The question Faafoi has failed to answer, or at least answer convincingly, is this: what are the benefits of creating a single organisation from scratch and scrapping TVNZ and RNZ?
They’re already struggling in a market now occupied by Facebook, Google and Netflix as well as other local media competitors.
The minister also said we would have to wait and see what the impact might be on commercial media companies which will co-exist with what's been described as a "super-sized" single new public media company from 2023.
Except that I'm not so sure they're the "last vestiges" (part of the resaon I keep harping on about the state of many in the senior ranks of our public service).
Not sure its that they're necessarily 'left or right wing' either, but in most cases probably. More to do with Master of the Universe and Impressive C.V. Syndrome
The problem with 'nice people' as politicians at times is that they don't usually have very sophisticated bullshit detectors.
I'm tempted to have another rave on a number examples but I'll give you just one:
Imagine if Kris Faafoi (after his discussion with Mr Thompson) had disclosed publicly the concerns prior to Thompson and his side-kick's announcement – i.e. the bit where JA and others' view was that it didn't have to be an either/or situation).
But there are other examples across the PS (in areas such as immigration, exploitation et al, and generally to do with social services).
Yes, the same faction wanting the merger wants the commercialised model – the future are the youth etc. And a big merged commercial model adds value to their CV.
The whole sorry saga is becoming a bit of a bugger's muddle @Sacha.
JA revealed what I had already suspected as far as ConcertFM proposals (i.e. that Faafoi had discussions with Thompson and Macalister), and they went a head anyway.
Problem is, Faafoi has probably got too much on his plate – as have a couple of other Ministers for that matter.
But I guess it's what you get when you corporatise government and public institutions and stack them with people that worship at the altar of the market the market.
Thankfully (as far as Concert FM and a 'yoof' network – which should really be about an alternative network not necessarily based on 'age'), JA made it clear she didn't think it needed to be an either/or situation.
Fuck 'brand identity'! As a public service broadcaster, I couldn't care if you called it Red, Pink, Mauve, Brown or Green Radio, or whether its RNZ or RadioNZ. The stuff it produces is what's important, and given its resources it was doing a mighty fine job until someone rode in on a Vespa wanting to make his mark. (So far, a bit of a skid mark)
First bump up funding for RNZ – it was budget pressured by National. Protect the public service model by keeping it separate.
Second, appreciate that TVNZ is of a dying free to air broadcast model and help it manage its decline (its gone on-line, it has on-line content from which it extracts commercially valued data about users) by ensuring it has the funding to continue with public service roles.
At some point, when it has lost the ability to extract significant advertising, then merge it with RNZ as a public service broadcaster.
Otherwise the need is to expand NZ On Air with financial support for local, regional and national news and community service (whether print/on-line or broadcast).
The PM was very blunt on Morning Report this morning making it clear that, as Minister for Arts and Culture, she was:
not prepared to consider the proposed dropping of Concert FM and its replacement by a channel for younger generation music as merely an internal operational programming issue;
frustrated with RNZ management in that Faafoi had specifically asked them for time for discussions to try to find a solution that would provide access to all NZers and not deny access/programming to one sector in favour of another – but they had gone ahead and announced their proposals re dropping Concert FM anyway.
She was very clear that that conversation would held; ad that she was not prepared to see one generation/sector of the community being pitted against another.
Horror of horrors, I actually agree with Matthew Hooton who said on RNZ Nine to Noon later this morning that this interview was one of the clearest, most blunt ones he had heard from Ardern – and fully supported her position as do I!
In fact Hooton and Neale Jones agreed that Ardern's stance this morning pretty much ensures that Concert FM will not be dropped as proposed. I hope they are right.
But the party's voters weren't entirely convinced of the decision — 42.7 per cent said National should work with NZ First, 40.9 per cent were opposed, and 16.4 per cent "didn't know".
More than half of NZ First voters, 54.4 per cent, thought their party should work with National, while 35.6 per cent were opposed and 10 per cent "didn't know".
And once the votes are casted Winston doesn’t follow any of the public swells. throws a few bites to his voters to keep them complainant eg $50 winter power subsidy. Then in 3 years time, complain about our immigration policy and does …….. nothing.
"New Zealand will emit a million more tonnes of greenhouse gases in 2020 than previously forecast, new figures from the Ministry for the Environment show."
The reports forecasts will be wrong,due to the fallout and aftermath of Cov.The immediate cessation of logging would need to be factored in,the reduction in tourism and flights and shipping from China etc.
Globally the significant decrease in emissions from China demand around 3 million barrels a day,plus cessation of LNG imports have forced significant reduction in the cost of carbon emissions around 15% since December 23 (with most of the fall in the last 2 weeks)
the forecasts will indeed be wrong (as they usually are), however the trend is key and while the even the trend may be impacted if the economic fall out from nCV is large and sustained enough, that trend is in the wrong direction and demonstrates the disconnect between the act and the rhetoric
'Banking was conceived in iniquity and was born in sin. The bankers own the earth. Take it away from them, but leave them the power to create money, and with the flick of the pen they will create enough deposits to buy it back again. However, take away from them the power to create money and all the great fortunes like mine will disappear and they ought to disappear, for this would be a happier and better world to live in. But, if you wish to remain the slaves of bankers and pay the cost of your own slavery, let them continue to create money."
not on the radar of anyone who want's to..'survive'..unfortunately…all the big issues in the world incl climate change can be addressed by real..banking reform.
Irrespective of the merits or otherwise of RNZ's proposals the whole concert FM business is an unedifying spectacle of entitled elite fury in action.
People who can barely be bothered to do anything beyond offer feeble blandishments on social media about issues ranging from child poverty to mental health to the housing crisis are issuing outraged squeals, immoderate threats and frankly and proudly exercising class privilege by pulling every string they can think of in any elite circle they can think of to protect a station listened to largely by privileged, aging white people.
