Green Party co-leader Russel Norman has accused Prime Minister John Key of conspiring to establish a surveillance state in New Zealand by encouraging American data-mining company Palantir to set up shop here.
-snip-
Dr Norman voiced concerns this week about Palantir and its software Prism, which he suggested was similar to the huge online data gathering and tracking tool of the same name used by United States spy organisation the National Security Agency.
He also pointed out Palantir had set up an office in Wellington and was advertising for an analyst to be embedded with the Government.
Yesterday he said: “We need to know, is John Key effectively trying to replicate Prism in New Zealand by getting this organisation Palantir to set up here and start spying on all of our internet communications and everything digital that we do?”
-snip-
And in a tone reminiscent of the scientists of old who crowed that all that there was to be discovered already had been and laughed when the suggestion was made that the world wasn’t flat…here’s Tony Ryall:
State Owned Enterprises Minister Tony Ryall said Dr Norman suffered from paranoia and called him the Chicken Little of New Zealand politics. “Every time he talks about anything the sky’s falling in … it’s all big business big politics, the right against the innocent little Greens.”
Palantir: The ancient seeing stones of Middle Earth; originally used to keep the free peoples in contact with one another, but which fell under the power of the Eye of Sauron. Corrupting; Saruman the White, and driving mad with despair; Denethor (steward of Gondor, and lord of Minas Tirith; bulwark against the forces of evil). How appropriate.
@AwW
These scientists of old you mention; which ones do you mean? Aristarchus was the first (circa 300 BC!) to accurately describe the approximate size and shape of the solar system. But his work was more; lost, than derided by other scientists. Copernicus certainly came in for his share of flak, but that was mainly from the church; who demanded his heliocentricism be taught as merely a hypothesis (tactics reminiscent of the present attacks on teaching evolution).
A better example might be Galileo, the first astronomer to make and use telescopes (all Aristarchus had was; his eyes, the phases of the moon, and the length of shadows cast by the sun). In regard to his discovery of the moons of Jupiter, he begged a priest to look through one of his telescopes and see the evidence for himself. The reply? “I don’t need to look, for my faith informs me that they are not there” [paraphrased from the original Italian, obviously].
One you’ll like most is the new interview with snowde in the South China Morning Post, but it seems to have crashed their server, I imagine it’s popular. the link is here
This is great stuff Pb. Some thought provoking and considered commentary. Also good quotes in here. Appreciated.
The citizens of Hong Kong come in for some well deserved praise for their courage for standing up for democracy against the communist regional Power. I see that the citizens of that great city are rallying to support Snowden already.
Meanwhile the communist toady administrator of Hong Kong is calling for Snowden to be promptly sent back to the US. The US and their Communist China rivals and sometimes enemy, rally together against their common foe. Their own people’s thirst for democracy and freedom.
I take back my first impression that Snowden should come here. Hong Kong sounds like the perfect place for Snowden. Snowden has knowingly and willingly placed his life in the hands of the citizens of Hong Kong knowing of their record of standing up for democracy and freedom. Refusing to be bullied by the Communist Leaders of China or the past Colonial rulers.
Snowden has given recognition to the people of Hong Kong and their great history.
I only wish it had been us who had been so honoured.
“But yeah, as you say, no no no….”
Yet another failure by a “liberal” commentator
The Huddle, NewstalkZB, Wednesday 12 June 2013
Tim Dower, Damian Christie, Maria Slade
Larry “Lackwit” Williams is away, possibly with swine flu. But the format of this horror show remains the same: a dim but nasty host (TIM DOWER), a virulently dogmatic right wing opinionator (MARIA SLADE) and one token “liberal” who, in almost every case, is bullied into dithering silence or nervously tries to “find common ground” with the other two. Today that contemptible wimp is played to perfection by DAMIAN CHRISTIE. For anyone concerned at media irresponsibility, mediocrity and downright cowardliness, this little exchange, right at the end of today’s Huddle, is a perfect case study. Note how Christie initially makes a (weak) statement supporting Edward Snowden, but when the other two grunt their disapproval, he not only falls into line, but preposterously compares Snowden to Nazi war criminals hiding in South America….
TIM DOWER: Okay, we’re back with The Huddle. Now, uh, [snicker] this BIZARRE suggestion today that we should grant asylum to this guy Edward Snowden! Ha ha ha ha ha! What do you think of THAT?
MARIA SLADE:[snicker] No, no, no, no, NO.
DAMIAN CHRISTIE: Well…[nervous snicker]… I have some time for Edward Snowden actually. I think that what this Prism business shows is that the very LEAST, I should at least know that my emails are not being spied on! [nervous snicker]
TIM DOWER:[dubiously] Mmmmmmmmm.
MARIA SLADE:[dubiously] Mmmmmmmmmmm. They must have caught Geoffrey Robinson at a low point! I have a lot of time for him actually and, you know, his stand against the death penalty?
TIM DOWER: Yup.
MARIA SLADE: But THIS? [snicker] This is just…aaaaarrrgghhhh!! And you know he’s married to that FABULOUS novelist Kathy Lette! But THIS? No, no, no, no, no.
DAMIAN CHRISTIE: I suppose New Zealand could be like Brazil and Argentina after World War Two, where characters like this could hide out. But yeah, as you say, no, no, no.
MARIA SLADE: Not with our relationship with the United States. It could never happen! No. NO.
