In the last election and possibly in the next election conventional wisdom is that it is a vote loser for the Green Party to play up the danger of climate change as an election issue.
That raising this issue would be a liability on the hustings.
At the last election Green Party candidates were told to tone it down about the climate.
Though I have detected some positive movement away from this view, it seems to be, still, the ruling viewpoint inside the leadership of the Green Party.
When Gina McCarthy first met with Obama in the Oval Office on Jan. 10 to discuss the prospect of heading the Environmental Protection Agency, she recalled, “the first words out of his mouth was the need for EPA to focus on climate.”
In his chief of staff, Denis McDonough, Obama has a policy manager who has written and contributed to several pieces on climate change as a senior fellow at the liberal Center for American Progress think tank in 2006 and 2007. He is a sharp contrast to former Obama chiefs of staff William Daley and Rahm Emanuel, who both privately saw global warming as a political liability for the president.
The shift has alarmed some industry officials, as well as coal allies. Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) described the administration as coal’s “adversary”….
…..“You cannot describe this any differently than as a war on coal, and not just in West Virginia or the U.S. but on a global scale,” he said. “They’re using every tool they have to destroy the most abundant, reliable and affordable resource that we have.”
Juliet Eilperin Washington Post: August 11
Senator Joe Manchin is right. This is, “a war on coal”. And it is, being conducted on a “global scale”.
Coal is the single greatest cause of climate change. As James Hanson has said “If we can’t stop coal, it is all over for the climate”.
In talking with Green Party insiders I have been told, (though I have never seen the citation), that it is Green Party policy to oppose all new coal mines. In my opinion this is extremely laudable.
But will this policy be ditched in the quest for cabinet positions?
Will Green Party opposition to the huge new open cast coal mine at Denniston be sacrificed to the view, that raising objections to this climate crime will cost votes?
If its about votes jenny the greens have plenty of other areas that will get them votes as the only coherent alternative to the nact with labour adrift with captain blind and his old boy caucus.
So you’re ignoring the Obama Administration resuming deep sea drilling straight after Deep Water Horizon? Permitting shale oil fracking right across the country? Continuing to plan large pipelines from the Alberta tar sands? Boasting about becoming a major net exporter of oil again?
You don’t think that pissing coal off is a device to push investment into shale oil and shale gas plays?
Still pushing that double negative jenny, the Green Party for your info have a go at National in the House at least once a week over climate change,
Last week it was Kennedy Graeham grilling Tim Grosser which was only not very enlightening because Grosser simply buries all His answers with a pile of hyperbole,
The problem the Green Party has is simple to describe as ‘being able to take the wider electorate with them’ as they seek solutions to drastically reduce CO2 atmospheric levels,
My view is that trying to alter what ‘we’ do now without creating a political backlash is nearly impossible and much more energy should be put into researching and developing the technology with which industrial amounts of CO2 can be removed from the atmosphere and used as a fuel source,
The science and tech surrounding doing this while in it’s infancy shows that this can be achieved and while an expensive exercise in terms of per tonne of CO2 removed from the atmosphere when compared with the cost of even the mildest negative effects of ongoing climate change would in time prove to have been a small price to pay…
it was interesting watching Groser (on behalf of the nats that day) conceding the scientifically supported reality of climate change and it’s relevance to New Zealand economics. Only about a year or so after Bill and Lyn’s excellent posts on The Standard presenting highly probable trends.
As Jenny identifies, poll-based policy abounds.
I don’t think Jenny is too far off the mark, in terms of the general populace’s view on climate change.
Stuff comments are sometimes fairly amenable to left-wing politics, and certainly there are a lot more negative comments about Key/National than there used to be.
But on any story about climate change, there’s a talkback taliban effect of huge numbers of denier comments being rated up, and anyone trying to talk science is voted down harshly.
“Since when has “aspiration” been such a good thing? I have aspirations, as a matter of fact. I aspire to live in a civilised country where women, gays and people of different colours are treated as equals. I aspire to live in a country where nobody is poor (and nobody is so rich that they have to throw money away on million pound bottles of champagne). I aspire to live in a country where the old can live in comfort, where everyone who is sick gets the treatment they need, regardless of cost, where the mentally ill are not stuffed into prison for lack of any better option, where everyone is actually equal before the law, where everyone who wants to can go to university and not have to pay for it. And so on. These are aspirations. They just don’t happen to be selfish ones. How come they don’t count in this bright and shiny new world of the selfish?”
Key looked pudgy, grey and tired on the tele at the pillagers conference over the weekend. I reckon he knows he aint gonna get there at the next election.
Meantime the merry band of looters that was his fawning crowd will continue to take advantage of corporate welfare, business subsidies, tax cuts, weakened RMA, weakened employment laws and take take take. They will offer nothing back to the taxpayers who support these bludgers and will instead blame everyone but themselves for the problems they have exacerbated in their very own communities.
I am preparing for the digital changeover by discontinuing
that monolithic legacy technology known as “tele vision”
which allows US Billionaires like Murdoch to dominate
the worldview and politics of mere nations like ours.
It looks like Bradbury and Selwyn both had their meds run out over the weekend, I hope they get to the chemist for the repeat before tomorrow. Martyn Bradbury is a paid hack of Mana, so you can’t expect much else from him than his usual quasi-Marxist politics of resentment, where the designated traitor is the exclusive foam flecked target of those who regard the achievable as the enemy of the perfect, and the the success of the right/defeat of the moderate left is exulted as a radicalising moment on the road to revolutionary nirvana.
But Tim Selwyn’s piece on farmers is actually a quite disturbing piece of hate speech. No wonder he’s a convicted criminal – if he believes half of the stuff he writes he will inevitably see more of the inside of the holding cells in Albert Street. If it is wrong to objectify and collectively punish beneficiaries, it is equally wrong to objectify farmers.
Taken as a pair, as a body of work that represents the thinking of two high profile Mana party supporters, a rather disturbing picture of that party emerges. A party of full of resentment, tall poppyism, dogmatic obsessions and anti-white racism. A party of losers who have lost to often. If the twin efforts of Bradbury and Selwyn are any guide, Mana can offer the country nothing.
Needn’t be a dick all your life Sanctuary. The healing has begun here at the mighty Standard.
Bomber may be a political hybrid but you underestimate the longer term concept of Mana. A hard left/Māori nationalist unity in action is the the rights worst nightmare so perhaps it is you that needs the meds.
One thing I wish a website like would have is a place to more robustly debate ideology, because this is ideological nonsense of the highest order.
Maori nationalists a la the Harawiras seems to me to be an incredibly reactionary, backward looking movement grounded in the belief that Maori society was this undynamic thing and in a perfect stasis of noble savagery until it was torn asunder by contact with wicked (but more technologically advanced) European cultures. The hard left meanwhile is a bunch of variegated Marxists whose inability to come to terms with the genocides of the USSR and mass murder of Mao let alone the welfare state has seen them floundering about like drowning men in a sea of denial and wishful thinking for the last forty years.
What unites the Māori nationalists and the hard left is a hard line utopianism that pines for a world that never was and a world that can never be respectively, and a desire for revolutionary revenge/redistribution which allows them both to present their ideas using similar revolutionary rhetoric.
The clash between the reactionary Maori nationalism of Turia and the socialist Maori nationalism of Hone Harawira is not one of left vs. right one in the sense either of them is more inclusive than the other. Harawira and co want an apartheid society with a new bunch of brown faces in charge of the means of production; Turia’s model is an apartheid society with an invented Iwi aristocracy in charge. To my mind, neither of these backward looking, racist and nepotistic visions should be particularly attractive to a modern socialist whose primarily interest should be the creation of a society with equality of opportunity for everyone and one that defends the positive liberties that equality of opportunity unlocks for everyone.
