Pity Gisborne hasn’t got a train line.
Pity the Treasury doesn’t realise their net worth to society.
Pity neoliberalism doesn’t recognise something such as society.
Hardly suprising of Treasure for taking that stance — they have been wanting the rail network closed down for 25-30 years. That is why National sold it, because Treasury wanted a private company to come in and run it down over a decade (incidentally, apparently the government wanted the same to happen to Solid Energy).
This ridiculous announcement from Treasury comes on the back of a recommendation by them not to fund a Kiwi protection program. What do they prefer our national native bird become extinct?
Meanwhile long haul freight trucks sit waiting for the desert road to reopen due to heavy snow and ice closing the road. Toot toot the train breeze’s on by.
Meanwhile truck crashes like this mornings escalate as our roads get clogged with heavy frieght trucks. Ya just don’t stand a change in a car when a truck crosses the white line into your path;
These tenancy reforms are just window dressing and lack teeth to really protect vulnerable tenants.
And Key, Smith and English know it.
That’s why they’ve got their allies in the MSM to exaggerate it.
Not too sure how you can realistically prevent retaliatory eviction. A landlord can make up any reason he or she likes and a tenant cannot really prove otherwise.
This. The entire culture must be changed and, with NZ’s unsophisticated landlord class, that can only be done with legislation.
Penny Hulse says tenants might not be brave enough to tackle their landlord as if the tenant is at fault but almost all landlords will evict what they see as a troublesome tenant rather than spend actual money.
How does it make you feel that political movements that are meant to represent a change in the political and economic climate back down when confronted by economic and political reality?
You wouldn’t know economic and political reality if it jumped up and punched you in the face Gosman. You make that increasingly clear with every comment you post here.. Whenever anyone counters your perception of reality you scurry away and conveniently ignore posts that you can’t/won’t answer.
Stick with Whaleoil, it’s clearly much more appropriate for you.
I saw Gosman pretty much answer most posts yesterday. It seems to be people like Tracey who step down in to name calling once they can’t actually argue the point anymore. Just like Paul above. The guy who actually never says anything.
‘Old, white, wrinkled and angry, they are slipping from polite society in alarming numbers. We’re losing much of a generation. They often sport hats or other clothing, some marking their status as veterans, Tea Partyers or “patriots” of some kind or another. They have yellow flags, bumper stickers and an unquenchable rage. They used to be the brave men and women who took on America’s challenges, tackling the ’60s, the Cold War and the Reagan years — but now many are terrified by the idea of slightly more affordable healthcare and a very moderate Democrat in the White House.
We’re losing people like my father to the despair of Fox News, and it’s all by design.’
Depressed.
But I guess your anti-democratic viewpoint celebrates.
Even ore depressing that people like you have been captured by the extreme right wing media.
By your logic Key is a total and disgraceful failure who’s an insult to every voter in the country simply because we’re still waiting for the rebuild, the body recovery, and the brighter future.
It’s not economic or political reality – it’s what the banksters are demanding and could be over-ridden by the politicians if they a) had a spine and b) were working for the people and not the banksters.
The political and economic reality is that every single banker in the world today should be living in abject poverty due to their fuckups with all of their assets nationalised.
Yes the economic hit men described by Perkins do their best to undermine democracy.
Winning WW2 was a promise made.
It was hard to deliver on.
But it was worth standing up for democracy against fascism.
The Greeks are resisting totalitarian forces as well ( just dressed in bankers clothing).
And you support those against democracy.
Sad.
Sorry but a bit too busy at work (something the Greeks are probably unfamiliar with) to give the links the time they deserve but it is amusing to watch the capitulation of Greeces politicians
It wasn’t that long ago that the lefties of the world were praising the new Greek government and how it was goign to usher in a new era of socialism and that capitalism would be dead (or some such nonsense) and yet when it comes to the crunch Greece has just rolled over and displayed its belly
[Actually, he contributed to the conversation and your response was ‘too busy to respond’. If there’s anyone trolling this thread, it’s mostly likely you. TRP]
Wrong. Greece may have lived beyond it’s means but the Troika aren’t allowing them to correct the imbalance. They’re actually forcing Greece to default.
And then there’s the fact that people took risks in loaning that huge amount to Greece but you’re not lambasting them for taking that risk knowing that they may not get their money back. It’s a major point that’s come clear since the GFC – RWNJs expect the rich to be protected by government from the risks that the rich take.
Syriza has seen the light and decided to raise the white flag of surrender. The plan to be presented by Tsipras on Saturday will confirm it. Their radical followers will not be happy.
Gossie you’re quite the little scamp linking to vanityfair
Easies to see much you enjoy to put the boot into human beings especialeasies if you see them as being beneath you
Vanity is perfectly apt for those who live in an arrested state of personal development, and that is precisely what your comments and others such as yours, represent
I read that the British rail system has been sold and bought many times. Conservative governments sell it and Labour governments nationalise it.
Just as well the last NZ Labour government managed to buy the remnants of the privatised rail network in 2008 or it would have disappeared. Unfortunately, we will have to wait for the next left government to invest in it again. As Phil Twyford says, treasury [and this government] doesn’t understand transport economics.
That rumour would have come out of the snake oil department of the National Party and spread by the trucking lobby group their largest political donators.
Unfortunately for National and their mates readying themselves to dice and slice up another state owned treasure, the rising global oil prices and the weakening value of the South Pacific Pesos/NZ Dollar will stop this scam.
How does a cyclist bully a car driver?
Well start with a car driver who puts a camera on their car, then drives up behind a cyclist to get a good shot. Forcing the cyclist over onto the striped shoulder, thus breaking road rules, as the cyclist is fearful of the car getting to close behind them. Now for the threat, the one lane leads into a roundabout, and the cyclist wants to go right, so the evil bullying cyclist puts their hand out to indicate and then has the temerity to frustratingly speed off. This was called by the media presentor as a case of cyclist on car bullying, nice one tv3. Because as we all know the road is for road users not cyclists.
The case of the red light runner.
Should a cyclist run red lights, well let the test case begins,because I’d like to see cyclists come to a red, get off their bikes walk their bike forward over the white line quite legally, and then jump back on to ride off. Bad law that is so easily mocked is just that bad road rules written by idiots, pedestrians cross roads all the time where ever and whenever, even where unsafe and cars have a duty to slow down. Cyclists are pedestrians, like a skateboarder, or a oldie in the motorize scooter, they are all to slow to be vehicles proper, and so nuance stances differentiating each kind of pedestrian because some kinds of pedestrians happen to fear cars more as they are closer to drivers is not justificating for tv3 to misinterpret the duty of all vehicles to slow down to avoid crashes however legally a cyclist maybe or not.
