“Hundreds of thousands of people rallied on Saturday afternoon in the German capital against the massive Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) accord being negotiated by the European Union and the United States. Critics say the trade deal will benefit large corporations at the expense of average Europeans.” http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/10/10/hundreds-thousands-march-berlin-against-ttip-trade-deal
There was a big wooden horse being rolled along too – also appropriate.
“Everything that we know about this secretive trade deal shows that it is very little about trade and very much about enshrining a massive corporate power-grab.” Nick Dearden, director of Global Justice Now, at the Common Dreams link.
If our Labour Party has wet its finger and is holding it in the air to determine which way the wind is blowing, it might want to look at that photo of about 250,000 people marching against the TTIP. When we go to make a law in NZ we don’t want our first consideration to be “are we likely to be sued in an ISDS if we make this law?” TPP has this chilling effect.
Our first consideration should be “Is this law good for New Zealand, both for the people and the environment (and not detrimental to the world in general.)
Labour, if you are listening, we don’t wan’t this TPP. We lose more than we gain.
(Note the Herald title to Bernard Hickey’s article is incomplete.
Yes. “While the EU has an impressively alliterative “farm to fork” strategy, for instance, regulating each link in the food chain, Americans pump their cattle and pigs with growth-promoting hormones banned in the EU. As a result, most US beef can’t be sold in the EU.
Matthew Hooton (in his piece: Labour lurches to the extreme left over TPP) has used the possibility of Labour withdrawing from the TPP to scare potential supporters off Labour, undermining the Party’s efforts to build business support.
Labour would discuss its position on the TPP at its up and coming caucus meeting.
Audrey Young asks: will Labour be better off supporting the deal than not supporting it?
Will it be any better off sounding as though it opposes it but supporting it in the end?
Whatever they do you can bet the likes of hootten and all the other players will spin this in nacts favour so the rehetoric must be simple, short and snappy so it sticks in peoples minds despite the DP treatment.
Good to see King calling matty over his allegations, the electorate is crying out for a front foot approach to take back the argument to ordinary kiwis and away from the hollowmen and their shills in the msm.
Exactly. Labour needs to have a clear position, state that position and then stick to it. We’re getting fucked over by their ambivalence and their compromising with the RWNJs that just sees our country going ever more to the right and thus getting higher levels of poverty.
Labour should not support TPP. Period. It is very different to the China trade deal.
Supporting TPP which Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Corbyn etc do not support. There is massive mainstream political and public support AGAINST TPP.
They don’t have to agree with everything the Nats do in a NatLite way, now is the time for Labour to cut away from the 1980’s and the Clark era, and start looking at what Kiwis want, not want Labour think the country may or may not need. We are in a brave new technological world and the TPP aims to keep us in the past and the current powers dominant with outdated practises. History shows that those in power cling on and try to destroy as they are being replaced because they can’t or will not adapt.
One of the biggest mistakes Labour is making is sitting on the fence and using ‘confusion’ about it’s position to somehow try to be everything to all people, but instead looking like a completely untrustworthy party than just goes where the tide turns and gets bogged down in details oh I support this in this way but not in this way and maybe in this way, but not in this way (details all missing). Too complicated Labour!
“One of the biggest mistakes Labour is making is sitting on the fence and using ‘confusion’ about it’s position to somehow try to be everything to all people, but instead looking like a completely untrustworthy party than just goes where the tide turns and gets bogged down in details oh I support this in this way but not in this way and maybe in this way, but not in this way (details all missing). Too complicated Labour!”
Won’t Labour and everyone else need to see the whole document before stating a position? If Little was to say now that he/they oppose the TPP he would be trounced for being against something unseen/unconsidered.
Wait folks.
Taking into account Labour put forward their bottom lines. Coupled with the breach of their bottom lines (which Little concedes) in the info released thus far, a number expect Labour would oppose it on that alone.
However, Little says they’re certainly opposed to what they see at the moment, but they still want to see the final text. Which, with that said, implies there’s a possibility they may not oppose it.
And it is that lack of total commitment that leaves a number questioning why?
Your average person sees Labour making bottom lines, hears they’ve been breached, thus expects Labour to come out and totally oppose the deal on that basis.
I don’t see any confusion TC. It’s the pro-TPP mob – including much of the media – and the NActs sowing the seed of so-called confusion. Matthew Hooton’s latest attempt to suggest there’s ructions in the L. caucus over the TPP is a good example. Little squashed that load of bullshit once and for all this morning.
The bottom lines are still there and Little made it clear they will pass legislation to counter adverse effects when they are the government. When posed the question… what if the US (or who ever else) take retaliatory action, he [effectively] said… they can shit themselves as much as they like, but if it’s not in the best interest of our citizens we will not play ball. Good answer. Call their bluff.
The confusion lays with Ardern saying Labour will face the consequences (implying Labour will refuse to be bound by the TPP) and Robertson saying Labour will weigh up the consequences. Implying if the consequences are to severe, Labour will breach their 5 bottom lines.
Leaving a number wondering why make bottom lines when you may accept them being breached?
Hooton did more than claim the Party is divided. He went on to paint a withdrawal from the deal as Labour lurching towards the extreme left. Saying, the lunatics now running Labour’s asylum must never be let near power.
IMO, Hooton is not only trying to scare potential supporters off Labour, he’s also trying to scare Labour from withdrawing.
IMO, Hooton is not only trying to scare potential supporters off Labour, he’s also trying to scare Labour from withdrawing.
Exactly what he’s doing imo.
What appalling arrogance! He’s a pip-squeak among many other pip-squeaks who have a vastly over-rated opinion of themselves. I may not be able to abide him as a person/ politician, but at least John Key has some legitimacy when it comes to playing these games.
The other big problem in farming is that they have been encouraged to expand and have too much stock and then have to buy in supplementary feed which is very expensive and often using Palm Kernel expeller which is imported from Indonesia where it is contributed to massive rain forest destruction and climate change.
Where is the support for farmers farming in a sustainable way and research to support that from government?
Do we want to be a low end commodity producer ALL our life as a country or when is someone going to say – lets move up the value chain?
For example Lactoferrin is approx $500,000 per ton and milk solids $3000 a ton?
Nutricuticials should be top on the list of where our milk industry is heading not ‘lets produce more milk for less money’.
Do we want to be a low end commodity producer ALL our life as a country
According to National that’s exactly what we are and should be. It’s why they keep making getting a good education harder and why they keep pushing dairying.
My company manufactures a highly value added product 100% here in NZ Draco, but at the moment that product is effectively locked out of lucrative markets such as Canada, Japan, and the US by 20-30% tariffs that are designed to make our end price uncompetitive.
If the TPP goes ahead those tariffs will disappear and we would immediately set out on a major expansion into those markets.
All going well, we would be looking at many new high value NZ jobs and significant flow on benefits down through all the companies that supply us raw materials and services.
I know several other NZ Made Manufacturers who are in exactly the same situation……
So everything else aside, I can see some outcomes from the TPPA that would create opportunities for people who are trying to add value to the NZ economy. Just saying, but it ain’t all bad.
If the TPP goes ahead those tariffs will disappear and we would immediately set out on a major expansion into those markets.
Even without tariffs it’ll still cost more to get your products to market in those nations because of the added costs of transporting them. The only way you’d be able to compete would be if you lowered wages.
As I say. If there’s a level playing field in world trade (Which was the point of the WTO/GATT) then there wouldn’t be any world trade. A manufacturer in NZ cannot compete with a manufacturer in Canada/US/Australia when under the same conditions. That’s physical reality.
@ The Lost Sheep, if you can’t make it in NZ or China then you probably are not going to make it in, the rest of the world. The tariffs do not stop trade so the TPP is not going to miraculously make a market for new NZ products. In fact more likely under TPP someone bigger will come along steal your idea and litigate you, so go under. The copywrite laws are intended to be protectionist to the current status quo.
All wrong savenz.
Tariffs do in fact stop trade. That is largely the point of them.
In the case of my business area, removal of tariffs will create huge new markets that we can effectively compete in.
I’m not generalising a theoretical case here, I’m talking about a specific opportunity that we have spent years investigating and are absolutely certain of.
That’s good isn’t it?
Maybe you have a great idea or product but when you look at Dragon’s Den like entrepreneurs – quite a few people are absolutely certain they have some amazing product the world is dying to obtain. But quite often the people are fruit cakes and with or without TPP are going to fail. Not sure if this is you, but NZ is an easy market to get a product out in, and TPP does not actually remove all tarrifs in fact there is only about 10% difference from now in some areas.
But we certainly DO KNOW under TPP medicine will be more expensive as even Key has said, patents for longer, protectionist measures, etc
We know NZ can be sued and our government and courts won’t be deciding the outcome but 3 international judges than have never found against the US historically.
The opposite of ‘free trade’.
In the US/OZ free trade deal they are both worse off 10 years later.
So should the rest of the country be worse off, because MAYBE someone is slightly better off, and again corporate welfare. i.e. taxpayers helping business at the expense of the rest of the population who have to pay more individually to subsidise the business?
quite a few people are absolutely certain they have some amazing product the world is dying to obtain. But quite often the people are fruit cakes and with or without TPP are going to fail. Not sure if this is you,
No. I have very well established growing business that already sells to people throughout the world. So no need to do Dragons Den.
So should the rest of the country be worse off, because MAYBE someone is slightly better off, and again corporate welfare. i.e. taxpayers helping business at the expense of the rest of the population who have to pay more individually to subsidise the business?
Well, if you believe, as many do here, that our Govt. would deliberately negotiate a deal that guaranteed a negative overall outcome for our country, or you believe that Govt. in NZ pays anything like significant subsidies to business, then you might say that.
But I think that is rubbish.
Like all the trade negotiations I have ever seen, this one is a result of the compromise process that occurs when every country is trying to stimulate growth, but at the same time trying to gain more access to other markets than they give away in their own.
There are opportunities for NZ’ers in this deal, if it goes ahead. My plan is to take maximum advantage of the ones in front of me.
I just hope enough NZ’ers do the same to make it an overall positive net outcome.
Orchard manager Evan Heywood said the lack of rain would hurt fruit growers in areas, such as Waimea, where the water supply was limited.
This is one of the big environmental problems we face – a lot of people actually think that the water supply we have is unlimited. The reality is that the water supply is limited and we need to live within those limits.
It’s true we have a problem with out attitude towards water (thinking it’s endless). Water’s not the main problem in how to grow food in dry climates though, it’s how we use land. Current agricultural practices, including irrigation, encourage drought.
Here’s establishing food producing trees in the first year on one of the driest place on earth (on salinated soil). They used 1/5th the amount of water used in that area normally.
Thanks! That’s a very good interview (yes, smart people), and has a good explanation of how to manage water differently (at start and then half way through).
We have had an ‘endless supply’ mentality to H2O here in NZ. Here in the Waikato, arguably the greenest of this green and pleasant land, we now have irrigation booms, a la Canterbury Plains.
When we were building in the country 18 years ago we designed the house for maximum rain collection and chucked in a couple of BIG tanks.
Neighbours suggested putting down a bore…plenty of groundwater they said.
This was because we refused to water the veg plants….(we still got bumper crops) to conserve our house supply.
Drought of 2007/2008 saw those neighbours’ bores all dry up.
Local 1000 cow dairy farm had their pump on the lowest point in the area…had sucked the aquifer dry.