At the end of the day, the wider left lost the debate over the last thirty years because it was unable to tell a story of a positive future. The agenda was inverted and socialism was the new conservatism, tiredly defending status quo pragmatism against the message of the zealous change agents of the new right. Socialism became the ideology of the already defeated, seeking constantly to mitigate the disaster via identity politics or accommodation rather than trying to win the war.
I would put it to you that the ambient politics of resentment – or as I call it “loserist politics” – that you get from a lot of Mana supporters is the result of the ideological contradictions that lie at the heart of the alliance of the margins that is Mana. What unites them is what they resent and oppose, and that negativity seeps through to almost all their conversations. To my way of looking at it, the tonal loserism of Mana is just the fag end of that sorry tale of left wing defeat, not the flag bearer of a new socialist way of thinking about the future.
Actually Rogue, I have some sympathy with Sanctuarys interpretation. It exposes some raw edges of the Left that as he says would greatly benefit from some robust debate. There are some sacred cows to be led to the slaughter.
Conversely Santuary’s triumphalism for the Right might also have to go on ice, they have merely generated the same seeds of their own demise as their mirror image, the ideological Left.
re Bonds for earthquake strengthening, echoes some of our own thoughts and discussions on this, and the rental warrant-of-fitness issue. Failure to maintain safety of income-generating assets by property investors in a country that experiences regular, predicted seismic activity and has researched, documented, comparatively cold and damp residential rental stock. (all that extra water vapour in the atmosphere joe transcribes in the climate update below).
and on, and on, Ennfinitum. 🙂
ps. Coleman not gonna cut Defence funding for a few more years, maybe some more Theatres to go with those Sports Stadiums, “over the top Lads, let’s give Gerry what ho!”.
Just been on Gerry’s home turf….we should send Coleman there to be subject to their tender mercies…..really liked the Germans, they might civilise him!
been reading more books instead of blogs. Like on Passchendaele and other tragedies of human history. With an igloo box my friend gets el-cheapo pay-tv (National Geographic, BBC Knowledge etc); there was this programme yesterday on what Wales was like during the copper and iron smelting stages of their industrial (capital) revolution – the ore was shipped to the coal- with the puddling process developed by Cort being adopted in the Ruhr. What was striking was all the chimneys in Wales, belching smoke into the sky at the time, with social conditions such that (maybe only one university) ‘intellectuals’ had to leave the predominantly working-class country to receive higher education.
Yet, all those chimneys – ominous.
sanc all your assumptions are wrong imo but you build a nice little rant platform from them.
Tino rangatiratanga is about looking forwards not backwards.
The last people imo that believe in a non-dynamic Māori perspective are tino rangatiratanga adherents, let alone the ‘perfect stasis’ you propose.
Tino rangatiratanga is not about revenge it is about the opposite of that.
What unites those who believe in tino rangatiratanga and the left are belief in equality and fairness especially for those disregarded in our society – whatever ethnicity.
Mana don’t want an apartheid society.
The Mana Movement is much more than the ‘resent and oppose’ description you use and it isn’t negative at all.
Anyway your big words and puffed-up language cannot disguise your own resentments and your last paragraph is defeatest in tone and content. Great I say because Mana doesn’t need or want people like you imo, you’re better off trying 1law4all.
Rave on; Sanctuary. Neo liberalist capitalism is the fag end of human development, unwilling to even feed and water the worlds people. US imperialism’s annual military budget could do just that laddie.
Just read Tim Selwyn’s column, actually it is uncommonly accurate. It is not hate speech, it merely points out valid realities that should be of real concern to any society seeking some cogency. The farmers advantages are real, the corollary is that others don’t have these advantages. Whether that is good or bad depends on your viewpoint, but it does not make them any less real.
Santuary, is this all your own work? I’m sure I’ve read the same thing written by someone else. Though I suppose if you haven’t got the sense to think for yourself, you may as well copy and paste what someone else has thought.
Thanks for you clever example of Hate Speech double-speak hypocrisy, Sanctuary.
Actually, Bomber is a long term activists, who has embraced the Mana approach to politics, because it is in keeping with his values. From his about page:
He has appeared at numerous political and union functions over the last few years. He is a political consultant to organisations of the left and centre-left and argued for the creation of the MANA Party as a party to the Left of the Greens as a means for the Left to win back Parliament. Mr Bradbury also hosts the current affairs show ‘Citizen A’ on Face TV and was Editor in Residence at the Wintec School of Journalism.
Sanct – your hate-loaded spin avoids mentioning the range of organisations Bradbury hires his services to, and the range of work he does.
Mana is a bit of a mixture, but they are building a movement which will be capable of worthwhile changes. As a low profile supporter, I’m hopeful.
By the way, how the hell do you label John Minto as a loser? He is responsible more than any other one person for changing the way we thought about apartheid. Hone is prepared to stand with the people to halt evictions, to protect working class communities that have grown over many years. Mallard is prepared to sell overpriced tickets to them on Trademe. I know who I consider the loser.
Whilst out of town I heard there had been a significant quake in Wellington. The first thing I thought was “bugger, the rent seekers will now try and make me, Mr Ratepayer pay”. So the above came as no surprise. On the news during the week was another owner (Ian Cassels) calling for earthquake strengthening to be tax deductible.
Ho fekkin hum.
Did you see these self same building owners putting money from their rents aside to pay for strengthening before the Chch quake made the situation urgent? No sir.
Did you see the owners offer to set up a strengthening fund, or some form of buying group to spread the risk? Nope.
Did you see the see the owners actually do any work to mitigate risk whilst there were engineers and trades available (they are now all in Chch)? Hell no, just take the rent and play the risk.
Now you and I are supposed to bail the bastards out of an entirely predictable scenario. Same old story, privatize the profits, socialise the cost. How do we keep these bastards out of our pockets?
And what is more they want to leave things till 2020. One sector commenter said that would create a bottleneck about that time as they will tend to put the work off. Sounds like the old laissez faire that they apply to closing times in the ‘hospitalit-ising’ industry with everyone emerging drunk and stupid and irritable all at the same time.
The chap in Christchurch whose wife was killed in the building collapse there and has been advocating for action ever since is, luckily, not yet speechless at the lack of integrity of the government in its strange and uneven treatment of business, affected by the earthquakes.
My sympathies rest with the man in question: he has been let down by this total lack of integrity. When our wifes, husbands, children die in some red stickered building in Wellington we can expect the same “business” focused response. My take is actually shut the bastards down now before someone dies, and if they cannot strengthen the buildings under the current commercial conditions they should be bull dozed.
In Christchurch many buildings are simply being ignored by workers – they will not work in them as they consider them too dangerous. Makes them worthless and the landlords sharpen up.
The city councillor has unveiled a plan to make strengthening the city’s heritage buildings easier by allowing owners to borrow money using council assets as security.
Central government politicians have welcomed the idea, which would enable building owners to borrow for strengthening work and repay the bonds through a special rate that would be attached to the building, Mr Morrison said.
And when the building owners fail to pay back the bonds will allow central government to force WCC to sell those assets. So, yeah, I can see why this government would be in favour of it.
I doubt if Wellington’s assets will be sufficiant to borrow against for the bonds. Mainly because the council is busily borrowing against them for other purposes.
