Never underestimate the fashion industry for trying to jump on any initiative that they can embrace as an upcoming money earner. But, if this is something a bit more spontaneous from well off young men, is it a sign they are keen to embrace and flout wealth and status – to promote themselves as some rising aristocracy?
Once all classes embraced denim and (alleged) casual attire as a sign that class no longer exists, Now some are attempt to promote class privilege?
Its very winnable if the turnout lifts from the 67% in 2011.
encourage everyone to vote as the mantra from the msm will continue to be the same as 2011 being that the polls say nats will win, cunliffe is tricky, the greens are communists and KDC is hitler reincarnated.
Yes its almost as if they know that KDC has the evidence and probably images to prove Johnny boy has been lying yet again in his use of state devices for political means.
Why else would they be going so hard to devalue him.
“Yes its almost as if they know that KDC has the evidence ..”
There have been a number of people who have recently commented here that they think KDC does not have the evidence – and that if he had, he would have released it already.
There is that possibility, but having followed the KDC situation quite closely because of its unique legal complexities and its ramifications, I find it unlikely that he does not have some form of evidence that Key knew about him much earlier than the day before the raid, as Key claims. KDC has repeated said and tweeted that he has evidence; and I do not believe that his extensive and highly qualified team of legal advisors would have allowed him to repeatedly claim this if they did not have some evidence that they holding back as they are intending using this in the extradition proceedings.
PS – IIRC KDC tweeted in late January/early Feb something to the effect that Warren Tucker, head of the SIS (until end of April when Kitteridge takes over), was involved in briefing Key. This tweet appeared to go unnoticed at the time, and I don’t have time right now to search his extensive tweets to recheck this.
When you think about it, it is the job of the SIS director to keep the Prime Minister of the day informed of any upcoming event – whether they’re directly or only indirectly involved.
I wonder how the director felt watching him on the telly lying through his teeth then? He can’t comment of course, but it must have left him feeling uncomfortable. At least I damm well hope it did!
Hitler condemned and burnt books. Thomas condemns a book and the owner.
Is Thomas so different in principle from the actions of the Hitler?
I have written a comment to the Herald on those lines re the Thomas/National post.
Oh for crying out loud. This is the argument that most frustrates me. It’s like we lose all concepts of subtleness when this type of conversation comes up.
No one is saying that Kim Dotcom can’t own the book. We’re not saying that it should be burned. We’re not saying that people who own Mein Kampf should be thrown into prison.
All that is being said is that people should perhaps judge a person who decide to buy a signed copy of it for something besides being a historical researcher. Just as Dotcom has the right to buy it, we have the right to judge him for it.
But no, there’s a lot of crows flying around in the sky, you keep building that straw-man.
Comical Ali – oh the memories! A light spot in a very sad situation. I wonder what happened to him? IIRC the last I heard was that he left Iraq and was in one of the Arab countries.
Colon Craig going for ex-Destiny candidates. Labour should shout about this if Key tries to gift him a seat.
This from Dom Post today:
“Conservatives name two candidates
Colin Craig’s Conservative Party has named two South Auckland candidates, Edward Saafi and Elliot Ikelei. Saafi, who has previously sought selection for National and the Destiny Party, will stand in Mangere, while Ikelei will stand in Manurewa.
The Conservative Party has been targeting the South Auckland seats and believes it can pick up National and Labour voters disaffected with the major parties over gay marriage and other issues.”
This morning an article appeared int the NZ Herald. A Lobby group wanted to lower the $ 10 million investment to attract more rich people to NZ. John Key went to China recently and it appears a lot of what are called “naked” officials are keen to leave China as the plebs are raising their pitch forks in order to pry some of that filthy lucre back from their loving leaders. I can’t help but wonder what John Key has been talking about while in China?
if we are going to do favours for foreign developers who dont want to meet english language requirements, how do we ensure they are around within the building act ten year period in case they build crap?
I wonder how many school boards of trustees understand that they are quietly being replaced by these so called executive principals? Schools run by their communities will soon be a thing of the past and the new boot boys will ensure strict adherence to govt policy like nationals standards, a narrow testing based curriculum and a do as you are told one size fits all system. Is that what parents want for their kids?
But worse, schools run by government appointees, whose main role is to ensure strict adherence to government policy designed to stuff public education.
Did anyone else watch The Nation. Shane Jones is certainly playing a dangerous game. For every male potential voter he has just impressed though are a whole lot of more diverse swinging voters who are totally put off by his macho posturing. Sue Kedgely summed up the negatives. Gower of course emphasising the nanny state aspect of his comments on Lotto. Is this Labour strategy or just Jones wanting to go into coalition with NZFirst and speaking to his fans. Jones excellent fight with Progressive Enterprises unfortunately got lost in the midst of these other distractions.
Anyway we’ve never had a more interfering and authoritarian Government than this one. Constant bullying of ordinary citizens in favour of big business interests. A dictatorial attitude to education, allowing us to be spied on, making protests on oil drilling illegal, takeover of University Councils, beneficiary bashing, arresting Student Loan debtors at airports etc etc. The average overworked kiwi may have slept through these though and wake up instead full of outrage at Jones comments on Lotto. And why did he not challenge Gower on Labour being at 29% in polls. That was about four polls ago. The situation has shifted back to neck and neck between left right blocs. Gower bouncing up and down on his own biased commentary is becoming farcical.
Destiny has been funded by the National party to the tune of $800,000 in the past to buy their
Votes. National are. Sneaking around the fundamentalist churches on the quite getting their leaders to promote National at congregaytions.
