Looks like Jonathan Cook isn't that impressed by George Monbiot.
I once admired George Monbiot. But his grim trajectory shows us where politics is heading.
Monbiot has form. For several years, he has been regularly smearing the other few icons of the progressive left, such as linguist Noam Chomsky and investigative journalist John Pilger. Now, it seems, it is comedian Russell Brand’s turn to come under Monbiot’s scalpel.
The truth is Monbiot has become just another advocate for managerial, technocratic liberalism – a liberalism that has been entirely discredited since the financial collapse of 2008, and is now the target of contempt and ridicule from that same younger demographic and figures like Greenwald and Brand.
Monbiot is desperate to maintain his credibility. And he imagines he can keep it a little longer by widening the circle of people on the left he smears: from Chomsky and Pilger, Fisk and Hersh, to Brand and Greenwald. But the only person he is damaging is himself, narrowing his relevance down to a group of liberal cultists, those who still believe that the very same people who destroyed our world are the ones who will fix it.
I am just going to repeat this one more time. Russell Brand is a glib grifter isn't half as clever as he sounds and even dumber than that. He needs to make a living, he's found his niche.
Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday (local time) called on his fellow Republicans in Congress to slash funding for the US Justice Department and the FBI
Despite overwhelming calls from a large number of councils and community organisations, Labour MPs decided they couldn't conscience acting to minimise alcohol harm:
Green Party MP Chloe Swarbrick's Alcohol Harm Minimisation bill has failed at its first reading, after only a handful of Labour MPs voted for it.
The bill would have banned alcohol sponsorship and advertising in sports.
National and ACT voted against the bill as blocs, but Labour treated it as a conscience issue, meaning MPs were free to vote however they wanted.
However the bill failed 85 votes to 29 – with just 18 Labour MPs supporting it.
The government has already planned to adopt one part of the bill, which will abolish the Special Appeals process from Local Alcohol Policies, so councils have more power to control alcohol sales, trading hours, and locations.
“Auckland Council, Christchurch City Council, Hamilton City Council and Wanganui have all passed motions for supporting the Bill, but also for delegating either the mayor or a councillor within that council to lobby directly all of the parties and the spokespeople to support this Bill bypassing the ballot,” she said.
This week, Palmerston North became the latest council to support Chlöe Swarbrick’s bill, with one councillor saying if they are going to be responsible for the social wellbeing of their community, they need to have the tools to manage that risk.
“This is just a demonstration of how grassroots communities are having to do all of the bloody work where parliament refuses to just get on with it because these pieces of evidence and enquiries have been sat in front of parliamentarians for twenty-plus years now and there just simply hasn’t been the action,” Swarbrick said.
It's pretty much up to the millennials, gen z's and other non aligned groups to form a party and get on with it.
Labour is a brand appealing to the diminishing centre, not upsetting the horses to keep power or simply keep the nact horror show out of power it seems now.
It blows my mind that in a democracy the entire media-political establishment basically tugs it forelock to an unelected bean counter with an explicit agenda to overturn several of the economic wins of the incumbent government.
No wonder Trumpists think the deep state is nothing but a financial conspiracy by the have class against Joe and Jane Sixpack on Struggle Street.
"The remit for the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) outlines the objectives that the MPC must use monetary policy to pursue, as set by the Minister of Finance."
I think the government can be held responsible for the things they can control.
For instance, they should be putting government expenditure under the microscope to see how that is impacting on inflation, and what they can do to minimise unnecessary expenditure and waste.
Christopher Luxon: Isn’t it the case that this Government’s broken immigration settings have stoked labour shortages and fuelled inflation?
Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: If the member is arguing that we should open up the border in order to repress wages, which was the strategy of the last Government, then he can mount that argument at the next election.”
So, the government is definitely contributing to inflation by controlling the immigration settings.
And the government really needs to consider the flow-on effects from putting up the minimum wage so rapidly. The minimum wage increase itself may impact inflation all that much. But, it does impact other wages which are pressured to maintain the differential in relation to the minimum wage.
The social equity side of the argument is well understood. But, it is the impact on inflation that needs to be acknowledged and factored into government planning.
But, inflation is why wages are declining in real terms. So, there is a continued upward spiral that wages never catch up with.
I am not arguing so much about wages increasing. But more, that, if the government wants to increase minimum wages, they should offset that by taking the knife to government expenditure sop there isn’t any more money in the system overall. Then, wages actually will have a chance to catch up with inflation.
Something a left wing government is absolutely loathed to do.
Wage growth is not driving the inflation, at best they have been catching up with inflation. Monetary policy successfully suppressing wages makes that worse rather than actually improving economic conditions in NZ. It also doesn't really help with inflation in how its implemented because as I started with wages are not driving inflation.
Government expenditure is also not driving inflation. Most of the debated stuff to cut in this policy area will not have any impact on inflation what so ever. They would however have quite negative impacts on New Zealand.
If we want to deal with actual economic impacts on New Zealand we would need a viable understanding on inflation and the idea that there is a pool of money which is multiplied across an independent pool of productive capacity resulting in an inflation rate (which is the concept your applying), this is completely bankrupt.
If we want to tackle actual inflation you need to look at a few institutional things like, why are price setters in that industry increasing their prices, what reasons do they give, and are those reasonable explanations, and how much price setting power do they have.
You might then consider looking at if there are anti-competitive aspects, if companies could be encouraged to pass on price hikes to employees (esp when that's the explanation given, but they are profiteering instead), even sometimes if the public sector is out bidding the non-government undesirably (this is how government spending can drive inflation, but its not widely happening). One of the main things to be concerned about at present would be does New Zealand need a larger domestic version of that industry.
