Whoah, Jude that was one hell of a tanty you threw yesterday, and guess what Lady, its’ not the media’s fault Williamson lost his job, it’s Williamsons’ fault he lost his job.
Thanks Phillip … and do you think Oravida is derived to mean Golden Life, or Life of Gold ?
And in the same interview with Sabin, Collins was so avariciously callow in dismissing any concerns about the swamp kauri pillage in Northland as her husband’s company stores $50 million worth until price increases further .. Crusher is crashing, and it can’t come soon enough.
Talk of people looking like each other, the reporter at the center of ‘Crusher’s’ latest piece of verbal ugliness bares an uncanny resemblance to the Mana Parties Sue Bradford…
What I found ironic about Collins’ interview last night – apart from her bizarre behaviour – was that she was being interviewed by Brook Sabin (son of National MP Mike Sabin) and puts the boot into another offspring of a former MP.
Ironic is the wrong word, but cannot think of the right one.
Thanks for the education this morning vv – I had been wondering about the Sabins as well!
Yes, well ironic alright. Her rage must be so blind that she will lash out at anyone including the son of her comrade so to speak, or maybe she see’s the son’s challenge of her a betrayal of code. Who knows. She certainly has let the Ban- Shidhe out from under the hills though.
“age weathers us all” thanks phillip, love it. i have seen people from my past after not seeing them since their teens/early 20s & i think ‘jaysus, they got old!”, then i look in the mirror and & laugh at myself for being a bit of a dick.
Yes, it’s high time people knew that animal testing is more about profit than safety. There’s also no excuse to use to use household cleaners, make up and skin care that has been tested on animals when there is an excellent selection of such products on the market, all very good quality and many of them made in NZ.
re JB’s Camelot restaurants……yes i think they specialised in steak and chip wedges and had things like shrimp cocktail entrees…also I remember they had folksy stained glass lampshades hung low over the tables
rats are very nice intelligent creatures…and sensitive…we used to have pet rats kept in a cage in the laundry …when they died of old age i really missed them…they had a psychic presence which lingered….the kids used to keep rats in their pockets….my Mother used to keep another grandson’s pet rat in her kitchen too…although i rather drew the line at that
Being a cynic, my take is that Key has had some polling done and now finds that he cannot stick with his original comment that rats OK; rabbits and dogs, not OK.
The interview with John Banks on Morning Report was priceless! Much as I cannot stand the man as a politician, I know through personal experience that Banks has been longterm dedicated advocate for animal rights. But his take on Key’s backdown in this interview had me rolling on the floor laughing. “He looked deep into Moonbeam’s eyes ….”
Phillip,
goes to show that Cunliffe/Labour called it right in terms of their position on the issue. And yes it is a good opportunity to extend the debate.
Labour has made a number of good calls lately on policy and political positions.
Steven Joyce is hiding the figures on how much money he is funnelling to his mates through his department.
The NBR has been chasing it and so far all the department has said is that it paid out $231 million total in 2012/13 and another $97 million in 2013/14. MBIE is refusing to say how much is forecast or how the decisions are made.
“The data on MBIE handouts excludes the nearly $400 million Mr Joyce’s New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) will hand out in corporate welfare in John Key’s first three terms, and the $140 million a year handed out by the government’s Callaghan Innovation agency. There is also at least $50 million a year spent subsidising the tourism industry’s international marketing. God knows how much the Ministry of Primary Industries hands out to the farming sector. This all adds up to billions.” See http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/joyce-blocks-answers-corporate-welfare-bd-155317
Bad12 always refers to our PM as “Slippery the prime minister”.
If ever Bad needed confirmation of that description I suggest he listen to the Morning Report interview with Guyon Espiner.
Mumble,mumble,obfuscation,change the suject,etc. It was all there. Slippery even went to the extreme of declaring that Judith Collins ‘is a human being’ !
In my book, Collins is facing a stiff dose of “chickens coming home to roost”. She has been one of the Nacts most vicious bullies especially when she was in Opposition. Now under pressure she, like all bullies, is folding.
And a further item is currently on air with an interview with Grant Robertson on the further MFAT emails that have now been released on Collins’ “Oravita Tour”. It gets more and more clear that this was not just a cup of tea on the way to the airport.
From that interview – and earlier short mentions on Morning Report – the emails released by MFAT are providing a lot more indepth details of the discussions on the ‘private dinner’ prior to it taking place that indicate that it was anything but a private dinner with friends and friends of friends.
vv, I wonder if it’s going to be one of those weeks where one reaches for the popcorn.
Several weeks ago on the regular Thursday morning Radio Active interview with Grant Robertson and Alistair Thompson, Robertson said there was more to be uncovered in the Collins – Oravida affair and he really has kept up the pressure on her since then. Alistair Thompson’s view was it a case if when, not if, in regard to Collins resigning. (My words not his, I’m paraphrasing and condensing the message).
It certainly has got the feeling of a ‘popcorn’ week. Fingers crossed etc etc. Despite the grey Wellington day, I am feeling more positive on the political front than for months – hence the myriad of comments this morning! PG’s return had put me off coming here, but decided not to allow him to achieve that and just ignore him.
Must google that Radio Live Interview. My instincts tell me that the Oravida affair has a lot more legs – and that appears to be the case this morning/
I understand the PG reaction, but glad that you can rise above it – it’s the best way. I have to admit that when Greywarbler suggested to move my Open Mike domestic violence comment on to Stephanie Rodgers article on Saturday I did plan to and then saw it was a PG maelstrom so chose not to.
That interview btw, was on Radio Active and they don’t have their interviews available to listen to on line. they broadcast on line as well as on 88.6FM but that’s it.
I should imagine this Thursday should be a very interesting discussion. They are usually on between 8.15am and 8.45am and the interview lasts up to 20 minutes. Just bear in mind it won’t be a RNZ format type interview. The facilitator is a DJ first and foremost (and an excellent one)
“She has been one of the Nacts most vicious bullies ….” Yes Wyndham. Hard to feel sympathy to a White Hawk Down, given the spite that she was pleased to dish when she was “up.”
Thanks Drax and Warbs for your replies over the weekend to my comment about neighbours not calling 111 as Sarwen Lata was being murdered, on 25th November last year and apologies for the late response. (You’d be surprised at how busy the unemployed can be).
You both made suggestions as to why folks might be disinclined to help a neighbour in crisis. I thought they were good points. It also made me think of the contrast in neighbourhood behaviour in a suburb where a friend lives. Everyone knows everyone and despite the area being a higher crime area, crimes are solved quickly as neighbours keep their eyes and ears open to activities in the street.
Then this morning there was this article in the Dom Post which encourages migrant women to seek help but doesn’t discuss the importance of neighbours, and indeed family, friends and workmates keeping an eye on a potential victim of domestic violence. No woman should feel she is alone when she is feeling so unsafe.
It’s going to be hard to top Todd Barclay in this week’s edition of “Dodgy Nat Candidate Watch” but new to the list is Brett Hudson, who was selected for Ohariu, last week. Here he is displaying the stunning ignorance that only a Nat can:
““National is working hard and delivering real progress for New Zealand families,” said Mr Hudson.”
This could actually be the lefts answer to the citizens of Epsoms cynical election of ACT…..vote the seat to National to keep United Fuckwit out…..splendid.
Yep, there is at least one commenter here at the Standard that has said She/he will be campaigning in the Epsom electorate to get the National Party candidate elected,
My bones wont allow me the luxury of letterbox stuffing otherwise i would print up a pile of ‘electorate vote Hudson for Ohariu’ pamphlets for that electorate,
Neither Epsom or Ohariu are likely to favor a Labour candidate so some reverse tactics are probably the best means of ensuring National do not win in September…
Nat electorate vote in Epsom I understand bad, but Ohariu? And who would do that organising work to promote a vote for Hudson? Would it not be better to focus on the party that came closest last time?
Hudson btw, a previous sales rep for Oracle. (actually they call them “ambassadors” now, lol) I know a guy who worked for that company and in the same role. Was on about 200K. This Hudson dude wouldn’t have a clue about what happens in the real world, all those guys in that industry are running in a status race, the house, the cars, the troty wives etc. Never has there been a truer stereotype.
Rosie, whilst I don’t disagree that Oracle sales people are overpaid and would probably not have a clue about real people, but there is another story here.
In my company nothing moves unless somebody sells something. No sales means no delivering, lots of “expertise” in downtime mode costing a fortune. Everybody is valuable and some of that “expertise” due to supply and demand, restrictive practices etc get paid much more than the humble sales person. Yet the sales person is expected to keep the cash coming in, gets pressured, and has no job security unless that happens.
To me (much to pretty much everybody else s disgust) sales people are the Gods of commerce. Nasty, materialistic collectors of flash cars and trophy wives maybe. But as they don’t get thanked greatly, for doing the hardest job they take the cash instead, (and I suspect vote National to rub it in).
Hi Ennui. I should declare that I have spent many years working as a sales rep previously, although my salary was $40K, not 200K, I should add!
I do understand the vital role they play in keeping the company not only afloat but profitable. And yes indeed it is a thankless role and one that can tear the rep in two directions between customer and boss, if there isn’t enough support coming from above.
I was being rather caustic about Brett Hudson but I do know his type and I don’t trust them one bit. I’ve no problem with people making money and lots of it. My problem is either how they obtain it, or how they display it, or how they use it as a power lever.
That-person-I -know, he falls into the latter two categories. What is kind of annoying too, is the fact that he’s not particularly talented or intelligent in the realm of real life and social interaction (he’s shallow, dour and lacks a sense of humour) but he can sell, that’s where his skill lies.
I’m sure he’ll know Hudson as they would have worked in the same office around about the same time (although I do need to check time lines) The funny thing is, this-person-I know once showed me photo’s of his colleagues property that he had for sale (excessively large and full of poor taste items) and accused him of the same, being shallow, whilst we sat there in his McMansion.
Rosie, nice observations, you speak from experience. When you get to the cogs of commerce it is all rather basic and boring….I don’t know how anybody can study it, glorify it etc as anything other than transactions and dollars. The business pages drive me to distraction, economists seem to know nothing of what really goes on….all so dull. I hope you are enjoying better whatever you do today.
“I hope you are enjoying better whatever you do today.”
I really am laughing, as I am currently unemployed! I have gone for a couple of sales reppy type interviews but I felt myself glaze over as soon as they started with the corporate speak and knew my heart wasn’t in it. I can’t really bear flogging stuff any more. Also, pay and conditions have reduced for reps as a reflection of the retail market being so tight now. Many companies have removed a portion of the mileage allowance and I refuse to subsidise company costs by covering their fuel costs.
All I’ve really wanted to do is to be able to help others and what little formal education I have in this area, a community studies cert and a health psychology diploma isn’t even adequate for entry level work in the fields I’m interested in.
What I am enjoying doing with my “spare time” is helping out where I can with political activities here in Ohariu and looking after the abundance of wild ducks that hang around at my house.
Being the plant he is he doesn’t sound like he has any intention of seeking the electorate vote and said he would pursue the party vote.
I do recall your suggestion and reasoning for a push for a Nat electorate vote but I think Charles Chauvel lost out by just approx 1800 ish votes last time so perhaps if enough hard work is done, Virginia Anderson can win it??? I’m feeling so cautiously confident of this that I’d be willing to put a 50 cent bet on it! (it would be more but I can’t afford it lol)
Did you see that surprisingly good editorial from the right wing Romanos in the Wellingtonian last week? It was beaut. A hole proof argument for the resignation of Dunne. If the heat on Dunne keeps up it may be an easier job to unseat him than we’d expect.
Yes Rosie, Charles Chauval lost by 1646 electorate votes in 2011, that was as a high profile Labour Party politician, in fact Pathetic Dunne’s majority went up by 640 votes from the 2008 result where Chauval came within 1006 votes of Dunne,
National’s Katrina Shanks actually made those numbers look good for Chauval in those two elections and i doubt the relatively unknown Labour candidate will have the same amount of success as Charles Chauval did,
From the Party Votes recorded it is easy to see that National Party supporters are fully conversant with ‘tactical voting’ splitting their party votes off to National while electorate voting for Dunne,
my view is that the only slight chance for the Labour candidate to have any chance is to ensure,(if possible), that Hudson the National Party candidate gets a higher amount of the electorate vote,
Whichever way i look at the Ohariu electorate that will be the decisive factor, in a large part of the electorate it may be easier to convince the ‘blue rinsers’ to vote National than to go against everything the ‘silver spoon’ they have supped from since birth has ingrained in them and vote Labour,
A high turnout of the Electorate vote for both National and Labour may well see us rid of Dunne, a high turnout of the electorate vote for Labour alone tho i doubt will create enough of a swing to unseat him…
Thanks bad, that a helpful analysis. Yes, I had a look at the voting patterns for 08 and 11 a while ago and saw that the voters of Ohariu, like Epsom sure do know how to use MMP to suit their purposes.
From Memory Shanks came a fairly poor third the last two times, so I can see how it would be ideal if those blue rinsers you speak of gave their vote to the sales rep and weaken Dunnes chances. Maybe this will happen naturally as Dunne becomes increasingly less popular in the electorate, purely for conservative moral reasons rather than political.
Stephanie Rodgers said something once here on TS about being involved in the Labour campaign for Ohariu. Maybe she would like to offer her thoughts, I’m sure they would be welcome.
I am indeed involved in the Ohariu campaign – but it’s a complex topic! Virginia Andersen is a great candidate for Ohariu and I know we’re all working hard to win the electorate vote. No one expected National to field a particularly strong candidate for the obvious reasons. And a lot has happened for Peter Dunne since 2011.
Hi Stephanie and thanks. I bet it is a complex topic! And I’m assuming you may not be able to show the party’s hand, too much.
Although I didn’t meet Virginia Anderson I did listen to what she had to say at a recent meeting PPO hosted in J’Ville to discuss the Employment Relations Amendment Act. She comes across as very intelligent, sharp and strong. I am impressed by her.
Great to hear the campaign team has the wind in their sails – we’ll have you all to thank if we do it, if we turn this electorate red! Hey, what a party that would be, unseating Dunne after 30 years!
