‘Over 400 people attended an Fabian’s excellent event at QTheatre in Auckland yesterday. The recurring message was that we need a very major shift in thinking to stop the decline. Neoliberalism, and not challenging the conventional wisdom of Tresuryand it’s fans, has seen the real income base of New Zealand whittled away over the past 30 years. Thank you to the Fabian Society and the excellent speakers. http://thevoyage.co.nz/speakers/
Labour, as much as National, needs to break away from the rhetoric that has failed to deliver hope for our youth. Fiddling with the image of a leader, trying to appeal to transient “good bloke” or “nice guy” marketing silliness is not how we will change New Zealand. The young people want and need a strong leader who will break away from the pack and effect real change. The youth want a future in New Zealand. We want our talent to return home. None of the current party leaders have what it takes. We need change urgently.
To get the change in leadership you suggest (I agree with what you say) would take a major change in thinking and actions – of political parties, of media, and of the voting public.
Blogs could play a significant part in leading the new way, but to do that they would have to replace petty niggling and point scoring (and yes, I get involved in that too) with a robust but reasonable contest of ideas.
New Zealand’s political blogs are often little more than localised mangled moanfests.
They could be powerful – and guide a path to better political power – if they learnt to harness their collective wisdom, wit and will to make positive change.
But bloggers and commenters would have to want to break out of their bullshit bubbles.
I agree but one of the main problems as I see it is the “tribalism” surrounding both left wing and right wing parties. How many times have you heard someone say that I vote for (insert party here) because my parents voted for them etc etc
Theres something wrong when both Labour and National could virtually anyone in certain seats and win simply because they’re red or blue
That is the reality Chris73. Your assertions suggest there is no such thing as “class” and is essentially libertarian, which of itself is also a political philosophy.
Through long and at times bitter experience it has been shown beyond any doubt that National supports already wealthy areas while Labour supports poor areas.
mickysavage, I am not writing to criticise you, as in general I like your comments (and memory of the man you are named after!) What I need to say is that we do well to avoid “absolutes” in our statements; there are but variations I’m afraid, or “inclinations”. National policies, in general, definitely favour the wealthy, while Labour policies, in general, certainly are inclined toward care for poorer human beings. My fear is that these two parties are showing signs of sharing the ground of the Right, depriving voters of real choice. I hope and pray not. Consequently I have chosen, at least for the present, to go with the Greens and a fresh stance.
A considered response. Politics nowadays is a bit of a triangle, rich, poor and those who want to save our planet.
And there are shades of grey.
But things are heading more and more to class politics as the wealthy are given even more resources. And the environment adds this terrifying dimension to things. If we get environmental policy wrong then nothing else matters.
How many times have you heard someone say that I vote for (insert party here) because my parents voted for them etc etc
Um, never. Perhaps it’s the circles you’re mixing in.
Theres something wrong when both Labour and National could virtually anyone in certain seats and win simply because they’re red or blue
Now that is something I agree with and one of the reasons I’d like to see electorate seats done away with (It’d remove the inherent bias in the electorates).
“Now that is something I agree with and one of the reasons I’d like to see electorate seats done away with (It’d remove the inherent bias in the electorates).”
If we do that won’t it encourage parties to put all there efforts into the bigger population centres that hold the most votes? It would be easy to end up in a situation where communities outside of the main centres are forgotten about and without an elected representative to hold accountable.
Or perhaps if we went 100% list we could mandate that every seat must have a list mp designated to them they must have a local office etc. This could be done by looking at the relative vote percentages in each area and it would be conceivable that some seats would have mps from multiple parties allocated. If the party lists were perhaps open to all party members to rank (maybe they are?) it should discourage poor performance as the local members could conceivably vote someone down the list next election.
I do think we need geographic representaton as well as nation-wide reps as per the lists.
If there is no geographic representation, it will continue the trend for city councils being controlled from Wellington. Also poor areas will become even more neglected.
I agree – but I’ve heard claims from Greens that geographic electorates are obsolete and lists are the only way forward.
By a strange coincidence, Greens get all their seats via the list. If their party support dropped back threatening the threshold and they got one or two strong candidates with real chances winning/holding electorates I wonder if their stance on list only would change.
Geographic representation should actually be through the local councils. This would mean strengthening those councils and making them more democratic (binding referendums could actually be more easily put in place) but I don’t see any real problem with that. Of course, as their actions in ECan and the CERA legislation show, NACT would.
If we do that won’t it encourage parties to put all there efforts into the bigger population centres that hold the most votes?
Possibly.
This could be done by looking at the relative vote percentages in each area and it would be conceivable that some seats would have mps from multiple parties allocated.
Or we could have a local office in each electorate from each party with the office itself funded by the government but staffed from the party. Even a minimum sized party has enough people in it to do that. The MPs of the parties would then make rounds of the offices.
“If we do that won’t it encourage parties to put all there efforts into the bigger population centres that hold the most votes?”
They do that now. But if it becomes too big a problem, and particularly under a 100% list system, I’d expect to see a ‘Provincial Party’ form pretty quickly. Done right they’d quite concievably hold the ballance of power in perpetuity sitting on about 10-15%.
I once heard a woman tell someone that she didn’t need to bother about politics as her husband always decided who they would vote for. To make matters worse she was a secondary school teacher and this was 2008.
How many times have you heard someone say that I vote for (insert party here) because my parents voted for them etc etc
My mother said that once, and was shocked that I was shocked!
However, she is and was the only one… We all thought that her statement was completely mad! 😀
Once David Cunliffe’s clients-only speech to Philips Fox tonight goes public, you will I think see the results of someone who has survived within the Labour Party and is still forging his own independent economic style and direction.
Really encouraging to hear about the Fabians, given that a recent thread on this site complained about how useless economists were. There really is an alterantive in this country.
And speaking of alternatives, OMG the Socialists and the greens are about to own the entire House in France!
That, together with the polls, makes me feel more hopeful this morning than I have in, oh, four years.
Cunliffe needs to speak to the long term issues. The undelying fundamentals need to be changed. We need strong vision. We need a leader who has the capability to interpret the real world for the youth of New Zealand: make the strong decisions; and have the capability to execute.
I think you may be pleasantly surprised, Bill. It may well cover the last time New Zealand faced an economic crisis this big, the Great Depression, and the scale and unity of national purpose required to get out of it. He may well also compare to those small countries like Denmark that are doing all right, have really clear cross-party 10 year plans and operational plans to get there. If you liked the Blockhouse Bay one, this is going to be stronger, and to a business audience.
Good for you, ad. I am gratified to see your views here. Because I am inclined to be a bit of a cynic, I desperately want you not to be disappointed or disillusioned. Never mind, keep yourself on this most positive track. Well spoken!
Mr Judge backed the Senior staff but had not listened to the tape.
The number of ACC payments has plummeted.
The $3billion profit is a fact, yet ACC claim no money.
Minister Collins is nowhere and she must stand and front.
3 months before the complaint was made to the police.
There have been numerous documented cases of erroneous mail outs of confidential info.
The collusion between “Independent” doctors is serious.
Illegal access to Pullar’s file sackable.
At least there is an appearance of serious problems with ACC. http://ondemand.tv3.co.nz/60-Minutes-The-Eye-of-the-Storm/tabid/59/articleID/6789/MCat/22/Default.aspx
Actually Pullar/Boag claimed that he had listened to the tape as played by one of their legal reps. Judges claim was he hadn’t ever had a copy of the tape. So it’s strange ACC is still standing by their original claims.
I think there is a major problem with ACC following some sort of systematic guidelines to pay out as little as possible. My experiences with ACC (over physiotherapy) are in keeping with Pullar’s to the extent that ACC make you feel you are claiming something you are not entitled to – even when you are entitled.
I think there is a problem with insecure computer systems – others have experienced similar acquisition of documents sent to them in error.
But there are things that seem to me to not add up, or to be exceptional with the Pullar case. It seems that Pullar and Boag are taking the opportunity to make claims beyond their experiences of ACC, and beyond the evidence they have. They seem to be aiming to completely undermine ACC, possibly in support of the government’s privatisation agenda?
My experience is not of the “out of control” ACC organisation that Pullar and Boag are claiming. I have no experience or personal knowledge of the systemic leaking of unorthorised documents – it doesn’t seem to be happening to the extent Pullar is claiming…. and how would she know beyond a few cases? My experience is of a very tightly run ACC ship, aimed first and foremost at saving money. And from what I’ve sen in the media, this has really become quite mean and vicious under NAct’s watch. It wasn’t so much like this in the earlier, Labour years, when Pullar first ran into difficulties with ACC.
In my experience, the clinical advisor and other ACC people seemed to skew their reports to get the outcomes they want (denial of funding). But the collusion between people, emails claiming Pullar is trying to rort the system etc, goes way beyond that.
While Pullar is fully entitiled to full ACC coverage, it seems to me she isn’t in as much need as the majority of claimants. For instance, I haven’t claimed some things I’m entitled to because I figured I can manage quite well without. How much does Pullar need full income replacement at a level in keeping with the high wages she was getting before her accident? That would be a sizeable sum.
Pullar has been badly treated, as have many ACC clients. But the Pullar/Boag agenda seems to be aimed at totally undermining ACC, so I don’t think they are being totally transparent.
“Pullar has been badly treated, as have many ACC clients. But the Pullar/Boag agenda seems to be aimed at totally undermining ACC, so I don’t think they are being totally transparent.”
I didn’t think that that was what Pullar was claiming Carol. She was I thought, claiming for Medical Support/Treatment to continue as she tried to extend her work days. But I don’t think it was really just about Pullar. She was speaking out on behalf of all those who had been not given the support that they were entitled to under the Act. Whistle-blowers do get a hard time as the System beats them up to protect the system. No doubt it is argued that the System is more important than the individual.
They know and we know that there are always a few who rort the system, but that should never be an excuse to deny to the majority of reasonable people. ( Bad parents. Abuse. Crime. Beneficiaries ripping off. Fraud. etc)
ianmac, they were talking about a system completely out of control, and generalising well beyond what they have evidence of.
This has not been my experience. It is quite a controlled system, but an imperfect one that, first and foremost, aims to save money. I have dealt with some helpful people within that system, and others who just follow the organisation’s mean agenda. Also, ACC has been pretty good in funding my immediate emergency and hospitalisation, as well as my continuing review appointmenst with specialists.
It seems to be provisions for recovery and substantial long-term support where this current government is trying to save money.
I’m not so inclined to take at face value Boag & Pullar’s claims to care so much about all the Kiwis who are not getting the service they are entitled to from ACC. They are handing NAct and the media the weapon to continue to undermine ACC and move it towards privatisation. They maybe also are taking the opportunity to provide the means to further undermine Collins.
60 Minutes tends to give a very selective, one-sided view of such issues.
There’s things in their claims that make me suspicious. However, I’m with Hague on the way to respond:
Green Party ACC spokesman Kevin Hague told the media last night Ms Collins needed to act decisively to restore public trust in the corporation.
“The further revelations about shonky assessment and claims handling practices … mean that, at the very least, the ACC Minister should remove John Judge as ACC chair.”
Carol I fell off my ladder once, and caused a huge bruised buttock. I went to the doctor just to register the event in case there was a repercussion. The doctor could only tick hip as glutomous maximus wasn’t on the list. It is my only experience with ACC but it certainly seems that there are many who have had to fight, and lose, especially with cases of sexual damage.
It seems that ACC has at least to answer some questions, especially since it is a unique and successful system and worth keeping.
Although lawyers might resent missing out on the American style litigation!
