To the MPs that come on here asking for unity or whatever so they can concentrate on the ‘real enemy’.
I’m prepared to publicly concede I had it wrong all along when you hit 40% in the polls.
At what point between now and the next election campaign when you don’t reach that number, will you be prepared to say we got it wrong, DS isn’t the right man for the job, you were spot on Al1?
Way I see it, at least 22 caucus members don’t know they arses from elbows.
What do you think you know that I don’t?
Did you hear Shearer on RNZ this morning on Waitangi and the Te Karere Digipol? Not only was he inarticulate as to explaining how Labour were working for Maori, he also could not pronounce his mps names, what they were doing, and entirely forgot to mention Nanaia. Precursor to the reshuffle?
hush minx: Well, how would you “perform”, after a night with lots of beer to “celebrate” your “overwhelming” victory of sorts? Maybe that is why he dropped in performance again? Just a thought, but he may send Annette around to answer and clarify this for us shortly.
Mr Shearer has not yet convinced the voters that he is a plausible prime minister, even if his caucus has backed him. He is desperately inarticulate, unable to deliver a sound bite without a lot of rehearsal or an auto-cue. ..He can look tough and decisive when his back is to the wall, but mostly he still just blunders.
Trevor Mallard likens Mr Shearer to Norman Kirk, which is laughable… Mr Shearer has a long way to go before he and his party look like winners.
I caught this little gem at the end of the editorial to which you linked hush minx. “Labour is exploring new ideas- on monetary policy and tax and on a tougher welfare policy – but its image remains blurred.” This is the first I’ve heard of the “tougher welfare policy” and I don’t know if its true. Can anyone shed light on this?
Maybe ask “Jacinda Dear”, or the more senior “expert” “(Marie Antoi-)Anette” ?
I have had high suspicions about Labour’s true welfare agenda for a long time now, this only adds to it!!! They have in general been FAR TOO SILENT on the reforms that NatACT with the front person Bennett are launching, so one must wonder, wonder and wonder.
As Shearer will feel reassured now, I do not rule out a “slightly more moderate” harder line welfare policy by Labour, as the public have through a totally biased, misinforming MSM been largely conditioned and turned into benefit enviers and haters. So that is the wrongly “nurtured” public sentiment now, that exists, and Shearer would be prone to exploit public sentiment to gain votes.
His “sickness benefit roofpainter story” at the start of a “Heartland Speech” in Nelson (and I believe elsewhere) may have been the first signal to the public he gave, for what he really wants Labour to stand for!
Do NOT forget, they (Labour) brought in a Dr David Bratt, a staunch “pro work ability” “Principal Health Advisor” comparing benefit dependence to drug dependence in 2007. They have never explained that man’s appointment or bizarre claims in his public presentations to GPs and others.
Shearer never apologised for – or explained his “bene roof painter” dog whistle comments.
Shearer is displaying a clean lack of imagination, kiwi voters hate capable PMs. Ever since Lange gave it such a bad name – aka – neobliberalism. Why do you think Key is so desperate to look like a spoit brat, the longer he stays in office the harder it is to not look capable. He’s got a whole horrendous history of bad policy, reshuffles, outsourcing, and dithering over the economy under his belt but its never enough,
competence capable keep dogging his legacy.
NZ is rich and its essential for NZ not to get tagged as rich, and the best way is to just hand over our assets, deregulate, gear the economy to export its profit centers and just hate the idea of productivity. Government generosity is a crime against the economy damn it.
Kiwis are
just not taught simple ethics like beware people bearing gifts, that priests who are too good to be true are diddling their wards, that men selling ponsi schemes so pander to
investors personal weaknesses, that saving the economy by laxly taxes and deregulating the commercial arena will breed world winning companies (wow lol, what, the heavy slap on the bum is only good for children).
Being nice to the private sector will not make a resilient growing prosperous NZ.
We are this way, as a Nation, because our media is so weak and subservient to Australian bankers and Australian media barons, because they all want to work in OZ eventually and so make it easy to exploit NZ to gain points in the eyes of future employers.
Hi Olwyn – there have been a small number of us on this site who’ve been talking about this for a while now, xtasy for example, but it’s really hard to show people on the Left how nasty Labour’s welfare policy has been since 1999. Nobody sees the detail and neither, I believe, does anyone on the Left want to. Labour has been asked time and time again about this but they will not say a word. bad12 had a crack at me yesterday about having a go at Annette King, rushing to her defence ahead of taking notice of the real issue, which is that Labour’s history on welfare reform since 1999 and its silence when asked if this is still its policy is clear evidence it has every intention of continuing from wherever National leaves off, just as it did from 1999. Everyone’s saying “give Labour a chance to develop its welfare policy before you slag it”, but it’s been six years now since its last attack, the 2007 amendment Act, and they said nothing to suggest things had changed leading up to the last election. The only conclusion we can arrive at is it’s going to be more of the same. We can’t keep giving Labour the benefit of the doubt when there’s nothing to suggest things have changed – just silence which we can only take as meaning nothing’s changed. We trusted Labour in 1999 and they pooed all over us. For that I say fuck them.
Labour’s approach to welfare has been pretty nasty since 1984. They brought in GST and income taxes on benefits, instantly cutting into the standard of living. They brought in the monetarist culture of greed, which ordains that it’s easy to get rich and anyone who doesn’t is beneath contempt. They’ve never said sorry or admitted the huge shift to the right and they throw anyone who tries to give a minor nudge to the left under the bus. I’m afraid I can only see them as a party which exists to give the illusion of choice and democracy, especially with Shearer as leader.
hush minx – I didn’t hear it but your description is so good I don’t need to. Tangata whenua are cannon fodder for that useless nobody and his cohorts.
What was that olde world yank tea party thing about no representation, no taxes?
How about no accountability, no sermons or lectures.
Stand by your secret votes and give a date and a poll figure when you’ll know for sure the fight can’t be won. Draw on memory from 2008-11 if you’re stuck.
Labour got in the order of 23% in a RM poll a week from the election. Result: NACT get 64 seats including three parties with 5 electorate-only seats.
To be that close to victory when labour is that low, I’m not completely certain I’d make that call if labour are at 30% a week out from the election. I wouldn’t be comfortable, but I sure wouldn’t be predicting defeat as a certainty.
It’s a simple enough couple of questions question, yet the nature of politics dictates it won’t get an answer from those it’s really asked, but in the real world away from the house, when they’re human like the rest of you, they’ll know what I’m on about, and that’s what I’m all about.
Devastating political scandal for key or the nats aside, or a last minute game changer than comes from left field (won’t be from Labour then đ ) and surprises everyone, as we are all repeatedly told by the media during campaigns that voters minds are already made up well in advance of a poll date, there’s a time when at least 22 of caucus who won’t even be aware of my challenge will sit and think, shit.
I don’t know whether it’s the night before, a week out a month or even dare I suggest those in caucus who voted for a vote for leader who can already tell this far out, but even though you probably won’t care too much (depending on your list ranking), I told you so, losers. đ
Biggest laugh at my expense is if Shearer slashes at Key’s poll rating and storms to a landslide election, winning by fighting for the NZ public on a platform of equality and opportunity for all kiwis.
Someone best make a record and post on election night to compound my ignorance. đ
It’s a fair cop, guvnor, :thumbsup:
But just like what’s the point in having a heart and a sleeve if you don’t wear one on the other?
What’s the point in having money and a mouth if you won’t/can’t put them together?
Death and taxes – Fact.
Words without action – Not.
They are putting in place charter schools, by the time National leaves office I wouldn’t be surprised if thousands more of kids come out of school with no qualifications and no future. Just the perfect slave labour for their corporate mates.
The papers show improving the system is the Treasury’s highest priority and emphasise raising the quality of teaching.
And just what the hell does Treasury know about teaching?
Oh, that’s right, absolutely nothing. That’s why we have a Ministry of Education.
Overall, they show the Treasury has a strong interest in the school system and little faith in increased competition as a way of improving performance.
Paula Bennett was interviewed by Kathryn Ryan of Radio New Zealand National yesterday morning (04 Feb., 09:05 am) on welfare numbers, the welfare reforms to be pushed through by her government, whether they were justified, correct and representative, and more.
On the nine to noon program there were also Alan Johnson, Salvation Army social policy analyst and Susan St John from Auckland Uni, elaborating on controversial figures, why the mainstream media misrepresents the truth about beneficiaries, the numbers of them, the reasons for being on benefits and rather just tends to high-light and present the extreme, bizarre, very unusual cases to the public.
It is well worth a listen and to do some good, critical thinking about it.
Bennett was again, as so often, getting a lot of figures wrong, confusing some, and naturally did “not have them before her” in too many cases. So she continues to create a lot of “mist”, uncertainties, she is distracting and full of ambiguities and misrepresentation.
Of course the program once again only scratched the very surface of a whole range of issues, that will become very clear to the many that will be very adversely and seriously affected, yes harmed, by the reforms that will be pushed through by way of the ‘Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill’, presently before the Social Services Committee of Parliament.
Also, do not forget, where Bennett comes from, and what her speech revealed, that she held to medical professionals (who will be instrumental in part, to force sick, injured and disabled into some forms of work) on 26 Sept. 2012. Read between the lines, and realise the absolute focus on the supposed UK findings, that are supposed to be the “international” evidence that work is kind of “remedial” to all people.
I have not found much of other “international” evidence though that supports the extreme, bizarre and perverted interpretation of a so-called “bio psycho-social model” for assessing and re-integrating disabled and sick into work, that a Professor Sir Mansel Aylward (from a partly private insurance financed department at Cardiff University), who also helped develop and introduced tough work ability assessments at the Department of Work and Pensions in the UK (first under Thatcher), did bring in there.
The true agenda is about these “reforms” is all about cost savings, and nothing else!!!
The UK model is seriously considered as a foundation upon the Ministry of Social Development and Work and Income are planning to change the whole medical assessment and work testing regime for sickness and invalid’s beneficiaries. THIS ALL IS COMING HERE AND DUE TO BECOME THE NORM FOR NZ.
This is a space to watch, as NZ is in danger of making serious mistakes that have been made already by following similar, draconian reforms and bizarre work-testing regimes in the UK over recent years. Already many there died through trying to work while they really could not, or were in extreme cases driven to commit suicide. Grim stuff this is.
‘Grim stuff this is.’, aye it’s what the NACT do best.
Bennett shows that’s it’s all about ideology, facts are to be dismissed if they don’t support your case or twisted if possible with a few slogans to spin and confuse.