But if you just look at government total expenditure, give it a thumb suck and say that 30% is too big, cut it, because reasons. In that case your not even looking at the issue in any meaningful way.
Wage growth is not driving the inflation, at best they have been catching up with inflation.
The economy is blind to where money comes from. It responds to the fact that there is more money in the system, whatever the source. So, if you accept wages are increasing, then this will add to inflation, as will government expenditure, etc.
More money in the system devalues the value of money. (the law of supply and demand, right?). That is what inflation essentially is.
So, any factor that increases money supply in the economy will increase inflation.
Trying to say money from one particular source is or isn't driving inflation is therefore logically incorrect.
The government needs to be responsible and acknowledge its own effects on inflation, and do what it can to get inflation under control, rather than adding fuel to the fire.
And this policy of aiming to increase wages by restricting immigration is as retarded as it gets.
Businesses aren’t paying higher wages because they are earning more money themselves. They are just facing increased costs due to an artificial intervention from the government.
Hence, no good can come from that in the long run.
No, that's all reasoning based on the fundamentally flawed concept of inflation I alluded to you using in your argument.
Inflation is some kind of continuous price increases. If its to be understood you need to look into the institutional or individual reasons for those price hikes and the ability of those actors to influence their going prices anyway.
We can already throw your concept out once we realize that those people setting prices almost never look at the clearing balances held by banks (what the government spends in and taxes back). That would be enough, but they also don't look at the deposit balances which the banks hold either. This also makes it irrelevant that deposit balances are not a consistent multiple of clearing balances anyway and that banks are independently of their deposit base able to expand their balance sheets when lending and worst case purchase clearing balances at the OCR as a matter of government policy.
Rather than thinking of money like a durable good with a quantity, you should understand it like the supply of video views on a streaming service. Its not quantity constrained and doesn't derive its value from a quantity constraint anyway.
The underlying cause is usually that too much money is available to purchase too few goods and services, or that demand in the economy is outpacing supply. In general, this situation occurs when an economy is so buoyant that there are widespread shortages of labour and materials. People can charge higher prices for the same goods or services.
The RB thinks the problem of inflation is too much money chasing too fewer goods.
The issue is that infinite amounts of money can be created. But the goods money purchases are finite. Hence, as the quantity of money increases, the value of that money decreases against the finite goods, and prices rise.
As I said, the economy is completely blind to where that money comes from.
The RB thinks the problem of inflation is too much money chasing too fewer goods.
Rather than the results of shortages and sanctions arising from the invasion of Ukraine. Never mind, I'm sure they'll all retire on a fat sinecure irrespective of how woefully they underperform.
Rather than the results of shortages and sanctions arising from the invasion of Ukraine.
Sure. That amongst a myriad of things. Again, the economy is blind as to why there are shortages. The war in Ukraine is definitely one of those things contributing to shortages.
But, as stated, inflation is simply the result of too much money chasing too fewer goods, regardless of why there is too much money or too fewer goods.
An obvious example is in the cost of produce which responds very quickly to shortages. For instance, have you seen the price of Kumara lately after the flooding wiped out a lot of the crops?
We should probably have a public debate between Robertson and Orr to determine if its a cost of living crisis, or an excessive spending crisis. That would be at least entertaining though (as the RBNZ recently spoke about) with all the price hikes coming from overseas NZ has got poorer and probably should actually work that through domestically in the interests of fairness.
Also you've got to be incredibly careful interpreting such official statements in specific ways. They are quite carefully worded,
"The underlying cause is usually that too much money is available to purchase too few goods and services, or that demand in the economy is outpacing supply."
Even in their terms its highlighted that there are other causes of inflation than demand driven, and when it is demand driven its about a flow of spending not a quantity of money driving pricing decisions.
Any theory of inflation is fundamentally a theory of human and institutional behavior and MV=PQ has been known to be a complete failure for quite some time, especially as several of the quantities in that equation are subjective and not quantifiable.
The reserve bank is well aware that "infinite amounts of money can be created" and its actually things like credit criteria and capital ratios (NZ has no reserve ratios) which are the actual constraints on lending.
I will grant you that various factors can cause fluctuations in the trend. But the macro factors will result in the same end being reached eventually.
For instance, if people believe prices will rise tomorrow they will often bring forward their purchases in order to avoid price rises. This psychological factor can increase demand in the short-term and thus accelerate price increases. But, in the end, this effect will level off.
Conversely, people will often hold off making purchases if they believe prices will drop tomorrow because they want to take advantage of the cheaper prices in the future, thus accelerating price drops in the short-term.
This is one of the psychological factors the RB is relying on at the moment to dampen demand.
on the 22nd March i posted that i thought Sturgeons resigning in Scotland had a lot to do with her husband being involved in very shady dealings involving money, donations, party funds etc.
It has been in the news (the one that dared to report on it) for a while now but i guess "hard done by, bigottry, anti 'self identifying women hate' and thus resignation" sounds better then the Husband of the First Minister – feminist to their fingertips – and CEO of SNP, is a crook.
You still got my details? I nuked the account and printed yours but i can't find the doc. Would you mind texting or calling?
Trans identified male please not guilty to throwing liquids on women. And no this is not a women. [deleted] oneself does not make a male a women, it makes them a [deleted]. And sadly for the world this [deleted] is a danger to women. But that is ok. What is a little violence……..if that violence is for a 'good' cause.
And even sadder still, that [deleted] would get locked up in a female prison, with women who can not consent, but then its not as if anyone gave a flying shit about women, be they in a public space or in a female prison cell.
I've deleted some words. The noun in particular is not going to be ok here. It's technically inaccurate (dictionary definition) and thus is a pejorative. I don't know if it even applies to the person.