Remembering, of course, that elderly pakeha who enjoy classical music are a valid tribe of this country like any other and have every right to fight for something they value – for some, living lonely and isolated lives, this may be their contact with the outside world.
Classical music is universal. It is not confined to "privileged aging white people." I was lucky enough to have parents who introduced us to classical music from an early age and have enjoyed countless hours listening since.
I am not commenting on the merits of the change. IMHO, robbing Peter to pay Paul is not a good idea – I read Concert FM employees the princely total of 17 people and probably cost less than 1.5 million dollars to run per year, so sending it's encrusted cultural value and baked on entitled boomer fan base to the knackers yard hardly seems worth it to me.
I actually support a government youth radio network. Gordon Campbell makes a mistake today by saying the 18-35 age group is already well served by private radio – width and quality are not the same thing. I just don't understand why they don't fund both. Just make the Skypath a few metres shorter and use that money or something.
The whole RNZ saga has some pretty weird bubble politics going on around it. Presumably Labour are terrified private news networks will go completely troppo on them if they do to much to tip the playing field their way and are treading so lightly they keep tripping over their own shadow.
Concert FM and youth radio on-line was and is the obvious way to go. There is a place for informed comment and publicising of new music that commercial radio is just not interested in doing. It's not as if youth are not able to find ways to get quality music listening from an online service.
I think you might find that many of the people that ARE actually trying to do something about child poverty, high rates of suicide, housing shortages. indigenous representation, improving education and various other things (rather than just bleating about it) are also in support of Concert FM as it stands. But if that's your definition of class privilege and elitism then I'm all for it.
Green Party workplace relations spokeswoman Jan Logie said the party wanted the strongest measures, including a threshold requiring negotiations when 10 per cent or 1000 employees in a sector call for an FPA.
Also being backed by the Greens: union representatives in contract negotiations, the inclusion of training and career pathways for workers within agreements, and an independent arbiter for when negotiations break down.
"If we're to really to get to the heart of the problem that's seeing people stuck on minimum wage for 30 years, working 16 hours days … We've got to take a strong legislative response," she said.
Let's see where it ends up after Winston's bunch and the right of Labour are done with it..
is it just me or have the Greens recently stepped things up in terms of being publicly stronger on their own policies that differ from the rest of the government?
what I'm seeing in the past week or so has me actually hopeful. That they're going to go strong on values and the policies rather than playing it safe (although presumably they learnt a few things from what happened in 2017). I guess this isn't a surprise, it's just been a while since I've seen them stepping up like this.
I wasn't meaning election results so much (that's dependent on so many things, many unpredictable), but more that the Greens stepping up on values and policy changes the debate (which is why Turei was right to do what she did even though it cost the Greens dearly).
eg the Greens going strong on climate will match the leadership outside of parliament and lead to a stronger climate action movement.
The Greens have always been good at shift the debate and bringing the cutting edge into the mainstream. Time is right for them to push this further now.
Yeah. I reckon it'll be a hopeful year this year – noises are being made about free dental care for the needy, and the bushires really brought climate change to the fore.
That's the starting ground that even the nats aren't dismissing out of hand. And the Greens are well placed to leverage even more policy changes than this time, especially if Lab need them and NZ1 would be insufficient assistance (not wishing them out, but lab/nats in high thirties with NZ1 @5-6% and greens 10% would be the ideal zone. Sure, some tory will whinge that current polls make it unlikely, but we'll see how the campaign goes).
on the contrary…the Greens will again go strong on values and their policies during campaigning…the disappointment will be in whats achieved post election.
You don't know what my expectations are for post-election, which is why your comments here irk somewhat. I'd rather have people respond to what I'm actually saying, rather than projecting their own views onto that.
I was at one of NZ's larger companies the other week. They actively sabotage all union negotiations, ensuring that any union members get lower pay than non-union members in any part of the business where unions participate – while paying miserably everywhere else where there are no unions. A deliberate (and apparently legal) strategy to drive down and eliminate union involvement.
Apparently the photographer's only sin in the original pic was to tweak the colour balance a bit. Now I know where to look, that damned makeup line (either that, or he tans in a hijab lol) is obvious in so many different images of the jerk
Odd I'd have thought there be support for a popular left here victory on the standard – but more and more I get the feeling that will never be the case and to many hard core supporters of liberalism voices are dominate here. And if nothing else, a economic left victory is somthing they really don't want.
On the good news front – Sinn Fein have cracked the Irish elections way open. More counting to do, but a left wing party has had a good whack at the liberal establishment.
The left have 1/3rd support…the liberal capitalist 1/3rd and the conservatives 1/3rd – meh. And the other 2 would rather work together than with them … A long way to go.
I hope it results in the death of the Party and the end of Winston's corrosive political career.
And more importantly it will result in a Labour Green government that does not have the conservative NZF hand brake preventing it from being a true transformational government.
On previous form, the police and SFO will not be in any hurry. The whole system needs a reboot, a specific office with the capacity to act in weeks not months/years. A Labour-Green gov't should make it a priority.
But in the meantime, it will be quite funny to see National's Olympic gymnastics ("Simon Bridges has not been charged with a crime, ergo done nothing wrong, but anyone else not charged is guilty").
If passing it on is "dealing with it", then every organisation satisfies customers just by saying: "thank you for your e-mail which we have forwarded to … ".
Hardly the point.
See almost every complaint about electoral law, for the past several elections. See the Ross complaint in 2017, which went nowhere for a year. It's not good enough.
Monday, and this is probably the most fucked up thing I'll read all week.
Donald Trump wants to be president forever. He made that clear again with his tweet on Wednesday that featured campaign signs of Trump for President extending from 2020 to 2048. But that scenario is not going to happen, barring Trump being able to somehow suspend the 22nd Amendment of our Constitution.
It’s clear though that regardless of how long Trump remains in the White House, he and many in his base want Trumpism—a celebration of cruelty, bigotry, and sexism—to continue long after he’s gone. That helps explain Trump’s support for anti-Muslim bigot Laura Loomer, who is running for Congress in Florida’s 21st District—and, incredibly, is increasingly the likely GOP nominee. After all, anti-Muslim bigotry is one of the cornerstones of Trumpism.