Bennett is a hypocrite who is pulling the ladder up behind her and being applauded by that other beneficiary of welfare John Key.
As the Labour/Green/NZFirst? coalition, noticeably surpass National in popularity, (polls indicating that move now) Â Â we will see those vote gaining tactic’s of welfare/benefit attacks. Maori will cop the usual ‘what more do they want slurs.’ which is a reliable vote earner also.Â
Keep up the good work Xtasy.
I’m feeling pretty despondant about affecting positive change. I don’t know if TS will go ahead with brainstorming policy given our powerlessness in getting Labour to pay attention, but maybe someone who has some influence will pause for thought over something they read here, sometime, and that will make it worthwhile.
It’s not up to us on TS to get Labour to pay attention. It really is up to them to engage the community and so far, from what I can make out, they’re failing miserably.
Thanks for the links X, this needs much more coverage than it is getting. The system is ALREADY damaging for disabled persons and the able bodied (eg access difficulties, lack of understanding, overworked staff not informing people of their full and correct entitlement which IMHO is a key driver of poverty in this country).
Paula’s only idea is to stick with the main ideas behind the British model which caused and continues to cause such great social harm.
People with disabilities struggled under Labour, now they are denied basic human rights under National. When Labour and the Greens take over the books in 2014 they will find thousands of children that have fallen in the cracks, who if the government had just given teacher aids and sufficient resources could have been productive members of society. National doesn’t care about those with disabilities, it believes in eugenics i.e. letting the worst off members of society starve, kill themselves or end up homeless on the street.
Edit: So yeah you are right. đ
The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 3.4.1.1
NO, your book is cracked, same as your mind seems to be “cracked”.
Common sense, reading real information and understanding what is behind stuff is not your strenghth, it seems. Well, to be honest, you do not really care, as you are just one of the few frequenting TS to stir up crap, but contribute little of substance.
Enjoy your little space in narrow mind, the smaller it gets.
Like some time long before Christmas (to 2 email addresses at RNZ) – again yesterday substantial information on some of what is already happening at the hands of MSD and WINZ in this regards, was sent to Kathryn Ryan at Radio NZ National yesterday afternoon.
My expectation is – it will just be put aside as too much and too complex information to bother looking at, so it will NOT be reported on.
Lead story today is the football fraud scandal exposed by Europol, that has spread world-wide and is being exposed now. So most that are interested in sports and other matters will pay attention to that, rather than what really matters.
The media (mainstream that is) does not give a damn about beneficiaries or sick and disabled, unless they are cases that can be presented as sob or pity story material – to gain in viewing and listening quotas – that will also enable to sell yet more advertising.
That is what Campbell Live and others are doing. Sorry to upset the ones that may think he is doing some “good work”. Yes, it may be for a good cause, some of it, but it never seems to be without ulterior goals.
Two very contrasting blog posts, Chris Trotter’s a sting in the tail on why Labour needs to commit to helping the poorest amongst us.
And at the opposite end of the spectrum in both compassion, understanding and comprehension Josie Pagani posts on, at least I think she is posting on, why Labour needs to be more right wing and why beneficiaries should only be tolerated and Labour needs to get tougher on crime.
The next time she advertised as being “of the left” should be met with a complaint that it is misleading.
Pagani acting as the last, distant colonial outpost of Blairism would be funny, except that I suspect her thinking is close to the feeble ideology at the top of the parliamentary Labour party. As such, I think she provides a fascinating insight into the sort of arguments that seem to under pin much of Labour’s policy at the moment.
It reminds me very much of what I heard from Phil Goff, when a minister many years ago. Cracking down on crime, doing this and that, supporting the military and what else comes to mind.
Pagani is stuck in the Blairite Bubble, I must say, she will likely never get out of it, because once it pops, she will drop and hurt herself, thus ending in a personality crisis.
I heard also yesterday (on the BBC World Service that was), that the French may not just have gone to deal to “islamist extremist threats” in Mali, but perhaps also bore in mind the rich uranium and other resources found there!?
That makes it look a bit more like “a little Iraq style invasion” then.
Maybe Shearer will invest his UN and strategic thinking skills by suggesting to send NZ troops to sort out Fiji, in order to “restore democracy”?
The interesting bits on that page are to be found in the comment section at the bottom of the page,
The best that can be said for the writer of that piece is in the nature of revelation, it appears that being a ‘political contortionist’ allows Her to suck the air She breathes out of Her own anus…
if the left canât debate crime and welfare with more depth than saying âbut look over there! At the economy!â, then it is repudiating its own principles.
I don’t see anyone on the left doing that. See it plenty on the right though as they work to distract from their failed policies that come directly from their failed ideology.
Other than that, I don’t think she managed to say anything.
As compared to the absolutely fabulous concoction on the contemporary Left of Deconstructionist Intellectual Fraudsters/Feminist Man Hating/Neo Marxist mumbo jumbo.
Unenlightened people often are damned to work very, very hard, so some keep trying here, working very, very hard, repeating the same all over again, as some know no better, to get somewhere.
Whether it pays off is not relevant, as the exercise of banging the head against the brick wall sets off endless flows of adrenalin, that give some hormonal feelings of “encouragement” or stoicism, it will end up feeling quite “good” of sorts for the endless head banger. So add the dots together perhaps.
What you notice about Pagani and the whole Neo-lib tribe that currently occupies ‘the middle ground’ is that the ‘problem’ is always framed as being ‘WELFARE’,
That of course allows them to concentrate solely upon a narrow line of dialogue, and thus ‘reforms’ become acceptable in that ‘middle ground’,
It is in fact ‘the economy’ and ’employment’ where the focus should be, it is obvious to everyone except the most blatant of LIARS that there are more people available for work than there is work in the economy,
Thus continually whipping those reliant upon welfare to even ‘look’ for work is simply BULLSHIT,(as a commenter pointed out Pagani’s comments were),
As Pagani is firmly mired in the middle class when She talks of Socialism, She is talking of the Socialism of the middle classes where that class is continually pandered to by the political class…
Pagani would seem to argue that Blair invaded other countries for good reasons, while his partner in crime, Bush, was invading the same countries for bad reasons. I have a real love/hate relationship with the way these fake lefties are able to contort their ideas to suit any actions whatsoever. It’s frightening and enetertaining at the same time.
Just listened to the first part of the interview….in the first minute or so Ryan reveals the number of people on the unemployment benefit for 15 years or more? TWELVE PEOPLE.
The number of people on the dole for 20 years or more? FOUR.
Citing extreme examples to illustrate we have an issue that only they (National) have the guts to solve has been the approach to welfare.
That was the good part of the whole interview, how Bennett and the government on one hand are exposed as exploiting and abusing figures to portray a “dramatic” “crisis” kind of scenario asking for urgent action, and how especially the MSM totally mis-report, misrepresent and basically LIE to the public about what is happening in the area of benefit dependence, needs and challenges.
It is all only about headlines about selected, bizarre, totally out of the ordinary EXTREME cases, that they report on, NOT FACTS and balanced figures and details!
This must be exposed more, for sure, as the MSM appear to be complicit in the war on the welfare system and affected beneficiaries this government is leading now. That is NOT what the so-called “4th estate” is there for.
What interested me was the bloke up Gizzy way that had been on the dole for 25 years, now that man should be given a gold watch,
By being a well behaved citizen over that 25 years, he has quite heroically in my opinion given up the pursuit of more money so as to enable others to take up any work on offer,
In a province of economic decline this man has selflessly gone without on the doles meager income allowing others to earn those higher wages,
Should this man have entered the workforce at any time in those 25 years in a province with a declining economy someone else would have had to take the position previously occupied by that bloke,
While the above is a little out of left field it is in ‘fact’ the truth, in a declining economy for a person to gain employment there is every chance that someone in another part of that economy will have stopped being employed…
Jeez, KP, I thought you were keen on the entrepeneurial spirit? Why are you putting the boot into a man you believe to be running an effective small business for quarter of a century?
Y’know, in that 25 years, the bloke will have seen various welfare administrations, maybe ten Ministers of Employment, several name changes at the DOSS/Social Welfare/WINZ/MOBIE and countless case managers who would all have bounced him off the dole in a heartbeat if they could.
Presumably he has been getting the benefit for 25 years for dinkum reasons. That’s fine by me.
So is there some difference in 1 person ‘doing nothing’ for 25 years as you put it and 10 people over the same period spending 18 months each doing nothing,
i realize that your a ‘wing-nut’ so have to take into account your limited ability to actually ‘think’ but in a Gisborne type situation with an economy in continual decline someone ‘has’ to be unemployed,
Given that little ‘fact’ our ‘gold watch’ beneficiary would have to take someone else’s employment or if a newly created employment position appeared in the local economy deny someone else that employment position,
Which simply means that should that Bloke in Gizzy have ‘got a job’ someone else in Gizzy wouldn’t have one…
Engaging in sophistry there, bad12 – not that you would know what the word means without looking it up first.
The idea that the long term unemployed are taking one for the team is so self evidently absurd, I can only respond with the same question re Draco T below, why don’t any of the Left parties use your brilliant dazzling argument in their public statements on the issue?
What is exactly misleading or wrong about the above statement you sexually self-fulfilling, pathetic T thing that resides under a bridge, aint a goat, but in all probability has the odor of one,
Because you have attached to the above the label of sophism means little, nay nothing, without first having provided a narrative which proves the sophism,
Or perhaps you like Paula believe in the magic of the word ‘seeking’ and thus the more people seeking work the more people will have work which is in fact the real sophism,
Of course you also believe that the free market rules in which case the 175,000-185,000 currently seeking work are simply part of a natural market lead pool of available labour,
To believe in both tho is to simply point out that you are in all likely-hood a sufferer of Schizophrenia or some other disease of the mind a fact that none here would find surprising about you…
I don’t like her. I’m not a right winger. I’m not a neo-con.
I like old skool Left Liberalism plus any ideas that are free from too much ideological constraint.
For example, Gareth Morgan’s take on the Welfare System – Health, Pension etc. It’s in a crisis, his Big Kahuna idea deals with the issues and makes an interesting proposal for a solution.
I don’t like Feminist Man Haters/Deconstructionists/Anti-white, anti-Western Multiculturalists.
The Left has crashed and burned thanks to those idiots.