Lobbying for a Tobacco company doesn’t necessarily mean you are attempting to encourage smoking. It is also not illegal. Frankly this smacks of the sort of witch hunting that used to be happen around membership of the Communist party in people’s youth. Just as I think it is ridiculous to focus on that I think it is ridiculous to castigate a potential candidate based on who he preciously worked for.
BTW the linked to article and associated graphic doesn’t makes the point you are suggesting it does or at least not in a clear an unequivical manner.
I think it is a matter of the National party members of the electorate to decide whether he is a suitable candidate or not. It then becomes a matter for the voters of the electorate to decide if they think he is a suitable MP. Some left wing person on a blog has little influence over this.
you said that promoting the business of phillip morris didnt mean he was encouraging smoking, dont change it to occupations dont preclude people from being mps.
Take the example of the Prostitutes Collective. Someone working for this organisation does not mean they necessarily encourage the use of prostitutes or at least that more people should use one. There is a lot of issues you can advocate for without expanding the take up of what you advocate on.
More to the point, why are you accusing Barclay of not contributing to his corporate employer’s bottom line? Are you saying that he was a fraud in the job or just lazy?
I have no idea if he did or didn’t. I don’t particularly like many organisations but I don’t condemn people based on the fact people may have once worked for them. I understand that people are employed to do a job not to agree with the ideas or views expressed by the organisation they are part of.
So you believe that Barclay probably had no moral qualms about accepting big tobacco money? I wonder what the principled burghers of Clutha Southland are going to make of a National Party who gave them such a poorly suited candidate.
This is obviously a golden opportunity then for a candidate of a left leaning party to win in Clutha Southland at the upcoming election. Do you want to have a wager on whether this will happen?
Well, National should pull the tobacco lobbyist from their candidate list, and give the people of Clutha Southland a serious choice, a candidate who knows about the issues of the electorate and understands farming, instead of sliding in a Big Tobacco lobbyist who is wholly unsuitable.
I’d suggest this is up to the National party and the members of the Clutha Southland electorate and not a hard core leftist like yourself to decide. Nice to see you so concerned about who should represent right leaning people. I myself would like left leaning people being represented by morons. Luckily for me that seems to be the case more often than not 😉
no-one said otherwise – so again your inventing a point that was never mentioned in order to distract and derail
we are all entitled to say and discuss what ever we feel like (unless your some jack boot statist of course – are you?) – and the eyebrows raised about that particular appt was as much about his age, connections to certain party members, overall work and life experience and the fact that the revolving door relationship between politics and industry lobbyists is usually considered a less than desirable situation – regardless of left or right
it was never exclusively about phillip morris in and of itself
either you know this and are playing your usual bullshit or your shooting your mouth off without knowing the issue
one makes you a bit of a pain in the ass – the other makes you look like an idiot
Lobbying for a tobacco company, given the outcomes for those who take up the dreaded weed, gives an indication that the person is unable to link personal actions to community and social responsibility.
As a potential government representative for all demographics, who all need to have a long-term view of policy effects this is an “experience” that indicates a severe skill deficiency.
Cannabis has the potential to cause the same sort of physical harm as Tobacco AND additional harm via long term psychological damage (especially when taken frequently at a young age). Don’y try and act like Cannabis is some life preserving wonder drug. We are not all as stupid as you might be.
Why do you think Barclay accepted a job with a Big Tobacco corporate? After all, Philip Morris’ products have caused millions of deaths worldwide over the last 50 or more years. Do you think Barclay considered that before he started accepting money from Philip Morris?
The same could be argued for any number of companies from Pharmaceutical distributors through to Confectionary manufacturers. Yes Tobacco is harmful to you but so is Homeopathy if you use it instead of proper medicine. I don’t think that should rule out people from becoming an MP if they worked as a Homeopath or in the industry just as i don’t think working as a lobbyist for a tobacco company carrying out their business in a legal manner should rule you out from public office.
So did Barclay experience moral doubts about accepting Big Tobacco corporate cash, or do you think that he was paid enough by Philip Morris that he found that he could ignore any minor moral qualms that he may have had?
Tobacco distribution is not illegal in this country. Therefore Mr Barclay has done nothing wrong working for a company involved in this sector. You might not like it but I suspect you won’t be involved in deciding if he is elected to parliament.
Tobacco distribution is not illegal in this country. Therefore Mr Barclay has done nothing wrong working for a company involved in this sector.
No, he has merely avoided doing anything illegal.
Although it’s revealing that you should confuse the two. Especially if we remember that, legally speaking, everyone is innocent until proven guilty. Which means that (in your worldview) if one can get away with murder one has done nothing wrong…
Only in your perverted view of the world. Someone can get away with murder if they think they are acting in self defence though so in essence you do raise an interesting, if irrelevant, point. What this has to do with Mr Barclay’s previous job is unclear though.
You said it was not illegal therefore it is not wrong.
Murder is illegal, but proving it is another matter.
And murderers are innocent until proven guilty under the law.
Someone can get away with murder if they think they are acting in self defence though
You’re an idiot. If it’s self defense, it’s not murder. According to the law, anyway (cf: s160 and s48 of the same Act).
The point I’m getting at is that your definition of “wrong” rests solely on legality. It’s almost as if you have no internal set of ethical principles which guide your actions, legal or otherwise. I.e. completely amoral.
“The effects of cannabis on health have not been studied anywhere near as much as those of tobacco smoking. However, a review has concluded that the airways of cannabis smokers have changes that indicate cancer risk , for example, “chronic inflammatory” and “pre-cancerous changes”.
This review also found one well-designed study that suggested that cannabis smoking caused cancer in the upper airways of young adults, and that the risk was highest in the most frequent users.”
Therefore there is evidence that it does have the potential to cause the same sort of physical harm as smoking Tobacco. You may disagree the risk is as high or that the evidence is not compelling but there is no doubt evidence.
What you are stating is you disagree with the conclusion of that review. That is fine. You don’t have to believe it. Just as some people don’t agree with lots of scientific conclusions. You can’t deny that there is some evidence linking the use of Cannabis and increased risk of cancer though. It exists.
Phil said what I would’ve if I’d returned earlier.
Marijuana normalisation is advocated mostly by those who will not benefit from changing the legislation, using studies to back up their claims.
Tobacco lobbyists are highly paid liars who do benefit from continued use and whose employers suppressed for many years scientific studies that showed devastating and ongoing harm from the use of their products.
Also, ignore the fact that nicotine was added specifically to make it addictive thereby ensuring the continuation of use for the whole of their customer’s shortened life.
I’d suggest this is based purely on your own personal prejudices and not on any evidence supporting the view that everyone who works as a lobbyist for a Tobacco company is a liar. If you can provide evidence that Mr Barclay knowingly lied during his time working for the Tobacco company in question though you will have won the argument. Have you such evidence?
The focus on the discussion is what excatly? Is it that Tobacco use is bad for you and society generally and therefore anyone who has worked for a company involved in that sector is bad and therefore is not fit for public office? As I pointed out that is a ridiculous position to hold.
Barclay lobbied on behalf of Big Tobacco, against the Government’s “attempts” to restrict the harmful effects of smoking on New Zealanders. Now, he plans to join the Government on the other side of the argument. Comfortable about that, are you? It doesn’t have to be illegal to be wrong. Remember “legal highs/synthetic cannabis”?
There are other ways of measuring right and wrong. Barclay chose to side with the pedlars of nicotine and now he wants to govern us. His background will worry many people, especially those who have lost family members to the various cancers cigarette smoking causes.
Do you have evidence of what his current views on Tobacco usage are and that he will be pushing the Tobacco company point of view forward if he becomes an MP?
We know he supported the actions of Philip Morris – unless of course, he was dishonest with them and they paid him under false pretences. If he didn’t support their kaupapa, he’s a hypocrite – not the sort of person you’d want representing you in Parliament. If he did side with the tobacco pedlars, he was actively working against the best interests of new Zealanders – not the sort of person you’d want representing you in Parliament.
Not the sort of person you’d want to represent you in parliament – Are you a resident of the Cluth Southland electorate then?
By the way, even assuming he was a big supporter of increased tobacco usage (there doesn’t seem to be any evidence supporting this though) he can change his mind. I believe a number of politicians may have had radically different views when younger. Phil Goff springs to mind.
I’ve lived in Southland for 28 years. The Southlanders I’ve spoken with on this issue are disgusted that the National Party have served up this tobacco lobbyist. None will vote for him.
edit: Different views when he was younger!
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
!
He resigned from Philip Morris last week!
It’s always been said that a fence-post would win Clutha/Southland for National (been proved true too). Your comment/wager has no bearing on the quality of the tobacco lobbyist/candidate or his ethical standards, which are being described around here as non-existent.
‘So not enough people in the Clutha Southland electorate care enough about the issue to vote for an alternative candidate then. Case closed.’
Not enough people care about the issue?
Nonsense statement from Gosman. The election has not taken place yet, so you can’t know.
The ‘case’ is far from closed.
Case wide open and looking less than secure for what might have been an easy-win for a candidate who hadn’t recently quit a job in an industry that most people regard as odious. Let’s remember, it’s “most people”, not you, Gosman, who will decide whether Barclay is suitable for representing Southlanders in parliament. I’m hearing a lot of, “Hell no!”
Tobacco lobbyists in order to sell their product by necessity are “economical with the truth” ( admittedly my definition of a liar, perhaps not yours ) or they are a really ineffective lobbyist, one who would be fired fairly quickly.
He did not mention that he was a bad lobbyist – so I am also assuming he was fairly competent in the role.
But you are right Gosman – just because I don’t have a transcript of all his commercial utterings I cannot prove that he lied (even by my definition) in any specific incident.
Just as I cannot prove that any baker has put active yeast into all his bread products – but if he didn’t, his failure would be fairly noticeable.
Or it could be that Johnny No-Mates has given up on trying to get Colin Craig into Auckland and has told the Conservatives to have a scout around the churches in Clutha to see if there’s a potential candidate down there. After all, if Todd the Toddler loses the seat it will be no great loss to the Nats as long as they get a Conservative in his place…
I’ve managed to locate the words to National’s “Party” song.
It was heard being sung at the end of their recent conference while they were eating Hors d’oeuvres and clinking champagne flutes. Feel free to join in.
It goes like this………eeeerm….eeeerm.
It’s time to play the music
It’s time to light the lights
It’s time to meet the Muppets on the Muppet Show tonight.
It’s time to put on makeup
It’s time to dress up right
It’s time to raise the curtain on the Muppet Show tonight.
Why do we always come here
I guess we’ll never know
It’s like a kind of torture
To have to watch the show
Chorus
And now let’s get things started
Why don’t you get things started
It’s time to get things started
On the most sensational Aspirational celebrational Muppetational
This is what we call the Muppet Show!
Instrumental Break
[MC]To introduce our guest star
That’s what I’m here to do
So it really makes me happy
To introduce to you (drum roll)
Shonnnnnnnn Keyyyyyyyyy!!!
Chorus
And now let’s get things started
Why don’t you get things started
It’s time to get things started
On the most sensational Aspirational celebrational Muppetational
This is what we call the Muppet Show!
That is a bit of a head-scratcher isn’t it, Hooton talking of David Shearer as the leader of the Labour Party,
Perhaps this is a re-print of something wee Matty previously wrote, a little trumpet blow in Hooton’s direction to show how clever Matty is at seeing the future,
What will drive more than a few out of ‘rental investments’ is the Labour plan to plug the loophole where such ‘investors’ get to right off any losses incurred on the property against other taxable income,
i don’t know the numbers of people who piled into ‘rental investments’ based upon the taxes on ‘other income’ they could write off against the properties but the numbers i would suggest are high and the closing of this tax loophole will force more than a few to divest themselves of rental properties…
Thanks for replying Matthew, I think you would agree it is very sloppy presentation of information. Especially for a publication of the NBR’s stature. Would you be so kind as to mention this to your editors?
You could imagine the kerfuffle if PG tried to use it to establish a fact. He is bound to try to establish a fact one day, and I would hate for something like a publishing date to trip him up.
“You could imagine the kerfuffle if PG tried to use it to establish a fact. He is bound to try to establish a fact one day, and I would hate for something like a publishing date to trip him up.”
John Armstrong has emerged from the shadows…. “But Key’s reference to the length of the conversations has to be regarded as another way of him saying he canvassed various options with respect to her immediate future as a minister.
For Key not to have offered Collins some much-needed respite from the intense scrutiny that she has been under for weeks would have been neglectful of not just National’s interests, but of Collins’ as well.
Clearly Collins is very much in the wrong place mentally right now. That is plainly evident after she lashed out at TVNZ’s Katie Bradford yesterday, only to to subsequently issue a public apology to the political reporter.
Key this morning described Collins’ outburst at the press gallery journalist as being “completely inappropriate”. He added that Collins would be “very careful going forward”.
The trouble is every time Collins moves one step forward, her reputation takes five steps back. Rather than endeavouring to close down the whole farrago prompted by her highly-questionable dealings with the milk exporting company Oravida, Collins says or does something to further inflame matters……” http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11249704
The real problem is that Slippery Key moves the goalposts after she gaffes.
Firstly he says she’s on her last warning then when she fucks up he says the warning was for a different topic! Opening the door for a “three strikes” wet bus ticket for all of his ministers every time there’s a screw up screwing up.
Perhaps what we are seeing is a cathartic civil war in the National Party.
Joyce, with all the gifts of MBIE to help him win support among business backers of National, is getting aid from McCully (fast OIA responses) and others to weaken Collins.
Collins, with the gift of self-belief and popularity among grass-root Nats, is willing to risk all, including the election, to gain control.
Labour should leave them space on the front pages!
Groser has helped trip up Collins also. The short wee mon is very traditional and would NOT cope with having a woman, Collins, as his boss. He is definitely in the Joyce Camp now.
The short wee mon will also be getting it in the ear from Fonterra. Fonterra will also have been chatting with John Key and Bill English.
Imagine how Fonterra are feeling: Collins goes into bat for another trader who wants to make hay in China from Fonterra’s botulism crises! Fonterra spent a few $100m opening the market and Oravida wanted to sneak in via the back door!
Collins has pissed off Fonterra, the biggest lobbyist in Parliament.