I’m not very familiar with the history of the ACC, ianmac. But it seems to me that it has been making it really hard for people to get assistance since National came to lead the government in 2008.
I don’t think there’s a big problem with ACC’s limited list of classifications. On many forms, eg physio referrals by my specialist, s/he often just writes the place of fracturing eg fractured X, which could just mean one fracture. In fact, for one of the fractured areas, there is a complicated multiple fracturing. But anyone just has to look at my hospital discharge papers to see along list of fracture here, fracture there, displaced fragment there etc.
That’s what happens when a non-profit, pay as it goes, system is changed to act like a profit driven insurance company – save money and cut costs. One day I hope the economists and politicians wake up to the fact that everything must be paid for out of the currently available resources and that saving money makes no difference to this. Which means, in practical terms, that emergencies require slack in the economy so that society can respond to them.
As I said in reply to you on another thread, Pullar was clearly talking from her experience as a long -term client aka (from ACC management reports) a “swamp dewller” as in the “swamp is being drained”. I don’t think your experiences as someone who experienced an injury requiring short-term support (albeit severe) should be compared to those of people who have been on the receiving end of ACC’s liability-limitation policies for many years. Especially when you use your (different kind) of experience to challenge her lived experience and that of many others.
My last ACC claim was for a scratched cornea. I have no complaints and certainly received nobody else’s private information as a result of it. I think most who have brief encounters with ACC are reasonably happy. In my experience, most of those who have had long experience with the corporation have horrifying stories over many years, with very similar themes to Pullar’s.
That’s a fair comment, just saying. It just seemed to me that Pullar/Boag were claiming that the problems were widespread throughout the whole of the ACC system.
I do think most of the issues are about money and saving costs. Injured people who need long term support will be the most costly for ACC.
Also Pullar seemed to be saying most ACC clients had received some documents relating to other people. I think there is clearly a problem with leaky systems, which probably also is related to cost-saving. But I think only a small number of clients have received such private documents related to other people.
I am concerned that Pullar and Boag are completely undermining ACC, whereas some aspects of it work well.
And on top of his out of touch (deluded?) media comments earlier today, Key wades into the Pullar/ACC issue again without having watched the 60 minute programme
This morning Prime Minister John Key waded into the saga, suggesting Pullar was upset because she had a pre-existing condition before she suffered head injuries in a cycling accident in 2002.
…
Key this morning said Pullar’s case was an operational issue and he hadn’t seen last night’s interview.
”What is clear is that ACC deals with a huge number of complaints, a huge amount of data and there are always people who feel the system hasn’t treated them fairly and that is partly because the big dispute always comes around the definition of a pre-existing condition,” he told Newstalk.
”That at one level is at the heart of what sits with this Bronwyn Pullar claim.”
Boag said today Key had been misinformed if he believed Pullar had an illness before her accident.
”I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt. I think he’s (been) overseas, was talking in general terms about these issues. If he was talking specifically about Bronwyn, he’s been misbriefed… which would not surprise me in the current circumstances.”
The pre-existing condition one has become a dubious strategy for ACC. When I was had trouble getting more physio, I asked my specialist & physio if it was due to this pre-existing condition approach that seemed to be prevalent. They both strongly assured me my case was cut & dried. My injuries were due to a significant injury impact/trauma.
And yet, when I was in my last round of (eventually successfully) hassling over more physio, one person at ACC pretty much told me that one of my more recent symptoms (strongly highlighted by the clinical adviser) could be due to a non-injury cause and was a sticking point for ACC.
But then the next person I talked to at ACC said that the extent and nature of my injury would have been very likely to cause that symptom, so it was not an issue. That person was involved in over-seeing me being, finally, given some funding for more physio.
As far as I’m concerned, this “pre-existing” business is the last refuge of scoundrels.
Yes Key is somewhat ignorant regarding Pullar’s medical and legal case with ACC. I have personally approached Key regarding an extensive medical and legal case with ACC and he referred it onto Power and Power told me to go to the IPCA. Power was misled by the police in 2006 so I chose not to go to the IPCA in 2009.
The medical diagnosis in the DSM IV which ACC use to determine the level and cause of injury is insufficent for a person who has Complex PTSD. There is a six symptom cluster that people have with Complex PTSD (the features are listed under DESNOS in the DSM 1V, but not the treatment or the term Complex PTSD) which a person with regular PTSD does not have, (Herman is the expert).
When it comes to medicine if a person does not have the correct diagnosis how can they receive the correct treatment?
It is my personal opinion that legal issues can prolong and intensify a persons medical condition. A person cannot settle their ACC case until there is TOTAL agreement in what the level of injury is, the cause, the ongoing assistance required. From time to time a review is required but this should not be adversarial.
Do ACC care at all about PTSD? I don’t know anything much about PTSD. But in my experience, ACC has no interest in the emotional or psychological impact of an injury. In my case, I do think my ability to cope with stress, and my energy level was much lowered for several months after my injury. I think I haven’t yet returned to my pre-injury state.
The measure of the impact of the impact of the accident on my general well-being, is that, for the few hours between the accident, and being put under anesthetic in the operating theatre, my body was continually trembling uncontrollably. This trembling returned intermittently in the first few days after the accident.
As soon as I got out of hospital, ACC people were talking to me about returning to work ASAP (because it’s best for people to be working). They only wanted to know about the physical requirements of my work, and whether I was physically up to it. They seemed to have no interest in whether I was emotionally or psychologically up to it, or whether I was up to dealing with the level of stress I would encounter at work.
Carol the most telling comment for me which came out of Pullars mouth (re 60 Minutes) was how she said that her case was medical and legal. The medical side is the accident and the ACC errors are the legal side AND there is cross over between medical and legal. My solution for Pullar is in Open Mike 06/06/2012 comment 18 & 18.1.1
I agree the CEO should be replaced, and ACC needs a do-over, and to be returned to its original mission. I do not trust either NAct, Boag or Collins to be working towards that.
I do have quite a bit of sympathy for Pullar’s situation, and feel ACC has treated her very badly.
But this case seems far from straightforward, and I feel various people have been opportunistic in jumping in.
I also am not trusting that Labour would work to improve ACC enough, though I think that they would work to provide a better service than NAct.
I don’t know all the details about Pullars case, so far I do not fault her. Everything she says about defamatory statements, that is how ACC including clinical assessors and the Office of the Police Commissioners operate when it comes to misleading Ministers/MPs.
Labour is intolerant to foolish CEOs/Chairpeople compared to National, I approached Clark in October 2008, I recieved a reply in 10 minutes. The change in government sabotaged my case and I did not act earlier as a family member had to come first.
Professor Grant Duncan has just been talking about the ACC scandal on Radio NZ The Panel.
Yes, it’s that programme but can someone get it up here as soon as available? (I’ve yet to learn how to do radio links.)
It’s a brilliant analysis. You won’t believe (until you hear it) what he says about Key’s character assassination attempts on Pullar. His prediction? John Judge is gone. I detected a hint of panic in Jim Mora’s voice. 🙂
Thanks. Good stuff about how ACC is a very cost effective scheme, is in a good financial state, and needs to restore confidence and not treat everyone as if they are out to rort the system.
The situation with Pullar is partly because ACC see her as expensive: ie was on a high wage, so expensive to keep supporting her with a high proportion of her previous salary, over the long term.
Also, Mora mentioned there’s been issues with ACC’s unwillingness to fund on-going physiotherapy over a long period.
Duncan says Judge is gone, but to a certain extent is a sacrificial lamb. however, that’s necessary.
Also he queried the whole degenerative, pre-existing wear and tear – of course anyone will have some degenerative wear as they get older. It shouldn’t stop older people getting funding for injuries.
Perhaps a new Treaty should be created. Nothing to do with te tiriti, but a brand new one between the current peoples of these islands and all immigrants from this point onwards. After all, it seems many most of the reasons for te tiriti apply today for same similar reasons.
I’ll jump to the conclusion then you can work back. You like doing that.
To ask is a presumption of power.
To ignore your negotiating partner is not an act of goodwill.
If you have all the power, enough to enforce a treaty when one is not required, you’re only intent on oppressing people.
Tired of it VTO. See a doctor. The constant need to “talk negatively” about a group of people – any group you happen to choose… maori, americans, environmentalists… It’s you that has the problem. Be honest or take your self loathing elsewhere.
I’ve never seen vto talk negatively about environmentalists. From what I gather he spends a lot of time in the natural environment and understands the environmental challenges we face first hand in a way that many can only intellectualise about.
he may well know something about the environment but he knows fuck all about tangata whenua and there ain’t much intellectualising that i can see from his input in that area – but it takes all types so kei te pai.
oh you poor little vot I am not uturn, we just agree on some things mainly on our opinion of you and your input. It’s okay remember there are a few of us who are less than impressed by your trojan horse technique of generating controversy.
You know, it is a curious fact that since smarty mars turned up again a couple days ago every single post of his has been an attack at me. He has not made one single post on any other subject.
You are on a smear campaign so bloody obvious it has instant tedium.
All because you are Ngai Tahu and you do not like anything Maori being questioned. It’s history, the place and quality of te tiriti, whether first-in-first-served has a place, etc etc. You are conflicted. You have a vested interest. You are on a mission to shutdown debate. Well good luck with that because censorship has never worked.
good observation vot – yes you are on a smear campaign and although it is tedious i consider that i must oppose the bullshit you smear – stop smearing and leave your bigotry behind, just like you left your rightwing voting pattern behind – you can learn and grow and improve, you’ve done it before.
There has been no bigotry, and you have provided no proof for such despite about a dozen barren claims in the last couple days.
The bigotry rests solely with you, as is evidenced by your relentless attacks on me. As I said and you have admitted, it is you who comes at all of these issues from a predetermined Ngai Tahu position. It is you who is conflicted. It is you who has a vested interest.
And it seems you must have used up all your big swear words and abusive terms by now. Got anymore?
is that your new one vot – “little blind racist”? Bit useless but you got the offensiveness about right – and yes i am proud of my heritage and all my whakapapa – could you say the same shamewearer?
You’re pathetic Uturn. And predictable. I suspect you are in fact some previous poster under a newish name.
“To ask is a presumption of power.”
Bullshit. And to ask what? I look forward to applying your claim elsewhere.
“To ignore your negotiating partner is not an act of goodwill.”
What negotiating partner? If you refer to Maori, then I suggested that te tiriti be left as is. A new treaty would come underneath current constitutional and other arrangements. There was no ignoring, fool.
“If you have all the power, enough to enforce a treaty when one is not required, you’re only intent on oppressing people.”
What on earth are you talking about? Full of assumptions as usual. And as for “… when one is not required…”, well you need to wake up and see what is going on in the world. It is volatile times. There are treaties of all kinds going on all over the place all of the time. It is nothing new (although the fact you seem to think it is speaks to your own eye glasses)
“Tired of it VTO. See a doctor.”
Then fuck off and ignore me.
“The constant need to “talk negatively” about a group of people – any group you happen to choose… maori, americans, environmentalists… It’s you that has the problem. Be honest or take your self loathing elsewhere.”
Perhaps you would care to provide a reference to where I have talked negatively about maori, americans or environmentalists. Because I haven’t and you are making shit up again to try and discredit me. This is a marty mars trick – are you marty mars? I asked you to do the same the other day when you made up similar bullshit about what I posted, and you didn’t provide any reference.
You uturn are stuck in a world where everything is already decided isn’t it. Your views are set. Any challenge to your tiny world gets you all hot under the collar.