AAAAAH dummy lift your game, ”perhaps you like Paula” is obviously a reference to you being ‘alike’ in attitude even a 4 year old could have figured that,
I see no narrative which proves the sophism of your accusation and changing the subject at 100 k an hour just does not cut it,
I don’t much care what or who you are, your comments reek of SCUM, therefor you shall be known by your comments…
In fact, if he was growing dope he couldn’t possibly have been sitting on his arse and he would have been providing a service that the community wants. It’s not his fault that the laws are so stupid as to outlaw a service that the community wants forcing him to declare himself unemployed (that’s if he was growing dope which we’re only speculating upon).
Really, what it comes down to is the simple fact that you’re an idiot. You didn’t even realise that you contradicted yourself.
The idea that growing dope is necessarily a busy full time occupation is one you are assuming in order to create your straw man argument.
So you are the idiot.
‘providing a service that the community wants.’
Too bad David Shearer and the Labour Party don’t put that in their speeches, eh? Guess you think that just goes to show the Labour Party are a bunch of neo liberal sell outs and have betrayed the true Leftists like your enlightened self.
Regardless of whatever you think about cannabis use it’s self-evidently a high demand product. I don’t see how you can argue that cannabis growers are not providing a service any more than you could argue that neither do tomato growers or parsley growers or broccoli growers.
“I havenât argue he is not providing a service, you muppet.”
I realise that, you fraggle. However you did quote the phrase and then made a vague attempt to ridicule the bearer of it, so I think it’s fair to assume that you have an opinion on the matter.
I’m just trying to provide you with an opportunity to express it.
There was quite a lengthy interview with David Shearer on the Larry Williams show on Newstalk ZB yesterday, about 8 minutes. All the important questions were asked. Highly recommend it. Does it remind anyone else of overnight talkback?
In the Newstalk ZB clip, it’s interesting that Shearer brought up the reshuffle himself when asked what would happen to Cunliffe, while remaining non-committal. I wonder if he’s planning to offer Cunliffe a front-bench portfolio in exchange for a public pledge of loyalty/endorsement?
And in true talkback style, I’d like to know what others think.
That’s exactly what I thought. You have to pinch yourself and say “My God, this really is the leader of the opposition!”, not dotty Don from Dargaville at 3 a.m.
This is why Shearer’s defenders on here totally miss the point. The number of “negative” comments on the Standard is dwarfed by the audience for Newstalk ZB.
Shearer cocks up in front of millions, every week.
But if we point out his cock-ups, apparently we’re the real problem?
I’ve just read a quote from one of John Buchan’s books. He was a great Empire man, strong on duty and colonial exploration and resource hunting and became Governor General of Canada.
This from The Runagates Club published 1928.
It has relevance for today in English speaking countries with the move to the right and desire for excess and self rather than the national and people’s interest and service with good governance.
From the Bath, in its most exotic form, degenerate patrician youth passed to the coarse delights of the Circus, and thence to that parody of public duties which it was still the fashion of their class to patronise.
Von Letterbeck: Imperial Rome>/i>
The Green Party has had for quite a number of years now had ‘it’s engines running’ and this is evidenced by the number of ‘hits’ scored on the Slippery lead National Government in the House at question time, and the ‘fact’ that when seeking comment on any issue of the day the media are just as likely to ask the Green Party for comment as they are to ask Labour,
The Green Party Housing policy in content and intent shows that the Green Party is well ahead in developing policy which directly benefits those most in need in our society and i believe that in the next 18 months we will see much more of this intelligent policy released to the electorate…
Lolz, bloody good on you then, the constant flow of what i see as negativity which flows through the pages of the Standard toward Labour is in my view counter-productive,
Labour at present(this is opinion), as a party are mostly middle class people, probably in the main well educated and comfortable in their employment,
Socialism has in the main been educated out of the psyche of such people as they have embraced the newer culture of ‘what’s in it for me’,
Labour, as in the last Labour lead Government and the present Labour Opposition simply reflect this comfortable middle class and the continuous venting of anger at them hasn’t as far as i can see changed that one iota,
There may be a ‘mood’ within the Labour Party it’self to change that but my view is that such a ‘mood’ from within the Party will take 10 years to translate into a change in the attitude of the Party’s MP’s,
Given that, there are 2 choices activist member of the broad left have, the first being to become even more active within the Party, not necessarily as a means to gain immediate change in the make-up and attitude of the Labour MP’s, but as a 10 year plan to transform the Party back if you will excuse the use of the word to expressing the core of Labour values,
Option 2 of course is to simply walk away from Labour and give both our monetary and electoral support to the Party which best expresses at this point in time our political and economic values…
The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 10
Comment from the Sewer that is factually incorrect, now who would have thunk that???,
Annette King was commenting on the Standard weeks befor the Leadership vote held yesterday, while Annette cannot as She is bound to support the Caucus and the Party’s policies stray far from simply stating those policies much ‘Could’ be changed by commentor’s here at the Standard putting up comments that highlight any flaws perceived in Labour Party policy while proposing well thought out alternatives…
The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 10.1.1
The Gormless Fool, the name suits you and when applied to you is obviously correct, which is about the only thing you have ever got right in your brief occupation of the skin you are in,
What the f**k is that comment supposed to mean, other than a display of your abject stupidity that is???…
The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 10.1.1.1.1
Folks, we are in a real crisis here. Wealthy right-wing interest groups and sectarian lobbies are waging an all-out war on public schools. They want to destroy the public school system and move to a market-driven system where taxpayers are forced to support religious and other private schools of all sorts.
Unemployment is this- Having cut the civil service to the bare minimum needed to operate such a service the present Slippery lead National Government has ‘defined’ for us what a market lead economy will deliver to us as a nation in terms of the number of actual jobs in the economy,
So given that there are currently 175,000-185,000 unemployed in this country we can ‘see’ that this is a ‘true’ reflection of the market economies ability to employ people,
OK, another given is that we are currently in the midst of a economic depression we can also ‘see’ that given an ‘upturn’ the actual number of those the market economy has the ability to employ would still leave us with 125,000-135,000 souls who that market does not have the ability to employ,
It then also becomes obvious to us all that to continually require those who the market economy has FAILED to find an economic use for to seek work which does not exist and prove that they have actually been seeking this non-existent employment would at the least require a belief in ‘magic’ in that anyone who believes that a person simply seeking such employment will radically alter what is a ‘fact’ of that market economy,
The truth of the little ‘fact’ above is to be found in the numbers of those who are unemployed and currently receiving the unemployment benefit attached to which is the requirement to seek work,
Obviously if the act of simply ‘seeking’ work radically changed the ‘market economy’ there would be a radical decline in the numbers of those receiving that particular benefit,
Until such time as Politicians begin to tell the truth about how many of us can be employed by the market economy unemployment is always going to be addressed from the narrow confines of dialogue where the reality is ignored in favor of a belief in magic solutions and further denigration of those the market economy has FAILED to be capable of employing,
I would suggest that as a first step that those politicians which have shown a propensity to believe in such magic solutions to the ‘problem’ of unemployment while claiming the ‘market economy’ is working as it should be should be examined by a medical professional for signs of Schizophrenia as any belief in both is in fact a belief in 2 propositions at the same point on the same subject that are diametrically opposed to each other…
There is a cartoon on the herald which it tags ‘Next time,Mr Shearer’
‘Just appoint yourself to the roll and they will take it on the chin,works
for me every time’
Eludes to Titewhai Harawira at Te tii Marae happenings.
The Wit of Graham Bell
The Panel, National Radio, Tuesday 5 February 2013
Jim Mora, Graham Bell, David Slack
JIM MORA: Noelle, what is the world talking about?
NOELLE McCARTHY: Well, a story that has caught our attention is one from right here in New Zealand, about a kea in the South Island. It stole one thousand dollars from a Scottish tourist who left the money on the front seat of his car.
GRAHAM BELL: That’s unusual for a Scotsman! A ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
According to the Waikato Times today, the Waikato town of Pokeno will be home to the first Chinese milk processing plant in New Zealand if Chinese company Yashili International, is given the green light (by the Overseas Investment Office) to buy land for its planned $210 million baby formula operation – creating 100 local jobs. Yashili International, one of China’s biggest baby formula and soymilk powder makers, has a conditional agreement to buy land in Pokeno’s Gateway business park.
Here we go again! NZ is becoming a soft touch for this type of deal and it appears it is now open season to all comers to establish this type of operation in one of our key industries on land we are prepared to sell for this purpose.
It appears that Chinese company Shanghai Pengxin (buyer of the Crafar Farms), may have been the pathfinder in setting a template for this operation currently under consideration. It goes something like this – establish a NZ registered company and then appoint a New Zealander to front it to legitimise it. It appears these moves into NZ are being encouraged by the Chinese government’s decision to substantially reduce import tariffs on finished milk formula.
What are we doing in this country? We must not continue to sell our land to allow major overseas players to establish in our key industries and compete against us.
That just highlights a major failure of Fonterra’s business model, while making adult milk formula and milk formula for small children other than babies Fonterra has failed it’s share-holders by it’s lax attitude to the baby milk formula market in the Asian economies,
Fonterra chose instead to simply supply the raw product to another company i have forgotten the name of under contract which has lad in turn to Fonterra supplying a major competitor, Nestle, as that company has now purchased that company and the supply contracts,
My belief is that the ‘internationalists’ in control of Fonterra will at some stage have removed from the farmer share-holders enough ‘power’ to be able to on-sell Fonterra on the global market,
That as the Chinese are at present seriously building what will eventually become a huge dairy herd will be at a heavily discounted price…
PREPARE for the influx of “specially skilled” employees under the China NZ FTA, as in that plant, it will be likely that Mandarin and/or Cantonese will at least be the “official” language of instructions, so any staff working there, will naturally require sufficient language skills, to be able to understand such instructions and to communicate.
NZ Immigration is always very helpful and works together with other agencies and stakeholders and employers to find the most suitable solutions to help everyone involved.
Take it then, there will be the clause used, to get as many Mainland Chinese workers in as they can, to also work “efficiently” and according to “cultural” and other just economic, social and scientific requirements, that are specific to meeting the very needs of the Mainland Chinese consumer. Particular recipes, mixtures and whatever, to get the end product, will be highly commercially sensitive, and this will only be able to be entrusted to, and handled by, competent, knowledgeable, suitably skilled and qualified, also Mandarin or Cantonese literate employees.
And to think that peoples from Arab countries now living in New Zealand have anything to do with such destruction a world away makes you-(search for big word), just scum..
What are you on about, got a problem? Arabs, non arabs, all other nationalities get on with their lives, you just start arguing about something I cannot even decipher. It is nonsensical what you last wrote.