This debate is going to be long and intense, so there need to be some limits on inflammatory language. In the policy we encourage robust debate (thus there is no problem with being angry, or making strong political arguments like you just did), and we have limits on language or tone that will put others off from commenting, or contribute to flame wars.
I note that the lawyer has already made a start with the usual t**pe
“We must also protect the right to protest against those who espouse hate and discrimination … Hate speech emboldens others to use violence against those in our trans community, a community already targeted and at risk'
Hopefully the Judge will read the judgements on what constitutes hate speech in the SUFW case and is not convinced.
The anti women's issues, anti free speech protestors were not a mass Robin Hood like protest to fight back the baddies.
It involved a gross misreading of what the women were going to discuss and the use of force against ideas (sounds like the Dark Ages?)
For context of the "We must also protect the right to protest against those who espouse hate and discrimination … Hate speech emboldens others to use violence against those in our trans community, a community already targeted and at risk'" – some women spoke on Waiheke Island last weekend.
Viewers can determine for themselves the level of epousing of hate and discrimination:
Everything you need to know about why transing kids is a bad idea.
"This essay is an attempt to share with you what I’ve learned. Something hasgone very wrong in our attempt to help these young people, so much so that too many have been badlyharmed—and I hope to explain why. (If you prefer videos, you can watch this excellentdocumentary, one of many).
I read an article recently, which commented that a large swathe of left-wing Kiwis would simply stay home in November, rather than vote.
They can't support major policies for either the Greens or Labour – but can't stomach voting for National or Act.
[Sorry, I've had a look, but can't track it down again]
I’d hope it would be somewhere in between being absolutely random & unpredictable (stochastic, flick of a coin) and absolute certainty (birth, death, and taxes). Of course, there’s always an element of speculation, especially in politics. However, polls, surveys, and sound research can help being a little more accurate and a little less speculative.
Also based on anecdata – but older leftist women in my family – staunch feminists and lifelong Labour voters – are going noticeably quiet on the political front (usually, you can't shut them up (joke)). It's as though they can't support some of these policies, but also can't bring themselves to be disloyal and say so.
This is excellent because members are about to vote on list rankings 😈 I’d be happy with EK out of parliament (doubt that will happen but dropping her dues the list might teach her something).
Otoh if EK’s Bill got selected, we’d have a sex/gender wars election instead of a climate election, and I doubt the Greens would come out of that well.
Weka, having read the bill in full I noted that it leaves sections 43, 46 and 49 (which protect single sex facilities and sport) as they are. Not sure if this is intentional or an oversight by Dr Kerekere, but either way it makes the bill considerably less controversial than it would otherwise be.
More "assigned sex at birth" bulldust. And no idea of what the "self identified gender expression" actually means apart from "whatever I say it is". Plus the obligatory "rainbow washing" and inclusion of medical conditions.
When caught, she sent a generic – 'this message was inappropriate for this chat' apology; rather than acknowledging that the message was inappropriate for any forum she should be engaging in as an MP.
Then flat-out lied to RNZ – “I didn’t call Chlöe a crybaby, and I don’t think I can comment on it, but I didn’t call her that" – her words on the actual chat leaked to journalists were “omg what a crybaby”
It's difficult to see what sanctions Shaw and Davidson can apply. EK appears to only be sorry about being caught, not for her actions.
A “full internal investigation” should include all comms that EK has sent during her time as an MP. This is unlikely to be an isolated incident.
Will this (egregious example of disloyalty behind a colleague's back) be important enough to the Greens, for the Party membership to 'reward' her with a low list placing?
The unwillingness to apologise (because you think you are right) is the same – but the target is different.
Davidson's was a demographic that she's always had little time for; Kerekere was attacking her colleague (who she's supposed to support under the Greens kaupapa).
From a party perspective, Kerekere is by far the greater 'sinner'.
Both stupid. Both myopic (not seeing how this will play to the larger audience). . Both, ultimately, self-defeating.
I think difference is though that Labour has maintained it's internal discipline. This points to a factional internal party squabble – traditionally lethal to your electoral chances in NZ.
I agree with you. However, this from Kerekere isn't debate, but backbiting – and not about Swarbrick's political views, but about internal ranking chances in the GP. Not attractive.
This silly and spurious "crybaby" story is the headline in both Stuff and the Herald today. It will form part of a large number of coordinated attacks by the Right on Swarbrick before the election in order to dent her credibility as well as that of the Greens.
Spurious-"Not being what it purports to be, false, fake."
It is a non-story (false, fake) that the MSM has elevated to the level of a major issue with large front page banner headlines in both of the two major media outlets in NZ in order to attack both the Greens and Chloe.
As Chloe says today, she has "been called much worse" [I would suggest many times] and has refused to give the non-story any more oxygen by refusing further comment. Well played her.
How is it fake. Kerekere sent the text (then lied about it to a journalist).
I think we can all believe that the MSM didn't make this story up.
Surely the poor judgement and untrustworthiness of a politician and senior list candidate on the GP list – is a significant news story.
Every report I've read has been highly critical of Kerekere – and neutral-to-supportive to Swarbrick. EK comes out as someone with the political instincts of an amoeba, and the trustworthiness of a piranha; CK comes out as a politician doing her job, and rising above petty insults. It's not the insult that's the issue, it's the fact that it came from someone who is supposed to be a colleague.
I can't see any way that Swarbrick has been 'attacked' by the MSM. And, the GP leaders, coming out quickly to announce an investigation, and tell Kerekere not to come to work the next day – makes them look on-to-it and effective.
