Yesterday’s Auckland meet the candidate meeting was an enjoyable event. Radio NZ estimated that there were 600 people present although I would have thought there was a few less than that but not by much.
The candidates all spoke. No guess who I thought was by far the best.
Reform of the party was discussed in detail by David Cunliffe. His suggestion that the leadership should include a vote by all members received a large cheer.
The biggest cheer was reserved for Carmel Sepuloni who made a triumphant entry. She did really well. Despite comments to the contrary Waitakere is not naturally a Labour seat. There is a wealthy area in Henderson Heights that voted heavily for the tories and the rural area also has pockets of very wealthy areas.
Nanaia Mahuta presentation was different to the others and she presented extraordinarily well. If people are looking for a “non political” politician she is the real deal.
Hopefully now all MPs will consider the views of their activists when they decide who to support. If they do not there will be some tension caused as these meetings have raised huge expectations on the part of members that their views will be taken into account.
All in all these meetings have been a tremendous success. Party President Moira Coatesworth should be praised for the initiative.
I hear that Darien Fenton is voting for David Shearer, I thought she was well supported by the union movement and aren’t they supportive of the Cunliffe/Mahuta nomination?
It’s a pity your MPs aren’t required to make their vote public, that’d change a few minds and I bet you Fenton would vote Cunliffe in that case. Strange, still, she’ll be shuffled off either way now I suspect.
In one corner Cunliffe, the man who was chosen to front the cornerstone CGT policy and he did a pretty brilliant job. Shame for them the voters thought the policy was tits, but his performance in explaining the policy in the video campaign was flawless. He is a man who I guess thinks he has done everything he has to in order to be named Leader.
Shearer on the other hand is a poor red man’s Smile and Wave. And there is nothing wrong with that but the man lacks substance for sure and simply parrots out he’s the good guy solely because he worked for a good whack of US tax free dollars for the UN. He clearly lacks political judgment, no easier example being on the Sunday after the election turning up to Matthew Hooton’s now infamous corporate BBQ.
Just like Goff, Shearer can’t answer the hard economic questions. Neither can Robertson. Both have a far too generalized skill set for the job of the next three years which is to undermine National’s performance with respect to economic issues. Labour need to choose Cunliffe to fight this battle because he is the only one in the front bench with the economic mongrel to do it.
I find myself in the unusual position that I could not agree more with Cactus.
Ardern is voting for Shearer as well?? What is up with these people? I can’t believe your guys are actually in a contest over this, it should be Cunliffe and Mahuta if you’re smart. Ardern and Fenton voting with Shearer, have they actually listened to their membership?
While I agree with her too you gotta love her worldview:
“You get what you are good enough to take.”
Subtly linking goodness with taking.
What about creating something eh, prickly lady?
As she says:
“The global environment will no doubt be deteriorating and Labour need to capitalize on this and chip away at National’s timid approach to dealing with the issues.”
So what’s needed is an alternative economic version. One would have thought the orthodoxy was doing a pretty good job of taking itself down. Problem is Labour haven’t presented a credible replacement. Cunliffe’s the only one with the brains and insight to create one. Can Shearer present it?
Mallard/Pagani’s National lite, it’ll be our turn soon on the roundabout lads, may ultimately be successful.
“Economic mongrel” sounds about it for what is needed. But then would Roger whatisname be considered one? I don’t want one who swings in that way. Oh Lord protect us from such rabid dogs.
All four Dunedin MPs support the idea of working together more closely to advocate for Dunbedin interests.
MPs working together positively for the city is a good start, but the main aim of ‘Dunedin voice’ is to give the people, the constituents, more of a chance to be heard and to be able to work together better with their MPs. This will add support and weight to combined MP advocacy.
everyday all you can do is diss Labour diss Labour- well dish it out fuktard
youll get it back
I am so over reading your fuking shit every day here blah fukin blah
consider this war
answer the questions
Dunne who has just been snapped suppressing this report getting released is a joke
Hell he was associate minister of health and he sat on this?
I also clearly remember Dunne on smaller parties leaders debate making a statement that UF were against asset sales and he has flip flopped and bent over and offered his ass to Key
Dunne has been consistent on asset sales – United Future had no policies to sell assets but made it clear the most supported party had a right to progress it’s key policies.
UF made it clear what it’s bottom lines were on asset sales, and it was also clear that it wasn’t strongly opposed to partial sales of some assets. I’ve got no problem with the party position on this.
I also clearly remember Dunne on smaller parties leaders debate making a statement that UF were against asset sales and he has flip flopped and bent over and offered his ass to Key
Pete might like to explain slimy’s stance on tobacco, too- before he became all unctuous on restricting other people’s drugs of choice. He’s consistently proved to me that he’s in the pockets of vested interests and is for sale at whatever price. Look at his history of support for the hunting with Jesus lobby, for further examples.
…the most supported party had a right to progress it’s key policies.
Except that they don’t. If they can’t get a majority then they can’t pass their policies and all of that means is that Peter Dunne said one thing while being confident that he would be doing something else. Most people call that lying.
So Petey if the Government is doing important policy review in an area, like, as an example, alcohol reform, and there is a comprehensive report on public opinion concerning alcohol use that is directly relevant to the policy review, do you think that the public should have the opportunity to have more input into the review by the release of this information?
Or do you think it should be suppressed?
Please answer. This is a debate I am sure many would like to have with you.
On the surface it seems like the survey hasn’t added much to the issue, the results look pretty much as I would have expected them. I think I’ve seen similar elsewhere.
However I’m all for as much openness and informed debate as possible so this does raise an eyebrow – but I’d like to find out more about this before being too critical.
Well why did he sit on it? Why didn’t he release it. His reported response, that they did not want to spend $10k on a peer review of the report, is bollocks.
The report should have been released. It would have steeled up public opinion on the reforms and made some chicken MPs firm up on their views.
Petey, has UF or Dunne received donations or free grog from the liquor industry in the past 12 months?
ms A fair enough question. It would be 99.9% sure that the liquor industry is massaging the pollies, inside and out, anyone for a whisky rub? So invigorating to their cause. Even Treasury that noble astute disinterested bunch have been accepting cosy dinners for three or four.
You didn’t answer my question to you related to this thread. Do you think people standing up and making sure they have more input into politics is “a joke”?
The joke I find hysterically funny is someone urging people to have more say in politics when the person doing the urging, while speaking at great length and often, actually says nothing of any political note.
The proposal would involve a single regulator for print, broadcasting and online media, independent of the government and the industry and part-funded by the taxpayer. It would publish different codes for each medium.
[…]
Privileges should be extended to online media such as public affairs bloggers if they adhere to journalistic standards, be subject to a complaints process and publish regularly, it says.
And of course the article quotes those morally upstanding citizen journalists, as leaders in the struggle for honest and ethical blogging:
David Farrar, publisher of Kiwiblog, welcomed the report and said bloggers should develop their own code. “Some sort of code for accuracy is not a bad thing. What will be interesting is if you need a formal complaints process as opposed to what I call the online trust method. If someone gets its horribly wrong, they get a bad reputation … that is actually reasonably effective.”
Cameron Slater, of the Whaleoil blog, who has been prosecuted for breaching suppression orders, said he would be happy to abide by the same codes as journalists. “I applied to join the Press Council … and I couldn’t … When you make that choice your credibility goes up. If you choose not to belong, then your opinion is rated as something akin to blogs on knitting patterns.”
And, of course, I would expect no less of Fairfax Media than their statement supporting anything that would improving journalistic standards, and the importance of freedom of speech going hand in hand with responsibility and accountability. /bemused.
Why did they only seek comment from two right wing retard bloggers without any modicum of credibility? I would have expected more from Fairfax Media /sarc.
Being that the hypocritical elitist pricks breach journalistic standards on a weekly basis, their opinion on regulation is obviously contrived to turn others off the idea… or perhaps they believe the watchdogs mandate will be formulated in such a way as to disadvantage left wing bloggers while allowing them to continue their (often illegal) hate speech. Another good reason to stay anonymous and host elsewhere.
In todays herald
Huljich’s lawyer Jack Hodder SC asked the judge to consider discharging his client without conviction because it would harm his career as a ”businessman in a globalised world”.
Huljich’s lawyer Jack Hodder SC asked the judge to consider discharging his client without conviction because it would harm his career as a ”frauster in a globalised world”.
‘No specifics on your linked pages – a bit like saying “Key promised to dowhateverit takes” and using thestandard.org as your source.
Though you get points for poetic language, e.g. “financial unravelling”.
Doesn’t say a damned thing. Are you predicting NZ or US inflation at, say, more than 300% by 2015? Reduction in international goods exchange by 30% in the same period? Will we no longer be using money? What?