Your really ‘on’ the ball tonight X, read, take a deep breath and read again, yes my habit of not naming the persona i am replying to could be confusing…
Let me get someone from “Anonymous” onto you while you wait, we will soon find out, who you are, what you do, where you live and the rest of it. That will make you feel very trusting, I am sure, as I trust you fully, and as you can trust me fully, that is if that can all work, aye?!
The demise of Western civilization, perlease!!!, that nearly fucking got my heart to stop, the laughter at you for inserting such a phrase into a comment that is,
Can you please, please, please expand upon this destruction of western civilization for me, fuck i love a laugh and your a hoot, the biggest one in town,
It’s all a Muslim conspiracy right KP, out of 20 households in my small street there are 2 that are definitely from the Arab countries, do you think i should bar the windows and put extra locks on the door against the time they break out screaming Allah Akbar whilst mowing down the neighborhood cats with the un-stashed AK47’s,
Actually you useless piece of cum-stain they just do normal things the same as what everyone else in the street does, they pretty much keep to themselves which shock-horror the white folks majority of the street does as well…
bad12: You do NOT understand that you must forthwith conform and convert to ISLAM. That is the ONLY “true” religion. I fyou cannot convert, the devil will get you! That is the truth about religion. Get a fear of the devil now, I tell, you for Jesus Muhammed and others.
So the massive flood of Muslims into Western Europe hasnât brought their problems with them?
Yes, Muslims didn’t bring their problems with them…Muslim problems in Western Europe developed in Western Europe and also involve a Western Europeans…as well as economic, social and political inequality.
Multiculturalism has been a resounding success in Europe has it?
No, there are multiple reasons for this, including: the incoming culture, the existing culture, economic issues, political issues etc
And you think we can look forward to the same wondrous effects in NZ, right?
Yes, if we continue to deal with it in the same way that Europe has.
You are in self denial or maybe you welcome the erosion of Western Civilization.
Yes, but not complete erosion. Just until one civilisation is no longer dominant to the point that it oppresses another cilivilisation.
Buzz from the Beehive Transport Minister Simeon Brown dutifully issued advice to all road users to keep safe on our roads during the Easter weekend. He encouraged them to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. ...
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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 ...
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Peter Dunne writes –Â Â 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 ...
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The Coalition Governmentâs plan to âget Auckland movingâ 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 sheâs 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 Governmentâs 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 Americaâs 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 wonât stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Memberâs 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 Labourâs 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 Firstâs 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 âco-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 PÄti MÄori 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. âIâm 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 âtake back our countryâ 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 Jonesâ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Governmentâs 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 public service 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 public service on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Governmentâs 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 doesnât 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. âIt 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. âThe 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.  âThis travel will focus on a range of New Zealandâs traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,â 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. âRoad 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. âOur 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 Parliamentâs order paper. âThe Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,â Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams wonât be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. âThe coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. âDam 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. âI 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. âThe Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023â24, 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 governmentâs 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 Governmentâs Budget objectives. âThe 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.                                        âThe 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.  âThese changes are long overdue â 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 Zealandâs growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Ministerâs Prizes for Space today. âNew Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealandâs concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. Â Â âThe 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 Educationâs School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. âThere 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. âToday 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 Peopleâs Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. âThe use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,â 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. âWeâre 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 Zealandâs ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. Â Â âI 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. âI have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commissionâs online consultation portal.â 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. âComprising 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. âI 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. âThis is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women donât ...
Good morning, itâs 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 Governmentâs ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Governmentâs commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools MÄori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. âThe Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, Iâm proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of todayâs 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 Iâm sorry I canât 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 WhangÄrei site where the facility will be constructed. âNorthland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata MÄori 20 years ago, says MÄori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisationâs 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 ...
COMMENTARY:By Ronny Kareni Since the atrocious footage of the suffering of an indigenous Papuan man reverberates in the heart of Puncak by the brute force of Indonesiaâs army in early February, shocking tactics deployed by those in power to silence critics has been unfolding. Nowhere is this more evident ...
Analysis - Nicola Willis is holding firm on tax cuts despite the economic outlook being worse than forecast and critics urging her to wait, writes Peter Wilson for The Week In Politics. ...
Opposition MPs and unions are criticising a proposal by New Zealandâs Ministry of Pacific Peoples to cut staff by 40 percent. The countryâs largest trade union â The Public Service Association â says the ministry has informed staff that it is looking to shed 63 of 156 positions. Opposition MPs ...
A poem by Poetry Aotearoa Yearbook 2024 featured poet Carin Smeaton. Daughtr of the 90s when she gets promoted to usherette a baby blu eel carries her all the way up to mothership sheâs hovering high she lets the underaged in to see keanu reeves she lets the only lonely ...
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 â Can ‘Good’ be the Greater Evil? â 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 Booksâ 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 pickânâmix 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 youâre at a loss for something to occupy yourself with this Easter, donât panic: The Spinoffâs 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 letâs 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 â 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 havenât accessed support to come forward and engage with the councilâs recovery office. It ...
NONFICTION 1 BBQ Economics by Liam Dann (Penguin Random House, $40) “Itâs official,” wrote Dann nine days ago in the Herald, where he works as business editor at large, “weâre 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 Parliamentâs 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 âdisappearanceâ of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people âsequesteredâ in this weekâs 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 Itâs Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether youâre a boomer, or an â80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fijiâs 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? â 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 thereâs one luxury most Australians wonât sacrifice â 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 Educationâs 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 Luxonâs 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 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Essential poll, conducted March 20â24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50â44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayersâ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the Peopleâs Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether youâre facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, itâs always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. Itâs an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Miller-Jones, Professor, Curtin University Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets. Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, CC BY-SA How fast can a neutron star drive powerful jets into space? The answer, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting âoff the booksâ illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Governmentâs announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is âshamefulâ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The federal government has bowed to pressure from the car industry, announcing it will relax proposed emissions rules for utes and vans and delay enforcement of the new standards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney In his latest book, Jewish Life in Medieval Spain, Jonathan Ray focuses on the tumult of the 14th century in Spain â a time of the plague, civil strife and war between the two largest ...
While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata MÄori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is âfar-off sightâ. In the contemporary and living language of te reo MÄori, âwhakaataâ as a ...
Yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israelâs war on Gaza. This significant step and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza prompted an urgent debate in the New Zealand Parliament. Leader ...
The Governmentâs decision to reduce access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) not only threatens the lives of children with type 1 diabetes and increases the potential for âDead in Bedâ syndrome, but also threatens the health of their parents an ...
Apples are available year-round, but the wide variety on offer involves intensive scientific research â and large-scale commercialisation. Whatâs beautiful, red, sweet and crunchy? Tony Martinâs favourite kind of apple: Sassy. The CEO of apple and pear breeding organisation Prevar, Martinâs fondness for Sassy represents professional success as well as ...
Family violence specialist service Shine is calling on employers to stop asking for proof of domestic violence in order for employees to access domestic violence leave. The call comes five years after the introduction of the Domestic Violence ...
The Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for public submissions on the Budget Policy Statement 2024. The Budget Policy Statement 2024 (BPS) sets out the Government's priorities for the 2024 Budget. It explains the approach ...
Brutal government spending cuts that will see the size of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples slashed by 40% will hit Pasifika communities hard, the PSA says. The Ministry has told staff that it is seeking voluntary redundancies, and to redeploy and reassign ...
I live with five people I mostly love, but our different ideas about generosity are starting to really irk me.Want Heraâs help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,This is a bit of a random one but here goes. Iâm 22 and work an OK job (OK meaning I get paid ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Nicholas, Senior Lecturer in Language and Literacy Education, Deakin University Earlier this month, the New South Wales government announced it would roll out programs for gifted students in every public school in the state. This comes amid concerns gifted school ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney Massachusetts General Hospital In a world first, we heard last week that US surgeons had transplanted a kidney from a gene-edited pig into a living human. News reports said the procedure was a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tombs, Howard Paterson Chair of Theology and Public Issues, University of Otago The 5th-century Maskell panel showing Jesus in a loincloth.British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA When Jesus is shown on the cross, he is almost always depicted wearing a loincloth around ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock When you think about a red object, you might picture a red carpet, or the massive ruby in the Queenâs crown. Indeed, Western monarchies and marketing from brands such ...
COMMENTARY:Jewish Voice for Peace The UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Monday â and for the first time since the beginning of the Israeli militaryâs genocide of Palestinians, the United States abstained rather than vetoing it. Security Council resolutions are legally binding, ...
Asia Pacific Report A New Zealand investigative journalist and author says the US spy system hosted by the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) appears to be a controversial intelligence system used in global capture-kill operations. Writing a commentary for RNZ News today, Nicky Hager, author of Secret Power, a 1996 ...
While Nicola Willis wouldnât give any details on its size, she said a package of tax cuts is definitely still coming in this yearâs budget, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoffâs morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
The Taxpayersâ Union is welcoming the investigation into the Department of Internal Affairs after it was revealed that the Departmentâs Chief Executive personally reached out to expedite a DJs passport application. Taxpayersâ Union Campaigns ...
Finance minister Nicola Willis delivers her first budget statement, and unwittingly helps Joel MacManus save his relationship. Nicola Willis strode into the Beehive Theatrette. Around me, on the green foldout seats, were the countryâs top business and political journalists. They were all here to see her announce the Budget Policy ...
Twenty years ago today, MÄori Television launched after much controversy. Jamie Tahana looks back on its survival and impact across two decades. Chad Chambers stepped onto the stage, the brim of his cap casting a shadow across his face. His smile beamed as bright as his white freezing works gumboots, ...
Tauranga, Rotorua, Wellsford, Onehunga, Westhaven marina â Gavin Strawhan walks the meanish streets of New Zealand in his entertaining debut novel The Call, almost sure to roar into the number 1 position on the Nielsen bestseller chart, its front cover bearing a rave from somebody: “A really good and genuinely ...
On a Thursday in February, at Wellingtonâs Conservation House, the Conservation Authority, a statutory body advising the eponymous department and minister, Tama Potaka, opened its 195th meeting. Under consideration that afternoon was an agenda item written by Tim Bamford, chief advisor in the Department of Conservationâs biodiversity, heritage and visitors ...
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To the MPs that come on here asking for unity or whatever so they can concentrate on the ‘real enemy’.
I’m prepared to publicly concede I had it wrong all along when you hit 40% in the polls.
