This will be my last post on the Standard (and probably any other blog) for a while at least – not too sure when Ill be able to post again, but it wont be until well into the New Year at least (perhaps when everthing has settled down) — my personal circumstances look set to change in a rather dramatic way, and it is because of that I wont be in a position to contribute to this blog. Its been great chatting to you all, and I have enjoyed reading the thoughts of everyone here, though the right wingers always seem to want to put the boot in all the time.
I think the left is in pretty good shape at the moment, and 2014 will see a Sixth Labour government, that is probably more to the left than Clark’s one was, though how far to the left remains to be seen. It all depends on how the asset sales referendum pans out, and the outcome of the PoA dispute. I see both of these as defining issues in this country — public/collective v individual/private, and security v flexibility.
So, on that note, Farewell, Merry Christmas, Happy new year, and hope to catch up with you all in the New Year some time.
Cheers to you, millsy, hope the change in circ’s is not a negative one and I look forward to being amused, bemused and occasionally confused by you again in the near future!
Does this mean the end of posts from EDDIE on pain of his expulsion from the Labour Party?
For this to happen to a loyal Labour Party member who has done nothing but ably stand up for the party on line, while John Tamihere after continually slanging off Labour in the MSM, is welcomed back as a member and embraced as a long lost prodigal son.
Yes kind Lefty souls, I’m bugging out too, returning at some future date (hopefully not too far away). IB has highlighted some reasons why, and the stuff he is talking about isn’t kidding around. The miserable and ill-conceived pressure they are putting on Cunliffe and his supporters in caucus, well they are now turning that on to ordinary party members as well. Organisations which find themselves in this state, well what more do I need to say.
I shan’t be back for a wee while unless there is good reason 😎
It is probably for the best at present CV. My abject apologies for not having the energy/time to talk to you (work is hectic).
Well, as I’m not a member, I guess I remain free…..
I never care.
Quite frankly the party could do with my skills far more than I need the party. I’ve pretty well withdrawn from party activity over recent years as the environment has become more toxic.
But I’d advise anyone who has used a pseudonym on Red Alert that could compromise them in real life to expect problems. The system operators over there are quite compromised, don’t act responsibly, and have been that way for some time. Quite simply they are not operating in a way that makes it safe to leave comments there unless you have cast-iron anonymity. Treat it like you would Whaleoil’s site.
Which incidentally, is why you don’t see Red Alert on our feed
Actually, it wouldn’t ruin my life to be outed, especially as I am semi-retired. It might be a bit tricky at work, but probably not totally damaging. My preference for a pseudonym is partly because, personally I’m a fairly shy person.
Some people see it as a contradiction, that I can be very talkative and confident in a teaching or discussion context. But socially, I am often the quiet person in a group. I don’t enjoy being the centre of attention.
Tempted as I am to suggest that maybe your father in law has finally snapped and told you to log off and go get a job, I’ll restrict myself to saying I too will miss your contributions, CV. You maintained an excellence balance between quantity and quality in your comments and there will be many a chastened rightie feeling relieved that you are signing off. Hope its not for too long.
ps: I’m looking forward to the inevitable post from PG on your departure over at Yawn NZ. What greater tribute could there be?
Nope. This is an actual problem. There was a threat of “outing” by a MP that came up during the lobbying at conference. Subsequently it was raised by the same MP in the NZ Council as part of the lobbying to push Tamihere’s membership through.
It fits the same pattern of behaviour as Shane Jones demonstrates. A caucus that does things less by focused strategy and more by stupid intimidation.
I’d advise people to think carefully before putting comments at Red Alert if your identity can in anyway be traced back to you. I guess that is why the comments are dropping like a stone over there.
To be honest I struggle to see why there is a reticence amongst those in the know to name said MP. Should we not all know the character of those that are possibly going to be representing us next term?
(Sorry, I’m not singling you out Lynn, it was just your post I replied to).
It is quite a specific assertion of fact. To make it you’d have to be fairly confident that you have people who are willing to testify to its veracity. In this case that would probably happen.
There is little point naming the person(s) when what is actually required is a change of collective behaviour by caucus in the way that they handle a blogs and their net presence. In particular the malfeasant transfer of information that should be private out of Red Alert and matching it with other information, like comments on this site.
But there is a rather nice effect in not naming the person(s) concerned. It effectively throws the uncertainty about who did the malfeasance back on the whole of caucus – which is actually where the responsibility lies.
And it is probably a whole lot more effective for caucus to deal with their own.
There was a threat of “outing” by a MP that came up during the lobbying at conference. Subsequently it was raised by the same MP in the NZ Council as part of the lobbying to push Tamihere’s membership through.
You have to be fucking kidding! You’re saying a Labour MP threatened to out Colonial Viper and others because they were writing things the unnamed Labour MP didn’t like… And that the same threat was made to ensure John Tamihere was granted admission by the New Zealand Council of the Labour Party?
Am I missing something here? How exactly is threatening to out Colonial Viper (unless he/she is a Labour party MP which I doubt) going to influence a party decision and why would the New Zealand Council of the Labour Party give a shit?
There is little point naming the person(s) when what is actually required is a change of collective behaviour by caucus in the way that they handle a blogs and their net presence.
Labour has been collectively saying they will out bloggers who are also members of the Labour party if they speak out against the party? I think you have lost it 1prent. That’s ridiculous! Can you actually point to some evidence of this?
It effectively throws the uncertainty about who did the malfeasance back on the whole of caucus – which is actually where the responsibility lies.
I have to disagree there… The responsible person is the one making the threats if that is actually the case?
The problem here is that nothing will be resolved unless you name the person you allege has threatened to out party members and/or bloggers. There’s nothing wrong with saying who this is, because they’re a public person and it will be something they said that’s on the record. Highlight exactly what they said 1Prent and allow the the public to decide.
Seems you have marsman, better go on the run and sleep with one eye open like CV.
This shit STINKS and will really damage the Party once the MSM run with it.
What FOOLS this bunch of Brown Shirts are in conducting a witch hunt. Once Hooten and his ilk put their spin on it I see a new poll showing a low 20% support for Labour very soon.
Don’t stray too far. There’s that old saying “what goes around comes around” and I think there are a few people in the Labour caucus who are going to find out in due course how very true that saying is.
I also think I may know the identity of the person who has turned on you and that person will pay a price for objectionable behaviour…
This is no good CV. I’m sure you have your reasons but this is just not on. If a party can bully it’s members into silence it has no place in a democratic Country.
A damned shame, but highly reflective of the state of affairs with the NZLP currently. I too know the identity of the person involved in this, and there will be future consequences no doubt. Will be interesting to see what happens for me, blogging under my own name, in the future.
Let me say this very clearly: If I wanted a bunch of neanderthal, authoritarian control freaks to govern me I’d vote National.
Seriously, Labour? Targeting and threatening individual party members to silence them?
Anyone on the left who’s been thinking about supporting/voting Labour should be thinking really hard about this. What use are they going to be to us in govt? What good can possibly come from electing them if this is how they respond to criticism when they’re in opposition?
Do you really think this bunch of cunts can be trusted with the full power of the state?
Fuck that. Labour deserve to keep losing if they think this is what democracy looks like.
To be fair to Labour, there is no evidence presented that supports the claim of bullying. A few people are hinting about dark dealings, but nobody’s fronting with the facts. Name and shame, I reckon.
Nah but I’m done with pretending that every. single. one. of these bullshit events is either an isolated incident, part of a teething period, or a mishap unlikely to reoccur, and totally unrelated to a serious cancer embedded in the power structure.
How about you TRP? Are you done with keeping your head up your arse?
What events, felix? All we have is some vague accusations about an unnamed individual MP having a brain fart and possibility unrelated matters concerning a couple of individuals ceasing blogging that are being conflated into the size of a cow. I’m asking for people to put up some evidence to back their claims. The people making the claims are all anonymous, so there should be no comeback on them opening up.
What’s the worst the Labour Party can do to an off-message member anyway? Stop sending the begging letters? Stop asking them to stand on street corners waving signs, or doorknocking, or spending evenings calling for votes? It’s terrifying stuff, indeed.
I’m talking about pretty much everything the Labour leadership has done for the last four years. And at every turn, the refrain is the same: ‘Give them a chance’, and ‘They probably didn’t mean it’, and now your new hilarious one ‘Where’s the evidence that they’re a pack of untrustworthy morons apart from everything they say and do?’
I have no reason to doubt what Irish and Lynn and CV are saying. The Labour leadership, on the other hand…
Thanks for answering the question though, looks like you’re going to need your meals sent up there.
Thanks for clarifying felix. I thought you were talking about the specific events of the day, but apparently you were citing the vibe.
Interesting arse fixation, btw. Are you getting help for it?
You’re in denial, felix. But misinterpreting my position on this matter and the wider question of the leadership of the party over the last four years makes you feel good about yourself, its fine by me. I like to spread a little sunshine everywhere I go.
Apology accepted. For the record, I never denied anything; the whole thrust of my questions was to establish the truth. I now know the facts, via a private source, but I still don’t know why the Standard won’t publish the full story, because it really is appalling behaviour by a half witted bully of an MP.
However, I’m going to assume the lack of detail is to protect the victim/s and leave it at that. But you should know that this incident leaves me very angry indeed and I firmly believe the MP concerned should be de-selected and expelled from the party.
It’s like the marketing department of Hell Pizza. “Oh, what, we gratuitously offended another oppressed group in our quest to look edgy, and it’s blown up in our faces? Oh, that was just one random guy on our team. Honest. A completely different random guy to the random guys we blamed for the last dozen or so gratuitously-offensive fuckups.”
