A question many may be asking is whether the PM, in private conversations with HRH and his missus, would think it appropriate to use such words as “thick as bat… et cetera”.
Perhaps one would wonder if once HRH leaves our shores how long before the PM refers to him as Big Ears and says he dresses like a Queen. That would be on form for our joker PM and I guess get a giggle from the schoolkids he is trying to impress.
Hope they crucify him. No doubt there are other workers whom he treated this way. Is it a sign that workers in this country are so fearful they dare not stand up for their rights?? When I read the article this looks to be the case.
.
“Crucify” – “blacklisting” him certainly isn’t enough, but I doubt much more is going to happen. They’re going to go after him for money? lol
“Behind a string of failed businesses” – but was nevertheless deemed suitable for the subsidies. What, if anything, did W&I do to vet this cowboy they vouched for?
Nothing wrong with that but there should be a look into why he failed. It’s not always bad luck and, considering what the article said, it would seem that his businesses failed because he’s corrupt.
What, if anything, did W&I do to vet this cowboy they vouched for?
At a guess, they didn’t. They would have just looked at his business card, probably checked that the business had a phone number and that would be about it. I would be surprised if they checked the registered businesses list.
The article gives the impression that a helpless person was exploited, but there is nothing to say reality didn’t happen.
Darien Fenton talked about this sort of stuff happening, almost two years ago, in Parliament and recieved the now infamous “…any job is a good job…” reply from Paula Bennett.
As I see it, if we play the blame game we also net the “innocents” i.e. people acting against thier own interests because they either have no choice or are unaware how their beliefs about work snooker them. The only way I can see round this problem, under our current approach to industrial relations, would be to legislate some kind of multicultural law where employers must have an equal percentage of race/culture in their employ. Honestly, I think the chance of that being sold to the electorate, as it stands, is nil. Darien Fenton talked about this stuff in May 2011 and it was old news then; it was happening before the current bunch of Nats came to power; it was happening while Helen was in power; it happened when I was kid. Employee versus employer mentality in our economic reality leaves big gaps that can’t be covered by laws wanting to make things fair. It’s a systemic problem. While people believe work = profit and that profit is a virtue, people will comply with exploitative methods. Change the system and the problem will be reduced. Chances of that happening… very slim.
This carwash scheme is a whitewash. Funny how businesses can be guilty of trying to get money they aren’t entitled to. I thought it was supposed to be beneficiaries who did that.
Hi AWW. I read that article about the car wash dude this am and wasn’t surprised. I was given a voucher in December last year to take our car in for a wash at the “Shop n Shine” in Wakefield St, Wellington. The guy was lecherous with his female customers which made me feel concerned for his female staff. Everything about him was “dodgy geezer”. It felt like a real fly by night operation. I noted the staff were working really hard in the hot sun and I said to a group of young guys “I hope you’re on good money for the great job you’re doing”. I said it because they WERE doing a great job and I had the feeling with a boss like theirs they would be minimum wage and their worth needed to be acknowledged. That business lasted for a few months before it was gone.
The problem is that people will continue to bleat on about individual “bludgers” whose reality and hardship they know nothing of but won’t bat an eyelid at dodgy geezer dude being fraudulent and exploitative because he’s being an “entrepreneur”. Its that scenario where people feel they can beat up on beneficiaries through their own perverse justifications yet somehow business is derserving of sympathy. Watch for his response – He’ll probably claim that he is a victim. He’ll blame everyone but himself.
Now I wonder what sort of Privacy issues this will bring up. I already have serious misgivings about the courts passing information to a bunch of Debt collectors, whose staff will not be under the same rules as to accessing private data as the justice dept would have.
Today is one hundred years since the killing of Frederick Evans on 12 November 1912. Evans was the first trade unionist to be killed in a labour dispute in New Zealand:
This weekend there was a conference at Waihi commerating the bitter 1912 strike that climaxed in Evans being batoned and kicked to death by a mob of strikebreakers out the back of the Miner’s Hall, while police either actively joined in or watched on. This was followed by the remaining Waihi strikers and their families being violently hounded out of the town. The conference was well attended, with a number of well-known historians, trade unionists, and politicians present. For more details, see:
Yesterday, Robert Reid, secretary of First Union, gave a powerful speech by the commerative placque to Evans on Seddon Street. He pointed to the significance of martyrs of NZ trade unionism like Evans, Ernie Abbott, and Christine Clark, and the need to honour their memory. Although sceptical of the present government’s good intentions, Reid also expressed cautious optimism that the Pike River inquiry may lead to improvements in workers’ health and safety conditions, which have been seriously weakened over the last twenty years.
From the same article.
Associate Education Minister Craig Foss told Radio New Zealand today the security breach was a one-off because of human error in entering an incorrect school code.
How does this match with secure systems!!!!
It wasn’t an incorrect code it was another schools!!!
Dont they have a passworded system Craig?