At what point between now and the next election campaign when you don’t reach that number, will you be prepared to say we got it wrong, DS isn’t the right man for the job, you were spot on Al1?
Way I see it, at least 22 caucus members don’t know they arses from elbows.
What do you think you know that I don’t?
Did you hear Shearer on RNZ this morning on Waitangi and the Te Karere Digipol? Not only was he inarticulate as to explaining how Labour were working for Maori, he also could not pronounce his mps names, what they were doing, and entirely forgot to mention Nanaia. Precursor to the reshuffle?
hush minx: Well, how would you “perform”, after a night with lots of beer to “celebrate” your “overwhelming” victory of sorts? Maybe that is why he dropped in performance again? Just a thought, but he may send Annette around to answer and clarify this for us shortly.
Hmmm – and then I saw this in today’s Dom post:
Mr Shearer has not yet convinced the voters that he is a plausible prime minister, even if his caucus has backed him. He is desperately inarticulate, unable to deliver a sound bite without a lot of rehearsal or an auto-cue. ..He can look tough and decisive when his back is to the wall, but mostly he still just blunders.
Trevor Mallard likens Mr Shearer to Norman Kirk, which is laughable… Mr Shearer has a long way to go before he and his party look like winners.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/editorials/8261563/Editorial-Faltering-leader-versus-government-in-rut
Sigh
I caught this little gem at the end of the editorial to which you linked hush minx. “Labour is exploring new ideas- on monetary policy and tax and on a tougher welfare policy – but its image remains blurred.” This is the first I’ve heard of the “tougher welfare policy” and I don’t know if its true. Can anyone shed light on this?
Maybe ask “Jacinda Dear”, or the more senior “expert” “(Marie Antoi-)Anette” ?
I have had high suspicions about Labour’s true welfare agenda for a long time now, this only adds to it!!! They have in general been FAR TOO SILENT on the reforms that NatACT with the front person Bennett are launching, so one must wonder, wonder and wonder.
As Shearer will feel reassured now, I do not rule out a “slightly more moderate” harder line welfare policy by Labour, as the public have through a totally biased, misinforming MSM been largely conditioned and turned into benefit enviers and haters. So that is the wrongly “nurtured” public sentiment now, that exists, and Shearer would be prone to exploit public sentiment to gain votes.
His “sickness benefit roofpainter story” at the start of a “Heartland Speech” in Nelson (and I believe elsewhere) may have been the first signal to the public he gave, for what he really wants Labour to stand for!
Do NOT forget, they (Labour) brought in a Dr David Bratt, a staunch “pro work ability” “Principal Health Advisor” comparing benefit dependence to drug dependence in 2007. They have never explained that man’s appointment or bizarre claims in his public presentations to GPs and others.
Shearer never apologised for – or explained his “bene roof painter” dog whistle comments.
Shearer is displaying a clean lack of imagination, kiwi voters hate capable PMs. Ever since Lange gave it such a bad name – aka – neobliberalism. Why do you think Key is so desperate to look like a spoit brat, the longer he stays in office the harder it is to not look capable. He’s got a whole horrendous history of bad policy, reshuffles, outsourcing, and dithering over the economy under his belt but its never enough,
competence capable keep dogging his legacy.
NZ is rich and its essential for NZ not to get tagged as rich, and the best way is to just hand over our assets, deregulate, gear the economy to export its profit centers and just hate the idea of productivity. Government generosity is a crime against the economy damn it.
Kiwis are
just not taught simple ethics like beware people bearing gifts, that priests who are too good to be true are diddling their wards, that men selling ponsi schemes so pander to
investors personal weaknesses, that saving the economy by laxly taxes and deregulating the commercial arena will breed world winning companies (wow lol, what, the heavy slap on the bum is only good for children).
Being nice to the private sector will not make a resilient growing prosperous NZ.
We are this way, as a Nation, because our media is so weak and subservient to Australian bankers and Australian media barons, because they all want to work in OZ eventually and so make it easy to exploit NZ to gain points in the eyes of future employers.
Hi Olwyn – there have been a small number of us on this site who’ve been talking about this for a while now, xtasy for example, but it’s really hard to show people on the Left how nasty Labour’s welfare policy has been since 1999. Nobody sees the detail and neither, I believe, does anyone on the Left want to. Labour has been asked time and time again about this but they will not say a word. bad12 had a crack at me yesterday about having a go at Annette King, rushing to her defence ahead of taking notice of the real issue, which is that Labour’s history on welfare reform since 1999 and its silence when asked if this is still its policy is clear evidence it has every intention of continuing from wherever National leaves off, just as it did from 1999. Everyone’s saying “give Labour a chance to develop its welfare policy before you slag it”, but it’s been six years now since its last attack, the 2007 amendment Act, and they said nothing to suggest things had changed leading up to the last election. The only conclusion we can arrive at is it’s going to be more of the same. We can’t keep giving Labour the benefit of the doubt when there’s nothing to suggest things have changed – just silence which we can only take as meaning nothing’s changed. We trusted Labour in 1999 and they pooed all over us. For that I say fuck them.
Yes Mary I too have mistrusted that silence, which is what drew my attention to that short sentence in the first place.
Labour’s approach to welfare has been pretty nasty since 1984. They brought in GST and income taxes on benefits, instantly cutting into the standard of living. They brought in the monetarist culture of greed, which ordains that it’s easy to get rich and anyone who doesn’t is beneath contempt. They’ve never said sorry or admitted the huge shift to the right and they throw anyone who tries to give a minor nudge to the left under the bus. I’m afraid I can only see them as a party which exists to give the illusion of choice and democracy, especially with Shearer as leader.
@hush minx. I’m just waiting for TS to be blamed for this as well
Yep the replacement for Mike Smith.
Probably celebrated round at Hooton’s place.
hush minx – I didn’t hear it but your description is so good I don’t need to. Tangata whenua are cannon fodder for that useless nobody and his cohorts.
What was that olde world yank tea party thing about no representation, no taxes?
How about no accountability, no sermons or lectures.
Stand by your secret votes and give a date and a poll figure when you’ll know for sure the fight can’t be won. Draw on memory from 2008-11 if you’re stuck.
lol
Labour got in the order of 23% in a RM poll a week from the election. Result: NACT get 64 seats including three parties with 5 electorate-only seats.
To be that close to victory when labour is that low, I’m not completely certain I’d make that call if labour are at 30% a week out from the election. I wouldn’t be comfortable, but I sure wouldn’t be predicting defeat as a certainty.
It’s a simple enough couple of questions question, yet the nature of politics dictates it won’t get an answer from those it’s really asked, but in the real world away from the house, when they’re human like the rest of you, they’ll know what I’m on about, and that’s what I’m all about.
Devastating political scandal for key or the nats aside, or a last minute game changer than comes from left field (won’t be from Labour then đ ) and surprises everyone, as we are all repeatedly told by the media during campaigns that voters minds are already made up well in advance of a poll date, there’s a time when at least 22 of caucus who won’t even be aware of my challenge will sit and think, shit.
I don’t know whether it’s the night before, a week out a month or even dare I suggest those in caucus who voted for a vote for leader who can already tell this far out, but even though you probably won’t care too much (depending on your list ranking), I told you so, losers. đ
Biggest laugh at my expense is if Shearer slashes at Key’s poll rating and storms to a landslide election, winning by fighting for the NZ public on a platform of equality and opportunity for all kiwis.
Someone best make a record and post on election night to compound my ignorance. đ
hah – I’ve lost the link where I gave a timeframe for when I’d expect labour to get a 35% poll or two, before calling it another goff term.
But I reckon your penultimate sentence wouldn’t be so much of at the expense of yourself, or the country. đ
It’s a fair cop, guvnor, :thumbsup:
But just like what’s the point in having a heart and a sleeve if you don’t wear one on the other?
What’s the point in having money and a mouth if you won’t/can’t put them together?
Death and taxes – Fact.
Words without action – Not.
Maybe this is why Key wants to hang onto Parata a bit longer, she’s got to be the fall-guy
a bit longer:
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/127323/govt-poised-to-make-big-school-reforms,-papers-show
Yep
“Treasury documents indicate that the Government is considering major reforms of the school system.
The papers show improving the system is the Treasury’s highest priority and emphasise raising the quality of teaching.”
The highest priority is creating more upheaval in the school system? Not housing, not child poverty, not the chronic shortage of doctors.
They are putting in place charter schools, by the time National leaves office I wouldn’t be surprised if thousands more of kids come out of school with no qualifications and no future. Just the perfect slave labour for their corporate mates.
but they’ll have certificates in “bible knowledge” or “burger dynamics”.
And just what the hell does Treasury know about teaching?
Oh, that’s right, absolutely nothing. That’s why we have a Ministry of Education.
Now will they apply that to the economy as well?
Not bloody likely.
Paula Bennett was interviewed by Kathryn Ryan of Radio New Zealand National yesterday morning (04 Feb., 09:05 am) on welfare numbers, the welfare reforms to be pushed through by her government, whether they were justified, correct and representative, and more.
On the nine to noon program there were also Alan Johnson, Salvation Army social policy analyst and Susan St John from Auckland Uni, elaborating on controversial figures, why the mainstream media misrepresents the truth about beneficiaries, the numbers of them, the reasons for being on benefits and rather just tends to high-light and present the extreme, bizarre, very unusual cases to the public.
It is well worth a listen and to do some good, critical thinking about it.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/20130204
Bennett was again, as so often, getting a lot of figures wrong, confusing some, and naturally did “not have them before her” in too many cases. So she continues to create a lot of “mist”, uncertainties, she is distracting and full of ambiguities and misrepresentation.
Of course the program once again only scratched the very surface of a whole range of issues, that will become very clear to the many that will be very adversely and seriously affected, yes harmed, by the reforms that will be pushed through by way of the ‘Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill’, presently before the Social Services Committee of Parliament.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/20130204
Also, do not forget, where Bennett comes from, and what her speech revealed, that she held to medical professionals (who will be instrumental in part, to force sick, injured and disabled into some forms of work) on 26 Sept. 2012. Read between the lines, and realise the absolute focus on the supposed UK findings, that are supposed to be the “international” evidence that work is kind of “remedial” to all people.
http://www.beehive.govt.nz/speech/speech-medical-professionals
I have not found much of other “international” evidence though that supports the extreme, bizarre and perverted interpretation of a so-called “bio psycho-social model” for assessing and re-integrating disabled and sick into work, that a Professor Sir Mansel Aylward (from a partly private insurance financed department at Cardiff University), who also helped develop and introduced tough work ability assessments at the Department of Work and Pensions in the UK (first under Thatcher), did bring in there.
http://blacktrianglecampaign.org/2013/01/11/new-zealand-british-style-work-tests-concern-tests-were-developed-by-disability-expert-prof-sir-mansel-aylward/
http://blacktrianglecampaign.org/2012/05/31/a-tale-of-two-models-disabled-people-vs-unum-atos-government-and-disability-charities-by-debbie-jolly-dpac/
http://blacktrianglecampaign.org/2012/10/31/government-use-might-of-american-insurance-giant-to-destroy-uk-safety-net-by-mo-stewart-update/
The true agenda is about these “reforms” is all about cost savings, and nothing else!!!