Having once been on the receiving end of bullying behaviour by people in positions of power and/or influence, I know how hard it is to name and shame. These bullies can be in a position to destroy a person’s personal life, career or business and get away with it because others are too scared to stand up to them.
It is up to the Labour leader – or someone else in a very senior position – to swiftly stamp it out.
TRP: There is more than sufficient evidence. At least for me.
The lobbying at the conference which is where this round of it seemed to have started was pretty intense and I’ve had quite a four people independently describing it to me.
The NZ Council debate is something that I have had several direct and indirect sources on.
And the leakage problems from Red Alert were something that I described (ummm) last year in a post after the rumour started flying around that the outing leakages were coming from here.
I’d have to say that Red Alert would have to now be considered to be a complete and utter failure because some numpties never bothered to learn about net culture.
Ok, did I understand that right – the people who run Red Alert are using things like IPs and email addresses to out commenters using pseudonyms? eg the sysop is passing those details on to caucus or other people high up in the Labour party, and that information is being used to harass or in some way control members?
Nah, it’s more that some MPs are spending a large amount of their time trawling through blogs, and Facebook etc, and then intimidating members based on what they say, particularly if it doesn’t agree with them. I don’t know if its an overt strategy or policy of NZ Council, but it’s certainly a policy of about 3-4 core MPs, and there may even be a a rogue one in there who can’t help themselves.
It’s not beyond fixing, but the methods to fix it might be quite challenging.
Nah, it’s more that some MPs are spending a large amount of their time trawling through blogs, and Facebook etc, and then intimidating members based on what they say, particularly if it doesn’t agree with them.
Don’t they have better things to do? Like, say, being an effective opposition?
If you have more than enough evidence, why aren’t you posting it? This guilt by accusation stuff is more suited to WO (or, in recent days, NZF). If there is some substance, lets see it. My apologies to all who don’t get where I’m coming from, but if there is bullying, then the bully needs to be named and shamed. If you do not confront the bully, you are enabling the bully.
Dude, that is beyond weak. Put up the evidence, if it exists. I’m starting to think it doesn’t, because I can see no logical reason why it has to be hidden. There is no downside to having the courage of your convictions, Peter. and the last time I looked at the policy of The Standard, making assertions without being able to substantiate them is considered poor form.
Nope, the ball is in your court. You’re the one making the claim, its up to you to back it up. You won’t, or, more likely, you can’t.
And the name on your passport is not ‘Peter’. That may be one of your names, but only Cher, Madonna and God can claim to be recognized on a single name. And the latter can’t even do that, because He doesn’t exist. So yes, your excuses are weak, ‘Peter’, but as you say the name of the MP has been mentioned already, you can show us how not weak you are by confirming it.
Just for the record: my response above was to a comment from ‘Peter’ that he had the evidence, but he wasn’t go to release it and that the the ‘ball was in their court’. He has since chickened out and deleted the statement, replacing it with the ‘religion’ comment instead. So, it appears that Peter is both a semi-anonymous coward and a fantasist.
Hilarious. Most people who’ve hung around the Labour Party know who I am. But for the record, my name is Peter Wilson, I was a former party member, LEC member, Otago University youth branch founder and president, Otago/Southland Labour regional council chairman for three years. I’ve chaired list conferences, fought on four campaign committees, including two as campaign manager in tough tory blue country. I have also worked in paid employment for a number of MPs, including the MP in question today.
If you do not confront the bully, you are enabling the bully.
Don’t mind if I do, TRP. You called Peter a “semi-anonymous coward”, attacking him for being anonymous and inferring that such cast doubt on his credibility. He told you exactly who he is, and that he has the credentials to know what he is talking about.
Peter, you, IB and LP are all credible people as far as I’m concerned. And that makes your inability to back up your claims all the more puzzling.
You pretend to have faith in their credibility while calling them all liars? Sweet. All the people you have named have told you the situation – they are reluctant for a variety of reasons to post what they know publicly.
You might disagree and think there is no legitimate reason for withholding this information, but last time I checked trying to bully people into doing things that make them uncomfortable is a bad thing.
I’ll tell you why I think this is nothing more than fantasy Blue…
The lobbying at the conference which is where this round of it seemed to have started was pretty intense and I’ve had quite a four people independently describing it to me.
That’s a damn slow grape vine 1prent has got growing there… Wasn’t the conference like three weeks ago?
and that he has the credentials to know what he is talking about.
There’s an unwritten rule in blogging, and moreso in journalism, that you need to be able to verify and back up your claims. That’s the basic difference between good journalism and propaganda.
Without some evidence of these claims, they remain mere speculation and therefore best ignored.
Being that the MSM hasn’t picked up this story either confirms that there’s no actual evidence to base these claims on, being that Labour would likely make a formal complaint to the Press Council if such claims were published in the MSM and were untrue. They don’t have the same opportunity with blogs though because those publication laws don’t apply. However there’s such a thing as good ethical standards with blogs, and I have to agree with Te Reo Putake that such baseless claims are more suitable to WO. Slater might have a large readership, but how much credibility does he actually have? Hint: the answer is not a lot.
Te Reo Putake is correct, IB, LP and PW are all credible commentators… However they do their credibility no favours at all by making claims they cannot back up with evidence. The blogger’s who have posted on such things as if they’re fact are also in danger of losing their credibility. Clearly attempting to damage Labour with unsubstantiated gossip isn’t worth the damage caused to your own standing.
Point missed, blue. There is no reason why the evidence should be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible, even likely, that the evidence does not exist. IB, LP and PW are credible people, hence my amazement at their singular failure to back up their position. It’s not bullying to ask people who are slagging off the Labour Party by claiming bullying to prove it. It’s their claim and at the moment, it looks like total BS.
If, as you say, there are a variety of reasons why their claims cannot be substantiated, they should say so. Peter wasn’t a coward for his anonymity, he was a coward for deleting a comment he wrote, then later regretted. He remains a credible person, in my eyes, just not as credible as he was a few hours ago.
I pulled that last comment on reflection actually, I had already received cease and desist messages privately. I don’t have the time for a legal battle, and I know that the people involved might push it that far. There are other ways of handling it.
Should this actually be what is happening, it would seem to indicate there is much deeper problems flowing through those who masquerade, and so called NZ’ers!
I have to agree with Felix, this stinks, its not isolated, nor is it in anyway in the interests of NZ, or its people!
Why would you be a member anyway? I’ve noticed a change of tone/content of your posts over about the past month or so, and actually wondered if someone else was writing for you…
Just when I thought NZ cricket had the most retarded governance in NZ, Labour appear to have trumped even them with this latest buffoonery.
CV just come back under another handle you did it post loota do it again and keep applying the blowtorch I don’t agree with you most of the time but you are entitled to your opinion – damn their eyes one and all the troughing sacks of shit.
CV just come back under another handle you did it post loota do it again and keep applying the blowtorch I don’t agree with you most of the time but you are entitled to your opinion – damn their eyes one and all the troughing sacks of shit.
Yep. Please do, but take a while first. In fact I’ll give you permission to use as many pseudonyms as you wish.
but I’d suggest a few things to do. You’ll have to shift your writing style between the identities. Your IP’s are quite distinctive, it’d pay to get them changed.
In the meantime there are a few people who just made it to my rather short shit-list for damage to the local net.
Perhaps we show solidarity with CV by including Viper in new pseudonyms.
Clare has him in her sights and Tim Barnett et al will execute on her wishes.
Don’t doubt the seriousness of the behaviour of Curran Hipkins Robertson and Ardern.
They are all graduates of the Parliamentry Party offices.
Controlling from the centre is what they were trained to do.
That is why they found the membership’s behaviour at conference so repugnant.
That is why they have failed to develop RedAlert.
That is why they cannot cope with the Standatd.
That is why they choose Shearer as their Leader.
That is why we are loosing out in electorates associated with them.
That is why we will loose the 2014 election unless we put matters right immediately.
Knives knives everywhere where to hide our friend CV but amongst his friends.
I fictional poem…
I knew a girl called um Clare.
All fat and old and well a haggard wellywood drunk was she.
Played with her raincoat and and her pet duck.
Upto no good, just one of the old hasbeen.
Fly here there and even to pari on a whim.
Tooted jee me lucky.
Well she was nt that bright and um um ahhhh a lot
But at the start it was no I’m not interested in knives and now after years trained by the best of the left poor dear Clare come back for the rest.
Rest in peace cv.
CV, come back alive and well, have enjoyed you over the years. I killed Bored for a different reason (but very similar: got fed up with fighting totalitarians on my own side), his spirit is allowed out of Purgatory for very limited haunting opportunities. Have a superb Christmas.
Isn’t it funny though, only last week people were talking about how bloggers were cowards for not giving their real name and here we have a situation in which a political party is bullying its members into silence and threatening to “out” them in an attempt to stifle dissent. What’s next? You can only vote if you give your name of the party or person you will be voting for?
What it proves is that in order for a democratic society to function it is of the utmost importance to get this dissent out regardless of the manner in which this is done and that includes anonymity.
We vote anonymously because that safeguards us from being manipulated into voting the preferred candidate from the biggest bullies and we should be free to criticize anonymously for the very same reason because that is the only way we can voice our concerns when there are idjits like this “anonimous” MP throwing their weight around trying to bullyi everybody into compliance and I for one hope someone will out the bastard because he has no place in a democratic party
I’d like to think we could get to a place where it’s free to criticize or praise, within reason, without the need for anonymity for fear of repercussions or censure.