Treaties are nothing new. In case you haven’t noticed NZ is negotiating several treaties right now, such as the TPP.
The world today is awash with treaties. The EU is a form of treaty, North America has one, CER was/is another. There are countless. Most of them come under the guise of trade etc but they do in fact impact on soveriegnty (witness Australian government’s battles with big tobacco) and our ability to make laws for ourselves (witness Euro folk complaining about Brussels making laws for them without any input).
Underneath these trade treaties is a push for global ‘security’ which can be read as ‘governance’ without much difficulty. Even John Key last week referred to global security and our (his) desire to be part of that. He even signed some other new treaty with, I think, Nato of all groups.
In addition, with global volatility and looming financial firestorms there is the bogey of potential massive immigration, either controlled or uncontrolled.
Against this I suspect a substantial majority of New Zealanders do not wish to see their world altered too much from what it is now. The perception and probably reality of such alteration is that the effect would be negative. We have a way of life, a culture/s, heritage, etc that is worth preserving and enhancing.
So why would we not make moves to protect it? After all, we would only be looking to our own interests, which is exactly what big countries and big business and big people do. Play their own game straight back at them.
(and for the likes of uturn out there, it aint nothing to do with te tiritit, although it does provide a reasonable template to step off from).
As I said below, the enemy is within. We don’t want Key et al making treaties because they don’t give a shit about sovereignty. Until NZ is willing to vote in governments that take this seriously we are screwed. IMO you’re asking the wrong question. Yes we should be taking our future security in the face of climate change, peak oil and economic collapse seriously, but we can’t do much until we have sovereignty established at home.
oh vto you are just a dim – why do you keep bringing me into your demented rants – get this straight – I am not interested in you other than the disinformation and bigotry you put out, which I must oppose. Get a life and please don’t bring my name up unless you have a fucken good reason.
“oh vto you are just a dim – why do you keep bringing me into your demented rants – get this straight – I am not interested in you other than the disinformation and bigotry you put out, which I must oppose. Get a life and please don’t bring my name up unless you have a fucken good reason.”
Stop following me around.
Face it – you don’t like the current maori way and issues being questioned so you personally attack. There aint no disinformation and there is no bigotry. Perhaps, like uturn, you could point to some evidence for your attack – otherwise you are just another hollow shithead.
And look, once again uturn has fled when his bullshit attack is queried.
Can’t put up any evidence to support his claims so runs away. This is a common trait.
Isn’t this called trolling? Uturn, or marty mars, whichever one you are (you do turn up together and post in near identical manners), how about you grow some balls and provide some proof of where I have talked negatively about maori, americans or environmentalists because it doesn’t exist except in that tiny empty head of yours.
Come on.
Put up or shut the fuck up.
[lprent: They don’t look like the same person to me from the look of the IPs and timing. ]
we aren’t the same person and I can’t understand why the moderators are allowing fuckwit vot to continue implying that i am and continuing to try and ‘out’ an identity. Sure, you let vot disrespect a guest poster (QoT) in the past, fair enough, but this ‘outing’ is a deliberate, repetitive, blatent attempt – is that the way it works now?
lucky for you that you don’t have a moderator on your six for attacking a guestposter
and this is what 1prent said
[lprent: I looked at it earlier. Decided that the comments had stayed surprisingly on topic through the post. That either QoT or vto or both were channelling Felix playing with his food and I’d be interested on where that wound up.”
So that one is proved – want me to find some of your bigotry now, there is tons to choose from.
Well if that is what you see as proof then it is clear you are losing the plot in your rabid smear campaign.
There was no such disrespect, there was response in kind. You have proved nothing.
The fact that no moderator pulled me up proves it.
The fact that no moderator has pulled me up anywhere in response to your school kid-like claims about me also proves that you have nothing and are making it all up.
… continue with your smears – they just reflect on you …
in case you have never noticed, using the word “fuck” is something QoT does. All the time. She is happy to do so and everybody is happy for her to do so. Good for her. Go back through her post and you will see the word “fuck”. So clearly there is no disrespect given that is her standard manner of communicating. If anything, replying to her in her own manner shows respect, not disrespect.
Perhaps a new Treaty should be created. Nothing to do with te tiriti, but a brand new one between the current peoples of these islands and all immigrants from this point onwards. After all, it seems many most of the reasons for te tiriti apply today for same similar reasons.
You mean we’re being colonised again? 😉 And the new colonisers will be so good as to make a treaty with us? Who would they be? US cultural imperialists? Neoliberalists? The English (god, not them again) who are buying up so much land with their good exchange rate?
It’s not the incomers we have to worry about this time. It’s those who hold the power over immigration and economic policy. The enemy is within, my friend.
Yes agreed weka, see my post just above (oh, it’s in moderation). I guess what I am suggesting is a form of treaty which stems from and for the people rather than the usual which stem from government, trade and business.
One other fact which most New Zealanders never even consider … these islands can support a population of 50 – 100 million (think UK and Japan). The only reason it is not yet at this level is its very recent twin discoveries – there simply hasn’t been the passage of time to take the population up to populations similar in density to UK and Japan.
But population and human movements are a bit like water finding its level. At some point NZ will be as densely populated as Japan and the UK. This is surely a given. So one of the following questions is how will this happen? Will it happen slowly and in a measured way? Or will it happen with several larger influxes (as it has to date)? I suspect several larger influxes and imo people have forgotten, or not even considered, that this will happen (as it has to date). And these sorts of things happen at times of world volatility – as we are entering / have entered now.
NZ cannot support that many people. We’re currently at about twice the rate of consumption that this land can support. If we really sorted our shit out and reduced out footprint by half we might be able to sustain our present population over the medium/long term.
But I agree with you that there will likely be immigration pressure on NZ, from climate change and economic crises refugees. Also places running out of potable water and enough food. I haven’t seen a good analysis yet on NZ’s options for that future (although I am betting that certain people in the Ureweras have been thinking about it). We should be thinking about it now.
One other fact which most New Zealanders never even consider … these islands can support a population of 50 – 100 million (think UK and Japan).
No fraking way, we’d never meet the energy requirements of that population without numerous nuclear power stations and/or massive daily imports of oil.
weka and CV, I was basing that on current parameters i.e. if the UK and Japan (and other high density places like Holland, Sumatra, Bangladesh, etc) can support such densities then so can we.
If energy and other necessities change and mean we can’t here then they they surely wont there either … that is a scary thought … and makes such treaty ideas worthy of serious consideration. Not that I imagine any document will stop such heavy global changes, but they may soften their blow. A bit like te tiriti again actually perhaps.
Dude you are talking about places which built those population densities up on massive and increasing inputs of external energy.
That was the case for the last 50 years. Its not the case for the next 50. We can not get on that curve, we cannot afford to import 2 million barrels of oil a day.
Re: Sumatra and Bangladesh, yes you can have large populations in a small space but usually resource constraints on the economy mean that the median income is very low.
Understand that but I would suggest that the human ability to harness and utilise energy is probably only just getting underway and as such the scenario of 100million people living between Kaitaia and Bluff is probable.
Sure, carbon-derived energy may be reaching an endpoint, but carbon is the least common form of energy available. It is just our ability to harness various other energy sources that is the limiting factor.
I predict some massive waves of change arriving on our shores over the next century or so.
“It is just our ability to harness various other energy sources that is the limiting factor.”
Actually no. The limiting factor is physics. The crucial bit is energy returned on energy invested (EROEI). None of the other energy sources we currently have available that we could develop technology for have the same degree of energy gained for energy expended in extraction/creation. That combined with how the economy is entwined (because we make money from nothing rather than producing real wealth in the physical world) means that we can’t even make good use of the remaining oil we have to develop solar, wind etc to tide us over during the power down.
To put it another way. We live waaaay beyond our means, and the bank manager is about to pull the plug.
If the energy stuff doesn’t get you, have a think about how to produce enough food for 100 million people within the NZ landbase without having cheap oil to do so.
And some time in that 10 to 20 years we will be closing the border and allowing no one across as we’ll just have too many difficulties with the over-population we already have.
Not if we keep going the way we are with our defence forces, i.e, specialising them for UN peace keeping missions rather than national defence and not producing our own weapons systems.
Distance is our best defense. Anybody walking down here will piss off so many bigger nations by going through the Pacific that it won’t be worth their trouble.
But we need a modicum of defense capabilities to deal with overly ambitious boat people and externally resourced insurrection (although this does not mean I think the unregistered firearms raids were warranted in any sense other than the literal).
The Netherlands, UK and Japan would be able to support nowhere near their present populations if they had to actually feed and clothe themselves from their own resources.
That still leaves 2/3rds to do everything else that we need. Computers, universities, R&D, Art&Culture, mining etc. All possible within the resources that we have even without oil. The problem only kicks in when we get over populated which will happen if we don’t accept that we need to limit population.
Once we become a Republic, which is closer than you think – see Greens policy – a new Treaty of Waitangi will have to be negotiated because their will be no Crown as the other partner.
Will be very interesting as will probably take many years to get any agreement, as the original signatories are not around (only by hearsay).
I think it could take quite a while – it will be difficulty to get sufficient popular support while the current queen remains, and she could hang in there for quite a few years yet. It will be difficult in even starting preparations for a change to an independent nation.
Why can the Crown side of the Treaty not be transferred to whatever takes over from the Crown?
Have to agree with Marty below. We’re still not getting the current treaty right. Talk of having to have a new treaty that will take years to arrange sounds suspicious to me.
I can’t see how creating a new treaty would be of any use at all considering the previous one hasn’t been honoured by the Crown. You are trying to create advantage for yourself and somehow that doesn’t surprise me.
The media can’t run around saying, ‘I don’t like this policy, it’s a terrible thing,’ wind up parents, feed them information that’s sometimes wrong and say how terrible it is, and the Government should do something about it… and then the Government does something about it, and they say, ‘Ooh, it’s terrible’.”
No word of what he thinks was wrong in media reports, saying that parents were stupidly falling for media spin. Dude should face up. It was a crap policy, people know it. Yes, they backed down, but you don’t get a pat on the head for proposing shit policy, simple as that. Especially when you are still trying to claim that the policy you backed down from was good policy.
And another example – what planet is he on? Stuff article post Key’s morning TV appearance:
Prime Minister John Key says he’s not “down in the mouth” about recent polls showing a fall in support for National.
He has dismissed suggestions the loss of support for his Government is only because of last week’s humiliating backdown on its plan to increase class size, saying voters are also angry because of the rise in tobacco tax.
and
Key this morning said the shift in the polls wasn’t because of one issue.
“I don’t actually accept that,” he told TVNZ’s Breakfast programme.
A quarter of New Zealanders smoked and the Government was putting a big cost on them, he said.
…
“There will be some of those people who say I don’t like that and I’m going to reflect that in the poll,” Key said.
The Government was raising tobacco tax because it “cared about them and we want them to live”.
Governments had to “stand up for things they believed in”, Key said.
That’s either the worst bit of spin ever or a seriously deluded man.
Yeah there’s this thing I’ve just done that affects almost 100% of the population and almost everybody hates it but my drop in support is because of something else I’ve done which every govt does all the time and only affects a quarter of the population.
His worst was on explaining his slide in the pref. PM poll.
It’s the National Party’s fault, they’re dragging him down because he is so closely linked with them in the public mind, so don’t read too much into that.
And remind me again how Key came to be so closely linked with that National Party? Oh, wait, he’s their leader and was posted all over their billboards last election….. I though he was National’s main strength?
Their main strength and their potential weakness. That’s the trouble with ‘strong’ leadership. Once the leader is ‘gone’ nothing is left.