So, a bad news story for EK; a medium-to-good news story for CS and the GP.
You don't see the bold front page headline* "fellow Green MP calls Swarbrick a "crybaby"" as an attack on Chloe and the Greens?
With respect you are being naive. This is how the anti-left MSM works. It vastly exaggerates a very minor issue** that reflects badly on the Left/Greens and then keeps the story alive as long as possible.
*I forget the exact wording
** I think KK has already apologised?
But I agree with you that KK has not come out of this well, though I repeat it is a minor issue/transgression.
That's the apology you make when you accidentally send your work colleagues the plans for the family BBQ. Not the apology you make when you're caught making a nasty comment about a colleague.
And, with respect, you are being naive, if you think that MSM are magically not going to report poor behaviour from any MP – regardless of which party s/he belongs to.
Yup, another NZ MSM media beat-up for cheap & easy clicks that shows again how lazy (some) MSM have become. Content is no longer King, which is why chatbots will soon write most of the stuff and the public won’t even care because it sounds so ‘plausible’ (and because it can’t tell the difference).
If MSM want to stay relevant then they should stop acting like SM and start doing a proper job.
This puts the pressure back on our news media to impartially assess and critique events as they unfold.
What a farce. I've lost faith in the Green Party this year, but Chloe is a politician for whom I still have considerable respect. Her Alcohol Harm bill was an attempt to do something practically useful for the community rather than just navel gazing.
That would make me very happy. I think it would be a much better fit for her but she is so in deep with the Greens at this point it would be a big ask to make a clean break without damaging her reputation. If she took over as TOP leader it might just be the name recognition needed to get them over the 5% hump. She does seem to be consistently getting around 5% as preferred PM, indicating support for her personally as opposed to the Greens.
Her reputation is being damaged already by association with her Green Party colleagues' activities in the past few weeks….and her tweet after Albert Park.
Agree Ed. I thought her blindly loyal defence of that Albert Park shambles was the first major misstep I have seen from her. There will undoubtedly be another if she continues to hitch her raft to the current Green crew. If she's ever going to cut herself loose now seems like as good a time as any.
Fucking ridiculous, the greens get agitated by on mp saying something vaguely petty about their golden girl, but are allgood with their number one place holder being a racist,
Fuck the greens they've had my vote 3 times they won't get it again till they sort their shit.
By no means all – there are many good environmentalists and soft technology engineers among them still. But they have cuckoos among the leadership, grown fat, and trying to force their more honorable siblings out.
Anyone want to bet Parkers RMA replacement is dead with the Chief Justice and Commissioner for the Environment going to the select committee and lobbying very hard against it?
Isn't this a really unusual step for the Chief Justice?
My (non-legal) understanding is that she's basically saying it's so unclear and badly drafted, that there will be decades of legal cases to clarify the intent.
"there will be decades of legal cases to clarify the intent".
That is exactly what happened with the RMA, and that was introduced by a National government in 1990.
My understanding is (and I have considerable experience in working with the parts of the RMA that relate to rural subdivision and development) that the existing RMA related case law will still be relevant and have weight.
The Parker proposals are partially derived from the RMA. If something similar to the existing RMA Sections 5, 6 and 7 are carried forward much case law will remain relevant.
This is completely different to 1990 when the RMA represented a radical change in planning direction.
I find it hard to believe that Parker, who has a law degree and is a policy wonk, would have stuffed up this process. The Chief Justice's intervention may be, in part, a political reaction.
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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 ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Ngaio Marsh House is one of Christchurch’s best kept secrets – and contains more than a few mysteries of its own.Trust Ngaio Marsh to leave more than a few mysteries scattered through her house long after her departure. For a start, there’s the curious concrete portal in the garden, ...
Appointment viewing has been lost to the mists of time, but memories of Montana Sunday Theatre can still be conjured by hitting play on a particular piece of classical music. “You’re not going to be able to sell it.” Over 30 years on, Karen Bieleski still recalls how the task ...
Performance Review King Luxon sat behind His massive polished oak desk. It is Performance Review time. There is a knock on the door. “Enter!” says the King. In steps Minister of Disabilities and Carer Pedicures, Penny Simmonds. “I can explain everything …” she begins. “Fine,” says King Luxon, pressing the ...
The pair opened their first fully collaborative exhibition, Nina for Flowers, last Saturday. Gabi Lardies visited their studio to find out who Nina is and what working together was like.‘It didn’t start out like, ‘This is a show about Nina,’” says Josephine Jelicich, gripping a thermos of peppermint tea. ...
Thank you, Dr Maximilian Oskar Bircher-Benner, for your brilliant invention. I’m another mid-20s Kiwi who had an OE last year. I hopped on my bicycle where France meets the Atlantic and cycled east. I pedalled through the Loire Valley, down rivers lined with willows and ancient wisteria-draped chateaus. I relished ...
Asia Pacific Report From France to Australia, university pro-Palestine protests in the United States have now spread to several countries with students pitching on-campus camps. And students at Columbia and other US universities remain defiant as campuses have witnessed the biggest protests since the anti-Vietnam war and anti-apartheid eras in ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)New Zealand Government’s Fast Track legislation. Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government ...
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
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The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
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The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
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Looking for a different topic to get foamed-up about?
George Monbiot talks about the vital issue.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdk8cb_8JtE
Rusty Rockets; doing for the the clicks.
https://twitter.com/GeorgeMonbiot/status/1634090091567095810
Looks like Jonathan Cook isn't that impressed by George Monbiot.
https://jonathancook.substack.com/p/i-once-admired-george-monbiot-but
I am just going to repeat this one more time. Russell Brand is a glib grifter isn't half as clever as he sounds and even dumber than that. He needs to make a living, he's found his niche.