Yes, that would be nice but seeing as you don’t use your own name either it seems to me you are realistic enough not to wait until such times come to pass
Recent news in the Guardian, and elsewhere, about how trade union members. left wing bloggers and others who do not have the right political views, in the UK, have been blacklisted and denied employment.
CV leaving us – Nooooooooooooooooooooo. And what is the good reason pray? You can’t desert us making vague comments like that. First Bored and now you. I keep hoping that someone will read and accept some microcosm of what I say so I keep on throwing my pearls before the troops, or should I say rose petals for them to trample on? (My opinion.)
You have been part of a revolt trying to puncture the complacency of centrist Labour, no wonder they find us revolting. The punctured balloon is now rushing round the room making a loud farting noise. Someone needs to be around to blow up a new balloon. Keep some breath for after Christmas and New Year and start the 2013 fun CV.
The “madness” is coming from the other side of the fence.
There are enough democratically inclined MPs in the Labour caucus to put this loopy behaviour to rest once and for all. Please do it? Then members will have little to complain about – including me.
The alleged Labour caucus mole/s need to go away and have a good hard think about freedom of speech and what democracy is.
I have been outspoken regarding wanting Cunliffe to be leader and Shearer to be deputy leader because this is my personal view on the Labour party easily winning the next election. Shearer needs to come out and say that intimidating bloggers is intolerable and to sort out the caucus mole/s.
I have always supported the Labour party on election day and the Labour party needs to learn that they have my loyality even though the leadership issue has not gone as I wanted it to.
It is going to be a bit lonely without CV and Millsy and I miss Vicky32.
I ‘m pretty appalled by this LP caucus leadership behaviour. I will continue to vote Green until Labour become a truly democratic left wing party again. It’s a bit worrying, though, as to what sort of government leadership the Green Party could end up in coalition with.
Indeed, sorry to see you go CV and Millsy – hope you’re back soon. And my sympathies for you in what you seem to appear to be implying you might hypotheically – so to speak – be enduring. Or not.
Why not just adopt a new moniker til the heat is off? I recently switched from using my real name in protest against the criticism of “anonymous bloggers” 😀
Be prepared for some ritualised “jumping in” though – this place is a bit like the Headhunters, after all 😉
This is frankly shit, CV. Not your decision, but being made to feel it’s one you have to make because some people who should be champions of democracy (since they live and die by it) have decided they can’t handle criticism.
There’s plenty we don’t agree on but you’re usually (i.e. when not disagreeing with me :P) a damn fine commenter on this blog and your presence will be missed.
Once legitimacy is lost no matter what tactics are employed whether bureaucratic or violent. For leaders who lose their legitimacy in the eyes of their people it is only a matter of time.
Such desperate tactics are not those of strong leadership, (no matter what the MSM tell us) but of weak leadership.
Kia kaha CV. Ka whawhai tonu matou, Ake Ake Ake
I know that you will heed the words and example of Rewi Maniapoto and continue fighting on the battle ground of your choosing.
More like on the barracades.
Wave the standard fly it high.
Here come all the vipers united and determined.
A collective you will see, a movement of justice of faith of friends and of power.
Once small growing big,
Live long cv and prosper
Quite possibly. I see that Labour Party Mayor Len Brown and his council are still determined to evict the Maritime Union from the Ports of Auckland. This despite the union making massive concessions in wages and conditions.
Oh did they now.
well if we get a oil induced big mother crunch it might be the barricades to get some progress.
Can’t see any of this shower ( labour ) working thru a crisis.
Another angle is that upon the TS it would appear that most um members are agreeing on one main thread – that we need a new direction focused on real and meaningful change and betterment for people that is a holistic systematic approach…a new way.
A new way forward, progress that is linked to green, brown and red ideology. Blue is dead.so
This is our barricade where we have raised the flag and where our voices get heard.
We learn as a group, we debate and comment freely, and in a growing manner we are becoming more heard.
History and recent event have shown that united voices, a movement, can cause change.
So to the barricades I say.
Disclaimer. TS is a blog, has no opinion or motive but solely as a vehicle for individual to express themselves in a legal and considered manner.
But like minded individual historically have shaped events, challenged the status quo and there works deeds and action in a collective manner created a focal point of change.
CV – I am bothered! This is a shocker to me. Your posts have been amongst the most respected ones I read on TS. I know I am not at all easy, and I have my health and other issues too, deservedly at times having been criticised by some.
I am shit worried about what is going on in Labour and the left as such.
Yes, I find it hard to believe what is going on.
Hang in there, same as millsy and others, never give up, as the challenge must be taken on the bloody chin. They are bloody asking for it.
I repeat: It is time for a NEW left party, inclusive enough and robust enough, to take on the challenge from the rotten right of spectrum NatZies. Take a break and think about it, all yours that have politics of fairness and justice at heart. It must be dared and done, we get nowhere with the present lot!
Thanks for your comments the other day. I’m pleased you’re having a better day. Hang in there.
I’m thinking the option may not necessarily a party in the traditional sense but a coalition of independent left wing politicians where each vote is similar to every vote being a conscience vote.
This might allow a much more diverse range of left-wing views in parliament.
I’d be happy to have such left-wing diversity in parliament.
A headline gleaned off of this morning’s National Radio, Starbucks the international coffee chain have agreed to pay more tax in Britain,
The interesting bit here is that Starbucks have ‘agreed’ to pay more tax, what this is really highlighting is that the Neo-Liberal thieves of international business are sharing the bed with the Neo-Liberal weaklings of British politics,(guess who’s on top),
Wouldn’t the proper headline be that Starbucks had had all it’s profits of the past decade seized by the British Government and had been ordered to pay it’s fair share of taxation in the future,(you can bet the same rorts have been, and are, happening here in New Zealand),
Yesterday’s headline from the same place, (Radio NZ), told of a couple of the bigger electronic manufacturers who had been spanked by the European Union for ‘price fixing’ on Cathode Tubes, (apparently the most expensive bit in ya TV or laptop),
The participants in that particular rort have apparently been for the past decade artificially bumping up the price of that particular piece of electronic gear in a little closed shop price fixing scam much the same as the banks were ‘fixing’ the interest rates they charged,
We are all as consumers effected by these multi-national rorts from tax avoidance to price fixing, its you and me that pay for this criminality, this is the true face of so called ‘self regulating’ business be it local or international…
The report I saw on Al Jazeera this morning, identified customer feedback as the reason for the change: meaning, I guess, Starbucks are afraid of losing customers and will pay as little extra tax as they can get away with.
The revelations led to calls for a boycott of the store and protests at its branches, and the company’s Chief Financial Officer Troy Alstead was called to give evidence to a parliamentary committee.
Starbucks repeated on Sunday that it had always complied with British tax laws and blamed its low tax payments on a tough operating environment in the UK.
However, a spokeswoman added in an emailed statement that the public mood had caused the company to reconsider its tax arrangements, which include intercompany royalty and interest payments that reduce the UK unit’s taxable profit.
“We have listened to feedback from our customers and employees, and understand that to maintain and further build public trust we need to do more,” she said.
bad12
Further to that google was implicated. They and other similar coys do not intend to change their payment regime as it is legal. The politicians trying to encourage big business to their shores!
And big business will just fill up their longboats with loot and return to their bases with it. And do what? They have visions like Kubla Khan no doubt – In Xanadu did Kubla Khan, A stately pleasure-dome decree:
Yeah, i am sure that far more than just Google and Starbucks are involved in that particular tax-scam,
Here we have the Neo-liberal apologists doing the hand wringing thing describing tax-avoidance as ‘immoral’ but not illegal so what can they do,
The above was basically the ‘Hairdo from Ohariu’s’ response to questions put to Him recently on New Zealand’s estimated 7 billion dollars of annual avoidance and evasion of due taxation which Dunne as Revenue Minister in quite a few Governments has happily overseen,
When faced with such an attitude from Government Ministers anyone suddenly robbred of the power of speech except for the muttered word f**k would have to be forgiven because when you count the numbers we would have NO Government debt problem if those involved in the ‘immoral’ avoidance of taxation were criminalized and made to pay their due taxation….
The commonsense man sure has a lot of people fooled. The electorate think he tries to make commonsense decisions about policy, in fact the commonsense all relates to the question ‘Is this good for P Dunne?’. It’s commonsense to look after No.1, who else will?
Smart trick St Peter.
(you can bet the same rorts have been, and are, happening here in New Zealand),
Considering the fact that NZ has become a tax haven we’ll be one of the countries that all those taxes that the multinational’s aren’t paying are going through.
DTB
Going through. Sounds like diahrroea and that leads to malnutrition because the food doesn’t stay long enough to be absorbed and used by the body. Fast money passing through tax havens has much the same effect on the country I should think.
What effect would such fast money have on our exchange rate? Would it be an advantage to the financial guys here to have a high exchange rate or not I wonder? Would this be one of the reasons why we can never play around with our exchange rate? Presumably if it wasn’t so stable it wouldn’t be so attractive.
The Cullen fund is the most innovative sovereign fund in the world. Why does that not make me feel confident about the fund? Could be because of this for starters:
Neil Williams, Chief Investment Advisor and Head of Strategic Tilting
Neil joined the Guardians in 2008 from UBS Global Asset Management in London where he was Global Head of Asset Allocation and a Managing Director in Global Investment Solutions. Neil was previously Chief Global Strategist, Executive Director for Goldman Sachs International (London).