I liked what Mike Williams said on Nat radio this morning. He acknowledged the essential meaninglessness of the polls this far out but pointed out what they mean in terms of activist support- “puts lead in their pencils’ was what he essentially said. More work done, more money, more commitment generally.
A quarter of New Zealanders smoked and the Government was putting a big cost on them, he said.
When my brother was alive, probably 2003 (the year before he died) he told me he’d met a fellow salesman at an hotel, who sold tobacco products, and the salesman had told him that the 30% of people smoking (official figure at the time) was wildly wrong – that the real figure was 55% or more. ‘I could never make a living if it was really only 30%’ he said…
A quarter of New Zealanders smoked and the Government was putting a big cost on them, he said.
A quarter? And the rest… 🙂
The Government was raising tobacco tax because it “cared about them and we want them to live”.
Cared about us? Nonsense. No smoker I know believes that.
I’m a (heavy) smoker but don’t believe that I have ever thought about this in terms of deciding who I would vote for.
He’s becoming as crazy and deluded as the ACT caucus. I get a perverse sense of pleasure in watching him melt down and can only hope, given that NAct have placed so many eggs in the basket of his cult of no personality, that he takes them all with him.
Stuff were advertising the live chat all weekend using the photo up at the top of their home page. It put me off going there after seeing it first thing on Saturday!
Controversial asset-sales legislation is to go before Parliament for a second reading this week.
Labour leader David Shearer says it was rushed back four weeks early because the Government is concerned about a citizen-initiated referendum on the move to sell up to 49 per cent of state-owned power companies.
[..]
“It’s curtailed our ability to have a really good discussion about it,” Mr Shearer said.
Maybe it’s time to blockade parliament? Are there enough people in Wellington willing to keep up a protest presence outside the Beehive? And people in other cities willing to set up satellite process during the time the bill is being rushed through parliament?
It’s time that all parties in opposition to the asset sales said that they would re-nationalise them come 2014 when they’re back in power (and they will be back in power).
A policy pronouncement today on radionz – the prospect of Labour needing the Greens alongside to get into power puts off many Labour supporters. Then a recent comment that Labour and National have both moved to the centre. Surely there are enough Labour supporters who wish to see a real left-wing party again, not just one that serves the house-decorating and ostentatious consumption class?
the prospect of Labour needing the Greens alongside to get into power puts off many Labour supporters.
Wasn’t that a comment from Matthew Hooton? … or even Mike Williams, who said as a centre left person, up til the class size announcement, National hadn’t done anything to make him dislike them……. ‘Nuff said.
Anne
Bill O’Drees early on 13/6 OpenMike put this link up with a good item on Labour’s possible path. Does he make some good points? Labour supporters can’t afford to be too relaxed. If you fall into a pit there has to be a lot of energy expended to get back to level ground.
There was an interesting interview with Sir Stephen Tindall from the Pure Advantage group on Nine to Noon this morning. He strongly criticized successive government for not supporting our “Clean, Green” brand and positioning us to take advantage of developing green industries. We are losing the Green Race: http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2012/06/pure-advantage-and-green-race.html
There was one guy who said that his firm won a contested contract because of the clean, green PR. But is worried that if it becomes just PR about what will happen then. What else differentiates us enough to get notice, overcome distance?
On business prospects for NZ – on Radionz They should be OK if the exchange rate stays down.
If! It’s like an Act of God we’re waiting for not a mechanism set up by supposedly clever gentlemen. And how can we keep the exchange rate down? Perhaps we shouldn’t appear to be such a stable little country. A few riots about conditions might help. Let the fast money maniacs and their money machines get their kicks and marginal profits from some other country.
URGENT!! HELP STOP STATE ASSET SALES – BY FORCING RESIGNATION OF DODGY JOHN BANKS!
TODAY Mon 11 June 3 – 4.30pm Intersection protest opposite Britomart – then protest outside Serious Fraud Office (SFO) 21 Queen St – demanding SFO DO THEIR JOB!
(A formal letter will be handed over calling for URGENT ACTION by SFO staff responsible for Fraud and Corruption).
Investigate John Banks for BRIBERY and CORRUPTION re: $50,000 donated by Kim Dotcom in return for ‘immigration assistance’ ; assistance to help purchase the Coatsville mansion and undeclared ‘gifts and hospitality’ worth more than $500?
Spot the difference!
Taito Phillip Field gets sentenced to SIX years jail for bribery and corruption for providing immigration assistance to Thai nationals in return for work on his properties – dodgy John Banks continues to be politically protected by shonky John Key – Prime Minister of NZ ‘perceived’ to be ‘the least corrupt country in the world’?
Mind you – given shoinky John Key’s proven track record over effective ‘insider trading’ over his undisclosed Tranz Rail shares – no surprises that he is not leading from front when it comes to ‘ethical’ behaviour?
SFO have NOT treated formal complaint as ‘BRIBERY and CORRUPTION’ complaint – but as a ‘SERIOUS AND COMPLEX FRAUD’ complaint – which it is NOT!!!
Political leaders must confront the looming crisis of the future affordability of Superannuation now rather than risking having to make harsh cuts to entitlements down the track, says Labour Leader David Shearer.
“It’s not good enough for John Key to say that he’s worried about governing for today and somehow the future will look after itself. As Prime Minister, he has a responsibility to look after future generations too.
“It’s time we had a genuine, open and honest discussion about how we can continue to afford to provide New Zealanders with financial support when they retire.
“At the moment there are 5.6 workers for every retired person but in less than 30 years that will be reduced to 2.5. This is a problem that is growing and we must address it now.
“It’s about being fair. We must be fair to young New Zealanders by making sure there will be a pension scheme in place for them when they retire.
“We must also be fair by giving all Kiwis time to discuss, accept and prepare for any changes that need to be made to the current system.
“Labour is prepared to be flexible and come together with other political parties to work towards a solution. We are interested in genuine cross-party talks and a nationwide discussion with New Zealanders. We must do what is in the best interests of the country,” said David Shearer.
It’s a pity he included an inter-party dig, but otherwise he’s correct.
How about support from bloggers from The Standard for an inter-blog call for discussion, and a pledge to have a wide ranging blog debate on the future of super without resorting to political point scoring?
The only discussion we should be having on super, is, how successful a GMI has been on removing poverty amongst the elderly, and how soon we can extend the same to the rest of our people.
Starting with the 20% of children living in poverty.
Removing the tax cuts to the top 1% would be a start, in affordability.
Number 2557382 View Certificate Of Incorporation
Name RIDNZ
EMAIL CERTIFICATE
Incorporated 16-FEB-2012
Current Status REGISTERED
Organisation Type Charitable Trust
In existence for less than 4 Months and now the ‘go to’ organisation for comment on the issue for National TV news?
You mean Key and his merry band of backwoodsmen/women are a car wreck ?
I’m just waiting for the gutless and rather thick eggs who comprise what passes as the Fourth Estate in NZ to get their little yuppie tits in a tangle when they conclude that KeyShit’s been bullshitting them all for years.
Oh how they will turn ! Even that Tracey Watkins rubbish I reckon.
I’ve just watched……yes I’m gonna say it……that utter bastard Key on late news saying that the only problem with the dumbing down of NZ education (higher quality teaching my arse!) is that it wasn’t sold well enough…….”end orl th’ Cebnit ‘gree ‘bet theret…” simpers he in that weak, effeminate little voice of his.
Watch the eyes……they’re dead…….he’s utterly bored with it all. Why ?……because he’s simply mouthing off spin lines written by some twisted thing in Sydney or wherever.
Just like the little girly who thought she was his favourite Cab Min…….Hek Yeah Stoolie Hung Out to Dry. Bet you Sir Well Paid-Off Wira is pissed seeing his wahine treated like shit. But still she mouths off spin, spin, spin turns to spam, spam, spam, in 4 hours. Call from King John in Angela Merkel’s waiting room. And she’s still smiling, according to the spin manual. As though she/they had a victory in the whole bizo.
Anyone old enough to agree with me that she’s a dead ringer for the not unattractive Elsie Tanner of Coronation Street 1966 or so ? Whatever happened to the venerable Pat Phoenix ?
Bets on Hek Yeah rising from the flames ? Dunno. There’ll be a cache of spin to deal with that question, one way or the other. That’s all that matters to a cheapie like Key. Obama carries that bloody nuclear briefcase. Key carries the equivalent of a make-up box. What A Man !
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In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Ngaio Marsh House is one of Christchurch’s best kept secrets – and contains more than a few mysteries of its own.Trust Ngaio Marsh to leave more than a few mysteries scattered through her house long after her departure. For a start, there’s the curious concrete portal in the garden, ...
Appointment viewing has been lost to the mists of time, but memories of Montana Sunday Theatre can still be conjured by hitting play on a particular piece of classical music. “You’re not going to be able to sell it.” Over 30 years on, Karen Bieleski still recalls how the task ...
Performance Review King Luxon sat behind His massive polished oak desk. It is Performance Review time. There is a knock on the door. “Enter!” says the King. In steps Minister of Disabilities and Carer Pedicures, Penny Simmonds. “I can explain everything …” she begins. “Fine,” says King Luxon, pressing the ...
The pair opened their first fully collaborative exhibition, Nina for Flowers, last Saturday. Gabi Lardies visited their studio to find out who Nina is and what working together was like.‘It didn’t start out like, ‘This is a show about Nina,’” says Josephine Jelicich, gripping a thermos of peppermint tea. ...
Thank you, Dr Maximilian Oskar Bircher-Benner, for your brilliant invention. I’m another mid-20s Kiwi who had an OE last year. I hopped on my bicycle where France meets the Atlantic and cycled east. I pedalled through the Loire Valley, down rivers lined with willows and ancient wisteria-draped chateaus. I relished ...
Asia Pacific Report From France to Australia, university pro-Palestine protests in the United States have now spread to several countries with students pitching on-campus camps. And students at Columbia and other US universities remain defiant as campuses have witnessed the biggest protests since the anti-Vietnam war and anti-apartheid eras in ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)New Zealand Government’s Fast Track legislation. Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government ...
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...
Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julien Cooper, Honorary Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Julien Cooper The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new ...
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‘Over 400 people attended an Fabian’s excellent event at QTheatre in Auckland yesterday. The recurring message was that we need a very major shift in thinking to stop the decline. Neoliberalism, and not challenging the conventional wisdom of Tresuryand it’s fans, has seen the real income base of New Zealand whittled away over the past 30 years. Thank you to the Fabian Society and the excellent speakers.
http://thevoyage.co.nz/speakers/
Labour, as much as National, needs to break away from the rhetoric that has failed to deliver hope for our youth. Fiddling with the image of a leader, trying to appeal to transient “good bloke” or “nice guy” marketing silliness is not how we will change New Zealand. The young people want and need a strong leader who will break away from the pack and effect real change. The youth want a future in New Zealand. We want our talent to return home. None of the current party leaders have what it takes. We need change urgently.
To get the change in leadership you suggest (I agree with what you say) would take a major change in thinking and actions – of political parties, of media, and of the voting public.
Blogs could play a significant part in leading the new way, but to do that they would have to replace petty niggling and point scoring (and yes, I get involved in that too) with a robust but reasonable contest of ideas.
New Zealand’s political blogs are often little more than localised mangled moanfests.
They could be powerful – and guide a path to better political power – if they learnt to harness their collective wisdom, wit and will to make positive change.
But bloggers and commenters would have to want to break out of their bullshit bubbles.