So real cases of suicidal cycling behaviour, laughable when you think about it, since its doing the cyclist a favor to dob them to the police when they have such a reckless disregard for their own safety, but given most cyclist spend their time in one or other phase of terror or fear due to drivers being told by media they are road vehicles. No they are pedestrians, unstable, moving slowly and have a right to be on the road.
Cyclists should definitely NOT run red lights when the pedestrian crossing lights are on. When I lived in Grey Lynn I came close to being bowled several times by cyclists when trying to cross. And if you think that bicycles are any less scary than cars when you’re a pedestrian, let me tell you it isn’t so, from my point of view, anyway!
A car will kill, I’ve not heard of a cyclist on walker death yet.
Cars, mopeds all weigh more and run on fuel, etc than a pedestrian. Cycles weigh less than the rider, that’s the point of cycles, to be efficient they need to be that wat, thus the purpose of a cycle is tied to the individual being the power source, like a jogger, like a skate boarder, and sure all activities have their risks and learning, like old people who have stability problems from sitting behind the wheel all their lives.
By the sounds of it, the driver was a dick. But to call cyclists (and skateboarders) “pedestrians” is a bit special – they go at twice the speed with half the control. And pedestrians walking three abreast along the road, holding up traffic, would be done for obstruction of the road.
A jogger is not a pedestrian because even though they run as fast as many cyclists, their foot ware, even when shoe less,makes them a road vehicle. Pathetic
Those who travel under their own power are by defn pedestrian, as opposed to horse powered. Sticking to the nuances to skate boarders, roller skaters, cyclists, of zimmerframers, does not make cyclists something other, they are pedestrians, they can get off their cycle, lift their bike above their heads and walk legally across a road, unless jaywalking. So nah. Now an oldie would fall over if they lifted their summer over their heads, bloody dangerous oldies are.
No, actually cite a dictionary definition that includes something like “Pedestrian: one who walks, runs, skateboards, rides a bicycle, pole vaults, or travels in any other way involving their foot. Oh, and wheelchairs and handcycles“. Don’t just make shit up.
If we’re on foot, pushing our bikes, sure. But if we’re riding our bikes, we’re very much not pedestrians – which is why the word ‘cyclist’ exists in the first place.
As for the incredibly stupid idea that our roads or road users, other pedestrians or drivers aren’t going to go in for rapid self education, and so the present learning, mutual respect transition is not going to b the norm.
Rather cyclist are learning to give way to old people, who have the hardest time predicting these new users of public space.
Cyclist are more like pedestrians, especially when they can jump off their bike, a road vehicle is still a road vecihle that you don’t see being pushed around.
I fine the clueslessness of those who equate cyclists with lorries and not pedestrians a joke on the lamest of TV shock presenters who like to peddle stupid.
“Sedate” – if only that were true. I’ve been slipstreamed by a cyclist on my motor scooter.
“Under one’s own power” – using mechanical advantage. A crossbow or air rifle is closer to a firearm than a stick.
I can push my motor scooter around, but if I hit someone even at 20k it’s still my damned fault, and it doesn’t help people when I say I’m “learning to give way”.
A mate of mine was clocked by a cyclist a few weeks ago. On the footpath. Lost a tooth.
Yeah, nah. You choose the stupid contraption, at least have the decency to endanger other people less than you endanger yourself.
Funny.
When classifying my motor scooter from a motorbike, the criteria are power output and top speed. They don’t care whether it’s petrol, steam, foot, solar or nuclear powered.
Redefine “pedestrian” all you want. It still doesn’t change how the rest of the population use the English language.
People in wheelchairs are not pedestrian. Lol
Walkways have signs barring cyclists, not cars, but pedel bikes because they are pedestrians who should not be doing that activity in tht pedestrian area. I.e pedel bikes are pedestrians allowed outside those areas. Just classes of motor vehicle are restricted in certain roads.
Undertaking any pedel pedestrian, note the ped- probably some latin for movement by foot effort.
Well, cars usually either don’t fit or drivers have the sense to not drive down the walkway. And of course wheelchairs are an exception to the rule, not proof.
But it’s pretty clear that you haven’t managed to find a legitimate, authoritative, published definition of “pedestrian” that includes cyclists, otherwise you’d have linked it chapter and verse. Not even in that abomination that is Websters.
The Food and Grocery Council says a study calling for a 20 percent increase on staples such as bread, milk and cereal is lunacy.
The study by Auckland and Otago universities found taxing foods high in saturated fat and salt could save the lives of more than 2,400 people per year.
And Comments are open on RadioNz on this topic. Why not participate in the new on-line blog – follow the news link above, read the item and at the bottom click on the invitation to join the blog at the bottom. Easy.
I wanted to underline where I have put strikeout, put u in and nothing happened and the instruction disappeared, replaced it with s in the same way and okay. How do you underline then? Is it still working? Can anyone advise me please?
Bread, that really high fat food :roll:. That list of foods is about carbohydrates, and yes they’re a problem in the diet healthwise, but punishing poor people isn’t the way to solve that. On the other hand, Katherine Rich.
Maybe, just maybe John Campbell might rise again?
John Drinnan reports:
“Television New Zealand has been chasing John Campbell to work on TV One, according to a source. The approaches go back to before MediaWorks ended the Campbell Live show on May 29…..unlike other big-name broadcasters, Campbell has not insisted on mega pay packages. Campbell is also a notoriously hard worker…” http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11478331
The Labour Party is making plans for its 100th year celebration and amongst other things is planning a competition for a new logo.
How has no-one had more fun with this!
Here are some suggestions:
A cricket, makes lots of noise and has no ears.
A sloth, knows when it is in trouble, but too slow to react.
Apple Maps, knows where they want to go, but have no idea how to get there.
Henry VIII, when they don’t like how things are going, off with your head.
A fireman, good at sliding down polls.
Then National could get a new logo:
Half full paddling pool, shallow and only let’s you keep your head slightly above water.