You’ve been saying the same stuff here for a couple of years or so and the dates keep changing. Be a bit more specific so your predictions are testable.’
Let’s put it this way.
‘Peak oilers’ said in the early 2000s that global oil supply would fail to meet demand, that prices would rise rapidly and that the world would be subject to a series of ‘recessions’ that would morph into the Great [never-ending] Depression. Sure enough, it happened. Oil went from $28 a barrel to $147, blew the global economic system apart for a few weeks, and is currently around $100 a barrel. The global economic system has been in non-recovery phase since 2008.
‘Gold bugs said in the early 2000s that the price of gold would rise spectacularly. It did. Gold went from around $250 and ounce to $1900 and is currently around $1700. Gold will break through $2,000. It will break through $,3000 as ‘paper’ money becomes increasingly worthless.
”Property freaks’ said in the mid-2000s the US housing market was overblown would crash. It did. The collapse of the US housing sector commenced in 2007-8. And it’s still unravelling.
‘Climate change scaremongers’ said in the early 2000s the Artic region was in unprecedented meltdown. It is. 2007 saw the lowest ever summer ice cover and 2010 saw the lowest ever winter ice cover (since modern measurements commenced in 1979). The latest report from Greenland points out that the island is rising as the weight of ice rapidly declines. And crops are being grown in Greenland that have never been grown there before.
According to your criteria, all the people who gave timely warnings were wrong or unreliable because they didn’t give specifics. They didn’t forecast in which month of which year any particular event would happen.
All I can say is keep taking the ‘soma’. Don’t bother to do the necessary research. Don’t read the book I suggested. Don”t spend time reading important material on the webstites I recommended. Remain uninformed. Remain in denial. After all, the system requires lots of people to become victiims. And since there are far too many people chasing declining resources we do need a population die-off. Thanks for volunteering.
And I’m not going to waste any more of my time providing you with information you do not appreciate.
Peak oil was a specific, testable circumstance, predicted with increasingly accurate timeframes as the event approached.
Global warming has specific, testable predictions relating to sea level rise, temperature, other environmental factors, and according to specific timelines. AGW is described at length, and adjusted as better data becomes available.
Property and gold speculators always have some people predicting boom, others bust. One of them is guaranteed to be correct, but even they almost always use testable scales like “$2000/ounce” or “fall 40%”.
YOU just refer to “catastrophe”, “collapse” (and can I suggest “calamity”), with different years for each. So when you talk about collapse of the financial system, what are you predicting in the way of inflation, means of exchange ($$, rmb, gold, barter), and so on?
[edit] – when you actually provide some information, I might appreciate it.
A good piece. Excerpts pasted below ..
…….
What started its life as a facilitation service has become a dog eat dog eat industry where inter and intra company rivalries have reached dizzying heights .. A recent poll revealed that within the M25 there are 19 000 recruitment companies. To put that in perspective, the M25 is a 188km ring road. we make that 6.75 recruitment firms for every square kilometre.
So whats the issue? A group of young girls and guys are out there starting up firms and earning good sums of money. Sounds great. Very Entrepreneurial. Well, the issue lies in the fact that recruitment firm hiring and creation is outpacing the number of available non-recruitment jobs by a huge rate and now the competition for business is getting considerably more fierce.
If we step back and think about this a set of economic principles, the result is very clear. We have a contractionary demand situation with and exponentially large supply expansion that is continuing to boom. As a result, the price level (% fee) falls exponentially to reach a new equilibrium.
This is what is happening in recruitment. As the market becomes flooded with firms, the market rate for placing a candidate starts to fall. An anonymous source revealed that their fee had fallen from 25% to 5% in some cases just to secure business and this will start to happen market wide.
From a business standpoint, one of the biggest issues is due to the rates that the companies are exposed to. Those targeting the best clients need a prestige postcode and those aren’t cheap, many of the firms in London are based within walking distance to their city clients and rely upon the chunky commission structure to foot the bill. If this disintegrates, so does the postcode.
To an investor, these businesses now look like duds. High cost liabilities, low cash flows and a remarkably thin asset level.
‘Dunne has been consistent on asset sales – United Future had no policies to sell assets but made it clear the most supported party had a right to progress it’s key policies. ‘
So, by that logic, if a party wanted to set up concentration camps and introduce arbitrary arrest in NZ, and that party got more votes than any other party, Peter Dunne would support that party and vote for the setting up of concentration camps and vote for abitrary arrest.
We’ve known for years that Dunne lives in a moral cess pit.
No, Dunne also made it clear in the campaign that Labour couldn’t and wouldn’t be supported due to it’s policies (especially tax). So Labour didn’t get the opportunity to try to put together a Labour+Green+NZF+Mana+UF government.
The Tertiary Commission is limiting funds to Maori Wananga because of numbers not finishing study and certification. But my view is that each paper should have standing, it has involved study and learning in itself that shouldn’t be disdained because of not achieving the total number set for the completion of the certificate (a degree, diploma or whatever). Getting a pass on a paper if studied properly, (not just copied from other’s work on the internet) involves a lot of application and learning. We should change the way we view uncompleted degrees etc to recognise this achievement.
Yay. Let’s watch as she fucks things up and makes Collin’s look positively brilliant in comparison.
They’ve also given Dunne Conservation, which is utterly moronic given Dunne’s anti-1080 views and his lack of any prior experience with the area, let alone this wonderful thinking tool called “science”.
/sigh
Tolley as Minister of Police – will she set a minimum number of Tazerings to be done in a month?
I actually don’t have clue who have that lot are, or for that matter, why we have so many Ministries – Racing, veteran affairs, Regulatory Reform (isn’t that all government); – shouldn’t the Ministry of ‘Courts’ not be under a larger umbrella of justice?
Also, nice collection of Cantab farmers wives – nothing like having a cabinet in touch with everyday reality…..
Tolley as Minister of Police – and Corrections! God help us and them. AND to boot , Deputy Leader of the House. That is the one that really astounds me, especially if the rumours are correct and Lockwood Smith ends up High Commissioner to London – although being Deputy Leader does not necessarily mean that she would automatically step up to Leader under the parliamentary rules governing these positions.
Re the Minister for Courts being separate from the Minister of Justice, this is a hangover from the merger of the Department of Courts and the Ministry of Justice some years ago (can’t remember of the top of my head which year). Also the two Ministerial roles are quite dissimilar with the Minister of Justice focused on higher level justice/legal issues while the Minister for Courts role is focused on the operational side of running the Courts system.
So the Ministry of Justice’s two main Ministers have changed, ie
Collins in place of Power as Minister of Justice
Chester Burrows in place of Te Heu Heu as Minister for Courts
Finlayson remains Attorney-General and also Minister for Treaty Negotiations.
Not sure from the lists out to date who has got Minister in charge of Legal Services which is now under the Ministry of Justice.
Oops – in my first para above, I was incorrect in that I mixed up Deputy Leader of the House and Deputy Speaker. Tolley has got the former not the latter – thank goodness. Could not conceive of her as a Speaker in the House! My bad – trying to do too many things at once.
Hahaha I’m just remembering listening to Radio NZ one afternoon and hearing Dunne’s brilliant solution to a lake that had too many koi carp living in it – he thought the best solution was to have a fishing contest.
Seriously.
Minister of Conservation. It’s going to be a long three years…
cv.
I like your observation about the herald needing a raincheck. (permmanent).
there is an easier way.
the NZLP needs to invest in micropulse radio stations.
$4,000 bucks buys the gear and the license.
they are line of sight and one could conceivably cover Auckland.
forget about the dinosaurs in Queen Street.
time for some real innovation and a new mesage.
if tribesmen in the hindu kush can do it then why not here?
Surprisingly, AFP isn’t shy about discussing its influence on electoral politics. In fact, in the National Journal article, AFP’s president, Tim Phillips, openly takes credit for bullying — literally threatening — GOP lawmakers with “political peril” should they chose to “play footsie” on climate change and clean energy:
“If you look where the situation was three years ago and where it is today, there’s been a dramatic turnaround. … We’ve made great headway. What it means for the candidates on the Republican side, is if you … buy into green energy or you play footsie on this issue, you do so at your political peril. … And that’s our influence. Groups like Americans for Prosperity have done it.”
Now most of us knew that’s what was going on. But to see them openly gloating about it… well it energises a dark part of my soul.
Most people who do evil things retain enough sense to keep quiet about it, but revelling in the success of your evil is another thing altogether. These people KNOW they are wrong, they KNOW what they are doing is wrong in every sense of the word… yet they believe themselves so far above normal decency, beyond even the reach of shame..