TIM DOWER: Damian Christie and Maria Slade, thank you!
Point to Ponder….
The following are all used in NewstalkZB’s on air promos…..
Ranting. Reacting. Reasoning. Reflecting. The Huddle with LarryWilliams, on NewstalkZB!
NewstalkZB. Fair and Balanced.
NewstalkZB. Tune Your Mind.
Here’s the official line on dissent for today, written for the morally unimpeachable Daily Telegraph by one Tim Stanley, who is a British version of Dr Michael Bassett.
It’s full of flippant putdowns and piss-weak analysis, but it’s as good as the British and U.S. regimes can manage, short of flinging rape allegations at him.
Those of us with a conscience will simply laugh at statements like this one about Prism: “it’s not a snooping programme but a data management tool.” But you will no doubt fall on such made-to-measure soundbites like a maggot on a chop.
How sweet, and ironic too, Morrissey, given that you’re the bastion of “flippant putdowns and piss-weak analysis” around here. I shall forbear to meditate on the interesting question as to why Mr Snowden failed to take advantage of US federal whistleblower laws, did not take his concerns to Congress, nor protested to the organisations and institutions for which he worked – the system is undoubtedly flawed. It is, however, curious to say the least, n’est-ce pas, that his exodus to Hong Kong appears to have been in preperation some weeks before the leaking. It is also rather interesting that Mr Snowden chose Hong Kong to flee to because of its regard for free speech. Surely it did not escape one so erudite that Hong Kong remains a part of the People’s Republic of China and has an extradition treaty with the US. In any case, I ceased to have any sympathy for the man when he just recently made the transition (from his plush and expensive hotel room) from whistleblower to treasonist by blabbing too all and sundry about US espionage arrangements in China – a bridge too far. I would postulate that Mr Snowden, if not a conscious saboteur, is at least then like you a delusional narcissist.
Here are some of the ‘flaws’ of the whistle blowing process as told by one who used it:
I differed as a whistleblower to Snowden only in this respect: in accordance with the Intelligence Community Whistleblower Protection Act, I took my concerns up within the chain of command, to the very highest levels at the NSA, and then to Congress and the Department of Defense. I understand why Snowden has taken his course of action, because he’s been following this for years: he’s seen what’s happened to other whistleblowers like me.
By following protocol, you get flagged – just for raising issues. You’re identified as someone they don’t like, someone not to be trusted. I was exposed early on because I was a material witness for two 9/11 congressional investigations. In closed testimony, I told them everything I knew – about Stellar Wind, billions of dollars in fraud, waste and abuse, and the critical intelligence, which the NSA had but did not disclose to other agencies, preventing vital action against known threats. If that intelligence had been shared, it may very well have prevented 9/11.
But as I found out later, none of the material evidence I disclosed went into the official record. It became a state secret even to give information of this kind to the 9/11 investigation.
I reached a point in early 2006 when I decided I would contact a reporter. I had the same level of security clearance as Snowden. If you look at the indictment from 2010, you can see that I was accused of causing “exceptionally grave damage to US national security”. Despite allegations that I had tippy-top-secret documents, In fact, I had no classified information in my possession, and I disclosed none to the Baltimore Sun journalist during 2006 and 2007. But I got hammered: in November 2007, I was raided by a dozen armed FBI agents, when I was served with a search warrant. The nightmare had only just begun, including extensive physical and electronic surveillance.
In April 2008, in a secret meeting with the FBI, the chief prosecutor from the Department of Justice assigned to lead the prosecution said, “How would you like to spend the rest of your life in jail, Mr Drake?” – unless I co-operated with their multi-year, multimillion-dollar criminal leak investigation, launched in 2005 after the explosive New York Times article revealing for the first time the warrantless wiretapping operation. Two years later, they finally charged me with a ten felony count indictment, including five counts under the Espionage Act. I faced upwards of 35 years in prison.
In July 2011, after the government’s case had collapsed under the weight of truth, I plead to a minor misdemeanor for “exceeding authorized use of a computer” under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act – in exchange for the DOJ dropping all ten felony counts. I received as a sentence one year’s probation and 240 hours of community service: I interviewed almost 50 veterans for the Library of Congress veterans history project. This was a rare, almost unprecedented, case of a government prosecution of a whistleblower ending in total defeat and failure.
And none of the rest is interesting at all in the way you seem to suggest. It can all be explained in the quote above.
It’s not odd that someone working where he did would have an interest in game theory and signalling and use those insights in his actions. It’s a pretty serious game he’s playing.
I also don’t see any particular need to spend much time trying to psychoanalyse the guy. His personality is pretty much completely beside the point.
While you mind find your confirmation bias comforting, I still find the remainder interestingL Why did he flee to China? WHy is he now spilling his guts that have nothing to do with domestic spying on US citizens?
My bias is not to believe anything, never trust in an ideology, and when something is current and widely available news, I don’t feel I need to google for you
“It’s not odd that someone working where he did would have an interest in game theory and signalling and use those insights in his actions. It’s a pretty serious game he’s playing.”
What I meant by that is there are explanations for his behaviour that relate to to strategy rather than ideology.
Youbleaped to answer your questions with ‘treason’ and psychoanalysis. Good for you I guess. I just see other possible explanations.