Smiling clown, oh wait, they already have one as a leader, that won’t work…
Knights jousting, self important people lead by polls
The Greens:
A watermelon (obviously)
A printing press, conveys their monetary policy simply to the masses
Trees surrounded by $$$, blah blah blah, Green economy
The Conservatives:
A snake in long grass…wait, they used that last campaign
ACT:
Who cares! Only the people of Epsom will ever see it anyway
United Future:
Who cares! Only the people of Ohariu will ever see it anyway
NZ First:
Winston Peters face, explains the party to anyone that has taken even a passing interest in politics over the past 37 years
30 years after France bombed the Rainbow Warrior, I would say we are as close to having an accidental nuclear exchange as we probably were during the early 1980’s.
Wars are in progress in the Middle East. No one seems to have a clue how to deal with them. Anti-_________ hysteria is high and rising and communication between the major powers seems to be constantly negative. Progress towards nuclear disarmament seems to have stalled.
But just for today, lets remember the fact that a supposed western ally bombed a ship doing nothing wrong in Auckland harbour because the activist organization that owned it supported (and still supports) nuclear disarmament.
… and that being part of the 5-nations spying club didn’t extend to our intelligence “allies” telling us that a terrorist attack/act of war was about to be committed against us on our home territory.
So many lessons to be learned from that one act of violence.
There are stories behind the Rainbow Warrior bombing era that have never been told. Like the hundred’s of people who were ‘punished’ for being associated with the anti-nuclear movement. If you were a public servant you were denied promotion and in a few cases hounded out of your job. Some people became persona-non-gratis for years afterwards. I had the impression the ‘establishment’ of the day blamed the anti-nuclear protesters for the French terrorist act in the first place.
I was told years later there were NZers who were assisting the French but to my knowledge there was no effort to track them down and punish them. I wonder why. They had friends in high places?
+100 Anne …and there were anti-nuclear activists murdered in Britain…this is also the untold story…Hilda Murrell was just one very brave activist…and her story by Robert Green (her nephew now living in New Zealand) also talks about the other unsolved murders of anti nuclear activists. This book is highly recommended!
Yes, I followed the story of Hilda Murrell and in particular Robert Green’s attempts to get to the bottom of her murder. He is another one who was ‘punished’ because of his Aunt’s involvement in the anti-nuclear movement. He was subjected to trumped charges of ‘treason’ when he was a senior British naval officer. I had a similar charge levelled at me in the NZ Public Service late in the 1980s. It had its genesis in my previous association with the anti-nuclear movement.
These are the sort of ‘stories’ I am referring to @12.1.1
Commemoration of sorts to be held down at the Cloud, Auckland waterfront. Invitation from Greenpeace in my email box:
On Friday this week is the 30th anniversary of the Rainbow Warrior bombing. We want you to join us on Auckland’s waterfront to mark it with a celebration of courage.
The 1985 bombing of the Warrior in Auckland Harbour is now part of New Zealand’s and Greenpeace’s history. It united us in standing against the threat of a nuclear future and inspired us to lead the world as a nuclear-free country.
So with a series of events starting on Friday, and continuing over the weekend, we are marking the anniversary with a celebration of courage – the brave acts, both large and small, that change the world.
Photo Exhibition: 30 Acts of Courage – Tracing the history of activism in New Zealand
We would love for you to join us for the opening of the exhibition at 10:30am on Friday 10 July, at The Cloud on Queens Wharf. If you can’t make the opening, please do visit the exhibition over the weekend.
Workshop: Courage Works – How YOU can change the world
Also at The Cloud on Sunday 12 July, for the very first time in New Zealand, we will offer insight into the tactics, training and thinking Greenpeace and others have used before taking action. Join us for these one-off, interactive, hands-on workshops to get a closer look at how to change the world, and why we should all be doing it.
The workshops will be held at the following times:
1. Sunday 12 July @ 9:00am – 12:30pm
2. Sunday 12 July @ 1:00pm – 4:30pm
All events are completely free and open to everyone, so come and join in!
You will have to contact Greenpeace NZ to book into the workshops.
Greece should be cut loose and taste bankruptcy. Unfortunately, the EU wants to keep its political dream alive and will lend some money under harsher terms. The merry-go-round goes on.
Can anyone advise me how to put up links to youtube without the panel showing up and dwarfing the post? This didn’t use to happen. Should I disable the link slightly with instructions on setting it right – ie put three spaces in the middle of it or something?
What are others doing? I find it annoying to look down the post and get a large grey oblong taking up half the screen.
On my browser (firefox) your comment on the rail post contains the youtube previews (ie pictures of trains with a ‘press here’ arrow. They all look magnificent!
It was something that started with a wordpress upgrade a while back. You can’t do anything about it* (the link showing as a live video window). I guess we can be grateful that they don’t auto play 😉 I think Lynn had it on his list of things to fix.
I found it pretty annoying when it first happened, all that extra scrolling. But now I like that I get a hint as to what is in the vid seeing as how so many people now like to link without explaining what they’re linking to :-
lprent
Could you also tell me if the underline on HTML still works for you?. I tried to use it instead of the italics I usually use and my system wouldn’t accept the u. So I experimented with strike-through and that worked okay. I’m on Firefox don’t know what version.
Thanks all for discussing the youtube preview business.
TRP said that putting the links up with brackets round them ( ) stops them coming as preview and automatically ‘blocking’ the comment. In my case I put up a large number of links and had them all previewing from here to the moon. So I will be keeping all that has been said in mind to handle it in the future as I want. I prefer just the link line, and I take the point that a short note about it is needed.
DUE TO THE FLU .COUGHS AND COLDS THE WORLD FAMOUS IN CAMBRIDGE LABOUR PARTY STALL WILL NOT BE THERE THIS SUNDAY.
WE WILL BE BACK NEXT MONTH..OUR APOLOGIES.FROM CAMBRIDGE MEMBERS.
[lprent: Never let it be said that I didn’t support small Labour branches 😈 ]
“A second data breach at the US Office of Personnel Management has affected 21.5 million people, with the hackers stealing sensitive information such as Social Security numbers and putting them at risk of identity theft, the agency announced.
Notably, the agency said that this incident is “separate but related” to the one that saw 4.2 million former and current government employees personnel data compromised…
WTF I wanted to look up a public collection of old records i.e. the NZ Year Book 1969 and I am advised it is on a secure channel and protected by Sockets something. To get a look at it I have to do this or that. Government gone mad? This is public information not the secrets of the crown jewels. Yet I just can’t click on and check out info. easy-as?