They are the ones with the boom…I presume sucking the water from the river.
In the 50s isn’t that what the refugees flooding into Israel did to green the desert? (Recently I scooped buckets of beach sand and pebbles to put on a small patch. Weed-cloth then the salt laden beach sand. The weeds grew prolifically!)
I don’t know ian. Permacuture (which is the design technique used in that video) was invented in the 1970s, but it is based in many existing traditional systems, so it’s possible that swales were used in the situation you refer to.
Why were you putting beach sand and pebbles in your garden?
It was a small patch of ground in which I aimed to grow a lemon tree and a shrub. Since we were seldom there to weed I thought that the salty beach sand would block the weeds, but no.
This is what irrigation should be used for. A prop at times of drought, and perhaps an aid to encourage an early start to the growing season so as to get crops well on their way before known seasonal weather bringing heat and moisture deficits occur.
Personally I know several people who will not support Labour precisely because it has not come out definitely against the TPP. Labour is not opposed to free trade agreements per se, but the positive amount of free trade in this agreement for NZ is small compared to the negatives of ISDS, the inability to prevent foreign ownership of land and yet to be revealed final rules on SOEs and other hidden fishhooks.
Labour seem to be waiting for the final text so that their arguments will be based on fact’
Here’s Audrey Young:
“It will be passed by the Cabinet and National has the numbers with Act and Peter Dunne to pass any legislation required.
But the Government would prefer to pass it with as much cross-party support as possible.
The campaign against the TPP has shifted the default position of the public from a generally pro-FTA position to neutral.
In the Herald’s DigiPoll survey in August, only 22.9 per cent said they supported it generally on the basis that New Zealand’s economic well-being depended on increased trade with the world; 31.3 per cent opposed it on the basis of investor-state dispute procedures and 45 per cent had no view.
Labour has been pivotal in shifting public opinion, shifting its own position last year from a pro starting point to a neutral one.”
OK Labour. Let’s move it from neutral to NEGATIVE!
To me, this is the most important sentence. Audrey Young again:
“My prediction is that Labour will spend the next month sounding as though it opposes the TPP, pointing out where it could have been better, condemning the Government for not getting a perfect deal, but end up supporting it. In the process it will be sending mixed messages.”
This must not happen. Stop equivocating, Labour. There’s enough info out with the latest leak. You’ll gain more by opposing the TPP. It’s an up or down decision now- liking bits of the agreement is not enough.
This must not happen. STOP equivocating, Labour. There’s enough info out with the latest leak. You’ll gain more by opposing the TPP. It’s an up or down decision now- liking bits of the agreement is not enough.
I know you’ve been anxious to hear an unequivocal statement against the TPP… How ’bout the Greens?
James Shaw MP on Tuesday, October 6, 2015 – 10:03
The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) makes it more likely that everyday New Zealanders will become tenants in our own land, while private companies snap up the limited gains of about one percent of GDP, the Green Party said today.
“The TPPA is a bad deal because the costs will be worn by everyday New Zealanders while the benefits will go to private companies,” Green Party Co-leader James Shaw said.
“New Zealanders are more likely to become tenants in our own land, because the TPPA slackens the overseas investment rules and takes away our right to limit overseas speculators from buying up our land.
“It’s becoming clear that it will be harder, take longer, and be more expensive to access next generation medicines in New Zealand and in developing countries.
“Multinational companies will be able to sue New Zealand if it takes action to protect our environment, for example strengthening the protection for the critically endangered Maui’s dolphins.
“Trade Minister Tim Groser can’t avoid the fact that the TPPA doesn’t actually break down trade barriers with markets like Canada, and it will be another 25 years before milk powder tariffs in the United States market are gone.
“Whichever way you look at the TPPA, it’s a bad deal.
“After five years of talking, Tim Groser and the National Government have failed to achieve an agreement that is in New Zealand’s best interests,” Mr Shaw said.
so Greens will repeal signing of TPP?…has Shaw said this specifically or is he equivocating?
…the Greens are in agreement with NZF then!?
…so where is bloody Labour?!
…they should be forming a united front saying “NO” to the TPP when they ALL form the next coalition Government
If the TPP is bad enough for both Republican Trump and Democrat Saunders to have the courage to stick their necks out and say “NO”!….surely NZ Labour can do the same!….and stop sitting on the fence
‘Bernie Sanders, Donald Trump slam Trans-Pacific Partnership deal as ‘disastrous’ & ‘terrible’ ‘
“Trump, a 69-year-old billionaire real estate mogul, entered the US presidential race in June, seeking the Republic nomination. He is currently leading in the polls.”
I have not heard an unequivocal rejection of the TPP from either Labour or the Greens.
Statements like “The TPP was not voted in democratically by the New Zealand people. We shall repeal it once we are in power.”
agreed …the Greens, like Labour, have not come out unequivocally against the TPP
…if they must fence sit ….why not a NZ referendum on the TPP?….why allow the secrecy and lack of democracy?
…if it is good enough to have a referendum on the flag (when most NZers want to keep the existing flag)…it should be good enough to have a democratic referendum on deciding whether to adhere to jonkey Nacts secret deal on the TPP?
Why hide it from the people if it’s such a good deal, it can speak for itself, without the need for well placed media megaphones selectively pushing aspects of it?
seem to recall you expressing with complete certainty this morning that once in place no government (in NZ) will leave…are you saying youve changed your mind Matthew?
Incredibly……no, he wasn’t challenged. Neither by Dallow (who’s surprised ?……Dallow was relating as one would to the AB captain after a successful international campaign)….. nor by Little.
‘Dallow was educated at Liston College and St Peter’s College. He completed his tertiary education at Auckland University, where he studied law. After completing his legal studies, Dallow practised as a litigation and insurance lawyer in Auckland, New Zealand.
Whilst on his OE, the 1987 stock market crash occurred, causing him to change careers, as a future in bankruptcy law was unappealing. Dallow then spent the next six years as a tour director in Europe. He returned to New Zealand in 1993.’
A litigation lawyer before the ’87 crash.
These people are not independent.
Dallow’s mediocrity as a journalist and the fact he does not ask any difficult questions of the powerful has ensured his promotion at TVNZ.
Dallow is incompetent. He seems always to be under-prepared and is therefore nervous and unsure of himself in interviews. He knows enough, though, to side with power, as demonstrated by his outrageously biased performance in “chairing” the discussion with Charles Finny, Helen Kelly and Professor Steve Hoadley on Q+A this morning.
Well he was riding on the coat tails of his former wife after all. Not surprising she saw the light.
God how a pray to be around when the inevitable clean out occurs. It’ll be a therapist’s dream come true. Maybe I should write a few things down.
I hope when it comes to pass, the very same methods used to implement the culture of a neo-liberal agenda is used to rid us all of it.
I can think of several ways to cleanup TVNZ for a start and to return it to a form that serves its public (rather than its consumer).
We should keep it in perspective though – this sort of shit is even infecting that supposed bastion of the Educate Inform and Entertain triumvirate (the Aunty BBC)
His father Ross was a local body politico out West, of the Right persuasion. Got Marier Hasler a plumb position in a Sports Trust (which she was ill equipped to do) after she lost her seat in Parliament. She had to be let go after only a few months ith a severance package. Dallow hoped it would further his career.
To be fair Groser and Little were interviewed individually and in the case of Little he was confined to the questions asked of him by Dallow. I thought his responses were strong and left no doubt Labour will take action against aspects of the deal (eg. foreign property speculation) if they become the government. At the same time he intimated Labour has to look at the details – when they finally emerge – but my impression is they are not going to budge on their bottom lines.
He also made it clear the caucus was totally united on those “bottom lines”, so Hooten’s [excited] claims to the contrary were bullshit. I wonder who the insiders were? Pagani et al?
Little lost any credibility he might have had when he assented, reluctantly, to the Key regime’s snooping legislation. After assuring reporters how unhappy he was, he then assured reporters that would be the last time Labour would cave in like that.
He has virtually no respect from the government, and it’s all his own fault.
Hooton is a spin doctor whose rabid support for the TPP and personal attacks on opponents to the deal suggests it is in his interest that the deal gets passed whatever is in it.
Has he seen the full text? I doubt it, but that isn’t important for him. The only interest I have in Hooton is finding out who he is working for. Possibly nobody is paying him at this stage but he is hoping for work in the future. Who knows, but in my opinion the acquisition of money and/or power is the main motivator for the actions of those on the right, and I see no reason to believe any thing they say.
Hooton has chosen 2 particular parts of the agreement to argue. Someone has given him sufficient assurances that he is not on shakey ground pushing those 2 things. He might not have seen the full text but he has been given a very good (and directed) nod and a wink)
I took it Labour oppose the TPP. But opposing the deal means little as Labour’s support isn’t necessary for the deal to pass.
And to safeguard their bottom lines, Labour are considering legislating against the ordinances of the TPP.
However, as Labour are talking about facing the consequences of legislating against the ordinances of the TPP, it indicates they don’t plan to totally withdraw from the deal.
Therefore, Little’s responses were far from strong (taking the middle ground) or left enough.
Your argument has a whacking great logical hole in it. Are you saying that Labour should not oppose TPPa supporting legislation that gets introduced between now and 2017.
You sound like an unthinking dingbat. Labour isn’t on the treasury benches. So that is the Only way that can prospectus agreement.
Why would they? The problem isn’t with making trade deals. The problem is with making bad trade deals.
The last thing I saw from them (in the Herald today?) was that the TPP appears to have failed on 4 out of 5 of their base points, and that is what they want to fix.
Asked if that includes pulling out of the TPP, Mr Little said his party would always reserve the right to do so.
“In the end you know every government’s duty is to act in the best interests of its people, of its citizens and we will do that, and if it means that we would have to do things that would be in breach of the TPP, because we wouldn’t walk out of it, we would do those things. If we have opportunities to renegotiate things that are less favourable to us, we will.”
In other words, if this crap deal doesn’t improve a lot then Labour will withdraw from it.
For all of the stupidity of this government in getting involved with this idiotic “trade” deal, they have also sunk a hell of a lot of money into trying to do so – probably well in excess of $100 million since 2009 after the US got involved and converted a free trade agreement to a restraint of trade agreement. It’d be good to recover that.
But if that isn’t possible and it continues to look like constraining our trade development, then the damn thing should be dumped.
Labour won’t be able to fix all the breaches. And Little clearly didn’t commit to walking away, though he implied they may.
As I stated above, to save face on their bottom lines, they are considering legislating against the ordinances of the TPP. Which Little has confirmed.
However, as Labour are talking about facing the consequences of legislating against the ordinances of the TPP, it indicates they don’t plan to totally withdraw from the deal.
Little helps confirm this by not fully committing to withdrawing from the deal.
Additionally, the cat was let out of the bag when Robertson said the Party would weigh up the consequences, implying if the consequences are to severe, Labour will back down.
So brace yourself for that excuse coming into play later on down the track.
Labour seems to be using one of their common tactics. They make a big song and dance opposing something, but in the end, they support it. Which tends to put voters off voting Labour.
Though, in saying that, the stuff article tends to lay some foundation (appeasing exporter concern) for walking away.
how can anyone measure future legal action by organisations that may as yet be unformed?….one of the problems for ANY group seeking to quantify the costs/benefits, even after all the text is released is we have no possible way of quantifying the ISDS provisions….on these provisions alone I would walk away but then, im not seeking election.