What he appears to be doing is sending signals about what cards he has in order to change the calculations made by the various people in whose hands his future lies. It’s about affecting decisions that are made by changing the information the decision makers hold.
game theory. Signals. Geeky stuff that geeks get into.
Or maybe just out of the blue he turned chicom. We don’t have enough information. I’ve not made my mind up about him, and don’t see any particular need to. Like I said, his personality is a bit of a non event in the scheme of things.
“It’s not odd that someone working where he did would have an interest in game theory and signalling and use those insights in his actions. It’s a pretty serious game he’s playing.”
What I meant by that is there are explanations for his behaviour that relate to to strategy rather than ideology.
You leaped to answer your questions with ‘treason’ and psychoanalysis. Good for you I guess. I just see other possible explanations.
What he could well be doing is sending signals about what cards he has in order to change the calculations made by the various people in whose hands his future lies. ( ie, telling both the Chinese and the US that he has more stuff, and may talk without letting them know wjhat he has, and to what extent he will talk). It’s about affecting decisions that are made by changing the information the decision makers hold.
That would explain why he went to china. An opponent of the US will act differently toward him than an ally of the US will.
Game theory, Information theory. Signals. Geeky stuff that geeks get into. Especially crypto geeks.
Or maybe just out of the blue he turned chicom. We don’t have enough information. I’ve not made my mind up about him, and don’t see any particular need to. Like I said, his personality is a bit of a non event in the scheme of things.
First he tries to pillory Snowden for being a high school and army drop out. Now he’s trying to position Snowden as a Chinese spy.
Mate, just get over the fact that this guy is so smart he got a senior consulting position with Booz Allen on $200K pa (including benefits), which is something you couldn’t do.
And that’s before the fact he just threw that and more in, and put his fucking neck on the line. While you whine about his dirty socks.
And maybe you’re jealous of his pole-dancing girfriend – though it seems his salary was actually considerably less than $200,000 a year. Yep, your right, I couldn’t pull that and neither could he. I’m not actually suggesting anything except something remains very fishy, if only his motivations.
Also, you do realise Snowden is a Ron Paul fanatic, don’t you?
Ron Paul’s economic theories are beside the point; his comments about the illegal spying of the government are entirely reasonable and solidly mainstream. Not, of course, if you consider the political class the “mainstream”, but then what does public opinion matter?
Ron Paul is what Richard Prebble would be if he had a conscience and the courage to speak plainly.
You delusional narcissists do like to stick together. There doesn’t appear to be any evidence that he has in fact “leaked” anything that wasn’t already well known to anyone who cared to think about the Patriot Act for ten seconds. Now he’s giving interviews to the Chinese dailies – curiouser and curiouser….
1.) I shall forbear to meditate on the interesting question as to why Mr Snowden failed to take advantage of US federal whistleblower laws
We can see the way that the US treats its whistleblowers, simply by looking at the judicial lynching being perpetrated in Fort Meade, Maryland.
2.) ….the system is undoubtedly flawed.
“Flawed”? What Edward Snowden has confirmed irrefutably is that the U.S. government is spying on its own citizens ILLEGALLY. It is perpetrating CRIMES against its own citizens.
3.) ….curious to say the least, n’est-ce pas, that his exodus to Hong Kong appears to have been in preperation [sic] some weeks before the leaking…
Yes, it was a momentous action he undertook. Planning was essential.
4.) Mr Snowden chose Hong Kong to flee to because of its regard for free speech.
He chose a place where he would be safe from the depradations of another regime which has scant respect for free speech. Similarly, Ai Wei Wei recently sought asylum in the embassy of a regime which has scant respect for free speech. Not that a dedicated servant of state power like yourself is ever likely to anger any criminals like Snowden has done, but you need to remember the concept of “any port in a storm.”
5.) …the People’s Republic of China and has an extradition treaty with the US.
That is for criminal activity, not for political activity. If anyone were to be deported from Hong Kong now, it would be those U.S. operatives in the consul there who have not denounced their country’s criminal activities and are, therefore, still directly or indirectly involved in the commission of those crimes.
6.) …whistleblower to treasonist by blabbing too all and sundry about US espionage arrangements in China – a bridge too far.
He blew the whistle on illegal surveillance of American citizens. THAT is what the criminal U.S. regime wants him for.
7.) …if not a conscious saboteur, is at least then like you a delusional narcissist.
EQC. The government department set up to provide a form of land and building insurance in the event of a major disaster hitting anyone in NZ, but especially hitting a large population centre in one of our cities.
Its very reason for being of course came into play in Christchurch during 2010 and 2011.
EQC’s failings to comply with its own legislated obligations is legendary. It has completely and utterly failed. It has failed to such an extent that EQC offices have no signs, have razor wire around the perimeter and security guards. It is so completely incompetent that if you want to “opt-out” you cannot even speak to the people and you cannot even find out where their offices are to pay a visit.
EQC is the most incompetent and useless bureaucratic organisation I have ever had to deal with, bar none. Fucked.
EQC of course is subject to Gerry Brownlee’s rule in Christchurc. BIG MOST MASSIVE FAIL FOR THE BIG MAN.
So…. when I hear yesterday that the big man Brownlee has had enough of Christchurch City Council building consent delays I laughed. And laughed. and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed
Brownlee wants to take consent processing off the Council due to their delays.
So I look forward to EQC being taken off Brownlee.