Another round of it and I’m really liking it. Again it’s Japanese women who are leading the charge. Something to do with a violently male dominated society maybe? Or is it the economy where by these women are at the forefront of a almost perpetual recession? I don’t know – all I know is I love this song!
It’s a bit disturbing as an atheist for me to be so enthusiastic about the Pope, but he is sooo on to it!
“Pope Francis on Thursday urged the downtrodden to change the world economic order, denouncing a “new colonialism” by agencies that impose austerity programs and calling for the poor to have the “sacred rights” of labor, lodging and land.
Quoting a fourth century bishop, he called the unfettered pursuit of money “the dung of the devil,” and said poor countries should not be reduced to being providers of raw material and cheap labor for developed countries.”
Open access notables A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North, van Wijngaarden et al., Climatic Change:The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased ...
Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On ...
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
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New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
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For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
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This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
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Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
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Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
Photo by Alvan Nee on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...
Buzz from the Beehive One minister is talking tough while a colleague – whose ministry had acted tough and drawn a barrage of flak – has shown an official softening. Some ministers are doing what Labour was good at, which is distributing public funds to causes regarded as worthy or ...
A ballot for 4 Member's Bills was held today, and the following bills were drawn: Insurance Contracts Bill (Duncan Webb) Income Tax (Clean Transport FBT Exclusion) Amendment Bill (Julie Anne Genter) Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill (Greg Fleming) Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) ...
One of the strongest narratives about "our" spy agencies is that they are basically institutional traitors, working for foreign powers (or just themselves), without any control or oversight by the elected government. And today, we have yet another report from the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security which explicitly confirms this. ...
“It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April to meet the Prime Minister’s ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Miller-Jones, Professor, Curtin University Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets. Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, CC BY-SA How fast can a neutron star drive powerful jets into space? The answer, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The federal government has bowed to pressure from the car industry, announcing it will relax proposed emissions rules for utes and vans and delay enforcement of the new standards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney In his latest book, Jewish Life in Medieval Spain, Jonathan Ray focuses on the tumult of the 14th century in Spain – a time of the plague, civil strife and war between the two largest ...
While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata Māori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is “far-off sight”. In the contemporary and living language of te reo Māori, “whakaata” as a ...
Yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. This significant step and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza prompted an urgent debate in the New Zealand Parliament. Leader ...
The Government’s decision to reduce access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) not only threatens the lives of children with type 1 diabetes and increases the potential for ‘Dead in Bed’ syndrome, but also threatens the health of their parents an ...
Apples are available year-round, but the wide variety on offer involves intensive scientific research – and large-scale commercialisation. What’s beautiful, red, sweet and crunchy? Tony Martin’s favourite kind of apple: Sassy. The CEO of apple and pear breeding organisation Prevar, Martin’s fondness for Sassy represents professional success as well as ...
Family violence specialist service Shine is calling on employers to stop asking for proof of domestic violence in order for employees to access domestic violence leave. The call comes five years after the introduction of the Domestic Violence ...
The Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for public submissions on the Budget Policy Statement 2024. The Budget Policy Statement 2024 (BPS) sets out the Government's priorities for the 2024 Budget. It explains the approach ...
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Pity Gisborne hasn’t got a train line.
Pity the Treasury doesn’t realise their net worth to society.
Pity neoliberalism doesn’t recognise something such as society.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/278388/cold-causes-road-closures-across-north-island
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/278387/'give-kiwirail-certainty'-greens
Hardly suprising of Treasure for taking that stance — they have been wanting the rail network closed down for 25-30 years. That is why National sold it, because Treasury wanted a private company to come in and run it down over a decade (incidentally, apparently the government wanted the same to happen to Solid Energy).
This ridiculous announcement from Treasury comes on the back of a recommendation by them not to fund a Kiwi protection program. What do they prefer our national native bird become extinct?
Meanwhile long haul freight trucks sit waiting for the desert road to reopen due to heavy snow and ice closing the road. Toot toot the train breeze’s on by.
http://m.nzherald.co.nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11478334&ref=mobile
brilliant
Meanwhile truck crashes like this mornings escalate as our roads get clogged with heavy frieght trucks. Ya just don’t stand a change in a car when a truck crosses the white line into your path;
http://i.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/70119954/truck-carrying-hazardous-substances-rolls-in-waikato
These tenancy reforms are just window dressing and lack teeth to really protect vulnerable tenants.
And Key, Smith and English know it.
That’s why they’ve got their allies in the MSM to exaggerate it.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/278386/tenants-worried-about-new-rental-laws
Not too sure how you can realistically prevent retaliatory eviction. A landlord can make up any reason he or she likes and a tenant cannot really prove otherwise.
This. The entire culture must be changed and, with NZ’s unsophisticated landlord class, that can only be done with legislation.
Penny Hulse says tenants might not be brave enough to tackle their landlord as if the tenant is at fault but almost all landlords will evict what they see as a troublesome tenant rather than spend actual money.
The best way to do it though is full state housing. Get rid of the private landlords altogether.
Looks like Syriza has realised that their economy would be more poked if they left 5 he Eurozone.
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/jul/09/greece-debt-crisis-athens-accepts-harsh-austerity-as-bailout-deal-nears
I see the shill for the international banksters has arrived.
How does it feel to be a spokesperson for the 0.1% ?
How does it make you feel that political movements that are meant to represent a change in the political and economic climate back down when confronted by economic and political reality?
You wouldn’t know economic and political reality if it jumped up and punched you in the face Gosman. You make that increasingly clear with every comment you post here.. Whenever anyone counters your perception of reality you scurry away and conveniently ignore posts that you can’t/won’t answer.
Stick with Whaleoil, it’s clearly much more appropriate for you.
I saw Gosman pretty much answer most posts yesterday. It seems to be people like Tracey who step down in to name calling once they can’t actually argue the point anymore. Just like Paul above. The guy who actually never says anything.
Paul is a bot.
Does this describe BM, Gosman and infused?
‘Old, white, wrinkled and angry, they are slipping from polite society in alarming numbers. We’re losing much of a generation. They often sport hats or other clothing, some marking their status as veterans, Tea Partyers or “patriots” of some kind or another. They have yellow flags, bumper stickers and an unquenchable rage. They used to be the brave men and women who took on America’s challenges, tackling the ’60s, the Cold War and the Reagan years — but now many are terrified by the idea of slightly more affordable healthcare and a very moderate Democrat in the White House.