It is worth posting the complete quote here as it appeared in the NZH:
’ “I think that is almost inconceivable, given the safe cards our international lawyers have negotiated, that anyone will take a case against New Zealand in the next X years,” he said.’
In his opinion Timmy reckons that NZ will be untouchable, legally speaking, and even the US Litigation Army will avoid us like the plague because it will be ‘mission impossible’. The fact that all law needs to be tested in court has escaped Timmy.
what international lawyers? Have their costs been included in the Fact Sheets? (rhetorical cos they have not) – Unless our lawyers have been able to change the intent and meaning of the investor relations clauses in the final text, they can’t guarantee anything.
More TPP propaganda from the Herald/Pravda.
This time they give air space to an ex-leader of the ACT Party, a party that gets under 1% of the electoral vote.
Still, it’s nearly appropriate.
The Herald does represent the views of the 0.01%.
And just like you, he has no actual argument to counter the TPPA.
Simply a personal attack on Jane Kelsey.
So typical for the extreme neo-liberal ideologues.
You have no moral or practical argument, so you resort to personal insults.
The same was done to Mike Joy, Jon Stephenson, Nicky Hager, Glenn Greenwald……
Matthew R X Dentith @HORansome 1h1 hour ago
Rodney Hide’s latest column is so bad that if he submitted it as an essay I’d refuse to mark it unless he & I had a meeting to discuss it
‘And on rolls the NZH’s relentless pro-TPPA propaganda machine. On today’s menu: a quick and dirty hit job on Jane Kelsey. Slap a “Marxist” label on her and be done with it, won’t you Rodney? Actually arguing the points is too much like hard work, isn’t it? Plus one might end up looking a bit foolish, like your friend Mike. She is a law professor after all, and has actually spent a significant part of her life analysing the subject matter. It’s so much easier just to shoot the messenger. Oh, and nice work on choosing that photo, NZH editors. It goes well with the whole Marxist theme.’
It’s ok. Wayne Mapp’s theory applies here. If you have NEVER opposed a FTA (and Hide has not) then we can discount his opinion as being so heavily jaundiced as to be lacking any credibility.
“Columnist Pat Buchanan predicted that the debate on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) would be after the “early primaries” and the deal “is in real trouble” on Friday’s “McLaughlin Group.”
Buchanan said, “These are trade deals put together by transnational corporations and trade ministries to globalize the world economy, basically to enable these powerful corporations to move their factories and plants out of countries where the wages are high, to countries where the wages are low, so they can bring their products back…free of charge into the United States. In the last month, our trade deficit’s running at 600 billion overall this year, and with China at $400 billion, John. But I will you this, the forces that oppose these transnational trade deals are getting stronger and stronger. Not only [Sen.] Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT)16% and Hillary Clinton in the Democratic Party, but Mr. Trump in the Republican Party, this deal is in real trouble, and I predict that they’re going to have to throw the deal — the discussion in the House — or the Congress over past — certainly past the early primaries.” http://www.breitbart.com/video/2015/10/10/buchanan-tpp-in-real-trouble-debate-in-congress-will-be-after-early-primaries/
The Trans-Pacific Partnership’s two solitudes: Burman – Toronto Star
Comparison of TPP and refugee issues.
Tony Burman writes:
“In one case, when corporate and political power works in tandem, borders are a detail to be dispensed with. In the other case, when it’s simply about the powerless, borders are to be strengthened and made impenetrable. It all seems to depend on whose interests you value most.”
Shouldn’t it be handled as foreign aid by MFAT?
Did he ever consider that given a clear choice many taxpayers may not choose to donate to this particular charity to help in this part of the world?
This is not a post about whether or not people in this region need help – many will.
Just the question of is this how the government has released funds for it “crony charity?”
So Key’s personal donation was afternoon tea at his electorate office? Even that is likely to be paid for out of his office running budget.
It seems our multi-millionaire PM is happy to play the big benefactor with tax payer’s money but is keeping his hands out of his own pockets. What a guy!
Getting in first to counter the much quoted claim he donates his salary to charity that claim soon changed to a proportion of his salary and he has always refused to say what proportion.
It would be nice to see Key apologise to Stephenson though, or at least have something to say about the Defence Force slandering a journalist.
Is Matthew Hooton well?
He is coming across, in my opinion, somewhat ‘unhinged’ as he desperately attempts to ‘spin’ opponents of the TPPA as being ‘extreme’?
FYI (hopefully Matthew, you will see this either on Kiwiblog – or here?)
_______________________________________________________
A belated reply to Matthew Hooton’s (Kiwiblog) post October 9th, 2015 at 5:49 pm
Gee Matthew!
For a purportedly experienced ‘spin doctor’ / Media Commentator – that is a rather, (in my view), apoplectic and intemperate response, to my arguably straightforward questions?
Sheesh!
You were more pleasant when you were drinking!
(If you’re stressed, for whatever reason, try Spirulina, those ‘B’ vitamins can really help).
_____________________________________________________________
2. I don’t give a fuck who Tim Groser or Len Brown meet with. But it would make sense for the trade minister to brief the mayor of Auckland on his work from time to time.
Respect for those who refuse to be intimidated.
Or? Amusement at the simplicity who gather together all the principled and thinking people in one spot so they can be conveniently annihilated.
Protest in the streets like this can be futile, and destructive to the cause weakening numbers by decimation, and strengthening the triumphant vicious over-riding group. Repeating protests after attacks, should be the last resort. Better if other measures can be planned and the vicious attacked from behind, and through other ways where they have weaknesses.
You see, Planned Parenthood has a political action committee called Planned Parenthood Action Fund (hereinafter, PP Action Fund). In the 2012 elections, of the $5,141,216 the PP Action Fund spent on either supporting candidates who supported reproductive rights or opposing candidates who were antagonistic to such rights, the Return on Investment in these races was a flabbergasting 98.1%.
[…]
The second reason the Republicans tremble when they see Cecile Richards marching toward them in stilettos prepared to walk all over them is that the PP Action Fund is highly effective at getting out the vote, especially the votes of young women who tend to vote Democratic. They did this in the races of Senator Franken and of Mark Dayton (D), Governor of Minnesota. Without their help, Minnesota could have gone to the darkside and Al Franken would be home writing a sequel about the liars he has personally known in Congress
Thanks for this. It definitely explains the willingness of the GOP to look stupid, while pulling out every trick in the book (including out right fabrication and bare-faced lying), to try to destroy PP.
Good time to watch ‘the fog of war’ and remember the lessons supposedly learned by Vietnam… Parallels to all the other US run occupations in particular around the middle East.
Iraq, a problem that only existed in the US and UK imagination, but by which they have made a reality of the problem (with many profiting from it, while millions suffer).
Robert McNamara’s 11 lessons from Vietnam[edit]
From Robert McNamara’s 1995 book “In Retrospect: The Tragedy and Lessons of Vietnam”.[7]
We misjudged then — and we have since — the geopolitical intentions of our adversaries … and we exaggerated the dangers to the United States of their actions.
We viewed the people and leaders of South Vietnam in terms of our own experience … We totally misjudged the political forces within the country.
We underestimated the power of nationalism to motivate a people to fight and die for their beliefs and values.
Our misjudgments of friend and foe, alike, reflected our profound ignorance of the history, culture, and politics of the people in the area, and the personalities and habits of their leaders.
We failed then — and have since — to recognize the limitations of modern, high-technology military equipment, forces, and doctrine. We failed, as well, to adapt our military tactics to the task of winning the hearts and minds of people from a totally different culture.
We failed to draw Congress and the American people into a full and frank discussion and debate of the pros and cons of a large-scale military involvement … before we initiated the action.
After the action got under way, and unanticipated events forced us off our planned course … we did not fully explain what was happening, and why we were doing what we did.
We did not recognize that neither our people nor our leaders are omniscient. Our judgment of what is in another people’s or country’s best interest should be put to the test of open discussion in international forums. We do not have the God-given right to shape every nation in our image or as we choose.
We did not hold to the principle that U.S. military action … should be carried out only in conjunction with multinational forces supported fully (and not merely cosmetically) by the international community.
We failed to recognize that in international affairs, as in other aspects of life, there may be problems for which there are no immediate solutions … At times, we may have to live with an imperfect, untidy world.
Underlying many of these errors lay our failure to organize the top echelons of the executive branch to deal effectively with the extraordinarily complex range of political and military issues.
The activity of banking is issuing more promises than can ever be kept. Bankers’ ‘promises-to-pay’ circulate as money, and for as long as they circulate, the banking system (taken as a whole) never has to pay out on them. Bankers’ ‘promises-to-pay’ are claims on assets that, for the most part, don’t exist and never will exist.
The law of 1707 made lending a much more attractive proposition. Normally, when someone lends money, they say goodbye for a time to the money they have lent. But if lenders get a piece of paper acknowledging the debt, and if that piece of paper can be freely bought and sold, then lenders may sacrifice little or nothing by lending: they may even make an immediate gain, as Adam Smith notes below.
So – people were happier to lend. The government began to borrow spectacular amounts of money, to make war in Europe. This began the age of the national debt: nations borrowing off their rich, at no expense to the rich, who are paid interest (and eventually capital) out of taxes on the productive part of the nation.
This is why we had to sell out power generation, our telecommunications and pretty much everything else. Our banking system is pretty much designed to shift wealth to the few and thus make the rest of us slaves to those few.
It’s amazing, frustrating, and terrifying to note the difference in coverage right now between the Radio New Zealand and the New Zealand Herald regarding the horrible terrorist attack in Turkey. It’s been the lead story all morning on the RNZ website but at the NZH website it falls faster than an anchor. The Herald fills their page up with several rugby stories, something about Susan Wood and Chris Cairns before we get to the Turkish story.
The reporting is strikingly different too. Radio Zealand calls the victims labour activists whereas the Herald calls the victims hard-line Marxists. Basically, for the Herald the attack doesn’t warrant significant outrage because the victims were left-wing despite the attack being conducted by war-mongering flavour-of-the-month ISIL. Anyone who thinks the Herald is balanced and non-tabloid needs to get their head checked.
The day after the TPP was signed these were the main headlines in the corporate media in NZ.
From The Daily Blog.
‘Here is what the NZ Herald and Stuff decided was more important than a corporate coup removing NZs economic and political sovereignty the day after the TPPA was signed.
Sports gamblers panicking that the All Blacks won’t win the Rugby World Cup.
A porn renovation TV show might make some more money than they first thought.
A boat falls off a trailer.
A bad bus trip.
The world didn’t end after a religious prophecy
A radio host wears the same togs as Kylie Jenner.
An Apartment that got flooded by a fish tank was sold.
Government spends $600 000 on flowers
A dog gets put down.’
More propaganda from the Herald as they publicise the US media’s attempt to shut down Clinton. The corporate media are working overtime to ‘seal the deal’, aren’t they?
‘Clinton is wrong on the Trans-Pacific Partnership’
Jane Kelsey on Tim Groser who was trying to justify the secrecy of TPP in the interview this morning, Tim said he was “very pleased” tobacco control measures exempted from Investor State Dispute Settlement provisions and “I can almost guarantee you that if we had made that public, we would not have got it”
The tobacco carve out was one of the few bits of the TPP that WAS publicly discussed way back. In 2013.