Fucking scab-arsed hypocrite prick. I hate shit like this – double standards and total bullshit.
be great for journos to access their media vaults for the statements regarding the EQC reserves,
the ones that after the first quake, had Key saying the following
day one: ” EQC has cash reserves of 15 billion dollars ”
day two: EQC has cash reserves of 6 billion dollars
day three (to present) “EQC has (had) cash reserves of 3 billion dollars”
Yeah. The funny thing is that we are better than this…..
Example – Christchurch City Council building consent applications of all things. We’ve punched a few through there over the years and the staff are brilliant. Helpful, friendly, competent (mostly). We have just pushed our first one through post-earthquake and while there were some biggish delays overall it was not bad and I’ve heard of plenty that have gone through in time. The Council has very real resource constraint issues, just like everybody down here. They are dealing with it better than fucking Brownlee departments with the same issue that’s for sure.
This broadside has wider intent imo.
That can be the only explanation – what does Brownlee expect if the consent process is taken elsewhere? They going to deal with them quicker? Where will he get the staff and competence to do this? Fucking joke ha ha ha ha ha ha. Given Brownlee’s competency with EQC one must expect that if Brownlee is to process consents then it will be on a par with EQC and take bloody shitloads longer than Council. Council outperforms Brownlee.
There is wider intent to this …… keep the ears peeled …….
It is all a part of a general theme the Nats are building up that everything that is wrong is the fault of Local Government and Central Government is not to blame.
Same sort of stuff is happening in Auckland. The Housing Accord stuff is really scary and is clearly an attempt to transfer blame. There is also an underlying anti environmental meme as well and if you look at Environment Canterbury a similar thing is happening.
It is really really scary and my contempt for this Government has hit a new high this year.
Yep, this government is doing everything to shift the blame from them onto government bureaucrats and then we’ll see the private is better meme come front and centre and from there we’ll see even more of our administration shifted into private hands giving National’s rich mates a government guaranteed profit while we get to pay more and get less for it.
Where will he get the staff and competence to do this?
And that is the biggest question of all and the answer is that he will have to get them from the council thus crippling the council even more than it is. National and Labour have no understanding of economics – they just see the money.
The more I think about this attack on the Christchurch City Council by Gerry Brownlee (and it is an attack. The allegation perception and reality are a mullion miles apart) the more I see it as a political stunt as part of a longer campaign (as much as it is).
You watch – this “crisis” will evaporate and nothing will be heard of it in a few weeks. Gets Brownlee and Key and his lot some good headlines for a while though…
VTO – The situation in ChCh, quite clearly contrived , I would not expect to see any opportunity missed, to outsource.
Up here, the attacks are happening from the inside, courtesy of the appointments made by the unelected agency, which is now disbanded, who also signed the city into expensive, long term, damaging contracts, many of which have been *disappeared* from public view, and many which are evident by the numbers of consultants, the agencies they represent, and the *professional*, relationships, which dominate the departments, are easily available to track.
Preferred supplier lists are not adhered to, contractors enter on over-inflated rates/salaries, via the agencies with the *professional connections* – The fraudulant, crony behaviour, to line the pockets of the few, while the many, pick up the tab, is unbelieveable!
It’s a fruadulant enterprise, covering itself, and its actions, in more fraud!
… all appear to be symptoms of a government that has been hell bent on cutting back-office here and back-office there. I suspect that the delay in action is largely because there are not enough operators to deal with queries/phones/ etc.
From my shortish (two terms) experiences in local government (North Shore) it was very clear that the Nats really want to take over local government for themselves and their mates. The infrastructure and potential profit to be made from it is huge.
While it might seem ridiculous for Brownlee to say he’ll take over from Ch’ch city because they’ve got delays in approving resource consents, and you wonder where/how he’ll get the staff to do it any better – this could well be just another form of privatisation and takeover of NZ”s traditional way of doing things. As Mickey Savage says above – its very scarey – and there seems to be no stopping them. There’s still 16 months or so to the next general election – that sufficient time for the Nats to do still more enormous damage.
Does anyone know why Kim Hill is not on Morning Report today?
I woke up invigorated at the prospect of another good morning listening to the much improved programme since Kim has been back – only to find Susie Ferguson on with Simon Mercep and heard no explanation re Kim. I also don’t recall any mention of Kim not being on today in yesterday’s programme.
Nothing against Susie as I am impressed with her, but it seems unusual when she is currently filling in for Mary Wilson on Checkpoint – and then suddenly pops up again on the early morning show as well.
Have Kim’s brilliant interviews of Key and Parata been too revealing for some RNZ management – or their ‘masters’ who pay the cheques using our taxpayer dollars?
I realise that PB – but was it planned for today or is Kim sick or have other commitments today (eg preparation for Saturday)? My understanding from what has been said on MR was that Kim was to on for the full two weeks.
Edit – What I mean is that it would be nice if MR actually said something as to why Kim is not on today.
I reckon after shonkey the word went out to compliant RNZ natty boys, takes a few days. Susie is dogmatic but Kim is incisive and they are trained to cope with susies style, they lack the brains to cope with Kim.
vv
Yes I was wondering wheres Kim. But somebody said she was only standing in for 2 weeks. I think it will definitely be short term as I dont know if she would want the early starts each day to do the morning news and she has the reading and keeping up to date to do that enables her to surprise so many interviewees on her Saturday morning show with her depth of knowledge and understanding and get very memorable and interesting interviews from them. They’re gold, but getting gold requires work, time and commitment.