…says the column for which he says he was branded a racist was "a harmless joke" and not to be taken seriously.
Jones was the first witness in his defamation claim against theatre and film writer and director Renae Maihi.
Let's remember exactly what the remarks were that precipitated Renae Maihi calling for that knighthood to be removed
In February 2018 he wrote a column for National Business Review which included a suggestion of changing Waitangi Day to Māori Gratitude Day.
"I have in mind a public holiday where Māoris bring us breakfast in bed or weed our gardens, wash and polish our cars and so on out of gratitude for existing," he wrote.
Alan Duff is apparently going to convince the Judge how this is humorous. Because he obviously Maori, and therefore a good example of how inoffensive this actually is. God.
All good humour is about people. You can't make jokes about trees or fish. The very best are about human differences thus the familiar, 'a Scot, an Englishman and an Irishman went into a pub'. Alternatively religion, 'a priest, a rabbi, and a vicar'.
Of course you can make jokes about trees, but the delivery has to be wooden.
I had an awesome one about fish on the line, too, but it got away before I could show anyone.
On a more esoteric note, one of the most durable explanations about humour I read about ISTR comes from Darwin, who wrote that "laughter is the collision of two emotions". It might not cover every joke I ever heard, but the template of setting up an expectation and then overturning it and going in an unexpected direction is very common. It has even been paired down to one-liners (Henny Youngman) and tends to explain (through implicit expectations of conventional comedy at the time) why Monty Python's more surreal things like the fish-slapping dance maybe haven't aged quite so well as some of their other material.
Sabine you’re in premod until I figure out if there’s one Sabine or two commenting atm. Please see these three comments and reply there or here, thanks.
Buzz from the Beehive Much more media attention is being paid to something Winston Peters said about former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr than to a speech he delivered to the New Zealand China Council. One word is missing from the speech: AUKUS. But AUKUS loomed large in his considerations ...
Is the economy in another long stagnation? If so, why?This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be ...
The annual list of who's been bribing our politicians is out, and journalists will no doubt be poring over it to find the juiciest and dirtiest bribes. The government's fast-track invite list is likely to be a particular focus, and we already know of one company on the list which ...
In the weeks after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Southern Israel I wrote about the possible 2nd, 3rd and even 4th order effects of the conflict. These included new fronts being opened in the West Bank (with Hamas), Golan … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – It is one of the oldest truisms that there is never a good time for MPs to get a pay rise. This week’s announcement of pay raises of around 2.8% backdated to last October could hardly have come at a worse time, with the ...
David Farrar writes – Newshub reports: Newshub can reveal a fresh allegation of intimidation against Green MP Julie-Anne Genter. Genter is subject to a disciplinary process for aggressively waving a book in the face of National Minister Matt Doocey in the House – but it’s not the first time ...
The Treasury has published a paper today on the global productivity slowdown and how it is playing out in New Zealand: The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections. The Treasury Paper examines recent trends in productivity and the potential drivers of the slowdown. Productivity for the whole economy ...
Winston Peters’ comments about former Australian foreign minister look set to be an ongoing headache for both him and Luxon. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guests on Gaza and ...
These puppet strings don't pull themselvesYou're thinking thoughts from someone elseHow much time do you think you have?Are you prepared for what comes next?The debating chamber can be a trying place for an opposition MP. What with the person in charge, the speaker, typically being an MP from the governing ...
The land around Lyme Regis, where Meryl Streep once stood, in a hood, on the Cobb, is falling into the sea.MerylThe land around Lyme Regis, around the Cobb that made it rich, has always been falling slowly but surely into the sea. Read more ...
Buzz from the Beehive Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters was bound to win headlines when he set out his thinking about AUKUS in his speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. The headlines became bigger when – during an interview on RNZ’s Morning Report today – he criticised ...
The Post reports on how the government is refusing to release its advice on its corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law, instead using the "soon to be publicly available" refusal ground to hide it until after select committee submissions on the bill have closed. Fast-track Minister Chris Bishop's excuse? “It's not ...
As pressure on it grows, the livestock industry’s approach to the transition to Net Zero is increasingly being compared to that of fossil fuel interests. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above ...
The New Zealand Herald reports – Stats NZ has offered a voluntary redundancy scheme to all of its workers as a way to give staff some control over their “future” amidst widespread job losses in the public sector. In an update to staff this morning, seen by the Herald, Statistics New Zealand ...
On Werewolf/Scoop, I usually do two long form political columns a week. From now on, there will be an extra column each week about music and movies. But first, some late-breaking political events:The rise in unemployment numbers for the March quarter was bigger than expected – and especially sharp ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: TVNZ says it is dealing with about 50 formal complaints over its coverage of the latest 1News-Verian political poll, with some viewers – as well as the Prime Minister and a former senior Labour MP – critical of the tone of the 6pm report. ...
Muriel Newman writes – When Meridian Energy was seeking resource consents for a West Coast hydro dam proposal in 2010, local Maori “strenuously” objected, claiming their mana was inextricably linked to ‘their’ river and could be damaged. After receiving a financial payment from the company, however, the Ngai Tahu ...
Alwyn Poole writes – “An SEP,’ he said, ‘is something that we can’t see, or don’t see, or our brain doesn’t let us see, because we think that it’s somebody else’s problem. That’s what SEP means. Somebody Else’s Problem. The brain just edits it out, it’s like a ...
Our trust in our political institutions is fast eroding, according to a Maxim Institute discussion paper, Shaky Foundations: Why our democracy needs trust. The paper – released today – raises concerns about declining trust in New Zealand’s political institutions and democratic processes, and the role that the overuse of Parliamentary urgency ...