Even as National promoted the gay marriage bill.
Exclusive bretheren tricks again.
Making a wild accusation like that means that you have to show some proof. You are not using hyperbole but making a specific claim which I know to be false. No such payment has ever been made. Apologise.
I commend the calls for tricledown to substantiate their claim, but I also have to note fisiani’s adamant tone. Tell us, fisiani, exactly how close are you to the Destiny Church’s financial team that you can be so certain?
What makes you think I have anything to do with Destiny? I have made no such claim. It appears that any scurrilous claim against National can be made with impunity. A specific figure has been claimed with no backing. I am the third person to ask for a link. I suspect however that someone who cannot spell congregation may not be the brightest.
fisiani, you plainly said ‘You are … making a specific claim which I know to be false. No such payment has ever been made.’ I have merely asked how you can be 100% certain no such payment has been made. It’s very difficult to prove a negative statement like that, so the most probable explanation is that you are affiliated with Destiny or their finances in some way.
A study conducted by the Medical University of Graz in Austria found that the vegetarian diet, as characterised by a low consumption of saturated fat and cholesterol, due to a higher intake of fruits, vegetables and whole-grain products, appeared to carry elevated risks of cancer, allergies and mental health problems such as depression and anxiety.
The issue is with the study – wheat is dangerous, grains are better but not optimum and most fruits would spike blood sugar.
Remove the wheat, tweak the fruit intake and take out sugar and you have a healthy diet. Wheat Belly Blog is a good information source. Don’t take the governments word for it, try it out by researching Wheat Belly the book by Dr Davis + his blog and you will see.
Especially important for those with inflamatory conditions such as asthma or pain but a must if you are to be really healthy over the long term.
At least that article links to the actual study (none of the articles I looked at on google yesterday did).
From the study report
Our results have shown that vegetarians report chronic conditions and poorer subjective health more frequently. This might indicate that the vegetarians in our study consume this form of diet as a consequence of their disorders, since a vegetarian diet is often recommended as a method to manage weight [10] and health [46]. Unfortunately, food intake was not measured in more detail, e.g. caloric intake was not covered. Hence, further studies will be necessary to analyze health and its relationship with different forms of dietary habits in more detail.
Looks like the MSM is still illiterate when it comes to medical science. Their reporting is negligent at best. Dumb fucks.
The last study these people did showed the complete opposite and espoused the benefits of a meat free diet. There are heaps of reliable studies on the benefits of veganism online. Start by watching Forks Over Knives which is online or reading The China Study if you want some research from well qualified researchers rather than the rubbish from this study.
Plenty of evidence that shows eating meat is healthy too, or that being vegan puts one at risk. Or the opposite.
The point I was making wasn’t that eating meat or not is right or wrong, but that we are really bad at doing research on diet and really, really, really bad at reporting it. Which is why people like you insist that the world should be vegan when the evidence shows that many people would do badly on a vegan diet. Or the paleo crowd insist that we’d all better off on no carb/high meat protein diets, when that’s patently no possible or desirable or healthy for many (despite being great for others).
There is no one size fits all, and the sooner we get our heads around that the better.
(betting I can pick holes in Forks over Knives, or the China study too).
From a sustainable planet point of view is eating meat justified. We need to think differently about the land and water and the factory farming practices that commodify living entities into food units and destroy our environment. Personally i think the violence in our society (to/between people/countries) is related to our treatment of animals but it is difficult to know which is the chicken and which is the egg.
Yep weka, there are a number of the major vitamins and minerals that CANNOT travel round the body doing their various functions that require FATS as the mode of transport,
So, while vegans might be eating all the required dietary intake of these vitamins without the fats to carry the nutrients they simply pass them by way of bowel movement down the toilet,
As at least one of the major group vitamins that require such a mode of transport is one that supports brain function it then becomes easy to see why a study has shown up a less than feeling good factor in those that are strict vegans,
While raw nuts and avocados are a good source, nearly the only source, that vegans are going to source any fats from their daily intake of such nits and avacados would have to be at least 20% of their daily diet by volume to ensure the bodies need for fat was supplied enough to transport the vital vitamins and minerals around their bodies,
There are still some that do not buy into the ‘animal fats are bad for us argument’, simply arguing that it is the modern farming methods that are altering the food we eat,
Interesting in the link above, besides all the info on nutrients, is the fact that we can eat an almost fat free vegan diet and still add weight to our bodies obviously suggesting that the body can convert vegetable matter to fat and store it,
i am coming to the conclusion,having adopted a vege/fish diet that the real arbiter of how healthy we are when diet is the indicator is not found by excluding any particular food group but is simply defined by a far far simpler calculation,
That calculation i suggest is simply one of food in energy out, if we can match exactly(within reason), the amount of energy we burn with the amount of food we ingest then there may be very little left such as calcium able to be laid down as harmful plaque in our arteries…
No Bull nakered man.
Even the reseacher has admitted that his research is not very robust.
Where the Latest research shows that 7 plus a day helpings of fruit and veges is going to reduce the chance of getting cancer or heart disease by 42%.
Balanced diets moderation in meat.
Review of funding decision says two panellists could have unduly influenced other members’ scoring. (Problem Gamblers funding.)
‘…..Two of the six panel members who made the shock decision to stop funding the Problem Gambling Foundation had conflicts of interest, a review has found….
…But the review found that, in eight of the 13 regions, the panel selected providers “ahead of providers whose proposals had scored higher in the proposal evaluation results”.