Wellington CC is actually in deep proverbial…they reckon they have an “asset base” of about $30K per rate payer…..if you were to get real and capitalise the assets they are probably overstated in value several times…and that is if you could sell them. My take is that the figure is more like minus $30K.
The reality for Wellington is that the ratepayer will be obliged to pick up the bill for negligent expenditure by successive councils and Detroit status is merely a disaster away.
Sanctuary@7 – the following portions of your comment above are but glaring non-sequitur;
“Taken as a pair, as a body of work that represents the thinking of TWO high profile Mana party supporters, a rather disturbing picture of that party emerges.” – (capitalisation is mine).
TWO high profile…….supporters ? Just TWO ?
That justifies your assertion – “…….Mana can offer the country nothing.” ?
Glaring non-sequitur as I say. Deployed to deliver a good old rant against a political party you don’t like. That’s fine. We all do it from time to time. It can’t pass as sensible analysis however.
Lolz, thank you sanctuary, your efforts have reinforced my position that the Mana Party in 2014 will be getting my Party Vote, and any other help i can offer them…
I see Pete George is running for Dunedin City Council. Good on him, but doesnt seem to state what policies he will push for? Though, judging from his record, I am picking he will vote to sell assets, and make cuts to libaries and the like, etc.
Like they all do. Seems that council candidates are more into making negative promises (ie cutting this and that to keep rates down) than positive promise. More parks, etc. Apart from when it comes to subsidising professional sports or ‘festivals’ for middle classes of course.
I did a rare visit to KB on Saturday, where he announced his candidacy on their equivalent of OM to rave support (not) there. Some interesting comments, though!
When I can be bothered commenting on the NZ Herald site to assertions of the economic superiority of National, I often refer to the Reserve Bank’s historical data spreadsheet on government debt. When viewed in tandem with elected governments, it becomes apparent that National-led governments tend to drastically increase debt, while Labour-led governments systematically chip away at it.
Have never had a reply to this that disputes this trend.
However, it is interesting to see that the Reserve Bank website update has coincided with a decision to discontinue this statistic as of June 2013, and searching for “government debt” on the site, results in a lot of ambiguous results.
Another source of relevant information, removed from the voting public.
Bill from Dipton does not want you to see that His miraculous Government surplus for years 14/15 will have been created out of monies previously borrowed by Bill’s National Goverment in years 11/12,
Best hide the evidence now befor anyone clicks on to that little fact…
Although some adjustments do occur as a matter of course – some of these reports are major economic indicators and the value of historically gathered and assessed data is lost.
I know the Reserve Bank is supposedly an independent body, but this loss of economic tracking data indicates bias.
Another source of relevant information, removed from the voting public.
National can’t have the people having access to information as the information will always show that National is, as a matter of fact, the worst possible government to have.
I never understood why various commentators were was saying MRP was the “best” of the power companies to be sold, when apparently it actually isn’t all that good?
Sadly, yes, Meridian is on the horizon, but from the little that has come out so far, there will changes to the way this much bigger one is marketed. I heard some mention of these changes on RNZ National this morning but cannot remember when/which programme as I was only half listening.
Re MRP, I am not clued up enough to give any possible explanation re why MRP was considered the “best” – but the performance of the shares so far would not appear to support this.
Humanity is the major influence on the global climate change observed over the past 50 years.
Rapid societal responses can significantly lessen negative outcomes.
“Human activities are changing Earth’s climate. At the global level, atmospheric
concentrations of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping greenhouse gases have increased
sharply since the Industrial Revolution. Fossil fuel burning dominates this increase.
Human-caused increases in greenhouse gases are responsible for most of the observed
global average surface warming of roughly 0.8°C (1.5°F) over the past 140 years. Because
natural processes cannot quickly remove some of these gases (notably carbon dioxide)
from the atmosphere, our past, present, and future emissions will influence the climate
system for millennia.
Extensive, independent observations confirm the reality of global warming. These
observations show large-scale increases in air and sea temperatures, sea level, and
atmospheric water vapor; they document decreases in the extent of mountain glaciers,
snow cover, permafrost, and Arctic sea ice. These changes are broadly consistent with longunderstood physics and predictions of how the climate system is expected to respond to
human-caused increases in greenhouse gases. The changes are inconsistent with
explanations of climate change that rely on known natural influences.
Climate models predict that global temperatures will continue to rise, with the amount of
warming primarily determined by the level of emissions. Higher emissions of greenhouse
gases will lead to larger warming, and greater risks to society and ecosystems. Some
additional warming is unavoidable due to past emissions.
Climate change is not expected to be uniform over space or time. Deforestation,
urbanization, and particulate pollution can have complex geographical, seasonal, and
longer-term effects on temperature, precipitation, and cloud properties. In addition,
human-induced climate change may alter atmospheric circulation, dislocating historical
patterns of natural variability and storminess.
In the current climate, weather experienced at a given location or region varies from year
to year; in a changing climate, both the nature of that variability and the basic patterns of
weather experienced can change, sometimes in counterintuitive ways — some areas may
experience cooling, for instance. This raises no challenge to the reality of human-induced
climate change.
Impacts harmful to society, including increased extremes of heat, precipitation, and coastal
high water are currently being experienced, and are projected to increase. Other projected
outcomes involve threats to public health, water availability, agricultural productivity
(particularly in low-latitude developing countries), and coastal infrastructure, though some
benefits may be seen at some times and places. Biodiversity loss is expected to accelerate
due to both climate change and acidification of the oceans, which is a direct result of
increasing carbon dioxide levels.
While important scientific uncertainties remain as to which particular impacts will be
experienced where, no uncertainties are known that could make the impacts of climate
change inconsequential. Furthermore, surprise outcomes, such as the unexpectedly rapid
loss of Arctic summer sea ice, may entail even more dramatic changes than anticipated.
Actions that could diminish the threats posed by climate change to society and ecosystems
include substantial emissions cuts to reduce the magnitude of climate change, as well as
preparing for changes that are now unavoidable. The community of scientists has
responsibilities to improve overall understanding of climate change and its impacts.
Improvements will come from pursuing the research needed to understand climate change,
working with stakeholders to identify relevant information, and conveying understanding
clearly and accurately, both to decision makers and to the general public.
Yup, geo-engineering is playing it’s part very well.
The so called weaponized science industry has obliterated the earths protective layers, nuclear tests, meltdowns , lasers, you name it, that industry has done it, so of course human interference is causing problems, it could not be any other way!
Thank you military industrial complex for choosing to contribute to wrecking planet earth, and thanks to the bankers who finance it all, but most of all, thanks for the criminals who control the lot.
The average human being has contributed squat to climate change Joe, but is being told they have!
…as cucumbers being used inappropriately. 😀 (another day, another coal-slore). Wow! didn’t realize what a n0rty word ‘slore’ is until checking that bible of post-modern philology, Urban Dictionary.
Sanctamonious you have been wheeled out by Mathew Hooten
and co the rights selfishness will be hidden by painting the left as far to radical to be in power the same BS Muldoon used in 1975 marching commies!