This article was prepared for publication yesterday. More ministerial announcements have been posted on the government’s official website since it was written. We will report on these later today …. Buzz from the BeehiveThere we were, thinking the environment is in trouble, when along came Jones. Shane Jones. ...
New Zealand now has the fourth most depressed construction sector in the world behind China, Qatar and Hong Kong. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 8:46am on Thursday, May 2:The Lead: ...
Hi,I am just going to state something very obvious: American police are fucking crazy.That was a photo gracing the New York Times this morning, showing New York City police “entering Columbia University last night after receiving a request from the school.”Apparently in America, protesting the deaths of tens of thousands ...
Winston Peters’ much anticipated foreign policy speech last night was a work of two halves. Much of it was a standard “boilerplate” Foreign Ministry overview of the state of the world. There was some hardening up of rhetoric with talk of “benign” becoming “malign” and old truths giving way to ...
Graham Adams assesses the fallout of the Cass Review — The press release last Thursday from the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls didn’t make the mainstream news in New Zealand but it really should have. The startling title of Reem Alsalem’s statement — “Implementation of ‘Cass ...
This open-for-business, under-new-management cliché-pockmarked government of Christopher Luxon is not the thing of beauty he imagines it to be. It is not the powerful expression of the will of the people that he asserts it to be. It is not a soaring eagle, it is a malodorous vulture. This newest poll should make ...
The latest labour market statistics, showing a rise in unemployment. There are now 134,000 unemployed - 14,000 more than when the National government took office. Which is I guess what happens when the Reserve Bank causes a recession in an effort to Keep Wages Low. The previous government saw a ...
Three opinion polls have been released in the last two days, all showing that the new government is failing to hold their popular support. The usual honeymoon experienced during the first year of a first term government is entirely absent. The political mood is still gloomy and discontented, mainly due ...
National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”.As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
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 ...
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy.Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Council members voted 21 to 4 in favour of Ahluwalia returning to the Laucala campus following a much-awaited meeting in Vanuatu this week. It comes as USP and its two unions — the Association of the University of the South Pacific Staff (AUSPS) and the Administration and Support Staff Union ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicola Henry, Professor & Australian Research Council Future Fellow, Social and Global Studies Centre, RMIT University Shutterstock Following an emergency meeting of the National Cabinet this week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a raft of measures to tackle the problem ...
Analysis - A poll showing the opposition is more popular than the government raises questions, politicians go through their 'trial by pay rise' and a Green MP loses her cool in the debating chamber. ...
The entire stretch of Tokomaru Bay on the East Coast will be subject to a joint customary marine title for two hapū, and extending up to four miles out to sea. A High Court judge has found the two groups, who during the case settled a dispute over boundaries for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Hall, Lecturer, Media & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University A longstanding feud between TikTok and Universal Music Group seems to have finally reached an end, with both parties signing a deal that will see Universal-backed music returned to the social media ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Siobhan O’Dean, Postdoctoral Research Associate, The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney After several highly publicised alleged murders of women in Australia, the Albanese government this week pledged more than A$925 million over five years ...
Political parties have now fully disclosed the donations they received last year - with National getting more than double the cash of any other party. ...
A Pacific regionalism expert has called out New Zealand's Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters for withholding information from the public on AUKUS military pact. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard de Grijs, Professor of Astrophysics, Macquarie University Bruno Scramgnon/Pexels All systems are “go” for tonight’s launch of China’s next step in a carefully planned lunar exploration program. Placed on top of a powerful Long March 5 rocket, the Chang’e 6 ...
National returned a massive donation the day after a Newsroom story linked the donors to a property being investigated for operating unlawfully as a migrant workers’ hostel. The party’s 2023 donation filings, released on Friday, show it returned a $200,000 donation from Buen Holdings on August 23. That was the ...
Pacific Media Watch New Zealand has slumped to an unprecedented 19th place in the annual Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index survey released today on World Press Freedom Day — May 3. This was a drop of six places from 13th last year when it slipped out of its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joshua Black, Political Historian and Administrator Officer, Australian Historical Association, Australian National University Australia has had its fair share of public record-keeping controversies in recent years. Some have been mere farce, as in the case of two formerly government-owned filing cabinets (containing ...
Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), a United Nations-affiliated organization dedicated to fostering peace through civilian-led initiatives, has issued a statement in response to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. ...
A poem by Tessa Keenan, from AUP New Poets 10. Mātou These days we are a photograph; one of a farm strewn with cows that used to be bright harakeke or swamp. The kids point at it and say the sun sits behind a smudge (left by someone at Christmas); ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan (Faber & Faber, $25)The masterful Irish writer ...
Marriage and civil union statistics record the number of marriages and civil unions registered in New Zealand each year, and divorce statistics record the number of divorces granted in New Zealand each year. Key facts Marriages and civil unions In ...
Marriage and civil union statistics record the number of marriages and civil unions registered in New Zealand each year, and divorce statistics record the number of divorces granted in New Zealand each year. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lennon Y.C. Chang, Associate Professor of Cyber Risk and Policy, Deakin University Taiwan stands out as a beacon of democracy, innovation and resilience in an increasingly autocratic region. But this is under growing threat. In recent years, China has used a variety ...
In this excerpt from her new memoir, Dame Susan Devoy remembers her turn as star contestant on the 2022 season of Celebrity Treasure Island. The most anxious time of every day was pre-elimination, when you knew this could be your final day on the show. I felt such contradictory emotions, ...
A week that began in triumph ended in an all-too-familiar disaster for the Green Party. Duncan Greive asks if there’s something in the mission that breaks its best and brightest. A long, strange week for the Green party began with a fantastic poll result. On one level this is hardly ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Vanuatu’s former prime minister and opposition MP Ishmael Kalsakau has stepped down — just two days after he confirmed he was the rightful opposition leader. Kalsakau, MP for Port Vila, confirmed to ABC’s Pacific Beat, and the Vanuatu Daily Post on Thursday that he ...
