Key’s tone has softened, but he still shows no evidence in practice that he’ll take any notice of the Waitangi Tribunal report on water rights. Meanwhile he continues to try to split Maori, and Sharples acts like a door mat.
What happened to the Maori Party that was born in protest, principle and a willingness to stand up and tell it like it is. The only mitigating factor is that Sharples recognises the Maori water right issue will most likely end up in court. And where is Turia on this? She was the main driving force for setting up the Maori Party over the conflict with government on the foreshore and seabed. Now she just seems to be hiding.
Prime Minister John Key and Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Prime Minister John Key and Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples says he expects the Maori water rights wrangle to end up in the courts after his party failed to secure an assurance from the Government last night that it would pay heed to any Waitangi Tribunal findings.
Dr Sharples and co-leader Tariana Turia had a two-hour meeting with Prime Minister John Key, Finance Minister Bill English and Treaty Negotiations Minister Chris Finlayson.
Afterwards, Dr Sharples said the only assurance given was that the Government would wait for an interim report from the Waitangi Tribunal on August 24 before proceeding with the sale of Mighty River Power. He believed it was likely the issue would end up in the courts.
Dr Sharples said Mr Key had also emphasised that he believed it should be dealt with iwi by iwi, despite the decision at a hui yesterday to set up a pan-Maori group including iwi leaders, the Maori Council and other groups.
“But Maori believe there are national principles that apply across the board, so I guess that has to be worked through.”
He said the Maori Party often disagreed with National but did not believe walking away would benefit Maori.
Earlier yesterday, Mr Key rejected suggestions that water rights could be resolved on a pan-Maori basis, saying such rights were best sorted out “river by river, iwi by iwi”.
He said many iwi agreed with his view – that it was a matter for negotiation by individual iwi.
What is certain is that Key will not stop his drive for asset sales, democracy, rights, fairness, consideration of what is best for the country and the majority of it’s people….. nothing will stand in his way.
Yes, Key, I think (as heard on RNZ this morning) that Maori water rights can still be negotiated on an individual level after the asset sales go ahead.
I think he also is saying he will wait for an interim report from the Waitangi tribunal later in August, will talk to the Maori Party again…. then go ahead with asset sales.
Of course, Maori sticking together nationally over this will give their case strength. However, for Key, he’s more likely to weaken the results Maori get, by negotiating with individual iwi after the sales have occurred.
Key had taken the strongest negotiation stance from his point of view. What the Maori party need to do is be smarter in “game play”. If they want to play with the big boys they need to plan and strategise like big boys(and girls!).
The Maori Party has the Tribunal, the Courts, the Maori Council, other political parties and the mass of the people of New Zealand to use in their game plan.
Use it! Get a smart game plan together quickly and execute it sharply.
I reckon Peter Sharples believes what he wants to believe, rather than hear what Key actually says. Sharples believes asset sales are likely to be delayed. Key has given no indication that he’ll allow that to happen.
there are a limited number of windows each year in which a share offer can take place,” English and Ryall said last week.
“Delaying a decision beyond the first week of September and losing the 2012 window for the offer would have significant consequences, not only for the MRP offer, but also in delaying the rest of the share offer programme over the next two years.”
It’s pretty clear why Key wants iwi by iwi settlement. Hand out the minimum require to get the job done, and not worry what might be brewing for future conflict.
Interesting wording alright, and that’s certainly the interpretation Pita seems to think fits.
I heard English the other day say they’d been working on these sales for four years. Anyone else hear that? Can’t remember where.
Thought that was a bit odd, ‘cos right through their first term they denied doing any such work and anyone who called bullshit on them was labelled a conspiracy theorist.
Carol, quite right, nothing will stand in his way – particularly while he continues to enjoy rather large support for his tactics. Key is a gambler who is, unfortunately, accustomed to winning.
As New Zealanders mourn their latest casualties in Afghanistan, Egypt is reeling from the deaths of fifteen border guards in the Sinai peninsula. Every New Zealander knows about this country’s contribution to the ‘stabilisation’ of Afghanistan, but few know that it has troops in the Sinai operating as de facto reinforcements for the Israeli blockade of Gaza. These forces should be withdrawn before they fall victim to the growing violence in the Sinai. This 2011 blog post makes the case for withdrawal from Sinai: http://readingthemaps.blogspot.co.nz/2011/02/what-are-kiwi-troops-doing-in-egypt.html
Noted that. And noted that Egypt still does nothing to oppose Zionist incursions into their territory, letting them destroy their military hardware with not even a whisper of dissent. The new president seems powerless to exert any influence over the military. The dream is for a Islamic super-state with Jerusalem as it’s capital. Right now that just looks like a distant pipe dream, especially with the Egyptians talking of bringing their brothers to “justice” for the sadly futile attack on the zionists, rather than the enemy themselves. The only glimmer of hope at the moment is with a hopeful change to a Sunni government in Syria, there will be the impetus that the Arab nations need to finally wipe the zionists from history once and for all. I still don’t hold out hope though. The illegal blockade of Gaza should be over already. The Muslim Brotherhoold should be providing heavy arms to Hamas so they can defend their territory against zionist aggression. It seems that the protocols are correct, and the influence of the zionists is at the moment too pervasive.
Zionists piss me off, but so then does every religious nutter..I very much doubt that the State of Israel and “Zionism” will last much beyond the ability of moneyed Zionists to heavily influence US election outcomes. Imperial over-reach will kill Pax Americana, and with it the rogue settler state in its current form, just as the Crusader states failed centuries ago.
I am hoping the more forward thinking residents of Israel and the Arab states might have a better vision that allows them both to flourish together. Optimistic I know but the alternative is too frightful to contemplate.
“International reviews have concluded that increasing the price of alcohol is one of the most effective strategies to reduce the consumption of alcohol and, therefore, alcohol-related harm. Establishing a minimum price is a targeted way to reduce the availability of cheap alcohol.”
Maybe I missed something in the context but did I hear Pita Sharples say on te wireless this morning that he has been told by Iwi leaders etc to stay in the govt at pretty much all costs?
Great tactics and negotiating skills there Pita……. bloody hell ……
He basically just gave away any decent negotiatng position they had.
[lprent: Merely blaring assertions without supporting argument(s) however brief tends to draw the moderators eye. If it happens too often then we start viewing those blasting slogans as being rogue processes rather than people and start applying kill troll routines. That is what you’re looking like to me after reading a few of your mindless comments. Please read the policy. ]
TT, I find your quick labeling of John Key as a Zionist war criminal somewhat puzzling, as I do the accusation of the glorification of Anglo Saxon genocide.
Lets start with John Key, yes he is Jewish, and he is a banker BUT does that make him Zionist? Yes he has not withdrawn our troops from Afghanistan, but I don’t see that makes him a war criminal. Remember please I for one cant stand the bastard, but your accusation does not help in any way.
Anglo Saxon genocide….all empires since time immemorial commit genocides, that cant be denied by the British any more than the Romans, Americans, Mongols etc…it is not an exclusive trait. You can bet that the people of the imperial core nations (like the Saxons or Romans) would probably find the concept of committing genocide or being labeled for genocide rather nasty. I doubt any Germans born post war want the stigma of the “holocaust”, attached to them, they were not after all born at the time. It might be more helpful to rail against imperial systems in general.