“The United States and 11 countries bordering the Pacific Ocean had been engaged in the latest round of negotiations over a treaty intended to lower tariffs and other barriers to commerce. One of the issues was whether tobacco should be included in such a treaty or “carved out” so that health considerations could take precedence over expanded trade. The issue pits health advocates against the tobacco industry and other commercial interests. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/01/opinion/sunday/the-hazard-of-free-trade-tobacco.html?_r=0
and in 2014 Reuters
“U.S. floats cutting tobacco from part of Pacific trade pact -sources”
“Dropping tobacco from the investor-state dispute settlement, or ISDS, section of the Trans-Pacific Partnership would prevent tobacco companies taking action against any TPP government under those legal protections, for example over health care measures.” http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/21/usa-trade-tpp-idUSL2N0SG1WO20141021
Another issue: Tim believes ISDS wouldn’t stop NZ introducing a policy like plain packaging for fizzy drinks; “I believe you probably could as long as you had a good health-based case and you’re ready to defend it”
Does being ready to defend that mean in an “inconceivable” ISDS tribunal?
Toronto’s newspaper The Star has released a poll which has the Liberals under Justin Trudeau within reach of a ‘strong minority’. The Liberals are at 37% versus Harper’s Conservatives on 31%. Mulcair and the NDP are trailing at 23% which is an extraordinary turnaround from their frontrunner position going in to the campaign. http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015/10/10/liberals-within-reach-of-majority-poll.html
For a start, yesterday/today…..the sun shines…..blah blah blah. Who knows what’s in this deal ? Sovereignty’s hardly a thing “gone by lunchtime”.
Then pulling the ‘Commie Card’ re Jane Kelsey.
OK…..with as much ground for it I’ll pull the ‘Traitor Card’. Which is the canary suited has-been gargoyle aka Mr Love-Perks-Hypocrite Extraordinaire. And honours for Jane Kelsey.
I think he was stating the obvious. Her communism means that she opposes markets and globalisation. She has been doing so for 30 years. Her Wikipedia entry which she could edit if she wants reads like a horror story.
Too funny: Rodney Hide’s opinions are “obvious” to S Rylands.
S Rylands thinks that editing ones own Wikipedia entry is a good idea, whether or not it mentions “communism” (Kelsey’s doesn’t at the time of writing).
No wonder S Rylands reacts with “horror”: conflict of interest much?
There have been accusations and counter accusations about who is siding with which side in the war in Syria. There is sufficient proof that the FSA (Free Syrian Army), supported by the US and some Gulf states have been fighting alongside Al Nusra Front, an Al Qaeda associated group.
As it is going, I hardly see a problem with that, given that the murderous Assad has been siding with Hezbollah and Iran, who have their own human rights issues.
We see a situation in Syria, that deserves more scrutiny and effort to get all parties around a table to discuss a hopefully peaceful solution to the civil war, but bombings from the air by either the US or the Russians will hardly assist such a process, it will only fuel the situation and war there.
You ask a completely valid question. The sad truth is that the fronts are so hardened and there is such hostility, there will only be some prospect for peace if one of the sides puts the other under so much pressure that they will be prepared to negotiate. I doubt whether it is such a good idea by Putin and the Russians to keep Assad in place, that solves nothing and will only escalate and prolong the war there.
In the meantime refugees will flow into Europe and elsewhere and can only hope that the situation in Syria will somehow be resolved over future years. Not a great prospect, as also refugees face increased pressures and hostility in the places they have fled to. In Germany there have already been arson attacks on refugee homes, there are protests and the government is cutting benefits for refugees.
The EU is planning to fast track sending back hundreds of thousands that are presumed to rather be economic refugees.
The world is not a great place at present, for too many to live in.
” I doubt whether it is such a good idea by Putin and the Russians to keep Assad in place, that solves nothing and will only escalate and prolong the war there.”
I share your doubts.
Sadly, recent history also teaches us that over-throwing the selected undemocratic leader doesn’t solve the problem either. God forbid we look for a completely different solution rather than trying the same old failed ones over and over and over. I say selected because Saudi Arabia gets to be very undemocratic but untouched by Western superiority.
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Tuesday, March 19:Kāinga Ora’s dry rot The Spinoff DailyBill McKibben on ‘Climate Superfunds’ making Big Oil pay for climate damage The Crucial YearsPreston Mui on returning to 1980s-style productivity growth NoahpinionAndy Boenau on NIMBYs needing unusual bedfellows Urbanism SpeakeasyNed Resnikoff's case ...
Negative yesterday, negative today. Negative all year, according to one departing reader telling me I’ve grown strident and predictable. Fair enough. If it’s any help, every time I go to write about a certain topic that begins with C and ends with arrrrs, I do brace myself and ask: Again? Are ...
Bryce Edwards writes – It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support ...
Inspirational: The Family of Man is a glorious hymn to human equality, but, more than that, it is a clarion call to human freedom. Because equality, unleavened by liberty, is a broken piano, an unstrung harp; upon which the songs of fraternity will never be played.“Somebody must have been telling lies about ...
Tax Lawyer Barbara Edmonds vs Emperor Justinian I- Nolo Contendere: False historical explanations of pivotal events are very far from being inconsequential.WHEN BARBARA EDMONDS made reference to the Roman Empire, my ears pricked up. It is, lamentably, very rare to hear a politician admit to any kind of familiarity ...
It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support for the various parties in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka KotahiThe fact that a ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st CenturyThe SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims StuffSteve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
David Farrar writes – We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how labour went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promiseThe result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
“I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
.“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
“It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet – is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
Bob Edlin writes – And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ HeraldThomas CoughlanSimeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
The government’s attack on Māori health this week is committing tangata-whenua to a premature death, says Te Pāti Māori. “The government have begun their onslaught on Māori health with the abolishment of the Māori Health Authority and smokefree laws in the same day” said health spokesperson and co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. ...
"The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
Pacific Media Watch Ismail al-Ghoul, an Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent who was held for 12 hours at Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital, says Israeli forces rounded up Palestinian journalists at the facility and made them kneel on the ground for hours, while naked and blindfolded. “The occupation forces handcuffed and blindfolded us ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Wood, Program Director, Energy, Grattan Institute chinasong, Shutterstock Electricity customers in four Australian states can breathe a sigh of relief. After two years in a row of 20% price increases, power prices have finally stabilised. In many places they’re ...
Chumbawamba have reportedly issued the deputy PM a cease-and-desist notice after he used their song 'Tubthumping' before his state of the nation speech. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Lupton, SHARP Professor, Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Centre, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, UNSW Sydney kitzcorner/Shutterstock The assertion from Queensland’s chief health officer John Gerrard that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock Why are musicians so keen to get played on the radio? It can’t be because of the money. In Australia they are paid at rates so low they ...
"Farmers make a point not to tell our urban cousins how to live, yet Chlöe from central Auckland is hell-bent on having her say about farmers," says ACT Rural Communities spokesman Mark Cameron. “On her first day in the House as Green ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Curran, Associate Professor of Ecology, Lincoln University, New Zealand Getty Images/Gerald Corsi In the latest move to reform environmental laws in New Zealand, the coalition government has introduced a bill to fast-track consenting processes for projects deemed to ...
Uber has argued it does not have as much control over drivers as the unions suggest, and wants a judgment ruling that drivers are employees and not contractors set aside and sent back to the Employment Court. The 2022 ruling followed a three-week hearing in which four drivers sought to ...
What can and can’t be purchased by disabled people or their carers has been slashed in an effort by the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha to save money. The purchasing guidelines, a set of rules that sets out what can be purchased using the various streams of Government disability funding, ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Cory Davis, Boston Hart and Benjamin Stubbing, Household cost-of-living impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme and using transfers to mitigate regressive outcomes . This Analytical Note ...
A coalition of public transport and climate organisations, united as ‘Transport for All’, is actively opposing the government’s transport proposals. The draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) includes plans for higher fares for public transport, ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Council’s various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
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 Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University This article is part of The Conversation’s series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series here. Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ...
The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
Kāinga Ora tenants abused by their neighbours are doubting the government's crackdown on disruptive tenants will make a difference on their behaviour. ...
Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
Why does this myth persist, and what’s the real reason our skin is suffering?It’s one of the biggest international grievances New Zealanders hold, up there with the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and 1981’s underarm incident. We’re quick to tell international travellers that the world’s pollution led to the ...
Auckland Council is opposing a fast-track development backed by Sir John Kirwan and Spark NZ, because it doesn’t meet stringent new climate adaptation requirements The post Surf-data centre faces new 3.8C climate warming rules appeared first on Newsroom. ...
When the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act was introduced in 2009 it was firmly targeted at gangs and drugs. The legislation means police no longer need a conviction to seize assets that criminals can’t prove were paid for legitimately, as long as their alleged offences are punishable by more than a ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 19 March appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Bob’s relationship with certain members of Lincoln’s academic staff continued to deteriorate in the 1990s. Others supported him publicly, though articles such as Roland Clark’s 1993 piece in Growing Today cannot have pleased the university management. Clark wrote that Bob was selling onions from the Biological Husbandry Unit to a ...
SailGP’s races feature in-your-face action, with agile, hydro-foiling catamarans tacking and jibing for the title over several days. However, public comments ahead of the global series’ return to New Zealand have left this past year’s controversy in the shadows, as a key appointment attracts criticism from dolphin advocates. A year ...
Opinion: We are fast approaching a fundamental change in prisons. As the number of people on custodial remand looks set to overtake the number of sentenced prisoners, the main function of prisons in New Zealand may become incarcerating un-sentenced people who may not be guilty of offending. We have already ...
A huge seven months lies in store for the White Ferns, beginning this week with the visit of England and culminating with the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in September and October. Starting on Tuesday in Dunedin, the world ranked No. 2 visitors will play five T20s and three ODIs, ...
Opinion: In a move that has shocked road safety advocates across the country, the new Minister of Transport, Simeon Brown, is poised to abandon the previous government’s speed limit reduction policy, particularly around schools. Even more alarmingly, he wants school speed limits to be variable rather than full-time, arguing ...
The letters, which were published last week, were addressed to Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairperson Megawati Sukarnoputri, National Democrat Party (NasDem) Chairperson Surya Paloh, National Awakening Party (PKB) Chairperson Muhaimin Iskandar, Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) President Ahmad Syaikhu and United Development Party (PPP) Chairperson Muhammad Mardiono. In ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
The government says it still intends to deliver tax cuts by July, but will not lock them in until they have got them past their coalition partners. ...
Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII has hosted members of the Green Party Caucus at Tuurangawaewae Marae in Ngaaruawahia. The audience follows the King’s Hui-aa-Motu on 20 January, where more than 10,000 people gathered to discuss national ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dr Rachael Potter, Research Associate and Lecturer in Work and Organisational Psychology, University of South Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Pregnant women and workers with children are often unfairly treated by their bosses and colleagues, despite laws to protect against workplace discrimination ...
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-10-10/biggest-protest-country-has-seen-years-quarter-million-germans-protest-obama-free-tr
I particularly like the photo of people in wolf masks and suits… how appropriate
“Hundreds of thousands of people rallied on Saturday afternoon in the German capital against the massive Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) accord being negotiated by the European Union and the United States. Critics say the trade deal will benefit large corporations at the expense of average Europeans.”
http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/10/10/hundreds-thousands-march-berlin-against-ttip-trade-deal
There was a big wooden horse being rolled along too – also appropriate.