Therefore Collins has pissed off Federated Farmer, the second biggest lobbyist in Parliament.
If those two go public with their annoyance every Fonterra shareholding farmer will see Collins as a TRAITOR.
She is so close to going. Key must be afraid of how she will behave if she is fired.
If the Mongrel Mob activities are legal then there is nothing wrong with belonging to them. It is only when people carry out illegal activities under the Mongrel mob banner that belonging to them becomes an issue.
That also makes you culpable in terms of being a citizen of one of those governments.
Do you claim that culpability or do you acknowledge that personal control of those organisations to which we all belong plays a part in our guilt by association?
I don’t think one automatically leads on to the other. For example in war a nation can carry out some dreadful actions like the fire bombings of Dresden and Tokyo or the Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. That does not mean all citizens of the nations making up the Allies in the war are culpable for these decisions or that the war itself is suspect because of them.
Gosman, do you believe the 23 year old, Todd Barclay, who has only ever worked in Government Minister’s offices and lobbied for a tobacco firm has enough life experience to be an MP where his job is to represent the full cross-section of the electorate?
He is not looking at becoming a list MP but an electorate one. It is not for me to decide if he is suitable or not as I don’t live in his electorate. If the people of his electorate decide to vote for him who am I to quibble about his supposed lack of experience.
I don’t think freedom was asking you to decide Barclay’s political fate (you can’t, as you point out) but, instead, was inviting you to express what you believe about his life experience in relation to the tasks of an electorate MP.
The beauty of democracy is we leave it up to the voters to decide the suitability or otherwise of a candidate. As for if I would vote for him. I don’t know a lot about him or his opponents. He does seem a little on the young and inexperienced side but that does not necessarily preclude you from being a good electorate MP. Certainly the fact he worked as a lobbyist for a Tobacco company doesn’t rule him out as far as I am concerned.
The beauty of democracy is we leave it up to the voters to decide the suitability or otherwise of a candidate.
So you believe that the principled burghers of Clutha Southland should have been given a choice of decent National Party candidates, instead of having a tobacco industry lobbyist served to them from Wellington on a blue platter?
Is the way Mr Barclay is being selected as a candidate outside National party rules on candidate selection? If the answer to that is no then what is the problem here again? If the National party voters in the electorate don’t like the candidate they are free to vote for a candidate of another party. This seems to me to be a perfect opportunity for other candidates to take advantage of. Assuming of course the majority of voters in the electorate care enough about the issue. Do you think they will vote for another candidate?
I’d like to see who else in the National Party put their hand up for the job of candidate for Clutha Southland; you can bet there would be a few amongst them who would make our inexperienced tobacco lobbyist look properly shallow in comparison.
It’s not that I care so much (and I actually do know a lot of voters who live in the Clutha Southland), it’s that I am amazed that you care so little about the appalling Big Tobacco choice of candidate that National HQ has served up on a plate to that electorate.
I have not said a word about voting Gosman. I was clearly pointing to the candidate selection process. I just find it funny when supposedly intelligent people defend a candidate selection system where the members’ views are deemed irrelevant and yet these same people are somehow represented, by submitting to an arbitrary decision by their Party leaders that they, the members, had no input into.
Good thing I gave up trying to understand National voters a long time ago, even the ones I love. Some might say you should never fully understand your friends, or your family, it takes away all the mystery.
National is by far and away the most successful political party in NZ since the end of the second world war. You might not understand their internal processes or why people support them but you can’t deny that it seems to work for them. I am sure they don’t give two hoots what a bunch of largely hard core leftists think of them.
“I don’t think one automatically leads on to the other.”14.1.1.1.1 “It is only when people carry out illegal activities under the Mongrel mob banner that belonging to them becomes an issue.14.1
A bit of a contradiction there. But I do agree with your statement at 14.1.1.1.1 because fundamentally, regardless of whether you are a member or not, – your personal input or control of the decisions made by that organisation – make up a large part of whether you are responsible for those decisions or not. Mongrel Mob member, MP or democratic citizen.
Unfortunately, some of these organisations are set up to look like you have equal power to another but in actuality do not deliver.
Gosman – for some reason I can’t reply to your comment above regarding National’s electoral success in the post-world war 2 era? You are, strictly speaking, right though much of that success comes from exploiting the FPP gerrymander. In the MMP era National and Labour so far have 3 terms each.
Morally I think selling Homeopathy or most other types of CAM products/remedies is reprehensible. Does that mean people involved with this sector should be denied the opportunity of becoming an MP?
first home owners in auckland, based on neither owner having bought a home before or held a mortgage before, are paying $200 a week more than counterparts outside auckland.
but they dont get $200 a week more from similar jobs to counterparts.
This is what you get for having more than 30% of the country’s population squashed into less than 0.3% of the country’s land area.
As an added benefit, it depopulates and economically degrades all the other regions of the country. You would have thought given these facts that just a little teensy bit of central planning might be in order to even things out a bit, but no, every political party seems determined to make Auckland even bigger and denser than it is now.
Despite badgering me for weeks whilst I was on sick leave, and on three occasions questioning the veracity of my Doctor’s certificates, after my disciplinary hearing on Monday, at 5.58 pm on Friday, I finally got confirmation through I was sacked.
Not surprised at the outcome, but still gutted none the less. Cancelled my wff payments so I don’t get overpaid, booked up my ‘working for me seminar’ at winz, and ready to do what I can to get back in to work.
I don’t know what options I have, other than full hearing and more costs I can’t pay or walk away and take the hit, but I’ll decide after consultation with the brief later today. It appears a pervy old man can’t buy my silence, but can buy protection for his reputation.
That also makes you culpable in terms of being a citizen of one of those governments.
Do you claim that culpability or do you acknowledge that personal control of those organisations to which we all belong plays a part in our guilt by association?
Really sorry to hear of the outcome for you The AIlen. Good luck for your post consultation decision making on what to do next and all the best for your next move.
It really is disheartening how dodgy employers get away it, again and again. I’ve seen it happen so many times to others and have been the victim of dodgy bosses twice in a row – its so wrong that your experience is not uncommon.
Hope you find something nice to treat yourself to today.
+1. I was trying to find the right words of support for you, the Al1en; but Rosie has said it much better. I am thinking of you, as I am sure many others here are. I have been through similar but the fact that others have been down the same road does not make it any easier at the time. But you will get through. It has been obvious to me reading your posts on this issue. Kia Kaha. Keep us up to date.
Take the high road Al1en, it has better views and it’s always best to avoid the hassle of stumbling over messed up riverbeds. As you say, there does not appear to be any rewards in battling further. Do remember though, you can now freely offer advice to people as to whether they should use that particular business or not. There are lots of legal ways to adjust someone’s business reputation. I am not a spiteful person but have certainly had the unquestioning generosity of my youth sorely tested these past few years.
Look after yourself, and when jumping the WINZ hoops, breath deep and let the pointless busywork ahead be a positive challenge. There is a job out there. I keep getting told there is. Problem seems to be WINZ are talking to us all about the same job 😉
Mediation costs nothing and there is absolutely no reason to be represented by a lawyer. If you choose to be represented by a lawyer, then they can claim costs as a part of any confidential settlement.
I didn’t get a call back from my guy, so haven’t heard his considered opinion yet, but hope to tomorrow. The worst thing about the outcome is knowing I didn’t really do anything wrong, got victimised and then assaulted, and have been dismissed on the ‘evidence’ of witnesses I know weren’t present at the time.
Realistically, without being Rumpole of the Bailey, I know I can’t rip the truth out from these people. I couldn’t even get my ex boss to speak during the kangaroo court. Two and a half hours and he said nothing, just stared in to any space except my eye line.
I am full of contempt for this tool, but still bound by confidentiality, so naming and shaming isn’t an option as yet. I do have the privacy commission to fall back on, which is free to apply to, so that will probably be my next move, but first to get that job.
Soon people will be so good at managing their finances benefits won’t be needed at all. If fact, I’m surprised Bennett isn’t saying something like “we really want to support people manage their money so well that there’s even some left over each week they can pay back to the government as a contribution to the benefit system overall.”
Bennett says the funding “will ensure the services are able to keep up with demand”. What she doesn’t say is that that demand is increasing because it’s compulsory when people apply to Work and Income for special needs grants and advances, which people need to apply for because main benefit levels are so ridiculously low. Bennett, this government and Labour have absolutely no idea.
Is Maurice Williamson really a ventriloquists dummy, i had that thought as Williamson was manhandled out of TV3’s ‘the Nation’ studio on the weekend, perhaps Maurice had just filled his incontinence pants and couldn’t bring Himself to perambulate after such a dramatic event,
Maurice having just had the silver spoon rudely ripped from His over privileged mouth should face further questioning over His story,
Claiming that it wasn’t Donghua Liu who asked Him for help after putting the bash on both wife and mother-in-law Williamson claimed that it was a member of the police force who gave Him the information that Liu was in trouble for the incident,
i don’t believe Williamson’s explanation for a moment, But, if he was being truthful the plod who shared this information with Him should face discipline for giving out such information…
Ah, bad, on reading the transcript, I don’t think that’s how it went down. The final bit of the interview, Williamson is explaining why he mentioned Liu’s business interests in NZ when talking on the phone to the police.
So could you clarify for me why you told the police that he was – why you thought it was necessary to tell the police that he had all that money?
I’ve had a think about the phone call and I think the way it came about, and of course it’s hard to remember back to January the exact wording, but what I think happened is the police officer speaking to me said the assault actually took place in the Boulevard Hotel, which this Mr Liu owns. And I said ‘yes that’s right he owns it’. And I said ‘he actually owns a big chunk of land around it as well’. He said ‘that’s right, but he owns the hotel where it occurred’. It wasn’t like ‘cause he’s so rich, don’t do anything’. But I wasn’t even asking whether they could do anything or not. I was asking ‘are you going to proceed?’
Its a law like gravity: whenever a right-wing government is elected, they start attacking democracy. And now, after talking to their Republican and Tory and Fidesz chums at the International Democracy Union forum in Wellington, National is doing it here, announcing plans to remove election-day enrolment. Or, to put it ...
Yesterday Winston Peters focussed his attention on the important matter at hand. Tweeting. Like the former, and quite possibly next, orange POTUS, from whom he takes much of his political strategy, Winston is an avid X’er.His message didn’t resemble an historic address this time. In fact it was more reminiscent ...
Buzz from the Beehive A significant decline in natural gas production has given Resources Minister Shane Jones an opportunity to reiterate his enthusiasm for the mining and burning of coal. For good measure, he has praised an announcement from Genesis Energy that it will resume importing coal. He and Energy ...
“Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The political parties are legally obliged to make ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Here is my subjective ranking on a “most-left” to “most-right” scale of most of our major NZ Universities, with some anecdotal (and at times amusing) evidence to back up the claim.Extreme Left Auckland University of TechnologyEvidenceThe ...
Eric Crampton writes – I hadn’t thought about this one until a helpful email showed up in my inbox.It’s pretty obvious that income tax thresholds should automatically index with inflation – whether to anchor the thresholds in percentiles of the income distribution, or to anchor against a real ...
Jacqui Van Der Kaay writes – Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National ...
Gary Judd writes – The Dean of the law school at the Auckland University of Technology is someone called Khylee Quince. I have been sent her social media posting in which she has, over the LawNews headline “Senior King’s Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Maori studies for ...
Cleo Paskal writes – WASHINGTON, D.C.: ‘Many of us have received phone calls from [the opposing camp] telling them if they join the camp they will be given projects for their wards and $300,000 [around US$35,000] each’, says former Malaita Premier Daniel Suidani. The elections in Solomon Islands aren’t ...
With hindsight, it was inevitable that (a) Hamas would agree to the ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar and that ( b) Israel would then immediately launch attacks on Rafah, regardless. We might have hoped the concessions made by Hamas would cause Israel to desist from slaughtering thousands more ...
Placards and mourners outside the Kilbirnie Mosque following the Christchurch terror attack: MSD has terminated the Kaiwhakaoranga service, which has been used by 415 families since the attacks. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The Government’s pledge to only cut ‘back office’ staff rather than ‘frontline’ services is on increasingly shaky ground, with ...
There’s been a few smaller public transport announcements over the last week or so that I thought I’d cover in a single post. Fareshare I’ve long called for Auckland Transport to offer a way to enable employer-subsidised public transport options. The need for this took on even more importance ...
Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National Minister Matt Doocey, reflects poorly on Genter and ...
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 ...
Who likes being sneered at? Nobody. Worse yet, when the sneerer has their facts all wrong, and might well be an idiot.The sneer in question is The adults are in charge now, and it is a sneer offered in retort to criticism of this new Government, no matter how well ...
When in government, Labour pushed to extend the Parliamentary term to four years, to reduce accountability and our ability to vote out a bad government. And now, they're trying to do it through the member's ballot, with a Four-Year Parliamentary Term Legislation Bill. The bill at least requires a referendum ...
A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill (Hūhana Lyndon) The bill would prevent the government from stealing Māori land in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It ...
Simeon Brown, alongside Wayne Brown, is favouring a political figleaf now in exchange for loading up tens of millions in extra interest costs on Auckland ratepayers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is pushing back hard at suggestions from Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown ...
Buzz from the Beehive One headline-grabber from the Beehive yesterday was the OECD’s advice that the government must bring the Budget deficit under control or face higher interest rates. Another was the announcement of a $1.9 billion “investment” in Corrections over the next four years. In the best interests of ...
Chris Trotter writes – Had Zheng He’s fleet sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks of the Ming Dynasty, among the largest and most sophisticated sailing vessels ever constructed, would have failed ...
David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
The tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and applied…Gary Judd KC writes – I have made a complaint to Parliament’s Regulation ...
The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
The OECD’s chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changes—introducing a ...
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Eric Crampton writes – Grudges are bad. Better to move on. But it can be fun to keep a couple of really trivial ones, so you’re not tempted to have other ones. For example, because of the rootkit fiasco of 2005, no Sony products in our household. ...
A new report warns an estimated third of the adult population have unmet need for health care.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāHere’s the six key things I learned about Aotaroa’s political economy this week around housing, climate and poverty:Politics - Three opinion polls confirmed support for PM Christopher Luxon ...