Furthermore, the panel provided “no documentation for the method used by the panel to moderate the proposal evaluation results”.
Question: “Are there any real democracies?”
Answer: Yes, but not if the United States has anything to do with them.
After the eleven o’clock news this morning, Kim Hill had a very interesting talk about a range of topics with thespian Yannis Simonides. Unlike the brain-dead, tanned, coke-snorting halfwits that infest Hollywood, this guy actually reads books, thinks deeply, and has something interesting to say. At one point, the vexed subject of democracy was raised. Simonides commented on the unsatisfactory state of democracy in Greece, prompting Kim Hill to ask: “Are there any real democracies?”
Sadly, however, she didn’t give him any time to answer and sped onto the next question. I sent off an email in the usual fashion….
“Are there ANY real democracies?”
Dear Kim,
You asked Yannis Simonides whether he could think of any real democracies. Unlike incurious, poorly read Hollywood celebrities like Kevin Spacey and Jared Leto, Yannis Simonides, judging by the considered tone of his discourse, seems to have thought deeply about many issues. I’m sure if he had been given time to think about it a little more, he would have given the example of Venezuela.
Unfortunately for Venezuela’s democracy-loving people, they are currently under the gun of a democracy-hating superpower to the north. Time will tell if it will crush this example of South American democracy like it crushed democracy in Guatemala, the Dominican Republic and Chile, to name just a few of the “troublemakers” it has dealt to in its “backyard.”
Political analysts are paying attention to the timing of America’s efforts to replace the government in Venezuela and Ukraine. Washington wants to show the world that a superpower is still capable of directing the course of events in different parts of the world in whatever direction it needs. Obama would like to conclude his presidency with spectacular victories in Eastern Europe and Latin America: turning Ukraine into a satellite state, which would ensure America’s military presence on Russia’s borders, and carrying out a significant regime change in Venezuela in order to put paid to all independent Latin American integration projects…
Of course, that could just be more misreporting but considering the US’s actions in overthrowing regimes it doesn’t like over the last century or so…
It’s been report that Mr Putin wants Finland back because it was a mistake to give Finland its independence in the 1917 armistice with Germany and I also heard (now this could’ve been a April Fool’s Day joke) that there is a petition calling for that Russia demands the return of Alaska as it was a mistake to sell it to the USA after the last Crimean War in the late 1800’s.
To most native Russians the Baltic nations, the eastern part Poland have been and always should n be a part of the Russia Empire. It’s no wonder the Poland are asking NATO to station 10,000 troops in Poland and those eastern European nation have very long memories when it comes to Russia.
”Well, you know, it’s a hard thing to deal with,” Young said. ”I guess Kurt felt too much. I think it’s sad that he didn’t have anybody to talk to that could’ve talked to him and said, ‘I know what you’re going through, but it’s not too bad. It really isn’t bad. Just (expletive) blink and it will be gone. Everything will be all right. You’ve got a lot of other things to do. Why don’t you just take a break? Don’t worry about all these (expletive) who want you to do all this (expletive) you don’t want to do. Just stop doing everything. Tell them to get (expletive) and stay away.’ That’s it. That’s what I would have told him if I had the chance. And I almost got a chance, but it didn’t happen.”
Tell you what Henderson, paying back the $140 million would be a good start, have you paid anything back yet? How is it believable that your business activities could have incurred such an enormous debt and you could be considered a credible businessman?
errrr….. wouldn’t you think given that New Zealand is ‘perceived’ to be ‘the least corrupt country in the world’ – that we arguably should be the MOST ‘transparent’ and the LEAST financially secret?
Does that mean that Transparency International’s ‘Corruption Perception Index’ – is actually a CROCK – and not worth the paper upon which it is written?
That’s my considered opinion.
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption /anti-privatisation Public Watchdog’
+100 Penny…corruption is the crux of the matter under this NACT government !…..they are trading on all our yesterdays when New Zealand was NOT so corrupt …..because we are perceived to be so CLEAN is probably the very reason why we are now a magnet for corruption
….Agreed incredibly the index does seem to be a ‘CROCK’!…maybe it is CROOKED …or has been CORRUPTED..!!!!!…or maybe they just think we are stupid….an investigation is called for by John Campbell TV3
Awww it’s touching how much effort the MSM is putting in to help their mates National get reelected. Now they are trying to pin any interest rate rise on Labour and Greens ‘spending’ policies. Who cares that the Nats heaped up $70+ billion debt already, eh?
It’s getting ridiculous really.
Economics has become the secular equivalent of religion. It includes an entangled network of scriptures (textbooks), disciples (students) and preachers (professors), trained to believe without questioning the supremacy of the free market and devotedly working to prove it in each and every context, defending it against non-believers. Like the Church and the priests before them, establishment economists will not change on their own. They can only become obsolete, relics of the past, as the world around them changes. And fortunately this seems to be happening sooner rather than later.
The way economics is carried out, it’s patently not a science. Even though there can be problems with the way it’s used, Popper’s idea of falsifiability is often useful. With economics, nothing is ever considered to be falsified. If something doesn’t work, they do it again, twice as hard. They never accept that the hypothesis might be wrong. It has far more to do with psychiatric disorder than it does with science.
Personally, I think it’s got more to do with politics than science. Today’s economics is used to justify capitalism and inequality despite the evidence.
An economist is the kind of scholar that in the company of mathematicians pretends to be a philosopher, and in the company of philosophers pretends to be a mathematician.