“Everything that we know about this secretive trade deal shows that it is very little about trade and very much about enshrining a massive corporate power-grab.” Nick Dearden, director of Global Justice Now, at the Common Dreams link.
If our Labour Party has wet its finger and is holding it in the air to determine which way the wind is blowing, it might want to look at that photo of about 250,000 people marching against the TTIP. When we go to make a law in NZ we don’t want our first consideration to be “are we likely to be sued in an ISDS if we make this law?” TPP has this chilling effect.
Our first consideration should be “Is this law good for New Zealand, both for the people and the environment (and not detrimental to the world in general.)
Labour, if you are listening, we don’t wan’t this TPP. We lose more than we gain.
(Note the Herald title to Bernard Hickey’s article is incomplete.
Tautoko Mango Mata, No Labour is not listening, they have never listened, they are having a bob each-way. No spine for a straight forward wager.
More on the quarter of million march in Berlin.
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/10/10/ttip-ceta-protest-berlin-germany_n_8273948.html
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/10/berlin-anti-ttip-trade-deal-rally-hundreds-thousands-protesters
Well using Keys logic, that is a rather a large uninformed rent-a -crowd.
tpp is the last of the Germans worries.
It’s what the TPP is like that scares the Germans as the TTIP is shaping up to be a similar agreement.
Yes. “While the EU has an impressively alliterative “farm to fork” strategy, for instance, regulating each link in the food chain, Americans pump their cattle and pigs with growth-promoting hormones banned in the EU. As a result, most US beef can’t be sold in the EU.
“Worse, Americans use 82 pesticides banned in the EU. They wash their chicken in chlorinated water to kill bacteria. Ninety per cent of their soya, cotton and corn is genetically modified, while the EU allows member states to ban GM production. ”
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/aug/03/ttip-what-why-angry-transatlantic-trade-investment-partnership-guide
When Andrew Little set out the “bottom lines” he objected to the Herald story saying Labour had set out its conditions for support.
He tweeted the reporter to say “we set out what we’re opposed to”.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11526651
Matthew Hooton (in his piece: Labour lurches to the extreme left over TPP) has used the possibility of Labour withdrawing from the TPP to scare potential supporters off Labour, undermining the Party’s efforts to build business support.
Labour would discuss its position on the TPP at its up and coming caucus meeting.
Audrey Young asks: will Labour be better off supporting the deal than not supporting it?
Will it be any better off sounding as though it opposes it but supporting it in the end?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11526651
Thoughts?
Whatever they do you can bet the likes of hootten and all the other players will spin this in nacts favour so the rehetoric must be simple, short and snappy so it sticks in peoples minds despite the DP treatment.
Good to see King calling matty over his allegations, the electorate is crying out for a front foot approach to take back the argument to ordinary kiwis and away from the hollowmen and their shills in the msm.
Problem is, Little puts himself in these predicaments.
No point attacking Hooton. You should be asking for better from Little.
At this point he’s fucked which ever way he goes. Kinda like Red Peak.
I wasn’t attacking Hooton, merely highlighting his piece.
By attempting to appease both the left and right in the manner in which they do, I agree, Labour have largely brought this upon themselves.
Not having a clear position has allowed Hooton to control the narrative and fill in the blanks.
+1
Exactly. Labour needs to have a clear position, state that position and then stick to it. We’re getting fucked over by their ambivalence and their compromising with the RWNJs that just sees our country going ever more to the right and thus getting higher levels of poverty.
Labour are probably being ambivalent about it because the whole damned thing is an ambiguous, deceptive, misleading crock.
They keep getting suckered by the glossy ‘free trade’ wrapper while refusing to name the stinking mess inside.
Labour are probably being ambivalent about it because the whole damned thing is an ambiguous, deceptive, misleading crock.
They keep getting suckered by the glossy ‘free trade’ wrapper while refusing to name the stinking mess inside.
usual tactic though, distract by focus on Labour (despite the fact they have NOTHING to do with it), why fall for it?
“usual tactic though, distract by focus on Labour (despite the fact they have NOTHING to do with it), why fall for it?”
Exactly, and you must remember that it all Labour’s fault whatever it is.
Don’t be so shortsighted. It’s not distracting. It’s encompassing the opposition’s position on the deal.
Infused ? In your Opinion
From the comments I’ve seen here, it seems to be many peoples opinion.
Where the hell is little? Heard nothing for days.
Little is back and was on Q&A today.
http://tvnz.co.nz/q-and-a-news/tpp-done-deal-labour-responds-video-6400126
Labour should not support TPP. Period. It is very different to the China trade deal.
Supporting TPP which Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Corbyn etc do not support. There is massive mainstream political and public support AGAINST TPP.
They don’t have to agree with everything the Nats do in a NatLite way, now is the time for Labour to cut away from the 1980’s and the Clark era, and start looking at what Kiwis want, not want Labour think the country may or may not need. We are in a brave new technological world and the TPP aims to keep us in the past and the current powers dominant with outdated practises. History shows that those in power cling on and try to destroy as they are being replaced because they can’t or will not adapt.
One of the biggest mistakes Labour is making is sitting on the fence and using ‘confusion’ about it’s position to somehow try to be everything to all people, but instead looking like a completely untrustworthy party than just goes where the tide turns and gets bogged down in details oh I support this in this way but not in this way and maybe in this way, but not in this way (details all missing). Too complicated Labour!
“One of the biggest mistakes Labour is making is sitting on the fence and using ‘confusion’ about it’s position to somehow try to be everything to all people, but instead looking like a completely untrustworthy party than just goes where the tide turns and gets bogged down in details oh I support this in this way but not in this way and maybe in this way, but not in this way (details all missing). Too complicated Labour!”
+1
Little is on Q&A now.
Won’t Labour and everyone else need to see the whole document before stating a position? If Little was to say now that he/they oppose the TPP he would be trounced for being against something unseen/unconsidered.
Wait folks.
Good response. Thanks ianmac.
Taking into account Labour put forward their bottom lines. Coupled with the breach of their bottom lines (which Little concedes) in the info released thus far, a number expect Labour would oppose it on that alone.
However, Little says they’re certainly opposed to what they see at the moment, but they still want to see the final text. Which, with that said, implies there’s a possibility they may not oppose it.
And it is that lack of total commitment that leaves a number questioning why?
Your average person sees Labour making bottom lines, hears they’ve been breached, thus expects Labour to come out and totally oppose the deal on that basis.
I don’t see any confusion TC. It’s the pro-TPP mob – including much of the media – and the NActs sowing the seed of so-called confusion. Matthew Hooton’s latest attempt to suggest there’s ructions in the L. caucus over the TPP is a good example. Little squashed that load of bullshit once and for all this morning.
The bottom lines are still there and Little made it clear they will pass legislation to counter adverse effects when they are the government. When posed the question… what if the US (or who ever else) take retaliatory action, he [effectively] said… they can shit themselves as much as they like, but if it’s not in the best interest of our citizens we will not play ball. Good answer. Call their bluff.
The confusion lays with Ardern saying Labour will face the consequences (implying Labour will refuse to be bound by the TPP) and Robertson saying Labour will weigh up the consequences. Implying if the consequences are to severe, Labour will breach their 5 bottom lines.
Leaving a number wondering why make bottom lines when you may accept them being breached?
Hooton did more than claim the Party is divided. He went on to paint a withdrawal from the deal as Labour lurching towards the extreme left. Saying, the lunatics now running Labour’s asylum must never be let near power.
IMO, Hooton is not only trying to scare potential supporters off Labour, he’s also trying to scare Labour from withdrawing.
Exactly what he’s doing imo.
What appalling arrogance! He’s a pip-squeak among many other pip-squeaks who have a vastly over-rated opinion of themselves. I may not be able to abide him as a person/ politician, but at least John Key has some legitimacy when it comes to playing these games.
+100 savenz
El Nino is going to cause serious problems for agriculture this summer.
‘Federated Farmers Golden Bay president Sue Brown said many farmers were still struggling to cope with last year’s drought.
If conditions worsened in the coming months, farmers would be driven towards cost-cutting measures like slaughtering surplus stock, Brown said.
“Farmers definitely feel it in the pocket.
“They are already getting their heads around alternatives.”
Orchard manager Evan Heywood said the lack of rain would hurt fruit growers in areas, such as Waimea, where the water supply was limited.
“If the weather carries on like this, so hot and dry, people will need to look at irrigation.
“That is unheard of at this time of year.” ‘
http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/news/72861781/El-Nino-set-to-scorch-Nelson
The other big problem in farming is that they have been encouraged to expand and have too much stock and then have to buy in supplementary feed which is very expensive and often using Palm Kernel expeller which is imported from Indonesia where it is contributed to massive rain forest destruction and climate change.
Where is the support for farmers farming in a sustainable way and research to support that from government?
Do we want to be a low end commodity producer ALL our life as a country or when is someone going to say – lets move up the value chain?
For example Lactoferrin is approx $500,000 per ton and milk solids $3000 a ton?
Nutricuticials should be top on the list of where our milk industry is heading not ‘lets produce more milk for less money’.
According to National that’s exactly what we are and should be. It’s why they keep making getting a good education harder and why they keep pushing dairying.
My company manufactures a highly value added product 100% here in NZ Draco, but at the moment that product is effectively locked out of lucrative markets such as Canada, Japan, and the US by 20-30% tariffs that are designed to make our end price uncompetitive.
If the TPP goes ahead those tariffs will disappear and we would immediately set out on a major expansion into those markets.
All going well, we would be looking at many new high value NZ jobs and significant flow on benefits down through all the companies that supply us raw materials and services.
I know several other NZ Made Manufacturers who are in exactly the same situation……
So everything else aside, I can see some outcomes from the TPPA that would create opportunities for people who are trying to add value to the NZ economy. Just saying, but it ain’t all bad.
Even without tariffs it’ll still cost more to get your products to market in those nations because of the added costs of transporting them. The only way you’d be able to compete would be if you lowered wages.
As I say. If there’s a level playing field in world trade (Which was the point of the WTO/GATT) then there wouldn’t be any world trade. A manufacturer in NZ cannot compete with a manufacturer in Canada/US/Australia when under the same conditions. That’s physical reality.
No, no, and no Draco.
You are completely wrong in all the reasons you give why we would not be able to compete.
No I’m not. As I say – it’s simple physical reality. The problem is that our financial system has been developed so as to deny that physical reality.
@ The Lost Sheep, if you can’t make it in NZ or China then you probably are not going to make it in, the rest of the world. The tariffs do not stop trade so the TPP is not going to miraculously make a market for new NZ products. In fact more likely under TPP someone bigger will come along steal your idea and litigate you, so go under. The copywrite laws are intended to be protectionist to the current status quo.
All wrong savenz.
Tariffs do in fact stop trade. That is largely the point of them.
In the case of my business area, removal of tariffs will create huge new markets that we can effectively compete in.
I’m not generalising a theoretical case here, I’m talking about a specific opportunity that we have spent years investigating and are absolutely certain of.
That’s good isn’t it?
Maybe you have a great idea or product but when you look at Dragon’s Den like entrepreneurs – quite a few people are absolutely certain they have some amazing product the world is dying to obtain. But quite often the people are fruit cakes and with or without TPP are going to fail. Not sure if this is you, but NZ is an easy market to get a product out in, and TPP does not actually remove all tarrifs in fact there is only about 10% difference from now in some areas.