To that end, a CIA agent infiltrated the ANC and in 1962 informed South African security officials that Mandela, a wanted man on the run, would be leaving a dinner party in Durban dressed as a chauffeur. He was arrested at a roadblock and spent the next 10,000 days behind bars.
“It is more of what I was just saying before umm ethan is that, you know I get you know trade unions or say salvation army or whatever they are standing up for rights of you know workers or rights of the poor or whatever, or whatever it is likely to be.
Umm I don’t look to gain have had any sort of, I don’t look to have any material gain from that as a, as a as an MP–but there is what the the idea was is to try and capture the you know the various sort of business and corporate interests that might you know in a sense be trying to do sort of what you know they do offshore (not sure happens here?) is to buy buy politicans off”
Shearer, and the Labour Party, need to stop taking advice from you right wing bastards. You only want the Labour Party to fail. Your advice is an attempt to sabotage, nothing more.
The only advice that I would offer to Key would be to take his head our of his arse and look around at the damage he is causing.
Mallard is an a-grade twat. I mean you could point out his failings in the house, his piss-poor election strategies, his habit of getting side tracked but really hes just a twat and I’m pretty sure even the Labour party could find someone better.
Always nice to run across someone so utterly ignorant of political history.
From about 1994 to 1999 (and later for that matter), Helen did a large number of ‘heartland tours’ turning up at everything from A&P shows to small town meetings. It went a *long* way to counter the ridiculous dumbarse propaganda from the rightwing fruitcakes that had been flooded out into the conservative areas about her, and her lack of ability at the time to come across well on TV. People coming into direct contact with left politicians are the most effective way to shift views and immunize against propaganda pushed through the rather simple media messages that appear to be all that our journalists can cope with.
What I found rather heartening at the time was the number of people I knew in the rural and small town communities was how many changed their minds about her not after running across her directly, but after someone they knew had. What was also notable at the time was that the change in attitudes that I was seeing was simply a willingness to listen to Labour wasn’t really showing up in any of the polls when you broke it down by region. It did however show up in the elections because the MMP elections are pretty well won for Labour by two major factors – turnout in the cities and those all-important minority votes in the rural areas and small towns.
David Shearer of course has a lot less of a uphill battle than Helen did.
You know what might work better then another heartland tour? The Labour party working together as a team and not getting side tracked by trivialities (usually of their own making)
1prent, you are right about the effectiveness of the “heartland tours”. We used to do “cottage meetings” in the 80s….the theory is correct BUT our goods were flawed. We had an abundance of Rogernomes and yes men.
Which brings me to the point, once bitten twice shy…the goods are looking decidedly shoddy and rather Rogerish.
Ah but that is a bit of a separate question. Personal/relayed contacts probably help anyone selling their dream – even the rodgernomes.
But David Shearer comes across a hell of lot better in smallish groups than he does on the media. It will suit him whilst he winds up his media skills. I wouldn’t expect it to show particularly in polls because of the nature of what they measure. It also works better for opposition than it does for government members.
Even though I don’t really warm to Shearer, I look into the faces of all the rest including the Prime Minister, Russell Norman, Dr Sharples, Winston Peters etc to answer the question: Leader Of The Country material?, and I would just have no hestitation in ticking the Labour box again. No hesitation whatsoever.
Out of 5 million awesome NZers we are left with those few dozen clawing away amongst each other in Parliament. Something is rotten in Denmark, ladies and gentlemen.
Shearer, and the Labour Party, need to stop taking advice from you right wing bastards. You only want the Labour Party to fail. Your advice is an attempt to sabotage, nothing more.
Nah it’s the National Party who’s strategy most fits the Underpants model:
1. Sell our energy assets, at a loss, at the end of the cheap energy age
2. ???
3. Profit!
If Labour could get as far as deciding to steal underpants they’d quickly become indefinitely tied up arguing about whether Waitakere Man prefers boxers or briefs, whether brassieres should also be targeted, what constitutes togs, what about fetish gear etc etc etc
But David Shearer comes across a hell of lot better in smallish groups than he does on the media.
Oh yes, I can vouch for that. Indeed he comes across as an highly intelligent, thoughtful person who has a good vision for this country and knows how he wants to implement it. He does well face to face in large halls too. A few months ago I saw an initially luke-warm audience of some 200 practically eating out of his hand by the time he had finished.
He has yet to learn the art of projecting a good image of himself on TV which requires a different set of skills. Here’s hoping his media training will help him to overcome this problem. Let’s not forget Russell Norman came across poorly when he first became the Greens co-leader, and look at him now – confident, assured and impressively articulate.
Helen Clark also took a long time to master TV interviews. And I heard she was better in person too, like most people are. You get to judge them as they present themselves, not as someone else edits.
But a problem with TV interviews is that you can’t control the subject, and Shearer is very unconvincing on some things. It’s a matter of whether he can keep his leadership long enough to become media credible.
Why does Labour hate David Cunliffe so much?
The majority of Labour politicians clearly dislike David Cunliffe. With a passion. And with a serious degree of what now looks like hatred and mistrust.
That’s become so very clear to me this year – but even clearer since I released our 3 News poll on Sunday night.
I suggested David Shearer might be rolled before the next election if he couldn’t get his numbers up. And while not many in Labour denied that – they all said Cunliffe won’t replace him. Over their dead bodies.
[lprent: Abbreviated the quoted material.
a. linked so people can go to the source.
b. copyrighted.
c. we aren’t here to cut’n’paste linked material into.
Quote a relevant section if you want to get people to jump to the link. Don’t waste my time cleaning up our site. ]
If I had my way, Trevor “ABC” Mallard would be out the door along with the rest of the dimwits who bag David Cunliffe to any journalist who’ll listen.
Memo to the caucus fuckwits: Don’t bag your own colleagues out to the media.
Then again, expecting the same losers who elected Shearer to have any political nous is asking too much, I suppose.
I am so thoroughly disgusted with the Labour caucus right now. Pathetic, cowardly little guttersnipes. If you want DC out, fucking tell him. Don’t ring up Duncan Garner and have a giggle about how you’d like him to stay on vacation permanently.
Presuming that this is true and Garner is not interviewing his typewriter whoever leaked to him should be drummed out of the party. This sort of shyte is destabilizing and damaging to the party.
The rumour is that Cunliffe’s ‘assisted’ exit leaves Shearer in place, until the unions get their Little leadership with the help of a few % of the vote thanks to the review.
3News is not a “source”. They simply reported a second hand opinion.
In journalism a “source” is, for instance, ther PM’s press secretary. Or the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party. Or maybe the chair of Cunliffe’s LEC.
3News is simply reporting on the opinion of one of their staff, a staff member who has not given any specifics on their source(s), who has not described any steps he took to double check those sources, etc.
Actually Socialist Paddy, as far as I can tell the actual size of the ABC club in the Labour Caucus is nothing like as extensive as suggested. But there still appears to be a handful of stupid, vindictive members of caucus who continue to misrepresent the truth. I suspect in part it’s the tall poppy syndrome, and the rest is probably related to certain personal, political ambitions which would be unlikely to be met under a Cunliffe leadership.