What’s to blame for the coalition’s choppy start? Six months in, and the mojo meter is in the doldrums. A new poll would put National out of power and sees its leader, Chris Luxon, sliding in popularity. How much is it about policy, how much coalition management and a perception ...
The striking report goes far beyond the proposed repeal of the Oranga Tamariki Act’s Treaty of Waitangi provision, and its impact should be felt far beyond the unique circumstances of the claim it addresses. Earlier this week, the Waitangi Tribunal released an interim report on the government’s proposed repeal of ...
The world has been experiencing a productivity slowdown, from which New Zealand has not been exempt. COVID-19 temporarily boosted labour productivity, but more recently, productivity has retreated. The overall trend since 2007 has been one of slow productivity ...
What’s more wasteful than spending $315k on syrup and machine maintenance? Trying to drum up a controversy about it.Cast your mind back to the pre-pandemic idylls of 2019. A “rat” was a disgusting rodent and not a self-administered plague test; the sixth Labour government was in power; and the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Fitz-Gibbon, Professor of Social Sciences, Faculty of Arts, Monash University, Monash University Ken stocker/Shutterstock In the wake of numerous killings of women allegedly by men’s violence in 2024, thousands of Australians have joined rallies across the country to demand action ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Henry Cutler, Professor and Director, Macquarie University Centre for the Health Economy, Macquarie University Oleg Ivanov IL/Shutterstock Waiting times for public hospital elective surgery have been in the news ahead of this year’s federal budget. That’s the type of non-emergency surgery ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Konstantine Panegyres, McKenzie Postdoctoral Fellow, Historical and Philosophical Studies, The University of Melbourne Amna Artist/Shutterstock One of the earliest descriptions of someone with cancer comes from the fourth century BC. Satyrus, tyrant of the city of Heracleia on the Black Sea, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Rose, Professor of Sustainable Future Transport, University of Sydney LanaElcova/Shutterstock Electric vehicles are often seen as the panacea to cutting emissions – and air pollution – from transport. Is this view correct? Yes – but only once uptake accelerates. Despite the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Giselle Natassia Woodley, Researcher and Phd Candidate, Edith Cowan University There is widespread agreement Australia needs to do better when it comes to gender-based violence. Anger and frustration at the numbers of women being killed saw national rallies over the weekend and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Graham, Lecturer in Economics, University of Sydney Mark and Anna Photography/Shutterstock As home ownership moves further out of reach for many Australians, “rentvesting” is being touted as a lifesaver. Rentvesting is the practice of renting one property to live ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sukhmani Khorana, Associate Professor, Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture, UNSW Sydney Netflix The new season of Heartbreak High is garnering mixed reviews. Critics are writing about the racy story lines, comparing it to other coming-of-age series about teenage relationships and ...
Bob Carr intends to launch legal action against Winston Peters and Julie Anne Genter is facing a second allegation of bullying. Both sucked the air out of an announcement on education, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in ...
In 1995, Sally Clark went out on her own in a bold and unorthodox attempt to join an illustrious group of equestrian riders conquering the world. In the days of glovebox road maps, brick cell phones, and the hit song How Bizarre, Clark refused to follow Sir Mark Todd, Blyth ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Beaglehole, Senior Lecturer, Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago niphon/Getty Images The number of people accessing medication for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in Aotearoa New Zealand increased significantly between 2006 and 2022. But the disorder is still under-diagnosed and ...
To celebrate the start of New Zealand music month, we look back at the best local tuneage that managed to weasel its way into Hollywood productions. There’s nothing quite like the thrilling zap of recognition when New Zealand weasels its way into a glamorous Hollywood production. Crack open a Tui ...
People trust other people more than institutions. So how can the media gain that trust through journalists without losing what’s important about the institution? Anna Rawhiti-Connell reflects on two years of curating the news for The Bulletin.Amonth ago, armed cops descended on my neighbourhood as calls to “lock your ...
A warning – suicide is discussed in this podcast New Zealand’s own long-running soap Shortland Street doesn’t hesitate to kill off its much-loved characters. But would TVNZ dare to kill off our favourite soap? That’s the fear as times get tough in television – even though it’s been pointed out ...
Essay: If the Crown harms children, how do you hold it accountable? Analysis by Aaron Smale in light of the Waitangi Tribunal court decision. The post The Crown versus Māori Children appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Opinion: PFAS – per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – are a class of thousands of man-made chemicals used widely in everyday consumer items such as textiles, packaging, and cookware, popular for their water, grease and stain-repellent properties. However, the very properties that make PFAS so attractive to manufacturers are also what ...
NONFICTION 1 The Last Secret Agent by Pippa Latour & Jude Dobson (Allen & Unwin, $37.99)’ This is the hottest book in New Zealand, number one with a bullet in its first week, selling more than any overseas title, and demand is so huge that it’s already been reprinted. A ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 3 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Asia Pacific Report A West Papuan resistance leader has condemned the United Nations role in allowing Indonesia to “integrate” the Melanesian Pacific region in what is claimed to be an “egregious act of inhumanity” on 1 May 1963. In an open letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Organisasi Papua Merdeka-OPM ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra A key part of the Albanese government’s political strategy is to fill the news cycle with its presence and messaging. Ministers are deployed to the maximum, even when they’ve little to say. This week ...
Recent extreme weather events showed the importance of a well-functioning insurance system, says Commerce and Consumer Affairs minister Andrew Bayly. ...
By Jo Moir, RNZ News political editor, and Craig McCulloch, deputy political editor New Zealand’s Labour Party is demanding Winston Peters be stood down as Foreign Minister for opening up the government to legal action over his “totally unacceptable” attack on a prominent AUKUS critic. In an interview on RNZ’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christian Brakenridge, Postdoctoral research fellow at Swinburne University, Centre for Urban Transitions, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute The Conversation, Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock People have a pretty intuitive sense of what is healthy – standing is better than sitting, exercise is great for overall ...
The Wellington-based Reserve Force soldier is now almost three years into his New Zealand Army career with 5th/7th Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment. ...