Prime Minister John Key today said it was essential to bring in the Novopay system because the previous system was “effectively falling over”.
National Radio: Sensible Sentencing Trust is a “Victims’ Advocacy organization”
9 a.m. News, National Radio, Monday 12 November 2012
The grieving mother of murdered teenager Christy Marceau has made a bizarre press statement, announcing that Garth McVicar and the Sensible Sentencing Trust have supported her, rather than her daughter’s killer, ever since the murder. “Garth has been there for me a hundred percent of the way,” insisted Mrs Marceau. “He’s never pushed himself, the trust, nothing.”
Many people will share my suspicion that this statement was concocted not by Mrs Marceau, but by Louise Parsons, Phil Kitchin, Peter Jenkins or one of the S.S. Trust’s other spin doctors.
Most of us are by now inured to the S.S. Trust’s cynical and depraved manipulation of vulnerable parents; however, the really concerning aspect of this news item was to hear the newsreader refer to the S.S. Trust as “the victims’ advocacy organization.” Those who remember the brutal and sustained campaign of vilification mounted by McVicar and the S.S. Trust against a slain boy in South Auckland, and recall the ridicule and abuse they heaped on the boy’s mother and family, will be mystified as to why Radio New Zealand’s copywriters call them “victims’ advocates”.
Or does Radio New Zealand, like Mrs Marceau, have its scripts written for it by someone from the S.S. Trust?
(FYI folks – forwarded in the public interest on behalf of Sue Henry who doesn’t have a computer.)
12 November 2012
“Housing New Zealand – call off the dogs!”
Press Release Sue Henry Housing Lobby Spokesperson.
“The latest Housing New Zealand (HNZ) Statement of Corporate Intent 2012 – 2015, quite rightly sets out the statutory obligations which HNZ is required to follow by law.”
The Crown Entities Act 2004 stipulates HNZ ” must exhibit a sense of social responsibility by having regard to the interests of the community in which it operates.”
The principal Housing NZ Corporation Act 1974 also stipulates these very same social responsibility obligations.
On 5 November 2012 the new CEO of the Tamaki Redevelopment Company, Deborah Lawson stated in a letter to the NZ Herald:
‘There has been some confusion about the Tamaki Transformation Programme.
It does not include the Northern Glen Innes Housing Redevelopment Project. Housing New Zealand is responsible for this.’
“This is quite correct,” continues Sue Henry.
“This means HNZ are bulldozing through policies in total conflict with their legislative statutory duties.
There is no lawful basis for the removal of State houses in Glen Innes North.
Our community is being ripped apart.
On what lawful basis are Police enforcing the removal State houses in Glen Innes North?
The Housing Lobby demands that the unlawful removal of State houses from Glen Innes North cease forthwith, and calls for support from opposition parties for an immediate inquiry into how HNZ has breached its statutory duties.”
SUMMARY OF THE STATUTORY DUTIES OF HOUSING NZ AS A ‘CROWN AGENT’ UNDER THE HOUSING CORPORATION ACT 1974 AND CROWN ENTITIES ACT 2004:
1) Housing New Zealand Corporation is a CROWN AGENT ( a type of STATUTORY ENTITY).
2) The ’empowering’ legislation for Crown Agent, Housing New Zealand Corporation is the Housing Corporation Act 1974.
3) As a Crown Agent – Housing New Zealand Corporation comes under the CROWN ENTITIES ACT 2004.
4) Under the Housing Corporation Act 1974 (s.3B (a) (i) – HNZ has a STATUTORY DUTY to be an organisation that –
“exhibits a sense of social responsibility by having regard to the interests of the community in which it operates;”
5) Under the Crown Entities Act 2004, (s.139) as a Crown Agent, HNZ has a statutory duty to prepare a Statement of Intent.
6) In the HNZ Statement of Intent 2012 – 2015 (pg 25) – it states:
“The Corporation is accountable under legislation to give effect to the Crown’s social objectives by providing housing, and services related to housing, in a businesslike manner and to exhibit a sense of social responsibility by having regard to the interests of the community in which it operates. ”
7) Under the Crown Entities Act 2004, (s.14 (1) (a) the functions of HNZ as a ‘Statutory Entity’ are:
” the functions set out in the entity’s Act”.
(The Housing Corporation Act 1974).
Under the Crown Entities Act 2004, (s.14 (2) )
” In performing its functions, a statutory entity must act consistently with its objectives.”
8) Under the Crown Entities Act 2004 (s.19) – “Acts in breach of statute are invalid”.
“(1) An act of a statutory entity is invalid, unless section 20 applies, if it is—
(a) an act that is contrary to, or outside the authority of, an Act; or
(b) an act that is done otherwise than for the purpose of performing its functions.”
_________________________________________________________________
So – how is what HNZ is doing in Glen Innes ” exhibit(ing) a sense of social responsibility by having regard to the
interests of the community in which it operates”?