But we certainly DO KNOW under TPP medicine will be more expensive as even Key has said, patents for longer, protectionist measures, etc
We know NZ can be sued and our government and courts won’t be deciding the outcome but 3 international judges than have never found against the US historically.
The opposite of ‘free trade’.
In the US/OZ free trade deal they are both worse off 10 years later.
So should the rest of the country be worse off, because MAYBE someone is slightly better off, and again corporate welfare. i.e. taxpayers helping business at the expense of the rest of the population who have to pay more individually to subsidise the business?
quite a few people are absolutely certain they have some amazing product the world is dying to obtain. But quite often the people are fruit cakes and with or without TPP are going to fail. Not sure if this is you,
No. I have very well established growing business that already sells to people throughout the world. So no need to do Dragons Den.
So should the rest of the country be worse off, because MAYBE someone is slightly better off, and again corporate welfare. i.e. taxpayers helping business at the expense of the rest of the population who have to pay more individually to subsidise the business?
Well, if you believe, as many do here, that our Govt. would deliberately negotiate a deal that guaranteed a negative overall outcome for our country, or you believe that Govt. in NZ pays anything like significant subsidies to business, then you might say that.
But I think that is rubbish.
Like all the trade negotiations I have ever seen, this one is a result of the compromise process that occurs when every country is trying to stimulate growth, but at the same time trying to gain more access to other markets than they give away in their own.
There are opportunities for NZ’ers in this deal, if it goes ahead. My plan is to take maximum advantage of the ones in front of me.
I just hope enough NZ’ers do the same to make it an overall positive net outcome.
There is no denying there will be some benefits, but going from what’s been reported, they’re modest (1% of GDP).
Moreover, it will only have a direct benefit to less than 25% of all firms (mostly private and some offshore owned).
Over 75 per cent of all NZ firms have never generated overseas income.
This is consistent with most small businesses reporting that they either cannot or are not interested in exporting.
97 per cent of enterprises in New Zealand are small businesses.
http://tinyurl.com/oa5kzdf
This is one of the big environmental problems we face – a lot of people actually think that the water supply we have is unlimited. The reality is that the water supply is limited and we need to live within those limits.
It’s true we have a problem with out attitude towards water (thinking it’s endless). Water’s not the main problem in how to grow food in dry climates though, it’s how we use land. Current agricultural practices, including irrigation, encourage drought.
Here’s establishing food producing trees in the first year on one of the driest place on earth (on salinated soil). They used 1/5th the amount of water used in that area normally.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sohI6vnWZmk
Other examples here,
http://thestandard.org.nz/the-drought/#comment-967704
This is being done here….
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/countrylife/20151009#audio-201774020
Very clever.
Thanks! That’s a very good interview (yes, smart people), and has a good explanation of how to manage water differently (at start and then half way through).
We have had an ‘endless supply’ mentality to H2O here in NZ. Here in the Waikato, arguably the greenest of this green and pleasant land, we now have irrigation booms, a la Canterbury Plains.
When we were building in the country 18 years ago we designed the house for maximum rain collection and chucked in a couple of BIG tanks.
Neighbours suggested putting down a bore…plenty of groundwater they said.
This was because we refused to water the veg plants….(we still got bumper crops) to conserve our house supply.
Drought of 2007/2008 saw those neighbours’ bores all dry up.
Local 1000 cow dairy farm had their pump on the lowest point in the area…had sucked the aquifer dry.
They are the ones with the boom…I presume sucking the water from the river.
easy come, easy go.
Sweet, thanks for the interesting small farming links – makes a lot of sense.
In the 50s isn’t that what the refugees flooding into Israel did to green the desert? (Recently I scooped buckets of beach sand and pebbles to put on a small patch. Weed-cloth then the salt laden beach sand. The weeds grew prolifically!)
I don’t know ian. Permacuture (which is the design technique used in that video) was invented in the 1970s, but it is based in many existing traditional systems, so it’s possible that swales were used in the situation you refer to.
Why were you putting beach sand and pebbles in your garden?
It was a small patch of ground in which I aimed to grow a lemon tree and a shrub. Since we were seldom there to weed I thought that the salty beach sand would block the weeds, but no.
Presumably local weeds adapted to the salty sand?
This is what irrigation should be used for. A prop at times of drought, and perhaps an aid to encourage an early start to the growing season so as to get crops well on their way before known seasonal weather bringing heat and moisture deficits occur.
Ad el nino to lack of snow pack to fill up those irrigation dams and it could be very bumpy for some.http://i.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/72589956/worries-of-another-disastrous-summer
Climate change.
Pity Key and his mates are ignoring it.
Personally I know several people who will not support Labour precisely because it has not come out definitely against the TPP. Labour is not opposed to free trade agreements per se, but the positive amount of free trade in this agreement for NZ is small compared to the negatives of ISDS, the inability to prevent foreign ownership of land and yet to be revealed final rules on SOEs and other hidden fishhooks.
Labour seem to be waiting for the final text so that their arguments will be based on fact’
Here’s Audrey Young:
“It will be passed by the Cabinet and National has the numbers with Act and Peter Dunne to pass any legislation required.
But the Government would prefer to pass it with as much cross-party support as possible.
The campaign against the TPP has shifted the default position of the public from a generally pro-FTA position to neutral.
In the Herald’s DigiPoll survey in August, only 22.9 per cent said they supported it generally on the basis that New Zealand’s economic well-being depended on increased trade with the world; 31.3 per cent opposed it on the basis of investor-state dispute procedures and 45 per cent had no view.
Labour has been pivotal in shifting public opinion, shifting its own position last year from a pro starting point to a neutral one.”
OK Labour. Let’s move it from neutral to NEGATIVE!
To me, this is the most important sentence. Audrey Young again:
“My prediction is that Labour will spend the next month sounding as though it opposes the TPP, pointing out where it could have been better, condemning the Government for not getting a perfect deal, but end up supporting it. In the process it will be sending mixed messages.”
This must not happen. Stop equivocating, Labour. There’s enough info out with the latest leak. You’ll gain more by opposing the TPP. It’s an up or down decision now- liking bits of the agreement is not enough.
+1 – Tautoko Mangō Mata
This must not happen. STOP equivocating, Labour. There’s enough info out with the latest leak. You’ll gain more by opposing the TPP. It’s an up or down decision now- liking bits of the agreement is not enough.
My vote goes to a party that makes a proper stand against the TPP.
+100 Paul…at the moment it is going to NZF
I know you’ve been anxious to hear an unequivocal statement against the TPP… How ’bout the Greens?
https://www.greens.org.nz/news/article/bad-tppa-deal-will-cost-new-zealanders
Just because MSM doesn’t cover it doesn’t mean it’s not happening.
so Greens will repeal signing of TPP?…has Shaw said this specifically or is he equivocating?
…the Greens are in agreement with NZF then!?
…so where is bloody Labour?!
…they should be forming a united front saying “NO” to the TPP when they ALL form the next coalition Government
If the TPP is bad enough for both Republican Trump and Democrat Saunders to have the courage to stick their necks out and say “NO”!….surely NZ Labour can do the same!….and stop sitting on the fence
‘Bernie Sanders, Donald Trump slam Trans-Pacific Partnership deal as ‘disastrous’ & ‘terrible’ ‘
https://www.rt.com/usa/317718-sanders-trump-candidates-tpp/
‘ ‘Extraordinary person’ Donald Trump invited to visit Crimea – as US president’
https://www.rt.com/politics/318004-extraordinary-person-donald-trump-invited/
“Trump, a 69-year-old billionaire real estate mogul, entered the US presidential race in June, seeking the Republic nomination. He is currently leading in the polls.”
I have not heard an unequivocal rejection of the TPP from either Labour or the Greens.
Statements like “The TPP was not voted in democratically by the New Zealand people. We shall repeal it once we are in power.”
agreed …the Greens, like Labour, have not come out unequivocally against the TPP
…if they must fence sit ….why not a NZ referendum on the TPP?….why allow the secrecy and lack of democracy?
…if it is good enough to have a referendum on the flag (when most NZers want to keep the existing flag)…it should be good enough to have a democratic referendum on deciding whether to adhere to jonkey Nacts secret deal on the TPP?
The Greens under Shaw are not impressing me.
Groser on Q+A…….’almost inconceivable that anyone will take a case against NZ in “X years”.’
The man’s dishonesty screams. He purports to tell us something and advisedly tells us nothing.
Yes, and lets make it a prison sentence for those that bring it in, if someone does sue us.
Wonder if the Nats would be supporting it then? If they are personally bought to account for their treachery with a prison sentence?
Why imprison anyone when the revolution comes? Why not just withdraw from the deal?
Why hide it from the people if it’s such a good deal, it can speak for itself, without the need for well placed media megaphones selectively pushing aspects of it?
seem to recall you expressing with complete certainty this morning that once in place no government (in NZ) will leave…are you saying youve changed your mind Matthew?
I presume he was allowed to make that statement without it being challenged.
Incredibly……no, he wasn’t challenged. Neither by Dallow (who’s surprised ?……Dallow was relating as one would to the AB captain after a successful international campaign)….. nor by Little.
From wikipedia.
‘Dallow was educated at Liston College and St Peter’s College. He completed his tertiary education at Auckland University, where he studied law. After completing his legal studies, Dallow practised as a litigation and insurance lawyer in Auckland, New Zealand.
Whilst on his OE, the 1987 stock market crash occurred, causing him to change careers, as a future in bankruptcy law was unappealing. Dallow then spent the next six years as a tour director in Europe. He returned to New Zealand in 1993.’
A litigation lawyer before the ’87 crash.
These people are not independent.
Dallow’s mediocrity as a journalist and the fact he does not ask any difficult questions of the powerful has ensured his promotion at TVNZ.
Dallow is incompetent. He seems always to be under-prepared and is therefore nervous and unsure of himself in interviews. He knows enough, though, to side with power, as demonstrated by his outrageously biased performance in “chairing” the discussion with Charles Finny, Helen Kelly and Professor Steve Hoadley on Q+A this morning.
A puppet of the establishment.
Well he was riding on the coat tails of his former wife after all. Not surprising she saw the light.
God how a pray to be around when the inevitable clean out occurs. It’ll be a therapist’s dream come true. Maybe I should write a few things down.
I hope when it comes to pass, the very same methods used to implement the culture of a neo-liberal agenda is used to rid us all of it.
I can think of several ways to cleanup TVNZ for a start and to return it to a form that serves its public (rather than its consumer).
We should keep it in perspective though – this sort of shit is even infecting that supposed bastion of the Educate Inform and Entertain triumvirate (the Aunty BBC)
His father Ross was a local body politico out West, of the Right persuasion. Got Marier Hasler a plumb position in a Sports Trust (which she was ill equipped to do) after she lost her seat in Parliament. She had to be let go after only a few months ith a severance package. Dallow hoped it would further his career.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Hasler
To be fair Groser and Little were interviewed individually and in the case of Little he was confined to the questions asked of him by Dallow. I thought his responses were strong and left no doubt Labour will take action against aspects of the deal (eg. foreign property speculation) if they become the government. At the same time he intimated Labour has to look at the details – when they finally emerge – but my impression is they are not going to budge on their bottom lines.
He also made it clear the caucus was totally united on those “bottom lines”, so Hooten’s [excited] claims to the contrary were bullshit. I wonder who the insiders were? Pagani et al?