More slime. The report wasn’t released because (unlike your internet ejaculate) policy-oriented scientific studies need to go through a final peer review process, have a final stage of editing, and then printing and distribution (generally to primary funders, stakeholder groups and archivesNZ). This takes what we call “money”. Mr Dunne was asked for the “money”, and said “no”.
Oh yes, lion nathan would have loved it if the “report” had been released as an unedited, unreviewed, poorly laid out internet blog. Luckily for NZ, most policy documents and scientific research has better quality assurance than yourwank.org.nz.
Well, it’s an indication of how odd dunnehill’s decision was – kicking the report upstairs for comments about direction, “can we have a chapter on this?”, and so on is pretty normal. Final tweaking at the boss’s discretion, then the funding is released for publication.
To turn down a solid, even groundbreaking, piece of research at this stage is like building the Clyde Dam and then refusing to fund the high-voltage lines that would connect it with the national grid. The fact that the study dealt with NZ attitudes to alcohol harm, pricing and advertising certainly allows folk to make a pretty short inference as to his motives.
Dunne spun on this aspect this morning on Nine to Noon – something to the effect that the money (a measly $10K) was needed for other priorities. Suggest you go listen to what he said, PG, so you can get your lines right.
Pompus Git the one man band hasbeen caught out manipulating the evidence also backing a band aid solution to a $6 billion dollar per annum loss to the economy!
Munny flushed down the dunny
“take the power back” West Coast shutdown this evening, Monday morning US time, including Japanese rail workers proposing to block grain trains in solidarity, march on Goldman Sacs @ 7am in NY… should be interesting
I know exactly who I would like. However I am a loyal, member of the Labour Party .Both these guys will serve the party well/,so lets get behind.
I dont need being told by sleazy Nats/ACT who I should support.
The Editorial yesterdays Sunday Herald was an example of the foul columns we can expect ,they have already started an anti Labour leader campaign. Dont let fall for this Crosby /Textor campaign this time. And before any Tory in sheeps clothing tells me that I just do as I told thy need to know I am nobodies poodle/ But I firmly believe in a democratic system and If I have a dispute I do it in in house and if I feel extra strong about an issue I can piss vey well in side the tent.
Yeah! Fantastic effort and maybe Punter’s last go round in the baggy green? Luckily our next opponent is Zimbabwe, so we may even get win back to back tests for the first time since like forever.
Now that the three deals done to maintain the National-led coalition are all on the table, its pretty clear how shabby these arrangements really are.
Overall he points out that none of the parties involved have got good deals for their constituents and that a lot of the policies that were agreed on weren’t advised before the election. On that he says:
Still, since Key seems to want to blame MMP for this sort of ruse, he should be willing to make the lack of transparency part of the independent review of the voting system next year. In principle at least, it should be possible to outlaw policies that played no part in the election campaign from becoming part of the new government’s coalition agreements.
Which is something I could get behind. Something like: Policies that were not advertised before the election can be passed into law unless in response to an emergency situation and such emergent law will have a maximum length of 6 months from implementation and, within that 6 months, must go through a referendum and select committee.
I agree absolutely and completely. I have often suggested that the standards that we out here in realityland have to comply should be the same as those for our public lawmakers. In fact their standards should be higher – but they are not, they are lower.
We have to comply with the Fair Trading Act, which is the way it should be. The lawmakers can lie and bullshit to til the cows come home, which is not the way it should be.
The exact same or greater standard shold apply to those charged with lawmaking. It is after all supposed to be something most important. Isn’t it? Is making law in Parliament not more important than selling a trinket at the $2 shop?
So I propose again, The Fair Trading in Politics Act. It is all about preventing “misleading and deceptive conduct in politics”.
Why should it not apply? I have never heard a good reason. Anyone? Somebody who is a politician perhaps? Got an answer? Or just go quiet and hope it goes away? Follow Key’s stellar example of leadership – whatever you can get away with goes? ?
Hi Nanaia
I know you were sent a copy of this essay http://oilcrash.com/articles/wilson08.htm in a booklet, along with the movie Blind Spot and a ‘video’ of a lecture given by Professor Albert Bartlett titled Arithmetic, Population and Energy. I hope you’ve had the chance to look at this information.
Combining the above info with this parliamentary report from October 2010 http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/ParlSupport/ResearchPapers/4/6/a/00PLEco10041-The-next-oil-shock.htm , could you please advise me on weather I should open a Kiwi Saver account, being as Labour were going to make it compulsory I am sure you must have some contrary view and information than what I am presenting.
Thanks
[lprent: Do you ask that same last question of everyone in Labour at present, including lowly members like me? I have e-mail from you with a half written answer that keeps getting disrupted by work and xmas socialising. What are you doing? Compiling a dossier?
Updated – that was a retorical question rather than a reason to open a dialogue. Eventually I will finish my email.
Moved to OpenMike so you can talk to yourself for a while. Doesn’t look to me like you are talking to or about Nanaia. ]
I guess I’m to reply to you via this system Lynn?
The reason I ask Labour MPs the question is because they were the ones to bring it in in the first place, and they wanted to make it compulsory, I think I am asking a legitimate question, being as so many of my friends are placing so much money into the scam. And if you have even just glanced at the information I’m presenting then you must know I am right and whom ever dreamed up Kiwi Saver is stark raving mad 😉
I would ask the same of the Greeds, but they really make my skin crawl.
Now what is this about an email, happy for you to make it public.
One thing I’ve noticed with nearly every letter I’ve seen or received from a minister that the signature is always on the last page and all the incriminating stuff is on the first page, as if it would not stand up in court, I think when receiving a letter from a minister each page should be signed or at least initialled .. oh but that might make them tell the truth.
?
“Let us be crystal clear, however, Tony Fabrizio is not the victim here. Tony Fabrizio has lined his pockets for years with money from gay groups and is now one of the chief architects of a campaign strategy – not just an isolated television ad – intended to demonize gay people in order to score political points. Fabrizio claims he opposed the latest anti-gay Perry television ad.
Just watching Russian TV, what a great channel if you really want ot know whats going on.
The USA correspondent had a story about how the California PD were violently ejecting OWSers in San francisco and arresting them on bylaws in contravention of the US Bill of Rights…..then a story about how spy drones (as -un-seen over Iraq and Afganistan) were being deployed to spy on US citizens despite outrage by civil rights groups…..this was followed by a look at Christmas shopping in New York with $2mlln bracelets for the super rich and 99cent shops for the super poor. Apparently 4 million New Yorkers on food stamps…what a country.
A Dutch architectural firm has apologised for its design of twin skyscrapers in central Seoul which resemble the exploding World Trade Center towers in New York.
The designs have infuriated families of the victims of the 9/11 attacks.
1.) Two towers close together will look like two other towers close together
2.) No, it doesn’t look like they’re exploding
3.) It’s been ten fucken years, get over it already or are all architects forever supposed to avoid designing because a few people in another part of the world might get upset.
Fine words Nanaia. But what do you know about Fractional Reserve Banking, International Bond Markets, Derivatives, Peak Oil, and EROEI. These, and other financial energetic and environmental the matters, are going to determine everyone’s immediate future. And the longer term future will be determined by Abrupt Climate Change.
In the absence of any evidence to the contrary we assume you know next-to-nothing about any of the issues of the times.
[lprent: In the absence of proof to the contrary I can’t see that you know much about them apart from their names either. Basically you are making an assertion without proof for no particular point apart from some kind of ego stroking. Bumped to OpenMike. ]
That’s a bit rich isn’t it? Overt censorship. Remove a comment from a thread because it highlights unmentionable truths.
It’s not for me to demonstrate I know about the key issues of the times but it is for someone who wants to lead the country to demonstrate they know about the key issues of the times and can deal with them.
I guess what we are witnessing right now is just another aspect of the failure we have come to expect from Labour over the years.
If you had read the whole of post you’d have known that I said I would be moderating the post. One of the things I always moderate when there is time is off-topic top comments. I will typically bump them to OpenMike.
Your comment was way way off topic. However if you want see what actual censorship is like then ask and I will demonstrate.
A bit rough mr prent? I thought asking one of our leading politicians to comment on the fractional reserve banking system and its features (failures) is entirely pertinent.
It is after all the world’s BIGGEST ponzi scheme.
It is also the cause of the current world financial crisis. I mean, how did it come to be that there is more debt in the world than there is money to repay it? And, following that absurdity, how does it then get repaid?
Very very very fair questions. In fact, so fair that our leading financial whizz-kid, who just so happens be the leader of the land, John Key, should be quizzed heavily on it as well.
It is past time that this issue was cranked way up
Instead he made a statement followed by an assertion. Even in a normal post, I’d be looking at that thinking that it requires a warning. Doing it on a post that has a statement saying it is being actively moderated is pretty damn silly don’t you think?