Former news boss at TV3 Mark Jennings writes about the proposed merger of TVNZ and RNZ: https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2020/02/07/1024615/tvnz-and-rnz-now-in-a-waiting-game
RNZ's Mediawatch tackles the topic: https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/mediawatch/audio/2018733220/minister-lifts-the-lid-on-public-media-plan-a-little
Re: who decided
https://twitter.com/publicaddress/status/1226577679605874692
Last vestiges of the right wing at RNZ undermining the government for their own ends?
Clearly the management there would rather be the ‘commercial broadcaster’ like TVNZ, rather than the ‘public broadcaster’ they have historically been.
Yes.
Brought up on market place commercialism and 'brandism' with no knowledge or understanding of complimentary public broadcasting ideals.
Except that I'm not so sure they're the "last vestiges" (part of the resaon I keep harping on about the state of many in the senior ranks of our public service).
Not sure its that they're necessarily 'left or right wing' either, but in most cases probably. More to do with Master of the Universe and Impressive C.V. Syndrome
The problem with 'nice people' as politicians at times is that they don't usually have very sophisticated bullshit detectors.
I'm tempted to have another rave on a number examples but I'll give you just one:
Imagine if Kris Faafoi (after his discussion with Mr Thompson) had disclosed publicly the concerns prior to Thompson and his side-kick's announcement – i.e. the bit where JA and others' view was that it didn't have to be an either/or situation).
But there are other examples across the PS (in areas such as immigration, exploitation et al, and generally to do with social services).
Yes, the same faction wanting the merger wants the commercialised model – the future are the youth etc. And a big merged commercial model adds value to their CV.
The whole sorry saga is becoming a bit of a bugger's muddle @Sacha.
JA revealed what I had already suspected as far as ConcertFM proposals (i.e. that Faafoi had discussions with Thompson and Macalister), and they went a head anyway.
Problem is, Faafoi has probably got too much on his plate – as have a couple of other Ministers for that matter.
But I guess it's what you get when you corporatise government and public institutions and stack them with people that worship at the altar of the market the market.
Thankfully (as far as Concert FM and a 'yoof' network – which should really be about an alternative network not necessarily based on 'age'), JA made it clear she didn't think it needed to be an either/or situation.
As for the rest – Jennings makes some good points
Cross-platform brand identity and increased efficiency through shared services, I would have thought.
Fuck 'brand identity'! As a public service broadcaster, I couldn't care if you called it Red, Pink, Mauve, Brown or Green Radio, or whether its RNZ or RadioNZ. The stuff it produces is what's important, and given its resources it was doing a mighty fine job until someone rode in on a Vespa wanting to make his mark. (So far, a bit of a skid mark)
Just no. It's not worth the risk.
First bump up funding for RNZ – it was budget pressured by National. Protect the public service model by keeping it separate.
Second, appreciate that TVNZ is of a dying free to air broadcast model and help it manage its decline (its gone on-line, it has on-line content from which it extracts commercially valued data about users) by ensuring it has the funding to continue with public service roles.
At some point, when it has lost the ability to extract significant advertising, then merge it with RNZ as a public service broadcaster.
Otherwise the need is to expand NZ On Air with financial support for local, regional and national news and community service (whether print/on-line or broadcast).
The PM was very blunt on Morning Report this morning making it clear that, as Minister for Arts and Culture, she was:
She was very clear that that conversation would held; ad that she was not prepared to see one generation/sector of the community being pitted against another.
Well worth a five minute listen – https://www.rnz.co.nz/programmes/news-extras/story/2018733433/jacinda-ardern-on-rnz-concert-changes
Horror of horrors, I actually agree with Matthew Hooton who said on RNZ Nine to Noon later this morning that this interview was one of the clearest, most blunt ones he had heard from Ardern – and fully supported her position as do I!
In fact Hooton and Neale Jones agreed that Ardern's stance this morning pretty much ensures that Concert FM will not be dropped as proposed. I hope they are right.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018733432/political-commentators-hooton-and-jones
Such is the nature of those Masters of the Universe these days that Macalister and/or Thompson won't even have the good grace to resign.
Just after the poll announcement last night, simon took to twitter to defend his result.
Who does that? Too funny, especially considering there was only one point between Labour and national.
Meanwhile…. it's be beginning to look a lot like Christmas 🙂 Red and Green all the way 🙂
Relevant polling on that decision: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/119382109/new-poll-shows-tight-margin-between-labour-and-national-and-nz-first-is-out
Too funny, that will be why he took to twitter to si-splain.
And once the votes are casted Winston doesn’t follow any of the public swells. throws a few bites to his voters to keep them complainant eg $50 winter power subsidy. Then in 3 years time, complain about our immigration policy and does …….. nothing.
"New Zealand will emit a million more tonnes of greenhouse gases in 2020 than previously forecast, new figures from the Ministry for the Environment show."
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2020/02/10/1024337/greenhouse-emissions-projections-jump-in-latest-report
wrong direction
The reports forecasts will be wrong,due to the fallout and aftermath of Cov.The immediate cessation of logging would need to be factored in,the reduction in tourism and flights and shipping from China etc.
Globally the significant decrease in emissions from China demand around 3 million barrels a day,plus cessation of LNG imports have forced significant reduction in the cost of carbon emissions around 15% since December 23 (with most of the fall in the last 2 weeks)
https://www.investing.com/commodities/carbon-emissions
the forecasts will indeed be wrong (as they usually are), however the trend is key and while the even the trend may be impacted if the economic fall out from nCV is large and sustained enough, that trend is in the wrong direction and demonstrates the disconnect between the act and the rhetoric
How many cabinet ministers have given up thier selfdrive cars?
the number you would expect to support my point
the core…
'Banking was conceived in iniquity and was born in sin. The bankers own the earth. Take it away from them, but leave them the power to create money, and with the flick of the pen they will create enough deposits to buy it back again. However, take away from them the power to create money and all the great fortunes like mine will disappear and they ought to disappear, for this would be a happier and better world to live in. But, if you wish to remain the slaves of bankers and pay the cost of your own slavery, let them continue to create money."