Here’s a comment from under a ken loach article in the guardian.
What good is it to be unelectable? We’ve been here before, many times, since the Seventies; a spin-off group of high-minded idealogues aghast at traditional Labour’s selling-out. None of them has ever achieved anything.
Sorry – one of them has. It was that group who span-off rightwards to form the SDP.
Otherwise, though, any Labour spin-off is doomed to impotent squawking on the sidelines.
I wish it wasn’t; I’d love to see a real socialist party with a real chance, of government, but it ain’t going to happen. To see why, plonk a copy of the Morning Star and the Daily Mail together on a bus seat, and see which one gets picked up and read.
It doesn’t completely translate to NZ but there is some resonance.
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Tuesday, March 19:Kāinga Ora’s dry rot The Spinoff DailyBill McKibben on ‘Climate Superfunds’ making Big Oil pay for climate damage The Crucial YearsPreston Mui on returning to 1980s-style productivity growth NoahpinionAndy Boenau on NIMBYs needing unusual bedfellows Urbanism SpeakeasyNed Resnikoff's case ...
Negative yesterday, negative today. Negative all year, according to one departing reader telling me I’ve grown strident and predictable. Fair enough. If it’s any help, every time I go to write about a certain topic that begins with C and ends with arrrrs, I do brace myself and ask: Again? Are ...
Bryce Edwards writes – It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support ...
Inspirational: The Family of Man is a glorious hymn to human equality, but, more than that, it is a clarion call to human freedom. Because equality, unleavened by liberty, is a broken piano, an unstrung harp; upon which the songs of fraternity will never be played.“Somebody must have been telling lies about ...
Tax Lawyer Barbara Edmonds vs Emperor Justinian I- Nolo Contendere: False historical explanations of pivotal events are very far from being inconsequential.WHEN BARBARA EDMONDS made reference to the Roman Empire, my ears pricked up. It is, lamentably, very rare to hear a politician admit to any kind of familiarity ...
It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support for the various parties in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka KotahiThe fact that a ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st CenturyThe SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims StuffSteve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
David Farrar writes – We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how labour went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promiseThe result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
“I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
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Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
.“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
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Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet – is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
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Bob Edlin writes – And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ HeraldThomas CoughlanSimeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from 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 ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
"The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
Pacific Media Watch Earthwise hosts Lois and Martin Griffiths. Earthwise presenters Lois and Martin Griffiths on Plains FM 96.9 community radio talk to Dr David Robie, a New Zealand author, independent journalist and media educator with a passion for the Asia-Pacific region. David talks about the struggle to raise awareness ...
Pacific Media Watch Ismail al-Ghoul, an Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent who was held for 12 hours at Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital, says Israeli forces rounded up Palestinian journalists at the facility and made them kneel on the ground for hours, while naked and blindfolded. “The occupation forces handcuffed and blindfolded us ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Wood, Program Director, Energy, Grattan Institute chinasong, Shutterstock Electricity customers in four Australian states can breathe a sigh of relief. After two years in a row of 20% price increases, power prices have finally stabilised. In many places they’re ...
Chumbawamba have reportedly issued the deputy PM a cease-and-desist notice after he used their song 'Tubthumping' before his state of the nation speech. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Lupton, SHARP Professor, Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Centre, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, UNSW Sydney kitzcorner/Shutterstock The assertion from Queensland’s chief health officer John Gerrard that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock Why are musicians so keen to get played on the radio? It can’t be because of the money. In Australia they are paid at rates so low they ...
"Farmers make a point not to tell our urban cousins how to live, yet Chlöe from central Auckland is hell-bent on having her say about farmers," says ACT Rural Communities spokesman Mark Cameron. “On her first day in the House as Green ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Curran, Associate Professor of Ecology, Lincoln University, New Zealand Getty Images/Gerald Corsi In the latest move to reform environmental laws in New Zealand, the coalition government has introduced a bill to fast-track consenting processes for projects deemed to ...
Uber has argued it does not have as much control over drivers as the unions suggest, and wants a judgment ruling that drivers are employees and not contractors set aside and sent back to the Employment Court. The 2022 ruling followed a three-week hearing in which four drivers sought to ...
What can and can’t be purchased by disabled people or their carers has been slashed in an effort by the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha to save money. The purchasing guidelines, a set of rules that sets out what can be purchased using the various streams of Government disability funding, ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Cory Davis, Boston Hart and Benjamin Stubbing, Household cost-of-living impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme and using transfers to mitigate regressive outcomes . This Analytical Note ...
A coalition of public transport and climate organisations, united as ‘Transport for All’, is actively opposing the government’s transport proposals. The draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) includes plans for higher fares for public transport, ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Council’s various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
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 Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University This article is part of The Conversation’s series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series here. Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ...
The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
Kāinga Ora tenants abused by their neighbours are doubting the government's crackdown on disruptive tenants will make a difference on their behaviour. ...
Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
Why does this myth persist, and what’s the real reason our skin is suffering?It’s one of the biggest international grievances New Zealanders hold, up there with the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and 1981’s underarm incident. We’re quick to tell international travellers that the world’s pollution led to the ...
When the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act was introduced in 2009 it was firmly targeted at gangs and drugs. The legislation means police no longer need a conviction to seize assets that criminals can’t prove were paid for legitimately, as long as their alleged offences are punishable by more than a ...
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Bob’s relationship with certain members of Lincoln’s academic staff continued to deteriorate in the 1990s. Others supported him publicly, though articles such as Roland Clark’s 1993 piece in Growing Today cannot have pleased the university management. Clark wrote that Bob was selling onions from the Biological Husbandry Unit to a ...