I agree but one of the main problems as I see it is the “tribalism” surrounding both left wing and right wing parties. How many times have you heard someone say that I vote for (insert party here) because my parents voted for them etc etc
Theres something wrong when both Labour and National could virtually anyone in certain seats and win simply because they’re red or blue
That is the reality Chris73. Your assertions suggest there is no such thing as “class” and is essentially libertarian, which of itself is also a political philosophy.
Through long and at times bitter experience it has been shown beyond any doubt that National supports already wealthy areas while Labour supports poor areas.
mickysavage, I am not writing to criticise you, as in general I like your comments (and memory of the man you are named after!) What I need to say is that we do well to avoid “absolutes” in our statements; there are but variations I’m afraid, or “inclinations”. National policies, in general, definitely favour the wealthy, while Labour policies, in general, certainly are inclined toward care for poorer human beings. My fear is that these two parties are showing signs of sharing the ground of the Right, depriving voters of real choice. I hope and pray not. Consequently I have chosen, at least for the present, to go with the Greens and a fresh stance.
Dr Terry
A considered response. Politics nowadays is a bit of a triangle, rich, poor and those who want to save our planet.
And there are shades of grey.
But things are heading more and more to class politics as the wealthy are given even more resources. And the environment adds this terrifying dimension to things. If we get environmental policy wrong then nothing else matters.
Um, never. Perhaps it’s the circles you’re mixing in.
Now that is something I agree with and one of the reasons I’d like to see electorate seats done away with (It’d remove the inherent bias in the electorates).
“Now that is something I agree with and one of the reasons I’d like to see electorate seats done away with (It’d remove the inherent bias in the electorates).”
If we do that won’t it encourage parties to put all there efforts into the bigger population centres that hold the most votes? It would be easy to end up in a situation where communities outside of the main centres are forgotten about and without an elected representative to hold accountable.
Or perhaps if we went 100% list we could mandate that every seat must have a list mp designated to them they must have a local office etc. This could be done by looking at the relative vote percentages in each area and it would be conceivable that some seats would have mps from multiple parties allocated. If the party lists were perhaps open to all party members to rank (maybe they are?) it should discourage poor performance as the local members could conceivably vote someone down the list next election.
I do think we need geographic representaton as well as nation-wide reps as per the lists.
If there is no geographic representation, it will continue the trend for city councils being controlled from Wellington. Also poor areas will become even more neglected.
Agreed. Just because we recognise that not all constituencies are geographic doesn’t mean geographic constituencies cease to exist.
I agree – but I’ve heard claims from Greens that geographic electorates are obsolete and lists are the only way forward.
By a strange coincidence, Greens get all their seats via the list. If their party support dropped back threatening the threshold and they got one or two strong candidates with real chances winning/holding electorates I wonder if their stance on list only would change.
Was it Norman or Turei who said this? Link please.
Geographic representation should actually be through the local councils. This would mean strengthening those councils and making them more democratic (binding referendums could actually be more easily put in place) but I don’t see any real problem with that. Of course, as their actions in ECan and the CERA legislation show, NACT would.
Possibly.
Or we could have a local office in each electorate from each party with the office itself funded by the government but staffed from the party. Even a minimum sized party has enough people in it to do that. The MPs of the parties would then make rounds of the offices.
“If we do that won’t it encourage parties to put all there efforts into the bigger population centres that hold the most votes?”
They do that now. But if it becomes too big a problem, and particularly under a 100% list system, I’d expect to see a ‘Provincial Party’ form pretty quickly. Done right they’d quite concievably hold the ballance of power in perpetuity sitting on about 10-15%.
I once heard a woman tell someone that she didn’t need to bother about politics as her husband always decided who they would vote for. To make matters worse she was a secondary school teacher and this was 2008.
My mother said that once, and was shocked that I was shocked!
However, she is and was the only one… We all thought that her statement was completely mad! 😀
Why is it that the Right are always using ‘tribalism’ as a slur?
Perhaps because tribalism is one of the oldest, most enduring and most successful forms of cooperative human endeavour.
After all we can’t have people working together and supporting one another in close knit groups with common goals now can we?
Nope, if allow that then the
poorpeople won’t beso easy tosteal fromexploitable to work to their best interest.+1
Once David Cunliffe’s clients-only speech to Philips Fox tonight goes public, you will I think see the results of someone who has survived within the Labour Party and is still forging his own independent economic style and direction.
Really encouraging to hear about the Fabians, given that a recent thread on this site complained about how useless economists were. There really is an alterantive in this country.
And speaking of alternatives, OMG the Socialists and the greens are about to own the entire House in France!
That, together with the polls, makes me feel more hopeful this morning than I have in, oh, four years.
Cunliffe needs to speak to the long term issues. The undelying fundamentals need to be changed. We need strong vision. We need a leader who has the capability to interpret the real world for the youth of New Zealand: make the strong decisions; and have the capability to execute.
I think you may be pleasantly surprised, Bill. It may well cover the last time New Zealand faced an economic crisis this big, the Great Depression, and the scale and unity of national purpose required to get out of it. He may well also compare to those small countries like Denmark that are doing all right, have really clear cross-party 10 year plans and operational plans to get there. If you liked the Blockhouse Bay one, this is going to be stronger, and to a business audience.
Good for you, ad. I am gratified to see your views here. Because I am inclined to be a bit of a cynic, I desperately want you not to be disappointed or disillusioned. Never mind, keep yourself on this most positive track. Well spoken!
Phillips Fox or Kensington Swann
You said KS yesterday. They aren’t the same place chief.
Argh my bad Kensington Swan
I want to continue the ACC debate, following the 60 minutes broadcast last night featuring Bronwyn Pullar.
Particularly ianmac raises some significant points
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-10062012/comment-page-1/#comment-481251
Actually Pullar/Boag claimed that he had listened to the tape as played by one of their legal reps. Judges claim was he hadn’t ever had a copy of the tape. So it’s strange ACC is still standing by their original claims.
I think there is a major problem with ACC following some sort of systematic guidelines to pay out as little as possible. My experiences with ACC (over physiotherapy) are in keeping with Pullar’s to the extent that ACC make you feel you are claiming something you are not entitled to – even when you are entitled.
I think there is a problem with insecure computer systems – others have experienced similar acquisition of documents sent to them in error.
But there are things that seem to me to not add up, or to be exceptional with the Pullar case. It seems that Pullar and Boag are taking the opportunity to make claims beyond their experiences of ACC, and beyond the evidence they have. They seem to be aiming to completely undermine ACC, possibly in support of the government’s privatisation agenda?
My experience is not of the “out of control” ACC organisation that Pullar and Boag are claiming. I have no experience or personal knowledge of the systemic leaking of unorthorised documents – it doesn’t seem to be happening to the extent Pullar is claiming…. and how would she know beyond a few cases? My experience is of a very tightly run ACC ship, aimed first and foremost at saving money. And from what I’ve sen in the media, this has really become quite mean and vicious under NAct’s watch. It wasn’t so much like this in the earlier, Labour years, when Pullar first ran into difficulties with ACC.
In my experience, the clinical advisor and other ACC people seemed to skew their reports to get the outcomes they want (denial of funding). But the collusion between people, emails claiming Pullar is trying to rort the system etc, goes way beyond that.
While Pullar is fully entitiled to full ACC coverage, it seems to me she isn’t in as much need as the majority of claimants. For instance, I haven’t claimed some things I’m entitled to because I figured I can manage quite well without. How much does Pullar need full income replacement at a level in keeping with the high wages she was getting before her accident? That would be a sizeable sum.
Pullar has been badly treated, as have many ACC clients. But the Pullar/Boag agenda seems to be aimed at totally undermining ACC, so I don’t think they are being totally transparent.
“Pullar has been badly treated, as have many ACC clients. But the Pullar/Boag agenda seems to be aimed at totally undermining ACC, so I don’t think they are being totally transparent.”
I didn’t think that that was what Pullar was claiming Carol. She was I thought, claiming for Medical Support/Treatment to continue as she tried to extend her work days. But I don’t think it was really just about Pullar. She was speaking out on behalf of all those who had been not given the support that they were entitled to under the Act. Whistle-blowers do get a hard time as the System beats them up to protect the system. No doubt it is argued that the System is more important than the individual.
They know and we know that there are always a few who rort the system, but that should never be an excuse to deny to the majority of reasonable people. ( Bad parents. Abuse. Crime. Beneficiaries ripping off. Fraud. etc)
ianmac, they were talking about a system completely out of control, and generalising well beyond what they have evidence of.
This has not been my experience. It is quite a controlled system, but an imperfect one that, first and foremost, aims to save money. I have dealt with some helpful people within that system, and others who just follow the organisation’s mean agenda. Also, ACC has been pretty good in funding my immediate emergency and hospitalisation, as well as my continuing review appointmenst with specialists.
It seems to be provisions for recovery and substantial long-term support where this current government is trying to save money.
I’m not so inclined to take at face value Boag & Pullar’s claims to care so much about all the Kiwis who are not getting the service they are entitled to from ACC. They are handing NAct and the media the weapon to continue to undermine ACC and move it towards privatisation. They maybe also are taking the opportunity to provide the means to further undermine Collins.
60 Minutes tends to give a very selective, one-sided view of such issues.
There’s things in their claims that make me suspicious. However, I’m with Hague on the way to respond:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10812163
Carol I fell off my ladder once, and caused a huge bruised buttock. I went to the doctor just to register the event in case there was a repercussion. The doctor could only tick hip as glutomous maximus wasn’t on the list. It is my only experience with ACC but it certainly seems that there are many who have had to fight, and lose, especially with cases of sexual damage.
It seems that ACC has at least to answer some questions, especially since it is a unique and successful system and worth keeping.
Although lawyers might resent missing out on the American style litigation!
I’m not very familiar with the history of the ACC, ianmac. But it seems to me that it has been making it really hard for people to get assistance since National came to lead the government in 2008.
I don’t think there’s a big problem with ACC’s limited list of classifications. On many forms, eg physio referrals by my specialist, s/he often just writes the place of fracturing eg fractured X, which could just mean one fracture. In fact, for one of the fractured areas, there is a complicated multiple fracturing. But anyone just has to look at my hospital discharge papers to see along list of fracture here, fracture there, displaced fragment there etc.
Hi Carol … it was an extraordinary work by Sir Owen Woodhouse, who now, sadly, is too elderly to wish to comment on the predation of this government.
ACC founding principles …
Community responsibility
Comprehensive entitlement ( yes, entitlement)
Complete rehabilitation
Real compensation
Administrative efficiency.
And a couple of links for you … little did we realize they were already the halcyon days !
http://accforum.org/forums/index.php?/topic/704-sir-owen-woodhouses-speech/
http://www.acc.co.nz/about-acc/overview-of-acc/introduction-to-acc/ABA00004
Thanks, yeshe.
Hmmm…”complete rehabilitation”…. seems to have fallen by the wayside particularly.
That’s what happens when a non-profit, pay as it goes, system is changed to act like a profit driven insurance company – save money and cut costs. One day I hope the economists and politicians wake up to the fact that everything must be paid for out of the currently available resources and that saving money makes no difference to this. Which means, in practical terms, that emergencies require slack in the economy so that society can respond to them.
As I said in reply to you on another thread, Pullar was clearly talking from her experience as a long -term client aka (from ACC management reports) a “swamp dewller” as in the “swamp is being drained”. I don’t think your experiences as someone who experienced an injury requiring short-term support (albeit severe) should be compared to those of people who have been on the receiving end of ACC’s liability-limitation policies for many years. Especially when you use your (different kind) of experience to challenge her lived experience and that of many others.