I have talked to Cunliffe about oil depletion, EROEI, land export model etc. He gets the ideas at least theoretically, but I do not know how important (or real) he considers them.
What are you on about?
To the best of my knowledge, until 2 min ago, I thought I was writing to Lynn, not having my emails/blogs/messages repeated in open mike. But I guess like all things in life it is my fault for not reading the small print, and ignorance of the ‘law’ is no excuse.
Is there no wonder I have such a low opinion of this spices.
Have you ever read Celestine Prophecy , hope you enjoy the power trip 😉
I did not repeat your e-mail – that is a lie. I said that I had received a email on the same topic from you and was in the process of writing a reply.
As far as I am aware there isn’t anything particularly priviledged about my doing that. You didn’t even write about anything to do with the site that would be covered by our privacy provisions.
Anyway, I am sick of this crap. Desist from bugging me or I will remove the nuisance
dame it! I think I have the right to defend myself
First I posted a comment on Nanaia’s thing, you made a comment, I didn’t mind in the least, I new the reply would not go public, I wasn’t trying to be smart, I wasn’t aware I wasn’t ‘allowed’ to what looked to me like something I was invited to reply to??? so I replied in a one to one manner, again knowing it would not go public, but then I went to open mike and there it was? … go figure,
Then the next message I send you via the reply on Nanaia’s blog (again not knowing I was pissing you off) I get called a troll ??? wtf , by a sprout?
What is that all about???
I did not lie at all, I wasn’t talking about an ’email’ I was talking about the original reply I sent you via Nanaia’s thing.
But bygones, lets move on to a brighter future, knowing I had no intention of upsetting you at all
Happy thoughts
[lprent: I noted on the comment because the question was damn near exactly the same as as the one I got. I shifted the comments when you started a discussion with me that had nothing to do with the topic on the post and detracted from it. A followup comment by you was caught as being off topic by another moderator before I finished moving it to OpenMike. I am irritable at the best of times – but I was in bed staving off a cold before I got up to put Nanaia’s post up. It requires moderation releases. Now I have just moved to outright grumpy wasting sleep time on these comments. ].
That’s what it always comes down to in the end with any political group.
And controlling the information flow.
[It’s not about controlling the ‘information flow’, how can it be when you and Robert have had any amount of time and oxygen here on The Standard? It’s about observing a few basic house rules. Guys.. how about leaving off and all coming back fresh another day? Really there is no call for this… because arguing with the moderators, the sysop especially, is always a dead-end street. And there is need to go there. RL]
The big difference between TS and other places I comment is the lack of censorship elsewhere. Sorry, I’m not into censorship. The moment that is introduced the intellectual argument is lost and the door to totalitarianism is open.
When I stop posting on TS it will be your loss and the Labour movement’s loss not mine.
[lprent: You can call it censorship. But you of all people should be aware of the time we spend making sure that you don’t do diversions on topics because you regard everything as being a subset of your favorite issues. We move them to OpenMike – just to to censor you? You have convinced me that I need to test your assertion by experiment
Banned for a month to give me a good holiday from moving your comments to OpenMike and to test if anyone notices the lack of your wisdom here. ]
[RL: Good grief AFKTT. A quick search shows you have made something like 30 comments in the last 3 days alone. And you have the gall to call a mild spot of moderation… ‘censorship’? That’s plain wrong and you know it.
Lynn and I between us probably have more good reason than most to support the essential cause you are so passionate about… but frankly your monomania is undoing any good you may have once achieved. And your failure to understand and control yourself around some basic house rules, is bloody dissapointing.]
“Crushed boy racer…” the NZ Herald wittingly headlines the story about the first person to get their car crushed under the car-crush legislation. Some fellow who has been caught doing burnouts thrice. Not exactly a hardened DUI recidivist case… But anyway, team crusher have been baying for this day for a long long time now…
Herald missed the real ironic story that stands out like a real story though, that this ‘crushing’ punishment which is supposed to discourage such attention seeking behavior, has merely done the exact opposite giving this guy national fame amongst his peers, all for the cost of a shit-box $1200 corolla… Oh I bet he is crying himself to sleep over his crappy old corolla… yeah right.
Oh and he’s already sold it to someone else, so what does that mean, all that’s happening is some other poor sod loses out.
Good grief, where is the real journalism in this country, they make a big deal about this and yet ignore the interesting subtleties.
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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
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“You talking about me?”The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
Roger Partridge writes – When the Coalition Government took office last October, it inherited a country on a precipice. With persistent inflation, decades of insipid productivity growth and crises in healthcare, education, housing and law and order, it is no exaggeration to suggest New Zealand’s first-world status was ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – In 2022, the Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education employed 308 staff, according to an Official Information Request. Earlier this week it was announced 202 of those staff were being cut. When you look up “The New Zealand Curriculum” on the Ministry of ...
Chris Bishop’s bill has stirred up a hornets nest of opposition. Photo: Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate from the last day included:A crescendo of opposition to the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill is ...
Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.State of humanity, 20242024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?Full story Share ...
Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
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 ...
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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 ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 poem by Wellington writer Tayi Tibble.Hoki Mai She kisses him goodbye with her eyes still wet and alight from their last swim in the Awatere river. At the train station celebration, she leads the Kapa Haka but her voice keeps breaking under and over itself like waves. ...
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There are three books I have wolfed down in one sitting over the last two years. Colleen Maria Lenihan’s gorgeous and sad debut Kōhine, Noelle McCarthy’s memoir Grand about becoming her mother and then unbecoming her, and now Hine Toa, a staunch yet gentle self-portrait by living legend Ngāhuia te ...
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, Thursday 25 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Asia Pacific Report Students and activist staff at Australia’s University of Sydney (USyd) have set up a Gaza solidarity encampment in support of Palestinians and similar student-led protests in the United States. The camp was pitched as mass graves, crippled hospitals, thousands of civilian deaths and the near-total destruction of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James B. Dorey, Lecturer in Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong Australian teddy bear bees are cute and fluffy, but get a look at that massive (unbarbed) stinger! James Dorey Photography Most of us have been stung by a bee and we ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jen Roberts, Senior Lecturer, School of Humanities and Social Inquiry, University of Wollongong Aussie~mobs/FlickrVictor Farr, a private in the 1st Infantry Battalion, was among the first to land at Anzac Cove just before dawn on April 25 1915. Victor Farr ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Gregory Moore I had the good fortune to care for the sugar gum at The University of Melbourne’s Burnley Gardens in Victoria where I worked for ...
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. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Ong ViforJ, ARC Future Fellow & Professor of Economics, Curtin University Just when we think the price of rentals could not get any worse, this week’s Rental Affordability Snapshot by Anglicare has revealed low-income Australians are facing a housing crisis like ...
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 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tracey Holmes, Professorial Fellow in Sport, University of Canberra When the news broke last weekend that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive to a banned drug in early 2021 and were allowed to compete at the Tokyo Olympic Games six months later ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cally Jetta, Senior Lecturer and Academic Lead; College for First Nations, University of Southern Queensland Australian War MemorialAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names and images of deceased people, as well as sensitive historical information ...
RNZ News Melissa Lee has been ousted from New Zealand’s coalition cabinet and stripped of the Media portfolio, and Penny Simmonds has lost the Disability Issues portfolio in a reshuffle. Climate Change and Revenue Minister Simon Watts will take Lee’s spot in cabinet. Simmonds was a minister outside of cabinet. ...
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Analysis - Christopher Luxon framing the demotion of two ministers as the portfolios getting "too complex" is a charitable way of saying they weren't up to the job. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra With Jim Chalmers’s third budget on May 14, Australians will be looking for some more cost-of-living relief – beyond the tax cuts – although they have been warned extra measures will be modest. As ...
Analysis: Melissa Lee has lost the media portfolio and her spot in Cabinet after multiple failed attempts to find solutions for a media industry in crisis. On Wednesday, the Prime Minister announced Lee would be losing her spot in Cabinet along with her media and communications ministerial portfolio. The job ...
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The Fairer Future coalition of anti-poverty groups say Whaikaha must be properly funded going forward, and that to argue that poor financial management of the new Ministry is a red herring by the Prime Minister. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is today congratulating Hon. Paul Goldsmith on his appointment as Minister for Media and Communications and urges him to rule out state intervention in the private media sector. ...
Asia Pacific Report The West Papuan resistance OPM leader has condemned Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Joe Biden, accusing their countries of “six decades of treachery” over Papuan independence. The open letter was released today by OPM chairman Jeffrey P Bomanak on the eve of ANZAC Day ...