The guardian is part of the problem not the solution.
of course it was all caps on "Truth Social"
(locker room talk true).
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2023/04/donald-trump-facing-criminal-charges-calls-for-defunding-of-fbi.html
He should perhaps save something for the Jan 6 and Georgia phone call charges.
Despite overwhelming calls from a large number of councils and community organisations, Labour MPs decided they couldn't conscience acting to minimise alcohol harm:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/487421/swarbrick-s-alcohol-harm-minimisation-bill-fails-at-first-reading
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/the-house/audio/2018845214/local-authorities-urge-mps-to-support-alcohol-harm-minimisation-bill
It's pretty much up to the millennials, gen z's and other non aligned groups to form a party and get on with it.
Labour is a brand appealing to the diminishing centre, not upsetting the horses to keep power or simply keep the nact horror show out of power it seems now.
It is now very very hard to see Labour surviving the Election from the Reserve Bank actions this year.
It won't be fair, but rheyll be blamed for $500 a fortnight getting sucked out of family budgets.
It blows my mind that in a democracy the entire media-political establishment basically tugs it forelock to an unelected bean counter with an explicit agenda to overturn several of the economic wins of the incumbent government.
No wonder Trumpists think the deep state is nothing but a financial conspiracy by the have class against Joe and Jane Sixpack on Struggle Street.
Its entirely fair.
https://www.rbnz.govt.nz/monetary-policy/about-monetary-policy/history-of-the-remit-and-policy-targets-agreement
"The remit for the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) outlines the objectives that the MPC must use monetary policy to pursue, as set by the Minister of Finance."
I think the government can be held responsible for the things they can control.
For instance, they should be putting government expenditure under the microscope to see how that is impacting on inflation, and what they can do to minimise unnecessary expenditure and waste.
Secondly, they really need to consider their settings on immigration which seem to be purposefully limited to force up wages. In Question time the other day there was this exchange:
So, the government is definitely contributing to inflation by controlling the immigration settings.
And the government really needs to consider the flow-on effects from putting up the minimum wage so rapidly. The minimum wage increase itself may impact inflation all that much. But, it does impact other wages which are pressured to maintain the differential in relation to the minimum wage.
The social equity side of the argument is well understood. But, it is the impact on inflation that needs to be acknowledged and factored into government planning.
Real wages have been declining. NZ wage rates are not significantly driving inflation.
But, inflation is why wages are declining in real terms. So, there is a continued upward spiral that wages never catch up with.
I am not arguing so much about wages increasing. But more, that, if the government wants to increase minimum wages, they should offset that by taking the knife to government expenditure sop there isn’t any more money in the system overall. Then, wages actually will have a chance to catch up with inflation.
Something a left wing government is absolutely loathed to do.
Wage growth is not driving the inflation, at best they have been catching up with inflation. Monetary policy successfully suppressing wages makes that worse rather than actually improving economic conditions in NZ. It also doesn't really help with inflation in how its implemented because as I started with wages are not driving inflation.
Government expenditure is also not driving inflation. Most of the debated stuff to cut in this policy area will not have any impact on inflation what so ever. They would however have quite negative impacts on New Zealand.
If we want to deal with actual economic impacts on New Zealand we would need a viable understanding on inflation and the idea that there is a pool of money which is multiplied across an independent pool of productive capacity resulting in an inflation rate (which is the concept your applying), this is completely bankrupt.
If we want to tackle actual inflation you need to look at a few institutional things like, why are price setters in that industry increasing their prices, what reasons do they give, and are those reasonable explanations, and how much price setting power do they have.
You might then consider looking at if there are anti-competitive aspects, if companies could be encouraged to pass on price hikes to employees (esp when that's the explanation given, but they are profiteering instead), even sometimes if the public sector is out bidding the non-government undesirably (this is how government spending can drive inflation, but its not widely happening). One of the main things to be concerned about at present would be does New Zealand need a larger domestic version of that industry.
But if you just look at government total expenditure, give it a thumb suck and say that 30% is too big, cut it, because reasons. In that case your not even looking at the issue in any meaningful way.
The economy is blind to where money comes from. It responds to the fact that there is more money in the system, whatever the source. So, if you accept wages are increasing, then this will add to inflation, as will government expenditure, etc.
More money in the system devalues the value of money. (the law of supply and demand, right?). That is what inflation essentially is.
So, any factor that increases money supply in the economy will increase inflation.
Trying to say money from one particular source is or isn't driving inflation is therefore logically incorrect.
The government needs to be responsible and acknowledge its own effects on inflation, and do what it can to get inflation under control, rather than adding fuel to the fire.
And this policy of aiming to increase wages by restricting immigration is as retarded as it gets.
Businesses aren’t paying higher wages because they are earning more money themselves. They are just facing increased costs due to an artificial intervention from the government.
Hence, no good can come from that in the long run.
No, that's all reasoning based on the fundamentally flawed concept of inflation I alluded to you using in your argument.
Inflation is some kind of continuous price increases. If its to be understood you need to look into the institutional or individual reasons for those price hikes and the ability of those actors to influence their going prices anyway.
We can already throw your concept out once we realize that those people setting prices almost never look at the clearing balances held by banks (what the government spends in and taxes back). That would be enough, but they also don't look at the deposit balances which the banks hold either. This also makes it irrelevant that deposit balances are not a consistent multiple of clearing balances anyway and that banks are independently of their deposit base able to expand their balance sheets when lending and worst case purchase clearing balances at the OCR as a matter of government policy.
Rather than thinking of money like a durable good with a quantity, you should understand it like the supply of video views on a streaming service. Its not quantity constrained and doesn't derive its value from a quantity constraint anyway.