How is HNZ not breaching their statutory duties as defined in the Housing Corporation Act 1974
(s.3B (a) (i) to be an organisation that –
“exhibits a sense of social responsibility by having regard to the interests of the community in which it operates;”
How is HNZ not breaching their statutory duties as defined by the Crown Entities Act 2004, (s.14 (2) )
” In performing its functions, a statutory entity must act consistently with its objectives.” ?
Arguably – the actions of HNZ in removing GI state houses are therefore ‘invalid’ (s. 19 (a) Crown Entities Act 2004) because they are:
“contrary to, or outside the authority of” the Housing Corporation Act 1974 (s.3B (a) (i) )
to be an organisation that –
“exhibits a sense of social responsibility by having regard to the interests of the community in which it operates;”
and the Crown Entities Act 2004, (s.14 (2)
” In performing its functions, a statutory entity must act consistently with its objectives.”
Your post was most enlightening – I have printed it off to read in detail the next time I suffer from insomnia.
Please keep up the good work – in fact are you able to go in to more detail next time about Housing NZ’s responsibilities – these brief summaries are just too insufficient to get a good grasp of the issues which you are espousing.
It’s been somewhat annoying to read through the plethora of propaganda articles that have been published about the Japanese governments policy on nuclear power. Many of these articles are obviously produced by the nuclear power industry and bear no resemblance to reality. In fact some of the articles are so manipulative that they’ve spurred The Jackal into looking a little deeper into Japans nuclear free future…
The experts agreed Sunday that part of Ohi’s underground structure slid as far back as 125,000 years ago but they couldn’t tell if it was because of an active fault line. They will meet again this week.
Chief regulator Shunichi Tanaka has suggested a plant closure if the fault line is judged active.
This week’s New Yorker features a blistering investigation by Jane Mayer into Hans von Spakovsky, a leading propagator of voter fraud myths. His work has led to a flurry of legislation and voting restrictions pushed by Republicans.
I suppose that would be similar to the benefit fraud BS we get from National.
Novopay the new innovative remittance paying scheme that hackers will never be able to break because it changes every time it is used with one-off unpredictable alterations, a fine example of chaos theory. Who knows where it will end up. Buy this novel program and be prepared for surprise and amazement.
Goodness – a Stuff author advocating a 30 hour working week – and it’s not even April 1st. It’s a suggestion written by a reader though, not one of the regular journos.
I suggest that all employment contracts be required to include this, as well as to introduce another clause in that respect: That any employee working more than 30 hours per week be paid time-and-a-quarter for every hour worked after the 30th hour.
In order to avoid harming businesses, they should be able to deduct from their taxes (or otherwise be refunded) part of their losses incurred due to this change for the first years after the introduction.
He obviously doesn’t understand the reasoning behind penal rates.
The idea is that penal rates encourage the employer to invest in capital and thus being able to do more with less people. Our productivity increase has decreased from where it was due to the removal of penal rates. As a secondary effect it also helps to encourage full employment.
Are we ruling over globalization or is globalization ruling over us? Is it possible to speak of solidarity and of “being all together” in an economy based on ruthless competition? How far does our fraternity go?
[…]
But if life is going to slip through my fingers, working and over-working in order to be able to consume more, and the consumer society is the engine-because ultimately, if consumption is paralysed, the economy stops, and if you stop economy, the ghost of stagnation appears for each one of us, but it is this hyper-consumption that is harming the planet. And this hyper-consumption needs to be generated, making things that have a short useful life, in order to sell a lot.
El presidente Mujica concludes:
And one asks this question: is this the fate of human life? These things I say are very basic: development cannot go against happiness. It has to work in favor of human happiness, of love on Earth, human relationships, caring for children, having friends, having our basic needs covered. Precisely because this is the most precious treasure we have; happiness. When we fight for the environment, we must remember that the essential element of the environment is called human happiness.
In addition to a big awhi to joe, I would just like to awhi all you folk on the left end of the political spectrum; the socio-political tension to endeavour course correction is essential.
A thinking person would have to be “blind” to not see the implications of unfolding global and local environmental, economic, political, social and cultural events; it is not going to end well for the majority, which is ironic seeing as Fukuyama once argued that the modern democratic capitalist state was the “end of history” (never bothered reading his entire books, but he is changing his tune as the days unfold).
After catching up on the latest Standard “revelations”, I am actually speechless, and have nothing else political to say,
except,
there is certainly more to this life than meets the eye.
Anyone heard what happened to the dude up north who smashed the window of the WINZ office and then went on a hunger strike? He was meant to be going to court for the window.
Also the other dude in Dunedin, who got awarded a huge backpay from WINZ because they were so incompetent at managing his case, but WINZ were appealing.
Henry’s finally been put out of viewers misery, from crikey’s Glen Dyer:
‘This morning it did a public service when it said it was axing Breakfast…That’s bad luck for the good co-host Kathryn Robinson. But it is good news because Ten is finally getting rid of the apparently useless Paul Henry, imported from NZ at a reported cost of $1 million and who was simply offensive beyond belief, in my opinion..’