The Angel of Death makes another appearance The Panel, Radio NZ National, Monday 12 August 2013
Jim Mora, Neil Miller, Catherine Robertson
It’s mid-morning on a gloomy Monday, a slow news day. Jim Mora and his producer Chris Reid are cogitating seriously about the lineup for today’s show. Each man nurses a cup of coffee and thinks long and hard and seriously. Then the producer breaks the silence…
CHRIS REID: Mate, the first topic for today is this nasty little abduction of a two-year-old in Auckland, perpetrated by a man who has murdered in the past. JIM MORA: Oh yes, we need to talk about that! CHRIS REID: Happily, the child is safe, but the hunt for the criminal goes on. JIM MORA: What talent have you lined up, Chris? CHRIS REID: Gotta be honest with you, Jim: this is a tough one! JIM MORA: Hmmmm…. CHRIS REID: Now, we can go to one of the universities, we can interview a lawyer, a judge, a human rights advocate. Kim Workman? JIM MORA: No, let’s face it: they’re all too…. soft, too… complex. CHRIS REID: I know, how about you interview Garth “The Knife” McFucker!?!! JIM MORA: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! “Garth McFucker”. That’s very good! CHRIS REID: I thought you’d like that one! Anyway, mate, I’ve lined up the bloodthirsty psychopath for ten past four this arvo. JIM MORA: Oh Christ, you’re serious…
Yes, that’s right: Garth McVicar. Although the head of the S.S. Trust has still not apologized for his bloodthirsty support of the 2008 knife-slaying of a boy in Manurewa, and despite the fact he is despised, loathed and feared by all decent people, those considerations have clearly not deterred the wise folk at Radio New Zealand National’s Panel, who got Jim Mora to interview the knife enthusiast for about the twentieth time. Unfortunately, Jim’s guests today were not people who have demonstrated any capacity or desire to confront such a brute. Or maybe that’s WHY they were chosen. Anyway, I sent off the following email to Jim Mora, pronto…
Garth McVicar? You cannot be serious.
Dear Jim,
You have, yet again, in spite of protests by many people, deferred to Garth McVicar as some sort of “expert” on matters of crime and punishment. Since it appears that you apply no standards in your selection of “talent” for your programme, can we expect to hear you deferring respectfully to Kyle Chapman, of the NZ National Front, and seeking his opinion on matters related to marae-burning and arson in general?
Morrissey Morrissey Morrisey you’re responsible for late dinner at my place……..and I still don’t know whether “McFucker The Knife” was actually hosted by Mensa Mora today. I think not. But anyway………excellent contribution !
Helps me laugh at the disgraceful spectacle of National Party MPs at their conference telling Campbell Live why we need the GCSB bill.
Frankly, most of them seemed pissed ! Wonder if that was why Brownlee was uncharacteristically camera shy. It couldn’t be because he’s anti the bill. Lends weight that it was……
The absolute Flying Circus riot was Koretake Troughing Tau Henare though. Such a learned trougher, getting all loftily Cold War about things. My God what an egg !
And just now an interview with Key. Pathetic ! His demeanour positively screaming that there’s some shit goin’ down with this bill but he’s gonna do it no matter what.
“I’m embarrassed but Fuck You All !” sort of thing
…..and I still don’t know whether “McFucker The Knife” was actually hosted by Mensa Mora today. I think not.
Actually, North, he WAS interviewed by an extra-solicitous and absurdly respectful Mora. That’s why I sent the angry email; it wasn’t the crawling that angered me, it was the fact that this lout is not considered as persona non grata. I cannot believe that it was Jim Mora who chose him as a guest (yet again) for his programme; it must have been the producer. Clearly, Radio New Zealand has no standards.
Your analysis of Key, Brownlee and co. is spot on, as always.
tonights news revealed the true cost of Tiwae point bail out $480 million in total including meridians selling eclectricity at a loss tokeep asset sales on track and national voters in Blingishs electorate bribed!
Apart from loving Key and all he does, Brett knows nothing about politics or policy that’s good, bad or otherwise. Calling him right wing will go over his head like a runaway hoverboard.
You can assume – however, that most who do read it and then follow it up with the Human Rights report, the Law Society submission, and the NZ Internet submission would be compelled to continue researching.
For the non-reader, they have access to video submissions and the video on demand of the open public meeting held several weeks ago at Mt Albert.
If someone has done all these things, I would say that they are more than likely to oppose the bill.
Interesting that those on Campbell Live who supported it, were more than likely to admit they knew very little about it. So wags the world away.
As you read the following insult to the intelligence, remember that this is the newspaper constantly quoted and referred to by, among many others, Jim Mora…..
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisitionNOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
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 ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...
Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julien Cooper, Honorary Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Julien Cooper The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new ...
The sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign ...
The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
Rock The Vote NZ, known for its advocacy for minor party unity and its role within the Freedoms NZ Coalition during the 2023 General Election, celebrates this merger as a strategic enhancement of its operational strength and outreach. ...
Nearly everyone has experienced the frustration of something you use breaking and being difficult or expensive to fix. Proposed legislation could change that. It’s been raining on and off all Sunday afternoon but people are lining up outside a building in a corner of Gribblehirst Park in Sandringham, Auckland. In ...
What does a forever relationship look like when you don’t believe in marriage? And how do you celebrate it? This essay is part of our Sunday Essay series, made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.I’m going to do it, right now. I’m going to say ...
The Prime Minister has committed to resuming direct flights to Thailand. But it’s not a promise he will be able to deliver on anytime soon. The post Prime Minister jumps the gun in Thailand appeared first on Newsroom. ...
It’s not that long ago Eliza McCartney was seriously wondering if the Paris Olympics would be her pole vaulting swansong. After years of being hounded by injury after injury, the Rio Olympics bronze medallist was still confident she would compete at her second Olympics in Paris in July, unless something ...
FICTION 1 Take Two by Danielle Hawkins (Allen & Unwin, $36.99) There’s commercial fiction, like this book, and then there’s quality fiction, quality writers, quality literature; the forthcoming Auckland Writers Festival is full of quality, and ReadingRoom has two tickets to give away to the following events: Paul Lynch (Dublin ...
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, Friday 26 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...
You can’t have missed the Gallipoli story as the movies, documentaries, essays and books capture what it was like for New Zealand troops in their eight-month campaign on the Peninsula. But this Anzac Day the Auckland War Memorial Museum has published a book that sheds light on a little-known aspect of the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Musk’s vociferous opposition to ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Pacific Media Watch Journalists who report on environmental issues are encountering growing difficulties in many parts of the world, reports Reporters Without Borders. According to the tally kept by RSF, 200 journalists have been subjected to threats and physical violence, including murder, in the past 10 years because they were ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
ACT's Rural Communities and Veterans spokesman Mark Cameron responds to cancellations and protests of ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington. He says, "These pitiful attempts to detract from ANZAC Day are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
In the last election and possibly in the next election conventional wisdom is that it is a vote loser for the Green Party to play up the danger of climate change as an election issue.
That raising this issue would be a liability on the hustings.
At the last election Green Party candidates were told to tone it down about the climate.
Though I have detected some positive movement away from this view, it seems to be, still, the ruling viewpoint inside the leadership of the Green Party.
But have the Green Party policy wonks and advisers got it wrong?
Senator Joe Manchin is right. This is, “a war on coal”. And it is, being conducted on a “global scale”.
Coal is the single greatest cause of climate change. As James Hanson has said “If we can’t stop coal, it is all over for the climate”.
In talking with Green Party insiders I have been told, (though I have never seen the citation), that it is Green Party policy to oppose all new coal mines. In my opinion this is extremely laudable.
But will this policy be ditched in the quest for cabinet positions?
Will Green Party opposition to the huge new open cast coal mine at Denniston be sacrificed to the view, that raising objections to this climate crime will cost votes?
Will climate change be an election issue in 2014?
If its about votes jenny the greens have plenty of other areas that will get them votes as the only coherent alternative to the nact with labour adrift with captain blind and his old boy caucus.