Use of the words innovate/innovative can be found all over the various sectors these days, and concerningly the public sector, having been taken over by consultants, is using them braordly.
One can take it as finding new ways to steal, rip off and deceive the public, is all those words mean.
The fund will be in serious trouble, like everything else where the words innovate/innovative, can be seen, heard or read!
When people start using the words innovate.innovative in conjunction with finance then I’d expect that company/sovereign fund to be headed for a crash. The innovation in the finance sector was, after all, a major cause of the GFC.
If you are like me and trying to get your head around the TPP scam, the past two episodes of Citizen A have been worth a watch. Bomber has had Jane Kelsey on, as well as other new guests.
The 29th Nov & the 6th Dec episodes have focused solely on the TPP – stream them here
Also, the last issue of Werewolf focuses on the TPP…Gordon Campbell & Co doing their thing (real journalists)
In my own experience, the lack of instinctive democracy among the Labour hierarchy was demonstrated by Jim Anderton’s approach to running the NLP and the Alliance. Jim and a few others seemed far more interested in building a monolithic authoritarian structure than in actually changing anything. The activists found themselves either burned out or making accomodations, and an opportunity was lost. This behaviour is why the only hope I have for Labour is that they will become a junior coalition partner in a Green/Mana government and learn once again why they exist. My fear is that many of those at the centre of things would prefer going into a government of “National Unity” or some other Bonapartist rubbish in order to keep the radicals at bay.
Anything else I might say on this would purely be idle speculation and possibly highly defamatory. I have no knowledge – directly or indirectly – of the case, but I feel the story itself is important to take note of. I would caution against any speculation here.
Piss off. I reckon it could be Bob the Builder, that ex-MP. Or maybe even that ding-dong Simon Bridges. Or what about Winston Peters or isn’t that goofy weatherman MP Brendan Horan from the Mount?
Ffs, I know some secrets too but I couldn’t possibly tell anyone…..
just as well the internet only exists in the ether eh what.
I did not realise that a 12 year old was assaulted and that they have physical injuries and nightmares, I apologise for my comment as I am against physical violence especially when children are harmed.
personally I don’t see the point to your comments.
Either the guy gets done for something serious and we find out in good time, or he’s not found guilty of anything serious and keeps name suppression because there’s no public interest in knowing that he did or didn’t do something that’s not serious in the first place. And by the nature of name suppression, the guy might just be a provincial used car salesman or gp.
Methinks your linking and thinking is a touch premature.
I remember talking to one of my best friends (a Russian jew) about 12 years ago about the fact that I was anti-Zionist but that it didn’t make me an anti-Semite. He immediately dismissed it and lumped me in with the drive-the-Israelis-into-the-sea brigade (which I am increasingly seeing as more of a figment of Israel’s collective imagination than a genuine goal of Arabic people).
I think though that it’s important that people realise that it’s OK to be anti-Zionist and that they shouldn’t feel guilty about speaking out against the Zionist expansionism of the Israeli state. Succinct but articulate article, unlike this post 😉
Weka previously when I asked you if the Greens would continue to ignore Climate Change during the next election as they had in the previous one. After quoting back to me, my original question, here, after a long winded preamble, you gave your answer stating:
……I just don’t think it’s the job or responsibility of the GP to do this at this point. Time for others to step up.
weka
In response to your answer. I asked you another, and even simpler question:
Who?
Jenny
Weka it’s a simple question. Why won’t you answer?
Weka, if, it is not “the job or responsibility of the Green Party to do this at this point.”
Whoops. I think, in the last half hour, I accidentally published a post I am typing up – report on this evening’s demo in Auckland. Sorry if I caused any confusion.
The hereditary peer, who is not a member of the House of Lords, took the chair of Myanmar and spoke into the microphone against UN climate change protocols.
After a short speech, in which he was booed, he was escorted out of the meeting by UN guards.
He is understood to have claimed there is no global warming in the last sixteen years, and therefore the science needs to be reviewed.
This has me worried, Labour must be very confident if it can start removing members willy-nilly…but seriously as much as I enjoy watching the looney left eat itself (and I do) this turn of events is startling.
One of the things I like about this blog is you can (more or less) say what you think as opposed to redalert which, lets face it, is pretty dull
I’m just not sure whether its more Stalinist or 1984ish in what this un-named MP wants
Not wanting to go into crystal ball gazing but if this goes ahead when Labour are in opposition (I don’t think it will because of the publicity) what would be the next logical step when Labour gets back into power?
Targeting all those who support right wing policies?
Targeting all those who don’t support left wing policies? (but dont support right wing policies)
Targeting all those who dont support the Leaders policies?
And once they target those people what will they do then?
Whispering in the bright bright sun labour elites want a quiet capture of the centre area but the rebellious ignorant shrill members are perceived to be upsetting the plan by speaking freely putting up remits and questioning the established structure and it’s power cliques.how dear they say the elites…we know best you bleet bleet and are sheep sheep sheep but pay your dues cause we need the cash cash cash to bribe the dog so we can drink from the trough trough trough.
Graham Adams writes about the $55m media fund — When Patrick Gower was asked by Mike Hosking last week what he would say to the many Newstalk ZB callers who allege the Labour government bribed media with $55 million of taxpayers’ money via the Public Interest Journalism Fund — and ...
Note: this blog post has been put together over the course of the week I followed the happenings at the conference virtually. Should recordings of the Great Debates and possibly Union Symposia mentioned below, be released sometime after the conference ends, I'll include links to the ones I participated in. ...
The following was my submission made on the “Fast Track Approvals Bill”. This potential law will give three Ministers unchecked powers, un-paralled since the days of Robert Muldoon’s “Think Big” projects.The submission is written a bit tongue-in-cheek. But it’s irreverent because the FTAB is in itself not worthy of respect. ...
One Could Reduce Child Poverty At No Fiscal CostFollowing the Richardson/Shipley 1990 ‘redesign of the welfare state’ – which eliminated the universal Family Benefit and doubled the rate of child poverty – various income supplements for families have been added, the best known being ‘Working for Families’, introduced in 2005. ...
Buzz from the Beehive A few days ago, Point of Order suggested the media must be musing “on why Melissa is mute”. Our article reported that people working in the beleaguered media industry have cause to yearn for a minister as busy as Melissa Lee’s ministerial colleagues and we drew ...
1. What was The Curse of Jim Bolger?a. Winston Peters b. Soon after shaking his hand, world leaders would mysteriously lose office or shuffle off this mortal coilc. Could never shake off the Mother of All Budgetsd. Dandruff2. True or false? The Chairman of a Kiwi export business has asked the ...
Jack Vowles writes – New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’. ...
Chris Trotter writes – MELISSA LEE should be deprived of her ministerial warrant. Her handling – or non-handling – of the crisis engulfing the New Zealand news media has been woeful. The fate of New Zealand’s two linear television networks, a question which the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications ...
TL;DR: The podcast above features co-hosts and , along with regular guests Robert Patman on Gaza and AUKUS II, and on climate change.The six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the ...
Policymakers rarely wish to make plain or visible their desire to dismantle environmental policy, least of all to the young. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent ...
I like to keep an eye on what’s happening in places like the UK, the US, and over the ditch with our good mates the Aussies. Let’s call them AUKUS, for want of a better collective term. More on that in a bit.It used to be, not long ago, that ...
TL;DR: The global economy will be one fifth smaller than it would have otherwise been in 2050 as a result of climate damage, according to a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and published in the journal Nature. (See more detail and analysis below, and ...
New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’. The data is from February this ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is understood to be planning a major speech within the next fortnight to clear up the confusion over whether or not New Zealand might join the AUKUS submarine project. So far, there have been conflicting signals from the Government. RNZ reported the Prime Minister yesterday in ...
Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, those curveballs necessitate wiping your iPhone clean and starting anew. Whether you’re facing persistent software glitches, preparing to sell your device, or simply wanting a fresh start, knowing how to factory reset iPhone without a computer is a valuable skill. While using a computer with ...
Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications:Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
Chris Trotter writes – The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three. ...
Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blogIn 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
Citizen Science writes – Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
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This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
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 ...
You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
Karl du Fresne writes – There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
David Farrar writes – The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time.A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
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You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated. While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Māori are yet to see anything from this Government except cuts, reversals and taking our people backwards, Māori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...
The Coalition Government’s refusal to commit to ongoing funding for social housing is seeing the sector pull back on developments and families watch their dreams of securing a home fade away, says Labour Housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty. ...
Changes to minimum wage and benefit indexation means many New Zealanders will get less this year, as the Government gives a big tax break to landlords instead. ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
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This will be my last post on the Standard (and probably any other blog) for a while at least – not too sure when Ill be able to post again, but it wont be until well into the New Year at least (perhaps when everthing has settled down) — my personal circumstances look set to change in a rather dramatic way, and it is because of that I wont be in a position to contribute to this blog. Its been great chatting to you all, and I have enjoyed reading the thoughts of everyone here, though the right wingers always seem to want to put the boot in all the time.
I think the left is in pretty good shape at the moment, and 2014 will see a Sixth Labour government, that is probably more to the left than Clark’s one was, though how far to the left remains to be seen. It all depends on how the asset sales referendum pans out, and the outcome of the PoA dispute. I see both of these as defining issues in this country — public/collective v individual/private, and security v flexibility.
So, on that note, Farewell, Merry Christmas, Happy new year, and hope to catch up with you all in the New Year some time.