It looks like the Reserve Bank agrees with me more than you.
From the article:
The RB thinks the problem of inflation is too much money chasing too fewer goods.
The issue is that infinite amounts of money can be created. But the goods money purchases are finite. Hence, as the quantity of money increases, the value of that money decreases against the finite goods, and prices rise.
As I said, the economy is completely blind to where that money comes from.
The RB thinks the problem of inflation is too much money chasing too fewer goods.
Rather than the results of shortages and sanctions arising from the invasion of Ukraine. Never mind, I'm sure they'll all retire on a fat sinecure irrespective of how woefully they underperform.
Sure. That amongst a myriad of things. Again, the economy is blind as to why there are shortages. The war in Ukraine is definitely one of those things contributing to shortages.
But, as stated, inflation is simply the result of too much money chasing too fewer goods, regardless of why there is too much money or too fewer goods.
An obvious example is in the cost of produce which responds very quickly to shortages. For instance, have you seen the price of Kumara lately after the flooding wiped out a lot of the crops?
We should probably have a public debate between Robertson and Orr to determine if its a cost of living crisis, or an excessive spending crisis. That would be at least entertaining though (as the RBNZ recently spoke about) with all the price hikes coming from overseas NZ has got poorer and probably should actually work that through domestically in the interests of fairness.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/rbnz-we-need-to-accept-were-poorer/ZWTC5TIBEBCZNOBGH5ZQLUOOGU/
Also you've got to be incredibly careful interpreting such official statements in specific ways. They are quite carefully worded,
"The underlying cause is usually that too much money is available to purchase too few goods and services, or that demand in the economy is outpacing supply."
Even in their terms its highlighted that there are other causes of inflation than demand driven, and when it is demand driven its about a flow of spending not a quantity of money driving pricing decisions.
Any theory of inflation is fundamentally a theory of human and institutional behavior and MV=PQ has been known to be a complete failure for quite some time, especially as several of the quantities in that equation are subjective and not quantifiable.
The reserve bank is well aware that "infinite amounts of money can be created" and its actually things like credit criteria and capital ratios (NZ has no reserve ratios) which are the actual constraints on lending.
I will grant you that various factors can cause fluctuations in the trend. But the macro factors will result in the same end being reached eventually.
For instance, if people believe prices will rise tomorrow they will often bring forward their purchases in order to avoid price rises. This psychological factor can increase demand in the short-term and thus accelerate price increases. But, in the end, this effect will level off.
Conversely, people will often hold off making purchases if they believe prices will drop tomorrow because they want to take advantage of the cheaper prices in the future, thus accelerating price drops in the short-term.
This is one of the psychological factors the RB is relying on at the moment to dampen demand.
on the 22nd March i posted that i thought Sturgeons resigning in Scotland had a lot to do with her husband being involved in very shady dealings involving money, donations, party funds etc.
I was told that that was 'far fetched' https://thestandard.org.nz/sturgeon-like-ardern-a-casualty-of-online-abuse/#comment-1936272
lol……..today
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-65187823
sometimes people really are as shitty as they appear. And Mr. Sturgeon was not a nice person.
Yep. You were right.
Many were just waiting for the official announcement.
It has been in the news (the one that dared to report on it) for a while now but i guess "hard done by, bigottry, anti 'self identifying women hate' and thus resignation" sounds better then the Husband of the First Minister – feminist to their fingertips – and CEO of SNP, is a crook.
You still got my details? I nuked the account and printed yours but i can't find the doc. Would you mind texting or calling?
Emailed a couple of times to reiterate the invitation for #LetWomenSpeak, but I couldn't attend as I was with my mother who had contracted Covid.
I'll send a text to your (partner's) mobile. Call or text anytime.
Hang on. Need to charge, will do it now.
Trans identified male please not guilty to throwing liquids on women. And no this is not a women. [deleted] oneself does not make a male a women, it makes them a [deleted]. And sadly for the world this [deleted] is a danger to women. But that is ok. What is a little violence……..if that violence is for a 'good' cause.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/300848339/woman-pleads-not-guilty-to-assault-after-throwing-juice-on-posie-parker
And even sadder still, that [deleted] would get locked up in a female prison, with women who can not consent, but then its not as if anyone gave a flying shit about women, be they in a public space or in a female prison cell.
I've deleted some words. The noun in particular is not going to be ok here. It's technically inaccurate (dictionary definition) and thus is a pejorative. I don't know if it even applies to the person.
This debate is going to be long and intense, so there need to be some limits on inflammatory language. In the policy we encourage robust debate (thus there is no problem with being angry, or making strong political arguments like you just did), and we have limits on language or tone that will put others off from commenting, or contribute to flame wars.
Thanks Sabine
I note that the lawyer has already made a start with the usual t**pe
“We must also protect the right to protest against those who espouse hate and discrimination … Hate speech emboldens others to use violence against those in our trans community, a community already targeted and at risk'
Hopefully the Judge will read the judgements on what constitutes hate speech in the SUFW case and is not convinced.
The anti women's issues, anti free speech protestors were not a mass Robin Hood like protest to fight back the baddies.
It involved a gross misreading of what the women were going to discuss and the use of force against ideas (sounds like the Dark Ages?)
.
For context of the "We must also protect the right to protest against those who espouse hate and discrimination … Hate speech emboldens others to use violence against those in our trans community, a community already targeted and at risk'" – some women spoke on Waiheke Island last weekend.
Viewers can determine for themselves the level of epousing of hate and discrimination:
https://www.youtube.com/live/pgW3zQ–HSk?feature=share
Everything you need to know about why transing kids is a bad idea.