Welcome to The Spinoff Books Confessional, in which we get to know the reading habits and quirks of New Zealanders at large. This week: writer and one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people of 2024, Lauren Groff.The book I wish I’d writtenIf I wish I’d written a ...
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By Don Wiseman, RNZ Pacific senior journalist An Australian-born judge in Kiribati could well face deportation later this week after a tribunal ruling that he should be removed from his post. The tribunal’s report has just been tabled in the Kiribati Parliament and is due to be debated by MPs ...
With its clear mandate for police use, political nuances, and nuanced public trust, Denmark's insights provide valuable considerations for Australia and New Zealand. ...
Books editor Claire Mabey reviews poet Louise Wallace’s debut novel. A famous poet once said to me that he’s always suspicious when a poet publishes a novel. I never really understood why but maybe it’s something to do with cheating on your first form. Louise Wallace is a poet. She’s ...
For a few months at the turn of the millennium, TrueBliss burned bright as the biggest pop stars in the country. Alex Casey chats to two superfans who still hold the flame. During a humble backyard wedding in Nelson, 1999, one of the cordially invited guests had to excuse themselves ...
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A new survey says ‘outlook not great’ for those charged with building infrastructure, while RMA changes delight farmers and depress environmentalists, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. First RMA changes announced ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olli Hellmann, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Waikato Getty Images When New Zealanders commemorate Anzac Day on April 25, it’s not only to honour the soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and subsequent conflicts, but also ...
A leaked document shows the Canterbury/Waitaha arm of health agency Te Whatu Ora is scurrying to save $13.3 million by July. The “financial sustainability target”, which was “allocated” to Waitaha, is consistent with what’s happening in other districts, says Sarah Dalton, executive director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists. ...
Yesterday’s Auckland meet the candidate meeting was an enjoyable event. Radio NZ estimated that there were 600 people present although I would have thought there was a few less than that but not by much.
The candidates all spoke. No guess who I thought was by far the best.
Reform of the party was discussed in detail by David Cunliffe. His suggestion that the leadership should include a vote by all members received a large cheer.
The biggest cheer was reserved for Carmel Sepuloni who made a triumphant entry. She did really well. Despite comments to the contrary Waitakere is not naturally a Labour seat. There is a wealthy area in Henderson Heights that voted heavily for the tories and the rural area also has pockets of very wealthy areas.
Nanaia Mahuta presentation was different to the others and she presented extraordinarily well. If people are looking for a “non political” politician she is the real deal.
Hopefully now all MPs will consider the views of their activists when they decide who to support. If they do not there will be some tension caused as these meetings have raised huge expectations on the part of members that their views will be taken into account.
All in all these meetings have been a tremendous success. Party President Moira Coatesworth should be praised for the initiative.
I hear that Darien Fenton is voting for David Shearer, I thought she was well supported by the union movement and aren’t they supportive of the Cunliffe/Mahuta nomination?
It’s a pity your MPs aren’t required to make their vote public, that’d change a few minds and I bet you Fenton would vote Cunliffe in that case. Strange, still, she’ll be shuffled off either way now I suspect.
You will have to ask Darien this. It is strange that a “left winger” would vote for the “right” candidate.
Speaking of strange how is this for a comment by Cactus Kate. She has written a very perceptive post concerning Labour’s battle.
In particular this deserves repeating:
I find myself in the unusual position that I could not agree more with Cactus.
Ardern is voting for Shearer as well?? What is up with these people? I can’t believe your guys are actually in a contest over this, it should be Cunliffe and Mahuta if you’re smart. Ardern and Fenton voting with Shearer, have they actually listened to their membership?
I thought this was a label applicable to Key and English 😛
Nope, Key has NFI what economics is and Blinglish is showing himself to be just as inept.
While I agree with her too you gotta love her worldview:
“You get what you are good enough to take.”
Subtly linking goodness with taking.
What about creating something eh, prickly lady?
As she says:
“The global environment will no doubt be deteriorating and Labour need to capitalize on this and chip away at National’s timid approach to dealing with the issues.”
So what’s needed is an alternative economic version. One would have thought the orthodoxy was doing a pretty good job of taking itself down. Problem is Labour haven’t presented a credible replacement. Cunliffe’s the only one with the brains and insight to create one. Can Shearer present it?
Mallard/Pagani’s National lite, it’ll be our turn soon on the roundabout lads, may ultimately be successful.
Pity the country will be fucked.
“Economic mongrel” sounds about it for what is needed. But then would Roger whatisname be considered one? I don’t want one who swings in that way. Oh Lord protect us from such rabid dogs.
Clare Curran – “MPs need to be able to put aside party politics to agree on some issues”.
MPs working together positively for the city is a good start, but the main aim of ‘Dunedin voice’ is to give the people, the constituents, more of a chance to be heard and to be able to work together better with their MPs. This will add support and weight to combined MP advocacy.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/6123812/Dunne-in-gun-over-survey-backing-booze-crackdown
So George explain this-or no comment lala la la lalalalallala
then start on this
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/6123338/Dunne-holds-key-to-asset-sales-vote
Dunne is a joke and so are you
Do you think people standing up and making sure they have more input into politics is “a joke”?
No fuk ur a clown
everyday all you can do is diss Labour diss Labour- well dish it out fuktard
youll get it back
I am so over reading your fuking shit every day here blah fukin blah
consider this war
answer the questions
Dunne who has just been snapped suppressing this report getting released is a joke
Hell he was associate minister of health and he sat on this?
I also clearly remember Dunne on smaller parties leaders debate making a statement that UF were against asset sales and he has flip flopped and bent over and offered his ass to Key
Dunne has been consistent on asset sales – United Future had no policies to sell assets but made it clear the most supported party had a right to progress it’s key policies.
UF made it clear what it’s bottom lines were on asset sales, and it was also clear that it wasn’t strongly opposed to partial sales of some assets. I’ve got no problem with the party position on this.
I also clearly remember Dunne on smaller parties leaders debate making a statement that UF were against asset sales and he has flip flopped and bent over and offered his ass to Key
Pete might like to explain slimy’s stance on tobacco, too- before he became all unctuous on restricting other people’s drugs of choice. He’s consistently proved to me that he’s in the pockets of vested interests and is for sale at whatever price. Look at his history of support for the hunting with Jesus lobby, for further examples.
So UF ran on the basis of being a sycophant and a collaborator?
“We don’t have a policy of selling out the country, but will fully support any party in Government which wishes to do so”
lolz
Go away Pete – you are disturbed – and take you bible toting mate Dunne with you.
Except that they don’t. If they can’t get a majority then they can’t pass their policies and all of that means is that Peter Dunne said one thing while being confident that he would be doing something else. Most people call that lying.
Oh the Irony.
So Petey if the Government is doing important policy review in an area, like, as an example, alcohol reform, and there is a comprehensive report on public opinion concerning alcohol use that is directly relevant to the policy review, do you think that the public should have the opportunity to have more input into the review by the release of this information?
Or do you think it should be suppressed?
Please answer. This is a debate I am sure many would like to have with you.
On the surface it seems like the survey hasn’t added much to the issue, the results look pretty much as I would have expected them. I think I’ve seen similar elsewhere.
However I’m all for as much openness and informed debate as possible so this does raise an eyebrow – but I’d like to find out more about this before being too critical.
Dunne sat on this report getting released its as simple as that FOOL
I’d prefer more balanced views than yours and TV3, who campaigned against Peter Dunne when they didn’t ignore him.
Well why did he sit on it? Why didn’t he release it. His reported response, that they did not want to spend $10k on a peer review of the report, is bollocks.
The report should have been released. It would have steeled up public opinion on the reforms and made some chicken MPs firm up on their views.
Petey, has UF or Dunne received donations or free grog from the liquor industry in the past 12 months?
Greg, that’s a particularly shitty sort of insinuation. Do you have any at all to support that sort of accusation?
If I attempted that sort of smear on, say, someone called David I suspect you’d be asking moderators to demand substantiation or retraction.
Take it up with the Green Party mate. Didn’t you see their press release on Dunne’s questionable actions?
That Pete is a question – as indicated by the ? symbol at the end.
An insinuation would be – UF keep taking money from breweries.
ms A fair enough question. It would be 99.9% sure that the liquor industry is massaging the pollies, inside and out, anyone for a whisky rub? So invigorating to their cause. Even Treasury that noble astute disinterested bunch have been accepting cosy dinners for three or four.
hahha and ur views are *balanced** hahha
you still HAVE NOT answered both questions
you have done ur normal spin
IT hasnt worked
so i stand by my comment youre a fool and an idiot
I’ve responded here and on another post.
You didn’t answer my question to you related to this thread. Do you think people standing up and making sure they have more input into politics is “a joke”?