Fa’foi the Mana MP, no Sky City links to his area.
Cosgrave the Chch MP, no Sky City links to his area.
WTF? Why did they think Sky wanted to grease them?
What a pair of numpties!
Goff? Unbelievable. Sky is a big employer of his constituents. However Phil should have known the huge political risk of accepting this invitation.
Shearer’s ten minutes of fame! He continues to match the low expectations we have of him.
My understanding is that corporate boxes are often rented out to other organisations, for functions etc unconnected to the actual longterm owner/renter of the box. Maybe that was the situation on this occasion.
Memo to Labour’s caucus. Do not accept corporate gifts from anyone, especially a corporate that profits on human misery and is engaged in the selling of our law.
When do we seriously start asking if Shearer has been planted as leader by National? Because no leader could be this shit, without trying to be this shit
I know the tory-fan-boys did all they could to make him leader, and now they are doing all they can to keep him there. But I’m beginning to think that National run the Labour party
Could be the database process. It has been boosting over 50% midday. Or the email, which is on a amazon server and seems to get dup issues with the emails from people monitoring via email.
But when National Party’s no 1 PR Man….John Armstrong writes about it, it does serious damage.
I would expect far better discipline from Labour MP’s, what the hell was going through their mind when they were invited and then accepted an invitation to Sky’s box…using the same thick part of their brain that made them select Shearer as leader.
Surely you don’t mean “weren’t happy with the National govt using the Hobbit as an excuse to ram through changes to employment law while giving massive subsidies to the foreign corporates who insisted on the changes”.
If not, then you’ll be able to find me an example of someone – anyone – from Labour being not happy with the Hobbit. gogogo.
Maybe you’re right and maybe you’re wrong but what I know is that Sir Peter Jackson is more trusted and respected then anyone in the Labour party
And when the election campaign starts the MSM (in the pay of the National party backers) will be running the line that Labour were against the Hobbit movies
But hey I’m sure David Shearer will be able to succinctly and clearly put the matter to rest eh
So you might have told a bit of a fib before (labour being anti the hobbit), but you’re pretty confident that PJ the titular knight and the band of merry MSM will repeat the story even if it’s untrue.
And everyone will believe Sir PJ the publicly-funded VJ because Reader’s Digest says so.
The thing about evil plans to mislead the public is that they tend to not work if you tell everyone about them. You should have learned that at Minitrue.
Goff, ‘n, King (sounds like a famous songwriting pair) are obviously making hay while the sun shines. They won’t be around parliament much longer, so won’t get many more opportunities. Appalling judgement though. We had to watch the match, full of adverts, on Prime after the match had finished.
Just as an aside, we caught a glimpse of Joky Hen in some important seats. Who supplied them?
They don’t seem to get it do they. Three of them have received huge ministerial salaries and are currently paid amounts that the ordinary punter can only dream of – why don’t they just spend their own “hard earned” for once. In this household, we have been waiting some time now for Shearer to show some leadership and authority. Won’t be supporting this shower of a party next election now, (though local electorate MP may still get the votes).
Wishful thinking.
They are 2 of Shearer’s 3 enforcers.
They are awaiting their 2014 reward, and will on current track be even more necessary to prop up what will be our weakest pm since Palmer.
If you have any doubts about Phil’s commitment to the cause take a look at 3 News footage last night of him tearing into Tolley over the Hutton euology. I wish he had been a bit more like that in the last election.
From what I can see, Labour not being elected next year would be the best thing for NZ.
At least Key amuses me, he’s our version of George W, or Berlusconi without the sex appeal.
Shearer just makes me want to shove my face in a food blender.
He also surely had the opportunity to expedite the police review into the Thomas / Crewe investigation when in office. Yet, here we are in 2013 still knocking it around the paddock..
Not to mention the Ellis case which was shamefully handled on Goff’s watch.
Yes, him and Ahmed Zaoui would be a good reminder to anyone who thinks that the Labour Mandarins such as Goff – who are still front benchers – are liberal in any real way. Fucking hypocrites.
Heard on Radionz this morning.
The Turkish leader is talking about a referendum about confiscating green area in the city used as a park and allocating it to businesspeople to build on. It’s a step towards fairness though shouldn’t need to be considered because taking the park should never have been considered.
The Afghani interpreters and their families have arrived, but there are still about ten they are worried about. And the way things are going there the truth that they could be endangered seems evident.
Queenstown is unhappy with government withdrawal of personal services and replacing with on line etc distant communication by voice or electronics. Do we want our government to be constantly breaking down their relationship with us in this way? Computers are great as an adjunct and aid but they have bugs and we don’t want to feel that we are being ordered by machines which is what will happen as they increase the automation and drop the amount of actual people staff employed. I have thought of a name for this government at a distance approach – Portcullis government. This brings to mind the barred gate that dropped down at the entrance to castles in days not so different as now.
Christchurch is being threatened with a takeover of its services. The problem is that there are millions to be invested in the CBD and they can’t get timely okays on their plans. Bob Parker is his usual smooth self. He was very involved in who was employed as ceo and one wonders if both are the right people for the job. More takeover by the central government. They will rule us all soon, in every way. We have to be brave and wise hobbits and make our supportive relationships to prevent being swamped by the corrupted ones.