We’re losing people like my father to the despair of Fox News, and it’s all by design.’
http://www.salon.com/2014/02/27/i_lost_my_dad_to_fox_news_how_a_generation_was_captured_by_thrashing_hysteria/
I’m 30 for a start. Again, not saying anything. Just a copy/paste.
So a creature of neoliberalism.
You weren’t alive when NZ society cared.
Give him a break – he went to some trouble to prove your point…
Depressed.
But I guess your anti-democratic viewpoint celebrates.
Even ore depressing that people like you have been captured by the extreme right wing media.
“back down”?
Corporate tax increases slightly less than they wanted, something else a year earlier than planned, all for 53B in bailout loans?
Wow, it’s almost as if they played a bit of brinkmanship in order to negotiate in the real world.
FOG
If you think this was what people voted for in Greece then we are not so far in our economic philosophy.
By your logic Key is a total and disgraceful failure who’s an insult to every voter in the country simply because we’re still waiting for the rebuild, the body recovery, and the brighter future.
Economic philosophy has nothing to do with it.
Oh shit, I forgot for a moment that you’re the guy who thinks that fighting is pointless if it won’t lead to immediate victory.
It’s not economic or political reality – it’s what the banksters are demanding and could be over-ridden by the politicians if they a) had a spine and b) were working for the people and not the banksters.
The political and economic reality is that every single banker in the world today should be living in abject poverty due to their fuckups with all of their assets nationalised.
Its very easy to make promises but its another thing entirely to have to keep them as Greece has found out
Yes the economic hit men described by Perkins do their best to undermine democracy.
Winning WW2 was a promise made.
It was hard to deliver on.
But it was worth standing up for democracy against fascism.
The Greeks are resisting totalitarian forces as well ( just dressed in bankers clothing).
And you support those against democracy.
Sad.
No, its about a country that lived way beyond its means and didn’t want to deal with the reality of its situation until it was forced to
I think Morrissey has suggested to you before that you read more widely rather than accepting what Fox News tells you without question.
Here a couple of stating points.
Thomas Piketty
http://www.thenation.com/article/austerity-has-failed-an-open-letter-from-thomas-piketty-to-angela-merkel/
Joseph Stiglitz
http://europe.newsweek.com/joseph-stiglitz-calls-us-intervene-over-greece-330069
Sorry but a bit too busy at work (something the Greeks are probably unfamiliar with) to give the links the time they deserve but it is amusing to watch the capitulation of Greeces politicians
It wasn’t that long ago that the lefties of the world were praising the new Greek government and how it was goign to usher in a new era of socialism and that capitalism would be dead (or some such nonsense) and yet when it comes to the crunch Greece has just rolled over and displayed its belly
Until you are prepared to read wider, I just can’t be bothered discussing issues like this with you.
You’re a troll
[Actually, he contributed to the conversation and your response was ‘too busy to respond’. If there’s anyone trolling this thread, it’s mostly likely you. TRP]
It’s a problem when you are too busy to “listen” but always have a moment or two from work to “speak”.
Or perhaps you don’t see a problem there at all…
Its easier, especially when busy, to type out a couple of lines than it is to read through a few pages of opinion of why the Greeks are screwed
“something the Greeks are probably unfamiliar with”
Given more than a quarter of the Greek workforce is unemployed thanks to failed austerity.
Wrong. Greece may have lived beyond it’s means but the Troika aren’t allowing them to correct the imbalance. They’re actually forcing Greece to default.
And then there’s the fact that people took risks in loaning that huge amount to Greece but you’re not lambasting them for taking that risk knowing that they may not get their money back. It’s a major point that’s come clear since the GFC – RWNJs expect the rich to be protected by government from the risks that the rich take.
So much for the hard line by the German’s as they capitulate;
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/11730086/Greek-deal-in-sight-as-Germany-bows-to-huge-global-pressure-for-debt-relief.html
Syriza has seen the light and decided to raise the white flag of surrender. The plan to be presented by Tsipras on Saturday will confirm it. Their radical followers will not be happy.
The radicals don’t pay the bills
Bullshit Puckish Rogue 👿
those with wealth and the church, primarily right wing that have the problem paying their dues.
Well I don’t have a problem with the churches and the wealthy being held to account
Yes you do or you’d be cheering Syriza and Greece on to default.
No-one forced Greece to live beyond their means
No one forced the people to loan Greece the money to live beyond their means.
Except it wasn’t just the elite and wealthy ripping off the State in Greece. It was almost everyone. Read this article from Vanity Fair
http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2010/10/greeks-bearing-bonds-201010
Except it wasn’t just the elite and wealthy ripping off the State in Greece. It was almost everyone. Read this article from Vanity Fair
http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2010/10/greeks-bearing-bonds-201010
The difference being that today, the top 10% in Greece are still doing fine, while the bottom 50% are struggling in poverty.
And Germany is still handsomely profiting off the euro system.
Could it be because the Germans are hard-working people?
How is it that racist memes slip so easily out of your mouth?
And why haven’t those “hard working Germans” paid back the monies they owe Greece for World War 2, if they are so hard working?
working hours in Europe are not what you think.
Gossie you’re quite the little scamp linking to vanityfair
Easies to see much you enjoy to put the boot into human beings especialeasies if you see them as being beneath you
Vanity is perfectly apt for those who live in an arrested state of personal development, and that is precisely what your comments and others such as yours, represent
Big yucky eewww
According to the Globe and Mail’s new doodad the NDP are now narrow favourites to win the most seats in the upcoming Canadian Federal Election.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ndp-most-likely-to-win-election-globe-model-predicts/article25372657/
I read that the British rail system has been sold and bought many times. Conservative governments sell it and Labour governments nationalise it.
Just as well the last NZ Labour government managed to buy the remnants of the privatised rail network in 2008 or it would have disappeared. Unfortunately, we will have to wait for the next left government to invest in it again. As Phil Twyford says, treasury [and this government] doesn’t understand transport economics.
My partner works in distribution using road, rail and shipping.
Apparently the latest rumour is that rail freight is on the way out and will be wound down.
Anyone with links to rail freight in NZ know more?
That rumour would have come out of the snake oil department of the National Party and spread by the trucking lobby group their largest political donators.