There’s only one joke I can see.
The joke I find hysterically funny is someone urging people to have more say in politics when the person doing the urging, while speaking at great length and often, actually says nothing of any political note.
Regulation/watchdog recommended for “public affairs” bloggers:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/6123280/Super-watchdog-could-police-bloggers-and-news-websites
And of course the article quotes those morally upstanding citizen journalists, as leaders in the struggle for honest and ethical blogging:
And, of course, I would expect no less of Fairfax Media than their statement supporting anything that would improving journalistic standards, and the importance of freedom of speech going hand in hand with responsibility and accountability. /bemused.
Slater applied to join the press Council, and was presumably declined! Even journalists have standards.
Why did they only seek comment from two right wing retard bloggers without any modicum of credibility? I would have expected more from Fairfax Media /sarc.
Being that the hypocritical elitist pricks breach journalistic standards on a weekly basis, their opinion on regulation is obviously contrived to turn others off the idea… or perhaps they believe the watchdogs mandate will be formulated in such a way as to disadvantage left wing bloggers while allowing them to continue their (often illegal) hate speech. Another good reason to stay anonymous and host elsewhere.
“If someone gets its horribly wrong, they get a bad reputation …”
From Farrar? Priceless!
In todays herald
Huljich’s lawyer Jack Hodder SC asked the judge to consider discharging his client without conviction because it would harm his career as a ”businessman in a globalised world”.
Huljich’s lawyer Jack Hodder SC asked the judge to consider discharging his client without conviction because it would harm his career as a ”frauster in a globalised world”.
There fixed it.
I don’t know why you fixed it, in the modern globalised world
financier = fraudster
Just ask the peeps at Lehman Bros, AIG, MF Global, JP Morgan or any of the other government sanctioned ponzi artists now posing as bankers.
Some people don’t understand that CV
I know you do, not criticising, thanks for bringing it up in fact 🙂
We have NZ financiers who think they can take their lead from these overseas institutions 🙁
I didn’t take it as criticism.
Daily Kos: This Ad Needs to go Viral.
McFlock
From yesterday:
‘No specifics on your linked pages – a bit like saying “Key promised to dowhateverit takes” and using thestandard.org as your source.
Though you get points for poetic language, e.g. “financial unravelling”.
Doesn’t say a damned thing. Are you predicting NZ or US inflation at, say, more than 300% by 2015? Reduction in international goods exchange by 30% in the same period? Will we no longer be using money? What?
You’ve been saying the same stuff here for a couple of years or so and the dates keep changing. Be a bit more specific so your predictions are testable.’
Let’s put it this way.
‘Peak oilers’ said in the early 2000s that global oil supply would fail to meet demand, that prices would rise rapidly and that the world would be subject to a series of ‘recessions’ that would morph into the Great [never-ending] Depression. Sure enough, it happened. Oil went from $28 a barrel to $147, blew the global economic system apart for a few weeks, and is currently around $100 a barrel. The global economic system has been in non-recovery phase since 2008.
‘Gold bugs said in the early 2000s that the price of gold would rise spectacularly. It did. Gold went from around $250 and ounce to $1900 and is currently around $1700. Gold will break through $2,000. It will break through $,3000 as ‘paper’ money becomes increasingly worthless.
”Property freaks’ said in the mid-2000s the US housing market was overblown would crash. It did. The collapse of the US housing sector commenced in 2007-8. And it’s still unravelling.
‘Climate change scaremongers’ said in the early 2000s the Artic region was in unprecedented meltdown. It is. 2007 saw the lowest ever summer ice cover and 2010 saw the lowest ever winter ice cover (since modern measurements commenced in 1979). The latest report from Greenland points out that the island is rising as the weight of ice rapidly declines. And crops are being grown in Greenland that have never been grown there before.
According to your criteria, all the people who gave timely warnings were wrong or unreliable because they didn’t give specifics. They didn’t forecast in which month of which year any particular event would happen.
All I can say is keep taking the ‘soma’. Don’t bother to do the necessary research. Don’t read the book I suggested. Don”t spend time reading important material on the webstites I recommended. Remain uninformed. Remain in denial. After all, the system requires lots of people to become victiims. And since there are far too many people chasing declining resources we do need a population die-off. Thanks for volunteering.
And I’m not going to waste any more of my time providing you with information you do not appreciate.
Not quite.
Peak oil was a specific, testable circumstance, predicted with increasingly accurate timeframes as the event approached.
Global warming has specific, testable predictions relating to sea level rise, temperature, other environmental factors, and according to specific timelines. AGW is described at length, and adjusted as better data becomes available.
Property and gold speculators always have some people predicting boom, others bust. One of them is guaranteed to be correct, but even they almost always use testable scales like “$2000/ounce” or “fall 40%”.
YOU just refer to “catastrophe”, “collapse” (and can I suggest “calamity”), with different years for each. So when you talk about collapse of the financial system, what are you predicting in the way of inflation, means of exchange ($$, rmb, gold, barter), and so on?
[edit] – when you actually provide some information, I might appreciate it.
Do as we say… not as we do!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JGOTCPh0nA
http://www.zerohedge.com/contributed/uk-recruitment-bubble
A good piece. Excerpts pasted below ..
…….
What started its life as a facilitation service has become a dog eat dog eat industry where inter and intra company rivalries have reached dizzying heights .. A recent poll revealed that within the M25 there are 19 000 recruitment companies. To put that in perspective, the M25 is a 188km ring road. we make that 6.75 recruitment firms for every square kilometre.
So whats the issue? A group of young girls and guys are out there starting up firms and earning good sums of money. Sounds great. Very Entrepreneurial. Well, the issue lies in the fact that recruitment firm hiring and creation is outpacing the number of available non-recruitment jobs by a huge rate and now the competition for business is getting considerably more fierce.
If we step back and think about this a set of economic principles, the result is very clear. We have a contractionary demand situation with and exponentially large supply expansion that is continuing to boom. As a result, the price level (% fee) falls exponentially to reach a new equilibrium.
This is what is happening in recruitment. As the market becomes flooded with firms, the market rate for placing a candidate starts to fall. An anonymous source revealed that their fee had fallen from 25% to 5% in some cases just to secure business and this will start to happen market wide.
From a business standpoint, one of the biggest issues is due to the rates that the companies are exposed to. Those targeting the best clients need a prestige postcode and those aren’t cheap, many of the firms in London are based within walking distance to their city clients and rely upon the chunky commission structure to foot the bill. If this disintegrates, so does the postcode.
To an investor, these businesses now look like duds. High cost liabilities, low cash flows and a remarkably thin asset level.
PG
‘Dunne has been consistent on asset sales – United Future had no policies to sell assets but made it clear the most supported party had a right to progress it’s key policies. ‘
So, by that logic, if a party wanted to set up concentration camps and introduce arbitrary arrest in NZ, and that party got more votes than any other party, Peter Dunne would support that party and vote for the setting up of concentration camps and vote for abitrary arrest.
We’ve known for years that Dunne lives in a moral cess pit.
No, Dunne also made it clear in the campaign that Labour couldn’t and wouldn’t be supported due to it’s policies (especially tax). So Labour didn’t get the opportunity to try to put together a Labour+Green+NZF+Mana+UF government.
The Tertiary Commission is limiting funds to Maori Wananga because of numbers not finishing study and certification. But my view is that each paper should have standing, it has involved study and learning in itself that shouldn’t be disdained because of not achieving the total number set for the completion of the certificate (a degree, diploma or whatever). Getting a pass on a paper if studied properly, (not just copied from other’s work on the internet) involves a lot of application and learning. We should change the way we view uncompleted degrees etc to recognise this achievement.
Tolley gets dumped by Key, Collins and Bennett move on up the cabinet rankings.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10772717
And it only took 2 years and an election for them to realise Tolley was incapable of the job.
Only to put her in charge of Corrections.
Yay. Let’s watch as she fucks things up and makes Collin’s look positively brilliant in comparison.
They’ve also given Dunne Conservation, which is utterly moronic given Dunne’s anti-1080 views and his lack of any prior experience with the area, let alone this wonderful thinking tool called “science”.
/sigh
With pictures! http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/image.cfm?c_id=1&gal_objectid=10772717&gallery_id=103448#8390046
Tolley as Minister of Police – will she set a minimum number of Tazerings to be done in a month?
I actually don’t have clue who have that lot are, or for that matter, why we have so many Ministries – Racing, veteran affairs, Regulatory Reform (isn’t that all government); – shouldn’t the Ministry of ‘Courts’ not be under a larger umbrella of justice?
Also, nice collection of Cantab farmers wives – nothing like having a cabinet in touch with everyday reality…..