Today is May the fourth. Which was just a regular day when my mother took me to see the newly released Star Wars at the Odeon in Rotorua. The queue was right around the corner. Some years later this day became known as Star Wars Day, the date being a ...
Buzz from the Beehive Much more media attention is being paid to something Winston Peters said about former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr than to a speech he delivered to the New Zealand China Council. One word is missing from the speech: AUKUS. But AUKUS loomed large in his considerations ...
Is the economy in another long stagnation? If so, why?This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be ...
The annual list of who's been bribing our politicians is out, and journalists will no doubt be poring over it to find the juiciest and dirtiest bribes. The government's fast-track invite list is likely to be a particular focus, and we already know of one company on the list which ...
In the weeks after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Southern Israel I wrote about the possible 2nd, 3rd and even 4th order effects of the conflict. These included new fronts being opened in the West Bank (with Hamas), Golan … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – It is one of the oldest truisms that there is never a good time for MPs to get a pay rise. This week’s announcement of pay raises of around 2.8% backdated to last October could hardly have come at a worse time, with the ...
David Farrar writes – Newshub reports: Newshub can reveal a fresh allegation of intimidation against Green MP Julie-Anne Genter. Genter is subject to a disciplinary process for aggressively waving a book in the face of National Minister Matt Doocey in the House – but it’s not the first time ...
The Treasury has published a paper today on the global productivity slowdown and how it is playing out in New Zealand: The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections. The Treasury Paper examines recent trends in productivity and the potential drivers of the slowdown. Productivity for the whole economy ...
Winston Peters’ comments about former Australian foreign minister look set to be an ongoing headache for both him and Luxon. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guests on Gaza and ...
These puppet strings don't pull themselvesYou're thinking thoughts from someone elseHow much time do you think you have?Are you prepared for what comes next?The debating chamber can be a trying place for an opposition MP. What with the person in charge, the speaker, typically being an MP from the governing ...
The land around Lyme Regis, where Meryl Streep once stood, in a hood, on the Cobb, is falling into the sea.MerylThe land around Lyme Regis, around the Cobb that made it rich, has always been falling slowly but surely into the sea. Read more ...
Buzz from the Beehive Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters was bound to win headlines when he set out his thinking about AUKUS in his speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. The headlines became bigger when – during an interview on RNZ’s Morning Report today – he criticised ...
The Post reports on how the government is refusing to release its advice on its corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law, instead using the "soon to be publicly available" refusal ground to hide it until after select committee submissions on the bill have closed. Fast-track Minister Chris Bishop's excuse? “It's not ...
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The New Zealand Herald reports – Stats NZ has offered a voluntary redundancy scheme to all of its workers as a way to give staff some control over their “future” amidst widespread job losses in the public sector. In an update to staff this morning, seen by the Herald, Statistics New Zealand ...
On Werewolf/Scoop, I usually do two long form political columns a week. From now on, there will be an extra column each week about music and movies. But first, some late-breaking political events:The rise in unemployment numbers for the March quarter was bigger than expected – and especially sharp ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: TVNZ says it is dealing with about 50 formal complaints over its coverage of the latest 1News-Verian political poll, with some viewers – as well as the Prime Minister and a former senior Labour MP – critical of the tone of the 6pm report. ...
Muriel Newman writes – When Meridian Energy was seeking resource consents for a West Coast hydro dam proposal in 2010, local Maori “strenuously” objected, claiming their mana was inextricably linked to ‘their’ river and could be damaged. After receiving a financial payment from the company, however, the Ngai Tahu ...
Alwyn Poole writes – “An SEP,’ he said, ‘is something that we can’t see, or don’t see, or our brain doesn’t let us see, because we think that it’s somebody else’s problem. That’s what SEP means. Somebody Else’s Problem. The brain just edits it out, it’s like a ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
The Minister Responsible for GCSB and the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security have been notified of this review, and have been provided a finalised Terms of Reference. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Minglu Chen, Senior Lecturer, Government and International Relations, University of Sydney Robert Way/Shutterstock As the past few years have illustrated so clearly, the Australia-China relationship is complicated. As such, it is crucial for Australians to develop a more nuanced understanding of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mariana Campbell, Research Lecturer, Conservation, Charles Darwin University Marilyn Connell Australian freshwater turtles are facing an alarming trend. Almost half of these species are listed as vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered. The Mary River turtle (Elusor macrurus) is one of Australia’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Debbie Passey, Digital Health Research Fellow, The University of Melbourne Algorithms have become integral to our lives. From social media apps to Netflix, algorithms learn your preferences and prioritise the content you are shown. Google Maps and artificial intelligence are nothing without ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Josephine Barbaro, Associate Professor, Principal Research Fellow, Psychologist, La Trobe University Unsplash We’ve come a long way in terms of understanding that everyone thinks, interacts and experiences the world differently. In the past, autistic people, people with attention deficit hyperactive disorder ...
PNG Post-Courier Papua New Guinea’s deputy opposition leader James Nomane has accused the government of “reckless economic management” that has forced devaluation to manage loan repayments in foreign currency and placate the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Prime Minister James Marape “must stop lying to the people of Papua New Guinea”, ...
Welcome to The Spinoff Bookseller Confessional, in which we get to know Aotearoa’s booksellers. This week: Jane Arthur, author of Brown Bird, and former bookseller at Good Books.The book I wish I’d writtenI have been working on not comparing myself to others. On accepting that what I can ...
The final decision on the Wellington District Plan makes it official: High-density housing is legal across most of Wellington. Housing minister Chris Bishop has announced his decision on the Wellington District Plan, approving a series of amendments to radically upzone most of Wellington, allowing tens of thousands of new townhouses ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. “Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to ...
RNZ News As Israel presses ahead with strikes in Rafah and seizing the Rafah crossing from Egypt, aid agencies are sounding the alarm of a “catastrophic humanitarian situation”. Rafah was “significant” because it was the only part in Gaza that had not been terribly damaged by the conflict, United Nations ...
With funding set to be scrapped for the Hamilton-Auckland commuter train, Te Huia enthusiast Georgie Dansey argues for it to be thrown a lifeline. It’s 5.45am and the chain of my crappy old bike falls off slugging up the one hill in Hamilton. I contemplate yeeting the bike into the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna Cooke, Honorary Fellow, School of the Environment, The University of Queensland We feel ecological grief when we lose places, species or ecosystems we value and love. These losses are a growing threat to mental health and wellbeing globally. We all see ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shauna Brail, Associate Professor, Institute for Management & Innovation, University of Toronto A shift to hybrid and remote work continues to affect worker presence in Toronto’s downtown.(Shutterstock) Downtown Toronto, the core of Canada’s largest city, continues to reel from the lingering ...
Responding to an Auditor-General's report slamming failures in the administration of the 2023 General Election, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said: ...
Productivity apps now make up a big chunk of the software market. But do they work? And why do they all have AI integrations?Despite being firmly on the record as a physical planner fan, I sometimes dream of something better than my pretty diary and its scrawled, ugly, interior ...
The Taxpayers’ Union says the Beehive need to lead by example, following reports of more than $50,000 spent upgrading video conferencing equipment and furniture in the Prime Minister’s office. Taxpayers’ Union Campaign Manager, Connor Molloy, ...
An objective list of the 50 most powerful people in New Zealand, as judged by the Spinoff Editorial Board. It’s power list season, baby, and we want in on the action. Sure, there’s the rich list and the powerful “c-suite” list and the young people with power (hmmm) but here, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thalia Anthony, Professor of Law, University of Technology Sydney ShutterstockThis article contains information on deaths in custody and the names of deceased people, and describes ongoing colonial violence towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. First Nations people in Australia ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alex Simpson, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, Macquarie University Netflix Baby Reindeer’s phenomenal success has much to do with its writer and lead, Richard Gadd, who plays Donny in a tender semi-autobiographical account of sexual abuse, harassment and stalking. Gadd’s story has ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Collins, Laureate Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Newcastle KarolinaGrabowska/Pexels If you didn’t have food allergies as a child, is it possible to develop them as an adult? The short answer is yes. But the reasons why are much ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Moon, Professor of History, Auckland University of Technology Ans Westra, self-portrait, c. 1963. National Library ref AWM-0705-F They try but invariably fail – those writers who believe they are capable of encapsulating in prose or verse the essence of ...
Stewart Sowman-Lund looks at the growing concern around the world in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. What’s all this? When Covid-19 arrived on our shores in early 2020, some argued we were too slow, or crucially, ill-prepared for a pandemic. So ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Franco Montalto, Professor of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering and Director, Sustainable Water Resource Engineering Laboratory, Drexel University Water runs into a storm drain in a Los Angeles alley on Aug. 19, 2023, during Tropical Storm Hilary.Citizen of the Planet/Universal Images ...
The inquest into the death of Gore toddler Lachlan Jones has turned up a new witness who says he saw two teenagers and a small child in a high vis vest in the area where the boy’s body was found the day he died. Lachie’s body was discovered face up ...
Stories from the tenancy trenches, featuring spider infestations, cupboard rats and same-sex discrimination. Lucy’s brother was living in a damp 1930s building in Mt Eden where “he had to tie the cupboard doors closed so the rats didn’t get in”. Although he shared custody of his six-year-old son, his property ...
Simeon Brown, Chris Luxon, and Wayne Brown climbed into a hole and announced a plan to solve Auckland’s water woes. This is how it’ll work. New Zealand’s pipes are munted. They’re cracked and leaking, and struggling to handle all the extra poos excreted by our rising population. It’s a big, ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 8 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Opinion: ‘Reference-class forecasting’ is at the heart of improving pricing a project and identifying the expected timeframe but it doesn’t appear to be in use here The post ‘Think fast and act slowly’ is failing big projects appeared first on Newsroom. ...
What do a sombrero in Argentina and cognitive driving tests have in common? Don’t worry, we’re not setting up a bad joke. Hinengaro Clinic dementia clinician Gregory Winkelman has the answer on today’s episode of The Detail. “We ask a patient’s spouse or son or daughter: If you went to ...
Wellington long jumper Phoebe Edwards is back and she’s having fun again. Until this year, Edwards, a top athlete in her teens, had never competed as a senior athlete in New Zealand. In March, the 26-year-old won a national long jump title in a lifetime best of 6.28m after ...
After replacing a fifth of their caucus in just four months, the Greens’ opportunity to reset, reshuffle and refocus on the Government is quickly slipping away The post Persistent Green Party scandals delay caucus reset appeared first on Newsroom. ...
I knew Taika Waititi quite well when he was a kid. His mother lived in a tall narrow house in Aro St, and my youngest sister had a similar house two doors along. They were both single mums, they each had a son aged seven. Taika and my nephew Stepan ...
Opinion: “As time passes, knowledge of the circumstances of the August 2016 outbreak will fade and its immediate impact will be lost.” This statement is from the 2017 report of the Official Inquiry into the Havelock North campylobacteriosis outbreak. The then National-led government established the inquiry after the outbreak left ...
Opinion: Nicholas Khoo looks at two key points in the high-stakes foreign policy pact debate – and asks if NZ can engage with as little drama as possible. The post Where to next for the Aukus ruckus? appeared first on Newsroom. ...
ANALYSIS:By Olli Hellmann, University of Waikato When New Zealanders commemorate Anzac Day today on April 25, it’s not only to honour the soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and subsequent conflicts, but also to mark a defining event for national identity. The battle of Gallipoli against ...
By Robin Martin, RNZ News reporter A New Zealand local authority, Whanganui District Council, has passed a motion calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, condemnation of all acts of violence and terror against civilians on both sides of the conflict and the immediate return of hostages. It comes as ...
Asia Pacific Report The Aotearoa chapter of the Women’s International league for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) has appealed to the New Zealand government to call out Israel over the “cruel and barbaric use of force” in Gaza and demand a permanent ceasefire. The league’s open letter was sent to Prime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government will invest $566 million over a decade on data, maps and other tools to promote exploration and development in Australia’s resources industry. The project will fund “the first comprehensive map of what’s ...
Asia Pacific Report Following an open letter by Auckland University academics speaking out in support of their students’ right to protest against the genocidal Israeli war on Gaza, a group of academics at Otago University have today also called on New Zealand academic institutions to “repair colonial violence” and end ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Linda J. Graham, Professor and Director of the Centre for Inclusive Education, Queensland University of Technology Ryan Tauss/ Unsplash, CC BY Two male students have been expelled from a Melbourne private school for their involvement in a list ranking female students. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The Reserve Bank is now assuming Australians will see no interest rate cuts this year – and quite possibly none before the next federal election, due next May. That’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Hayward, Emeritus Professor of Public Policy, RMIT University The Victorian budget offered more of the same on Tuesday, with the only change being how the budget papers were packaged. The usual shrink wrap was gone, hinting at savings in the pages ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Coalition is demanding extensive amendments to the government’s legislation targeting non-citizens who refuse to co-operate with their removal. In a dissenting report to the senate inquiry into the legislation, the Coalition says it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vanita Yadav, Senior Research Fellow, Urban Transformations Research Centre, Western Sydney University Brett Boardman/Belvoir The complex and grappling issue of violence against women takes centre stage in the soul-stirring solo dance drama Nayika: A Dancing Girl. During a dinner conversation ...
Disruption to patient care from a nationwide junior doctors strike is bordering on unsafe, a senior doctor claims, despite what health officials say. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Diepstraten, Senior Research Officer, Blood Cells and Blood Cancer Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute Ground Picture/Shutterstock The anti-cancer drug abemaciclib (also known as Vernezio) has this month been added to the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) to treat certain ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dominic McAfee, Postdoctoral researcher, marine ecology, University of Adelaide Robbie Porter, OzFish Unlimited Around Australia, hundreds of people are coming together to help a once-prized, but decimated and largely forgotten marine ecosystem. They’re busy restoring Australia’s native oyster and mussel reefs. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Webb, Lecturer, Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University of Technology Austin Human/Unsplash How does Earth stop meteors from hitting Earth and hurting people? –Asher, 6 years 11 months, New South Wales Alright, let’s embark on a meteor ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rory Mulcahy, Associate Professor of Marketing, University of the Sunshine Coast Professional sports organisations regularly promote and develop initiatives to support diversity, equity and inclusion. While sport has the power to change attitudes by sparking conversations about political issues and social ...