A very good example I was told about concerned a scumbag Labour politician (no, don’t know which one) who passed on to some sections of the media false voting figures after the caucus leadership vote late last year. He/she claimed Shearer received a higher vote than he actually did receive. In other words, the difference between the two contenders was much narrower than reported.I say this with no disrespect towards Shearer, because I’m sure he would have had no knowledge of it at the time.
What it does tell me though is: there are a few Labour parliamentarians who are prepared to undermine their own Party for petty, spiteful gain. They should be weeded out and sent packing!
a scumbag Labour politician (no, don’t know which one) who passed on to some sections of the media false voting figures after the caucus leadership vote late last year. He/she claimed Shearer received a higher vote than he actually did receive. In other words, the difference between the two contenders was much narrower than reported.
And I heard exactly the same, Anne, from a reasonably decent source. And yes we are talking a difference of just a very few votes.
What I find so appalling CV is: a Shearer/Cunliffe team would be about as brilliant as you could get. But there are a few selfish, self-centred Labour MPs determined to upset the apple cart.
About 3 months ago, my Labour Electorate Committee resolved to send an email to Moira Coatesworth expressing our concern over this very matter. I might add, we were about 50/50 in out support for the two leadership contenders, so there’s no way our concern could be described as sour grapes. I understand Moira replied expressing her own dis-satisfaction… and I gather she passed our concerns on to the caucus.
I’m sure we spoke for many electorates at that time, and we may not have been the only one to formally express it. Therefore I find it insulting and annoying that there are still a few MPs who haven’t got the message!
the actual size of the ABC club in the Labour Caucus is nothing like as extensive as suggested
And the names most often associated with it (i.e. … Mallard, pretty much) are cosy little electorate MPs who’d be voted in if they were dead as long as they had a Labour rosette on them. So, really, why the fuck should they care if their petty bullshit sinks the party? They’re still going to get paid.
According to Duncan Garner’s paymasters who have everything to lose in a Cunliffe lead Labour at least making the attempt to take Labour back to it’s 1930’s roots and values is the exact sum total of what is contained in the article,
A TV3 attempt at divide and rule simply on behalf of the status quo Garner’s paymasters see as a Shearer administration,
What i do believe Labour as a Party has wasted is the telegenic nature of both Roberston and Cunliffe, both come across on a TV screen very well and both are more capable, (at the present time), of engaging in the politics of the 5 second sound bite which unfortunately is a needed skill in today’s political discourse, than what David Shearer is,
It is pretty much a given that Labour if at all socialist,is the socialism of, for, and, by the middle class and thus cannot, (based upon current known policy), really be seen as much of an electoral option for those in the Have Not class of society,
Those of us way to the left of Parliamentary Labour can console ourselves that there is now a strong Green Party who we would expect will in any future Government have the numbers and the will to impose on our behalf a modicum of social justice…
Oh yes, I can vouch for that. Indeed he comes across as an highly intelligent, thoughtful person who has a good vision for this country and knows how he wants to implement it.
Duncan Garner has succumbed to the charms of the ABC rump in the Caucus. Maybe they don’t think the 67% rule will get through Confetence. So they have taken to white-anting Cunliffe through Garner.
This is timely. Members can now see the real agenda of Labour’s right wing “organisational review”. All members MUST actively reject the dilution of their power and the centralisatioin of power into a management committee”.
The current leadership is at war with the membership.
Duncan is inclined to have big emotional farts from time to time. He has had a couple of rough years and we should remember him in our prayers. Note to Duncan: twice a day the doctor said. Not twice a week.
pete geroge took no time at all to master the inane, waffling, ruminating, misdirecting and link whoring of a psychophantic crawler.
and more to the point he has never stood for office.
if he pals up with dunnycan then he has really slipped back down the path of human evolution.
Should we now consider the UK as a “Rogue State”? Barclays manipulating the LIBOR HSBS laundering money for terrorists, Mexican drug cartels, and rogue states Standard Chartered colluding with Iran to break sanctions to the tune of $250bn
And Blair saying that nothing would be solved by hanging bankers. He may be right but it’s a damn good start!
“How can one make a revolution without firing squads?”
He doesn’t want them hanged because we may come after him…
– his government bent over backwards for “The City”
– so much of the shit was traded on his watch
– he’s an advisor (on the board?) of JP Morgan
– he’s on the board/advisor to a Swiss bank
– he’s involved in setting up a bank for the super rich
Here’s a good list of people who should be first against the wall when the revolution comes.
You do know that its not an accident that the City of London has been the epicentre of all these financial scandals? The rules in the City are looser than just about everywhere else in the world. AIG, Lehman Bros, MF Global, Bernie Madoff – it was their UK operations out of London which caused the meltdown in each and every case.
Max Keiser agrees with Blair that hanging 20 bankers is not the solution, Max reckons that 200 bankers would be a more reasonable number.
What a message that would send.
They could not go in or out of their buildings without disturbing swarms of crows & flies feeding on the putrefying, foul smelling corpses of people they were working with only days before, and who are now twisting in the wind from the “The People’s Gibbet” in the street.
Utopia………*sigh*
We have a social contract in New Zealand. It works like this: if you need help because of something unexpected: an accident, a loss, or if misfortune befalls you, you will be supported.
But once you’re back on your own feet, we expect you to pull your weight once again and contribute back to society.
The Government’s role is to ensure that this transition happens – through up-skilling, education and a nudge behind those not meeting their side of the contract.
That people could end up in hardship through no fault of their own, and in those cases we have a responsibility to provide a decent standard of living.
But it’s never been about all take and no give.
The other side of the contract is that everyone has a responsibility to contribute to their community. You didn’t get social security if you could work. If you couldn’t work, your community looked after you.
I think these principles are accepted by most political parties. It’s a matter of tweaking the balance.
🙄 at editing out anything resembling policy and then talking about the mom&apple pie filler like it’s a profound thought.
I do recommend people read the speech though – some of it pissed me off, some of it I agreed with, some of it was a sop to the audience demographic, so it had a little bit of something for everyone.
Some of it was good but most of it was the typical capitalist whine we can’t afford it WAAAAH.
We propose giving the dole money to an employer to take on an apprentice.
I got a better idea – why doesn’t the government just take them on as an apprentice themselves? You know, like we used to do when we had full employment.
Didn’t sound too bad BUT somebody else still whining about how it’s all Muldoon’s fault that we don’t have a super scheme like the Aussie’s. FFS it was 1975, 37 years ago. Muldoon didn’t put some secret law in place stopping any government since (2001-2008 maybe) putting something in place. Oh no, it’s Muldoon’s fault. And nothing happens……
Didn’t you learn in high school about the power of compounding interest? And not only were years of compounding growth (lol) lost by Muldoon’s actions, he took the easy action – disbanding something, which is always far easier than creating something from scratch.