So you’re ignoring the Obama Administration resuming deep sea drilling straight after Deep Water Horizon? Permitting shale oil fracking right across the country? Continuing to plan large pipelines from the Alberta tar sands? Boasting about becoming a major net exporter of oil again?
You don’t think that pissing coal off is a device to push investment into shale oil and shale gas plays?
At the last election Green Party candidates were told to tone it down about the climate.
cite?
Still pushing that double negative jenny, the Green Party for your info have a go at National in the House at least once a week over climate change,
Last week it was Kennedy Graeham grilling Tim Grosser which was only not very enlightening because Grosser simply buries all His answers with a pile of hyperbole,
The problem the Green Party has is simple to describe as ‘being able to take the wider electorate with them’ as they seek solutions to drastically reduce CO2 atmospheric levels,
My view is that trying to alter what ‘we’ do now without creating a political backlash is nearly impossible and much more energy should be put into researching and developing the technology with which industrial amounts of CO2 can be removed from the atmosphere and used as a fuel source,
The science and tech surrounding doing this while in it’s infancy shows that this can be achieved and while an expensive exercise in terms of per tonne of CO2 removed from the atmosphere when compared with the cost of even the mildest negative effects of ongoing climate change would in time prove to have been a small price to pay…
it was interesting watching Groser (on behalf of the nats that day) conceding the scientifically supported reality of climate change and it’s relevance to New Zealand economics. Only about a year or so after Bill and Lyn’s excellent posts on The Standard presenting highly probable trends.
As Jenny identifies, poll-based policy abounds.
I don’t think Jenny is too far off the mark, in terms of the general populace’s view on climate change.
Stuff comments are sometimes fairly amenable to left-wing politics, and certainly there are a lot more negative comments about Key/National than there used to be.
But on any story about climate change, there’s a talkback taliban effect of huge numbers of denier comments being rated up, and anyone trying to talk science is voted down harshly.
I like this quote from “Briar” in the comments section below this article
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/aug/11/peter-capaldi-doctor-who-children
by A L Kennedy in The Guardian:
“Since when has “aspiration” been such a good thing? I have aspirations, as a matter of fact. I aspire to live in a civilised country where women, gays and people of different colours are treated as equals. I aspire to live in a country where nobody is poor (and nobody is so rich that they have to throw money away on million pound bottles of champagne). I aspire to live in a country where the old can live in comfort, where everyone who is sick gets the treatment they need, regardless of cost, where the mentally ill are not stuffed into prison for lack of any better option, where everyone is actually equal before the law, where everyone who wants to can go to university and not have to pay for it. And so on. These are aspirations. They just don’t happen to be selfish ones. How come they don’t count in this bright and shiny new world of the selfish?”
This is not just about Brand Fonterra.
It is also about Brand Key.
And the Chinese Govt knows that.
brown just had a performance on tvone breakfast..
..that after viewing..you must wipe the oil/slime from yr monitor…
http://whoar.co.nz/2013/ed-could-len-brown-be-more-supercilliouscondescending-and-more-of-a-captive-of-the-roading-lobby/
phillip ure..
Minto for Mayor!
Change a few names and this analysis of why the Labour party is fumbling in Britain could be written about the New Zealand Labour party
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/aug/11/where-labour-going-wrong-ed-miliband
Key looked pudgy, grey and tired on the tele at the pillagers conference over the weekend. I reckon he knows he aint gonna get there at the next election.
Meantime the merry band of looters that was his fawning crowd will continue to take advantage of corporate welfare, business subsidies, tax cuts, weakened RMA, weakened employment laws and take take take. They will offer nothing back to the taxpayers who support these bludgers and will instead blame everyone but themselves for the problems they have exacerbated in their very own communities.
What a sorry bunch of losers
I am preparing for the digital changeover by discontinuing
that monolithic legacy technology known as “tele vision”
which allows US Billionaires like Murdoch to dominate
the worldview and politics of mere nations like ours.
He’s back to looking pretty deathly. His father died relatively young from a heart attack, yes? Key might want to remember that.
It looks like Bradbury and Selwyn both had their meds run out over the weekend, I hope they get to the chemist for the repeat before tomorrow. Martyn Bradbury is a paid hack of Mana, so you can’t expect much else from him than his usual quasi-Marxist politics of resentment, where the designated traitor is the exclusive foam flecked target of those who regard the achievable as the enemy of the perfect, and the the success of the right/defeat of the moderate left is exulted as a radicalising moment on the road to revolutionary nirvana.
But Tim Selwyn’s piece on farmers is actually a quite disturbing piece of hate speech. No wonder he’s a convicted criminal – if he believes half of the stuff he writes he will inevitably see more of the inside of the holding cells in Albert Street. If it is wrong to objectify and collectively punish beneficiaries, it is equally wrong to objectify farmers.
Taken as a pair, as a body of work that represents the thinking of two high profile Mana party supporters, a rather disturbing picture of that party emerges. A party of full of resentment, tall poppyism, dogmatic obsessions and anti-white racism. A party of losers who have lost to often. If the twin efforts of Bradbury and Selwyn are any guide, Mana can offer the country nothing.
so you don’t like Mana, well ho hum, hope you feel better for getting that off your chest.
Needn’t be a dick all your life Sanctuary. The healing has begun here at the mighty Standard.
Bomber may be a political hybrid but you underestimate the longer term concept of Mana. A hard left/Māori nationalist unity in action is the the rights worst nightmare so perhaps it is you that needs the meds.
“…A hard left/Māori nationalist unity in action…”
What? This is a joke comment, right?
One thing I wish a website like would have is a place to more robustly debate ideology, because this is ideological nonsense of the highest order.
Maori nationalists a la the Harawiras seems to me to be an incredibly reactionary, backward looking movement grounded in the belief that Maori society was this undynamic thing and in a perfect stasis of noble savagery until it was torn asunder by contact with wicked (but more technologically advanced) European cultures. The hard left meanwhile is a bunch of variegated Marxists whose inability to come to terms with the genocides of the USSR and mass murder of Mao let alone the welfare state has seen them floundering about like drowning men in a sea of denial and wishful thinking for the last forty years.
What unites the Māori nationalists and the hard left is a hard line utopianism that pines for a world that never was and a world that can never be respectively, and a desire for revolutionary revenge/redistribution which allows them both to present their ideas using similar revolutionary rhetoric.
The clash between the reactionary Maori nationalism of Turia and the socialist Maori nationalism of Hone Harawira is not one of left vs. right one in the sense either of them is more inclusive than the other. Harawira and co want an apartheid society with a new bunch of brown faces in charge of the means of production; Turia’s model is an apartheid society with an invented Iwi aristocracy in charge. To my mind, neither of these backward looking, racist and nepotistic visions should be particularly attractive to a modern socialist whose primarily interest should be the creation of a society with equality of opportunity for everyone and one that defends the positive liberties that equality of opportunity unlocks for everyone.
At the end of the day, the wider left lost the debate over the last thirty years because it was unable to tell a story of a positive future. The agenda was inverted and socialism was the new conservatism, tiredly defending status quo pragmatism against the message of the zealous change agents of the new right. Socialism became the ideology of the already defeated, seeking constantly to mitigate the disaster via identity politics or accommodation rather than trying to win the war.