In an old Listener Gareth Morgan commented unfavourably on the corruption and selfishness of African governments and officials and blamed them for being greedy and preventing so many African countries from being able to provide decent living standards and effective systems for the people.
Viewing NZ I think we need to be under scrutiny for the same reason. The latest – our mining approach is all right Australia and Canada provide the example of good practice. We don’t look to see what is good for the country beyond immediate gratification of new industry bringing in some money and turnover, and of course its so macho, men in hard hats and big machines doing big things – really it’s very like Think Big all over again.
Gareth in Under African Skies -My country, my aid money p.50 20/10/2007 comments on shoddy government screwing the people. But I think he also shows how public-private type partnerships do the same and says:
Africa will go nowhere so long as dictatorships equipped with the machinery of democratic government institutions are able to abuse their public. It’s a toxic mix of village or tribal feudalism controlling Westminster-style institutions, significantly funded by money derived from Euro-American, Middle Eastern and Chinese imperialist and development strategies. Global expansionism is driven by the coveting of access to oil and the other natural resources…and pursuit of military alliances and accommodations.
“The first wave of post-colonial rulers in Africa, who having led their peoples to independence, felt the need to articulate the theoretical foundations of their programmes for socio-economic development and cultural renewal. With rare exceptions they argued for forms of socialism based on first principles deriving from traditional African communalism. The African provenance of their philosophies was clearest in the ‘Ujamaa’ (Familyhood) socialism of Nyerere of Tanzania and the ‘Zambian humanism’ of Kaunda, who both steered studiously clear of foreign ideological admixtures.More indebted to foreign philosophies, specifically to Marxism-Leninism, though no less sincere in their pursuit of African authenticity, were the ‘scientific’ socialisms of Nkrumah of Ghana and Sekou Toure of Guinea. In between these philosopher-kings was Senghor of Senegal, poet, statesman, scholar, and philosopher of Negritude, whose writings display more scholarly appreciation for Marx than ideological commitment to him.
Although no continental unanimity is assumed, traditional African conceptions of the cosmos in many instances involve homogenous ontologies that cut across the natural / supernatural opposition in Western philosophy. God is conceived of as a cosmic architect of the world rather than it’s ex nihilo creator, and minds as capacity rather than entity. The associated conception of the human personality, though postulating a life principle not fully material, is still devoid of any sharp dualism of body and spirit. That conception also has a normative dimension which incorporates a communalist and humanistic (as distinct from a religious) notion of moral responsibility into the very definition of a person. At the level of the state this goes along naturally with a consensual philosophy of politics based on kinship representation under a kingship dispensation.
How to adapt this understanding of politics to current African conditions is oone of the severest challenges facing African philosophy today.” 🙂
Hey Rogue that is a mighty comment and one I’ll read more than once for best understanding. But unfortunately for Africans the west knows how to prise the community part from the personal enrichment (including nepotism) part. We don’t have that here though it is noticeable common connections between power givers and peer compatriots.
What have you to say about Botswana? I have read Alexander McCall Smith’s books on Mma Ramotswe and he has spent time there I think. They are simple books with a sentimental approach. It would be good to hear that there is a core of goodness and pride running strong in that country as he portrays it.
mighty reply. chose not to read the McCall Smith books; RGP enjoyed them from memory. Have you circumnavigated The Pillars of The Earth or studied The Testament of Gideon Mack Stone ; just biding time, Minnie keeps Mickey honest, 1979, the old man’s favourite song, lying cheating, that’s all they seem to do, their Time is gonna’ come. the cooper has refilled with chunks (and the Sargent is at arms length,1 2 3). If not free, then a spree.
Seen this?
______________________________________________________________________________
Professor Prem Sikka exposes STATE CAPTURE BY BIG BUSINESS IN THE UK.
“In fact, tax policymaking seems to be handed over tax avoiders.”
Ahead of the G8 meeting I have an article on the website of The Conversation.
It provides examples to show that big business has thoroughly penetrated and captured the state. In fact, tax policymaking seems to be handed over tax avoiders. Yet this is not on the G8 agenda and without this no fight against organised tax avoidance is going to be effective.
The article is titled “Without curbing corporate power the G8 have no chance of combating tax avoidance” and is available at
Prem Sikka
Professor of Accounting
Centre for Global Accountability
Essex Business School
University of Essex
Colchester, Essex CO4 3SQ, UK
Office Tel: +44(0)1206 873773
Office Fax: +44 (01206) 873429
AABA Website: http://www.aabaglobal.org
Scabby Jami-Lee Ross’ Employment Relations (Continuity of Labour) Bill has been drawn from the ballot.
According to the draft legislation, the bill aims to repeal section 97 of the Employment Relations Act 2000. Which prevents replacement/causal/management aka SCAB labour being employed during a strike or lockout. Ross is another brown nosing piece of detritus that needs to be jumped on from a great height.
Peoples livelihoods in the hands of a beige man who left school with no qualifications to become a career trougher. His bio says that he had a crack at tertiary with so far nothing to show for it and the only thing that he’s done that looks even remotely like a job was a sinecure as Williamson’s electorate office toe sucker. Peachy.
I look forward to the council telling Brownlee to go fuck himself when he tries to do to the CCC what was done to ECan, which is the government’s standard response to council’s not submitting to stupidity.