Tolley as Minister of Police – and Corrections! God help us and them. AND to boot , Deputy Leader of the House. That is the one that really astounds me, especially if the rumours are correct and Lockwood Smith ends up High Commissioner to London – although being Deputy Leader does not necessarily mean that she would automatically step up to Leader under the parliamentary rules governing these positions.
Re the Minister for Courts being separate from the Minister of Justice, this is a hangover from the merger of the Department of Courts and the Ministry of Justice some years ago (can’t remember of the top of my head which year). Also the two Ministerial roles are quite dissimilar with the Minister of Justice focused on higher level justice/legal issues while the Minister for Courts role is focused on the operational side of running the Courts system.
So the Ministry of Justice’s two main Ministers have changed, ie
Collins in place of Power as Minister of Justice
Chester Burrows in place of Te Heu Heu as Minister for Courts
Finlayson remains Attorney-General and also Minister for Treaty Negotiations.
Not sure from the lists out to date who has got Minister in charge of Legal Services which is now under the Ministry of Justice.
Oops – in my first para above, I was incorrect in that I mixed up Deputy Leader of the House and Deputy Speaker. Tolley has got the former not the latter – thank goodness. Could not conceive of her as a Speaker in the House! My bad – trying to do too many things at once.
Hahaha I’m just remembering listening to Radio NZ one afternoon and hearing Dunne’s brilliant solution to a lake that had too many koi carp living in it – he thought the best solution was to have a fishing contest.
Seriously.
Minister of Conservation. It’s going to be a long three years…
Freedom to die: Inside the Syrian torture chamber
The stuff of nightmares…
cv.
I like your observation about the herald needing a raincheck. (permmanent).
there is an easier way.
the NZLP needs to invest in micropulse radio stations.
$4,000 bucks buys the gear and the license.
they are line of sight and one could conceivably cover Auckland.
forget about the dinosaurs in Queen Street.
time for some real innovation and a new mesage.
if tribesmen in the hindu kush can do it then why not here?
Koch-Fueled Americans for Prosperity Takes Credit for Bullying GOP Lawmakers into Climate Denial
Surprisingly, AFP isn’t shy about discussing its influence on electoral politics. In fact, in the National Journal article, AFP’s president, Tim Phillips, openly takes credit for bullying — literally threatening — GOP lawmakers with “political peril” should they chose to “play footsie” on climate change and clean energy:
I read that a few days ago Joe.
Now most of us knew that’s what was going on. But to see them openly gloating about it… well it energises a dark part of my soul.
Most people who do evil things retain enough sense to keep quiet about it, but revelling in the success of your evil is another thing altogether. These people KNOW they are wrong, they KNOW what they are doing is wrong in every sense of the word… yet they believe themselves so far above normal decency, beyond even the reach of shame..
PS And joe, here’s a Naomi Klein linky in return:
http://www.thenation.com/article/164497/capitalism-vs-climate?page=0%2C0
Re the non-release of the alcohol survey:
That’s a fair point – why didn’t the Health Sponsorship Council just release their report?
As a Crown funded agency they can be told not to Pete, thought you were cleverer than that.
How these things work (yes it was 30 years ago and overseas, not much has changed when it comes to public health) http://www.sochealth.co.uk/Black/interpreting.htm
If Dunne says he expected them to release the report it doesn’t sound like they were told not to, it would be easy for them to counter that claim.
Hmmm – are you saying that the public sector should start publically arguing with cabinet ministers?
If Dunne expected them to release the report without him releasing the funding, he either has no idea how government works, or he’s a damned liar.
More slime. The report wasn’t released because (unlike your internet ejaculate) policy-oriented scientific studies need to go through a final peer review process, have a final stage of editing, and then printing and distribution (generally to primary funders, stakeholder groups and archivesNZ). This takes what we call “money”. Mr Dunne was asked for the “money”, and said “no”.
Oh yes, lion nathan would have loved it if the “report” had been released as an unedited, unreviewed, poorly laid out internet blog. Luckily for NZ, most policy documents and scientific research has better quality assurance than yourwank.org.nz.
The Health Sponsorship Council would have known this when they funded the survey wouldn’t they?
It seems odd they would nearly complete it then do nothing more simply because government wouldn’t hand out $10k at the last minute.
Well, it’s an indication of how odd dunnehill’s decision was – kicking the report upstairs for comments about direction, “can we have a chapter on this?”, and so on is pretty normal. Final tweaking at the boss’s discretion, then the funding is released for publication.
To turn down a solid, even groundbreaking, piece of research at this stage is like building the Clyde Dam and then refusing to fund the high-voltage lines that would connect it with the national grid. The fact that the study dealt with NZ attitudes to alcohol harm, pricing and advertising certainly allows folk to make a pretty short inference as to his motives.
Dunne spun on this aspect this morning on Nine to Noon – something to the effect that the money (a measly $10K) was needed for other priorities. Suggest you go listen to what he said, PG, so you can get your lines right.
Pompus Git the one man band hasbeen caught out manipulating the evidence also backing a band aid solution to a $6 billion dollar per annum loss to the economy!
Munny flushed down the dunny
Pretty amazing Occupy site…
http://cowbird.com/saga/occupy/#
“take the power back” West Coast shutdown this evening, Monday morning US time, including Japanese rail workers proposing to block grain trains in solidarity, march on Goldman Sacs @ 7am in NY… should be interesting
clip
Why would Iran want the bomb… each star represents a US base.
http://www.juancole.com/2011/12/iran-has-us-surrounded-all-right.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+juancole%2Fymbn+%28Informed+Comment%29
I know exactly who I would like. However I am a loyal, member of the Labour Party .Both these guys will serve the party well/,so lets get behind.
I dont need being told by sleazy Nats/ACT who I should support.
The Editorial yesterdays Sunday Herald was an example of the foul columns we can expect ,they have already started an anti Labour leader campaign. Dont let fall for this Crosby /Textor campaign this time. And before any Tory in sheeps clothing tells me that I just do as I told thy need to know I am nobodies poodle/ But I firmly believe in a democratic system and If I have a dispute I do it in in house and if I feel extra strong about an issue I can piss vey well in side the tent.
We won the cricket!
Yeah! Fantastic effort and maybe Punter’s last go round in the baggy green? Luckily our next opponent is Zimbabwe, so we may even get win back to back tests for the first time since like forever.
Who cares? (and bah humbug!)
Gordon Campbell on the coalition agreements
Overall he points out that none of the parties involved have got good deals for their constituents and that a lot of the policies that were agreed on weren’t advised before the election. On that he says:
Which is something I could get behind. Something like:
Policies that were not advertised before the election can be passed into law unless in response to an emergency situation and such emergent law will have a maximum length of 6 months from implementation and, within that 6 months, must go through a referendum and select committee.
Time to shift to more accountable democracy.
I agree absolutely and completely. I have often suggested that the standards that we out here in realityland have to comply should be the same as those for our public lawmakers. In fact their standards should be higher – but they are not, they are lower.
We have to comply with the Fair Trading Act, which is the way it should be. The lawmakers can lie and bullshit to til the cows come home, which is not the way it should be.
The exact same or greater standard shold apply to those charged with lawmaking. It is after all supposed to be something most important. Isn’t it? Is making law in Parliament not more important than selling a trinket at the $2 shop?
So I propose again, The Fair Trading in Politics Act. It is all about preventing “misleading and deceptive conduct in politics”.
Why should it not apply? I have never heard a good reason. Anyone? Somebody who is a politician perhaps? Got an answer? Or just go quiet and hope it goes away? Follow Key’s stellar example of leadership – whatever you can get away with goes? ?
Correction:
Policies that were not advertised before the election can not be passed into law…
Hi Nanaia
I know you were sent a copy of this essay http://oilcrash.com/articles/wilson08.htm in a booklet, along with the movie Blind Spot and a ‘video’ of a lecture given by Professor Albert Bartlett titled Arithmetic, Population and Energy. I hope you’ve had the chance to look at this information.
Combining the above info with this parliamentary report from October 2010 http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/ParlSupport/ResearchPapers/4/6/a/00PLEco10041-The-next-oil-shock.htm , could you please advise me on weather I should open a Kiwi Saver account, being as Labour were going to make it compulsory I am sure you must have some contrary view and information than what I am presenting.
Thanks
[lprent: Do you ask that same last question of everyone in Labour at present, including lowly members like me? I have e-mail from you with a half written answer that keeps getting disrupted by work and xmas socialising. What are you doing? Compiling a dossier?
Updated – that was a retorical question rather than a reason to open a dialogue. Eventually I will finish my email.