I would put it to you that the ambient politics of resentment – or as I call it “loserist politics” – that you get from a lot of Mana supporters is the result of the ideological contradictions that lie at the heart of the alliance of the margins that is Mana. What unites them is what they resent and oppose, and that negativity seeps through to almost all their conversations. To my way of looking at it, the tonal loserism of Mana is just the fag end of that sorry tale of left wing defeat, not the flag bearer of a new socialist way of thinking about the future.
thought-provoking Sanctuary, reminds me of Chris Trotter’s style, applied with another perspective.
Actually Rogue, I have some sympathy with Sanctuarys interpretation. It exposes some raw edges of the Left that as he says would greatly benefit from some robust debate. There are some sacred cows to be led to the slaughter.
Conversely Santuary’s triumphalism for the Right might also have to go on ice, they have merely generated the same seeds of their own demise as their mirror image, the ideological Left.
re Bonds for earthquake strengthening, echoes some of our own thoughts and discussions on this, and the rental warrant-of-fitness issue. Failure to maintain safety of income-generating assets by property investors in a country that experiences regular, predicted seismic activity and has researched, documented, comparatively cold and damp residential rental stock. (all that extra water vapour in the atmosphere joe transcribes in the climate update below).
and on, and on, Ennfinitum. 🙂
ps. Coleman not gonna cut Defence funding for a few more years, maybe some more Theatres to go with those Sports Stadiums, “over the top Lads, let’s give Gerry what ho!”.
Just been on Gerry’s home turf….we should send Coleman there to be subject to their tender mercies…..really liked the Germans, they might civilise him!
been reading more books instead of blogs. Like on Passchendaele and other tragedies of human history. With an igloo box my friend gets el-cheapo pay-tv (National Geographic, BBC Knowledge etc); there was this programme yesterday on what Wales was like during the copper and iron smelting stages of their industrial (capital) revolution – the ore was shipped to the coal- with the puddling process developed by Cort being adopted in the Ruhr. What was striking was all the chimneys in Wales, belching smoke into the sky at the time, with social conditions such that (maybe only one university) ‘intellectuals’ had to leave the predominantly working-class country to receive higher education.
Yet, all those chimneys – ominous.
sorry about the all bold ; It’s a Neverending Story .
sanc all your assumptions are wrong imo but you build a nice little rant platform from them.
Tino rangatiratanga is about looking forwards not backwards.
The last people imo that believe in a non-dynamic Māori perspective are tino rangatiratanga adherents, let alone the ‘perfect stasis’ you propose.
Tino rangatiratanga is not about revenge it is about the opposite of that.
What unites those who believe in tino rangatiratanga and the left are belief in equality and fairness especially for those disregarded in our society – whatever ethnicity.
Mana don’t want an apartheid society.
The Mana Movement is much more than the ‘resent and oppose’ description you use and it isn’t negative at all.
Anyway your big words and puffed-up language cannot disguise your own resentments and your last paragraph is defeatest in tone and content. Great I say because Mana doesn’t need or want people like you imo, you’re better off trying 1law4all.
Rave on; Sanctuary. Neo liberalist capitalism is the fag end of human development, unwilling to even feed and water the worlds people. US imperialism’s annual military budget could do just that laddie.
Just read Tim Selwyn’s column, actually it is uncommonly accurate. It is not hate speech, it merely points out valid realities that should be of real concern to any society seeking some cogency. The farmers advantages are real, the corollary is that others don’t have these advantages. Whether that is good or bad depends on your viewpoint, but it does not make them any less real.
Seemed pretty accurate to me too, apart from the generalisation (I’ve seen some of the ‘green’ CC episodes).
Santuary, is this all your own work? I’m sure I’ve read the same thing written by someone else. Though I suppose if you haven’t got the sense to think for yourself, you may as well copy and paste what someone else has thought.
Errrr… Righto sport. I guess you have a clue what you are talking about, which makes one of us.
Thanks for you clever example of Hate Speech double-speak hypocrisy, Sanctuary.
Actually, Bomber is a long term activists, who has embraced the Mana approach to politics, because it is in keeping with his values. From his about page:
Sanct – your hate-loaded spin avoids mentioning the range of organisations Bradbury hires his services to, and the range of work he does.
I thought Tim Selwyn was Maori Party/ACT?
sanctuary..as the farmers and the beneficiaries are both being persecuted…
..’d’yareckon they should join forces..?
..y’know..!..as in..my enemies’ enemy is my friend..?
..maybe working together as ‘pity the poor farmers!’..(geddit..?..geddit..?..)
..or..maybe farmers should try to get a bigger voice in wellington..?
..(oh..!..hang on..!..)
phillip ure..
Well, I can’t say I agree – but I like your powerful style of polemic.
Mana is a bit of a mixture, but they are building a movement which will be capable of worthwhile changes. As a low profile supporter, I’m hopeful.
By the way, how the hell do you label John Minto as a loser? He is responsible more than any other one person for changing the way we thought about apartheid. Hone is prepared to stand with the people to halt evictions, to protect working class communities that have grown over many years. Mallard is prepared to sell overpriced tickets to them on Trademe. I know who I consider the loser.
Why are right wingers so full of hatred?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/business/commercial-property/9028917/Bond-proposal-for-earthquake-strengthening
Whilst out of town I heard there had been a significant quake in Wellington. The first thing I thought was “bugger, the rent seekers will now try and make me, Mr Ratepayer pay”. So the above came as no surprise. On the news during the week was another owner (Ian Cassels) calling for earthquake strengthening to be tax deductible.
Ho fekkin hum.
Did you see these self same building owners putting money from their rents aside to pay for strengthening before the Chch quake made the situation urgent? No sir.
Did you see the owners offer to set up a strengthening fund, or some form of buying group to spread the risk? Nope.
Did you see the see the owners actually do any work to mitigate risk whilst there were engineers and trades available (they are now all in Chch)? Hell no, just take the rent and play the risk.
Now you and I are supposed to bail the bastards out of an entirely predictable scenario. Same old story, privatize the profits, socialise the cost. How do we keep these bastards out of our pockets?
And what is more they want to leave things till 2020. One sector commenter said that would create a bottleneck about that time as they will tend to put the work off. Sounds like the old laissez faire that they apply to closing times in the ‘hospitalit-ising’ industry with everyone emerging drunk and stupid and irritable all at the same time.
The chap in Christchurch whose wife was killed in the building collapse there and has been advocating for action ever since is, luckily, not yet speechless at the lack of integrity of the government in its strange and uneven treatment of business, affected by the earthquakes.
My sympathies rest with the man in question: he has been let down by this total lack of integrity. When our wifes, husbands, children die in some red stickered building in Wellington we can expect the same “business” focused response. My take is actually shut the bastards down now before someone dies, and if they cannot strengthen the buildings under the current commercial conditions they should be bull dozed.
In Christchurch many buildings are simply being ignored by workers – they will not work in them as they consider them too dangerous. Makes them worthless and the landlords sharpen up.
And when the building owners fail to pay back the bonds will allow central government to force WCC to sell those assets. So, yeah, I can see why this government would be in favour of it.
Morrison is a plank.
I doubt if Wellington’s assets will be sufficiant to borrow against for the bonds. Mainly because the council is busily borrowing against them for other purposes.
In 2011 with debts of $325m, the council’s credit rating was downgraded
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/5975455/Credit-downgrade-for-Wellington-City-Council
In 2012 with debts of $358 million, the council crowed that it’s credit rating hadn’t been downgraded further
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/local-papers/hutt-news/6753915/Borrowing-our-future
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK1211/S00706/credit-rating-agency-praises-council-team.htm
Wellington CC is actually in deep proverbial…they reckon they have an “asset base” of about $30K per rate payer…..if you were to get real and capitalise the assets they are probably overstated in value several times…and that is if you could sell them. My take is that the figure is more like minus $30K.