Cheers to you, millsy, hope the change in circ’s is not a negative one and I look forward to being amused, bemused and occasionally confused by you again in the near future!
Sorry to see go millsy. Take care. Haere ra.
Eek come back soon Millsy.
Kia kaha millsy
All the best Millsy…What ever the circumstances, you will be well served having has a break from the boards.
Good luck Millsy, hope it all works out well. Having a break is very liberating.
All the best Millsy – I will miss your astute comments.
Merry Christmas Millsy. Hope all goes well.
Ok….
dont bend over for the soap.
just putting it out there.
Kiaora millsy
Look forward to your return. Take care.
Does this mean the end of posts from EDDIE on pain of his expulsion from the Labour Party?
For this to happen to a loyal Labour Party member who has done nothing but ably stand up for the party on line, while John Tamihere after continually slanging off Labour in the MSM, is welcomed back as a member and embraced as a long lost prodigal son.
Yes kind Lefty souls, I’m bugging out too, returning at some future date (hopefully not too far away). IB has highlighted some reasons why, and the stuff he is talking about isn’t kidding around. The miserable and ill-conceived pressure they are putting on Cunliffe and his supporters in caucus, well they are now turning that on to ordinary party members as well. Organisations which find themselves in this state, well what more do I need to say.
I shan’t be back for a wee while unless there is good reason 😎
Good hunting to you all!
Fuck. Sorry to hear that. Take care CV.
Goodness. It’s sounding like a Purge. Well, as I’m not a member, I guess I remain free…..
Take care,CV.
To those considering how to respond to something like a Purge, reflect on this:
“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”
It is probably for the best at present CV. My abject apologies for not having the energy/time to talk to you (work is hectic).
I never care.
Quite frankly the party could do with my skills far more than I need the party. I’ve pretty well withdrawn from party activity over recent years as the environment has become more toxic.
But I’d advise anyone who has used a pseudonym on Red Alert that could compromise them in real life to expect problems. The system operators over there are quite compromised, don’t act responsibly, and have been that way for some time. Quite simply they are not operating in a way that makes it safe to leave comments there unless you have cast-iron anonymity. Treat it like you would Whaleoil’s site.
Which incidentally, is why you don’t see Red Alert on our feed
Actually, it wouldn’t ruin my life to be outed, especially as I am semi-retired. It might be a bit tricky at work, but probably not totally damaging. My preference for a pseudonym is partly because, personally I’m a fairly shy person.
Some people see it as a contradiction, that I can be very talkative and confident in a teaching or discussion context. But socially, I am often the quiet person in a group. I don’t enjoy being the centre of attention.
Tempted as I am to suggest that maybe your father in law has finally snapped and told you to log off and go get a job, I’ll restrict myself to saying I too will miss your contributions, CV. You maintained an excellence balance between quantity and quality in your comments and there will be many a chastened rightie feeling relieved that you are signing off. Hope its not for too long.
ps: I’m looking forward to the inevitable post from PG on your departure over at Yawn NZ. What greater tribute could there be?
Nope. This is an actual problem. There was a threat of “outing” by a MP that came up during the lobbying at conference. Subsequently it was raised by the same MP in the NZ Council as part of the lobbying to push Tamihere’s membership through.
It fits the same pattern of behaviour as Shane Jones demonstrates. A caucus that does things less by focused strategy and more by stupid intimidation.
I’d advise people to think carefully before putting comments at Red Alert if your identity can in anyway be traced back to you. I guess that is why the comments are dropping like a stone over there.
It is quite unacceptable net behaviour.
To be honest I struggle to see why there is a reticence amongst those in the know to name said MP. Should we not all know the character of those that are possibly going to be representing us next term?
(Sorry, I’m not singling you out Lynn, it was just your post I replied to).
Figure it through in legal and political terms.
It is quite a specific assertion of fact. To make it you’d have to be fairly confident that you have people who are willing to testify to its veracity. In this case that would probably happen.
There is little point naming the person(s) when what is actually required is a change of collective behaviour by caucus in the way that they handle a blogs and their net presence. In particular the malfeasant transfer of information that should be private out of Red Alert and matching it with other information, like comments on this site.
But there is a rather nice effect in not naming the person(s) concerned. It effectively throws the uncertainty about who did the malfeasance back on the whole of caucus – which is actually where the responsibility lies.
And it is probably a whole lot more effective for caucus to deal with their own.
“And it is probably a whole lot more effective for caucus to deal with their own.”
Yes, because they’re not just a bunch of self interested troughers……………
1Prent
You have to be fucking kidding! You’re saying a Labour MP threatened to out Colonial Viper and others because they were writing things the unnamed Labour MP didn’t like… And that the same threat was made to ensure John Tamihere was granted admission by the New Zealand Council of the Labour Party?
Am I missing something here? How exactly is threatening to out Colonial Viper (unless he/she is a Labour party MP which I doubt) going to influence a party decision and why would the New Zealand Council of the Labour Party give a shit?
Labour has been collectively saying they will out bloggers who are also members of the Labour party if they speak out against the party? I think you have lost it 1prent. That’s ridiculous! Can you actually point to some evidence of this?
I have to disagree there… The responsible person is the one making the threats if that is actually the case?
The problem here is that nothing will be resolved unless you name the person you allege has threatened to out party members and/or bloggers. There’s nothing wrong with saying who this is, because they’re a public person and it will be something they said that’s on the record. Highlight exactly what they said 1Prent and allow the the public to decide.
Sayonara.
What is to stop ‘Colonial Viper’ simply changing his or her name to
‘Post Colonial Viper’ .. or ‘Battlestar Galactica’ ?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Madame_Hydra_Viper.JPG
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonial_Viper
What? Have I just joined a fa**ist Party?
Sorry to see you go CV. Haere ra.
Seems you have marsman, better go on the run and sleep with one eye open like CV.
This shit STINKS and will really damage the Party once the MSM run with it.
What FOOLS this bunch of Brown Shirts are in conducting a witch hunt. Once Hooten and his ilk put their spin on it I see a new poll showing a low 20% support for Labour very soon.
Hope you can return soon CV, you will be missed.
Hi CV
Don’t stray too far. There’s that old saying “what goes around comes around” and I think there are a few people in the Labour caucus who are going to find out in due course how very true that saying is.
I also think I may know the identity of the person who has turned on you and that person will pay a price for objectionable behaviour…
This is no good CV. I’m sure you have your reasons but this is just not on. If a party can bully it’s members into silence it has no place in a democratic Country.
Double eek. Come back soon CV.
A damned shame, but highly reflective of the state of affairs with the NZLP currently. I too know the identity of the person involved in this, and there will be future consequences no doubt. Will be interesting to see what happens for me, blogging under my own name, in the future.
Kia kaha cv
Let me say this very clearly: If I wanted a bunch of neanderthal, authoritarian control freaks to govern me I’d vote National.
Seriously, Labour? Targeting and threatening individual party members to silence them?
Anyone on the left who’s been thinking about supporting/voting Labour should be thinking really hard about this. What use are they going to be to us in govt? What good can possibly come from electing them if this is how they respond to criticism when they’re in opposition?
Do you really think this bunch of cunts can be trusted with the full power of the state?
Fuck that. Labour deserve to keep losing if they think this is what democracy looks like.
To be fair to Labour, there is no evidence presented that supports the claim of bullying. A few people are hinting about dark dealings, but nobody’s fronting with the facts. Name and shame, I reckon.
I’m about done with “fair to Labour”, sorry.
Are you also done with innocent until proven guilty, felix?
Nah but I’m done with pretending that every. single. one. of these bullshit events is either an isolated incident, part of a teething period, or a mishap unlikely to reoccur, and totally unrelated to a serious cancer embedded in the power structure.
How about you TRP? Are you done with keeping your head up your arse?
What events, felix? All we have is some vague accusations about an unnamed individual MP having a brain fart and possibility unrelated matters concerning a couple of individuals ceasing blogging that are being conflated into the size of a cow. I’m asking for people to put up some evidence to back their claims. The people making the claims are all anonymous, so there should be no comeback on them opening up.
What’s the worst the Labour Party can do to an off-message member anyway? Stop sending the begging letters? Stop asking them to stand on street corners waving signs, or doorknocking, or spending evenings calling for votes? It’s terrifying stuff, indeed.
lol,what events?
I’m talking about pretty much everything the Labour leadership has done for the last four years. And at every turn, the refrain is the same: ‘Give them a chance’, and ‘They probably didn’t mean it’, and now your new hilarious one ‘Where’s the evidence that they’re a pack of untrustworthy morons apart from everything they say and do?’
I have no reason to doubt what Irish and Lynn and CV are saying. The Labour leadership, on the other hand…
Thanks for answering the question though, looks like you’re going to need your meals sent up there.
Thanks for clarifying felix. I thought you were talking about the specific events of the day, but apparently you were citing the vibe.
Interesting arse fixation, btw. Are you getting help for it?
Sure TRP, nothing to see here.
Nothing has happened in the last few days or the last few years that would cause anyone any concern about the Labour party leadership.
Keep telling yourself that mate. I’ll have your usual breakfast sent up right away.
You’re in denial, felix. But misinterpreting my position on this matter and the wider question of the leadership of the party over the last four years makes you feel good about yourself, its fine by me. I like to spread a little sunshine everywhere I go.
Oh good, I was hoping I was misinterpreting you and you hadn’t really spent the whole thread denying the bleeding obvious.
Glad to hear it.
Apology accepted. For the record, I never denied anything; the whole thrust of my questions was to establish the truth. I now know the facts, via a private source, but I still don’t know why the Standard won’t publish the full story, because it really is appalling behaviour by a half witted bully of an MP.