…there is a third myth – that there was not much wrong with the global economy in 2007. But the old model was financially flawed as it operated with high levels of debt, socially flawed in that the spoils of growth were captured by a small elite, and environmentally flawed in that all that mattered was ever-higher levels of growth. It is possible to move on, but only when it is recognised that the genie will not go back into the bottle.
Which seems to be fairly accurate. The neo-liberal system of little regulation and lots of bank debt is the problem and until we accept that then there is little to nothing that can be done to eliminate the problem.
From the same article, ”The German myth is that you can solve a problem of growth deficiency with belt tightening and export growth” unquote,
Never a truer word spoken, to a certain extent we will have ‘internal stimulus’ that will go some way to absorb the problem of having imported a 15% drop in economic activity from having been too well plugged into the global economy, (ie: far to reliant upon exports of raw product from farm production), via the Christchurch re-build,
My view tho is that more is needed and the best means of provision of this more is to use ‘printed monies’ to radically increase the number of actual households in this country by providing State Housing at the fixed 25% of income to a far greater number of families, (my rough guess at the need of the expansion, (from 69,000 to 100,000 over a four year period and from 100,000 to 120,000 over the following 5 years),
Even the likes of Bill English is now openly saying that any ‘growth recovery’, ie: getting New Zealand back to the same amount of economic activity we had prior to the current stage of capitalism’s ultimate collapse will be at least ten years away, not only exposing the National Party lie of surplus by 2015 but also failing to provide any path forward other than the borrowing of 300 million dollars a week until god knows when???,
I view this as does the article you linked to, if any stability or platform for economic activity to increase is to be found it will take multi-decades for any ‘catch-up to occur,
Thus export receipts will continue to be weak as prices continue the downward trend and the only logical expansion in activity must come from increasing the actual number of functioning households in New Zealand where low cost rental equates to lower wage demand and increased local economic activity from monies paid as rent not being a transfer of wealth from one class to another in society…
Open access notables A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North, van Wijngaarden et al., Climatic Change:The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased ...
Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On ...
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...
New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
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 ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
Photo by Alvan Nee on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...
Buzz from the Beehive One minister is talking tough while a colleague – whose ministry had acted tough and drawn a barrage of flak – has shown an official softening. Some ministers are doing what Labour was good at, which is distributing public funds to causes regarded as worthy or ...
A ballot for 4 Member's Bills was held today, and the following bills were drawn: Insurance Contracts Bill (Duncan Webb) Income Tax (Clean Transport FBT Exclusion) Amendment Bill (Julie Anne Genter) Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill (Greg Fleming) Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) ...
One of the strongest narratives about "our" spy agencies is that they are basically institutional traitors, working for foreign powers (or just themselves), without any control or oversight by the elected government. And today, we have yet another report from the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security which explicitly confirms this. ...
“It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April to meet the Prime Minister’s ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Miller-Jones, Professor, Curtin University Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets. Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, CC BY-SA How fast can a neutron star drive powerful jets into space? The answer, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The federal government has bowed to pressure from the car industry, announcing it will relax proposed emissions rules for utes and vans and delay enforcement of the new standards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney In his latest book, Jewish Life in Medieval Spain, Jonathan Ray focuses on the tumult of the 14th century in Spain – a time of the plague, civil strife and war between the two largest ...
While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata Māori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is “far-off sight”. In the contemporary and living language of te reo Māori, “whakaata” as a ...
Yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. This significant step and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza prompted an urgent debate in the New Zealand Parliament. Leader ...
The Government’s decision to reduce access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) not only threatens the lives of children with type 1 diabetes and increases the potential for ‘Dead in Bed’ syndrome, but also threatens the health of their parents an ...
Apples are available year-round, but the wide variety on offer involves intensive scientific research – and large-scale commercialisation. What’s beautiful, red, sweet and crunchy? Tony Martin’s favourite kind of apple: Sassy. The CEO of apple and pear breeding organisation Prevar, Martin’s fondness for Sassy represents professional success as well as ...
Family violence specialist service Shine is calling on employers to stop asking for proof of domestic violence in order for employees to access domestic violence leave. The call comes five years after the introduction of the Domestic Violence ...
The Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for public submissions on the Budget Policy Statement 2024. The Budget Policy Statement 2024 (BPS) sets out the Government's priorities for the 2024 Budget. It explains the approach ...
Brutal government spending cuts that will see the size of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples slashed by 40% will hit Pasifika communities hard, the PSA says. The Ministry has told staff that it is seeking voluntary redundancies, and to redeploy and reassign ...
I live with five people I mostly love, but our different ideas about generosity are starting to really irk me.Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,This is a bit of a random one but here goes. I’m 22 and work an OK job (OK meaning I get paid ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Nicholas, Senior Lecturer in Language and Literacy Education, Deakin University Earlier this month, the New South Wales government announced it would roll out programs for gifted students in every public school in the state. This comes amid concerns gifted school ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney Massachusetts General Hospital In a world first, we heard last week that US surgeons had transplanted a kidney from a gene-edited pig into a living human. News reports said the procedure was a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tombs, Howard Paterson Chair of Theology and Public Issues, University of Otago The 5th-century Maskell panel showing Jesus in a loincloth.British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA When Jesus is shown on the cross, he is almost always depicted wearing a loincloth around ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock When you think about a red object, you might picture a red carpet, or the massive ruby in the Queen’s crown. Indeed, Western monarchies and marketing from brands such ...
COMMENTARY:Jewish Voice for Peace The UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Monday — and for the first time since the beginning of the Israeli military’s genocide of Palestinians, the United States abstained rather than vetoing it. Security Council resolutions are legally binding, ...
Asia Pacific Report A New Zealand investigative journalist and author says the US spy system hosted by the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) appears to be a controversial intelligence system used in global capture-kill operations. Writing a commentary for RNZ News today, Nicky Hager, author of Secret Power, a 1996 ...
While Nicola Willis wouldn’t give any details on its size, she said a package of tax cuts is definitely still coming in this year’s budget, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the investigation into the Department of Internal Affairs after it was revealed that the Department’s Chief Executive personally reached out to expedite a DJs passport application. Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns ...
Finance minister Nicola Willis delivers her first budget statement, and unwittingly helps Joel MacManus save his relationship. Nicola Willis strode into the Beehive Theatrette. Around me, on the green foldout seats, were the country’s top business and political journalists. They were all here to see her announce the Budget Policy ...
Twenty years ago today, Māori Television launched after much controversy. Jamie Tahana looks back on its survival and impact across two decades. Chad Chambers stepped onto the stage, the brim of his cap casting a shadow across his face. His smile beamed as bright as his white freezing works gumboots, ...
Tauranga, Rotorua, Wellsford, Onehunga, Westhaven marina – Gavin Strawhan walks the meanish streets of New Zealand in his entertaining debut novel The Call, almost sure to roar into the number 1 position on the Nielsen bestseller chart, its front cover bearing a rave from somebody: “A really good and genuinely ...
On a Thursday in February, at Wellington’s Conservation House, the Conservation Authority, a statutory body advising the eponymous department and minister, Tama Potaka, opened its 195th meeting. Under consideration that afternoon was an agenda item written by Tim Bamford, chief advisor in the Department of Conservation’s biodiversity, heritage and visitors ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 28 March appeared first on Newsroom. ...