Unfortunately for National and their mates readying themselves to dice and slice up another state owned treasure, the rising global oil prices and the weakening value of the South Pacific Pesos/NZ Dollar will stop this scam.
No worries. Just found it on the Herald: Closure of most of KiwiRail was an option if company didn’t get more public funding.
This scenario seems very familiar…. and like you, Skinny, think it is another preparation to sell off our investment in it.
… and just saw the thread from last night.
How does a cyclist bully a car driver?
Well start with a car driver who puts a camera on their car, then drives up behind a cyclist to get a good shot. Forcing the cyclist over onto the striped shoulder, thus breaking road rules, as the cyclist is fearful of the car getting to close behind them. Now for the threat, the one lane leads into a roundabout, and the cyclist wants to go right, so the evil bullying cyclist puts their hand out to indicate and then has the temerity to frustratingly speed off. This was called by the media presentor as a case of cyclist on car bullying, nice one tv3. Because as we all know the road is for road users not cyclists.
The case of the red light runner.
Should a cyclist run red lights, well let the test case begins,because I’d like to see cyclists come to a red, get off their bikes walk their bike forward over the white line quite legally, and then jump back on to ride off. Bad law that is so easily mocked is just that bad road rules written by idiots, pedestrians cross roads all the time where ever and whenever, even where unsafe and cars have a duty to slow down. Cyclists are pedestrians, like a skateboarder, or a oldie in the motorize scooter, they are all to slow to be vehicles proper, and so nuance stances differentiating each kind of pedestrian because some kinds of pedestrians happen to fear cars more as they are closer to drivers is not justificating for tv3 to misinterpret the duty of all vehicles to slow down to avoid crashes however legally a cyclist maybe or not.
So real cases of suicidal cycling behaviour, laughable when you think about it, since its doing the cyclist a favor to dob them to the police when they have such a reckless disregard for their own safety, but given most cyclist spend their time in one or other phase of terror or fear due to drivers being told by media they are road vehicles. No they are pedestrians, unstable, moving slowly and have a right to be on the road.
Cyclists should definitely NOT run red lights when the pedestrian crossing lights are on. When I lived in Grey Lynn I came close to being bowled several times by cyclists when trying to cross. And if you think that bicycles are any less scary than cars when you’re a pedestrian, let me tell you it isn’t so, from my point of view, anyway!
A car will kill, I’ve not heard of a cyclist on walker death yet.
Cars, mopeds all weigh more and run on fuel, etc than a pedestrian. Cycles weigh less than the rider, that’s the point of cycles, to be efficient they need to be that wat, thus the purpose of a cycle is tied to the individual being the power source, like a jogger, like a skate boarder, and sure all activities have their risks and learning, like old people who have stability problems from sitting behind the wheel all their lives.
By the sounds of it, the driver was a dick. But to call cyclists (and skateboarders) “pedestrians” is a bit special – they go at twice the speed with half the control. And pedestrians walking three abreast along the road, holding up traffic, would be done for obstruction of the road.
Stay on the road, and obey the road rules.
A jogger is not a pedestrian because even though they run as fast as many cyclists, their foot ware, even when shoe less,makes them a road vehicle. Pathetic
Joggers can stop and turn more easily than cyclists, and they don’t have the mechanical advantage of gears and wheels.
Stop pretending that cyclists are no more dangerous to pedestrians than joggers.
Those who travel under their own power are by defn pedestrian, as opposed to horse powered. Sticking to the nuances to skate boarders, roller skaters, cyclists, of zimmerframers, does not make cyclists something other, they are pedestrians, they can get off their cycle, lift their bike above their heads and walk legally across a road, unless jaywalking. So nah. Now an oldie would fall over if they lifted their summer over their heads, bloody dangerous oldies are.
cite pls.
Pedestrian is any travel by foot, cyclists use their feet to travel, ergo cyclists are pedestrians. Geez
No, actually cite a dictionary definition that includes something like “Pedestrian: one who walks, runs, skateboards, rides a bicycle, pole vaults, or travels in any other way involving their foot. Oh, and wheelchairs and handcycles“. Don’t just make shit up.
Cyclists are pedestrians…
If we’re on foot, pushing our bikes, sure. But if we’re riding our bikes, we’re very much not pedestrians – which is why the word ‘cyclist’ exists in the first place.
Pedestrian, sedate, under ones own power.
As for the incredibly stupid idea that our roads or road users, other pedestrians or drivers aren’t going to go in for rapid self education, and so the present learning, mutual respect transition is not going to b the norm.
Rather cyclist are learning to give way to old people, who have the hardest time predicting these new users of public space.
Cyclist are more like pedestrians, especially when they can jump off their bike, a road vehicle is still a road vecihle that you don’t see being pushed around.
I fine the clueslessness of those who equate cyclists with lorries and not pedestrians a joke on the lamest of TV shock presenters who like to peddle stupid.
“Sedate” – if only that were true. I’ve been slipstreamed by a cyclist on my motor scooter.
“Under one’s own power” – using mechanical advantage. A crossbow or air rifle is closer to a firearm than a stick.
I can push my motor scooter around, but if I hit someone even at 20k it’s still my damned fault, and it doesn’t help people when I say I’m “learning to give way”.
A mate of mine was clocked by a cyclist a few weeks ago. On the footpath. Lost a tooth.
Yeah, nah. You choose the stupid contraption, at least have the decency to endanger other people less than you endanger yourself.
A stick will explode if you use enough force, does that make comparisons to fire arms apt, no.
When qualifying transport types its commonsense to specify the energy source and categories accordingly. Cyclists are pedestrians.
Funny.
When classifying my motor scooter from a motorbike, the criteria are power output and top speed. They don’t care whether it’s petrol, steam, foot, solar or nuclear powered.
Redefine “pedestrian” all you want. It still doesn’t change how the rest of the population use the English language.
You can read yet never understand
Cyclists use foot work to travel and so are by definition under travel by foot.
Geez.
No, they travel by bicycle. Unless they carry the bike, rather than the other way around.
People in wheelchairs are not pedestrian. Lol
Walkways have signs barring cyclists, not cars, but pedel bikes because they are pedestrians who should not be doing that activity in tht pedestrian area. I.e pedel bikes are pedestrians allowed outside those areas. Just classes of motor vehicle are restricted in certain roads.