However, I’m going to assume the lack of detail is to protect the victim/s and leave it at that. But you should know that this incident leaves me very angry indeed and I firmly believe the MP concerned should be de-selected and expelled from the party.
I didn’t apologise, but that’s only because I’m not the one who was wrong and kind of a dick about it.
It’s like the marketing department of Hell Pizza. “Oh, what, we gratuitously offended another oppressed group in our quest to look edgy, and it’s blown up in our faces? Oh, that was just one random guy on our team. Honest. A completely different random guy to the random guys we blamed for the last dozen or so gratuitously-offensive fuckups.”
Name and shame, I reckon.
Having once been on the receiving end of bullying behaviour by people in positions of power and/or influence, I know how hard it is to name and shame. These bullies can be in a position to destroy a person’s personal life, career or business and get away with it because others are too scared to stand up to them.
It is up to the Labour leader – or someone else in a very senior position – to swiftly stamp it out.
Ha, I know of what you speak, all too well. The out of court settlement was veeeerrry nice, but damn it was hard.
(and this is making Brian Edwards look a right tosser now.)
Blinded by the obvious are you or are you looking at the rising son.
TRP: There is more than sufficient evidence. At least for me.
The lobbying at the conference which is where this round of it seemed to have started was pretty intense and I’ve had quite a four people independently describing it to me.
The NZ Council debate is something that I have had several direct and indirect sources on.
And the leakage problems from Red Alert were something that I described (ummm) last year in a post after the rumour started flying around that the outing leakages were coming from here.
I’d have to say that Red Alert would have to now be considered to be a complete and utter failure because some numpties never bothered to learn about net culture.
Ok, did I understand that right – the people who run Red Alert are using things like IPs and email addresses to out commenters using pseudonyms? eg the sysop is passing those details on to caucus or other people high up in the Labour party, and that information is being used to harass or in some way control members?
Nah, it’s more that some MPs are spending a large amount of their time trawling through blogs, and Facebook etc, and then intimidating members based on what they say, particularly if it doesn’t agree with them. I don’t know if its an overt strategy or policy of NZ Council, but it’s certainly a policy of about 3-4 core MPs, and there may even be a a rogue one in there who can’t help themselves.
It’s not beyond fixing, but the methods to fix it might be quite challenging.
Nah, it’s more that some MPs are spending a large amount of their time trawling through blogs, and Facebook etc, and then intimidating members based on what they say, particularly if it doesn’t agree with them.
Don’t they have better things to do? Like, say, being an effective opposition?
But I/S, how can they be an effective opposition if people keep pointing out that they’re not being an effective opposition?
The answer is clearly to silence all critics. Then no one will say they’re not an effective opposition, ergo they’ll be the best opposition ever!
There are increasingly effective search engines out there, these days ..
Hi, LP.
If you have more than enough evidence, why aren’t you posting it? This guilt by accusation stuff is more suited to WO (or, in recent days, NZF). If there is some substance, lets see it. My apologies to all who don’t get where I’m coming from, but if there is bullying, then the bully needs to be named and shamed. If you do not confront the bully, you are enabling the bully.
I have the evidence, as do others. It exists, and if the behaviour doesn’t stop, it may just come out.
Dude, that is beyond weak. Put up the evidence, if it exists. I’m starting to think it doesn’t, because I can see no logical reason why it has to be hidden. There is no downside to having the courage of your convictions, Peter. and the last time I looked at the policy of The Standard, making assertions without being able to substantiate them is considered poor form.
You are free to believe whatever you like, that’s one of the privileges of living in a country that values religious freedom.
Nope, the ball is in your court. You’re the one making the claim, its up to you to back it up. You won’t, or, more likely, you can’t.
And the name on your passport is not ‘Peter’. That may be one of your names, but only Cher, Madonna and God can claim to be recognized on a single name. And the latter can’t even do that, because He doesn’t exist. So yes, your excuses are weak, ‘Peter’, but as you say the name of the MP has been mentioned already, you can show us how not weak you are by confirming it.
Just for the record: my response above was to a comment from ‘Peter’ that he had the evidence, but he wasn’t go to release it and that the the ‘ball was in their court’. He has since chickened out and deleted the statement, replacing it with the ‘religion’ comment instead. So, it appears that Peter is both a semi-anonymous coward and a fantasist.
Hilarious. Most people who’ve hung around the Labour Party know who I am. But for the record, my name is Peter Wilson, I was a former party member, LEC member, Otago University youth branch founder and president, Otago/Southland Labour regional council chairman for three years. I’ve chaired list conferences, fought on four campaign committees, including two as campaign manager in tough tory blue country. I have also worked in paid employment for a number of MPs, including the MP in question today.
That should be enough.
Nope, not even close to enough. I wasn’t asking for your name, or bone fides, I was asking for the evidence. Which you still haven’t provided.
Peter, you, IB and LP are all credible people as far as I’m concerned. And that makes your inability to back up your claims all the more puzzling.
Don’t mind if I do, TRP. You called Peter a “semi-anonymous coward”, attacking him for being anonymous and inferring that such cast doubt on his credibility. He told you exactly who he is, and that he has the credentials to know what he is talking about.
You pretend to have faith in their credibility while calling them all liars? Sweet. All the people you have named have told you the situation – they are reluctant for a variety of reasons to post what they know publicly.
You might disagree and think there is no legitimate reason for withholding this information, but last time I checked trying to bully people into doing things that make them uncomfortable is a bad thing.
I’ll tell you why I think this is nothing more than fantasy Blue…
That’s a damn slow grape vine 1prent has got growing there… Wasn’t the conference like three weeks ago?
There’s an unwritten rule in blogging, and moreso in journalism, that you need to be able to verify and back up your claims. That’s the basic difference between good journalism and propaganda.
Without some evidence of these claims, they remain mere speculation and therefore best ignored.
Being that the MSM hasn’t picked up this story either confirms that there’s no actual evidence to base these claims on, being that Labour would likely make a formal complaint to the Press Council if such claims were published in the MSM and were untrue. They don’t have the same opportunity with blogs though because those publication laws don’t apply. However there’s such a thing as good ethical standards with blogs, and I have to agree with Te Reo Putake that such baseless claims are more suitable to WO. Slater might have a large readership, but how much credibility does he actually have? Hint: the answer is not a lot.
Te Reo Putake is correct, IB, LP and PW are all credible commentators… However they do their credibility no favours at all by making claims they cannot back up with evidence. The blogger’s who have posted on such things as if they’re fact are also in danger of losing their credibility. Clearly attempting to damage Labour with unsubstantiated gossip isn’t worth the damage caused to your own standing.
Point missed, blue. There is no reason why the evidence should be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible, even likely, that the evidence does not exist. IB, LP and PW are credible people, hence my amazement at their singular failure to back up their position. It’s not bullying to ask people who are slagging off the Labour Party by claiming bullying to prove it. It’s their claim and at the moment, it looks like total BS.
If, as you say, there are a variety of reasons why their claims cannot be substantiated, they should say so. Peter wasn’t a coward for his anonymity, he was a coward for deleting a comment he wrote, then later regretted. He remains a credible person, in my eyes, just not as credible as he was a few hours ago.
I pulled that last comment on reflection actually, I had already received cease and desist messages privately. I don’t have the time for a legal battle, and I know that the people involved might push it that far. There are other ways of handling it.
Peter, how could you get cease and desist messages when the LP MP’s don’t read The Standard anyway?? 😉
Rhetorical question mate – just joshing 🙂
TRP.
Some things are better not debated publicly.
So a little bird tells me, MS.
A tolleybird?
It isn’t really Labour that has the problem – the party is trying valiantly to update its century old structures. It is the Labour caucus.
So this is how democracy operates does it!
Should this actually be what is happening, it would seem to indicate there is much deeper problems flowing through those who masquerade, and so called NZ’ers!
I have to agree with Felix, this stinks, its not isolated, nor is it in anyway in the interests of NZ, or its people!
CV, I’d love to have a 101 on this subject. Off the record off course!
Something does not add up here…
Why would you be a member anyway? I’ve noticed a change of tone/content of your posts over about the past month or so, and actually wondered if someone else was writing for you…
Yes, I am CV.
Most of the time it is better to fix a structural problem than to have to try and reinvent the structure. The usual problem is to find a fulcrum.
Just when I thought NZ cricket had the most retarded governance in NZ, Labour appear to have trumped even them with this latest buffoonery.
CV just come back under another handle you did it post loota do it again and keep applying the blowtorch I don’t agree with you most of the time but you are entitled to your opinion – damn their eyes one and all the troughing sacks of shit.
Yep. Please do, but take a while first. In fact I’ll give you permission to use as many pseudonyms as you wish.
but I’d suggest a few things to do. You’ll have to shift your writing style between the identities. Your IP’s are quite distinctive, it’d pay to get them changed.
In the meantime there are a few people who just made it to my rather short shit-list for damage to the local net.
I can help with adding gratuitous expletives to future comments in the name of identity-protection.
+1
Perhaps we show solidarity with CV by including Viper in new pseudonyms.
Clare has him in her sights and Tim Barnett et al will execute on her wishes.
Don’t doubt the seriousness of the behaviour of Curran Hipkins Robertson and Ardern.
They are all graduates of the Parliamentry Party offices.
Controlling from the centre is what they were trained to do.
That is why they found the membership’s behaviour at conference so repugnant.