Little lost any credibility he might have had when he assented, reluctantly, to the Key regime’s snooping legislation. After assuring reporters how unhappy he was, he then assured reporters that would be the last time Labour would cave in like that.
He has virtually no respect from the government, and it’s all his own fault.
Hooton is a spin doctor whose rabid support for the TPP and personal attacks on opponents to the deal suggests it is in his interest that the deal gets passed whatever is in it.
Has he seen the full text? I doubt it, but that isn’t important for him. The only interest I have in Hooton is finding out who he is working for. Possibly nobody is paying him at this stage but he is hoping for work in the future. Who knows, but in my opinion the acquisition of money and/or power is the main motivator for the actions of those on the right, and I see no reason to believe any thing they say.
QFT
Hooton has chosen 2 particular parts of the agreement to argue. Someone has given him sufficient assurances that he is not on shakey ground pushing those 2 things. He might not have seen the full text but he has been given a very good (and directed) nod and a wink)
Anne
I took it Labour oppose the TPP. But opposing the deal means little as Labour’s support isn’t necessary for the deal to pass.
And to safeguard their bottom lines, Labour are considering legislating against the ordinances of the TPP.
However, as Labour are talking about facing the consequences of legislating against the ordinances of the TPP, it indicates they don’t plan to totally withdraw from the deal.
Therefore, Little’s responses were far from strong (taking the middle ground) or left enough.
Your argument has a whacking great logical hole in it. Are you saying that Labour should not oppose TPPa supporting legislation that gets introduced between now and 2017.
You sound like an unthinking dingbat. Labour isn’t on the treasury benches. So that is the Only way that can prospectus agreement.
No.
I’m highlighting, given the opportunity, ( i.e. if they attain power) Labour are indicating they won’t totally withdraw from the TPP.
Opposing supporting legislation is a hollow effect because we both know Labour doesn’t have the numbers to prevent supporting legislation passing.
To save face on their bottom lines, instead of totally withdrawing, Labour are considering legislating against the ordinances of the TPP.
That’s how Little’s comments on Q&A came across to me.
Why would they? The problem isn’t with making trade deals. The problem is with making bad trade deals.
The last thing I saw from them (in the Herald today?) was that the TPP appears to have failed on 4 out of 5 of their base points, and that is what they want to fix.
Ummm http://m.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11527509
But…
In other words, if this crap deal doesn’t improve a lot then Labour will withdraw from it.
For all of the stupidity of this government in getting involved with this idiotic “trade” deal, they have also sunk a hell of a lot of money into trying to do so – probably well in excess of $100 million since 2009 after the US got involved and converted a free trade agreement to a restraint of trade agreement. It’d be good to recover that.
But if that isn’t possible and it continues to look like constraining our trade development, then the damn thing should be dumped.
Because the deal is pitiful, that’s why.
Moreover, it has breached a number of their bottom lines.
Thanks for the link to the Herald’s piece. I can work with that (see below).
I was going to highlight Little’s comments in stuff, which, like the Herald’s piece, goes on to further substantiate my points and sentiments above.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/72904296/andrew-little-bigger-gains-for-dairy-in-india-and-indonesia-than-tppa
Labour won’t be able to fix all the breaches. And Little clearly didn’t commit to walking away, though he implied they may.
As I stated above, to save face on their bottom lines, they are considering legislating against the ordinances of the TPP. Which Little has confirmed.
However, as Labour are talking about facing the consequences of legislating against the ordinances of the TPP, it indicates they don’t plan to totally withdraw from the deal.
Little helps confirm this by not fully committing to withdrawing from the deal.
Additionally, the cat was let out of the bag when Robertson said the Party would weigh up the consequences, implying if the consequences are to severe, Labour will back down.
So brace yourself for that excuse coming into play later on down the track.
Labour seems to be using one of their common tactics. They make a big song and dance opposing something, but in the end, they support it. Which tends to put voters off voting Labour.
Though, in saying that, the stuff article tends to lay some foundation (appeasing exporter concern) for walking away.
I wonder what Labour will measure the deal on? The $$$ or the people, or both?
So far Groser’s Pr campaign has been all about the $$$ (and mostly only the claimed increases, less precise about the $$$ losses).
how can anyone measure future legal action by organisations that may as yet be unformed?….one of the problems for ANY group seeking to quantify the costs/benefits, even after all the text is released is we have no possible way of quantifying the ISDS provisions….on these provisions alone I would walk away but then, im not seeking election.
Indeed, what value does one put on our sovereignty?
Vizzini is obviously his role model. “Inconceivable!”
It is worth posting the complete quote here as it appeared in the NZH:
’ “I think that is almost inconceivable, given the safe cards our international lawyers have negotiated, that anyone will take a case against New Zealand in the next X years,” he said.’
In his opinion Timmy reckons that NZ will be untouchable, legally speaking, and even the US Litigation Army will avoid us like the plague because it will be ‘mission impossible’. The fact that all law needs to be tested in court has escaped Timmy.
Is that meant to be a Roman “X”?
what international lawyers? Have their costs been included in the Fact Sheets? (rhetorical cos they have not) – Unless our lawyers have been able to change the intent and meaning of the investor relations clauses in the final text, they can’t guarantee anything.
More TPP propaganda from the Herald/Pravda.
This time they give air space to an ex-leader of the ACT Party, a party that gets under 1% of the electoral vote.
Still, it’s nearly appropriate.
The Herald does represent the views of the 0.01%.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11527183
He’s been a writer there for sometime, so not sure where the act party comes in to it.
Maybe you should start writing Paul? I’m sure you’d have lots to say.
I would.
And just like you, he has no actual argument to counter the TPPA.
Simply a personal attack on Jane Kelsey.
So typical for the extreme neo-liberal ideologues.
You have no moral or practical argument, so you resort to personal insults.
The same was done to Mike Joy, Jon Stephenson, Nicky Hager, Glenn Greenwald……
I liked this review of Hide’s latest column:
Matthew R X Dentith @HORansome 1h1 hour ago
Rodney Hide’s latest column is so bad that if he submitted it as an essay I’d refuse to mark it unless he & I had a meeting to discuss it
Here’s another.
‘And on rolls the NZH’s relentless pro-TPPA propaganda machine. On today’s menu: a quick and dirty hit job on Jane Kelsey. Slap a “Marxist” label on her and be done with it, won’t you Rodney? Actually arguing the points is too much like hard work, isn’t it? Plus one might end up looking a bit foolish, like your friend Mike. She is a law professor after all, and has actually spent a significant part of her life analysing the subject matter. It’s so much easier just to shoot the messenger. Oh, and nice work on choosing that photo, NZH editors. It goes well with the whole Marxist theme.’
Almost universal disapproval of his view.
+1 Karen
It’s ok. Wayne Mapp’s theory applies here. If you have NEVER opposed a FTA (and Hide has not) then we can discount his opinion as being so heavily jaundiced as to be lacking any credibility.
“Columnist Pat Buchanan predicted that the debate on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) would be after the “early primaries” and the deal “is in real trouble” on Friday’s “McLaughlin Group.”
Buchanan said, “These are trade deals put together by transnational corporations and trade ministries to globalize the world economy, basically to enable these powerful corporations to move their factories and plants out of countries where the wages are high, to countries where the wages are low, so they can bring their products back…free of charge into the United States. In the last month, our trade deficit’s running at 600 billion overall this year, and with China at $400 billion, John. But I will you this, the forces that oppose these transnational trade deals are getting stronger and stronger. Not only [Sen.] Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT)16% and Hillary Clinton in the Democratic Party, but Mr. Trump in the Republican Party, this deal is in real trouble, and I predict that they’re going to have to throw the deal — the discussion in the House — or the Congress over past — certainly past the early primaries.”
http://www.breitbart.com/video/2015/10/10/buchanan-tpp-in-real-trouble-debate-in-congress-will-be-after-early-primaries/
Yeah but Buchanan is a hard left Marxist, right Rodney, Matthew and Wayne?
Q+A viewers saw Anat Shenker-Osorio this morning;
Unlike the NZ Labour Party, she spoke forthrightly about the importance of unions.
She has also had the courage to speak out against terrorism….
—-Anat Shenker-Osorio, 3 March 2015
https://twitter.com/anatosaurus/status/572805519393476608
The Trans-Pacific Partnership’s two solitudes: Burman – Toronto Star
Comparison of TPP and refugee issues.
Tony Burman writes:
“In one case, when corporate and political power works in tandem, borders are a detail to be dispensed with. In the other case, when it’s simply about the powerless, borders are to be strengthened and made impenetrable. It all seems to depend on whose interests you value most.”
http://ustad.science/the-trans-pacific-partnerships-two-solitudes-burman-toronto-star/
Ain’t that the truth!
+1
Thanks for sharing that TMM
I really hope I misread this one. Looks like Key goes to an expensive charity bash and then donates taxpayer funds as his contribution.
John Key donates taxpayer funds at charity bash?
Shouldn’t it be handled as foreign aid by MFAT?
Did he ever consider that given a clear choice many taxpayers may not choose to donate to this particular charity to help in this part of the world?
This is not a post about whether or not people in this region need help – many will.
Just the question of is this how the government has released funds for it “crony charity?”
Wrong link Red Baron?
Trying again – thanks
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11527197
What was that?
The Grinning Fools’ Big Night Out?
So Key’s personal donation was afternoon tea at his electorate office? Even that is likely to be paid for out of his office running budget.
It seems our multi-millionaire PM is happy to play the big benefactor with tax payer’s money but is keeping his hands out of his own pockets. What a guy!
Getting in first to counter the much quoted claim he donates his salary to charity that claim soon changed to a proportion of his salary and he has always refused to say what proportion.
Only rich folk invited. Special form of arrogance to promise the money earned by others.
Rich Pricks are great at spending Other Peoples money.
He should just make a better effort as PM to assist refugees.
Charity then would not be necessary.
Interesting cast at the gala dinner…
It would be nice to see Key apologise to Stephenson though, or at least have something to say about the Defence Force slandering a journalist.
Is Matthew Hooton well?
He is coming across, in my opinion, somewhat ‘unhinged’ as he desperately attempts to ‘spin’ opponents of the TPPA as being ‘extreme’?
FYI (hopefully Matthew, you will see this either on Kiwiblog – or here?)
_______________________________________________________
A belated reply to Matthew Hooton’s (Kiwiblog) post October 9th, 2015 at 5:49 pm
Gee Matthew!
For a purportedly experienced ‘spin doctor’ / Media Commentator – that is a rather, (in my view), apoplectic and intemperate response, to my arguably straightforward questions?
Sheesh!
You were more pleasant when you were drinking!
(If you’re stressed, for whatever reason, try Spirulina, those ‘B’ vitamins can really help).
_____________________________________________________________
Dear Penny
1. Would you like to provide any evidence that any of the statements in these unscholarly press statements is true: http://info.scoop.co.nz/Professor_Jane_Kelsey ?
2. I don’t give a fuck who Tim Groser or Len Brown meet with. But it would make sense for the trade minister to brief the mayor of Auckland on his work from time to time.
3. Pay your rates.
4. Check yourself into a mental hospital.
Best as always
Matthew
+100 GO PENNY !
In the meantime,
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/world/286663/death-toll-up-to-97-in-turkey
and
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/turkey/11923935/Turkey-Ankara-bomb-kills-30-at-pro-Kurdish-rally.html
Peace marchers attacked by terrorists,
so,
there’s ANOTHER march organised to protest the attack on the original march.