As for the whining over consent times, it seems a good deal of unwarranted self-importance is present in some, along with a detachment from reality vis the shear number of new consents vs the lack of graduate planners to process them. As planners have to go through a 4 year degree, and can’t be imported, combined with the quakes, it’s created a man-power shortage for the council that wont disappear with bloody stupid solutions. Solutions that the RMA was created in the first place to lock away and so try to prevent long-term issues with environment or building issues.
QT 11.6 : Collins on the uptake from maori to enrol on the Maori Roll, “has not been favourable-only 5000 new enrolments”. Need for the ministry (Justice) and Electoral Commission to encourage face-to-face assistance. mana to MANA for solicitation at local P ‘n’ S, although some officious prat followed up complaints about the flags. I canvassed the cu-de-sac; officer does not vote, next neighbour, ambivalent, next, on roll and advised of by-election date, next, on General Roll and so on.
Q.3 Nats put Shanks in the camera; own goal. “economic growth (mainly) due to private consumption”.-English.
Q.4 Hipkins is on the right track re Nat.Stds moderation. (Carter-suggests he answer his own question by Google :-D). This “progression” explanation of Parata’s is not relevant to current results.This is gonna be another f*ck-up, to paraphrase the “education academics” surveyed on RNZ -“this is a farce”.
(can see the subdued demeanour of the govt. benches; how they believe their own spin is beyond comprehension 😉 )
But (they) have planted wickedness, (they) have reaped evil, (they) have eaten the fruit of deception…
-Hosea 10:13.
as even Stephen Franks finds, the Sky City agreement is “unlawful”, with the BORA implications not sought-Turei.
Q.7 “restrictive land supply issues favouring the old and rich, penalising the poor”- Nick Smith
(“the grey greedies”- Susan Wood).
Q.8″ MRI and ultra-sound waiting times pose a risk to patients right now; 25,000 awaiting”-King.
Q.10 “I trust the collective judgement of teachers”- Parata. yet they oppose National Standards in general; tie your stoopid self up in pony-tails Parata.
Key continued to minimise the Henry Report deficiencies.
Mallard and Metiria have been like attack dogs; “(have) cobbled together a coalition of disgrace”.
and as Dunne’s e-mails are likey subject to OIA, “will eventually come out, while Key continues to defend the indefensible”.
17:23 A wicked man accepts a bribe in secret to pervert the course of justice.
17:26 It is not good to punish an innocent man, or to flog officials for their integrity.
18:9 One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys (Joyce and Guy come to mind).
Paul Thompson – new head of RNZ.
Mmmmm …. From my perspective, that doesn’t bode well for its future.
Business business business
We’re in the business of story-telling [tall story telling]
Right-sizing
No doubt Jim and others will be creaming themselves.
Question for Morissey….
Did I just hear that vacuous …. on the Panel correctly? She effectively referred to the Police as a Corporation.
I’ll wait till audio is posted, but it went over the nicest man on Earth completely.
(Jim was – as usual – too busy trying to be ‘nice’)
… PolCorp (needs a new logo and some severe ‘re-imaging’)
Denise Strange Sorbet was on the afternoon radionz saying that really victims ought to decide on the severity of crimes. Apparently having a disinterested and stable justice system hasn’t caught on in her neck of the woods doing its pilot period. I think it’s nice that in one country someone who will otherwise be stoned to death can be forgiven by the other party. Perhaps that’s what we need more of, she feels, after someone broke into her van and stole money etc.
I knew it would be a substandard Panel as soon as I learned the guests were Denise L’Estrange-Corbet and Barry Corbett. I have never heard Denise L’Estrange Corbet utter a single sentence that indicates she has even a lick of common sense, let alone ever sat down with a book and engaged in some higher order thinking, or even lower order thinking.
And Barry Corbett is a dunderhead, pure and simple.
“The property market favours the older people, disadvantages the younger”. -Luke Malpass, The New Zealand Initiative (think-tank).(fingers down throat).
“…widening inequalities due to house prices”. -Hickey (feeling better again).
Immigration Amendment Bill; Committee Stage Pt.2 : Woodhouse vs Cunliffe. It is saying something even further about the capacity of Cunliffe to pwn Woodhouse (who is an admirable Nat, if there is such an animal).
Ratana “unity under God, negation of the Tohunga” hmmmm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tohunga
that was a broad wero. anyway, the establishment turned against Ratana-prophet of innovation, hope and potential. interesting.
C.S. Lewis’ Four Loves
-agape’, equivalent to Kant’s ‘practical love’
-affection
-friendship
-eros.
“agent-relative moralities are difficult to reconcile with consequentialism-that each agent should pursue the common aim of promoting the best outcome from an impartial perspective”.
One of my anarchist fellows listens to political pod-casts while he works, Behind The News, Democracy Now etc, and he reads from the consensus that the financial mess will wash-up in 4-5 years time, Winston S.
“It is saying something even further about the capacity of Cunliffe to pwn Woodhouse (who is an admirable Nat, if there is such an animal).”
Call me fick Rogue – but whats pwn mean?
I’m genuinely interested – since my brother was Christened Ratana and I well remember the ‘discovery’ – even including the symbolism of Rising Suns and Rising Moons (WWII time – all that – and who and where Ratana was going to have to ‘stick phat’ with)
“pwn” is netspeak (l33tspeak) that rumour has it came from one of the earlier incarnations of Warcraft. Or hackers.