Comment: The weekly Monday post-Cabinet press conference is a useful forum for observing Christopher Luxon and how he is developing into the job of Prime Minister. He attempts to convey the impression of a man of action, speaking fast, delivering memorised National Party strategies in a connect-the-slogans kind of way, ...
Double votes, missing ballot boxes, tired tech and stressed staff: how tick-tallying went astray at last year’s election. Cast your mind back to November 2023, that bleary-eyed post-election period duringwhichwewaited, andwaited, for a coalition deal to be hammered out. A distraction from the hotel-hopping of our ...
‘
Is Judith Collins Rob Muldoon’s love child?
I’m not sure, but I think she and Key share a top drawer as well as nasty friends and an uncanny likeness to the man.
The photo of Key in your link really shows him in a different light to most of his photos! Warts and all…
…and that ridiculous rug…
do you think hes been reading slater yesterday and today.
well..he did put it about a bit…
Whoah, Jude that was one hell of a tanty you threw yesterday, and guess what Lady, its’ not the media’s fault Williamson lost his job, it’s Williamsons’ fault he lost his job.
hey jude..!..don’t take it bad…
..take a milk-spill…and make it better..
..remember…to keep that rage-lid on tight..
..and will you now go dairy-free..?..go vegan..?
..to make it better ..better..better..oowww!!!!
..la-la-la-lalala-lah..la-la-lah…hey jude..!
..hey jude..!..don’t send that txt..!
..and stop threatening – to piss on the media..
..the only dirt – we want to see..
..is the name of that official…was it mr lee..?
..hey jude…yr in a hole..
..shouldn’t you really..stop digging..?
..we know …it’s getting under yr skin..
..but you deserve nothing better..
..sitting in yr oravida-sin-bin..
…i really doubt you’ll be able to make it all..
… better..better..better..etc..
A round of applause! Lol, and an earworm for the morning.
Thanks Phillip … and do you think Oravida is derived to mean Golden Life, or Life of Gold ?
And in the same interview with Sabin, Collins was so avariciously callow in dismissing any concerns about the swamp kauri pillage in Northland as her husband’s company stores $50 million worth until price increases further .. Crusher is crashing, and it can’t come soon enough.
@ yeshe..it means ‘gold of the collins’…
chrs 2 u rosie..yr ‘jude’ was the trigger…
another ‘song for judith’…?
(something about ‘milkshakes’..?..’boys’..?..’yard’..?..)
or maybe kings of leon..?
..doing ‘milk’..?
..with its’ evocative (for judith) cry from the heart:
..’staayyy..for meeee..!’..
BLip….lol!…she does look a bit like him and he did play around a bit!
Talk of people looking like each other, the reporter at the center of ‘Crusher’s’ latest piece of verbal ugliness bares an uncanny resemblance to the Mana Parties Sue Bradford…
Sue’s daughter.
Oh is she? I thought she had a remarkable resemblance to Sue. Thanks for the info.
What I found ironic about Collins’ interview last night – apart from her bizarre behaviour – was that she was being interviewed by Brook Sabin (son of National MP Mike Sabin) and puts the boot into another offspring of a former MP.
Ironic is the wrong word, but cannot think of the right one.
Thanks for the education this morning vv – I had been wondering about the Sabins as well!
Yes, well ironic alright. Her rage must be so blind that she will lash out at anyone including the son of her comrade so to speak, or maybe she see’s the son’s challenge of her a betrayal of code. Who knows. She certainly has let the Ban- Shidhe out from under the hills though.
Seriously bad? Actually she is prettier than her mum.
Just testing to see who is wide awake this morning…
unnecessary comment, seriously, ianmac.
@ ianmac..
not if you saw/knew her mother at that age..
..age weathers us all..
..tho’ i do think my son has it much more together than me at his age..
..on/in most levels/areas..
..(but then again..that’s a low bar..)
“age weathers us all” thanks phillip, love it. i have seen people from my past after not seeing them since their teens/early 20s & i think ‘jaysus, they got old!”, then i look in the mirror and & laugh at myself for being a bit of a dick.
really ianmac???
Hate-child.
key has announced there will be no testing of legal-highs on animals..
..not rats..not rabbits..not dogs..
(..nice to see some traction on what has been an outlier-issue..)
..now we should really look at all the other unnecessary-testing on animals..
..animals tortured/killed to test fucken dishwashing-liquids/make-up etc..
..everyone is ‘relaxed’ about that..?
..and the reasons these torturing-scum don’t use the computer-modelling tests available to them..
..instead of these horrible torturings/killings of animals..
..is ‘cos of cost..
..it is cheaper to torture the animals instead…
..how fucken sick is that..?
Yes, it’s high time people knew that animal testing is more about profit than safety. There’s also no excuse to use to use household cleaners, make up and skin care that has been tested on animals when there is an excellent selection of such products on the market, all very good quality and many of them made in NZ.
+100 phillip and Rosie…and all in the name of ‘Science’
….and looks like John Banks has come up trumps on this one too….he is very very good on Morning Report
”Rats should be treated with dignity and respect”–Banks, sounds like another piece of self serving bullshit from the head rat Himself…
+1
its humans he doesnt give a rats arse about.
nah..!..i have been head of the queue to pour buckets of shit over banks..
..on numerous occaisons/for numerous reasons..
..but on this issue..
..him being the only one to actually vote against animal-testing..
..(instead of just mouthing against it..then doing a neck-injury-threatening volte-face..
..and actually voting for it..eh..?..)
..banks is the only one standing tall..
..everyone else voted to torture/kill animals..
..to test legal-highs..
..the record stands..
Didn’t JB he make his millions in the food and booze business?
dunno..i’m not according him sainthood..
..he still eats them…
..(and seems to have a wee bit of a blind spot there…
..no to testing..yum!-yum! to eating them..)
..you will find that many of those 40,000 who signed that no-testing on animals petition..
..also have that banks’-mote in their eyes..
and speak of the banks’-mote..
..russel norman is cooking dinner for john campbell..
..chicken..
..they no doubt tutt-tutted over animal testing..
..as they ate that chicken..
..eh..?
yes i think he had a chain of restaurants called Camelot…never saw any ratatouille on the menu though
@ chooky..
..heh..!
re JB’s Camelot restaurants……yes i think they specialised in steak and chip wedges and had things like shrimp cocktail entrees…also I remember they had folksy stained glass lampshades hung low over the tables
rats are very nice intelligent creatures…and sensitive…we used to have pet rats kept in a cage in the laundry …when they died of old age i really missed them…they had a psychic presence which lingered….the kids used to keep rats in their pockets….my Mother used to keep another grandson’s pet rat in her kitchen too…although i rather drew the line at that
Animal testing of cleaners and cosmetics is in the name of profit, not of science.
@ Murray Olsen
‘Science’ and ‘Profit’ are very much intertwined
…atomisation, dissection, reductionism, experimentation, objectification, materialism = Science and scientific method …ever since Francis Bacon
Very lucid, but how will that work when he is in court and his first words are “I don’t recall that”.
Being a cynic, my take is that Key has had some polling done and now finds that he cannot stick with his original comment that rats OK; rabbits and dogs, not OK.
The interview with John Banks on Morning Report was priceless! Much as I cannot stand the man as a politician, I know through personal experience that Banks has been longterm dedicated advocate for animal rights. But his take on Key’s backdown in this interview had me rolling on the floor laughing. “He looked deep into Moonbeam’s eyes ….”
Key’s MR interview on animal testing
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2594687/key-rules-out-using-animals-in-legal-high-safety-tests
The must hear Banks one
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2594698/no-animal-testing-for-herbal-highs
Oh I always thought the cat was called moonshine, but if Key ever did look at it or play with it I am sure it would open him up.
Phillip,
goes to show that Cunliffe/Labour called it right in terms of their position on the issue. And yes it is a good opportunity to extend the debate.
Labour has made a number of good calls lately on policy and political positions.
Steven Joyce is hiding the figures on how much money he is funnelling to his mates through his department.
The NBR has been chasing it and so far all the department has said is that it paid out $231 million total in 2012/13 and another $97 million in 2013/14. MBIE is refusing to say how much is forecast or how the decisions are made.
“The data on MBIE handouts excludes the nearly $400 million Mr Joyce’s New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) will hand out in corporate welfare in John Key’s first three terms, and the $140 million a year handed out by the government’s Callaghan Innovation agency. There is also at least $50 million a year spent subsidising the tourism industry’s international marketing. God knows how much the Ministry of Primary Industries hands out to the farming sector. This all adds up to billions.” See http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/joyce-blocks-answers-corporate-welfare-bd-155317
nice.
The story is by Hooton. Perhaps Collins has pointed him to some of the skeletons in Joyce’s cupboard. She is desperate to shift the focus.
http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/right-risks-revolting-dc-p-155645
Hooton says that the Collins and Williamson corruption stories put National’s lead in the polls at risk.
i hope no one is paying him to state the obvious
@ wynham..
..collins is threatening all and sundry..
..that she will go postal if she is fired..
..and that there will be few left standing..
..and key certainly won’t be amongst those still vertical..
Bad12 always refers to our PM as “Slippery the prime minister”.
If ever Bad needed confirmation of that description I suggest he listen to the Morning Report interview with Guyon Espiner.
Mumble,mumble,obfuscation,change the suject,etc. It was all there. Slippery even went to the extreme of declaring that Judith Collins ‘is a human being’ !
In my book, Collins is facing a stiff dose of “chickens coming home to roost”. She has been one of the Nacts most vicious bullies especially when she was in Opposition. Now under pressure she, like all bullies, is folding.
Here is the link to Espiner’s interview with Key
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2594684/pm-john-key-on-judith-collins
And this is Brent Edwards’ take on the interview and Collins
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2594685/collins-feeling-the-pressure
This earlier Morning Report item is also related and worth listening to.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2594677/judith-collins-faces-further-pressure.
And a further item is currently on air with an interview with Grant Robertson on the further MFAT emails that have now been released on Collins’ “Oravita Tour”. It gets more and more clear that this was not just a cup of tea on the way to the airport.
Thanks Veuto – – – my computer savvy is limited !
So is/was mine – but I am getting good at links!
Here is the interview with Grant Robertson on Morning Report I referred to above.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2594696/labour-says-collins-oravida-ties-too-close
From that interview – and earlier short mentions on Morning Report – the emails released by MFAT are providing a lot more indepth details of the discussions on the ‘private dinner’ prior to it taking place that indicate that it was anything but a private dinner with friends and friends of friends.
An old adage has just come to mind : “Follow The Money.”
No more needs to be said really.
+100 veutoviper …..Grant Robertson was superb on Morning Report…..GO Labour!
vv, I wonder if it’s going to be one of those weeks where one reaches for the popcorn.
Several weeks ago on the regular Thursday morning Radio Active interview with Grant Robertson and Alistair Thompson, Robertson said there was more to be uncovered in the Collins – Oravida affair and he really has kept up the pressure on her since then. Alistair Thompson’s view was it a case if when, not if, in regard to Collins resigning. (My words not his, I’m paraphrasing and condensing the message).
It certainly has got the feeling of a ‘popcorn’ week. Fingers crossed etc etc. Despite the grey Wellington day, I am feeling more positive on the political front than for months – hence the myriad of comments this morning! PG’s return had put me off coming here, but decided not to allow him to achieve that and just ignore him.
Must google that Radio Live Interview. My instincts tell me that the Oravida affair has a lot more legs – and that appears to be the case this morning/
I understand the PG reaction, but glad that you can rise above it – it’s the best way. I have to admit that when Greywarbler suggested to move my Open Mike domestic violence comment on to Stephanie Rodgers article on Saturday I did plan to and then saw it was a PG maelstrom so chose not to.
That interview btw, was on Radio Active and they don’t have their interviews available to listen to on line. they broadcast on line as well as on 88.6FM but that’s it.
I should imagine this Thursday should be a very interesting discussion. They are usually on between 8.15am and 8.45am and the interview lasts up to 20 minutes. Just bear in mind it won’t be a RNZ format type interview. The facilitator is a DJ first and foremost (and an excellent one)
Lolz, i need no such confirmation, Slippery was attached as a handle to the current Prime Minister around here even befor He assumed the position….
“She has been one of the Nacts most vicious bullies ….” Yes Wyndham. Hard to feel sympathy to a White Hawk Down, given the spite that she was pleased to dish when she was “up.”
Thanks Drax and Warbs for your replies over the weekend to my comment about neighbours not calling 111 as Sarwen Lata was being murdered, on 25th November last year and apologies for the late response. (You’d be surprised at how busy the unemployed can be).
You both made suggestions as to why folks might be disinclined to help a neighbour in crisis. I thought they were good points. It also made me think of the contrast in neighbourhood behaviour in a suburb where a friend lives. Everyone knows everyone and despite the area being a higher crime area, crimes are solved quickly as neighbours keep their eyes and ears open to activities in the street.
Then this morning there was this article in the Dom Post which encourages migrant women to seek help but doesn’t discuss the importance of neighbours, and indeed family, friends and workmates keeping an eye on a potential victim of domestic violence. No woman should feel she is alone when she is feeling so unsafe.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/wellington/10007821/Migrant-women-urged-to-seek-help-to-stay-safe
It’s going to be hard to top Todd Barclay in this week’s edition of “Dodgy Nat Candidate Watch” but new to the list is Brett Hudson, who was selected for Ohariu, last week. Here he is displaying the stunning ignorance that only a Nat can:
““National is working hard and delivering real progress for New Zealand families,” said Mr Hudson.”
From http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1405/S00003/national-selects-brett-hudson-as-ohariu-candidate.htm
I guess he’s “comfortable” with being Nat’s puppet for Ohariu
Lolz, rid Ohariu of ‘the Hairdo’ Pathetic Dunne and electorate vote Hudson to change the Government should be the message…
This could actually be the lefts answer to the citizens of Epsoms cynical election of ACT…..vote the seat to National to keep United Fuckwit out…..splendid.