SailGP’s races feature in-your-face action, with agile, hydro-foiling catamarans tacking and jibing for the title over several days. However, public comments ahead of the global series’ return to New Zealand have left this past year’s controversy in the shadows, as a key appointment attracts criticism from dolphin advocates. A year ...
Opinion: We are fast approaching a fundamental change in prisons. As the number of people on custodial remand looks set to overtake the number of sentenced prisoners, the main function of prisons in New Zealand may become incarcerating un-sentenced people who may not be guilty of offending. We have already ...
A huge seven months lies in store for the White Ferns, beginning this week with the visit of England and culminating with the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in September and October. Starting on Tuesday in Dunedin, the world ranked No. 2 visitors will play five T20s and three ODIs, ...
Opinion: In a move that has shocked road safety advocates across the country, the new Minister of Transport, Simeon Brown, is poised to abandon the previous government’s speed limit reduction policy, particularly around schools. Even more alarmingly, he wants school speed limits to be variable rather than full-time, arguing ...
Auckland Council is opposing a fast-track development backed by Sir John Kirwan and Spark NZ, because it doesn’t meet stringent new climate adaptation requirements The post Surf-data centre faces new 3.8C climate warming rules appeared first on Newsroom. ...
The letters, which were published last week, were addressed to Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairperson Megawati Sukarnoputri, National Democrat Party (NasDem) Chairperson Surya Paloh, National Awakening Party (PKB) Chairperson Muhaimin Iskandar, Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) President Ahmad Syaikhu and United Development Party (PPP) Chairperson Muhammad Mardiono. In ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
The government says it still intends to deliver tax cuts by July, but will not lock them in until they have got them past their coalition partners. ...
Never underestimate the fashion industry for trying to jump on any initiative that they can embrace as an upcoming money earner. But, if this is something a bit more spontaneous from well off young men, is it a sign they are keen to embrace and flout wealth and status – to promote themselves as some rising aristocracy?
Once all classes embraced denim and (alleged) casual attire as a sign that class no longer exists, Now some are attempt to promote class privilege?
urg – it makes me sick reading some of that stuff
But hey, at least it’ll be easy to tell who will be going up against the wall when the revolution comes? 😛
I’m not entirely sure why, but I woke up early and felt like we’re going to win.
Me too. I love the first day of the football season!
It’s going to be a long day. You could have used the extra hour in bed. Tomorrow you’ll probably wake even earlier.
LOL. You just reminded me that daylight savings ends at 2am tomorrow morning.
Its very winnable if the turnout lifts from the 67% in 2011.
encourage everyone to vote as the mantra from the msm will continue to be the same as 2011 being that the polls say nats will win, cunliffe is tricky, the greens are communists and KDC is hitler reincarnated.
Wasn’t the turnout 74% in 2011?
The Nats must be real worried about KDC to continue this kind of smear.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11232532
Yes its almost as if they know that KDC has the evidence and probably images to prove Johnny boy has been lying yet again in his use of state devices for political means.
Why else would they be going so hard to devalue him.
“Yes its almost as if they know that KDC has the evidence ..”
There have been a number of people who have recently commented here that they think KDC does not have the evidence – and that if he had, he would have released it already.
There is that possibility, but having followed the KDC situation quite closely because of its unique legal complexities and its ramifications, I find it unlikely that he does not have some form of evidence that Key knew about him much earlier than the day before the raid, as Key claims. KDC has repeated said and tweeted that he has evidence; and I do not believe that his extensive and highly qualified team of legal advisors would have allowed him to repeatedly claim this if they did not have some evidence that they holding back as they are intending using this in the extradition proceedings.
PS – IIRC KDC tweeted in late January/early Feb something to the effect that Warren Tucker, head of the SIS (until end of April when Kitteridge takes over), was involved in briefing Key. This tweet appeared to go unnoticed at the time, and I don’t have time right now to search his extensive tweets to recheck this.
This one?
https://twitter.com/KimDotcom/status/439218686969126912
(You can use Topsy.com to search through a specific user’s Twitter feed for keywords.)
That’s the one. Thanks Stephanie. My memory is not too bad; timing off slightly.
And also thanks for the Topsy.com tip. I am a novice with Twitter; don’t belong/use, but find it a useful tool (sometimes).
When you think about it, it is the job of the SIS director to keep the Prime Minister of the day informed of any upcoming event – whether they’re directly or only indirectly involved.
I wonder how the director felt watching him on the telly lying through his teeth then? He can’t comment of course, but it must have left him feeling uncomfortable. At least I damm well hope it did!
Hitler condemned and burnt books. Thomas condemns a book and the owner.
Is Thomas so different in principle from the actions of the Hitler?
I have written a comment to the Herald on those lines re the Thomas/National post.
Oh for crying out loud. This is the argument that most frustrates me. It’s like we lose all concepts of subtleness when this type of conversation comes up.
No one is saying that Kim Dotcom can’t own the book. We’re not saying that it should be burned. We’re not saying that people who own Mein Kampf should be thrown into prison.
All that is being said is that people should perhaps judge a person who decide to buy a signed copy of it for something besides being a historical researcher. Just as Dotcom has the right to buy it, we have the right to judge him for it.
But no, there’s a lot of crows flying around in the sky, you keep building that straw-man.