A lengthy response to the recently released draft Government policy statement on transport will soon be delivered from Auckland Council to Minister of Transport Simeon Brown. A submission raising concerns about funding distribution and the plan’s treatment of Auckland passed through the council’s transport committee on Wednesday, despite some councillors ...
The unidentified foreign intelligence operation discussed in a scathing report by New Zealand’s Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) last week appears to be a controversial United States intelligence system. The IGIS report said the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) decision to host a foreign system from 2012-2020 was “improper” ...
As a young gymnast, Aimee Didierjean was always conscious of making sure her underwear wasn’t showing on the competition floor. A peek of a bra strap, or briefs if a leotard rode up, would cost a gymnast points in her routines. “When I was growing and going through puberty, it ...
Jubi/West Papua Daily Repeated cases of Indonesian military (TNI) soldiers torturing civilians in Papua have been evident, as seen in the viral video depicting the torture of civilians in the Puncak Regency allegedly done by soldiers of Raider 300/Brajawijaya Infantry Battalion. There is a pressing need for stringent law enforcement ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In 2023, Anthony Albanese was shooting for the moon, his eyes on the Voice referendum. On one view, he looked like the idealist reflecting his left-wing roots. In 2024, we’re seeing a pragmatic, determined, ...
The House - The principle that all MPs are honourable and that they should be taken at their word has been tested multiple times this week in Parliament. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Helen Dickinson, Professor, Public Service Research, UNSW Sydney Drazen Zigic/Shutterstock Since the review of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) released its recommendations in December, there has been a series of Town Hall events to discuss them around the country ...
Asia Pacific Report Two of the global Freedom Flotilla ships are being prepared in Turkey and almost ready for the upcoming humanitarian mission to Gaza. It is expected that the flotilla will include a New Zealand medical team. Kia Ora Gaza is a member of the international Freedom Flotilla Coalition ...
Key’s tone has softened, but he still shows no evidence in practice that he’ll take any notice of the Waitangi Tribunal report on water rights. Meanwhile he continues to try to split Maori, and Sharples acts like a door mat.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10825091
What happened to the Maori Party that was born in protest, principle and a willingness to stand up and tell it like it is. The only mitigating factor is that Sharples recognises the Maori water right issue will most likely end up in court. And where is Turia on this? She was the main driving force for setting up the Maori Party over the conflict with government on the foreshore and seabed. Now she just seems to be hiding.
What is certain is that Key will not stop his drive for asset sales, democracy, rights, fairness, consideration of what is best for the country and the majority of it’s people….. nothing will stand in his way.
Interesting wording by the Herald.
Do they really mean that the Government will wait for the Waitangi Tribunal decision to be given AND THEN will proceed with the share sale?
Pita where is your mana, man? Stand up to the bastard.
Yes, Key, I think (as heard on RNZ this morning) that Maori water rights can still be negotiated on an individual level after the asset sales go ahead.
I think he also is saying he will wait for an interim report from the Waitangi tribunal later in August, will talk to the Maori Party again…. then go ahead with asset sales.
Of course, Maori sticking together nationally over this will give their case strength. However, for Key, he’s more likely to weaken the results Maori get, by negotiating with individual iwi after the sales have occurred.
Key had taken the strongest negotiation stance from his point of view. What the Maori party need to do is be smarter in “game play”. If they want to play with the big boys they need to plan and strategise like big boys(and girls!).
The Maori Party has the Tribunal, the Courts, the Maori Council, other political parties and the mass of the people of New Zealand to use in their game plan.
Use it! Get a smart game plan together quickly and execute it sharply.
I reckon Peter Sharples believes what he wants to believe, rather than hear what Key actually says. Sharples believes asset sales are likely to be delayed. Key has given no indication that he’ll allow that to happen.
On the other hand…
It’s pretty clear why Key wants iwi by iwi settlement. Hand out the minimum require to get the job done, and not worry what might be brewing for future conflict.
Interesting wording alright, and that’s certainly the interpretation Pita seems to think fits.
I heard English the other day say they’d been working on these sales for four years. Anyone else hear that? Can’t remember where.
Thought that was a bit odd, ‘cos right through their first term they denied doing any such work and anyone who called bullshit on them was labelled a conspiracy theorist.
Weird eh?
“right through their first term they denied doing any such work”
I’m sure you can show where they did this.
I recall them saying they wouldn’t sell any assets in their first term. They didn’t. Nothing odd about that.
🙄
Treasury did that work, Felix. And OIA would show it.
I am not surprised by that…
Carol, quite right, nothing will stand in his way – particularly while he continues to enjoy rather large support for his tactics. Key is a gambler who is, unfortunately, accustomed to winning.
As New Zealanders mourn their latest casualties in Afghanistan, Egypt is reeling from the deaths of fifteen border guards in the Sinai peninsula. Every New Zealander knows about this country’s contribution to the ‘stabilisation’ of Afghanistan, but few know that it has troops in the Sinai operating as de facto reinforcements for the Israeli blockade of Gaza. These forces should be withdrawn before they fall victim to the growing violence in the Sinai. This 2011 blog post makes the case for withdrawal from Sinai:
http://readingthemaps.blogspot.co.nz/2011/02/what-are-kiwi-troops-doing-in-egypt.html
Noted that. And noted that Egypt still does nothing to oppose Zionist incursions into their territory, letting them destroy their military hardware with not even a whisper of dissent. The new president seems powerless to exert any influence over the military. The dream is for a Islamic super-state with Jerusalem as it’s capital. Right now that just looks like a distant pipe dream, especially with the Egyptians talking of bringing their brothers to “justice” for the sadly futile attack on the zionists, rather than the enemy themselves. The only glimmer of hope at the moment is with a hopeful change to a Sunni government in Syria, there will be the impetus that the Arab nations need to finally wipe the zionists from history once and for all. I still don’t hold out hope though. The illegal blockade of Gaza should be over already. The Muslim Brotherhoold should be providing heavy arms to Hamas so they can defend their territory against zionist aggression. It seems that the protocols are correct, and the influence of the zionists is at the moment too pervasive.
seriously?
Zionists piss me off, but so then does every religious nutter..I very much doubt that the State of Israel and “Zionism” will last much beyond the ability of moneyed Zionists to heavily influence US election outcomes. Imperial over-reach will kill Pax Americana, and with it the rogue settler state in its current form, just as the Crusader states failed centuries ago.
I am hoping the more forward thinking residents of Israel and the Arab states might have a better vision that allows them both to flourish together. Optimistic I know but the alternative is too frightful to contemplate.
Kāore anō nei i weto ngā ngārahu o te ahi i mura ai i ngā wā kua pahure.
Tēnei te hoki mai nei me te ngākau pōuri, me te ngākau tangi mō koutou kua ngaro i ōku tirohanga kanohi, i ā tātou mahi, i ā tātou nohoanga tahi.
The protocols?
The Gods have announced a few things recently.
Jupiter has ordered Mars to let the Democratic candidate win the United States Presidential election;
Thanatos has requested of Key that he actually generate a less subservient foreign policy, quick;
The Waikato Taniwha has determined that it will stop the sale of New Zealand’s public assets;
and
Tongariro has cleared its throat for Valeri Adams and declared it will be good.