Yep, there is at least one commenter here at the Standard that has said She/he will be campaigning in the Epsom electorate to get the National Party candidate elected,
My bones wont allow me the luxury of letterbox stuffing otherwise i would print up a pile of ‘electorate vote Hudson for Ohariu’ pamphlets for that electorate,
Neither Epsom or Ohariu are likely to favor a Labour candidate so some reverse tactics are probably the best means of ensuring National do not win in September…
Nat electorate vote in Epsom I understand bad, but Ohariu? And who would do that organising work to promote a vote for Hudson? Would it not be better to focus on the party that came closest last time?
Hudson btw, a previous sales rep for Oracle. (actually they call them “ambassadors” now, lol) I know a guy who worked for that company and in the same role. Was on about 200K. This Hudson dude wouldn’t have a clue about what happens in the real world, all those guys in that industry are running in a status race, the house, the cars, the troty wives etc. Never has there been a truer stereotype.
Rosie, whilst I don’t disagree that Oracle sales people are overpaid and would probably not have a clue about real people, but there is another story here.
In my company nothing moves unless somebody sells something. No sales means no delivering, lots of “expertise” in downtime mode costing a fortune. Everybody is valuable and some of that “expertise” due to supply and demand, restrictive practices etc get paid much more than the humble sales person. Yet the sales person is expected to keep the cash coming in, gets pressured, and has no job security unless that happens.
To me (much to pretty much everybody else s disgust) sales people are the Gods of commerce. Nasty, materialistic collectors of flash cars and trophy wives maybe. But as they don’t get thanked greatly, for doing the hardest job they take the cash instead, (and I suspect vote National to rub it in).
We live in a strange world!
Hi Ennui. I should declare that I have spent many years working as a sales rep previously, although my salary was $40K, not 200K, I should add!
I do understand the vital role they play in keeping the company not only afloat but profitable. And yes indeed it is a thankless role and one that can tear the rep in two directions between customer and boss, if there isn’t enough support coming from above.
I was being rather caustic about Brett Hudson but I do know his type and I don’t trust them one bit. I’ve no problem with people making money and lots of it. My problem is either how they obtain it, or how they display it, or how they use it as a power lever.
That-person-I -know, he falls into the latter two categories. What is kind of annoying too, is the fact that he’s not particularly talented or intelligent in the realm of real life and social interaction (he’s shallow, dour and lacks a sense of humour) but he can sell, that’s where his skill lies.
I’m sure he’ll know Hudson as they would have worked in the same office around about the same time (although I do need to check time lines) The funny thing is, this-person-I know once showed me photo’s of his colleagues property that he had for sale (excessively large and full of poor taste items) and accused him of the same, being shallow, whilst we sat there in his McMansion.
A strange world indeed.
Rosie, nice observations, you speak from experience. When you get to the cogs of commerce it is all rather basic and boring….I don’t know how anybody can study it, glorify it etc as anything other than transactions and dollars. The business pages drive me to distraction, economists seem to know nothing of what really goes on….all so dull. I hope you are enjoying better whatever you do today.
“I hope you are enjoying better whatever you do today.”
I really am laughing, as I am currently unemployed! I have gone for a couple of sales reppy type interviews but I felt myself glaze over as soon as they started with the corporate speak and knew my heart wasn’t in it. I can’t really bear flogging stuff any more. Also, pay and conditions have reduced for reps as a reflection of the retail market being so tight now. Many companies have removed a portion of the mileage allowance and I refuse to subsidise company costs by covering their fuel costs.
All I’ve really wanted to do is to be able to help others and what little formal education I have in this area, a community studies cert and a health psychology diploma isn’t even adequate for entry level work in the fields I’m interested in.
What I am enjoying doing with my “spare time” is helping out where I can with political activities here in Ohariu and looking after the abundance of wild ducks that hang around at my house.
I hope your chooks are well and happy.
Being the plant he is he doesn’t sound like he has any intention of seeking the electorate vote and said he would pursue the party vote.
I do recall your suggestion and reasoning for a push for a Nat electorate vote but I think Charles Chauvel lost out by just approx 1800 ish votes last time so perhaps if enough hard work is done, Virginia Anderson can win it??? I’m feeling so cautiously confident of this that I’d be willing to put a 50 cent bet on it! (it would be more but I can’t afford it lol)
Did you see that surprisingly good editorial from the right wing Romanos in the Wellingtonian last week? It was beaut. A hole proof argument for the resignation of Dunne. If the heat on Dunne keeps up it may be an easier job to unseat him than we’d expect.
Yes Rosie, Charles Chauval lost by 1646 electorate votes in 2011, that was as a high profile Labour Party politician, in fact Pathetic Dunne’s majority went up by 640 votes from the 2008 result where Chauval came within 1006 votes of Dunne,
National’s Katrina Shanks actually made those numbers look good for Chauval in those two elections and i doubt the relatively unknown Labour candidate will have the same amount of success as Charles Chauval did,
From the Party Votes recorded it is easy to see that National Party supporters are fully conversant with ‘tactical voting’ splitting their party votes off to National while electorate voting for Dunne,
my view is that the only slight chance for the Labour candidate to have any chance is to ensure,(if possible), that Hudson the National Party candidate gets a higher amount of the electorate vote,
Whichever way i look at the Ohariu electorate that will be the decisive factor, in a large part of the electorate it may be easier to convince the ‘blue rinsers’ to vote National than to go against everything the ‘silver spoon’ they have supped from since birth has ingrained in them and vote Labour,
A high turnout of the Electorate vote for both National and Labour may well see us rid of Dunne, a high turnout of the electorate vote for Labour alone tho i doubt will create enough of a swing to unseat him…
Thanks bad, that a helpful analysis. Yes, I had a look at the voting patterns for 08 and 11 a while ago and saw that the voters of Ohariu, like Epsom sure do know how to use MMP to suit their purposes.
From Memory Shanks came a fairly poor third the last two times, so I can see how it would be ideal if those blue rinsers you speak of gave their vote to the sales rep and weaken Dunnes chances. Maybe this will happen naturally as Dunne becomes increasingly less popular in the electorate, purely for conservative moral reasons rather than political.
Stephanie Rodgers said something once here on TS about being involved in the Labour campaign for Ohariu. Maybe she would like to offer her thoughts, I’m sure they would be welcome.
I am indeed involved in the Ohariu campaign – but it’s a complex topic! Virginia Andersen is a great candidate for Ohariu and I know we’re all working hard to win the electorate vote. No one expected National to field a particularly strong candidate for the obvious reasons. And a lot has happened for Peter Dunne since 2011.
Hi Stephanie and thanks. I bet it is a complex topic! And I’m assuming you may not be able to show the party’s hand, too much.
Although I didn’t meet Virginia Anderson I did listen to what she had to say at a recent meeting PPO hosted in J’Ville to discuss the Employment Relations Amendment Act. She comes across as very intelligent, sharp and strong. I am impressed by her.
Great to hear the campaign team has the wind in their sails – we’ll have you all to thank if we do it, if we turn this electorate red! Hey, what a party that would be, unseating Dunne after 30 years!
Well we could use all the help we can get – so if you know anyone who wants to lend a hand, they can sign up on the Facebook page!
https://www.facebook.com/virginia.andersen.ohariu
Speaking of the young tobacco lobbyist, have you seen this yet?
http://porcupinefarm.blogspot.co.nz/2014/05/suck-on-this-suckers.html
Lol. Brilliant.
What is your point?
I think the point is the lad saying he doesn’t encourage smoking, while lobbying for Phillip Morris.
Lobbying for a Tobacco company doesn’t necessarily mean you are attempting to encourage smoking. It is also not illegal. Frankly this smacks of the sort of witch hunting that used to be happen around membership of the Communist party in people’s youth. Just as I think it is ridiculous to focus on that I think it is ridiculous to castigate a potential candidate based on who he preciously worked for.
BTW the linked to article and associated graphic doesn’t makes the point you are suggesting it does or at least not in a clear an unequivical manner.
are you ms collins chief political advisor?
“Lobbying for a Tobacco company doesn’t necessarily mean you are attempting to encourage smoking.”
HA HA HA – good one gossamer
” I think it is ridiculous to castigate a potential candidate based on who he preciously worked for.”
then you havent been paying attention at all have you – who he worked for is but one facet of the argument of why hes not fit for selection
I think it is a matter of the National party members of the electorate to decide whether he is a suitable candidate or not. It then becomes a matter for the voters of the electorate to decide if they think he is a suitable MP. Some left wing person on a blog has little influence over this.
you said that promoting the business of phillip morris didnt mean he was encouraging smoking, dont change it to occupations dont preclude people from being mps.
two seperate issues.
Take the example of the Prostitutes Collective. Someone working for this organisation does not mean they necessarily encourage the use of prostitutes or at least that more people should use one. There is a lot of issues you can advocate for without expanding the take up of what you advocate on.
Sophistry in extremis
More to the point, why are you accusing Barclay of not contributing to his corporate employer’s bottom line? Are you saying that he was a fraud in the job or just lazy?
Are you stating lobbying on behalf of the Prostitutes collective means you are encouraging the use of Prostitutes?
I have no idea of the work Mr Barclay did for the company. Do you?
Do you believe that young Barclay esq. felt any moral twangs about accepting tens of thousands of dollars from big Tobacco corporate Philip Morris?
Or do you believe that he slept easy the whole time, which is why he is such a good fit for the National Party?
I have no idea if he did or didn’t. I don’t particularly like many organisations but I don’t condemn people based on the fact people may have once worked for them. I understand that people are employed to do a job not to agree with the ideas or views expressed by the organisation they are part of.
So you believe that Barclay probably had no moral qualms about accepting big tobacco money? I wonder what the principled burghers of Clutha Southland are going to make of a National Party who gave them such a poorly suited candidate.
This is obviously a golden opportunity then for a candidate of a left leaning party to win in Clutha Southland at the upcoming election. Do you want to have a wager on whether this will happen?
christ your an idiot gossamer
“Are you stating lobbying on behalf of the Prostitutes collective means you are encouraging the use of Prostitutes?”
well when the prostitutes collective starts selling prostitutes then your can compare them to phillip morris
the prostitutes collective advocates for their members – phillip morris sells t-backy
What is it that the members of the Prostitutes collective sell? I’d suggest advocating on their behalf is giving tacit support to what they do.
Well, National should pull the tobacco lobbyist from their candidate list, and give the people of Clutha Southland a serious choice, a candidate who knows about the issues of the electorate and understands farming, instead of sliding in a Big Tobacco lobbyist who is wholly unsuitable.
I’d suggest this is up to the National party and the members of the Clutha Southland electorate and not a hard core leftist like yourself to decide. Nice to see you so concerned about who should represent right leaning people. I myself would like left leaning people being represented by morons. Luckily for me that seems to be the case more often than not 😉
sheesh gossy..!..
..just going on yr pot-prohibition-‘views’ in this thread..
..you get the ‘moron’-gong today..
..eh..? (insert-smiley..)
Well I think we should give Gosman the benefit of the doubt.
After all he’s here advocating on behalf of the National Party – when clearly he doesn’t actually believe in a thing they stand for.
No.
The difference is like that between a lawyer and a fence. Your tobacco lobbyest is more like the latter.
But then a person who’s cool with prostitution is doing nothing wrong, as well as nothing illegal.
I don’t think you understand what the Prostitutes Collective does, Gosman.
no-one said otherwise – so again your inventing a point that was never mentioned in order to distract and derail
we are all entitled to say and discuss what ever we feel like (unless your some jack boot statist of course – are you?) – and the eyebrows raised about that particular appt was as much about his age, connections to certain party members, overall work and life experience and the fact that the revolving door relationship between politics and industry lobbyists is usually considered a less than desirable situation – regardless of left or right
it was never exclusively about phillip morris in and of itself
either you know this and are playing your usual bullshit or your shooting your mouth off without knowing the issue
one makes you a bit of a pain in the ass – the other makes you look like an idiot
Lobbying for a tobacco company, given the outcomes for those who take up the dreaded weed, gives an indication that the person is unable to link personal actions to community and social responsibility.
As a potential government representative for all demographics, who all need to have a long-term view of policy effects this is an “experience” that indicates a severe skill deficiency.
Really? So people who advocate for Marijuana normalisation would be in a similar boat in your mind I presume.
slight difference there gossy..
..tobacco kills..
..in many cases..cannabis heals/helps…
Cannabis has the potential to cause the same sort of physical harm as Tobacco AND additional harm via long term psychological damage (especially when taken frequently at a young age). Don’y try and act like Cannabis is some life preserving wonder drug. We are not all as stupid as you might be.
Why do you think Barclay accepted a job with a Big Tobacco corporate? After all, Philip Morris’ products have caused millions of deaths worldwide over the last 50 or more years. Do you think Barclay considered that before he started accepting money from Philip Morris?
The same could be argued for any number of companies from Pharmaceutical distributors through to Confectionary manufacturers. Yes Tobacco is harmful to you but so is Homeopathy if you use it instead of proper medicine. I don’t think that should rule out people from becoming an MP if they worked as a Homeopath or in the industry just as i don’t think working as a lobbyist for a tobacco company carrying out their business in a legal manner should rule you out from public office.
So did Barclay experience moral doubts about accepting Big Tobacco corporate cash, or do you think that he was paid enough by Philip Morris that he found that he could ignore any minor moral qualms that he may have had?
Tobacco distribution is not illegal in this country. Therefore Mr Barclay has done nothing wrong working for a company involved in this sector. You might not like it but I suspect you won’t be involved in deciding if he is elected to parliament.
No, he has merely avoided doing anything illegal.
Although it’s revealing that you should confuse the two. Especially if we remember that, legally speaking, everyone is innocent until proven guilty. Which means that (in your worldview) if one can get away with murder one has done nothing wrong…
Only in your perverted view of the world. Someone can get away with murder if they think they are acting in self defence though so in essence you do raise an interesting, if irrelevant, point. What this has to do with Mr Barclay’s previous job is unclear though.
You said it was not illegal therefore it is not wrong.
Murder is illegal, but proving it is another matter.
And murderers are innocent until proven guilty under the law.
You’re an idiot. If it’s self defense, it’s not murder. According to the law, anyway (cf: s160 and s48 of the same Act).