Moved to OpenMike so you can talk to yourself for a while. Doesn’t look to me like you are talking to or about Nanaia. ]
I guess I’m to reply to you via this system Lynn?
The reason I ask Labour MPs the question is because they were the ones to bring it in in the first place, and they wanted to make it compulsory, I think I am asking a legitimate question, being as so many of my friends are placing so much money into the scam. And if you have even just glanced at the information I’m presenting then you must know I am right and whom ever dreamed up Kiwi Saver is stark raving mad 😉
I would ask the same of the Greeds, but they really make my skin crawl.
Now what is this about an email, happy for you to make it public.
One thing I’ve noticed with nearly every letter I’ve seen or received from a minister that the signature is always on the last page and all the incriminating stuff is on the first page, as if it would not stand up in court, I think when receiving a letter from a minister each page should be signed or at least initialled .. oh but that might make them tell the truth.
?
Ah…irony or …something…
“Let us be crystal clear, however, Tony Fabrizio is not the victim here. Tony Fabrizio has lined his pockets for years with money from gay groups and is now one of the chief architects of a campaign strategy – not just an isolated television ad – intended to demonize gay people in order to score political points. Fabrizio claims he opposed the latest anti-gay Perry television ad.
Just watching Russian TV, what a great channel if you really want ot know whats going on.
The USA correspondent had a story about how the California PD were violently ejecting OWSers in San francisco and arresting them on bylaws in contravention of the US Bill of Rights…..then a story about how spy drones (as -un-seen over Iraq and Afganistan) were being deployed to spy on US citizens despite outrage by civil rights groups…..this was followed by a look at Christmas shopping in New York with $2mlln bracelets for the super rich and 99cent shops for the super poor. Apparently 4 million New Yorkers on food stamps…what a country.
The Standard’s open mike is pretty good too.
Russia TV is an excellent global newsource. On everything except stories to do with Russia and its immediate sphere of influence.
Man, some people will complain about anything.
1.) Two towers close together will look like two other towers close together
2.) No, it doesn’t look like they’re exploding
3.) It’s been ten fucken years, get over it already or are all architects forever supposed to avoid designing because a few people in another part of the world might get upset.
DTB
Gotta use every opportunity to keep the the faux official 9/11 meme going.
Just think what would happen if people worldwide recognised the official 9/11 narrative for the scam it was.
Fine words Nanaia. But what do you know about Fractional Reserve Banking, International Bond Markets, Derivatives, Peak Oil, and EROEI. These, and other financial energetic and environmental the matters, are going to determine everyone’s immediate future. And the longer term future will be determined by Abrupt Climate Change.
In the absence of any evidence to the contrary we assume you know next-to-nothing about any of the issues of the times.
[lprent: In the absence of proof to the contrary I can’t see that you know much about them apart from their names either. Basically you are making an assertion without proof for no particular point apart from some kind of ego stroking. Bumped to OpenMike. ]
lprent
That’s a bit rich isn’t it? Overt censorship. Remove a comment from a thread because it highlights unmentionable truths.
It’s not for me to demonstrate I know about the key issues of the times but it is for someone who wants to lead the country to demonstrate they know about the key issues of the times and can deal with them.
I guess what we are witnessing right now is just another aspect of the failure we have come to expect from Labour over the years.
If you had read the whole of post you’d have known that I said I would be moderating the post. One of the things I always moderate when there is time is off-topic top comments. I will typically bump them to OpenMike.
Your comment was way way off topic. However if you want see what actual censorship is like then ask and I will demonstrate.
A bit rough mr prent? I thought asking one of our leading politicians to comment on the fractional reserve banking system and its features (failures) is entirely pertinent.
It is after all the world’s BIGGEST ponzi scheme.
It is also the cause of the current world financial crisis. I mean, how did it come to be that there is more debt in the world than there is money to repay it? And, following that absurdity, how does it then get repaid?
Very very very fair questions. In fact, so fair that our leading financial whizz-kid, who just so happens be the leader of the land, John Key, should be quizzed heavily on it as well.
It is past time that this issue was cranked way up
Perhaps he should actually ask a question?
Instead he made a statement followed by an assertion. Even in a normal post, I’d be looking at that thinking that it requires a warning. Doing it on a post that has a statement saying it is being actively moderated is pretty damn silly don’t you think?
I have talked to Cunliffe about oil depletion, EROEI, land export model etc. He gets the ideas at least theoretically, but I do not know how important (or real) he considers them.
What are you on about?
To the best of my knowledge, until 2 min ago, I thought I was writing to Lynn, not having my emails/blogs/messages repeated in open mike. But I guess like all things in life it is my fault for not reading the small print, and ignorance of the ‘law’ is no excuse.
Is there no wonder I have such a low opinion of this spices.
Have you ever read Celestine Prophecy , hope you enjoy the power trip 😉
I did not repeat your e-mail – that is a lie. I said that I had received a email on the same topic from you and was in the process of writing a reply.
As far as I am aware there isn’t anything particularly priviledged about my doing that. You didn’t even write about anything to do with the site that would be covered by our privacy provisions.
Anyway, I am sick of this crap. Desist from bugging me or I will remove the nuisance
Evidentially another moderator thinks the same…
dame it! I think I have the right to defend myself
First I posted a comment on Nanaia’s thing, you made a comment, I didn’t mind in the least, I new the reply would not go public, I wasn’t trying to be smart, I wasn’t aware I wasn’t ‘allowed’ to what looked to me like something I was invited to reply to??? so I replied in a one to one manner, again knowing it would not go public, but then I went to open mike and there it was? … go figure,
Then the next message I send you via the reply on Nanaia’s blog (again not knowing I was pissing you off) I get called a troll ??? wtf , by a sprout?
What is that all about???
I did not lie at all, I wasn’t talking about an ’email’ I was talking about the original reply I sent you via Nanaia’s thing.
But bygones, lets move on to a brighter future, knowing I had no intention of upsetting you at all
Happy thoughts
[lprent: I noted on the comment because the question was damn near exactly the same as as the one I got. I shifted the comments when you started a discussion with me that had nothing to do with the topic on the post and detracted from it. A followup comment by you was caught as being off topic by another moderator before I finished moving it to OpenMike. I am irritable at the best of times – but I was in bed staving off a cold before I got up to put Nanaia’s post up. It requires moderation releases. Now I have just moved to outright grumpy wasting sleep time on these comments. ].
RA
‘hope you enjoy the power trip’
Spot on.
That’s what it always comes down to in the end with any political group.
And controlling the information flow.
[It’s not about controlling the ‘information flow’, how can it be when you and Robert have had any amount of time and oxygen here on The Standard? It’s about observing a few basic house rules. Guys.. how about leaving off and all coming back fresh another day? Really there is no call for this… because arguing with the moderators, the sysop especially, is always a dead-end street. And there is need to go there. RL]
lprent.
The big difference between TS and other places I comment is the lack of censorship elsewhere. Sorry, I’m not into censorship. The moment that is introduced the intellectual argument is lost and the door to totalitarianism is open.
When I stop posting on TS it will be your loss and the Labour movement’s loss not mine.
[lprent: You can call it censorship. But you of all people should be aware of the time we spend making sure that you don’t do diversions on topics because you regard everything as being a subset of your favorite issues. We move them to OpenMike – just to to censor you? You have convinced me that I need to test your assertion by experiment
Banned for a month to give me a good holiday from moving your comments to OpenMike and to test if anyone notices the lack of your wisdom here. ]
[RL: Good grief AFKTT. A quick search shows you have made something like 30 comments in the last 3 days alone. And you have the gall to call a mild spot of moderation… ‘censorship’? That’s plain wrong and you know it.
Lynn and I between us probably have more good reason than most to support the essential cause you are so passionate about… but frankly your monomania is undoing any good you may have once achieved. And your failure to understand and control yourself around some basic house rules, is bloody dissapointing.]
“Crushed boy racer…” the NZ Herald wittingly headlines the story about the first person to get their car crushed under the car-crush legislation. Some fellow who has been caught doing burnouts thrice. Not exactly a hardened DUI recidivist case… But anyway, team crusher have been baying for this day for a long long time now…
Herald missed the real ironic story that stands out like a real story though, that this ‘crushing’ punishment which is supposed to discourage such attention seeking behavior, has merely done the exact opposite giving this guy national fame amongst his peers, all for the cost of a shit-box $1200 corolla… Oh I bet he is crying himself to sleep over his crappy old corolla… yeah right.
Oh and he’s already sold it to someone else, so what does that mean, all that’s happening is some other poor sod loses out.
Good grief, where is the real journalism in this country, they make a big deal about this and yet ignore the interesting subtleties.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=HCXlJ36x-q0
3D printing, this has really got to scare the capitalists.