That is why they have failed to develop RedAlert.
That is why they cannot cope with the Standatd.
That is why they choose Shearer as their Leader.
That is why we are loosing out in electorates associated with them.
That is why we will loose the 2014 election unless we put matters right immediately.
Good idea AV. Lets all be vipers for a day 🙂
Good idea but only a day?
I predict a viral video titled “Labour have lost the plot” doing the rounds shortly.
How about a sort of music video from that swing band of eloquent bloggers Colonial Viper, Bored and Marty G. Perhaps some rap or purloined Tom Lehrer.
signing in………..
Me too.
+1
Have a relaxing break, CV. 5pm Fri 7 Dec 2012 and missing you already.
It just astounds me how dumb these MPs have been.
Labour 2012 = Liberal 1912 ?
Knives knives everywhere where to hide our friend CV but amongst his friends.
I fictional poem…
I knew a girl called um Clare.
All fat and old and well a haggard wellywood drunk was she.
Played with her raincoat and and her pet duck.
Upto no good, just one of the old hasbeen.
Fly here there and even to pari on a whim.
Tooted jee me lucky.
Well she was nt that bright and um um ahhhh a lot
But at the start it was no I’m not interested in knives and now after years trained by the best of the left poor dear Clare come back for the rest.
Rest in peace cv.
Colonial Viper
Hopefully your battlestar is simply parked up awaiting new rims.
CV, come back alive and well, have enjoyed you over the years. I killed Bored for a different reason (but very similar: got fed up with fighting totalitarians on my own side), his spirit is allowed out of Purgatory for very limited haunting opportunities. Have a superb Christmas.
Isn’t it funny though, only last week people were talking about how bloggers were cowards for not giving their real name and here we have a situation in which a political party is bullying its members into silence and threatening to “out” them in an attempt to stifle dissent. What’s next? You can only vote if you give your name of the party or person you will be voting for?
What it proves is that in order for a democratic society to function it is of the utmost importance to get this dissent out regardless of the manner in which this is done and that includes anonymity.
We vote anonymously because that safeguards us from being manipulated into voting the preferred candidate from the biggest bullies and we should be free to criticize anonymously for the very same reason because that is the only way we can voice our concerns when there are idjits like this “anonimous” MP throwing their weight around trying to bullyi everybody into compliance and I for one hope someone will out the bastard because he has no place in a democratic party
I’d like to think we could get to a place where it’s free to criticize or praise, within reason, without the need for anonymity for fear of repercussions or censure.
Yes, that would be nice but seeing as you don’t use your own name either it seems to me you are realistic enough not to wait until such times come to pass
Recent news in the Guardian, and elsewhere, about how trade union members. left wing bloggers and others who do not have the right political views, in the UK, have been blacklisted and denied employment.
http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread868934/pg1
Maybe we are not anonymous enough.
It common for some employment Agencies here to ask subtle question about unionism etc.
Very sad.
I will miss you.
I too am feeling that chill wind of public outing.
Truly hope you and Millsy come back.
This is just alarming! I hope you are not silenced for too long CV.
CV leaving us – Nooooooooooooooooooooo. And what is the good reason pray? You can’t desert us making vague comments like that. First Bored and now you. I keep hoping that someone will read and accept some microcosm of what I say so I keep on throwing my pearls before the troops, or should I say rose petals for them to trample on? (My opinion.)
You have been part of a revolt trying to puncture the complacency of centrist Labour, no wonder they find us revolting. The punctured balloon is now rushing round the room making a loud farting noise. Someone needs to be around to blow up a new balloon. Keep some breath for after Christmas and New Year and start the 2013 fun CV.
Late to the party, but adding my 2c, hoping you’ll make it back sometime soonish.
Very seldom see eye to eye with CV but his comments are always worth reading, unlike the dead arse policy repeaters often found here.
Kia kaha CV.
Will look into when a particular polly is having her electorate clinic………
I have these wild, radical, ideas about freedom of speech and democracy. Madness, I know but i can’t seem to give them up.
The “madness” is coming from the other side of the fence.
There are enough democratically inclined MPs in the Labour caucus to put this loopy behaviour to rest once and for all. Please do it? Then members will have little to complain about – including me.
Perhap I will accompany you if you wish.
I have my tshirt printed now and a tattoo tut says free CV.
suck. You’ll be missed.
Although my blood pressure might improve 😉
The alleged Labour caucus mole/s need to go away and have a good hard think about freedom of speech and what democracy is.
I have been outspoken regarding wanting Cunliffe to be leader and Shearer to be deputy leader because this is my personal view on the Labour party easily winning the next election. Shearer needs to come out and say that intimidating bloggers is intolerable and to sort out the caucus mole/s.
I have always supported the Labour party on election day and the Labour party needs to learn that they have my loyality even though the leadership issue has not gone as I wanted it to.
It is going to be a bit lonely without CV and Millsy and I miss Vicky32.
I ‘m pretty appalled by this LP caucus leadership behaviour. I will continue to vote Green until Labour become a truly democratic left wing party again. It’s a bit worrying, though, as to what sort of government leadership the Green Party could end up in coalition with.
Indeed, sorry to see you go CV and Millsy – hope you’re back soon. And my sympathies for you in what you seem to appear to be implying you might hypotheically – so to speak – be enduring. Or not.
Good luck, CV.
Oh, and please keep the education on 911 up where you’re going too!
Why not just adopt a new moniker til the heat is off? I recently switched from using my real name in protest against the criticism of “anonymous bloggers” 😀
Be prepared for some ritualised “jumping in” though – this place is a bit like the Headhunters, after all 😉
Will miss you CV. Looking forward to reading your comments again when all this craziness is over. Take care.
This is frankly shit, CV. Not your decision, but being made to feel it’s one you have to make because some people who should be champions of democracy (since they live and die by it) have decided they can’t handle criticism.
There’s plenty we don’t agree on but you’re usually (i.e. when not disagreeing with me :P) a damn fine commenter on this blog and your presence will be missed.
this is the end
beautiful friend
this is the end
my only friend , the end
Once legitimacy is lost no matter what tactics are employed whether bureaucratic or violent. For leaders who lose their legitimacy in the eyes of their people it is only a matter of time.
Such desperate tactics are not those of strong leadership, (no matter what the MSM tell us) but of weak leadership.
Kia kaha CV. Ka whawhai tonu matou, Ake Ake Ake
I know that you will heed the words and example of Rewi Maniapoto and continue fighting on the battle ground of your choosing.
Good luck habibi.
See you on the picket line.
More like on the barracades.
Wave the standard fly it high.
Here come all the vipers united and determined.
A collective you will see, a movement of justice of faith of friends and of power.
Once small growing big,
Live long cv and prosper
Quite possibly. I see that Labour Party Mayor Len Brown and his council are still determined to evict the Maritime Union from the Ports of Auckland. This despite the union making massive concessions in wages and conditions.
Oh did they now.
well if we get a oil induced big mother crunch it might be the barricades to get some progress.
Can’t see any of this shower ( labour ) working thru a crisis.
Another angle is that upon the TS it would appear that most um members are agreeing on one main thread – that we need a new direction focused on real and meaningful change and betterment for people that is a holistic systematic approach…a new way.
A new way forward, progress that is linked to green, brown and red ideology. Blue is dead.so
This is our barricade where we have raised the flag and where our voices get heard.
We learn as a group, we debate and comment freely, and in a growing manner we are becoming more heard.
History and recent event have shown that united voices, a movement, can cause change.
So to the barricades I say.
Disclaimer. TS is a blog, has no opinion or motive but solely as a vehicle for individual to express themselves in a legal and considered manner.
But like minded individual historically have shaped events, challenged the status quo and there works deeds and action in a collective manner created a focal point of change.
.
Sorry to see you go . . . also this.
CV – I am bothered! This is a shocker to me. Your posts have been amongst the most respected ones I read on TS. I know I am not at all easy, and I have my health and other issues too, deservedly at times having been criticised by some.
I am shit worried about what is going on in Labour and the left as such.
Yes, I find it hard to believe what is going on.
Hang in there, same as millsy and others, never give up, as the challenge must be taken on the bloody chin. They are bloody asking for it.
All the best!
I repeat: It is time for a NEW left party, inclusive enough and robust enough, to take on the challenge from the rotten right of spectrum NatZies. Take a break and think about it, all yours that have politics of fairness and justice at heart. It must be dared and done, we get nowhere with the present lot!
Thanks for your comments the other day. I’m pleased you’re having a better day. Hang in there.
I’m thinking the option may not necessarily a party in the traditional sense but a coalition of independent left wing politicians where each vote is similar to every vote being a conscience vote.
This might allow a much more diverse range of left-wing views in parliament.
I’d be happy to have such left-wing diversity in parliament.
Sorry to hear this CV, you & Millsy will be missed, hurry back.
A headline gleaned off of this morning’s National Radio, Starbucks the international coffee chain have agreed to pay more tax in Britain,
The interesting bit here is that Starbucks have ‘agreed’ to pay more tax, what this is really highlighting is that the Neo-Liberal thieves of international business are sharing the bed with the Neo-Liberal weaklings of British politics,(guess who’s on top),
Wouldn’t the proper headline be that Starbucks had had all it’s profits of the past decade seized by the British Government and had been ordered to pay it’s fair share of taxation in the future,(you can bet the same rorts have been, and are, happening here in New Zealand),
Yesterday’s headline from the same place, (Radio NZ), told of a couple of the bigger electronic manufacturers who had been spanked by the European Union for ‘price fixing’ on Cathode Tubes, (apparently the most expensive bit in ya TV or laptop),
The participants in that particular rort have apparently been for the past decade artificially bumping up the price of that particular piece of electronic gear in a little closed shop price fixing scam much the same as the banks were ‘fixing’ the interest rates they charged,
We are all as consumers effected by these multi-national rorts from tax avoidance to price fixing, its you and me that pay for this criminality, this is the true face of so called ‘self regulating’ business be it local or international…
The report I saw on Al Jazeera this morning, identified customer feedback as the reason for the change: meaning, I guess, Starbucks are afraid of losing customers and will pay as little extra tax as they can get away with.