"This essay is an attempt to share with you what I’ve learned. Something has gone very wrong in our attempt to help these young people, so much so that too many have been badly harmed—and I hope to explain why. (If you prefer videos, you can watch this excellent documentary, one of many).
https://genspect.org/to-help-trans-identifying-kids-follow-the-science/?fbclid=IwAR2oehH9An_xD73OOkw2t-iEgfzqI5c7wkdPC4p1GrRb155zP8x4Wm2hBs4
Skewed data lead to skewed conclusions & decisions.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/census-turnout-low-despite-37m-blowout
I fear the turnout at the General Election might be quite low too. The lower voter turnout, the less representative the overall result.
I read an article recently, which commented that a large swathe of left-wing Kiwis would simply stay home in November, rather than vote.
They can't support major policies for either the Greens or Labour – but can't stomach voting for National or Act.
[Sorry, I've had a look, but can't track it down again]
Would be good to see if that article was based on reason, reckon, or wishful thinking.
Election Day is 14 October, so people are ok to stay home in November.
Well, it can only be based on speculation at this stage.
Apologies for the misdating of the election….
I’d hope it would be somewhere in between being absolutely random & unpredictable (stochastic, flick of a coin) and absolute certainty (birth, death, and taxes). Of course, there’s always an element of speculation, especially in politics. However, polls, surveys, and sound research can help being a little more accurate and a little less speculative.
Found it, better late than never.
Chris Trotter, and re-reading it, he doesn't give any source for his data – so anecdata and/or speculation.
I wouldn't ascribe it to 'wishful thinking' (I can't see any reason he'd want to see a National/ACT government) – so 'reckon' is probably the closest.
https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2023/04/sitting-this-one-out-how-angry.html
Also based on anecdata – but older leftist women in my family – staunch feminists and lifelong Labour voters – are going noticeably quiet on the political front (usually, you can't shut them up (joke)). It's as though they can't support some of these policies, but also can't bring themselves to be disloyal and say so.
Ta
The Green party seems to be planning to destroy itself.
This is excellent because members are about to vote on list rankings 😈 I’d be happy with EK out of parliament (doubt that will happen but dropping her dues the list might teach her something).
She certainly seems someone whose ambition and entitlement exceeds her talents.
very awkward – not a good few weeks for the left in the foot in mouth department
who leaked it to the media?
Otoh if EK’s Bill got selected, we’d have a sex/gender wars election instead of a climate election, and I doubt the Greens would come out of that well.
https://twitter.com/pen_ultimate__/status/1643803910489112579
Weka, having read the bill in full I noted that it leaves sections 43, 46 and 49 (which protect single sex facilities and sport) as they are. Not sure if this is intentional or an oversight by Dr Kerekere, but either way it makes the bill considerably less controversial than it would otherwise be.
More "assigned sex at birth" bulldust. And no idea of what the "self identified gender expression" actually means apart from "whatever I say it is". Plus the obligatory "rainbow washing" and inclusion of medical conditions.
Gender ideology at its most obvious.
It's like a new religion.
And, Good Lord!, talking about doubling down.
When caught, she sent a generic – 'this message was inappropriate for this chat' apology; rather than acknowledging that the message was inappropriate for any forum she should be engaging in as an MP.
Then flat-out lied to RNZ – “I didn’t call Chlöe a crybaby, and I don’t think I can comment on it, but I didn’t call her that" – her words on the actual chat leaked to journalists were “omg what a crybaby”
It's difficult to see what sanctions Shaw and Davidson can apply. EK appears to only be sorry about being caught, not for her actions.
A “full internal investigation” should include all comms that EK has sent during her time as an MP. This is unlikely to be an isolated incident.
Will this (egregious example of disloyalty behind a colleague's back) be important enough to the Greens, for the Party membership to 'reward' her with a low list placing?
Only time will tell.
It can be argued Kerekere is following her leader's example. When Davidson had her post Parker outburst she refused to apologise.
Kinda rank hypocricy for Davidson to get too uppitty about this.
The unwillingness to apologise (because you think you are right) is the same – but the target is different.
Davidson's was a demographic that she's always had little time for; Kerekere was attacking her colleague (who she's supposed to support under the Greens kaupapa).
From a party perspective, Kerekere is by far the greater 'sinner'.
Both stupid. Both myopic (not seeing how this will play to the larger audience). . Both, ultimately, self-defeating.
more than 'self defeating'…party damaging (both)
Labour can hardly complain about Green stability after needlessly losing a PM, firing the moronic Nash, and the dorky Kiri Allen at RNZ.
I think difference is though that Labour has maintained it's internal discipline. This points to a factional internal party squabble – traditionally lethal to your electoral chances in NZ.
It would be more preferable if our political economy – of which we are part – had the maturity for more actual live debate from all parties.
The UK and US main parties manage to achieve it without the world falling apart.
I agree with you. However, this from Kerekere isn't debate, but backbiting – and not about Swarbrick's political views, but about internal ranking chances in the GP. Not attractive.
This silly and spurious "crybaby" story is the headline in both Stuff and the Herald today. It will form part of a large number of coordinated attacks by the Right on Swarbrick before the election in order to dent her credibility as well as that of the Greens.
What's "spurious" about it?
Agree that it was a very silly thing for Kerekere to do.
But, I doubt that Swarbrick's credibility will be dented.
Spurious-"Not being what it purports to be, false, fake."
It is a non-story (false, fake) that the MSM has elevated to the level of a major issue with large front page banner headlines in both of the two major media outlets in NZ in order to attack both the Greens and Chloe.