My last ACC claim was for a scratched cornea. I have no complaints and certainly received nobody else’s private information as a result of it. I think most who have brief encounters with ACC are reasonably happy. In my experience, most of those who have had long experience with the corporation have horrifying stories over many years, with very similar themes to Pullar’s.
That’s a fair comment, just saying. It just seemed to me that Pullar/Boag were claiming that the problems were widespread throughout the whole of the ACC system.
I do think most of the issues are about money and saving costs. Injured people who need long term support will be the most costly for ACC.
Also Pullar seemed to be saying most ACC clients had received some documents relating to other people. I think there is clearly a problem with leaky systems, which probably also is related to cost-saving. But I think only a small number of clients have received such private documents related to other people.
I am concerned that Pullar and Boag are completely undermining ACC, whereas some aspects of it work well.
And on top of his out of touch (deluded?) media comments earlier today, Key wades into the Pullar/ACC issue again without having watched the 60 minute programme
This morning Prime Minister John Key waded into the saga, suggesting Pullar was upset because she had a pre-existing condition before she suffered head injuries in a cycling accident in 2002.
…
Key this morning said Pullar’s case was an operational issue and he hadn’t seen last night’s interview.
”What is clear is that ACC deals with a huge number of complaints, a huge amount of data and there are always people who feel the system hasn’t treated them fairly and that is partly because the big dispute always comes around the definition of a pre-existing condition,” he told Newstalk.
”That at one level is at the heart of what sits with this Bronwyn Pullar claim.”
Boag said today Key had been misinformed if he believed Pullar had an illness before her accident.
”I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt. I think he’s (been) overseas, was talking in general terms about these issues. If he was talking specifically about Bronwyn, he’s been misbriefed… which would not surprise me in the current circumstances.”
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7079141/PM-wades-into-ACC-Pullar-debate
Some times it is better to keep your mouth shut ……
The pre-existing condition one has become a dubious strategy for ACC. When I was had trouble getting more physio, I asked my specialist & physio if it was due to this pre-existing condition approach that seemed to be prevalent. They both strongly assured me my case was cut & dried. My injuries were due to a significant injury impact/trauma.
And yet, when I was in my last round of (eventually successfully) hassling over more physio, one person at ACC pretty much told me that one of my more recent symptoms (strongly highlighted by the clinical adviser) could be due to a non-injury cause and was a sticking point for ACC.
But then the next person I talked to at ACC said that the extent and nature of my injury would have been very likely to cause that symptom, so it was not an issue. That person was involved in over-seeing me being, finally, given some funding for more physio.
As far as I’m concerned, this “pre-existing” business is the last refuge of scoundrels.
Yes Key is somewhat ignorant regarding Pullar’s medical and legal case with ACC. I have personally approached Key regarding an extensive medical and legal case with ACC and he referred it onto Power and Power told me to go to the IPCA. Power was misled by the police in 2006 so I chose not to go to the IPCA in 2009.
You may find the following to be of interest: Kyle Mac Donald Psychotherapist, the comment by Jax in particular May 21, 2012 at 11.34 am
http://psychotherapy.org.nz/when-a-secret-is-no-longer-a-secret/
The medical diagnosis in the DSM IV which ACC use to determine the level and cause of injury is insufficent for a person who has Complex PTSD. There is a six symptom cluster that people have with Complex PTSD (the features are listed under DESNOS in the DSM 1V, but not the treatment or the term Complex PTSD) which a person with regular PTSD does not have, (Herman is the expert).
When it comes to medicine if a person does not have the correct diagnosis how can they receive the correct treatment?
It is my personal opinion that legal issues can prolong and intensify a persons medical condition. A person cannot settle their ACC case until there is TOTAL agreement in what the level of injury is, the cause, the ongoing assistance required. From time to time a review is required but this should not be adversarial.
Do ACC care at all about PTSD? I don’t know anything much about PTSD. But in my experience, ACC has no interest in the emotional or psychological impact of an injury. In my case, I do think my ability to cope with stress, and my energy level was much lowered for several months after my injury. I think I haven’t yet returned to my pre-injury state.
The measure of the impact of the impact of the accident on my general well-being, is that, for the few hours between the accident, and being put under anesthetic in the operating theatre, my body was continually trembling uncontrollably. This trembling returned intermittently in the first few days after the accident.
As soon as I got out of hospital, ACC people were talking to me about returning to work ASAP (because it’s best for people to be working). They only wanted to know about the physical requirements of my work, and whether I was physically up to it. They seemed to have no interest in whether I was emotionally or psychologically up to it, or whether I was up to dealing with the level of stress I would encounter at work.
Does Key think that Smith put his arse on the line if Pullar had a pre – existing medical condition?
I do believe that defamatory statements can cause mental injury/PTSD. Bullying on its own can cause PTSD.
http://www.bullyonline.org/stress/ptsd.htm
As a side issue: When it comes to an ACC assessment for sexual assault/abuse two questions are asked.
Any other significant trauma?
Is this trauma related to the claim?
Carol the most telling comment for me which came out of Pullars mouth (re 60 Minutes) was how she said that her case was medical and legal. The medical side is the accident and the ACC errors are the legal side AND there is cross over between medical and legal. My solution for Pullar is in Open Mike 06/06/2012 comment 18 & 18.1.1
Gottit, Treetop.
I agree the CEO should be replaced, and ACC needs a do-over, and to be returned to its original mission. I do not trust either NAct, Boag or Collins to be working towards that.
I do have quite a bit of sympathy for Pullar’s situation, and feel ACC has treated her very badly.
But this case seems far from straightforward, and I feel various people have been opportunistic in jumping in.
I also am not trusting that Labour would work to improve ACC enough, though I think that they would work to provide a better service than NAct.
I don’t know all the details about Pullars case, so far I do not fault her. Everything she says about defamatory statements, that is how ACC including clinical assessors and the Office of the Police Commissioners operate when it comes to misleading Ministers/MPs.
Labour is intolerant to foolish CEOs/Chairpeople compared to National, I approached Clark in October 2008, I recieved a reply in 10 minutes. The change in government sabotaged my case and I did not act earlier as a family member had to come first.
Professor Grant Duncan has just been talking about the ACC scandal on Radio NZ The Panel.
Yes, it’s that programme but can someone get it up here as soon as available? (I’ve yet to learn how to do radio links.)
It’s a brilliant analysis. You won’t believe (until you hear it) what he says about Key’s character assassination attempts on Pullar. His prediction? John Judge is gone. I detected a hint of panic in Jim Mora’s voice. 🙂
There’s a link up here on ACC on the pre-panel show, not the panel-proper as yet:
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/afternoons/20120611
It’s up now.
Professor Duncan’s contribution starts about 9 mins in…
Thanks. Good stuff about how ACC is a very cost effective scheme, is in a good financial state, and needs to restore confidence and not treat everyone as if they are out to rort the system.
The situation with Pullar is partly because ACC see her as expensive: ie was on a high wage, so expensive to keep supporting her with a high proportion of her previous salary, over the long term.
Also, Mora mentioned there’s been issues with ACC’s unwillingness to fund on-going physiotherapy over a long period.
Duncan says Judge is gone, but to a certain extent is a sacrificial lamb. however, that’s necessary.
Also he queried the whole degenerative, pre-existing wear and tear – of course anyone will have some degenerative wear as they get older. It shouldn’t stop older people getting funding for injuries.
Perhaps a new Treaty should be created. Nothing to do with te tiriti, but a brand new one between the current peoples of these islands and all immigrants from this point onwards. After all, it seems many most of the reasons for te tiriti apply today for same similar reasons.
I’ll jump to the conclusion then you can work back. You like doing that.
To ask is a presumption of power.
To ignore your negotiating partner is not an act of goodwill.
If you have all the power, enough to enforce a treaty when one is not required, you’re only intent on oppressing people.
Tired of it VTO. See a doctor. The constant need to “talk negatively” about a group of people – any group you happen to choose… maori, americans, environmentalists… It’s you that has the problem. Be honest or take your self loathing elsewhere.
I’ve never seen vto talk negatively about environmentalists. From what I gather he spends a lot of time in the natural environment and understands the environmental challenges we face first hand in a way that many can only intellectualise about.
he may well know something about the environment but he knows fuck all about tangata whenua and there ain’t much intellectualising that i can see from his input in that area – but it takes all types so kei te pai.
Oh look, another baseless personal atack by marty mars aka uturn. How surprising.
oh you poor little vot I am not uturn, we just agree on some things mainly on our opinion of you and your input. It’s okay remember there are a few of us who are less than impressed by your trojan horse technique of generating controversy.
boring, repetitive and substanceless.
Betcha your next post will be along exactly similar lines.
You know, it is a curious fact that since smarty mars turned up again a couple days ago every single post of his has been an attack at me. He has not made one single post on any other subject.
You are on a smear campaign so bloody obvious it has instant tedium.
All because you are Ngai Tahu and you do not like anything Maori being questioned. It’s history, the place and quality of te tiriti, whether first-in-first-served has a place, etc etc. You are conflicted. You have a vested interest. You are on a mission to shutdown debate. Well good luck with that because censorship has never worked.
I await the next attack.
good observation vot – yes you are on a smear campaign and although it is tedious i consider that i must oppose the bullshit you smear – stop smearing and leave your bigotry behind, just like you left your rightwing voting pattern behind – you can learn and grow and improve, you’ve done it before.
There has been no bigotry, and you have provided no proof for such despite about a dozen barren claims in the last couple days.
The bigotry rests solely with you, as is evidenced by your relentless attacks on me. As I said and you have admitted, it is you who comes at all of these issues from a predetermined Ngai Tahu position. It is you who is conflicted. It is you who has a vested interest.
And it seems you must have used up all your big swear words and abusive terms by now. Got anymore?
losing it I see – what big swear words have I used in this thread dim?
ha ha, you keep adding to yourself. little. blind. racist.
… next
is that your new one vot – “little blind racist”? Bit useless but you got the offensiveness about right – and yes i am proud of my heritage and all my whakapapa – could you say the same shamewearer?
oh, shamewearer. Another personal attack. How surprising.
… next
didn’t think so
lol, the funniest of the lot.. on so many levels ..
… next
You’re pathetic Uturn. And predictable. I suspect you are in fact some previous poster under a newish name.
“To ask is a presumption of power.”
Bullshit. And to ask what? I look forward to applying your claim elsewhere.
“To ignore your negotiating partner is not an act of goodwill.”
What negotiating partner? If you refer to Maori, then I suggested that te tiriti be left as is. A new treaty would come underneath current constitutional and other arrangements. There was no ignoring, fool.
“If you have all the power, enough to enforce a treaty when one is not required, you’re only intent on oppressing people.”
What on earth are you talking about? Full of assumptions as usual. And as for “… when one is not required…”, well you need to wake up and see what is going on in the world. It is volatile times. There are treaties of all kinds going on all over the place all of the time. It is nothing new (although the fact you seem to think it is speaks to your own eye glasses)
“Tired of it VTO. See a doctor.”
Then fuck off and ignore me.
“The constant need to “talk negatively” about a group of people – any group you happen to choose… maori, americans, environmentalists… It’s you that has the problem. Be honest or take your self loathing elsewhere.”
Perhaps you would care to provide a reference to where I have talked negatively about maori, americans or environmentalists. Because I haven’t and you are making shit up again to try and discredit me. This is a marty mars trick – are you marty mars? I asked you to do the same the other day when you made up similar bullshit about what I posted, and you didn’t provide any reference.