J.Stamp.
Completely correct, and not on the radar of the two main parties in NZ – at all.
not on the radar of anyone who want's to..'survive'..unfortunately…all the big issues in the world incl climate change can be addressed by real..banking reform.
bit of an over sell (a la the banks themselves)…but it would go a long way
not at all..why do you say that?
the banks exploit human behaviour…they dont create it
maybe so..but why should private banks alone have the luxury to ..exploit people(via the creation of credit) ..as you state?
How are banking rules different to finance company rules different to the reserve bank act different to credit card companies?
you need to research exactly how 'money' is created and who by…and you will realise what a stupid question you..pose.
lol who is more stupid – the questioner or the person who evades the answer…
Irrespective of the merits or otherwise of RNZ's proposals the whole concert FM business is an unedifying spectacle of entitled elite fury in action.
People who can barely be bothered to do anything beyond offer feeble blandishments on social media about issues ranging from child poverty to mental health to the housing crisis are issuing outraged squeals, immoderate threats and frankly and proudly exercising class privilege by pulling every string they can think of in any elite circle they can think of to protect a station listened to largely by privileged, aging white people.
Remembering, of course, that elderly pakeha who enjoy classical music are a valid tribe of this country like any other and have every right to fight for something they value – for some, living lonely and isolated lives, this may be their contact with the outside world.
+1 JanM
Classical music is universal. It is not confined to "privileged aging white people." I was lucky enough to have parents who introduced us to classical music from an early age and have enjoyed countless hours listening since.
I am not commenting on the merits of the change. IMHO, robbing Peter to pay Paul is not a good idea – I read Concert FM employees the princely total of 17 people and probably cost less than 1.5 million dollars to run per year, so sending it's encrusted cultural value and baked on entitled boomer fan base to the knackers yard hardly seems worth it to me.
I actually support a government youth radio network. Gordon Campbell makes a mistake today by saying the 18-35 age group is already well served by private radio – width and quality are not the same thing. I just don't understand why they don't fund both. Just make the Skypath a few metres shorter and use that money or something.
The whole RNZ saga has some pretty weird bubble politics going on around it. Presumably Labour are terrified private news networks will go completely troppo on them if they do to much to tip the playing field their way and are treading so lightly they keep tripping over their own shadow.
Concert FM and youth radio on-line was and is the obvious way to go. There is a place for informed comment and publicising of new music that commercial radio is just not interested in doing. It's not as if youth are not able to find ways to get quality music listening from an online service.
Maybe they are just picking fights they think they can win.
I think you might find that many of the people that ARE actually trying to do something about child poverty, high rates of suicide, housing shortages. indigenous representation, improving education and various other things (rather than just bleating about it) are also in support of Concert FM as it stands. But if that's your definition of class privilege and elitism then I'm all for it.
Greens pushing within coalition government for strong labour laws: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/119360655/greens-push-for-most-powerful-labour-law-as-government-negotiates-on-fair-pay-agreements
Let's see where it ends up after Winston's bunch and the right of Labour are done with it..
is it just me or have the Greens recently stepped things up in terms of being publicly stronger on their own policies that differ from the rest of the government?
Certainly getting more oxygen.
They always campaign well. Even when they had the fracture, it wasn't because of lack of campaigning ability.
what I'm seeing in the past week or so has me actually hopeful. That they're going to go strong on values and the policies rather than playing it safe (although presumably they learnt a few things from what happened in 2017). I guess this isn't a surprise, it's just been a while since I've seen them stepping up like this.
I fear you will be disappointed…the Greens may well improve their election result but I doubt that will lead to improved action on CC
I wasn't meaning election results so much (that's dependent on so many things, many unpredictable), but more that the Greens stepping up on values and policy changes the debate (which is why Turei was right to do what she did even though it cost the Greens dearly).
eg the Greens going strong on climate will match the leadership outside of parliament and lead to a stronger climate action movement.
The Greens have always been good at shift the debate and bringing the cutting edge into the mainstream. Time is right for them to push this further now.
Yeah. I reckon it'll be a hopeful year this year – noises are being made about free dental care for the needy, and the bushires really brought climate change to the fore.
That's the starting ground that even the nats aren't dismissing out of hand. And the Greens are well placed to leverage even more policy changes than this time, especially if Lab need them and NZ1 would be insufficient assistance (not wishing them out, but lab/nats in high thirties with NZ1 @5-6% and greens 10% would be the ideal zone. Sure, some tory will whinge that current polls make it unlikely, but we'll see how the campaign goes).
Reducing Winston's relative influence is the key.
That's Labour's job?
If the Greens are a larger force than Winston First, Labour should be under pressure to adjust accordingly (including their internal factions).
as said I fear you will be disappointed…Winston is a convenient excuse.
disappointed over what exactly?
. "That they're going to go strong on values and the policies"
as they did previous to the last election.
you think they're not going to go strong on values and policies?
on the contrary…the Greens will again go strong on values and their policies during campaigning…the disappointment will be in whats achieved post election.
You don't know what my expectations are for post-election, which is why your comments here irk somewhat. I'd rather have people respond to what I'm actually saying, rather than projecting their own views onto that.
I believe it will improve climate action but not nearly enough. That will take some unavoidable catastrophes, sadly.
I was at one of NZ's larger companies the other week. They actively sabotage all union negotiations, ensuring that any union members get lower pay than non-union members in any part of the business where unions participate – while paying miserably everywhere else where there are no unions. A deliberate (and apparently legal) strategy to drive down and eliminate union involvement.
The implosion of the Dems.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2020/02/08/tories-eye-mansion-tax-raid-pensions2/
Turns out Boris is a leftie.
New York already has a mansion tax.
oh well, at least they are not Antifa, right.
