rebates for businesses that follow a robust new model. A step up from Maryland recognising B-Corps in the US.
It has been a while since I checked the number of B-Corps in NZ, but they have increased. Interestingly, a cluster around Christchurch that didn’t exist before, but may be reflective of the growth in community that has happened since the 2011 earthquake.
As our local paper diminishes so they have pulled out Sports reporters. As she gave me a haircut my barber pointed out that the children’ sports teams that her husband’s work sponsored, would no longer get the exposure. So should they pull the sponsorship?
Do they now get local exposure via Facebook etc rather that the chip-wrapper?
Well, if they consider the children purely as running billboards then I guess so.
If they consider the benefit that their contribution makes to community wellbeing, with the added kudos afforded their business by the team members, their family and their supporters – well they should keep contributing. As sacha points out, they will still get their support noted on social media.
I wonder if the big sponsors for the All Blacks would still sponsor if advertising stopped?
Many Thanks to Forbes Magazine and CNN new’s for seeing the Great Potential of OUR great Lady leader and prime minister Jacinda Ardern and showing the man that crowned her Winston Peters OUR coalition government is the BEST . Kia Kaha
Has anyone else seen Susie Ferguson’s twitter post? I am sure Standard readers would like to wish her a trouble free operation and a speedy recovery.
Here is a link to Suzie’s twitter post on her announcement at the end of Morning Report today that she is having major surgery tomorrow – a possible hysterectomy – due to long term endometriosis. She will probably not be back on air this side of Christmas.
https://twitter.com/SusieFergusonNZ/status/925819569855328256
RNZ are apparently putting together an article or something on endometriosis etc which will then be put up on their website.
Kim Hill, Mihingarangi Forbes, John Campbell and Philippa Tolley will be filling in on Morning Report.
I have not had this awful condition but have family and friends who have had it. And I know that we have a couple of absolutely excellent (female) doctors/surgeons here in Wellington who are experts in endometriosis. So hoping Suzie will be well looked after and back to full health in the near future.
EDIT – here is a link to the Endometriosis Support NZ website with a good explanation of Endo.
Yes guys – there is no reason why you should not also have a look and find out more.
http://www.nzendo.org.nz/about-endometriosis/index.html
Thanks for putting that up vv and I’m sure we all wish Suzie well. It is good if we have the means to do away with painful debilitating chronic conditions.
Well now the left certainly can’t complain about the situation they’ve found themselves in:
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/business/342833/unemployment-falls-as-wages-rise-from-equity-deal
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/98450261/qv-reports-first-yearonyear-price-drop-since-2011
That’s a pretty good situation to come into I’d say
🙂
Kiwiblog these days:
First post of the day: Sun spots! Will they drive a wedge in the coalition between Labour and the Greens?
145 comments denying climate change, 68 more blaming sunspots on Winston, 113 demanding a military coup against the communists.
Second post of the day: Will NZ First/Green tension over rival favourites in the Great British Bake off bring down the coalition?
120 comments calling the Greens communists. 100 more denying climate change.
Third post of the day: Halloween – Will Jacinda’s distribution of lollies cause coalition tensions with the social conservatives of NZ First?
45 comments claiming Jacinda was spotted on a broom flying over Wellington, 148 comments of even more vile women hatred, 98 demanding euthenasia of all NZ First voters over 65, and 102 making an incredibly lame comparison between socialism and free lollies.
Yeah it is a pretty boring zone for misogynist dickheads there at present.
I have had to curtail my reading at kiwiblog because they are too boring.
“45 comments claiming Jacinda was spotted on a broom flying over Wellington, 148 comments of even more vile women hatred, 98 demanding euthenasia of all NZ First voters over 65, and 102 making an incredibly lame comparison between socialism and free lollies.”
😆 It’s like an episode of the Goon show.
The Goon show were weird but funny. These people are weird and off-putting, even scary. The loons show.
Here’s a good reason to get James Shaw into Stats:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/98452880/economist-brands-government-review-of-unemployment-measures-as-a-bit-nonsense
Need to be tracking the over employment figure as well – those working more than 40 hours per week.
The government does need to be confidant of the information that they’re getting from a state department and just because they meet ILO standards doesn’t mean that they’re at best practice. In fact, saying that they meet standards sounds remarkably like an excuse not to better themselves.
Meeting standards is the minimum needed, exceeding them is what we need to be doing if at all possible (and it usually is).
Standards aren’t static no matter how much some people seem to think that they should be.
And there’s a serious question about those standards actually being good enough.
Translation from EX-RBNZ governor: The RBNZ regularly ignores data it doesn’t like.
They may be independent but the last government still managed to use them to lie after a change in the statistic gathering/interpretation dropped the unemployment rate by ~0.5% which they claimed as a government success. This would probably explain the lack of belief in those statistics.
The problem as I see it is that RBNZ, Treasury, and Statistics NZ, for example, produce reports and press releases that are not easily digestible for general consumption by the general public. So, complex information gets reduced down to singular indices such as CPI, GDP, and Unemployment that are really aggregate measures and thus completely misunderstood by most if not all.
Yep.
Well, it’s either that or they’re simply not being reported in their full.
Our nation’s employment insurance organization is charging me insurance cost based on $31.720 but they forecast my income for 20018 at $22.466 and we no that if I get injured they are not going to pay me out 80 % of 31.720 they will pay me 80 % of 22.466.
There excuse is that is the minimum charge out rate WTF my reply was I will agree to disagree with that Policy Ka pai
Heh. Seth Meyers gets his chance to ask Sarah Huckabee Sanders some questions.
https://youtu.be/65vOUdre1nI
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11939417
9th in the world but behind Rwanda, not quite sure how that works
You could just google rwanda gender equality and a veritable cornucopia of information will appear before your eyes.
I guess they may have better equality but I’m still guessing its better overall to be a woman in NZ than it is Rwanda
You’re more of a reverse Milton, then? Better to serve in heaven than reign in hell, sort of thing?
Well I dunno, theres something to be said for the other side every now and then…
http://www.monologuedb.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Al-Pacino-as-John-Milton-in-The-Devils-Advocate.jpg
Haahahhahahahahha!
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/98475675/hagaman-estate-loses-appeal-against-andrew-little-in-defamation-case
That is all.
lol