The comedians will miss all that material he generated though.
Have standardistas noticed this??
Article in Fridays Dompost saying Polytechnics have lost millions of dollars which has been shifted to (guess where) the private sector. EIT is losing 12 jobs beacause it has lost $2m government money. Stephen Joyce the man responsible
also open at the moment
Allah: A Christian Response. by Miroslav Volf
A Confession. Leo Tolstoy. foreward by Helen Dunmore
Hesperus Press Ltd.2010
(this work influenced Gandhi) and includes the essay
“What is Religion, and What does it’s Essence Consist Of?”
The Politics of Hope. Jonathan Sacks (it’s all about covenant, you know, making a promise or commitment and keeping it)
and for bedtime Lynn, “the telling” -Ursula K. Le Guin (makes the caravan cosy: I hope all the politicians appreciate that a person cannot afford to live independently under their own roof in this country on a single persons income support, meet the “market rent” and have any money left over for contingencies!)
Yeah, that was mentioned a couple of weeks ago. It’s how this government operates – Stop funding public services so that private profits can be boosted.
feijoa
The polytechnics seem to be made culpable of not solving the unemployment problem. We don’t have enough trained builders and tradesmen, so that’s their fault. Pollies feel sure that if all the work classified as ‘jobs’ could be filled, why there would be only very low unemployment.
There are barriers to young people getting further training too, costs including living and then a debt that is a burden if you can’t get a job and which is a continuing burden.
So the government technics and institutes, who now and then mess up their budgets as well as the other gripes about them, are to be punished. Private will do it better, be more onto it etc.and government can be milked to provide business opportunities for people who have no original ideas for start ups.
I am just listening to radionz with a piece on housing for the lower income and ‘new entrants’ into the housing market. They said that Hobsonville is the site of a development, with Housing NZ carrying out a large portion of new housing. They gave the job to an Australian firm and many of the properties are in the $600K to $800K bracket. Sigh!
I’ve started receiving stacks of notification emails from The Standard telling me whenever a new comment has been posted. Can anyone tell me how to turn this off? (Not even sure how I turned this on…)
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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 ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
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. ...
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 ...
I was initially resistant to the idea often suggested to me that the Government should deliver an arts strategy. The whole point of the arts and creativity is that people should do whatever the hell they want, unbound by the dictates of politicians in Wellington. Peter Jackson, Kiri Te Kanawa, Eleanor ...
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 ...
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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 ...
Pōneke based peace activists staged a silent protest at the ANZAC day service to highlight New Zealand’s complicity in war and genocide, and urge the government to take concrete steps to stop the genocide in Palestine. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena M.E. Bunbury, Postdoctoral Researcher, James Cook University Burial with a horse at the Rákóczifalva site, Hungary (8th century AD).Sándor Hegedűs, Hungarian National Museum, CC BY How do we understand past societies? For centuries, our main sources of information have been ...
Amanda Thompson doesn’t really do Anzac Day. But what she does do is remember the people she knew who had a lifetime to remember stuff they didn’t really want to, because of a war they didn’t ask for. And she does make Anzac biscuits.First published in 2021.All my ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Willis, Postdoctoral Researcher, CSIRO Xavier Boulenger/Shutterstock In the two decades to 2019, global plastic production doubled. By 2040, plastic manufacturing and processing could consume as much as 20% of global oil production and use up 15% of the annual carbon ...
With our collective remembrance, and steadfast belief in our common humanity, we strengthen our hope and resolve to do what we can to foster dialogue and understanding, and to heal divisions in our pursuit of peace. ...
Principal reasons for the opposition is the loss of the public’s democratic right to have “a fair say” and the vital need for a government free from corruption, said Casey Cravens of Dunedin, president of the New Zealand Federation of Freshwater ...
Never mind the scoreboard – in the 2000 Bledisloe Cup decider, the real trans-Tasman battle was won before kickoff.First published in 2016. The dawn of the new millennium was a dark time for the All Blacks. Their final game pre-Y2K was a 22-18 loss to South Africa in the ...
I’m on the wrong side of 40, I never pursued creative work and now my job is killing my soul. Help! Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,May I start with the least original conversation opener you’re likely to hear around the motu at the moment, particularly in Wellington: ...
“Never again - No AUKUS” was the message of the wreath laid at this morning’s national ANZAC Day commemorative service at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park this morning by the Stop AUKUS group. ...
Until this month, Auckland swimmer Hazel Ouwehand had never met a qualifying time in an Olympic event for a New Zealand team, even as a junior. Now she’s very likely off to the Paris Olympics after swimming well under the qualifying standard in the 100m butterfly twice – both in ...