Great to feel a tilt in the cosmic order this morning.
And all because of a little thing called Curiosity…
Tongariro has cleared its throat for Valeri Adams and declared it will be good.
Tongariro only puffs up some fire and ash, when there’s an issue regarding his beloved Pihanga.
http://www.findingtheuniverse.com/2011/03/maori-mountain-myths.html
Mind you, Pihanga overlooks Taupo, so maybe she is getting a little angsty about the way water rights claims are heading?.
Judith Collins has replied to a request for her position on the minimum price of alcohol:
This sounds like a very good approach to me. The proof will be in the end result.
No PG, it’s the normal weasel words that mean nothing that we get from RWNJs.
Did you read this Petey?
In particular this?
“International reviews have concluded that increasing the price of alcohol is one of the most effective strategies to reduce the consumption of alcohol and, therefore, alcohol-related harm. Establishing a minimum price is a targeted way to reduce the availability of cheap alcohol.”
Maybe I missed something in the context but did I hear Pita Sharples say on te wireless this morning that he has been told by Iwi leaders etc to stay in the govt at pretty much all costs?
Great tactics and negotiating skills there Pita……. bloody hell ……
He basically just gave away any decent negotiatng position they had.
Pretty sure that happened years ago.
Exactly, how is this a change of tactic for them? It’s all they’ve done.
Zionist war criminal John Keys is spending $60 million of the peoples money to build a shrine to further glorify anglo-saxon committed genocide.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/7428737/Key-revives-60m-war-memorial-for-capital
[lprent: Merely blaring assertions without supporting argument(s) however brief tends to draw the moderators eye. If it happens too often then we start viewing those blasting slogans as being rogue processes rather than people and start applying kill troll routines. That is what you’re looking like to me after reading a few of your mindless comments. Please read the policy. ]
troll.
TT, I find your quick labeling of John Key as a Zionist war criminal somewhat puzzling, as I do the accusation of the glorification of Anglo Saxon genocide.
Lets start with John Key, yes he is Jewish, and he is a banker BUT does that make him Zionist? Yes he has not withdrawn our troops from Afghanistan, but I don’t see that makes him a war criminal. Remember please I for one cant stand the bastard, but your accusation does not help in any way.
Anglo Saxon genocide….all empires since time immemorial commit genocides, that cant be denied by the British any more than the Romans, Americans, Mongols etc…it is not an exclusive trait. You can bet that the people of the imperial core nations (like the Saxons or Romans) would probably find the concept of committing genocide or being labeled for genocide rather nasty. I doubt any Germans born post war want the stigma of the “holocaust”, attached to them, they were not after all born at the time. It might be more helpful to rail against imperial systems in general.
Surprise surprise, the CIA had a hand in the arrest of Nelson Mandela.
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/330153
To that end, a CIA agent infiltrated the ANC and in 1962 informed South African security officials that Mandela, a wanted man on the run, would be leaving a dinner party in Durban dressed as a chauffeur. He was arrested at a roadblock and spent the next 10,000 days behind bars.
The US does not support oppressive regimes like Apartheid South Africa. Really, it doesn’t.
Drill it. Mine it. Allow it.
If you’re into being the one to hand out the permits then man, has MoBIE got a job for you!
http://www.trademe.co.nz/a.aspx?id=501079142
David Shearer trying to defend the indefensible:
Being a non-politician Shearer is hopeless trying to promote policy he doesn’t believe on, which is the obvious assumption from this embarrassment.
He needs to start speaking on things he strongly believes in rather than trying to defend a crap position.
Advocating for workers organisations is not “indefensible”.
Using a Kiwiblog quote for David Shearer, that’s “indefensible” 🙄
🙄 Take your excrement back to the sewer…
Quite right, this place is already overflowing with faecal matter.
A higher standard of effluent such as yours HS!
Upon your arrival that would certainly be seen as a true statement needing no citation as to it’s veracity…
Oh touche, your inaniloquent wit is worthy of one who spends so much time in krukolibidinous activities.
It’s not the size of the words that matters, hs – it’s whether they provide customer satisfaction.
I don’t know, the continued bullying of Pete G seems pretty pathetic to me.
Well, doing stupid shit like using KB as a source tends to provoke a reaction.
You are free not to enter the site, we all would probably be better off with such an elegant solution…
zzzzzzzzzz
Pete G’s comments get as much credit as they deserve. What’s the problem with that?
Pointing out that PG is wrong is bullying?
Your current crock of it just further serves to make my point…
You have a point ?
Shearer, and the Labour Party, need to stop taking advice from you right wing bastards. You only want the Labour Party to fail. Your advice is an attempt to sabotage, nothing more.
The only advice that I would offer to Key would be to take his head our of his arse and look around at the damage he is causing.
And then resign.
And then ask for forgiveness.
… preferably with his head on the block.
The right wing don’t need to sabotage Labour, Labour are doing a fine job of shooting themselves in the foot.
Hey maybe Shearer could do another heartland tour because, you know, it worked so well the last couple of times.
Some advice Labour should take though is remove T. Mallard
Why is it because he’s a sitting duck.
C73 Mallard needs to be refined.
Not sacked as your cyniscism would suggest.
Mallard is an a-grade twat. I mean you could point out his failings in the house, his piss-poor election strategies, his habit of getting side tracked but really hes just a twat and I’m pretty sure even the Labour party could find someone better.
Always nice to run across someone so utterly ignorant of political history.
From about 1994 to 1999 (and later for that matter), Helen did a large number of ‘heartland tours’ turning up at everything from A&P shows to small town meetings. It went a *long* way to counter the ridiculous dumbarse propaganda from the rightwing fruitcakes that had been flooded out into the conservative areas about her, and her lack of ability at the time to come across well on TV. People coming into direct contact with left politicians are the most effective way to shift views and immunize against propaganda pushed through the rather simple media messages that appear to be all that our journalists can cope with.
What I found rather heartening at the time was the number of people I knew in the rural and small town communities was how many changed their minds about her not after running across her directly, but after someone they knew had. What was also notable at the time was that the change in attitudes that I was seeing was simply a willingness to listen to Labour wasn’t really showing up in any of the polls when you broke it down by region. It did however show up in the elections because the MMP elections are pretty well won for Labour by two major factors – turnout in the cities and those all-important minority votes in the rural areas and small towns.
David Shearer of course has a lot less of a uphill battle than Helen did.
You know what might work better then another heartland tour? The Labour party working together as a team and not getting side tracked by trivialities (usually of their own making)
Of course articles like this won’t help either:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/7429613/Pay-packets-on-the-rise
Thanks for trying to sidetrack us with a triviality.
Always glad to lend a hand.
The above average rises for unionists is what is driving that figure, Chris. Funny old world, eh?
1prent, you are right about the effectiveness of the “heartland tours”. We used to do “cottage meetings” in the 80s….the theory is correct BUT our goods were flawed. We had an abundance of Rogernomes and yes men.