The UK model is seriously considered as a foundation upon the Ministry of Social Development and Work and Income are planning to change the whole medical assessment and work testing regime for sickness and invalid’s beneficiaries. THIS ALL IS COMING HERE AND DUE TO BECOME THE NORM FOR NZ.
This is a space to watch, as NZ is in danger of making serious mistakes that have been made already by following similar, draconian reforms and bizarre work-testing regimes in the UK over recent years. Already many there died through trying to work while they really could not, or were in extreme cases driven to commit suicide. Grim stuff this is.
‘Grim stuff this is.’, aye it’s what the NACT do best.
Bennett shows that’s it’s all about ideology, facts are to be dismissed if they don’t support your case or twisted if possible with a few slogans to spin and confuse.
Bennett is a hypocrite who is pulling the ladder up behind her and being applauded by that other beneficiary of welfare John Key.
Ryan’s too lightweight, that’s why they go on.
As the Labour/Green/NZFirst? coalition, noticeably surpass National in popularity, (polls indicating that move now) Â Â we will see those vote gaining tactic’s of welfare/benefit attacks. Maori will cop the usual ‘what more do they want slurs.’ which is a reliable vote earner also.Â
Xl you make some good points. Â Â Â Â
Keep up the good work Xtasy.
I’m feeling pretty despondant about affecting positive change. I don’t know if TS will go ahead with brainstorming policy given our powerlessness in getting Labour to pay attention, but maybe someone who has some influence will pause for thought over something they read here, sometime, and that will make it worthwhile.
It’s not up to us on TS to get Labour to pay attention. It really is up to them to engage the community and so far, from what I can make out, they’re failing miserably.
Thanks for the links X, this needs much more coverage than it is getting. The system is ALREADY damaging for disabled persons and the able bodied (eg access difficulties, lack of understanding, overworked staff not informing people of their full and correct entitlement which IMHO is a key driver of poverty in this country).
Paula’s only idea is to stick with the main ideas behind the British model which caused and continues to cause such great social harm.
It’s almost a form of eugenics/social cleansing.
People with disabilities struggled under Labour, now they are denied basic human rights under National. When Labour and the Greens take over the books in 2014 they will find thousands of children that have fallen in the cracks, who if the government had just given teacher aids and sufficient resources could have been productive members of society. National doesn’t care about those with disabilities, it believes in eugenics i.e. letting the worst off members of society starve, kill themselves or end up homeless on the street.
Edit: So yeah you are right. đ
When Labour and the Greens take over the books in 2014 they will find thousands of children that have fallen in the cracks…
There will be children in the cracks of the books?
You’re a book crack.
Good one.
NO, your book is cracked, same as your mind seems to be “cracked”.
Common sense, reading real information and understanding what is behind stuff is not your strenghth, it seems. Well, to be honest, you do not really care, as you are just one of the few frequenting TS to stir up crap, but contribute little of substance.
Enjoy your little space in narrow mind, the smaller it gets.
Like some time long before Christmas (to 2 email addresses at RNZ) – again yesterday substantial information on some of what is already happening at the hands of MSD and WINZ in this regards, was sent to Kathryn Ryan at Radio NZ National yesterday afternoon.
My expectation is – it will just be put aside as too much and too complex information to bother looking at, so it will NOT be reported on.
Lead story today is the football fraud scandal exposed by Europol, that has spread world-wide and is being exposed now. So most that are interested in sports and other matters will pay attention to that, rather than what really matters.
The media (mainstream that is) does not give a damn about beneficiaries or sick and disabled, unless they are cases that can be presented as sob or pity story material – to gain in viewing and listening quotas – that will also enable to sell yet more advertising.
That is what Campbell Live and others are doing. Sorry to upset the ones that may think he is doing some “good work”. Yes, it may be for a good cause, some of it, but it never seems to be without ulterior goals.
Two very contrasting blog posts, Chris Trotter’s a sting in the tail on why Labour needs to commit to helping the poorest amongst us.
And at the opposite end of the spectrum in both compassion, understanding and comprehension Josie Pagani posts on, at least I think she is posting on, why Labour needs to be more right wing and why beneficiaries should only be tolerated and Labour needs to get tougher on crime.
The next time she advertised as being “of the left” should be met with a complaint that it is misleading.
Pagani acting as the last, distant colonial outpost of Blairism would be funny, except that I suspect her thinking is close to the feeble ideology at the top of the parliamentary Labour party. As such, I think she provides a fascinating insight into the sort of arguments that seem to under pin much of Labour’s policy at the moment.
MS – I saw Trotter’s story last night, but did not yet read it in detail.
That link works, but the other hyperlink you put in for Pagani does not lead to the story.
# xtasy
http://www.pundit.co.nz/content/how-political-parties-get-stuck-in-opposition
Thanks Joe90. Apologies for rushing it.
Thanks for that.
It reminds me very much of what I heard from Phil Goff, when a minister many years ago. Cracking down on crime, doing this and that, supporting the military and what else comes to mind.
Pagani is stuck in the Blairite Bubble, I must say, she will likely never get out of it, because once it pops, she will drop and hurt herself, thus ending in a personality crisis.
I heard also yesterday (on the BBC World Service that was), that the French may not just have gone to deal to “islamist extremist threats” in Mali, but perhaps also bore in mind the rich uranium and other resources found there!?
That makes it look a bit more like “a little Iraq style invasion” then.
Maybe Shearer will invest his UN and strategic thinking skills by suggesting to send NZ troops to sort out Fiji, in order to “restore democracy”?
The interesting bits on that page are to be found in the comment section at the bottom of the page,
The best that can be said for the writer of that piece is in the nature of revelation, it appears that being a ‘political contortionist’ allows Her to suck the air She breathes out of Her own anus…
Quoting Article:
I don’t see anyone on the left doing that. See it plenty on the right though as they work to distract from their failed policies that come directly from their failed ideology.
Other than that, I don’t think she managed to say anything.
What drivel – whatever point she was trying to make was lost in a sea of dross. She must be Special Adviser to Shearer.
” their failed ideology”
As compared to the absolutely fabulous concoction on the contemporary Left of Deconstructionist Intellectual Fraudsters/Feminist Man Hating/Neo Marxist mumbo jumbo.
Yep, k_p still fails to make any sense whatsoever.
Tell, were you born that stupid or did you have to work at it?
Unenlightened people often are damned to work very, very hard, so some keep trying here, working very, very hard, repeating the same all over again, as some know no better, to get somewhere.
Whether it pays off is not relevant, as the exercise of banging the head against the brick wall sets off endless flows of adrenalin, that give some hormonal feelings of “encouragement” or stoicism, it will end up feeling quite “good” of sorts for the endless head banger. So add the dots together perhaps.
“The next time she advertised as being âof the leftâ should be met with a complaint that it is misleading.”
She was on Larry Williams’ show last night with Cameron Slater. She agreed with everything he said.
Well, she does work for him.
What you notice about Pagani and the whole Neo-lib tribe that currently occupies ‘the middle ground’ is that the ‘problem’ is always framed as being ‘WELFARE’,
That of course allows them to concentrate solely upon a narrow line of dialogue, and thus ‘reforms’ become acceptable in that ‘middle ground’,
It is in fact ‘the economy’ and ’employment’ where the focus should be, it is obvious to everyone except the most blatant of LIARS that there are more people available for work than there is work in the economy,
Thus continually whipping those reliant upon welfare to even ‘look’ for work is simply BULLSHIT,(as a commenter pointed out Pagani’s comments were),
As Pagani is firmly mired in the middle class when She talks of Socialism, She is talking of the Socialism of the middle classes where that class is continually pandered to by the political class…
Pagani would seem to argue that Blair invaded other countries for good reasons, while his partner in crime, Bush, was invading the same countries for bad reasons. I have a real love/hate relationship with the way these fake lefties are able to contort their ideas to suit any actions whatsoever. It’s frightening and enetertaining at the same time.
Just listened to the first part of the interview….in the first minute or so Ryan reveals the number of people on the unemployment benefit for 15 years or more? TWELVE PEOPLE.
The number of people on the dole for 20 years or more? FOUR.
Citing extreme examples to illustrate we have an issue that only they (National) have the guts to solve has been the approach to welfare.
That was the good part of the whole interview, how Bennett and the government on one hand are exposed as exploiting and abusing figures to portray a “dramatic” “crisis” kind of scenario asking for urgent action, and how especially the MSM totally mis-report, misrepresent and basically LIE to the public about what is happening in the area of benefit dependence, needs and challenges.
It is all only about headlines about selected, bizarre, totally out of the ordinary EXTREME cases, that they report on, NOT FACTS and balanced figures and details!
This must be exposed more, for sure, as the MSM appear to be complicit in the war on the welfare system and affected beneficiaries this government is leading now. That is NOT what the so-called “4th estate” is there for.
What interested me was the bloke up Gizzy way that had been on the dole for 25 years, now that man should be given a gold watch,
By being a well behaved citizen over that 25 years, he has quite heroically in my opinion given up the pursuit of more money so as to enable others to take up any work on offer,
In a province of economic decline this man has selflessly gone without on the doles meager income allowing others to earn those higher wages,
Should this man have entered the workforce at any time in those 25 years in a province with a declining economy someone else would have had to take the position previously occupied by that bloke,
While the above is a little out of left field it is in ‘fact’ the truth, in a declining economy for a person to gain employment there is every chance that someone in another part of that economy will have stopped being employed…
He’s a lazy good for nothing.
Probably grows dope, deals and sits on his fat bum, stoned most of the time.
A quarter century doing nothing?
Jeez, KP, I thought you were keen on the entrepeneurial spirit? Why are you putting the boot into a man you believe to be running an effective small business for quarter of a century?