You uturn are stuck in a world where everything is already decided isn’t it. Your views are set. Any challenge to your tiny world gets you all hot under the collar.
Treaties are nothing new. In case you haven’t noticed NZ is negotiating several treaties right now, such as the TPP.
post-edit “I suggested that te tiriti be left as is.” Actually, it appears that wasn’t made clear. But that is the suggestion.
Perhaps I outline a little more…
The world today is awash with treaties. The EU is a form of treaty, North America has one, CER was/is another. There are countless. Most of them come under the guise of trade etc but they do in fact impact on soveriegnty (witness Australian government’s battles with big tobacco) and our ability to make laws for ourselves (witness Euro folk complaining about Brussels making laws for them without any input).
Underneath these trade treaties is a push for global ‘security’ which can be read as ‘governance’ without much difficulty. Even John Key last week referred to global security and our (his) desire to be part of that. He even signed some other new treaty with, I think, Nato of all groups.
In addition, with global volatility and looming financial firestorms there is the bogey of potential massive immigration, either controlled or uncontrolled.
Against this I suspect a substantial majority of New Zealanders do not wish to see their world altered too much from what it is now. The perception and probably reality of such alteration is that the effect would be negative. We have a way of life, a culture/s, heritage, etc that is worth preserving and enhancing.
So why would we not make moves to protect it? After all, we would only be looking to our own interests, which is exactly what big countries and big business and big people do. Play their own game straight back at them.
(and for the likes of uturn out there, it aint nothing to do with te tiritit, although it does provide a reasonable template to step off from).
“So why would we not make moves to protect it?”
As I said below, the enemy is within. We don’t want Key et al making treaties because they don’t give a shit about sovereignty. Until NZ is willing to vote in governments that take this seriously we are screwed. IMO you’re asking the wrong question. Yes we should be taking our future security in the face of climate change, peak oil and economic collapse seriously, but we can’t do much until we have sovereignty established at home.
gah, in moderation for over an hour. What going on? Uturn in control? Oh well, just as well a blog isn’t real..
I’ve been caught up in moderation a couple of times this morning.
oh vto you are just a dim – why do you keep bringing me into your demented rants – get this straight – I am not interested in you other than the disinformation and bigotry you put out, which I must oppose. Get a life and please don’t bring my name up unless you have a fucken good reason.
“oh vto you are just a dim – why do you keep bringing me into your demented rants – get this straight – I am not interested in you other than the disinformation and bigotry you put out, which I must oppose. Get a life and please don’t bring my name up unless you have a fucken good reason.”
Stop following me around.
Face it – you don’t like the current maori way and issues being questioned so you personally attack. There aint no disinformation and there is no bigotry. Perhaps, like uturn, you could point to some evidence for your attack – otherwise you are just another hollow shithead.
And look, once again uturn has fled when his bullshit attack is queried.
Can’t put up any evidence to support his claims so runs away. This is a common trait.
Isn’t this called trolling? Uturn, or marty mars, whichever one you are (you do turn up together and post in near identical manners), how about you grow some balls and provide some proof of where I have talked negatively about maori, americans or environmentalists because it doesn’t exist except in that tiny empty head of yours.
Come on.
Put up or shut the fuck up.
[lprent: They don’t look like the same person to me from the look of the IPs and timing. ]
we aren’t the same person and I can’t understand why the moderators are allowing fuckwit vot to continue implying that i am and continuing to try and ‘out’ an identity. Sure, you let vot disrespect a guest poster (QoT) in the past, fair enough, but this ‘outing’ is a deliberate, repetitive, blatent attempt – is that the way it works now?
And there it is – the blind little racist smarty mars making more baseless accusations. Point out where I disrespected QoT.
Boring, repetitive, substanceless.
don’t act thicker than you already are – you know that I directly queried that with the moderators at the time.
this is what you said
http://thestandard.org.nz/new-record-set-in-ironic-racism/comment-page-1/#comment-454899
this is what i said
http://thestandard.org.nz/new-record-set-in-ironic-racism/comment-page-1/#comment-455263
and this is what 1prent said
So that one is proved – want me to find some of your bigotry now, there is tons to choose from.
Well if that is what you see as proof then it is clear you are losing the plot in your rabid smear campaign.
There was no such disrespect, there was response in kind. You have proved nothing.
The fact that no moderator pulled me up proves it.
The fact that no moderator has pulled me up anywhere in response to your school kid-like claims about me also proves that you have nothing and are making it all up.
… continue with your smears – they just reflect on you …
try reading it dim
you said, “And there it is – the blind little racist smarty mars making more baseless accusations. Point out where I disrespected QoT.”
i showed you by quoting you saying, “What a piece of fucking shit that post is.”
Are you saying that your statement doesn’t disrespect that guest poster?
I’m letting your rank “blind little racist” go, simply because that sums you up so well.
in case you have never noticed, using the word “fuck” is something QoT does. All the time. She is happy to do so and everybody is happy for her to do so. Good for her. Go back through her post and you will see the word “fuck”. So clearly there is no disrespect given that is her standard manner of communicating. If anything, replying to her in her own manner shows respect, not disrespect.
You are twisted in how you see things.
… next
You mean we’re being colonised again? 😉 And the new colonisers will be so good as to make a treaty with us? Who would they be? US cultural imperialists? Neoliberalists? The English (god, not them again) who are buying up so much land with their good exchange rate?
It’s not the incomers we have to worry about this time. It’s those who hold the power over immigration and economic policy. The enemy is within, my friend.
Yes agreed weka, see my post just above (oh, it’s in moderation). I guess what I am suggesting is a form of treaty which stems from and for the people rather than the usual which stem from government, trade and business.
One other fact which most New Zealanders never even consider … these islands can support a population of 50 – 100 million (think UK and Japan). The only reason it is not yet at this level is its very recent twin discoveries – there simply hasn’t been the passage of time to take the population up to populations similar in density to UK and Japan.
But population and human movements are a bit like water finding its level. At some point NZ will be as densely populated as Japan and the UK. This is surely a given. So one of the following questions is how will this happen? Will it happen slowly and in a measured way? Or will it happen with several larger influxes (as it has to date)? I suspect several larger influxes and imo people have forgotten, or not even considered, that this will happen (as it has to date). And these sorts of things happen at times of world volatility – as we are entering / have entered now.
NZ cannot support that many people. We’re currently at about twice the rate of consumption that this land can support. If we really sorted our shit out and reduced out footprint by half we might be able to sustain our present population over the medium/long term.
But I agree with you that there will likely be immigration pressure on NZ, from climate change and economic crises refugees. Also places running out of potable water and enough food. I haven’t seen a good analysis yet on NZ’s options for that future (although I am betting that certain people in the Ureweras have been thinking about it). We should be thinking about it now.
No fraking way, we’d never meet the energy requirements of that population without numerous nuclear power stations and/or massive daily imports of oil.
weka and CV, I was basing that on current parameters i.e. if the UK and Japan (and other high density places like Holland, Sumatra, Bangladesh, etc) can support such densities then so can we.
If energy and other necessities change and mean we can’t here then they they surely wont there either … that is a scary thought … and makes such treaty ideas worthy of serious consideration. Not that I imagine any document will stop such heavy global changes, but they may soften their blow. A bit like te tiriti again actually perhaps.
Dude you are talking about places which built those population densities up on massive and increasing inputs of external energy.
That was the case for the last 50 years. Its not the case for the next 50. We can not get on that curve, we cannot afford to import 2 million barrels of oil a day.
Re: Sumatra and Bangladesh, yes you can have large populations in a small space but usually resource constraints on the economy mean that the median income is very low.
Understand that but I would suggest that the human ability to harness and utilise energy is probably only just getting underway and as such the scenario of 100million people living between Kaitaia and Bluff is probable.
Sure, carbon-derived energy may be reaching an endpoint, but carbon is the least common form of energy available. It is just our ability to harness various other energy sources that is the limiting factor.
I predict some massive waves of change arriving on our shores over the next century or so.
“It is just our ability to harness various other energy sources that is the limiting factor.”
Actually no. The limiting factor is physics. The crucial bit is energy returned on energy invested (EROEI). None of the other energy sources we currently have available that we could develop technology for have the same degree of energy gained for energy expended in extraction/creation. That combined with how the economy is entwined (because we make money from nothing rather than producing real wealth in the physical world) means that we can’t even make good use of the remaining oil we have to develop solar, wind etc to tide us over during the power down.
To put it another way. We live waaaay beyond our means, and the bank manager is about to pull the plug.
If the energy stuff doesn’t get you, have a think about how to produce enough food for 100 million people within the NZ landbase without having cheap oil to do so.
I completely agree, but I don’t think that what I am predicting is what you are predicting.
(added:) the change is going be massive and it will only take 15-20 years to become blatantly clear, not 100.
And some time in that 10 to 20 years we will be closing the border and allowing no one across as we’ll just have too many difficulties with the over-population we already have.
Will we have the capability of defending that?
Not if we keep going the way we are with our defence forces, i.e, specialising them for UN peace keeping missions rather than national defence and not producing our own weapons systems.
Distance is our best defense. Anybody walking down here will piss off so many bigger nations by going through the Pacific that it won’t be worth their trouble.
But we need a modicum of defense capabilities to deal with overly ambitious boat people and externally resourced insurrection (although this does not mean I think the unregistered firearms raids were warranted in any sense other than the literal).
Its not fashionable in the Lefty crowd but I agree. We need a strong national defence force and a homegrown defence industry.
The Netherlands, UK and Japan would be able to support nowhere near their present populations if they had to actually feed and clothe themselves from their own resources.
We’ve got plenty of coal we can use to support the growing energy requirements.
Don’t count on that. Without the advantages of oil fuelled farming I’d be surprised if we could support much more than what we have now.
We could support our current population without oil and fertiliser. But 1/3 of NZers would be working on the land.
That still leaves 2/3rds to do everything else that we need. Computers, universities, R&D, Art&Culture, mining etc. All possible within the resources that we have even without oil. The problem only kicks in when we get over populated which will happen if we don’t accept that we need to limit population.
Once we become a Republic, which is closer than you think – see Greens policy – a new Treaty of Waitangi will have to be negotiated because their will be no Crown as the other partner.
Will be very interesting as will probably take many years to get any agreement, as the original signatories are not around (only by hearsay).
I think it could take quite a while – it will be difficulty to get sufficient popular support while the current queen remains, and she could hang in there for quite a few years yet. It will be difficult in even starting preparations for a change to an independent nation.
But we can talk and hope and promote.
Why can the Crown side of the Treaty not be transferred to whatever takes over from the Crown?
Have to agree with Marty below. We’re still not getting the current treaty right. Talk of having to have a new treaty that will take years to arrange sounds suspicious to me.
That’s already happened. It’s no longer the Crown that holds the responsibility for Te Tiriti but parliament.
I can’t see how creating a new treaty would be of any use at all considering the previous one hasn’t been honoured by the Crown. You are trying to create advantage for yourself and somehow that doesn’t surprise me.
“I can’t see how creating a new treaty would be of any use at all considering the previous one hasn’t been honoured by the Crown.”
Of course you can’t and I’ve said that to you before. You’re a bit thick and too caught in your own rigid tiny world
” You are trying to create advantage for yourself and somehow that doesn’t surprise me.”
No. How pathetic.
Here’s the PM this morning:
No word of what he thinks was wrong in media reports, saying that parents were stupidly falling for media spin. Dude should face up. It was a crap policy, people know it. Yes, they backed down, but you don’t get a pat on the head for proposing shit policy, simple as that. Especially when you are still trying to claim that the policy you backed down from was good policy.