Undertaking any pedel pedestrian, note the ped- probably some latin for movement by foot effort.
Well, cars usually either don’t fit or drivers have the sense to not drive down the walkway. And of course wheelchairs are an exception to the rule, not proof.
But it’s pretty clear that you haven’t managed to find a legitimate, authoritative, published definition of “pedestrian” that includes cyclists, otherwise you’d have linked it chapter and verse. Not even in that abomination that is Websters.
Oh look, a picture of three pedestrians (one of them’s flying, btw):
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/Gossamer_Albatross_II_in_flight.jpg
Democracy dying under John Key’s extreme right wing government.
No say for the public in his crony capitalist Sky City deal.
http://m.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11478751
How unreasonable. A NZ judge told a defendant that accepting under the table payments from suppliers to his employer was wrong. The company that he was working for did ‘deserve his undivided loyalty’.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/regional/278421/wine-merchant-sentenced-over-fraud-charges
Tell that to our PM Yek and his fellow freebooters.
and – What an inappropriate suggestion at a time of poverty and distress by many who can’t afford to go to university, or eat healthily, by university wonks on dietary faults!
http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/201761861
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/278409/taxing-bread-%27is-lunacy%27
The Food and Grocery Council says a study calling for a
20 percent increase on staples such as bread, milk and cerealis lunacy.The study by Auckland and Otago universities found taxing foods high in saturated fat and salt could save the lives of more than 2,400 people per year.
And Comments are open on RadioNz on this topic. Why not participate in the new on-line blog – follow the news link above, read the item and at the bottom click on the invitation to join the blog at the bottom. Easy.
I wanted to underline where I have put strikeout, put u in and nothing happened and the instruction disappeared, replaced it with s in the same way and okay. How do you underline then? Is it still working? Can anyone advise me please?
Bread, that really high fat food :roll:. That list of foods is about carbohydrates, and yes they’re a problem in the diet healthwise, but punishing poor people isn’t the way to solve that. On the other hand, Katherine Rich.
Maybe, just maybe John Campbell might rise again?
John Drinnan reports:
“Television New Zealand has been chasing John Campbell to work on TV One, according to a source. The approaches go back to before MediaWorks ended the Campbell Live show on May 29…..unlike other big-name broadcasters, Campbell has not insisted on mega pay packages. Campbell is also a notoriously hard worker…”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11478331
The Labour Party is making plans for its 100th year celebration and amongst other things is planning a competition for a new logo.
How has no-one had more fun with this!
Here are some suggestions:
A cricket, makes lots of noise and has no ears.
A sloth, knows when it is in trouble, but too slow to react.
Apple Maps, knows where they want to go, but have no idea how to get there.
Henry VIII, when they don’t like how things are going, off with your head.
A fireman, good at sliding down polls.
Then National could get a new logo:
Half full paddling pool, shallow and only let’s you keep your head slightly above water.
Smiling clown, oh wait, they already have one as a leader, that won’t work…
Knights jousting, self important people lead by polls
The Greens:
A watermelon (obviously)
A printing press, conveys their monetary policy simply to the masses
Trees surrounded by $$$, blah blah blah, Green economy
The Conservatives:
A snake in long grass…wait, they used that last campaign
ACT:
Who cares! Only the people of Epsom will ever see it anyway
United Future:
Who cares! Only the people of Ohariu will ever see it anyway
NZ First:
Winston Peters face, explains the party to anyone that has taken even a passing interest in politics over the past 37 years
This is a great game!
30 years after France bombed the Rainbow Warrior, I would say we are as close to having an accidental nuclear exchange as we probably were during the early 1980’s.
Wars are in progress in the Middle East. No one seems to have a clue how to deal with them. Anti-_________ hysteria is high and rising and communication between the major powers seems to be constantly negative. Progress towards nuclear disarmament seems to have stalled.
But just for today, lets remember the fact that a supposed western ally bombed a ship doing nothing wrong in Auckland harbour because the activist organization that owned it supported (and still supports) nuclear disarmament.
… and that being part of the 5-nations spying club didn’t extend to our intelligence “allies” telling us that a terrorist attack/act of war was about to be committed against us on our home territory.
So many lessons to be learned from that one act of violence.
There are stories behind the Rainbow Warrior bombing era that have never been told. Like the hundred’s of people who were ‘punished’ for being associated with the anti-nuclear movement. If you were a public servant you were denied promotion and in a few cases hounded out of your job. Some people became persona-non-gratis for years afterwards. I had the impression the ‘establishment’ of the day blamed the anti-nuclear protesters for the French terrorist act in the first place.
I was told years later there were NZers who were assisting the French but to my knowledge there was no effort to track them down and punish them. I wonder why. They had friends in high places?
+100 Anne …and there were anti-nuclear activists murdered in Britain…this is also the untold story…Hilda Murrell was just one very brave activist…and her story by Robert Green (her nephew now living in New Zealand) also talks about the other unsolved murders of anti nuclear activists. This book is highly recommended!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Thorn-Their-Side-Threatened-Murdered/dp/1782194282
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilda_Murrell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtTVO6YdIQo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7lSnFdWxUY
Helen Clark showed great courage when she supported the anti nuclear cause…as did Marilyn Waring and later David Lange
Yes, I followed the story of Hilda Murrell and in particular Robert Green’s attempts to get to the bottom of her murder. He is another one who was ‘punished’ because of his Aunt’s involvement in the anti-nuclear movement. He was subjected to trumped charges of ‘treason’ when he was a senior British naval officer. I had a similar charge levelled at me in the NZ Public Service late in the 1980s. It had its genesis in my previous association with the anti-nuclear movement.
These are the sort of ‘stories’ I am referring to @12.1.1
Who was in power then Anne?
Commemoration of sorts to be held down at the Cloud, Auckland waterfront. Invitation from Greenpeace in my email box:
On Friday this week is the 30th anniversary of the Rainbow Warrior bombing. We want you to join us on Auckland’s waterfront to mark it with a celebration of courage.
The 1985 bombing of the Warrior in Auckland Harbour is now part of New Zealand’s and Greenpeace’s history. It united us in standing against the threat of a nuclear future and inspired us to lead the world as a nuclear-free country.
So with a series of events starting on Friday, and continuing over the weekend, we are marking the anniversary with a celebration of courage – the brave acts, both large and small, that change the world.