Respect for those who refuse to be intimidated.
Respect for those who refuse to be intimidated.
Or? Amusement at the simplicity who gather together all the principled and thinking people in one spot so they can be conveniently annihilated.
He that fights and runs away,
May turn and fight another day;
But he that is in battle slain,
Will never rise to fight again.
Tacitus
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/t/tacitus118925.html#hXAax5WE4GjmAOZ0.99
Guerilla tactics are perhaps the only ones that will work when society descends from reason.
guerilla – a member of an irregular armed force that fights a stronger force by sabotage and harassment
guerrilla, irregular, insurgent
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
Protest in the streets like this can be futile, and destructive to the cause weakening numbers by decimation, and strengthening the triumphant vicious over-riding group. Repeating protests after attacks, should be the last resort. Better if other measures can be planned and the vicious attacked from behind, and through other ways where they have weaknesses.
“Better if other measures can be planned and the vicious attacked from behind, and through other ways where they have weaknesses.”
Isn’t that kinda like playing the terrorists/oppressive state at their own game?
Lowering to the level of the enemy?
Looking into the abyss and all that?
But I do get your point…you might end up with only the rights of a few to defend.
Power at any cost.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/10/10/1430345/-Planned-Parenthood-Why-the-Republicans-Really-Want-to-Axe-it#
Thanks for this. It definitely explains the willingness of the GOP to look stupid, while pulling out every trick in the book (including out right fabrication and bare-faced lying), to try to destroy PP.
Good time to watch ‘the fog of war’ and remember the lessons supposedly learned by Vietnam… Parallels to all the other US run occupations in particular around the middle East.
Iraq, a problem that only existed in the US and UK imagination, but by which they have made a reality of the problem (with many profiting from it, while millions suffer).
Robert McNamara’s 11 lessons from Vietnam[edit]
From Robert McNamara’s 1995 book “In Retrospect: The Tragedy and Lessons of Vietnam”.[7]
We misjudged then — and we have since — the geopolitical intentions of our adversaries … and we exaggerated the dangers to the United States of their actions.
We viewed the people and leaders of South Vietnam in terms of our own experience … We totally misjudged the political forces within the country.
We underestimated the power of nationalism to motivate a people to fight and die for their beliefs and values.
Our misjudgments of friend and foe, alike, reflected our profound ignorance of the history, culture, and politics of the people in the area, and the personalities and habits of their leaders.
We failed then — and have since — to recognize the limitations of modern, high-technology military equipment, forces, and doctrine. We failed, as well, to adapt our military tactics to the task of winning the hearts and minds of people from a totally different culture.
We failed to draw Congress and the American people into a full and frank discussion and debate of the pros and cons of a large-scale military involvement … before we initiated the action.
After the action got under way, and unanticipated events forced us off our planned course … we did not fully explain what was happening, and why we were doing what we did.
We did not recognize that neither our people nor our leaders are omniscient. Our judgment of what is in another people’s or country’s best interest should be put to the test of open discussion in international forums. We do not have the God-given right to shape every nation in our image or as we choose.
We did not hold to the principle that U.S. military action … should be carried out only in conjunction with multinational forces supported fully (and not merely cosmetically) by the international community.
We failed to recognize that in international affairs, as in other aspects of life, there may be problems for which there are no immediate solutions … At times, we may have to live with an imperfect, untidy world.
Underlying many of these errors lay our failure to organize the top echelons of the executive branch to deal effectively with the extraordinarily complex range of political and military issues.
savenz; Should be compulsory reading and understanding forObama and Key.
Bank Robbery: Economists and the Banking System
This is why we had to sell out power generation, our telecommunications and pretty much everything else. Our banking system is pretty much designed to shift wealth to the few and thus make the rest of us slaves to those few.
It’s amazing, frustrating, and terrifying to note the difference in coverage right now between the Radio New Zealand and the New Zealand Herald regarding the horrible terrorist attack in Turkey. It’s been the lead story all morning on the RNZ website but at the NZH website it falls faster than an anchor. The Herald fills their page up with several rugby stories, something about Susan Wood and Chris Cairns before we get to the Turkish story.
The reporting is strikingly different too. Radio Zealand calls the victims labour activists whereas the Herald calls the victims hard-line Marxists. Basically, for the Herald the attack doesn’t warrant significant outrage because the victims were left-wing despite the attack being conducted by war-mongering flavour-of-the-month ISIL. Anyone who thinks the Herald is balanced and non-tabloid needs to get their head checked.
The day after the TPP was signed these were the main headlines in the corporate media in NZ.
From The Daily Blog.
‘Here is what the NZ Herald and Stuff decided was more important than a corporate coup removing NZs economic and political sovereignty the day after the TPPA was signed.
Sports gamblers panicking that the All Blacks won’t win the Rugby World Cup.
A porn renovation TV show might make some more money than they first thought.
A boat falls off a trailer.
A bad bus trip.
The world didn’t end after a religious prophecy
A radio host wears the same togs as Kylie Jenner.
An Apartment that got flooded by a fish tank was sold.
Government spends $600 000 on flowers
A dog gets put down.’
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2015/10/08/why-the-tppa-is-a-corporate-coup-and-stories-the-nz-mainstream-media-thought-were-more-important/
More propaganda from the Herald as they publicise the US media’s attempt to shut down Clinton. The corporate media are working overtime to ‘seal the deal’, aren’t they?
‘Clinton is wrong on the Trans-Pacific Partnership’
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11526439
the Herald should be boycotted…i am pleased I dont live in Auckland…why cant an alternative to the Herald be produced?
Money.
Nobody reads it anymore, which is as good as a boycott, I guess.
Or they just ridicule it.
Jane Kelsey on Tim Groser who was trying to justify the secrecy of TPP in the interview this morning, Tim said he was “very pleased” tobacco control measures exempted from Investor State Dispute Settlement provisions and “I can almost guarantee you that if we had made that public, we would not have got it”
“Farce of TPPA secrecy must end, Groser must stop misleading statements” – Kelsey – See more at: http://foreignaffairs.co.nz/2015/10/11/farce-of-tppa-secrecy-must-end-groser-must-stop-misleading-statements-kelsey/#sthash.q0CCAIhJ.dpuf
The tobacco carve out was one of the few bits of the TPP that WAS publicly discussed way back. In 2013.
“The United States and 11 countries bordering the Pacific Ocean had been engaged in the latest round of negotiations over a treaty intended to lower tariffs and other barriers to commerce. One of the issues was whether tobacco should be included in such a treaty or “carved out” so that health considerations could take precedence over expanded trade. The issue pits health advocates against the tobacco industry and other commercial interests.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/01/opinion/sunday/the-hazard-of-free-trade-tobacco.html?_r=0
and in 2014 Reuters
“U.S. floats cutting tobacco from part of Pacific trade pact -sources”
“Dropping tobacco from the investor-state dispute settlement, or ISDS, section of the Trans-Pacific Partnership would prevent tobacco companies taking action against any TPP government under those legal protections, for example over health care measures.”
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/21/usa-trade-tpp-idUSL2N0SG1WO20141021
Another issue: Tim believes ISDS wouldn’t stop NZ introducing a policy like plain packaging for fizzy drinks; “I believe you probably could as long as you had a good health-based case and you’re ready to defend it”
Does being ready to defend that mean in an “inconceivable” ISDS tribunal?
But lying is what the Right does… seemingly even when the argument for the TPP is so obvious and compelling they still lie…
Toronto’s newspaper The Star has released a poll which has the Liberals under Justin Trudeau within reach of a ‘strong minority’. The Liberals are at 37% versus Harper’s Conservatives on 31%. Mulcair and the NDP are trailing at 23% which is an extraordinary turnaround from their frontrunner position going in to the campaign.
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015/10/10/liberals-within-reach-of-majority-poll.html
What alot of shit that canary suited ‘has-been’ gargoyle Hide talks –
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11527183
For a start, yesterday/today…..the sun shines…..blah blah blah. Who knows what’s in this deal ? Sovereignty’s hardly a thing “gone by lunchtime”.
Then pulling the ‘Commie Card’ re Jane Kelsey.
OK…..with as much ground for it I’ll pull the ‘Traitor Card’. Which is the canary suited has-been gargoyle aka Mr Love-Perks-Hypocrite Extraordinaire. And honours for Jane Kelsey.
Don Brash was right about only one thing. Hyde being toxic.Still is.
If you look closely you will see Alan Gibbs hand up Hide’s arse when Hide speaks or writes.
Charming
So does your shade of lipstick come from Hide’s arse or Gibbs’ hand?
It’s his paycheck.
interesting about his sun shines comment. Same was made by one of our regular righties when it was signed…
The fact that the treaty is not yet in effect doesn’t seem to stop the ideologues chirping away…
I think he was stating the obvious. Her communism means that she opposes markets and globalisation. She has been doing so for 30 years. Her Wikipedia entry which she could edit if she wants reads like a horror story.
Too funny: Rodney Hide’s opinions are “obvious” to S Rylands.
S Rylands thinks that editing ones own Wikipedia entry is a good idea, whether or not it mentions “communism” (Kelsey’s doesn’t at the time of writing).
No wonder S Rylands reacts with “horror”: conflict of interest much?
There have been accusations and counter accusations about who is siding with which side in the war in Syria. There is sufficient proof that the FSA (Free Syrian Army), supported by the US and some Gulf states have been fighting alongside Al Nusra Front, an Al Qaeda associated group.
As it is going, I hardly see a problem with that, given that the murderous Assad has been siding with Hezbollah and Iran, who have their own human rights issues.
We see a situation in Syria, that deserves more scrutiny and effort to get all parties around a table to discuss a hopefully peaceful solution to the civil war, but bombings from the air by either the US or the Russians will hardly assist such a process, it will only fuel the situation and war there.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xowl9-tnuEY
that is just the inevitable evidence of organised opposition fighting, maybe the US want to come clean on Al Qaeda!?
Who is siding with the innocent civillians? No one. No fucking One
You ask a completely valid question. The sad truth is that the fronts are so hardened and there is such hostility, there will only be some prospect for peace if one of the sides puts the other under so much pressure that they will be prepared to negotiate. I doubt whether it is such a good idea by Putin and the Russians to keep Assad in place, that solves nothing and will only escalate and prolong the war there.
In the meantime refugees will flow into Europe and elsewhere and can only hope that the situation in Syria will somehow be resolved over future years. Not a great prospect, as also refugees face increased pressures and hostility in the places they have fled to. In Germany there have already been arson attacks on refugee homes, there are protests and the government is cutting benefits for refugees.
The EU is planning to fast track sending back hundreds of thousands that are presumed to rather be economic refugees.
The world is not a great place at present, for too many to live in.
” I doubt whether it is such a good idea by Putin and the Russians to keep Assad in place, that solves nothing and will only escalate and prolong the war there.”
I share your doubts.
Sadly, recent history also teaches us that over-throwing the selected undemocratic leader doesn’t solve the problem either. God forbid we look for a completely different solution rather than trying the same old failed ones over and over and over. I say selected because Saudi Arabia gets to be very undemocratic but untouched by Western superiority.
How can peace be achieved with these forces stating so clearly their issues?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyRhn0qqQsY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfSKkdgrPc8
Most are dreaming in NZ about peace long lost.