Oh, dear. Little Johnny has got so used to the media supporting him and his policies, he doesn’t know how to respond to critical media.
It’s not a great idea to attack the media, as we have seen following the teapot tapes…. is Johnny losing it?
Big time.
And another example – what planet is he on? Stuff article post Key’s morning TV appearance:
Prime Minister John Key says he’s not “down in the mouth” about recent polls showing a fall in support for National.
He has dismissed suggestions the loss of support for his Government is only because of last week’s humiliating backdown on its plan to increase class size, saying voters are also angry because of the rise in tobacco tax.
and
Key this morning said the shift in the polls wasn’t because of one issue.
“I don’t actually accept that,” he told TVNZ’s Breakfast programme.
A quarter of New Zealanders smoked and the Government was putting a big cost on them, he said.
…
“There will be some of those people who say I don’t like that and I’m going to reflect that in the poll,” Key said.
The Government was raising tobacco tax because it “cared about them and we want them to live”.
Governments had to “stand up for things they believed in”, Key said.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7077803/Key-not-fazed-by-poll-results
I’m a (heavy) smoker but don’t believe that I have ever thought about this in terms of deciding who I would vote for.
That’s either the worst bit of spin ever or a seriously deluded man.
Yeah there’s this thing I’ve just done that affects almost 100% of the population and almost everybody hates it but my drop in support is because of something else I’ve done which every govt does all the time and only affects a quarter of the population.
What a dork.
His worst was on explaining his slide in the pref. PM poll.
It’s the National Party’s fault, they’re dragging him down because he is so closely linked with them in the public mind, so don’t read too much into that.
Crikey. I’m leaning toward “deluded”.
And remind me again how Key came to be so closely linked with that National Party? Oh, wait, he’s their leader and was posted all over their billboards last election….. I though he was National’s main strength?
Their main strength and their potential weakness. That’s the trouble with ‘strong’ leadership. Once the leader is ‘gone’ nothing is left.
I liked what Mike Williams said on Nat radio this morning. He acknowledged the essential meaninglessness of the polls this far out but pointed out what they mean in terms of activist support- “puts lead in their pencils’ was what he essentially said. More work done, more money, more commitment generally.
When my brother was alive, probably 2003 (the year before he died) he told me he’d met a fellow salesman at an hotel, who sold tobacco products, and the salesman had told him that the 30% of people smoking (official figure at the time) was wildly wrong – that the real figure was 55% or more. ‘I could never make a living if it was really only 30%’ he said…
A quarter of New Zealanders smoked and the Government was putting a big cost on them, he said.
A quarter? And the rest… 🙂
The Government was raising tobacco tax because it “cared about them and we want them to live”.
Cared about us? Nonsense. No smoker I know believes that.
Agreed! I never have either…
He’s becoming as crazy and deluded as the ACT caucus. I get a perverse sense of pleasure in watching him melt down and can only hope, given that NAct have placed so many eggs in the basket of his cult of no personality, that he takes them all with him.
oooh look media manipulation time
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7065313/Live-chat-with-the-Prime-Minister
Holy pedo-smile batman, they’re actually using that photo!
He is so creepy.
How about this one of the Zeroes: http://fmacskasy.wordpress.com/2012/06/09/teachers-first-now-the-police/
Stuff were advertising the live chat all weekend using the photo up at the top of their home page. It put me off going there after seeing it first thing on Saturday!
So the Nats are planning to rush asset sales legislation through parliament.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7076581/Labour-leader-says-asset-sales-bill-rushed-back
Maybe it’s time to blockade parliament? Are there enough people in Wellington willing to keep up a protest presence outside the Beehive? And people in other cities willing to set up satellite process during the time the bill is being rushed through parliament?
It’s time that all parties in opposition to the asset sales said that they would re-nationalise them come 2014 when they’re back in power (and they will be back in power).
Yes i agree.
+1. A collectively endorsed statement showing that ACT and National are on their own.
So why are they not doing it then….Time has long since past on this one..
I think you know the answer why B,
Its because the “opposition” is a myth!
Peeople still falling for the ” opposition party” concept, are as I have said many times, part of the problem!
Good idea Carol.
http://peoplespowernz.wordpress.com/2012/06/10/asset-sales-to-be-passed-under-urgency/
Great. Not the urgency & legislation but the protests. Go make some noise.
A policy pronouncement today on radionz – the prospect of Labour needing the Greens alongside to get into power puts off many Labour supporters. Then a recent comment that Labour and National have both moved to the centre. Surely there are enough Labour supporters who wish to see a real left-wing party again, not just one that serves the house-decorating and ostentatious consumption class?
the prospect of Labour needing the Greens alongside to get into power puts off many Labour supporters.
Wasn’t that a comment from Matthew Hooton? … or even Mike Williams, who said as a centre left person, up til the class size announcement, National hadn’t done anything to make him dislike them……. ‘Nuff said.
Carol Yes – couldn’t remember who said what. And like the double rainbow ‘What does it mean’.
Hooten would say that, wouldn’t he!
Just read the crap in NBR.
Surely there are enough Labour supporters who wish to see a real left-wing party again,
Absolutely there is!
I think most of them will refrain from voting altogether until Labour finally decides to be Labour again.
Anne
Bill O’Drees early on 13/6 OpenMike put this link up with a good item on Labour’s possible path. Does he make some good points? Labour supporters can’t afford to be too relaxed. If you fall into a pit there has to be a lot of energy expended to get back to level ground.
Chris Trotter in a thought provoking mood in his Bowlalleyroad blog. Have a read.
http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.co.nz/
There was an interesting interview with Sir Stephen Tindall from the Pure Advantage group on Nine to Noon this morning. He strongly criticized successive government for not supporting our “Clean, Green” brand and positioning us to take advantage of developing green industries. We are losing the Green Race:
http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2012/06/pure-advantage-and-green-race.html
There was one guy who said that his firm won a contested contract because of the clean, green PR. But is worried that if it becomes just PR about what will happen then. What else differentiates us enough to get notice, overcome distance?
On business prospects for NZ – on Radionz They should be OK if the exchange rate stays down.
If! It’s like an Act of God we’re waiting for not a mechanism set up by supposedly clever gentlemen. And how can we keep the exchange rate down? Perhaps we shouldn’t appear to be such a stable little country. A few riots about conditions might help. Let the fast money maniacs and their money machines get their kicks and marginal profits from some other country.
URGENT!! HELP STOP STATE ASSET SALES – BY FORCING RESIGNATION OF DODGY JOHN BANKS!
TODAY Mon 11 June 3 – 4.30pm Intersection protest opposite Britomart – then protest outside Serious Fraud Office (SFO) 21 Queen St – demanding SFO DO THEIR JOB!
(A formal letter will be handed over calling for URGENT ACTION by SFO staff responsible for Fraud and Corruption).
Investigate John Banks for BRIBERY and CORRUPTION re: $50,000 donated by Kim Dotcom in return for ‘immigration assistance’ ; assistance to help purchase the Coatsville mansion and undeclared ‘gifts and hospitality’ worth more than $500?
Spot the difference!
Taito Phillip Field gets sentenced to SIX years jail for bribery and corruption for providing immigration assistance to Thai nationals in return for work on his properties – dodgy John Banks continues to be politically protected by shonky John Key – Prime Minister of NZ ‘perceived’ to be ‘the least corrupt country in the world’?
Mind you – given shoinky John Key’s proven track record over effective ‘insider trading’ over his undisclosed Tranz Rail shares – no surprises that he is not leading from front when it comes to ‘ethical’ behaviour?
SFO have NOT treated formal complaint as ‘BRIBERY and CORRUPTION’ complaint – but as a ‘SERIOUS AND COMPLEX FRAUD’ complaint – which it is NOT!!!
For details of complaint – check out http://www.dodgyjohnhasgone.com
PLEASE! If you can – get your butt down to Britomart! 🙂
(Bring the rest of you as well 🙂
Cheers!
Penny Bright
I followed up on freedom’s link to PM questions. Very long shot with:
“Teachers are used to larger classes and teach accordingly.
It seems that Smaller classes are only effective if teachers learn to modify their teaching strategies in order to cater for the “Long Tail. ”
Therefore would you support such Teacher Training and Re-training?
And in due course modify the class size to suit modern methods?”
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7065313/Live-chat-with-the-Prime-Minister
Dpf has gets his prick on:
http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2012/06/call_in_the_un.html
sets the tone for comments.
Another call for a wideranging debate on the future of Super:
It’s a pity he included an inter-party dig, but otherwise he’s correct.
How about support from bloggers from The Standard for an inter-blog call for discussion, and a pledge to have a wide ranging blog debate on the future of super without resorting to political point scoring?
I believe Lab, NF, Maori, UF and now act are calling for a debate/rethink.
That is a majority in the house.
Why dont they put up a bill in the house?
Because they can’t. The only parties who can are the parties in government which means that they need Nationals permission and they won’t get that.
It’s going to take substantial discussion inside and outside parliament before getting to the bill stage.
The only discussion we should be having on super, is, how successful a GMI has been on removing poverty amongst the elderly, and how soon we can extend the same to the rest of our people.
Starting with the 20% of children living in poverty.
Removing the tax cuts to the top 1% would be a start, in affordability.
This.
http://newscenter.berkeley.edu/2012/06/06/scientists-uncover-evidence-of-impending-tipping-point-for-earth/
Also, this for the pointy heads.
http://arxiv.org/pdf/1201.1593v1.pdf
Reducing Impaired Driving in NZ
Number 2557382 View Certificate Of Incorporation
Name RIDNZ
EMAIL CERTIFICATE
Incorporated 16-FEB-2012
Current Status REGISTERED
Organisation Type Charitable Trust
In existence for less than 4 Months and now the ‘go to’ organisation for comment on the issue for National TV news?
You mean Key and his merry band of backwoodsmen/women are a car wreck ?
I’m just waiting for the gutless and rather thick eggs who comprise what passes as the Fourth Estate in NZ to get their little yuppie tits in a tangle when they conclude that KeyShit’s been bullshitting them all for years.
Oh how they will turn ! Even that Tracey Watkins rubbish I reckon.
I’ve just watched……yes I’m gonna say it……that utter bastard Key on late news saying that the only problem with the dumbing down of NZ education (higher quality teaching my arse!) is that it wasn’t sold well enough…….”end orl th’ Cebnit ‘gree ‘bet theret…” simpers he in that weak, effeminate little voice of his.
Watch the eyes……they’re dead…….he’s utterly bored with it all. Why ?……because he’s simply mouthing off spin lines written by some twisted thing in Sydney or wherever.
Just like the little girly who thought she was his favourite Cab Min…….Hek Yeah Stoolie Hung Out to Dry. Bet you Sir Well Paid-Off Wira is pissed seeing his wahine treated like shit. But still she mouths off spin, spin, spin turns to spam, spam, spam, in 4 hours. Call from King John in Angela Merkel’s waiting room. And she’s still smiling, according to the spin manual. As though she/they had a victory in the whole bizo.
Anyone old enough to agree with me that she’s a dead ringer for the not unattractive Elsie Tanner of Coronation Street 1966 or so ? Whatever happened to the venerable Pat Phoenix ?
Bets on Hek Yeah rising from the flames ? Dunno. There’ll be a cache of spin to deal with that question, one way or the other. That’s all that matters to a cheapie like Key. Obama carries that bloody nuclear briefcase. Key carries the equivalent of a make-up box. What A Man !