Y’know, in that 25 years, the bloke will have seen various welfare administrations, maybe ten Ministers of Employment, several name changes at the DOSS/Social Welfare/WINZ/MOBIE and countless case managers who would all have bounced him off the dole in a heartbeat if they could.
Presumably he has been getting the benefit for 25 years for dinkum reasons. That’s fine by me.
“…countless case managers who would all have bounced him off the dole in a heartbeat if they could. ”
As you well know the stories of incompetency are endless coming out of the welfare system.
Maybe he’s got a few “cussie brews” in that little country town branch.
Pathetic use of a popularism of language you dick-head, even a 5 year old knows that its cuzzy-bro…
Yeah but the way you spell it isn’t phonetic, lol.
I can’t even understand half what most Maoris say their English pronunciation is so poor.
So is there some difference in 1 person ‘doing nothing’ for 25 years as you put it and 10 people over the same period spending 18 months each doing nothing,
i realize that your a ‘wing-nut’ so have to take into account your limited ability to actually ‘think’ but in a Gisborne type situation with an economy in continual decline someone ‘has’ to be unemployed,
Given that little ‘fact’ our ‘gold watch’ beneficiary would have to take someone else’s employment or if a newly created employment position appeared in the local economy deny someone else that employment position,
Which simply means that should that Bloke in Gizzy have ‘got a job’ someone else in Gizzy wouldn’t have one…
Engaging in sophistry there, bad12 – not that you would know what the word means without looking it up first.
The idea that the long term unemployed are taking one for the team is so self evidently absurd, I can only respond with the same question re Draco T below, why don’t any of the Left parties use your brilliant dazzling argument in their public statements on the issue?
because of bigoted voters like you?
What is exactly misleading or wrong about the above statement you sexually self-fulfilling, pathetic T thing that resides under a bridge, aint a goat, but in all probability has the odor of one,
Because you have attached to the above the label of sophism means little, nay nothing, without first having provided a narrative which proves the sophism,
Or perhaps you like Paula believe in the magic of the word ‘seeking’ and thus the more people seeking work the more people will have work which is in fact the real sophism,
Of course you also believe that the free market rules in which case the 175,000-185,000 currently seeking work are simply part of a natural market lead pool of available labour,
To believe in both tho is to simply point out that you are in all likely-hood a sufferer of Schizophrenia or some other disease of the mind a fact that none here would find surprising about you…
Paula?
I don’t like her. I’m not a right winger. I’m not a neo-con.
I like old skool Left Liberalism plus any ideas that are free from too much ideological constraint.
For example, Gareth Morgan’s take on the Welfare System – Health, Pension etc. It’s in a crisis, his Big Kahuna idea deals with the issues and makes an interesting proposal for a solution.
I don’t like Feminist Man Haters/Deconstructionists/Anti-white, anti-Western Multiculturalists.
The Left has crashed and burned thanks to those idiots.
AAAAAH dummy lift your game, ”perhaps you like Paula” is obviously a reference to you being ‘alike’ in attitude even a 4 year old could have figured that,
I see no narrative which proves the sophism of your accusation and changing the subject at 100 k an hour just does not cut it,
I don’t much care what or who you are, your comments reek of SCUM, therefor you shall be known by your comments…
plus any ideas that are free from too much ideological constraint.
Lol…your ‘white is right’ is the most powerful ideology we’ve ever had…shame for you it went out of fashion in the 80s
How do you know he was doing nothing?
In fact, if he was growing dope he couldn’t possibly have been sitting on his arse and he would have been providing a service that the community wants. It’s not his fault that the laws are so stupid as to outlaw a service that the community wants forcing him to declare himself unemployed (that’s if he was growing dope which we’re only speculating upon).
Really, what it comes down to is the simple fact that you’re an idiot. You didn’t even realise that you contradicted yourself.
There is no contradiction.
The idea that growing dope is necessarily a busy full time occupation is one you are assuming in order to create your straw man argument.
So you are the idiot.
‘providing a service that the community wants.’
Too bad David Shearer and the Labour Party don’t put that in their speeches, eh? Guess you think that just goes to show the Labour Party are a bunch of neo liberal sell outs and have betrayed the true Leftists like your enlightened self.
Sigh.
Regardless of whatever you think about cannabis use it’s self-evidently a high demand product. I don’t see how you can argue that cannabis growers are not providing a service any more than you could argue that neither do tomato growers or parsley growers or broccoli growers.
I suppose that’s why you didn’t bother.
I haven’t argue he is not providing a service, you muppet.
Fish fingers or chicken nuggets? And get off the computer or you can’t watch Glee :nob:
“I havenât argue he is not providing a service, you muppet.”
I realise that, you fraggle. However you did quote the phrase and then made a vague attempt to ridicule the bearer of it, so I think it’s fair to assume that you have an opinion on the matter.
I’m just trying to provide you with an opportunity to express it.
“I donât see how you can argue that cannabis growers are not providing a service”
You are contradicting yourself, are you are Deconstructionist Feminist?
Please show the contradiction.
“Deconstructionist Feminist?”
đ
If it’s a labelling contest, beat Elephantine phallustistic and I’ll let you watch Glee afterall.
So, according to you, farmers aren’t busy full time workers?
So you are trying to equate some useless bum doing some small time growing or dealing to supplement his indolent lifestyle with a farmer.
Well done. Are you a Deconstructionist?
Useless bum? That’s no way to address the entrepreneurial spirit. Shame on you, falling for the tall poppy (hemp) syndrome.
Wow KP, is that the lifestyle you’d choose if you could?
You sound kind of bitter for a hippy.
Maybe on planet McFlock it works that way, but back in the real world, yeah there are plenty of slackers.
most of them are slack in thought, rather than industry.
Well you are definitely guilty of the first.
See? No creativity, man.
You took the obvious gimme and added nothing.
Did you write for Melody Rules?
“Did you write for Melody Rules?”
Is that your idea of creative is it, lol?
you’re almost there. Wake up those lazy neurons…
If he’s the same bloke I read a story about in the paper a while ago then he gets about $10 a week because his earnings don’t reach the cut off point.
There was quite a lengthy interview with David Shearer on the Larry Williams show on Newstalk ZB yesterday, about 8 minutes. All the important questions were asked. Highly recommend it. Does it remind anyone else of overnight talkback?
http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/auckland/player/ondemand/1540088868-david-shearer-to-prove-he-can-lead-the-nation
Also for anyone who hasn’t seen it: Matthew Hooton’s NBR piece which suggests that Shearer should freeze Cunliffe out completely: http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/cunliffes-throat-must-now-be-cut-ck-135370
In the Newstalk ZB clip, it’s interesting that Shearer brought up the reshuffle himself when asked what would happen to Cunliffe, while remaining non-committal. I wonder if he’s planning to offer Cunliffe a front-bench portfolio in exchange for a public pledge of loyalty/endorsement?
And in true talkback style, I’d like to know what others think.
Does it remind anyone else of overnight talkback?
That’s exactly what I thought. You have to pinch yourself and say “My God, this really is the leader of the opposition!”, not dotty Don from Dargaville at 3 a.m.
This is why Shearer’s defenders on here totally miss the point. The number of “negative” comments on the Standard is dwarfed by the audience for Newstalk ZB.
Shearer cocks up in front of millions, every week.
But if we point out his cock-ups, apparently we’re the real problem?
heh
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-02-04/economic-forecasts-no-better-than-a-random-walk/4499098
yep. That’s why economists are so dangerous.
I’ve just read a quote from one of John Buchan’s books. He was a great Empire man, strong on duty and colonial exploration and resource hunting and became Governor General of Canada.
This from The Runagates Club published 1928.
It has relevance for today in English speaking countries with the move to the right and desire for excess and self rather than the national and people’s interest and service with good governance.
From the Bath, in its most exotic form, degenerate patrician youth passed to the coarse delights of the Circus, and thence to that parody of public duties which it was still the fashion of their class to patronise.
Von Letterbeck: Imperial Rome>/i>
The Greens should get their engines running and all their ducks in a row,because i
am picking there will be an influx of left wing voters in 2014.
The Green Party has had for quite a number of years now had ‘it’s engines running’ and this is evidenced by the number of ‘hits’ scored on the Slippery lead National Government in the House at question time, and the ‘fact’ that when seeking comment on any issue of the day the media are just as likely to ask the Green Party for comment as they are to ask Labour,
The Green Party Housing policy in content and intent shows that the Green Party is well ahead in developing policy which directly benefits those most in need in our society and i believe that in the next 18 months we will see much more of this intelligent policy released to the electorate…
Agreed bad12,that’s why i am now getting their e-mails, i have seen the light.
Lolz, bloody good on you then, the constant flow of what i see as negativity which flows through the pages of the Standard toward Labour is in my view counter-productive,
Labour at present(this is opinion), as a party are mostly middle class people, probably in the main well educated and comfortable in their employment,
Socialism has in the main been educated out of the psyche of such people as they have embraced the newer culture of ‘what’s in it for me’,
Labour, as in the last Labour lead Government and the present Labour Opposition simply reflect this comfortable middle class and the continuous venting of anger at them hasn’t as far as i can see changed that one iota,
There may be a ‘mood’ within the Labour Party it’self to change that but my view is that such a ‘mood’ from within the Party will take 10 years to translate into a change in the attitude of the Party’s MP’s,
Given that, there are 2 choices activist member of the broad left have, the first being to become even more active within the Party, not necessarily as a means to gain immediate change in the make-up and attitude of the Labour MP’s, but as a 10 year plan to transform the Party back if you will excuse the use of the word to expressing the core of Labour values,
Option 2 of course is to simply walk away from Labour and give both our monetary and electoral support to the Party which best expresses at this point in time our political and economic values…
http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2013/02/a_standard_strategy.html
Comment from the Sewer that is factually incorrect, now who would have thunk that???,
Annette King was commenting on the Standard weeks befor the Leadership vote held yesterday, while Annette cannot as She is bound to support the Caucus and the Party’s policies stray far from simply stating those policies much ‘Could’ be changed by commentor’s here at the Standard putting up comments that highlight any flaws perceived in Labour Party policy while proposing well thought out alternatives…
…Annette cannot as She is bound…
Is she divine?
The Gormless Fool, the name suits you and when applied to you is obviously correct, which is about the only thing you have ever got right in your brief occupation of the skin you are in,
What the f**k is that comment supposed to mean, other than a display of your abject stupidity that is???…
Why don’t you explain the system, as you understand it, for the capitalisation of nouns. Let’s then see who is gormless.