While Anzac Day has experienced a resurgence in recent years, our other day of remembrance has slowly faded from view.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. Original illustrations by Hope McConnell.First published in 2022.The high school’s head girl and ...
Australian and New Zealand volunteers fought together in the Waikato War, yet still its place in the Anzac tradition is unacknowledged by our defence forces or Returned Services Association.First published in 2018.When I was a boy cub I attended Anzac Day services in the South Auckland suburb of ...
A question many may be asking is whether the PM, in private conversations with HRH and his missus, would think it appropriate to use such words as “thick as bat… et cetera”.
Perhaps one would wonder if once HRH leaves our shores how long before the PM refers to him as Big Ears and says he dresses like a Queen. That would be on form for our joker PM and I guess get a giggle from the schoolkids he is trying to impress.
.
SCUM.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/7935849/Boss-fails-to-pass-on-wage-subsidies
Hope they crucify him. No doubt there are other workers whom he treated this way. Is it a sign that workers in this country are so fearful they dare not stand up for their rights?? When I read the article this looks to be the case.
.
And I guess that gets recorded in the stats as $40,000 worth of “welfare fraud”.
“Crucify” – “blacklisting” him certainly isn’t enough, but I doubt much more is going to happen. They’re going to go after him for money? lol
“Behind a string of failed businesses” – but was nevertheless deemed suitable for the subsidies. What, if anything, did W&I do to vet this cowboy they vouched for?
Nothing wrong with that but there should be a look into why he failed. It’s not always bad luck and, considering what the article said, it would seem that his businesses failed because he’s corrupt.
At a guess, they didn’t. They would have just looked at his business card, probably checked that the business had a phone number and that would be about it. I would be surprised if they checked the registered businesses list.
The article gives the impression that a helpless person was exploited, but there is nothing to say reality didn’t happen.
Darien Fenton talked about this sort of stuff happening, almost two years ago, in Parliament and recieved the now infamous “…any job is a good job…” reply from Paula Bennett.
http://blog.labour.org.nz/2011/05/16/any-jobs-a-good-job/
As I see it, if we play the blame game we also net the “innocents” i.e. people acting against thier own interests because they either have no choice or are unaware how their beliefs about work snooker them. The only way I can see round this problem, under our current approach to industrial relations, would be to legislate some kind of multicultural law where employers must have an equal percentage of race/culture in their employ. Honestly, I think the chance of that being sold to the electorate, as it stands, is nil. Darien Fenton talked about this stuff in May 2011 and it was old news then; it was happening before the current bunch of Nats came to power; it was happening while Helen was in power; it happened when I was kid. Employee versus employer mentality in our economic reality leaves big gaps that can’t be covered by laws wanting to make things fair. It’s a systemic problem. While people believe work = profit and that profit is a virtue, people will comply with exploitative methods. Change the system and the problem will be reduced. Chances of that happening… very slim.
That person should be in jail for theft, fraud and god knows what else.
This carwash scheme is a whitewash. Funny how businesses can be guilty of trying to get money they aren’t entitled to. I thought it was supposed to be beneficiaries who did that.
😀
Hi AWW. I read that article about the car wash dude this am and wasn’t surprised. I was given a voucher in December last year to take our car in for a wash at the “Shop n Shine” in Wakefield St, Wellington. The guy was lecherous with his female customers which made me feel concerned for his female staff. Everything about him was “dodgy geezer”. It felt like a real fly by night operation. I noted the staff were working really hard in the hot sun and I said to a group of young guys “I hope you’re on good money for the great job you’re doing”. I said it because they WERE doing a great job and I had the feeling with a boss like theirs they would be minimum wage and their worth needed to be acknowledged. That business lasted for a few months before it was gone.
The problem is that people will continue to bleat on about individual “bludgers” whose reality and hardship they know nothing of but won’t bat an eyelid at dodgy geezer dude being fraudulent and exploitative because he’s being an “entrepreneur”. Its that scenario where people feel they can beat up on beneficiaries through their own perverse justifications yet somehow business is derserving of sympathy. Watch for his response – He’ll probably claim that he is a victim. He’ll blame everyone but himself.
I am reading a beneficiary bashing thread on the IMDB community boards, and they’re even more vicious in the USA than here, as you’d expect.
Now I wonder what sort of Privacy issues this will bring up. I already have serious misgivings about the courts passing information to a bunch of Debt collectors, whose staff will not be under the same rules as to accessing private data as the justice dept would have.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10846724
Today is one hundred years since the killing of Frederick Evans on 12 November 1912. Evans was the first trade unionist to be killed in a labour dispute in New Zealand:
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/3e10/1
This weekend there was a conference at Waihi commerating the bitter 1912 strike that climaxed in Evans being batoned and kicked to death by a mob of strikebreakers out the back of the Miner’s Hall, while police either actively joined in or watched on. This was followed by the remaining Waihi strikers and their families being violently hounded out of the town. The conference was well attended, with a number of well-known historians, trade unionists, and politicians present. For more details, see:
http://rememberwaihi.wordpress.com/
http://lhp.org.nz/
Yesterday, Robert Reid, secretary of First Union, gave a powerful speech by the commerative placque to Evans on Seddon Street. He pointed to the significance of martyrs of NZ trade unionism like Evans, Ernie Abbott, and Christine Clark, and the need to honour their memory. Although sceptical of the present government’s good intentions, Reid also expressed cautious optimism that the Pike River inquiry may lead to improvements in workers’ health and safety conditions, which have been seriously weakened over the last twenty years.