My reaction also, BG. A lightweight and shallow piece, as is this (imo failed) attempt at spoofing KDC also in the opinion section today.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11230943
but this fools 5 days late. The storm in a teacup is all over before he got to write about it, what a shame. All together now AHHhh
I decided to make one of my rare visits to KB this morning and found this posted in General Debate
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=yfAeMtcURg0
Comical Ali – oh the memories! A light spot in a very sad situation. I wonder what happened to him? IIRC the last I heard was that he left Iraq and was in one of the Arab countries.
For any ‘standard’ readers from Scotland or with an interest in Scottish politics. Sad day.
http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/top-stories/margo-macdonald-msp-dies-aged-70-1-3365602
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/margo-macdonald-the-politician-who-transcended-politics-is-dead.1396619753
Colon Craig going for ex-Destiny candidates. Labour should shout about this if Key tries to gift him a seat.
This from Dom Post today:
“Conservatives name two candidates
Colin Craig’s Conservative Party has named two South Auckland candidates, Edward Saafi and Elliot Ikelei. Saafi, who has previously sought selection for National and the Destiny Party, will stand in Mangere, while Ikelei will stand in Manurewa.
The Conservative Party has been targeting the South Auckland seats and believes it can pick up National and Labour voters disaffected with the major parties over gay marriage and other issues.”
This morning an article appeared int the NZ Herald. A Lobby group wanted to lower the $ 10 million investment to attract more rich people to NZ. John Key went to China recently and it appears a lot of what are called “naked” officials are keen to leave China as the plebs are raising their pitch forks in order to pry some of that filthy lucre back from their loving leaders. I can’t help but wonder what John Key has been talking about while in China?
Probably about donations to his favourite charity, himself.
if we are going to do favours for foreign developers who dont want to meet english language requirements, how do we ensure they are around within the building act ten year period in case they build crap?
I wonder how many school boards of trustees understand that they are quietly being replaced by these so called executive principals? Schools run by their communities will soon be a thing of the past and the new boot boys will ensure strict adherence to govt policy like nationals standards, a narrow testing based curriculum and a do as you are told one size fits all system. Is that what parents want for their kids?
None I venture to say. Here comes biulk funding of schools.
But worse, schools run by government appointees, whose main role is to ensure strict adherence to government policy designed to stuff public education.
charles dickens wrote about those schools
What like this ?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/education/news/article.cfm?c_id=35&objectid=11232610
not really
more like this
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503450&objectid=11230227
Did anyone else watch The Nation. Shane Jones is certainly playing a dangerous game. For every male potential voter he has just impressed though are a whole lot of more diverse swinging voters who are totally put off by his macho posturing. Sue Kedgely summed up the negatives. Gower of course emphasising the nanny state aspect of his comments on Lotto. Is this Labour strategy or just Jones wanting to go into coalition with NZFirst and speaking to his fans. Jones excellent fight with Progressive Enterprises unfortunately got lost in the midst of these other distractions.
Anyway we’ve never had a more interfering and authoritarian Government than this one. Constant bullying of ordinary citizens in favour of big business interests. A dictatorial attitude to education, allowing us to be spied on, making protests on oil drilling illegal, takeover of University Councils, beneficiary bashing, arresting Student Loan debtors at airports etc etc. The average overworked kiwi may have slept through these though and wake up instead full of outrage at Jones comments on Lotto. And why did he not challenge Gower on Labour being at 29% in polls. That was about four polls ago. The situation has shifted back to neck and neck between left right blocs. Gower bouncing up and down on his own biased commentary is becoming farcical.
Destiny has been funded by the National party to the tune of $800,000 in the past to buy their
Votes. National are. Sneaking around the fundamentalist churches on the quite getting their leaders to promote National at congregaytions.
Even as National promoted the gay marriage bill.
Exclusive bretheren tricks again.
Do you have a reference for this claim?
link please
Making a wild accusation like that means that you have to show some proof. You are not using hyperbole but making a specific claim which I know to be false. No such payment has ever been made. Apologise.
I commend the calls for tricledown to substantiate their claim, but I also have to note fisiani’s adamant tone. Tell us, fisiani, exactly how close are you to the Destiny Church’s financial team that you can be so certain?
What makes you think I have anything to do with Destiny? I have made no such claim. It appears that any scurrilous claim against National can be made with impunity. A specific figure has been claimed with no backing. I am the third person to ask for a link. I suspect however that someone who cannot spell congregation may not be the brightest.
fisiani, you plainly said ‘You are … making a specific claim which I know to be false. No such payment has ever been made.’ I have merely asked how you can be 100% certain no such payment has been made. It’s very difficult to prove a negative statement like that, so the most probable explanation is that you are affiliated with Destiny or their finances in some way.
As to tricledown’s statement, it’s possible they’re referring to the $860,000 of government funding paid to Destiny for social programmes. It’s not quite the same thing that they implied in their comment, but could give some people food for thought:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/5111665/Govt-gave-860-000-funding-to-Destiny-Minister
I think Phil would like this
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/vegetarians-are-less-healthy-and-have-a-lower-quality-of-life-than-meateaters-scientists-say-9236340.html
A study conducted by the Medical University of Graz in Austria found that the vegetarian diet, as characterised by a low consumption of saturated fat and cholesterol, due to a higher intake of fruits, vegetables and whole-grain products, appeared to carry elevated risks of cancer, allergies and mental health problems such as depression and anxiety.
The issue is with the study – wheat is dangerous, grains are better but not optimum and most fruits would spike blood sugar.