Or, oooops we got caught rorting the British taxman,(and every English person who HAS to pay tax),
Better roll over and pretend contrition and when the heat dies down we can get back to business as usual…
bad12
Further to that google was implicated. They and other similar coys do not intend to change their payment regime as it is legal. The politicians trying to encourage big business to their shores!
And big business will just fill up their longboats with loot and return to their bases with it. And do what? They have visions like Kubla Khan no doubt – In Xanadu did Kubla Khan, A stately pleasure-dome decree:
Yeah, i am sure that far more than just Google and Starbucks are involved in that particular tax-scam,
Here we have the Neo-liberal apologists doing the hand wringing thing describing tax-avoidance as ‘immoral’ but not illegal so what can they do,
The above was basically the ‘Hairdo from Ohariu’s’ response to questions put to Him recently on New Zealand’s estimated 7 billion dollars of annual avoidance and evasion of due taxation which Dunne as Revenue Minister in quite a few Governments has happily overseen,
When faced with such an attitude from Government Ministers anyone suddenly robbred of the power of speech except for the muttered word f**k would have to be forgiven because when you count the numbers we would have NO Government debt problem if those involved in the ‘immoral’ avoidance of taxation were criminalized and made to pay their due taxation….
The commonsense man sure has a lot of people fooled. The electorate think he tries to make commonsense decisions about policy, in fact the commonsense all relates to the question ‘Is this good for P Dunne?’. It’s commonsense to look after No.1, who else will?
Smart trick St Peter.
Considering the fact that NZ has become a tax haven we’ll be one of the countries that all those taxes that the multinational’s aren’t paying are going through.
Don’t start, I am struggling to not vomit already. 😉
DTB
Going through. Sounds like diahrroea and that leads to malnutrition because the food doesn’t stay long enough to be absorbed and used by the body. Fast money passing through tax havens has much the same effect on the country I should think.
What effect would such fast money have on our exchange rate? Would it be an advantage to the financial guys here to have a high exchange rate or not I wonder? Would this be one of the reasons why we can never play around with our exchange rate? Presumably if it wasn’t so stable it wouldn’t be so attractive.
Our currency is one of the most traded in the world and thus one of the most unstable. Does that answer your question?
4th……
The Cullen fund is the most innovative sovereign fund in the world. Why does that not make me feel confident about the fund? Could be because of this for starters:
Neil Williams, Chief Investment Advisor and Head of Strategic Tilting
Neil joined the Guardians in 2008 from UBS Global Asset Management in London where he was Global Head of Asset Allocation and a Managing Director in Global Investment Solutions. Neil was previously Chief Global Strategist, Executive Director for Goldman Sachs International (London).
And perhaps this
Use of the words innovate/innovative can be found all over the various sectors these days, and concerningly the public sector, having been taken over by consultants, is using them braordly.
One can take it as finding new ways to steal, rip off and deceive the public, is all those words mean.
The fund will be in serious trouble, like everything else where the words innovate/innovative, can be seen, heard or read!
When people start using the words innovate.innovative in conjunction with finance then I’d expect that company/sovereign fund to be headed for a crash. The innovation in the finance sector was, after all, a major cause of the GFC.
If you are like me and trying to get your head around the TPP scam, the past two episodes of Citizen A have been worth a watch. Bomber has had Jane Kelsey on, as well as other new guests.
The 29th Nov & the 6th Dec episodes have focused solely on the TPP – stream them here
Also, the last issue of Werewolf focuses on the TPP…Gordon Campbell & Co doing their thing (real journalists)
The garden can be soothing and productive for fevered polly watchers but you should watch your back! No-one but you will do the damage here if you aren’t careful of strenuous exercise.
Some good advice –
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/5011927/Spring-gardening-is-a-dangerous-sport-claim-doctors.html
In my own experience, the lack of instinctive democracy among the Labour hierarchy was demonstrated by Jim Anderton’s approach to running the NLP and the Alliance. Jim and a few others seemed far more interested in building a monolithic authoritarian structure than in actually changing anything. The activists found themselves either burned out or making accomodations, and an opportunity was lost. This behaviour is why the only hope I have for Labour is that they will become a junior coalition partner in a Green/Mana government and learn once again why they exist. My fear is that many of those at the centre of things would prefer going into a government of “National Unity” or some other Bonapartist rubbish in order to keep the radicals at bay.
And themselves in the House they get paid to feel comfortable in, along with their slippers and tots of alcohol or lattes.
Yes, I love that: “Junior partner”, that is how it perhaps rather should be with the lot that sit on their backsides and cushioned chairs now.
Prominent Tauranga man charged with assault.
Anything else I might say on this would purely be idle speculation and possibly highly defamatory. I have no knowledge – directly or indirectly – of the case, but I feel the story itself is important to take note of. I would caution against any speculation here.
Why is it important to take note of if we don’t know who the man is?
Legally, I can’t even drop hints on what my line of thinking is.
Piss off. I reckon it could be Bob the Builder, that ex-MP. Or maybe even that ding-dong Simon Bridges. Or what about Winston Peters or isn’t that goofy weatherman MP Brendan Horan from the Mount?
Ffs, I know some secrets too but I couldn’t possibly tell anyone…..
just as well the internet only exists in the ether eh what.
You missed the GCSB on the list or an alien from planet Key!
I did not realise that a 12 year old was assaulted and that they have physical injuries and nightmares, I apologise for my comment as I am against physical violence especially when children are harmed.
personally I don’t see the point to your comments.
Either the guy gets done for something serious and we find out in good time, or he’s not found guilty of anything serious and keeps name suppression because there’s no public interest in knowing that he did or didn’t do something that’s not serious in the first place. And by the nature of name suppression, the guy might just be a provincial used car salesman or gp.
Methinks your linking and thinking is a touch premature.
Methinks your linking and thinking is a touch premature.
Except that it has been reported on the NZ Herald website which suggests the man is also prominent outside of Tauranga.
Goodness me, Paul Mabey QC representing two prominent Tauranga professionals in one week!
Unless… ?
Well, as the recent slaughter in Gaza drops off the MSM narrative completely, I thought it might be timely to share this link: http://mondoweiss.net/2012/12/its-time-for-the-media-to-talk-about-zionism.html regarding the distinction between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism.
I remember talking to one of my best friends (a Russian jew) about 12 years ago about the fact that I was anti-Zionist but that it didn’t make me an anti-Semite. He immediately dismissed it and lumped me in with the drive-the-Israelis-into-the-sea brigade (which I am increasingly seeing as more of a figment of Israel’s collective imagination than a genuine goal of Arabic people).
I think though that it’s important that people realise that it’s OK to be anti-Zionist and that they shouldn’t feel guilty about speaking out against the Zionist expansionism of the Israeli state. Succinct but articulate article, unlike this post 😉
Apparently, the sole purpose of capitalism is to make a few people better off while impoverishing everybody else.
Ooooh, look, the GP talking about climate change in a press release. What is the world coming to?
http://www.greens.org.nz/press-releases/nz-criticised-international-climate-change-talks
Wonders never cease
Weka previously when I asked you if the Greens would continue to ignore Climate Change during the next election as they had in the previous one. After quoting back to me, my original question, here, after a long winded preamble, you gave your answer stating:
In response to your answer. I asked you another, and even simpler question:
Weka it’s a simple question. Why won’t you answer?
Weka, if, it is not “the job or responsibility of the Green Party to do this at this point.”
Whose do you think it is?
Whoops. I think, in the last half hour, I accidentally published a post I am typing up – report on this evening’s demo in Auckland. Sorry if I caused any confusion.
British peer ejected from UN climate talks for denouncing protocol
Guess who.
A Green, Labour and New Zealand First coalition has real potential: http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2012/12/the-southland-economic-debate.html
This has me worried, Labour must be very confident if it can start removing members willy-nilly…but seriously as much as I enjoy watching the looney left eat itself (and I do) this turn of events is startling.
One of the things I like about this blog is you can (more or less) say what you think as opposed to redalert which, lets face it, is pretty dull
I’m just not sure whether its more Stalinist or 1984ish in what this un-named MP wants
Mate whole point I think is NO repeats of 84.
bang goes the drum.
Not wanting to go into crystal ball gazing but if this goes ahead when Labour are in opposition (I don’t think it will because of the publicity) what would be the next logical step when Labour gets back into power?
Targeting all those who support right wing policies?
Targeting all those who don’t support left wing policies? (but dont support right wing policies)
Targeting all those who dont support the Leaders policies?
And once they target those people what will they do then?
Whispering in the bright bright sun labour elites want a quiet capture of the centre area but the rebellious ignorant shrill members are perceived to be upsetting the plan by speaking freely putting up remits and questioning the established structure and it’s power cliques.how dear they say the elites…we know best you bleet bleet and are sheep sheep sheep but pay your dues cause we need the cash cash cash to bribe the dog so we can drink from the trough trough trough.