Photo Exhibition: 30 Acts of Courage – Tracing the history of activism in New Zealand
We would love for you to join us for the opening of the exhibition at 10:30am on Friday 10 July, at The Cloud on Queens Wharf. If you can’t make the opening, please do visit the exhibition over the weekend.
Workshop: Courage Works – How YOU can change the world
Also at The Cloud on Sunday 12 July, for the very first time in New Zealand, we will offer insight into the tactics, training and thinking Greenpeace and others have used before taking action. Join us for these one-off, interactive, hands-on workshops to get a closer look at how to change the world, and why we should all be doing it.
The workshops will be held at the following times:
1. Sunday 12 July @ 9:00am – 12:30pm
2. Sunday 12 July @ 1:00pm – 4:30pm
All events are completely free and open to everyone, so come and join in!
You will have to contact Greenpeace NZ to book into the workshops.
Greece should be cut loose and taste bankruptcy. Unfortunately, the EU wants to keep its political dream alive and will lend some money under harsher terms. The merry-go-round goes on.
Actually, it should have been the banks that loaned the money that went bankrupt. Unfortunately, the corrupt political system bailed them out instead.
Can anyone advise me how to put up links to youtube without the panel showing up and dwarfing the post? This didn’t use to happen. Should I disable the link slightly with instructions on setting it right – ie put three spaces in the middle of it or something?
What are others doing? I find it annoying to look down the post and get a large grey oblong taking up half the screen.
On my browser (firefox) your comment on the rail post contains the youtube previews (ie pictures of trains with a ‘press here’ arrow. They all look magnificent!
Same here! I’m also using Firefox.
It was something that started with a wordpress upgrade a while back. You can’t do anything about it* (the link showing as a live video window). I guess we can be grateful that they don’t auto play 😉 I think Lynn had it on his list of things to fix.
I found it pretty annoying when it first happened, all that extra scrolling. But now I like that I get a hint as to what is in the vid seeing as how so many people now like to link without explaining what they’re linking to :-
That was why I left it in. I figured out a fix long ago. But if it isn’t being abused…
lprent
Could you also tell me if the underline on HTML still works for you?. I tried to use it instead of the italics I usually use and my system wouldn’t accept the u. So I experimented with strike-through and that worked okay. I’m on Firefox don’t know what version.
Testing underline
Yep <u> </u> worked fine.
You can code it in HTML by following these short instructions. Do that and the WordPress software won’t recognise it as a youtube link.
Like this: Fool’s Garden – Lemon Tree
Same link without the HTML:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCDIt50hRDs
Thanks all for discussing the youtube preview business.
TRP said that putting the links up with brackets round them ( ) stops them coming as preview and automatically ‘blocking’ the comment. In my case I put up a large number of links and had them all previewing from here to the moon. So I will be keeping all that has been said in mind to handle it in the future as I want. I prefer just the link line, and I take the point that a short note about it is needed.
DUE TO THE FLU .COUGHS AND COLDS THE WORLD FAMOUS IN CAMBRIDGE LABOUR PARTY STALL WILL NOT BE THERE THIS SUNDAY.
WE WILL BE BACK NEXT MONTH..OUR APOLOGIES.FROM CAMBRIDGE MEMBERS.
[lprent: Never let it be said that I didn’t support small Labour branches 😈 ]
Get better soon!
Join the rest of us Cambridge… sniffle, sniffle, cough, cough, cough… snort.
Whose who of Hacking…Who is Hacking who now?…anyone for a hack…or two?
‘Second OPM hack puts 21.5 million people at risk’
http://rt.com/usa/272782-opm-hack-millions-affected/
“A second data breach at the US Office of Personnel Management has affected 21.5 million people, with the hackers stealing sensitive information such as Social Security numbers and putting them at risk of identity theft, the agency announced.
Notably, the agency said that this incident is “separate but related” to the one that saw 4.2 million former and current government employees personnel data compromised…
http://rt.com/news/272626-hacking-team-bangladesh-uk/
http://rt.com/news/272629-cyberberkut-ukraine-journalists-instruction/
WTF I wanted to look up a public collection of old records i.e. the NZ Year Book 1969 and I am advised it is on a secure channel and protected by Sockets something. To get a look at it I have to do this or that. Government gone mad? This is public information not the secrets of the crown jewels. Yet I just can’t click on and check out info. easy-as?
Japanese Punk.
Another round of it and I’m really liking it. Again it’s Japanese women who are leading the charge. Something to do with a violently male dominated society maybe? Or is it the economy where by these women are at the forefront of a almost perpetual recession? I don’t know – all I know is I love this song!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mt32YD8R_r8
Brilliant!
Ooops a daisy… looks like John Key might be in trouble for misleading the House.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11478882"T
The Labour Party has laid a formal complaint against the Prime Minister.
“I’m not saying that in a bragadocious kind of way.”
The Stupidity Express has rolled into New Hampshire
I always thought Governor Rick Perry was the thickest politician in America. That was until this bloke came along….
Donald Trump Slams Mexico at Town Hall in New Hampshire
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCKHzCJFBw0
On austerity, govt debt and trans corporations running the country
Dont steal they hate competition – thats an action for the masses to consider
It’s a bit disturbing as an atheist for me to be so enthusiastic about the Pope, but he is sooo on to it!
“Pope Francis on Thursday urged the downtrodden to change the world economic order, denouncing a “new colonialism” by agencies that impose austerity programs and calling for the poor to have the “sacred rights” of labor, lodging and land.
Quoting a fourth century bishop, he called the unfettered pursuit of money “the dung of the devil,” and said poor countries should not be reduced to being providers of raw material and cheap labor for developed countries.”
“”Let us not be afraid to say it: we want change, real change, structural change,” the pope said, decrying a system that “has imposed the mentality of profit at any price, with no concern for social exclusion or the destruction of nature.”
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/10/us-pope-latam-bolivia-idUSKCN0PJ29B20150710
“Dung of the devil” has such a nice ring to it!
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/09/poorer-than-greece-the-eu-countries-that-reject-a-new-athens-bailout
For those leftists amongst you who think the issue is between the wealthy nations in the Euro and the not so wealthy.
where does money’ come from and what makes it worth something?
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/10/greeces-proposals-to-help-end-talks-deadlock
Syriza may as well be the Act party considering the policies they have signed up to implement.
And the Germans the Financial Fourth Reich
So much for the dream that was Europe