Remove the wheat, tweak the fruit intake and take out sugar and you have a healthy diet. Wheat Belly Blog is a good information source. Don’t take the governments word for it, try it out by researching Wheat Belly the book by Dr Davis + his blog and you will see.
Especially important for those with inflamatory conditions such as asthma or pain but a must if you are to be really healthy over the long term.
At least that article links to the actual study (none of the articles I looked at on google yesterday did).
From the study report
Our results have shown that vegetarians report chronic conditions and poorer subjective health more frequently. This might indicate that the vegetarians in our study consume this form of diet as a consequence of their disorders, since a vegetarian diet is often recommended as a method to manage weight [10] and health [46]. Unfortunately, food intake was not measured in more detail, e.g. caloric intake was not covered. Hence, further studies will be necessary to analyze health and its relationship with different forms of dietary habits in more detail.
Looks like the MSM is still illiterate when it comes to medical science. Their reporting is negligent at best. Dumb fucks.
The last study these people did showed the complete opposite and espoused the benefits of a meat free diet. There are heaps of reliable studies on the benefits of veganism online. Start by watching Forks Over Knives which is online or reading The China Study if you want some research from well qualified researchers rather than the rubbish from this study.
Plenty of evidence that shows eating meat is healthy too, or that being vegan puts one at risk. Or the opposite.
The point I was making wasn’t that eating meat or not is right or wrong, but that we are really bad at doing research on diet and really, really, really bad at reporting it. Which is why people like you insist that the world should be vegan when the evidence shows that many people would do badly on a vegan diet. Or the paleo crowd insist that we’d all better off on no carb/high meat protein diets, when that’s patently no possible or desirable or healthy for many (despite being great for others).
There is no one size fits all, and the sooner we get our heads around that the better.
(betting I can pick holes in Forks over Knives, or the China study too).
From a sustainable planet point of view is eating meat justified. We need to think differently about the land and water and the factory farming practices that commodify living entities into food units and destroy our environment. Personally i think the violence in our society (to/between people/countries) is related to our treatment of animals but it is difficult to know which is the chicken and which is the egg.
+1000, well said marty.
Yep weka, there are a number of the major vitamins and minerals that CANNOT travel round the body doing their various functions that require FATS as the mode of transport,
So, while vegans might be eating all the required dietary intake of these vitamins without the fats to carry the nutrients they simply pass them by way of bowel movement down the toilet,
As at least one of the major group vitamins that require such a mode of transport is one that supports brain function it then becomes easy to see why a study has shown up a less than feeling good factor in those that are strict vegans,
While raw nuts and avocados are a good source, nearly the only source, that vegans are going to source any fats from their daily intake of such nits and avacados would have to be at least 20% of their daily diet by volume to ensure the bodies need for fat was supplied enough to transport the vital vitamins and minerals around their bodies,
http://www.helpguide.org/harvard/vitamins_and_minerals.htm
http://www.nutristrategy.com/nutritioninfo2.htm
There are still some that do not buy into the ‘animal fats are bad for us argument’, simply arguing that it is the modern farming methods that are altering the food we eat,
http://www.drwilson.com/articles/FATS.htm
Interesting in the link above, besides all the info on nutrients, is the fact that we can eat an almost fat free vegan diet and still add weight to our bodies obviously suggesting that the body can convert vegetable matter to fat and store it,
i am coming to the conclusion,having adopted a vege/fish diet that the real arbiter of how healthy we are when diet is the indicator is not found by excluding any particular food group but is simply defined by a far far simpler calculation,
That calculation i suggest is simply one of food in energy out, if we can match exactly(within reason), the amount of energy we burn with the amount of food we ingest then there may be very little left such as calcium able to be laid down as harmful plaque in our arteries…
No Bull nakered man.
Even the reseacher has admitted that his research is not very robust.
Where the Latest research shows that 7 plus a day helpings of fruit and veges is going to reduce the chance of getting cancer or heart disease by 42%.
Balanced diets moderation in meat.
Review of funding decision says two panellists could have unduly influenced other members’ scoring. (Problem Gamblers funding.)
‘…..Two of the six panel members who made the shock decision to stop funding the Problem Gambling Foundation had conflicts of interest, a review has found….
…But the review found that, in eight of the 13 regions, the panel selected providers “ahead of providers whose proposals had scored higher in the proposal evaluation results”.
Furthermore, the panel provided “no documentation for the method used by the panel to moderate the proposal evaluation results”.
So much for the trumpeted clarity of funding review.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11232557
in eight of the 13 regions, the panel selected providers “ahead of providers whose proposals had scored higher in the proposal evaluation results”.
How incredibly dodgy. This stinks.
WTH?? This is an outrage.
Question: “Are there any real democracies?”
Answer: Yes, but not if the United States has anything to do with them.
After the eleven o’clock news this morning, Kim Hill had a very interesting talk about a range of topics with thespian Yannis Simonides. Unlike the brain-dead, tanned, coke-snorting halfwits that infest Hollywood, this guy actually reads books, thinks deeply, and has something interesting to say. At one point, the vexed subject of democracy was raised. Simonides commented on the unsatisfactory state of democracy in Greece, prompting Kim Hill to ask: “Are there any real democracies?”
Sadly, however, she didn’t give him any time to answer and sped onto the next question. I sent off an email in the usual fashion….
“Are there ANY real democracies?”
Dear Kim,
You asked Yannis Simonides whether he could think of any real democracies. Unlike incurious, poorly read Hollywood celebrities like Kevin Spacey and Jared Leto, Yannis Simonides, judging by the considered tone of his discourse, seems to have thought deeply about many issues. I’m sure if he had been given time to think about it a little more, he would have given the example of Venezuela.