Which brings me to the point, once bitten twice shy…the goods are looking decidedly shoddy and rather Rogerish.
Ah but that is a bit of a separate question. Personal/relayed contacts probably help anyone selling their dream – even the rodgernomes.
But David Shearer comes across a hell of lot better in smallish groups than he does on the media. It will suit him whilst he winds up his media skills. I wouldn’t expect it to show particularly in polls because of the nature of what they measure. It also works better for opposition than it does for government members.
Even though I don’t really warm to Shearer, I look into the faces of all the rest including the Prime Minister, Russell Norman, Dr Sharples, Winston Peters etc to answer the question: Leader Of The Country material?, and I would just have no hestitation in ticking the Labour box again. No hesitation whatsoever.
Out of 5 million awesome NZers we are left with those few dozen clawing away amongst each other in Parliament. Something is rotten in Denmark, ladies and gentlemen.
Too right! 🙂
That’s so true . Ignore Chris73’s advice at 12:37. Just keep on stealing underpants.
Nah it’s the National Party who’s strategy most fits the Underpants model:
1. Sell our energy assets, at a loss, at the end of the cheap energy age
2. ???
3. Profit!
If Labour could get as far as deciding to steal underpants they’d quickly become indefinitely tied up arguing about whether Waitakere Man prefers boxers or briefs, whether brassieres should also be targeted, what constitutes togs, what about fetish gear etc etc etc
Underpants are clearly identity politics, felix. Waitakere Myth goes commando.
Perhaps Labour would be better of stealing some thick woolen socks. For their cold feet. *ba dum tshh*
But David Shearer comes across a hell of lot better in smallish groups than he does on the media.
Oh yes, I can vouch for that. Indeed he comes across as an highly intelligent, thoughtful person who has a good vision for this country and knows how he wants to implement it. He does well face to face in large halls too. A few months ago I saw an initially luke-warm audience of some 200 practically eating out of his hand by the time he had finished.
He has yet to learn the art of projecting a good image of himself on TV which requires a different set of skills. Here’s hoping his media training will help him to overcome this problem. Let’s not forget Russell Norman came across poorly when he first became the Greens co-leader, and look at him now – confident, assured and impressively articulate.
Helen Clark also took a long time to master TV interviews. And I heard she was better in person too, like most people are. You get to judge them as they present themselves, not as someone else edits.
But a problem with TV interviews is that you can’t control the subject, and Shearer is very unconvincing on some things. It’s a matter of whether he can keep his leadership long enough to become media credible.
And according to Duncan Garner there is one thing on his side (or not likely to succeed on the other side):
<a href="
http://www.3news.co.nz/Opinion-Why-does-Labour-hate-David-Cunliffe-so-much/tabid/1135/articleID/264472/Default.aspx
[lprent: Abbreviated the quoted material.
a. linked so people can go to the source.
b. copyrighted.
c. we aren’t here to cut’n’paste linked material into.
Quote a relevant section if you want to get people to jump to the link. Don’t waste my time cleaning up our site. ]
Not being liked by the present Labour caucus is probably the best recommendation David Cunliffe could have.
He is the only leader they have. Maybe that’s why the other wannabees don’t like him.
He is not happy just to drift along until National lose an election.
Their is no point in Labour winning an election to continue as NACT lite. That would be as much of a failure as losing. And an equal disaster for NZ.
Personally I hope that Labour both grows a spine and repudiates following RWNJ memes, and wins in 2014, with the Greens to keep them honest.
BTW. Helen Clark is great in person. Warm, humorous and intelligent.
This briefing of the press is no different from what the right wing did during the leadership battle. Same crap from the same mouths.
+1
If I had my way, Trevor “ABC” Mallard would be out the door along with the rest of the dimwits who bag David Cunliffe to any journalist who’ll listen.
Memo to the caucus fuckwits: Don’t bag your own colleagues out to the media.
Then again, expecting the same losers who elected Shearer to have any political nous is asking too much, I suppose.
I am so thoroughly disgusted with the Labour caucus right now. Pathetic, cowardly little guttersnipes. If you want DC out, fucking tell him. Don’t ring up Duncan Garner and have a giggle about how you’d like him to stay on vacation permanently.
Passive-aggressive little wankers.
Presuming that this is true and Garner is not interviewing his typewriter whoever leaked to him should be drummed out of the party. This sort of shyte is destabilizing and damaging to the party.
Seems to be an attempt at exorcism.
The rumour is that Cunliffe’s ‘assisted’ exit leaves Shearer in place, until the unions get their Little leadership with the help of a few % of the vote thanks to the review.
What Rumour man?
You are talking through your arse.
How many times do you have to be told that you should not believe everything that you read about the Labour Party in Kiwibog.
The source is 3news. Not that they are anywhere near reliable.
3News is not a “source”. They simply reported a second hand opinion.
In journalism a “source” is, for instance, ther PM’s press secretary. Or the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party. Or maybe the chair of Cunliffe’s LEC.
3News is simply reporting on the opinion of one of their staff, a staff member who has not given any specifics on their source(s), who has not described any steps he took to double check those sources, etc.
Basically its fuckall.
Actually Socialist Paddy, as far as I can tell the actual size of the ABC club in the Labour Caucus is nothing like as extensive as suggested. But there still appears to be a handful of stupid, vindictive members of caucus who continue to misrepresent the truth. I suspect in part it’s the tall poppy syndrome, and the rest is probably related to certain personal, political ambitions which would be unlikely to be met under a Cunliffe leadership.
A very good example I was told about concerned a scumbag Labour politician (no, don’t know which one) who passed on to some sections of the media false voting figures after the caucus leadership vote late last year. He/she claimed Shearer received a higher vote than he actually did receive. In other words, the difference between the two contenders was much narrower than reported.I say this with no disrespect towards Shearer, because I’m sure he would have had no knowledge of it at the time.
What it does tell me though is: there are a few Labour parliamentarians who are prepared to undermine their own Party for petty, spiteful gain. They should be weeded out and sent packing!
And I heard exactly the same, Anne, from a reasonably decent source. And yes we are talking a difference of just a very few votes.
What I find so appalling CV is: a Shearer/Cunliffe team would be about as brilliant as you could get. But there are a few selfish, self-centred Labour MPs determined to upset the apple cart.
About 3 months ago, my Labour Electorate Committee resolved to send an email to Moira Coatesworth expressing our concern over this very matter. I might add, we were about 50/50 in out support for the two leadership contenders, so there’s no way our concern could be described as sour grapes. I understand Moira replied expressing her own dis-satisfaction… and I gather she passed our concerns on to the caucus.
I’m sure we spoke for many electorates at that time, and we may not have been the only one to formally express it. Therefore I find it insulting and annoying that there are still a few MPs who haven’t got the message!
Maybe they will get it now.
“a Shearer/Cunliffe team would be about as brilliant as you could get.”
‘kin A.
I’m assuming everybody got struck by a bout of dyslexia and you all mean a Cunliffe/Shearer team.
That’d be my pref but either way would work for me.
Anne, great that your LEC took that action and emailed Moira.