Maybe we can call them brown pants, or blue shirts, or white face masks – after all 'brown shirts' is already taken.
Good to know that voting for the shitstain is so much better then voting for the women with the emails.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2020/2/9/1917916/-Led-by-a-22-year-old-image-obsessed-white-nationalists-in-masks-march-on-Washington
heh
http://archive.li/6gytK/4ccc73e5967ef985b7598b333879bc4d73a28adb.jpg
lols
Apparently the photographer's only sin in the original pic was to tweak the colour balance a bit. Now I know where to look, that damned makeup line (either that, or he tans in a hijab lol) is obvious in so many different images of the jerk
Odd I'd have thought there be support for a popular left here victory on the standard – but more and more I get the feeling that will never be the case and to many hard core supporters of liberalism voices are dominate here. And if nothing else, a economic left victory is somthing they really don't want.
On the good news front – Sinn Fein have cracked the Irish elections way open. More counting to do, but a left wing party has had a good whack at the liberal establishment.
https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/general-election-results-ireland-2020-21460799
The left have 1/3rd support…the liberal capitalist 1/3rd and the conservatives 1/3rd – meh. And the other 2 would rather work together than with them … A long way to go.
Sinn Fein will be kicking themselves for only standing 42 candidates.
Looks like Winston might be slightly in the poo
"Electoral Commission refers NZ First Foundation donations to police, says donations should have been declared"
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/119393435/electoral-commission-refers-nz-first-foundation-donations-to-police-says-donations-should-have-been-declared
This is fantastic news.
I hope it results in the death of the Party and the end of Winston's corrosive political career.
And more importantly it will result in a Labour Green government that does not have the conservative NZF hand brake preventing it from being a true transformational government.
No mucking around – police bounce it to SFO: https://www.police.govt.nz/news/release/response-electoral-commission-donations-enquiries
On previous form, the police and SFO will not be in any hurry. The whole system needs a reboot, a specific office with the capacity to act in weeks not months/years. A Labour-Green gov't should make it a priority.
But in the meantime, it will be quite funny to see National's Olympic gymnastics ("Simon Bridges has not been charged with a crime, ergo done nothing wrong, but anyone else not charged is guilty").
The police dealt with it in less than one day.
A truly outstanding demonstration of how to pass a hot potato.
If passing it on is "dealing with it", then every organisation satisfies customers just by saying: "thank you for your e-mail which we have forwarded to … ".
Hardly the point.
See almost every complaint about electoral law, for the past several elections. See the Ross complaint in 2017, which went nowhere for a year. It's not good enough.
And the precedent has been set. Party leaders, MPs and officials are untouchable in these SFO investigations.
The same will be true here.
The SFO might find it a bit more difficult charging Graeme Hart than a few small-time Chinese businessmen though…
Oh they will be quaking in their y-fronts. Until after the election, probably.
All hunky dory here, says Winnie..
https://twitter.com/thomasmanch/status/1226699042769395715
Monday, and this is probably the most fucked up thing I'll read all week.
Donald Trump wants to be president forever. He made that clear again with his tweet on Wednesday that featured campaign signs of Trump for President extending from 2020 to 2048. But that scenario is not going to happen, barring Trump being able to somehow suspend the 22nd Amendment of our Constitution.
It’s clear though that regardless of how long Trump remains in the White House, he and many in his base want Trumpism—a celebration of cruelty, bigotry, and sexism—to continue long after he’s gone. That helps explain Trump’s support for anti-Muslim bigot Laura Loomer, who is running for Congress in Florida’s 21st District—and, incredibly, is increasingly the likely GOP nominee. After all, anti-Muslim bigotry is one of the cornerstones of Trumpism.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/laura-loomer-trumpy-bigot-embraced-by-the-florida-gop-could-actually-get-to-congress
The biggest threat Trump (and to an extent Boris) poses is his undermining of 'faith' in the system….for everything relies upon that faith.
When it is lost there will be no warning.
Big ups to Taika Waititi for the Academy Award.
Yeah baby! Great movie.
Bob Jones (if they won't revoke the Knighthood I don't have to participate)
Let's remember exactly what the remarks were that precipitated Renae Maihi calling for that knighthood to be removed
Alan Duff is apparently going to convince the Judge how this is humorous. Because he obviously Maori, and therefore a good example of how inoffensive this actually is. God.
Of course you can make jokes about trees, but the delivery has to be wooden.
I had an awesome one about fish on the line, too, but it got away before I could show anyone.
On a more esoteric note, one of the most durable explanations about humour I read about ISTR comes from Darwin, who wrote that "laughter is the collision of two emotions". It might not cover every joke I ever heard, but the template of setting up an expectation and then overturning it and going in an unexpected direction is very common. It has even been paired down to one-liners (Henny Youngman) and tends to explain (through implicit expectations of conventional comedy at the time) why Monty Python's more surreal things like the fish-slapping dance maybe haven't aged quite so well as some of their other material.
Unbelievably, his lawyer (who I know personally!!!) claimed the sub-headline in the article, "time for a troll", as a defence.
I can only assume trolling, in the opinion of Mr Pilditch and Mr Jones, is nothing more than harmless banter.
I do hope the editors/owner of the NBR will be called to explain why they did not stand by the article if it was 'just a joke'.
Alan Duff will be Uncle Tomming his way into Bob Jones’ Men’s Club at this rate.
Likes to give shit, can't take it. Wimp.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10219116981819920&set=a.10208298627287818&type=3&theater
Oh dear!
To: Sanctuary
You are clearly a big asset to Aotearoa. The rest of us I regret to say, are lazy and useless in comparison to you Sanctuary.
Could you endeavour to teach us your profound success ?
Mind you, some of us are young and some are old. They listen to Music. But you don't need to count those.
i guess they have found their hand …..
https://youtu.be/WRd-IHyCV7I
Sabine you’re in premod until I figure out if there’s one Sabine or two commenting atm. Please see these three comments and reply there or here, thanks.