As Chloe says today, she has "been called much worse" [I would suggest many times] and has refused to give the non-story any more oxygen by refusing further comment. Well played her.
How is it fake. Kerekere sent the text (then lied about it to a journalist).
I think we can all believe that the MSM didn't make this story up.
Surely the poor judgement and untrustworthiness of a politician and senior list candidate on the GP list – is a significant news story.
Every report I've read has been highly critical of Kerekere – and neutral-to-supportive to Swarbrick. EK comes out as someone with the political instincts of an amoeba, and the trustworthiness of a piranha; CK comes out as a politician doing her job, and rising above petty insults. It's not the insult that's the issue, it's the fact that it came from someone who is supposed to be a colleague.
I can't see any way that Swarbrick has been 'attacked' by the MSM. And, the GP leaders, coming out quickly to announce an investigation, and tell Kerekere not to come to work the next day – makes them look on-to-it and effective.
So, a bad news story for EK; a medium-to-good news story for CS and the GP.
You don't see the bold front page headline* "fellow Green MP calls Swarbrick a "crybaby"" as an attack on Chloe and the Greens?
With respect you are being naive. This is how the anti-left MSM works. It vastly exaggerates a very minor issue** that reflects badly on the Left/Greens and then keeps the story alive as long as possible.
*I forget the exact wording
** I think KK has already apologised?
But I agree with you that KK has not come out of this well, though I repeat it is a minor issue/transgression.
So, you're now accepting that the story isn't 'fake' (it really did happen).
And just objecting to how it's been presented.
The fact that the GP are investigating, indicates that they're taking it seriously – i.e. not just a "minor issue" – even if you are not.
I think that we'll just agree to differ on just who comes out badly from this.
If Kerekere has already apologized to Swarbrick or the GP, then it has yet to be released.
The only reported apology was:
"Kia ora everyone. I wrote an inappropriate message on here which was not meant for this thread and I apologise to everyone here"
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/487463/green-mp-elizabeth-kerekere-calls-chloe-swarbrick-a-crybaby-in-group-chat
That's the apology you make when you accidentally send your work colleagues the plans for the family BBQ. Not the apology you make when you're caught making a nasty comment about a colleague.
And, with respect, you are being naive, if you think that MSM are magically not going to report poor behaviour from any MP – regardless of which party s/he belongs to.
Incognito has it right in the post below.
Yup, another NZ MSM media beat-up for cheap & easy clicks that shows again how lazy (some) MSM have become. Content is no longer King, which is why chatbots will soon write most of the stuff and the public won’t even care because it sounds so ‘plausible’ (and because it can’t tell the difference).
If MSM want to stay relevant then they should stop acting like SM and start doing a proper job.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/opinion/131690407/social-media-may-be-a-political-battlefield-but-does-it-change-voters-minds
What a farce. I've lost faith in the Green Party this year, but Chloe is a politician for whom I still have considerable respect. Her Alcohol Harm bill was an attempt to do something practically useful for the community rather than just navel gazing.
Could Chloe join TOP?
That would make me very happy. I think it would be a much better fit for her but she is so in deep with the Greens at this point it would be a big ask to make a clean break without damaging her reputation. If she took over as TOP leader it might just be the name recognition needed to get them over the 5% hump. She does seem to be consistently getting around 5% as preferred PM, indicating support for her personally as opposed to the Greens.
Her reputation is being damaged already by association with her Green Party colleagues' activities in the past few weeks….and her tweet after Albert Park.
Did you not see her performance on morning tele with Brooke Van Helden?
It was self sabotaging of her reputation from my view.
https://www.1news.co.nz/2023/03/27/mps-weigh-in-on-free-speech-debate-following-posie-parker-protests/
Agree Ed. I thought her blindly loyal defence of that Albert Park shambles was the first major misstep I have seen from her. There will undoubtedly be another if she continues to hitch her raft to the current Green crew. If she's ever going to cut herself loose now seems like as good a time as any.
Only if she goes blue in the face.
Did you vote Green at the last election Leighton?
Fucking ridiculous, the greens get agitated by on mp saying something vaguely petty about their golden girl, but are allgood with their number one place holder being a racist,
Fuck the greens they've had my vote 3 times they won't get it again till they sort their shit.
https://www.1news.co.nz/2023/04/06/wrong-chat-green-mp-kerekere-calls-chloe-swarbrick-a-crybaby/
surely the Greens have lost all credibility now?
By no means all – there are many good environmentalists and soft technology engineers among them still. But they have cuckoos among the leadership, grown fat, and trying to force their more honorable siblings out.
Anyone want to bet Parkers RMA replacement is dead with the Chief Justice and Commissioner for the Environment going to the select committee and lobbying very hard against it?
Quite a move by Chief Justice Winkelmann
Isn't this a really unusual step for the Chief Justice?
My (non-legal) understanding is that she's basically saying it's so unclear and badly drafted, that there will be decades of legal cases to clarify the intent.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/opinion-analysis/300842078/three-strikes-against-david-parkers-rma-reforms
Yes it's a knifing eyes front.
"there will be decades of legal cases to clarify the intent".
That is exactly what happened with the RMA, and that was introduced by a National government in 1990.
My understanding is (and I have considerable experience in working with the parts of the RMA that relate to rural subdivision and development) that the existing RMA related case law will still be relevant and have weight.
The Parker proposals are partially derived from the RMA. If something similar to the existing RMA Sections 5, 6 and 7 are carried forward much case law will remain relevant.
This is completely different to 1990 when the RMA represented a radical change in planning direction.
I find it hard to believe that Parker, who has a law degree and is a policy wonk, would have stuffed up this process. The Chief Justice's intervention may be, in part, a political reaction.