Even more emphatic and more direct action by party members will be required to communicate messages to the hierarchy in the future, IMO.
the actual size of the ABC club in the Labour Caucus is nothing like as extensive as suggested
And the names most often associated with it (i.e. … Mallard, pretty much) are cosy little electorate MPs who’d be voted in if they were dead as long as they had a Labour rosette on them. So, really, why the fuck should they care if their petty bullshit sinks the party? They’re still going to get paid.
According to Duncan Garner’s paymasters who have everything to lose in a Cunliffe lead Labour at least making the attempt to take Labour back to it’s 1930’s roots and values is the exact sum total of what is contained in the article,
A TV3 attempt at divide and rule simply on behalf of the status quo Garner’s paymasters see as a Shearer administration,
What i do believe Labour as a Party has wasted is the telegenic nature of both Roberston and Cunliffe, both come across on a TV screen very well and both are more capable, (at the present time), of engaging in the politics of the 5 second sound bite which unfortunately is a needed skill in today’s political discourse, than what David Shearer is,
It is pretty much a given that Labour if at all socialist,is the socialism of, for, and, by the middle class and thus cannot, (based upon current known policy), really be seen as much of an electoral option for those in the Have Not class of society,
Those of us way to the left of Parliamentary Labour can console ourselves that there is now a strong Green Party who we would expect will in any future Government have the numbers and the will to impose on our behalf a modicum of social justice…
Socialism, for the middle class, would be fine if the overwhelming majority of New Zealanders were middle class, as they were in the 50’s.
Instead we have socialism for corporates
Seconded! He’s brilliant… (he’s my local)
Duncan Garner has succumbed to the charms of the ABC rump in the Caucus. Maybe they don’t think the 67% rule will get through Confetence. So they have taken to white-anting Cunliffe through Garner.
This is timely. Members can now see the real agenda of Labour’s right wing “organisational review”. All members MUST actively reject the dilution of their power and the centralisatioin of power into a management committee”.
The current leadership is at war with the membership.
Duncan is inclined to have big emotional farts from time to time. He has had a couple of rough years and we should remember him in our prayers. Note to Duncan: twice a day the doctor said. Not twice a week.
An interesting piece on the reliability of the coverage of the Syrian conflict.
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/08/02/breaking_the_arab_news?page=full
edit: and a view from Jerusalem.
http://jcpa.org/article/the-role-iranian-security-forces-syrian-bloodshed-2/
pete geroge took no time at all to master the inane, waffling, ruminating, misdirecting and link whoring of a psychophantic crawler.
and more to the point he has never stood for office.
if he pals up with dunnycan then he has really slipped back down the path of human evolution.
Actually, he has. He got a ~160 votes last election.
Should we now consider the UK as a “Rogue State”?
Barclays manipulating the LIBOR
HSBS laundering money for terrorists, Mexican drug cartels, and rogue states
Standard Chartered colluding with Iran to break sanctions to the tune of $250bn
And Blair saying that nothing would be solved by hanging bankers.
He may be right but it’s a damn good start!
“How can one make a revolution without firing squads?”
He doesn’t want them hanged because we may come after him…
– his government bent over backwards for “The City”
– so much of the shit was traded on his watch
– he’s an advisor (on the board?) of JP Morgan
– he’s on the board/advisor to a Swiss bank
– he’s involved in setting up a bank for the super rich
Here’s a good list of people who should be first against the wall when the revolution comes.
You do know that its not an accident that the City of London has been the epicentre of all these financial scandals? The rules in the City are looser than just about everywhere else in the world. AIG, Lehman Bros, MF Global, Bernie Madoff – it was their UK operations out of London which caused the meltdown in each and every case.
Max Keiser agrees with Blair that hanging 20 bankers is not the solution, Max reckons that 200 bankers would be a more reasonable number.
Max Keiser: Hang’m high
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jd7oDRzPyMk
Max Keiser: City of London centre of financial terrorism
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll75f8oCw2c
I don’t think 200 would be enough.
What a message that would send.
They could not go in or out of their buildings without disturbing swarms of crows & flies feeding on the putrefying, foul smelling corpses of people they were working with only days before, and who are now twisting in the wind from the “The People’s Gibbet” in the street.
Utopia………*sigh*
The social contract:
I think these principles are accepted by most political parties. It’s a matter of tweaking the balance.
🙄 at editing out anything resembling policy and then talking about the mom&apple pie filler like it’s a profound thought.
I do recommend people read the speech though – some of it pissed me off, some of it I agreed with, some of it was a sop to the audience demographic, so it had a little bit of something for everyone.
Some of it was good but most of it was the typical capitalist whine we can’t afford it WAAAAH.
I got a better idea – why doesn’t the government just take them on as an apprentice themselves? You know, like we used to do when we had full employment.
Didn’t sound too bad BUT somebody else still whining about how it’s all Muldoon’s fault that we don’t have a super scheme like the Aussie’s. FFS it was 1975, 37 years ago. Muldoon didn’t put some secret law in place stopping any government since (2001-2008 maybe) putting something in place. Oh no, it’s Muldoon’s fault. And nothing happens……
Well, the 4th Labour government should have but they got the neo-liberal bug that’s screwed up the economy ever since.
Hey OneTracktoNowhere
Didn’t you learn in high school about the power of compounding interest? And not only were years of compounding growth (lol) lost by Muldoon’s actions, he took the easy action – disbanding something, which is always far easier than creating something from scratch.
So the damage Muldoon did was very significant.
A good read:
Which seems to be fairly accurate. The neo-liberal system of little regulation and lots of bank debt is the problem and until we accept that then there is little to nothing that can be done to eliminate the problem.
From the same article, ”The German myth is that you can solve a problem of growth deficiency with belt tightening and export growth” unquote,
Never a truer word spoken, to a certain extent we will have ‘internal stimulus’ that will go some way to absorb the problem of having imported a 15% drop in economic activity from having been too well plugged into the global economy, (ie: far to reliant upon exports of raw product from farm production), via the Christchurch re-build,
My view tho is that more is needed and the best means of provision of this more is to use ‘printed monies’ to radically increase the number of actual households in this country by providing State Housing at the fixed 25% of income to a far greater number of families, (my rough guess at the need of the expansion, (from 69,000 to 100,000 over a four year period and from 100,000 to 120,000 over the following 5 years),
Even the likes of Bill English is now openly saying that any ‘growth recovery’, ie: getting New Zealand back to the same amount of economic activity we had prior to the current stage of capitalism’s ultimate collapse will be at least ten years away, not only exposing the National Party lie of surplus by 2015 but also failing to provide any path forward other than the borrowing of 300 million dollars a week until god knows when???,
I view this as does the article you linked to, if any stability or platform for economic activity to increase is to be found it will take multi-decades for any ‘catch-up to occur,
Thus export receipts will continue to be weak as prices continue the downward trend and the only logical expansion in activity must come from increasing the actual number of functioning households in New Zealand where low cost rental equates to lower wage demand and increased local economic activity from monies paid as rent not being a transfer of wealth from one class to another in society…
but these functioning households cannot be allowed to start buying shitloads of foreign goods, particularly via foreign sourced debt.
We need to be more self sufficient in value added products (which initself will create more jobs).