I profess to having not an iota of adherence to any such system as you inquire about,
Gormless we all already know who is gormless around here the fact of which you continually prove beyond a doubt…
Well done on title case. Punctuation still needs work, however.
That comment is as limp as every appendage attached to you torso…
Cause I have a small penis. Geddit?
The long game,
Folks, we are in a real crisis here. Wealthy right-wing interest groups and sectarian lobbies are waging an all-out war on public schools. They want to destroy the public school system and move to a market-driven system where taxpayers are forced to support religious and other private schools of all sorts.
http://www.secularnewsdaily.com/2013/02/seven-days-of-deception-school-choice-week-is-over/
lol – wonder if anyone will take up shearers idea of saying, “Happy Waitangi Day” – what a fuckwit he is.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/8262156/Shearer-urges-honours-on-Waitangi-Day
He may as well say “happy wankers day”, referring to the day he “won” over Carcass Caucus.
Unemployment is this- Having cut the civil service to the bare minimum needed to operate such a service the present Slippery lead National Government has ‘defined’ for us what a market lead economy will deliver to us as a nation in terms of the number of actual jobs in the economy,
So given that there are currently 175,000-185,000 unemployed in this country we can ‘see’ that this is a ‘true’ reflection of the market economies ability to employ people,
OK, another given is that we are currently in the midst of a economic depression we can also ‘see’ that given an ‘upturn’ the actual number of those the market economy has the ability to employ would still leave us with 125,000-135,000 souls who that market does not have the ability to employ,
It then also becomes obvious to us all that to continually require those who the market economy has FAILED to find an economic use for to seek work which does not exist and prove that they have actually been seeking this non-existent employment would at the least require a belief in ‘magic’ in that anyone who believes that a person simply seeking such employment will radically alter what is a ‘fact’ of that market economy,
The truth of the little ‘fact’ above is to be found in the numbers of those who are unemployed and currently receiving the unemployment benefit attached to which is the requirement to seek work,
Obviously if the act of simply ‘seeking’ work radically changed the ‘market economy’ there would be a radical decline in the numbers of those receiving that particular benefit,
Until such time as Politicians begin to tell the truth about how many of us can be employed by the market economy unemployment is always going to be addressed from the narrow confines of dialogue where the reality is ignored in favor of a belief in magic solutions and further denigration of those the market economy has FAILED to be capable of employing,
I would suggest that as a first step that those politicians which have shown a propensity to believe in such magic solutions to the ‘problem’ of unemployment while claiming the ‘market economy’ is working as it should be should be examined by a medical professional for signs of Schizophrenia as any belief in both is in fact a belief in 2 propositions at the same point on the same subject that are diametrically opposed to each other…
There is a cartoon on the herald which it tags ‘Next time,Mr Shearer’
‘Just appoint yourself to the roll and they will take it on the chin,works
for me every time’
Eludes to Titewhai Harawira at Te tii Marae happenings.
The Wit of Graham Bell
The Panel, National Radio, Tuesday 5 February 2013
Jim Mora, Graham Bell, David Slack
JIM MORA: Noelle, what is the world talking about?
NOELLE McCARTHY: Well, a story that has caught our attention is one from right here in New Zealand, about a kea in the South Island. It stole one thousand dollars from a Scottish tourist who left the money on the front seat of his car.
GRAHAM BELL: That’s unusual for a Scotsman! A ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
[Long, awkward silence. Nobody else laughs. Nobody.]
Just before the news, an item about gender-based driving aptitude leads to another unleashing of the finely honed Bell wit….
GRAHAM BELL: That will be good news for men, because women are always teaching us how to drive.
[Long silence]
GRAHAM BELL: A ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
[Awkward silence]
JIM MORA: Oh! I see what you mean. Ha.
DAVID SLACK: [uneasily] Hur hur hur.
[Awkward silence]
MORA: Okay, time for the four o’clock news.
Brain disease is slow and gradual, Alzheimers is one of them, hardly noticed at first.
According to the Waikato Times today, the Waikato town of Pokeno will be home to the first Chinese milk processing plant in New Zealand if Chinese company Yashili International, is given the green light (by the Overseas Investment Office) to buy land for its planned $210 million baby formula operation – creating 100 local jobs. Yashili International, one of China’s biggest baby formula and soymilk powder makers, has a conditional agreement to buy land in Pokeno’s Gateway business park.
Here we go again! NZ is becoming a soft touch for this type of deal and it appears it is now open season to all comers to establish this type of operation in one of our key industries on land we are prepared to sell for this purpose.
It appears that Chinese company Shanghai Pengxin (buyer of the Crafar Farms), may have been the pathfinder in setting a template for this operation currently under consideration. It goes something like this – establish a NZ registered company and then appoint a New Zealander to front it to legitimise it. It appears these moves into NZ are being encouraged by the Chinese government’s decision to substantially reduce import tariffs on finished milk formula.
What are we doing in this country? We must not continue to sell our land to allow major overseas players to establish in our key industries and compete against us.
That just highlights a major failure of Fonterra’s business model, while making adult milk formula and milk formula for small children other than babies Fonterra has failed it’s share-holders by it’s lax attitude to the baby milk formula market in the Asian economies,
Fonterra chose instead to simply supply the raw product to another company i have forgotten the name of under contract which has lad in turn to Fonterra supplying a major competitor, Nestle, as that company has now purchased that company and the supply contracts,
My belief is that the ‘internationalists’ in control of Fonterra will at some stage have removed from the farmer share-holders enough ‘power’ to be able to on-sell Fonterra on the global market,
That as the Chinese are at present seriously building what will eventually become a huge dairy herd will be at a heavily discounted price…
Chinese majority owned Synlait already have more than one milk plant planned/up and running.
PREPARE for the influx of “specially skilled” employees under the China NZ FTA, as in that plant, it will be likely that Mandarin and/or Cantonese will at least be the “official” language of instructions, so any staff working there, will naturally require sufficient language skills, to be able to understand such instructions and to communicate.
NZ Immigration is always very helpful and works together with other agencies and stakeholders and employers to find the most suitable solutions to help everyone involved.
Take it then, there will be the clause used, to get as many Mainland Chinese workers in as they can, to also work “efficiently” and according to “cultural” and other just economic, social and scientific requirements, that are specific to meeting the very needs of the Mainland Chinese consumer. Particular recipes, mixtures and whatever, to get the end product, will be highly commercially sensitive, and this will only be able to be entrusted to, and handled by, competent, knowledgeable, suitably skilled and qualified, also Mandarin or Cantonese literate employees.
Permits granted!
HOOTON, and Fran O Sullivan, now you come!
But…but..NZ is multicultural!
Multiculturalism will only make NZ culture richer!
You are just privileged, white male, heteronormative, cisgender, rape culture promoting, racist, colonialist, imperialistic, essentialist scumbags!!!
If you have any economic points to make in-between your irrelevant ranting, please feel free.
The world owes an awful lot to Abba Alhadi and his friends.
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/people-timbuktu-save-manuscripts-invaders
And to think the multiculturalists are happy to let as many Muslims into New Zealander as want to come.
That may be “multiculturalist muslims” though. KPee
And to think that peoples from Arab countries now living in New Zealand have anything to do with such destruction a world away makes you-(search for big word), just scum..
What are you on about, got a problem? Arabs, non arabs, all other nationalities get on with their lives, you just start arguing about something I cannot even decipher. It is nonsensical what you last wrote.
I probably misuderstood you in a wrong way, as you may have been more worked up with commenter “above”, sorry.
Your really ‘on’ the ball tonight X, read, take a deep breath and read again, yes my habit of not naming the persona i am replying to could be confusing…
But I got one more bone to pick with you on the other thread!
Oh good, chewing up bones is one of my favorite occupations…
Got it chewed now, got da message?
Yeah, the problem being that the message i get from you is that you are a childish simpleton prone to paranoid delusions..
Really?
So the massive flood of Muslims into Western Europe hasn’t brought their problems with them?
Multiculturalism has been a resounding success in Europe has it?
And you think we can look forward to the same wondrous effects in NZ, right?
You are in self denial or maybe you welcome the erosion of Western Civilization.
KPee – you love Breivik, it seems, or at least agree with his “philosophy”, right, yeah right, I should say and ask?!
KPee I am perhaps also a JIHADEE, so what are you going to do about it, hypothetically???
Let me get someone from “Anonymous” onto you while you wait, we will soon find out, who you are, what you do, where you live and the rest of it. That will make you feel very trusting, I am sure, as I trust you fully, and as you can trust me fully, that is if that can all work, aye?!
So that’s how it works around here, you threaten and intimidate anyone who doesn’t go along with your nonsense.
You are just as crazy as any ideologue of Left or Right
KPee Have thou any fear???
The demise of Western civilization, perlease!!!, that nearly fucking got my heart to stop, the laughter at you for inserting such a phrase into a comment that is,
Can you please, please, please expand upon this destruction of western civilization for me, fuck i love a laugh and your a hoot, the biggest one in town,
It’s all a Muslim conspiracy right KP, out of 20 households in my small street there are 2 that are definitely from the Arab countries, do you think i should bar the windows and put extra locks on the door against the time they break out screaming Allah Akbar whilst mowing down the neighborhood cats with the un-stashed AK47’s,
Actually you useless piece of cum-stain they just do normal things the same as what everyone else in the street does, they pretty much keep to themselves which shock-horror the white folks majority of the street does as well…
bad12: You do NOT understand that you must forthwith conform and convert to ISLAM. That is the ONLY “true” religion. I fyou cannot convert, the devil will get you! That is the truth about religion. Get a fear of the devil now, I tell, you for Jesus Muhammed and others.
So the massive flood of Muslims into Western Europe hasnât brought their problems with them?
Yes, Muslims didn’t bring their problems with them…Muslim problems in Western Europe developed in Western Europe and also involve a Western Europeans…as well as economic, social and political inequality.
Multiculturalism has been a resounding success in Europe has it?
No, there are multiple reasons for this, including: the incoming culture, the existing culture, economic issues, political issues etc
And you think we can look forward to the same wondrous effects in NZ, right?
Yes, if we continue to deal with it in the same way that Europe has.
You are in self denial or maybe you welcome the erosion of Western Civilization.
Yes, but not complete erosion. Just until one civilisation is no longer dominant to the point that it oppresses another cilivilisation.
Yes, so did say, the master before, to warn of vermin, Adolfus Hitlerius.
Are email notifications likely to ever work for me again?