The point I’m getting at is that your definition of “wrong” rests solely on legality. It’s almost as if you have no internal set of ethical principles which guide your actions, legal or otherwise. I.e. completely amoral.
could you plse give some evidence/links of cannabis causing cancer…?
..and yr ‘ long term psychological damage’..?
here is mine..
http://whoar.co.nz/?s=medicinal+marijuana+
(..and here is an excerpt from one..)
“..“..Any day now – Alabama – which was ranked the most conservative state in the country by Gallup last year –
will become the first state in the South to legalize a type of medicine derived from marijuana.
When “Carly’s Law” or Senate Bill 174 – arrived in the state House of Representatives at 2 a.m. on March 21-
politicians on both sides of the aisle reportedly stood up and began chanting for the bill to pass.
The measure – which received unanimous support in both chambers –
will fund a $1 million study at the University of Alabama –
on the effectiveness of cannabidiol in treating seizure disorders.
But the “Heart of Dixie” isn’t the only Southern state opening up to the possibility that cannabis may have medicinal value.
Here are some others fighting to pull back the veil on medical weed:..”
(‘carly’ is a young girl who used to suffer hundreds of seizures a year..
..and no conventional medicines worked to ease that..
..but cannabis oil does..)
..and i see you never went to a waste-station during yr absence..
..you’re still full of waste-material..eh..?)
http://www.cancernz.org.nz/assets/files/smokefree-resources/IS_TC_Cannabis&Cancer_9Sept2010.pdf
“The effects of cannabis on health have not been studied anywhere near as much as those of tobacco smoking. However, a review has concluded that the airways of cannabis smokers have changes that indicate cancer risk , for example, “chronic inflammatory” and “pre-cancerous changes”.
This review also found one well-designed study that suggested that cannabis smoking caused cancer in the upper airways of young adults, and that the risk was highest in the most frequent users.”
Therefore there is evidence that it does have the potential to cause the same sort of physical harm as smoking Tobacco. You may disagree the risk is as high or that the evidence is not compelling but there is no doubt evidence.
correction..those ‘hundreds of seizures every year’..
..should read ‘every day’…
gosman..yr bullshit claims are blown away by the fact that we now have a great many people who have smoked a lot of cannabis for a long time..
..but there is no blip in lung cancers etc..from these people..
..the same with yr ‘psychological-harm’..rubbish..
..pot makes you schitzo! has long been the prohibitionist-claim/lie the likes of you peddle..
..yet once again..the facts/stats blow that one away too..
..’cos as with those decades of heavy cannabis use not showing cancer-outcomes..in those users..
..the ‘schitzo’-levels in the population are about the same now..
..as they were before the wholesale uptake of cannabis in the 60’s..
..you really are just blowing hot-air..aren’t you..?
What you are stating is you disagree with the conclusion of that review. That is fine. You don’t have to believe it. Just as some people don’t agree with lots of scientific conclusions. You can’t deny that there is some evidence linking the use of Cannabis and increased risk of cancer though. It exists.
Phil said what I would’ve if I’d returned earlier.
Marijuana normalisation is advocated mostly by those who will not benefit from changing the legislation, using studies to back up their claims.
Tobacco lobbyists are highly paid liars who do benefit from continued use and whose employers suppressed for many years scientific studies that showed devastating and ongoing harm from the use of their products.
Also, ignore the fact that nicotine was added specifically to make it addictive thereby ensuring the continuation of use for the whole of their customer’s shortened life.
Are you able to distinguish differences or do you need a return to basics?
I’d suggest this is based purely on your own personal prejudices and not on any evidence supporting the view that everyone who works as a lobbyist for a Tobacco company is a liar. If you can provide evidence that Mr Barclay knowingly lied during his time working for the Tobacco company in question though you will have won the argument. Have you such evidence?
notice how your avoiding the substance of all discussion with you in order to focus on hair splitting?
The focus on the discussion is what excatly? Is it that Tobacco use is bad for you and society generally and therefore anyone who has worked for a company involved in that sector is bad and therefore is not fit for public office? As I pointed out that is a ridiculous position to hold.
what’s to lie about..?
..he’s/they’re just peddling death..
..they are in a dirty/death-peddling-addiction-industry..
..surely you aren’t denying that fact..?
..heroin dealers don’t need to lie either..
..their product does all the talking for them…
..it’s that captive-addict-audience they both service..
..and there..the addiction is all..
There is evidence that pure Heroin is not that physically harmful to you. It is the adulturated substance that causes problems.
i agree it is the adulterants that fuck junkies up..
..if they were able to register as heroin addicts..and get pure-product..
..the harm-minimisation results would be significant..
.this is what switzerland does..
..heroin addicts pick up one dose on the way to work..
..and another on the way home..
..criminals aren’t in the picture..
..and of course there is no crime needed to be committed by those addicts to feed a blackmarket-addiction..
..the purity-thesis is also confirmed by doctors who get hooked on their product..ie pure morphine..whatever..
..yes..they get the addiction..
..but they don’t suffer the physical-wasting junkies relying on blackmarket-supplies do..
..but we are a long way from any such outbreak of sanity here..
..where/when the most conservative southern states in america are unanimously passing such a law..for pot..
..and yet here we can’t even get fucken medical-marijuana over the line..
..let alone sane policies around other drugs/addiction-issues..
..our political leaders are both clowns..and fools..
..’scared’ little people..
yet we have this harmful/legal-high crap coming out our ears..
..and the most harmful drug of all..alcohol..
..normalised/peddled in ads on television..
..aarrgghh!!
..the lunatics have taken over the asylum..
..and of course..some of the most strident opponents to ending cannabis prohibition..
..are those who ‘own’ dung…the booze-pushers..
..they well know that decriminalised-cannabis will see a major move away from their dangerous/addictive ‘product’..
..it’s all about ‘preserving-market’ for them..eh..?
..and ‘their men’ dung/key etc..
..as always..when seeking the/any real story..
..follow the money..
Barclay lobbied on behalf of Big Tobacco, against the Government’s “attempts” to restrict the harmful effects of smoking on New Zealanders. Now, he plans to join the Government on the other side of the argument. Comfortable about that, are you? It doesn’t have to be illegal to be wrong. Remember “legal highs/synthetic cannabis”?
There are other ways of measuring right and wrong. Barclay chose to side with the pedlars of nicotine and now he wants to govern us. His background will worry many people, especially those who have lost family members to the various cancers cigarette smoking causes.
Do you have evidence of what his current views on Tobacco usage are and that he will be pushing the Tobacco company point of view forward if he becomes an MP?
We know he supported the actions of Philip Morris – unless of course, he was dishonest with them and they paid him under false pretences. If he didn’t support their kaupapa, he’s a hypocrite – not the sort of person you’d want representing you in Parliament. If he did side with the tobacco pedlars, he was actively working against the best interests of new Zealanders – not the sort of person you’d want representing you in Parliament.
Not the sort of person you’d want to represent you in parliament – Are you a resident of the Cluth Southland electorate then?
By the way, even assuming he was a big supporter of increased tobacco usage (there doesn’t seem to be any evidence supporting this though) he can change his mind. I believe a number of politicians may have had radically different views when younger. Phil Goff springs to mind.
I’ve lived in Southland for 28 years. The Southlanders I’ve spoken with on this issue are disgusted that the National Party have served up this tobacco lobbyist. None will vote for him.
edit: Different views when he was younger!
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
!
He resigned from Philip Morris last week!
Younger!
Pathetic.
Excellent. Care to wager that National will lose the electorate then?
It’s always been said that a fence-post would win Clutha/Southland for National (been proved true too). Your comment/wager has no bearing on the quality of the tobacco lobbyist/candidate or his ethical standards, which are being described around here as non-existent.
So not enough people in the Clutha Southland electorate care enough about the issue to vote for an alternative candidate then. Case closed.
‘So not enough people in the Clutha Southland electorate care enough about the issue to vote for an alternative candidate then. Case closed.’
Not enough people care about the issue?
Nonsense statement from Gosman. The election has not taken place yet, so you can’t know.
The ‘case’ is far from closed.
Case wide open and looking less than secure for what might have been an easy-win for a candidate who hadn’t recently quit a job in an industry that most people regard as odious. Let’s remember, it’s “most people”, not you, Gosman, who will decide whether Barclay is suitable for representing Southlanders in parliament. I’m hearing a lot of, “Hell no!”
Then have the wager with me. I’ll even give you odds of 2 to 1.
what is it about tories and gambling?
Is your opinion worthless unless it gets you money?
Tobacco lobbyists in order to sell their product by necessity are “economical with the truth” ( admittedly my definition of a liar, perhaps not yours ) or they are a really ineffective lobbyist, one who would be fired fairly quickly.
He did not mention that he was a bad lobbyist – so I am also assuming he was fairly competent in the role.
But you are right Gosman – just because I don’t have a transcript of all his commercial utterings I cannot prove that he lied (even by my definition) in any specific incident.
Just as I cannot prove that any baker has put active yeast into all his bread products – but if he didn’t, his failure would be fairly noticeable.
Not likely – just 9 months in the role, he’d probably only learnt where the toilets were and what home time was.
For a new graduate a corporate affairs role takes 2-3 years to get any basic competence at, and that’s with proper mentoring.
Are you the only right winger on duty today?
What’s your view on the Collins debacle?
he’s just been bottling it up for a while. Normal destructive service will be resumed shortly 🙂
She should have resigned when this first came out. End of story.
She should only resign if it came out?
There’s that moral vacuum again.
Thought you guys had gone to ground…..
they are recovering from the national party conference this weekend. i suspect some of them have no memory of the weekend.
hehehe
and you know he sums up a few nat ministers right now,
“its just a job”
… ethics dont come into it.
Or it could be that Johnny No-Mates has given up on trying to get Colin Craig into Auckland and has told the Conservatives to have a scout around the churches in Clutha to see if there’s a potential candidate down there. After all, if Todd the Toddler loses the seat it will be no great loss to the Nats as long as they get a Conservative in his place…
I’ve managed to locate the words to National’s “Party” song.
It was heard being sung at the end of their recent conference while they were eating Hors d’oeuvres and clinking champagne flutes. Feel free to join in.
It goes like this………eeeerm….eeeerm.
It’s time to play the music
It’s time to light the lights
It’s time to meet the Muppets on the Muppet Show tonight.
It’s time to put on makeup
It’s time to dress up right
It’s time to raise the curtain on the Muppet Show tonight.
Why do we always come here
I guess we’ll never know
It’s like a kind of torture
To have to watch the show
Chorus
And now let’s get things started
Why don’t you get things started
It’s time to get things started
On the most sensational Aspirational celebrational Muppetational
This is what we call the Muppet Show!
Instrumental Break
[MC]To introduce our guest star
That’s what I’m here to do
So it really makes me happy
To introduce to you (drum roll)
Shonnnnnnnn Keyyyyyyyyy!!!
Chorus
And now let’s get things started
Why don’t you get things started
It’s time to get things started
On the most sensational Aspirational celebrational Muppetational
This is what we call the Muppet Show!
Love it!
lol
Bit of help?
This page has a clear date stamp of today… but all the comments are apparently from a year ago ???
http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/wr-opening-salvo-dump-rental-properties-now-lf-133603
Is the article itself a year old, in which case where is the correct publication date NBR?
Or is NBR just being really green and recycling comments ?
That is a bit of a head-scratcher isn’t it, Hooton talking of David Shearer as the leader of the Labour Party,
Perhaps this is a re-print of something wee Matty previously wrote, a little trumpet blow in Hooton’s direction to show how clever Matty is at seeing the future,
What will drive more than a few out of ‘rental investments’ is the Labour plan to plug the loophole where such ‘investors’ get to right off any losses incurred on the property against other taxable income,
i don’t know the numbers of people who piled into ‘rental investments’ based upon the taxes on ‘other income’ they could write off against the properties but the numbers i would suggest are high and the closing of this tax loophole will force more than a few to divest themselves of rental properties…
Don’t even remember it. Must have been a while ago.
Thanks for replying Matthew, I think you would agree it is very sloppy presentation of information. Especially for a publication of the NBR’s stature. Would you be so kind as to mention this to your editors?
You could imagine the kerfuffle if PG tried to use it to establish a fact. He is bound to try to establish a fact one day, and I would hate for something like a publishing date to trip him up.
I agree with the worrying impact on Pete George and will pass on the suggestions you raise.
“You could imagine the kerfuffle if PG tried to use it to establish a fact. He is bound to try to establish a fact one day, and I would hate for something like a publishing date to trip him up.”
Wonderful – has to win as comment of the day!
@ veuto..+ 1..
..that’s funny..
Must be a glitch – if you click on ‘More articles by Matthew Hooton’ it takes you to a page of articles by David Cohen.
is hooton cohen..?
..is this ‘the story’ here..?
Judith Collins has just confirmed that she will not resign. Good!
The chances of Left coalition winning the election just skyrocketed.
i’m torn..
i want to see her gone..sacked/fired..
..but i also want her as a stinking/rotting albatross around keys’ neck..
..all the way thru to the election..
..the recycling options from/with the collins are both potent and ongoing..
John Armstrong has emerged from the shadows….
“But Key’s reference to the length of the conversations has to be regarded as another way of him saying he canvassed various options with respect to her immediate future as a minister.
For Key not to have offered Collins some much-needed respite from the intense scrutiny that she has been under for weeks would have been neglectful of not just National’s interests, but of Collins’ as well.
Clearly Collins is very much in the wrong place mentally right now. That is plainly evident after she lashed out at TVNZ’s Katie Bradford yesterday, only to to subsequently issue a public apology to the political reporter.
Key this morning described Collins’ outburst at the press gallery journalist as being “completely inappropriate”. He added that Collins would be “very careful going forward”.
The trouble is every time Collins moves one step forward, her reputation takes five steps back. Rather than endeavouring to close down the whole farrago prompted by her highly-questionable dealings with the milk exporting company Oravida, Collins says or does something to further inflame matters……”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11249704
The real problem is that Slippery Key moves the goalposts after she gaffes.
Firstly he says she’s on her last warning then when she fucks up he says the warning was for a different topic! Opening the door for a “three strikes” wet bus ticket for all of his ministers every time there’s a screw up screwing up.