Unfortunately for Venezuela’s democracy-loving people, they are currently under the gun of a democracy-hating superpower to the north. Time will tell if it will crush this example of South American democracy like it crushed democracy in Guatemala, the Dominican Republic and Chile, to name just a few of the “troublemakers” it has dealt to in its “backyard.”
Yours sincerely,
Morrissey Breen
Northcote Point
US against Venezuela: Cold War Goes Hot
Of course, that could just be more misreporting but considering the US’s actions in overthrowing regimes it doesn’t like over the last century or so…
Lots of sabre rattling going on.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/03/ukraine-crisis-baltics-idUSL5N0MV4YB20140403
http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/ukraine-crisis/finland-frets-russia-launches-military-drills-its-doorstep-n67866
It’s been report that Mr Putin wants Finland back because it was a mistake to give Finland its independence in the 1917 armistice with Germany and I also heard (now this could’ve been a April Fool’s Day joke) that there is a petition calling for that Russia demands the return of Alaska as it was a mistake to sell it to the USA after the last Crimean War in the late 1800’s.
To most native Russians the Baltic nations, the eastern part Poland have been and always should n be a part of the Russia Empire. It’s no wonder the Poland are asking NATO to station 10,000 troops in Poland and those eastern European nation have very long memories when it comes to Russia.
Wise words from Neil Young on Kurt Cobain
http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/music/9906001/Twenty-years-on-musicians-remember-Kurt-Cobain
Pity it didn’t happen but wasn’t meant to be. Love their music.
Come as you are
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vabnZ9-ex7o
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/9907383/Henderson-gets-apology-for-email-bungle
Tell you what Henderson, paying back the $140 million would be a good start, have you paid anything back yet? How is it believable that your business activities could have incurred such an enormous debt and you could be considered a credible businessman?
Seen this?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/9907241/Bankss-lawyer-applies-for-discharge
In my considered opinion, this is DESPERATE stuff from a ‘cornered rat’?
(As it were – meant of course in a caring (to rats) way)
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151956813471790&set=a.435980066789.221068.727511789&type=1&theater
Kind regards
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption / anti-privatisation Public Watchdog’
How many folks are aware of ‘The Financial Secrecy Index’?
Secrecy is an essential ingredient for corruption.
NZ is ranked 48th.
http://www.financialsecrecyindex.com/introduction/fsi-2013-results
errrr….. wouldn’t you think given that New Zealand is ‘perceived’ to be ‘the least corrupt country in the world’ – that we arguably should be the MOST ‘transparent’ and the LEAST financially secret?
http://www.transparency.org/cpi2013/results
Does that mean that Transparency International’s ‘Corruption Perception Index’ – is actually a CROCK – and not worth the paper upon which it is written?
That’s my considered opinion.
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption /anti-privatisation Public Watchdog’
+100 Penny…corruption is the crux of the matter under this NACT government !…..they are trading on all our yesterdays when New Zealand was NOT so corrupt …..because we are perceived to be so CLEAN is probably the very reason why we are now a magnet for corruption
….Agreed incredibly the index does seem to be a ‘CROCK’!…maybe it is CROOKED …or has been CORRUPTED..!!!!!…or maybe they just think we are stupid….an investigation is called for by John Campbell TV3
Awww it’s touching how much effort the MSM is putting in to help their mates National get reelected. Now they are trying to pin any interest rate rise on Labour and Greens ‘spending’ policies. Who cares that the Nats heaped up $70+ billion debt already, eh?
It’s getting ridiculous really.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/9907509/Nationals-fiscal-lockdown-a-risk
Honiara, Solomons greatest natural disaster? No. Deafforestation is a man made disaster.
welcome to the monkey house.
How economics became a science
The way economics is carried out, it’s patently not a science. Even though there can be problems with the way it’s used, Popper’s idea of falsifiability is often useful. With economics, nothing is ever considered to be falsified. If something doesn’t work, they do it again, twice as hard. They never accept that the hypothesis might be wrong. It has far more to do with psychiatric disorder than it does with science.
Personally, I think it’s got more to do with politics than science. Today’s economics is used to justify capitalism and inequality despite the evidence.
An economist is the kind of scholar that in the company of mathematicians pretends to be a philosopher, and in the company of philosophers pretends to be a mathematician.
I love that.
An elegant way of saying confidence trickster or fraudster.
Xox
Economics is a pseudo science. A dodgy theory that only sheep believe is true.
Here’s a comment from under a ken loach article in the guardian.
What good is it to be unelectable? We’ve been here before, many times, since the Seventies; a spin-off group of high-minded idealogues aghast at traditional Labour’s selling-out. None of them has ever achieved anything.
Sorry – one of them has. It was that group who span-off rightwards to form the SDP.
Otherwise, though, any Labour spin-off is doomed to impotent squawking on the sidelines.
I wish it wasn’t; I’d love to see a real socialist party with a real chance, of government, but it ain’t going to happen. To see why, plonk a copy of the Morning Star and the Daily Mail together on a bus seat, and see which one gets picked up and read.
It doesn’t completely translate to NZ but there is some resonance.
Shane Jones on The Nation. Sorry but I just can’t deflect these words flooding into my mind –
“Snake Oil Salesman”.
You can see these guys (snake oil salesmen) at Moran market in Seoul, where the oil is a popular traditional remedy for arthritis.
Way more trustworthy than NZ politicians.