The reality for Wellington is that the ratepayer will be obliged to pick up the bill for negligent expenditure by successive councils and Detroit status is merely a disaster away.
Not a disaster away, just more BAU away. How much more is questionable but the result of bankruptcy is inevitable.
Great opportunity for a Big Asset Sell Off!!!!
Sanctuary@7 – the following portions of your comment above are but glaring non-sequitur;
“Taken as a pair, as a body of work that represents the thinking of TWO high profile Mana party supporters, a rather disturbing picture of that party emerges.” – (capitalisation is mine).
TWO high profile…….supporters ? Just TWO ?
That justifies your assertion – “…….Mana can offer the country nothing.” ?
Glaring non-sequitur as I say. Deployed to deliver a good old rant against a political party you don’t like. That’s fine. We all do it from time to time. It can’t pass as sensible analysis however.
Lolz, thank you sanctuary, your efforts have reinforced my position that the Mana Party in 2014 will be getting my Party Vote, and any other help i can offer them…
I see Pete George is running for Dunedin City Council. Good on him, but doesnt seem to state what policies he will push for? Though, judging from his record, I am picking he will vote to sell assets, and make cuts to libaries and the like, etc.
Like they all do. Seems that council candidates are more into making negative promises (ie cutting this and that to keep rates down) than positive promise. More parks, etc. Apart from when it comes to subsidising professional sports or ‘festivals’ for middle classes of course.
Ha, poor old Pete. Still fixated on LPrent and disingenously claiming that he’s banned from TS. Yawn.
I did a rare visit to KB on Saturday, where he announced his candidacy on their equivalent of OM to rave support (not) there. Some interesting comments, though!
When I can be bothered commenting on the NZ Herald site to assertions of the economic superiority of National, I often refer to the Reserve Bank’s historical data spreadsheet on government debt. When viewed in tandem with elected governments, it becomes apparent that National-led governments tend to drastically increase debt, while Labour-led governments systematically chip away at it.
Have never had a reply to this that disputes this trend.
However, it is interesting to see that the Reserve Bank website update has coincided with a decision to discontinue this statistic as of June 2013, and searching for “government debt” on the site, results in a lot of ambiguous results.
Another source of relevant information, removed from the voting public.
Bill from Dipton does not want you to see that His miraculous Government surplus for years 14/15 will have been created out of monies previously borrowed by Bill’s National Goverment in years 11/12,
Best hide the evidence now befor anyone clicks on to that little fact…
lol
Further investigation into discontinued statistics from the Reserve Bank since National took over government in 2008:
Bank Disclosure information
G3 Registered Banks – Dec 2008
Economic Indicators
A1 Domestic Trade – May 2013
A2 Investment – May 2013
A3 Prices – May 2013
A4 Labour market and balance of payments – May 2013
A5 Gross Domestic Product – May 2013
Exchange and interest rates
B3 Retail interest rates on lending and deposits – April 2009
B4 Foreign exchange monthly turnover – June 2012
Government Finance and Securities
D4 NZ Government Bond Sales by Tender – August 2009
D5 New Zealand government Treasury bill sales by tender – August 2009
D11 Wholesale New Zealand government securities on issue – August 2009
Money, credit and financial
Credit by Lender as at December – December 2010
Long run credit at December – December 2010
C2 Securitisation Adjustment series – November 2009
C25 Monthly registered banks and NBLI agriculture credit – July 2013
International position
E3 New Zealand’s overseas debt – June 2013
Although some adjustments do occur as a matter of course – some of these reports are major economic indicators and the value of historically gathered and assessed data is lost.
I know the Reserve Bank is supposedly an independent body, but this loss of economic tracking data indicates bias.
National can’t have the people having access to information as the information will always show that National is, as a matter of fact, the worst possible government to have.
Well, MRPP shares are doing well aren’t they.
IIRC, they started last Monday at about $2.37/2.38, ended the week at $2.26. And now? $2.20. Ouch!
Meridian is on the horizon.
I never understood why various commentators were was saying MRP was the “best” of the power companies to be sold, when apparently it actually isn’t all that good?
Sadly, yes, Meridian is on the horizon, but from the little that has come out so far, there will changes to the way this much bigger one is marketed. I heard some mention of these changes on RNZ National this morning but cannot remember when/which programme as I was only half listening.
Re MRP, I am not clued up enough to give any possible explanation re why MRP was considered the “best” – but the performance of the shares so far would not appear to support this.
The American Geophysical Union have released their revised position statement on climate change.
Full release:
Human-induced climate change requires urgent action.
Humanity is the major influence on the global climate change observed over the past 50 years.
Rapid societal responses can significantly lessen negative outcomes.
“Human activities are changing Earth’s climate. At the global level, atmospheric
concentrations of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping greenhouse gases have increased
sharply since the Industrial Revolution. Fossil fuel burning dominates this increase.
Human-caused increases in greenhouse gases are responsible for most of the observed
global average surface warming of roughly 0.8°C (1.5°F) over the past 140 years. Because
natural processes cannot quickly remove some of these gases (notably carbon dioxide)
from the atmosphere, our past, present, and future emissions will influence the climate
system for millennia.
Extensive, independent observations confirm the reality of global warming. These
observations show large-scale increases in air and sea temperatures, sea level, and
atmospheric water vapor; they document decreases in the extent of mountain glaciers,
snow cover, permafrost, and Arctic sea ice. These changes are broadly consistent with longunderstood physics and predictions of how the climate system is expected to respond to
human-caused increases in greenhouse gases. The changes are inconsistent with
explanations of climate change that rely on known natural influences.
Climate models predict that global temperatures will continue to rise, with the amount of
warming primarily determined by the level of emissions. Higher emissions of greenhouse
gases will lead to larger warming, and greater risks to society and ecosystems. Some
additional warming is unavoidable due to past emissions.
Climate change is not expected to be uniform over space or time. Deforestation,
urbanization, and particulate pollution can have complex geographical, seasonal, and
longer-term effects on temperature, precipitation, and cloud properties. In addition,
human-induced climate change may alter atmospheric circulation, dislocating historical
patterns of natural variability and storminess.
In the current climate, weather experienced at a given location or region varies from year
to year; in a changing climate, both the nature of that variability and the basic patterns of
weather experienced can change, sometimes in counterintuitive ways — some areas may
experience cooling, for instance. This raises no challenge to the reality of human-induced
climate change.
Impacts harmful to society, including increased extremes of heat, precipitation, and coastal
high water are currently being experienced, and are projected to increase. Other projected
outcomes involve threats to public health, water availability, agricultural productivity
(particularly in low-latitude developing countries), and coastal infrastructure, though some
benefits may be seen at some times and places. Biodiversity loss is expected to accelerate
due to both climate change and acidification of the oceans, which is a direct result of
increasing carbon dioxide levels.
While important scientific uncertainties remain as to which particular impacts will be
experienced where, no uncertainties are known that could make the impacts of climate
change inconsequential. Furthermore, surprise outcomes, such as the unexpectedly rapid
loss of Arctic summer sea ice, may entail even more dramatic changes than anticipated.
Actions that could diminish the threats posed by climate change to society and ecosystems
include substantial emissions cuts to reduce the magnitude of climate change, as well as
preparing for changes that are now unavoidable. The community of scientists has
responsibilities to improve overall understanding of climate change and its impacts.