Thanks, uke. Some very useful links there.
Talent 2 unavailable for comment.
“Key said there were 60,000 teachers and their pay roll system was complex, with three layers of rates teachers could be paid at.”
Oh noes! The software has to work with numbers!
Talent 2, which installed Novopay, is an international payroll systems company. Funny that.
From the same article.
Associate Education Minister Craig Foss told Radio New Zealand today the security breach was a one-off because of human error in entering an incorrect school code.
How does this match with secure systems!!!!
It wasn’t an incorrect code it was another schools!!!
Dont they have a passworded system Craig?
Prime Minister John Key today said it was essential to bring in the Novopay system because the previous system was “effectively falling over”.
Not as badly as NovaPay it seems.
“one-off” – oh, ok. it’s all right then.
National Radio: Sensible Sentencing Trust is a “Victims’ Advocacy organization”
9 a.m. News, National Radio, Monday 12 November 2012
The grieving mother of murdered teenager Christy Marceau has made a bizarre press statement, announcing that Garth McVicar and the Sensible Sentencing Trust have supported her, rather than her daughter’s killer, ever since the murder. “Garth has been there for me a hundred percent of the way,” insisted Mrs Marceau. “He’s never pushed himself, the trust, nothing.”
Many people will share my suspicion that this statement was concocted not by Mrs Marceau, but by Louise Parsons, Phil Kitchin, Peter Jenkins or one of the S.S. Trust’s other spin doctors.
Most of us are by now inured to the S.S. Trust’s cynical and depraved manipulation of vulnerable parents; however, the really concerning aspect of this news item was to hear the newsreader refer to the S.S. Trust as “the victims’ advocacy organization.” Those who remember the brutal and sustained campaign of vilification mounted by McVicar and the S.S. Trust against a slain boy in South Auckland, and recall the ridicule and abuse they heaped on the boy’s mother and family, will be mystified as to why Radio New Zealand’s copywriters call them “victims’ advocates”.
Or does Radio New Zealand, like Mrs Marceau, have its scripts written for it by someone from the S.S. Trust?
NCEA is starting. Here are some ideas from Rimmer of Red Dwarf on ways to cope or not.
Rimmer’s study habits on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5mqbKs1PoI
and on his belief – If you don’t win the first time, try, try again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Le1ajH32U-k
(FYI folks – forwarded in the public interest on behalf of Sue Henry who doesn’t have a computer.)
12 November 2012
“Housing New Zealand – call off the dogs!”
Press Release Sue Henry Housing Lobby Spokesperson.
“The latest Housing New Zealand (HNZ) Statement of Corporate Intent 2012 – 2015, quite rightly sets out the statutory obligations which HNZ is required to follow by law.”
The Crown Entities Act 2004 stipulates HNZ ” must exhibit a sense of social responsibility by having regard to the interests of the community in which it operates.”
The principal Housing NZ Corporation Act 1974 also stipulates these very same social responsibility obligations.
On 5 November 2012 the new CEO of the Tamaki Redevelopment Company, Deborah Lawson stated in a letter to the NZ Herald:
‘There has been some confusion about the Tamaki Transformation Programme.
It does not include the Northern Glen Innes Housing Redevelopment Project. Housing New Zealand is responsible for this.’
“This is quite correct,” continues Sue Henry.
“This means HNZ are bulldozing through policies in total conflict with their legislative statutory duties.
There is no lawful basis for the removal of State houses in Glen Innes North.
Our community is being ripped apart.
On what lawful basis are Police enforcing the removal State houses in Glen Innes North?
The Housing Lobby demands that the unlawful removal of State houses from Glen Innes North cease forthwith, and calls for support from opposition parties for an immediate inquiry into how HNZ has breached its statutory duties.”
Sue Henry
Housing Lobby Spokesperson
Ph (09) 575 6344
________________________________________________________________________________
SUMMARY OF THE STATUTORY DUTIES OF HOUSING NZ AS A ‘CROWN AGENT’ UNDER THE HOUSING CORPORATION ACT 1974 AND CROWN ENTITIES ACT 2004:
1) Housing New Zealand Corporation is a CROWN AGENT ( a type of STATUTORY ENTITY).
2) The ’empowering’ legislation for Crown Agent, Housing New Zealand Corporation is the Housing Corporation Act 1974.