Perhaps what we are seeing is a cathartic civil war in the National Party.
Joyce, with all the gifts of MBIE to help him win support among business backers of National, is getting aid from McCully (fast OIA responses) and others to weaken Collins.
Collins, with the gift of self-belief and popularity among grass-root Nats, is willing to risk all, including the election, to gain control.
Labour should leave them space on the front pages!
interesting take on it ps. espesh the mccully mfat connection to oias.
and mccully and joyce have been np strategists for some time.
its always interesting to see who says nothing at times like these.
thanks for yoyr thoughtful observation.
now, back to oriveida and something to stick to that lovely mr key.
Groser has helped trip up Collins also. The short wee mon is very traditional and would NOT cope with having a woman, Collins, as his boss. He is definitely in the Joyce Camp now.
The short wee mon will also be getting it in the ear from Fonterra. Fonterra will also have been chatting with John Key and Bill English.
Imagine how Fonterra are feeling: Collins goes into bat for another trader who wants to make hay in China from Fonterra’s botulism crises! Fonterra spent a few $100m opening the market and Oravida wanted to sneak in via the back door!
Collins has pissed off Fonterra, the biggest lobbyist in Parliament.
Therefore Collins has pissed off Federated Farmer, the second biggest lobbyist in Parliament.
If those two go public with their annoyance every Fonterra shareholding farmer will see Collins as a TRAITOR.
She is so close to going. Key must be afraid of how she will behave if she is fired.
How are Collins and Finlayson?
Finlayson does seem to be gliding through very quietly of late.
Surely our Attorney-General would be a good person for a comment on the Cabinet Rules?
Finlayson would find both Collins and Joyce odious. He would wish both of the ill, IMO.
so let’s hope some media type person ‘innocently’ gets him on record about the Cabinet Rules 🙂
thanks ps.
“Lobbying for a Tobacco company doesn’t necessarily mean you are attempting to encourage smoking.”
Being a member of The Mighty Mongrel Mob doesn’t mean you support the activities of your fellow mobsters either, does it, Gosman.
If the Mongrel Mob activities are legal then there is nothing wrong with belonging to them. It is only when people carry out illegal activities under the Mongrel mob banner that belonging to them becomes an issue.
Do you take an equivalent stance on our involvement in the Five Eyes network?
Yes
Guess that is a reply to 14.1.1 above.
That also makes you culpable in terms of being a citizen of one of those governments.
Do you claim that culpability or do you acknowledge that personal control of those organisations to which we all belong plays a part in our guilt by association?
(Moved as sensibly suggested by Gosman 16.1.1.1)
I don’t think one automatically leads on to the other. For example in war a nation can carry out some dreadful actions like the fire bombings of Dresden and Tokyo or the Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. That does not mean all citizens of the nations making up the Allies in the war are culpable for these decisions or that the war itself is suspect because of them.
a person employed to lobby for a tobacconist is not just a citizen wandering by.
Gosman, do you believe the 23 year old, Todd Barclay, who has only ever worked in Government Minister’s offices and lobbied for a tobacco firm has enough life experience to be an MP where his job is to represent the full cross-section of the electorate?
He is not looking at becoming a list MP but an electorate one. It is not for me to decide if he is suitable or not as I don’t live in his electorate. If the people of his electorate decide to vote for him who am I to quibble about his supposed lack of experience.
Hi Gosman,
I don’t think freedom was asking you to decide Barclay’s political fate (you can’t, as you point out) but, instead, was inviting you to express what you believe about his life experience in relation to the tasks of an electorate MP.
The beauty of democracy is we leave it up to the voters to decide the suitability or otherwise of a candidate. As for if I would vote for him. I don’t know a lot about him or his opponents. He does seem a little on the young and inexperienced side but that does not necessarily preclude you from being a good electorate MP. Certainly the fact he worked as a lobbyist for a Tobacco company doesn’t rule him out as far as I am concerned.
So you believe that the principled burghers of Clutha Southland should have been given a choice of decent National Party candidates, instead of having a tobacco industry lobbyist served to them from Wellington on a blue platter?
I don’t believe I stated that at all.
ok Gosman, let’s look at Colonial Viper’s question from a different angle.
Should National Party members of Clutha-Southland be given a choice about who becomes their candidate?
Is the way Mr Barclay is being selected as a candidate outside National party rules on candidate selection? If the answer to that is no then what is the problem here again? If the National party voters in the electorate don’t like the candidate they are free to vote for a candidate of another party. This seems to me to be a perfect opportunity for other candidates to take advantage of. Assuming of course the majority of voters in the electorate care enough about the issue. Do you think they will vote for another candidate?
I’d like to see who else in the National Party put their hand up for the job of candidate for Clutha Southland; you can bet there would be a few amongst them who would make our inexperienced tobacco lobbyist look properly shallow in comparison.
Why do you care who National selects as a candidate anyway? If this wasn’t a left wing blog what you are doing would be termed concern trolling.
It’s not that I care so much (and I actually do know a lot of voters who live in the Clutha Southland), it’s that I am amazed that you care so little about the appalling Big Tobacco choice of candidate that National HQ has served up on a plate to that electorate.
I have not said a word about voting Gosman. I was clearly pointing to the candidate selection process. I just find it funny when supposedly intelligent people defend a candidate selection system where the members’ views are deemed irrelevant and yet these same people are somehow represented, by submitting to an arbitrary decision by their Party leaders that they, the members, had no input into.
Good thing I gave up trying to understand National voters a long time ago, even the ones I love. Some might say you should never fully understand your friends, or your family, it takes away all the mystery.
National is by far and away the most successful political party in NZ since the end of the second world war. You might not understand their internal processes or why people support them but you can’t deny that it seems to work for them. I am sure they don’t give two hoots what a bunch of largely hard core leftists think of them.
Actually, that’s exactly what being a democracy means.
“I don’t think one automatically leads on to the other.”14.1.1.1.1
“It is only when people carry out illegal activities under the Mongrel mob banner that belonging to them becomes an issue.14.1
A bit of a contradiction there. But I do agree with your statement at 14.1.1.1.1 because fundamentally, regardless of whether you are a member or not, – your personal input or control of the decisions made by that organisation – make up a large part of whether you are responsible for those decisions or not. Mongrel Mob member, MP or democratic citizen.
Unfortunately, some of these organisations are set up to look like you have equal power to another but in actuality do not deliver.
No contradiction at all as far as I can see. Perhaps you will explain why you think one exists.
Gosman – for some reason I can’t reply to your comment above regarding National’s electoral success in the post-world war 2 era? You are, strictly speaking, right though much of that success comes from exploiting the FPP gerrymander. In the MMP era National and Labour so far have 3 terms each.
legallity isnt part of the question captain deflection
certain types get too easily mixed up between the concepts of ‘what is moral’, and ‘what is legal.’
Morally I think selling Homeopathy or most other types of CAM products/remedies is reprehensible. Does that mean people involved with this sector should be denied the opportunity of becoming an MP?
the thing is with homeopathy..there..gossy..
..is that farmers who have vets that use it..
..see how effective it can be..
..and i don’t think animals are subject to the placebo-effect..
..(i also have seen it work wonders on dogs..)
..i’m no expert on the subject..
..but just those vet-facts/personal-experiences..
..give me pause for thought..
Who’s denying anyone the opportunity of becoming an MP?
The tobacco lobbiest is allowed to run.
So is Aaron Gilmore.
But for either to be nominated would show tory arrogance. A lot of that’s been coming to light, lately.
Only to hard core leftists like you. People like me don’t think it is arrogant.
Arrogant people don’t think arrogant people are arrogant?
Fuck me.
Ah Felix. Did you miss me? I certainly didn’t miss your usual frivolous inputs to any discussion.
frivolous? He was spot on.
Didn’t know you’d been away.
“Who’s denying anyone the opportunity of becoming an MP?”
you keep saying it and when directly confronted on the issue you go all quiet
so i will ask the same question – Who’s denying anyone the opportunity of becoming an MP?
your being really weak on this one
first home owners in auckland, based on neither owner having bought a home before or held a mortgage before, are paying $200 a week more than counterparts outside auckland.
but they dont get $200 a week more from similar jobs to counterparts.
http://m.nzherald.co.nz/editors-picks/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503539&objectid=11249447
This is what you get for having more than 30% of the country’s population squashed into less than 0.3% of the country’s land area.
As an added benefit, it depopulates and economically degrades all the other regions of the country. You would have thought given these facts that just a little teensy bit of central planning might be in order to even things out a bit, but no, every political party seems determined to make Auckland even bigger and denser than it is now.
Right, a little update.
Despite badgering me for weeks whilst I was on sick leave, and on three occasions questioning the veracity of my Doctor’s certificates, after my disciplinary hearing on Monday, at 5.58 pm on Friday, I finally got confirmation through I was sacked.
Not surprised at the outcome, but still gutted none the less. Cancelled my wff payments so I don’t get overpaid, booked up my ‘working for me seminar’ at winz, and ready to do what I can to get back in to work.
I don’t know what options I have, other than full hearing and more costs I can’t pay or walk away and take the hit, but I’ll decide after consultation with the brief later today. It appears a pervy old man can’t buy my silence, but can buy protection for his reputation.
Better off out of it, but what a way to go.
Bugger.
Wishing you all the best for this next stage.
Yes
Guess that is a reply to 14.1.1 above.
That also makes you culpable in terms of being a citizen of one of those governments.
Do you claim that culpability or do you acknowledge that personal control of those organisations to which we all belong plays a part in our guilt by association?
For some reason it was appearing down here even though I replied to you above. To keep this sensible repost your question above.
Really sorry to hear of the outcome for you The AIlen. Good luck for your post consultation decision making on what to do next and all the best for your next move.
It really is disheartening how dodgy employers get away it, again and again. I’ve seen it happen so many times to others and have been the victim of dodgy bosses twice in a row – its so wrong that your experience is not uncommon.
Hope you find something nice to treat yourself to today.
Kia Ora.
+100…good luck The Allen!
+1. I was trying to find the right words of support for you, the Al1en; but Rosie has said it much better. I am thinking of you, as I am sure many others here are. I have been through similar but the fact that others have been down the same road does not make it any easier at the time. But you will get through. It has been obvious to me reading your posts on this issue. Kia Kaha. Keep us up to date.
+1 and take care of yourself Al1en.
Take the high road Al1en, it has better views and it’s always best to avoid the hassle of stumbling over messed up riverbeds. As you say, there does not appear to be any rewards in battling further. Do remember though, you can now freely offer advice to people as to whether they should use that particular business or not. There are lots of legal ways to adjust someone’s business reputation. I am not a spiteful person but have certainly had the unquestioning generosity of my youth sorely tested these past few years.
Look after yourself, and when jumping the WINZ hoops, breath deep and let the pointless busywork ahead be a positive challenge. There is a job out there. I keep getting told there is. Problem seems to be WINZ are talking to us all about the same job 😉
best of luck with the job hunt.
Mediation costs nothing and there is absolutely no reason to be represented by a lawyer. If you choose to be represented by a lawyer, then they can claim costs as a part of any confidential settlement.
Thanks for all the kind words and encouragement.
I didn’t get a call back from my guy, so haven’t heard his considered opinion yet, but hope to tomorrow. The worst thing about the outcome is knowing I didn’t really do anything wrong, got victimised and then assaulted, and have been dismissed on the ‘evidence’ of witnesses I know weren’t present at the time.
Realistically, without being Rumpole of the Bailey, I know I can’t rip the truth out from these people. I couldn’t even get my ex boss to speak during the kangaroo court. Two and a half hours and he said nothing, just stared in to any space except my eye line.
I am full of contempt for this tool, but still bound by confidentiality, so naming and shaming isn’t an option as yet. I do have the privacy commission to fall back on, which is free to apply to, so that will probably be my next move, but first to get that job.
Thanks again.
Hang in there, TA. And thanks for the update. You are not alone.
My thoughts are with you, mate.
gosman you are just being silly and throwing red herrings around. Whats his name from dipton is just a silly little twerp but you wont admit it.
Explosive new art show exposes Auckland’s revolutionary labour history: http://readingthemaps.blogspot.co.nz/2014/05/building-bombs.html
Good to see the government’s helping the poor live on air:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/10010529/Budgeting-services-to-get-a-boost
Soon people will be so good at managing their finances benefits won’t be needed at all. If fact, I’m surprised Bennett isn’t saying something like “we really want to support people manage their money so well that there’s even some left over each week they can pay back to the government as a contribution to the benefit system overall.”
Bennett says the funding “will ensure the services are able to keep up with demand”. What she doesn’t say is that that demand is increasing because it’s compulsory when people apply to Work and Income for special needs grants and advances, which people need to apply for because main benefit levels are so ridiculously low. Bennett, this government and Labour have absolutely no idea.
+1
Talking about that:
‘Don’t ever imagine there’s not a cost’
A column by Sarah Wilson.
Is Maurice Williamson really a ventriloquists dummy, i had that thought as Williamson was manhandled out of TV3’s ‘the Nation’ studio on the weekend, perhaps Maurice had just filled his incontinence pants and couldn’t bring Himself to perambulate after such a dramatic event,
Maurice having just had the silver spoon rudely ripped from His over privileged mouth should face further questioning over His story,
Claiming that it wasn’t Donghua Liu who asked Him for help after putting the bash on both wife and mother-in-law Williamson claimed that it was a member of the police force who gave Him the information that Liu was in trouble for the incident,
i don’t believe Williamson’s explanation for a moment, But, if he was being truthful the plod who shared this information with Him should face discipline for giving out such information…
Ah, bad, on reading the transcript, I don’t think that’s how it went down. The final bit of the interview, Williamson is explaining why he mentioned Liu’s business interests in NZ when talking on the phone to the police.
to use a quaint old phrase I think Judith collins has gone “furgerko”.
Finally, after reading 14 ways a link to the entire Umberto Eco Ur-Fa**ism essay.
https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http://pegc.us/archive/Articles/eco_ur-fascism.pdf&chrome=true
79 years ago today.
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/05/john-scopes-arrested-for-teaching-evolution-may-5-1925-106325.html?