Improvements will come from pursuing the research needed to understand climate change,
working with stakeholders to identify relevant information, and conveying understanding
clearly and accurately, both to decision makers and to the general public.
http://www.agu.org/sci_pol/pdf/position_statements/AGU_Climate_Statement_new.pdf
Yup, geo-engineering is playing it’s part very well.
The so called weaponized science industry has obliterated the earths protective layers, nuclear tests, meltdowns , lasers, you name it, that industry has done it, so of course human interference is causing problems, it could not be any other way!
Thank you military industrial complex for choosing to contribute to wrecking planet earth, and thanks to the bankers who finance it all, but most of all, thanks for the criminals who control the lot.
The average human being has contributed squat to climate change Joe, but is being told they have!
With just 21 months to election day, only 5% points ahead, UK Labour supporters are worried that their leadership team just isn’t firing
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/aug/11/where-labour-going-wrong-ed-miliband
We’re all pretty cool over here on this side of the world though.
…as cucumbers being used inappropriately. 😀 (another day, another coal-slore). Wow! didn’t realize what a n0rty word ‘slore’ is until checking that bible of post-modern philology, Urban Dictionary.
You learn something new every day at The Standard.
Correct. (kinda like a P.G Dip. / M.A) if ya hang around the campus 😉 long enough )…and as useful 😀
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/9025221/MPs-unite-to-keep-travel-perk-in-house
– Well it seems the parties can work together when it suits…
Why aren’t all forms of money-making taxed?
Sanctamonious you have been wheeled out by Mathew Hooten
and co the rights selfishness will be hidden by painting the left as far to radical to be in power the same BS Muldoon used in 1975 marching commies!
Peter Dunne is looking to rebrand United Future.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/216760/united-future-looks-to-revamp-image
Perhaps we could help him out with some name change suggestions.
Yawn NZ? No Future? United Meh? AdVance?
There might be some pertinent suggestions as to where to put the brand on Dunne’s hide.
Some useful suggestions from the Listener
http://www.listener.co.nz/commentary/the-internaut/the-rise-and-pratfall-of-the-satirical-political-party/
Division Bell (in a pavlovian sense).
The Angel of Death makes another appearance
The Panel, Radio NZ National, Monday 12 August 2013
Jim Mora, Neil Miller, Catherine Robertson
It’s mid-morning on a gloomy Monday, a slow news day. Jim Mora and his producer Chris Reid are cogitating seriously about the lineup for today’s show. Each man nurses a cup of coffee and thinks long and hard and seriously. Then the producer breaks the silence…
CHRIS REID: Mate, the first topic for today is this nasty little abduction of a two-year-old in Auckland, perpetrated by a man who has murdered in the past.
JIM MORA: Oh yes, we need to talk about that!
CHRIS REID: Happily, the child is safe, but the hunt for the criminal goes on.
JIM MORA: What talent have you lined up, Chris?
CHRIS REID: Gotta be honest with you, Jim: this is a tough one!
JIM MORA: Hmmmm….
CHRIS REID: Now, we can go to one of the universities, we can interview a lawyer, a judge, a human rights advocate. Kim Workman?
JIM MORA: No, let’s face it: they’re all too…. soft, too… complex.
CHRIS REID: I know, how about you interview Garth “The Knife” McFucker!?!!
JIM MORA: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! “Garth McFucker”. That’s very good!
CHRIS REID: I thought you’d like that one! Anyway, mate, I’ve lined up the bloodthirsty psychopath for ten past four this arvo.
JIM MORA: Oh Christ, you’re serious…
Yes, that’s right: Garth McVicar. Although the head of the S.S. Trust has still not apologized for his bloodthirsty support of the 2008 knife-slaying of a boy in Manurewa, and despite the fact he is despised, loathed and feared by all decent people, those considerations have clearly not deterred the wise folk at Radio New Zealand National’s Panel, who got Jim Mora to interview the knife enthusiast for about the twentieth time. Unfortunately, Jim’s guests today were not people who have demonstrated any capacity or desire to confront such a brute. Or maybe that’s WHY they were chosen. Anyway, I sent off the following email to Jim Mora, pronto…
Garth McVicar? You cannot be serious.
Dear Jim,
You have, yet again, in spite of protests by many people, deferred to Garth McVicar as some sort of “expert” on matters of crime and punishment. Since it appears that you apply no standards in your selection of “talent” for your programme, can we expect to hear you deferring respectfully to Kyle Chapman, of the NZ National Front, and seeking his opinion on matters related to marae-burning and arson in general?
And if not, why not?
Yours in disgust,
Morrissey Breen
Northcote Point
Morrissey Morrissey Morrisey you’re responsible for late dinner at my place……..and I still don’t know whether “McFucker The Knife” was actually hosted by Mensa Mora today. I think not. But anyway………excellent contribution !
Helps me laugh at the disgraceful spectacle of National Party MPs at their conference telling Campbell Live why we need the GCSB bill.
Frankly, most of them seemed pissed ! Wonder if that was why Brownlee was uncharacteristically camera shy. It couldn’t be because he’s anti the bill. Lends weight that it was……
The absolute Flying Circus riot was Koretake Troughing Tau Henare though. Such a learned trougher, getting all loftily Cold War about things. My God what an egg !
And just now an interview with Key. Pathetic ! His demeanour positively screaming that there’s some shit goin’ down with this bill but he’s gonna do it no matter what.
“I’m embarrassed but Fuck You All !” sort of thing
We must be afraid !
…..and I still don’t know whether “McFucker The Knife” was actually hosted by Mensa Mora today. I think not.
Actually, North, he WAS interviewed by an extra-solicitous and absurdly respectful Mora. That’s why I sent the angry email; it wasn’t the crawling that angered me, it was the fact that this lout is not considered as persona non grata. I cannot believe that it was Jim Mora who chose him as a guest (yet again) for his programme; it must have been the producer. Clearly, Radio New Zealand has no standards.
Your analysis of Key, Brownlee and co. is spot on, as always.
tonights news revealed the true cost of Tiwae point bail out $480 million in total including meridians selling eclectricity at a loss tokeep asset sales on track and national voters in Blingishs electorate bribed!
link please ? thx
How many people against or for the GSCB bill ,have read the actual Bill?
How many Right Wing commentators on the Standard can even spell “GCSB”?
Harr! 😀
Apart from loving Key and all he does, Brett knows nothing about politics or policy that’s good, bad or otherwise. Calling him right wing will go over his head like a runaway hoverboard.
One thing is certain: you have not read it.
Have you?
And if so which parts have so reassured you about your civil rights being protected?
Of course he hasn’t.
… more than you obviously assume.
You can assume – however, that most who do read it and then follow it up with the Human Rights report, the Law Society submission, and the NZ Internet submission would be compelled to continue researching.
For the non-reader, they have access to video submissions and the video on demand of the open public meeting held several weeks ago at Mt Albert.
If someone has done all these things, I would say that they are more than likely to oppose the bill.
Interesting that those on Campbell Live who supported it, were more than likely to admit they knew very little about it. So wags the world away.
Moronic article from the New York Times
As you read the following insult to the intelligence, remember that this is the newspaper constantly quoted and referred to by, among many others, Jim Mora…..
http://972mag.com/a-new-york-times-investigation-into-a-palestinian-hobby/76973/
bennet just made a skin-crawling/gastric-reflux-inducing appearance on native affairs…
phillip ure..
Paul why are right wingers so angry they are like spoiled brats at school who don’t want to share having a tantrum!