3) As a Crown Agent – Housing New Zealand Corporation comes under the CROWN ENTITIES ACT 2004.
4) Under the Housing Corporation Act 1974 (s.3B (a) (i) – HNZ has a STATUTORY DUTY to be an organisation that –
“exhibits a sense of social responsibility by having regard to the interests of the community in which it operates;”
5) Under the Crown Entities Act 2004, (s.139) as a Crown Agent, HNZ has a statutory duty to prepare a Statement of Intent.
6) In the HNZ Statement of Intent 2012 – 2015 (pg 25) – it states:
“The Corporation is accountable under legislation to give effect to the Crown’s social objectives by providing housing, and services related to housing, in a businesslike manner and to exhibit a sense of social responsibility by having regard to the interests of the community in which it operates. ”
7) Under the Crown Entities Act 2004, (s.14 (1) (a) the functions of HNZ as a ‘Statutory Entity’ are:
” the functions set out in the entity’s Act”.
(The Housing Corporation Act 1974).
Under the Crown Entities Act 2004, (s.14 (2) )
” In performing its functions, a statutory entity must act consistently with its objectives.”
8) Under the Crown Entities Act 2004 (s.19) – “Acts in breach of statute are invalid”.
“(1) An act of a statutory entity is invalid, unless section 20 applies, if it is—
(a) an act that is contrary to, or outside the authority of, an Act; or
(b) an act that is done otherwise than for the purpose of performing its functions.”
_________________________________________________________________
So – how is what HNZ is doing in Glen Innes ” exhibit(ing) a sense of social responsibility by having regard to the
interests of the community in which it operates”?
How is HNZ not breaching their statutory duties as defined in the Housing Corporation Act 1974
(s.3B (a) (i) to be an organisation that –
“exhibits a sense of social responsibility by having regard to the interests of the community in which it operates;”
How is HNZ not breaching their statutory duties as defined by the Crown Entities Act 2004, (s.14 (2) )
” In performing its functions, a statutory entity must act consistently with its objectives.” ?
Arguably – the actions of HNZ in removing GI state houses are therefore ‘invalid’ (s. 19 (a) Crown Entities Act 2004) because they are:
“contrary to, or outside the authority of” the Housing Corporation Act 1974 (s.3B (a) (i) )
to be an organisation that –
“exhibits a sense of social responsibility by having regard to the interests of the community in which it operates;”
and the Crown Entities Act 2004, (s.14 (2)
” In performing its functions, a statutory entity must act consistently with its objectives.”
________________________________________________________________________________
Dear Penny & Sue,
Thank you for your wonderful contribution.
Your post was most enlightening – I have printed it off to read in detail the next time I suffer from insomnia.
Please keep up the good work – in fact are you able to go in to more detail next time about Housing NZ’s responsibilities – these brief summaries are just too insufficient to get a good grasp of the issues which you are espousing.
Regards
PB supporter
Japans nuclear free future
It’s been somewhat annoying to read through the plethora of propaganda articles that have been published about the Japanese governments policy on nuclear power. Many of these articles are obviously produced by the nuclear power industry and bear no resemblance to reality. In fact some of the articles are so manipulative that they’ve spurred The Jackal into looking a little deeper into Japans nuclear free future…
read today Japanese nuclear reactor sits astride a geological fault
NZ Herald article: Decision on Japan nuke plant fault line postponed
This kind of thing is a problem worldwide.
Don’t envy them that arbitrary number ….
Oh, look at that, conservatives spreading lies – again.
I suppose that would be similar to the benefit fraud BS we get from National.
Novopay the new innovative remittance paying scheme that hackers will never be able to break because it changes every time it is used with one-off unpredictable alterations, a fine example of chaos theory. Who knows where it will end up. Buy this novel program and be prepared for surprise and amazement.
With a jingle that goes ‘In Multinationals we trust for we are the Hollow Men’?
The new system is part of the old adage – GIGO – never changes as computers cannot read minds – yet.
Goodness – a Stuff author advocating a 30 hour working week – and it’s not even April 1st. It’s a suggestion written by a reader though, not one of the regular journos.
He obviously doesn’t understand the reasoning behind penal rates.
The idea is that penal rates encourage the employer to invest in capital and thus being able to do more with less people. Our productivity increase has decreased from where it was due to the removal of penal rates. As a secondary effect it also helps to encourage full employment.
Family First’s ideal of motherhood
Sue Bradford and other “do-gooders” wanted to stop good parents like this from lovingly chastising their children…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUkE9qaVgmo
Uruguayan president Jose Mujica addressing the Rio +20 Summit: Human happiness and the environment .
Transcript:
Are we ruling over globalization or is globalization ruling over us? Is it possible to speak of solidarity and of “being all together” in an economy based on ruthless competition? How far does our fraternity go?
[…]
But if life is going to slip through my fingers, working and over-working in order to be able to consume more, and the consumer society is the engine-because ultimately, if consumption is paralysed, the economy stops, and if you stop economy, the ghost of stagnation appears for each one of us, but it is this hyper-consumption that is harming the planet. And this hyper-consumption needs to be generated, making things that have a short useful life, in order to sell a lot.
El presidente Mujica concludes:
And one asks this question: is this the fate of human life? These things I say are very basic: development cannot go against happiness. It has to work in favor of human happiness, of love on Earth, human relationships, caring for children, having friends, having our basic needs covered. Precisely because this is the most precious treasure we have; happiness. When we fight for the environment, we must remember that the essential element of the environment is called human happiness.
In addition to a big awhi to joe, I would just like to awhi all you folk on the left end of the political spectrum; the socio-political tension to endeavour course correction is essential.
A thinking person would have to be “blind” to not see the implications of unfolding global and local environmental, economic, political, social and cultural events; it is not going to end well for the majority, which is ironic seeing as Fukuyama once argued that the modern democratic capitalist state was the “end of history” (never bothered reading his entire books, but he is changing his tune as the days unfold).
After catching up on the latest Standard “revelations”, I am actually speechless, and have nothing else political to say,
except,
there is certainly more to this life than meets the eye.
Paul Henry gets the elbow in oz and likely to come back to TVNZ. shit.
The Australians send back the failure of a racist redneck crasspot. What is wrong with the world.
Anyone heard what happened to the dude up north who smashed the window of the WINZ office and then went on a hunger strike? He was meant to be going to court for the window.
Also the other dude in Dunedin, who got awarded a huge backpay from WINZ because they were so incompetent at managing his case, but WINZ were appealing.
Henry’s finally been put out of viewers misery, from crikey’s Glen Dyer:
‘This morning it did a public service when it said it was axing Breakfast…That’s bad luck for the good co-host Kathryn Robinson. But it is good news because Ten is finally getting rid of the apparently useless Paul Henry, imported from NZ at a reported cost of $1 million and who was simply offensive beyond belief, in my opinion..’
The comedians will miss all that material he generated though.
Has anyone ever diagnosed Henry with Tourettes Syndrome. He has an advanced version of it I think.
Have standardistas noticed this??
Article in Fridays Dompost saying Polytechnics have lost millions of dollars which has been shifted to (guess where) the private sector. EIT is losing 12 jobs beacause it has lost $2m government money. Stephen Joyce the man responsible
Yeah this has been on the cards for months. Kids wanting to do trades and learn hands on skills fucked over.
HBDHB budget blowout; for example, increased elderly care etc etc (where do all these folk carrying on, lifestyle as usual, think all the extra money NZ needs to maintain status quo is going to come from? air?)
anyway,
here is a man with a “point of view”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berdyaev,_Nikolai_Aleksandrovich
something for Draco
http://books.google.co.nz/books/about/The_End_of_Our_Time.html?id=62ZNPgAACAAJ&redir_esc=y
also open at the moment
Allah: A Christian Response. by Miroslav Volf
A Confession. Leo Tolstoy. foreward by Helen Dunmore
Hesperus Press Ltd.2010
(this work influenced Gandhi) and includes the essay
“What is Religion, and What does it’s Essence Consist Of?”
The Politics of Hope. Jonathan Sacks (it’s all about covenant, you know, making a promise or commitment and keeping it)
and for bedtime Lynn, “the telling” -Ursula K. Le Guin (makes the caravan cosy: I hope all the politicians appreciate that a person cannot afford to live independently under their own roof in this country on a single persons income support, meet the “market rent” and have any money left over for contingencies!)
Yeah, that was mentioned a couple of weeks ago. It’s how this government operates – Stop funding public services so that private profits can be boosted.
feijoa
The polytechnics seem to be made culpable of not solving the unemployment problem. We don’t have enough trained builders and tradesmen, so that’s their fault. Pollies feel sure that if all the work classified as ‘jobs’ could be filled, why there would be only very low unemployment.
There are barriers to young people getting further training too, costs including living and then a debt that is a burden if you can’t get a job and which is a continuing burden.
So the government technics and institutes, who now and then mess up their budgets as well as the other gripes about them, are to be punished. Private will do it better, be more onto it etc.and government can be milked to provide business opportunities for people who have no original ideas for start ups.
I am just listening to radionz with a piece on housing for the lower income and ‘new entrants’ into the housing market. They said that Hobsonville is the site of a development, with Housing NZ carrying out a large portion of new housing. They gave the job to an Australian firm and many of the properties are in the $600K to $800K bracket. Sigh!
I’ve started receiving stacks of notification emails from The Standard telling me whenever a new comment has been posted. Can anyone tell me how to turn this off? (Not even sure how I turned this on…)
maybe “unsubscribe rss feed” in google bud
Not sure how to do it from your side – email link or dashboard. But you were subscribed to quite a few posts. Turned them off.
You turn it on with the checkbox under the reply box.
Thank you guys… 🙂