To thoroughly thrash someone in the game is/was to “own” them, and legend has it that a rushed programmer made an undetected typo in a message box “you’ve been pwned!”. Because it was the mark of a strong victory, it became a bit like a gold medal to “pwn” someone. The other option is that when a hacker gains control of a server they “own” it – but then gleeful messages written on sleep-deprived caffeine highs can create the “o/p” typo.
[edit] lol – and because it’s a gloating claim of outright victory, use of the “p” variant shunts a comment straight to the moderation list: sorry ’bout the workload 🙂
Samuel Alexander http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Alexander
Space, Time and Deity
-emergent evolution
-existence, hierarchically ordered (apologies Bill); an ongoing evolutionary process with the emergence of ever-higher levels of existence-principles of organization (apologies RL).
meanwhile, back in Hawkes Bay, according to the HBRC propaganda, land-owners are increasingly turning to ground-water (currently easier to get) which may start affecting the reliability of takes, as the aquifiers may not have time to recover over winter.
Rabbit numbers are on the rise ;); 70% of the rabbit pop. have immunity tp strains of RHD.
h/t to Eugenie Sage (sage); the RWSS includes allowable levels of nitrates in the Tukituki to increase 1000%, with the only mitigating ‘benefit’, the return of summer flows close to natural levels.(QT 12.6,Q.9).
Q.4 Rebuilding ChCh is redirecting investment from the tradeables sector. treasury has no forecast of an increase in export-related jobs. Exports to decline 2.8% in year to March 2014. (17% decline in manufacturing exports since 2008, excluding the primary sector. This is despite business-growth initiatives numbering 300 and the public funds being poured into Primary Growth Partnerships.
Q.6 Ardern- “govt. will not measure ‘deprivation’.
English- “income =/= deprivation.hmmm.Even Treasury identifies there is currently a gap in the monitoring of material-living standards.
From a different cell; “tensions are rising in the nation’s prisons”, despite Tolley’s denials. The word from the dog across the way with 18 years experience up his sleeves ) and across his fore-head; “no nicotine bro!”
RNZ- “globally, a mining slow-down, particularly as small companies cash-strapped”.
3: Business News / Sharemarket Shill – “credit-card spending up, consumption sign of the economy going forward” Yep (echoed by English- a “consumption-driven re-bound) Rubber Ball 😉
It beggars belief that Key, the minister in charge of the nation’s security and the member of parliament for the seat that K.dc resides in, new nothing of these raids.
It has come to my attention that Andrea Vance is friendly with Jordan Williams, to the point of helping him make some contacts in London. Jordan Williams is, of course, Simon Lusk’s minion. Make of that what you will…..
Open access notables A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North, van Wijngaarden et al., Climatic Change:The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased ...
Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On ...
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...
New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
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 ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
Photo by Alvan Nee on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...
Buzz from the Beehive One minister is talking tough while a colleague – whose ministry had acted tough and drawn a barrage of flak – has shown an official softening. Some ministers are doing what Labour was good at, which is distributing public funds to causes regarded as worthy or ...
A ballot for 4 Member's Bills was held today, and the following bills were drawn: Insurance Contracts Bill (Duncan Webb) Income Tax (Clean Transport FBT Exclusion) Amendment Bill (Julie Anne Genter) Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill (Greg Fleming) Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) ...
One of the strongest narratives about "our" spy agencies is that they are basically institutional traitors, working for foreign powers (or just themselves), without any control or oversight by the elected government. And today, we have yet another report from the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security which explicitly confirms this. ...
“It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April to meet the Prime Minister’s ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Miller-Jones, Professor, Curtin University Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets. Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, CC BY-SA How fast can a neutron star drive powerful jets into space? The answer, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The federal government has bowed to pressure from the car industry, announcing it will relax proposed emissions rules for utes and vans and delay enforcement of the new standards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney In his latest book, Jewish Life in Medieval Spain, Jonathan Ray focuses on the tumult of the 14th century in Spain – a time of the plague, civil strife and war between the two largest ...
While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata Māori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is “far-off sight”. In the contemporary and living language of te reo Māori, “whakaata” as a ...
Yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. This significant step and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza prompted an urgent debate in the New Zealand Parliament. Leader ...
The Government’s decision to reduce access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) not only threatens the lives of children with type 1 diabetes and increases the potential for ‘Dead in Bed’ syndrome, but also threatens the health of their parents an ...
Apples are available year-round, but the wide variety on offer involves intensive scientific research – and large-scale commercialisation. What’s beautiful, red, sweet and crunchy? Tony Martin’s favourite kind of apple: Sassy. The CEO of apple and pear breeding organisation Prevar, Martin’s fondness for Sassy represents professional success as well as ...
Family violence specialist service Shine is calling on employers to stop asking for proof of domestic violence in order for employees to access domestic violence leave. The call comes five years after the introduction of the Domestic Violence ...
The Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for public submissions on the Budget Policy Statement 2024. The Budget Policy Statement 2024 (BPS) sets out the Government's priorities for the 2024 Budget. It explains the approach ...
Brutal government spending cuts that will see the size of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples slashed by 40% will hit Pasifika communities hard, the PSA says. The Ministry has told staff that it is seeking voluntary redundancies, and to redeploy and reassign ...
I live with five people I mostly love, but our different ideas about generosity are starting to really irk me.Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,This is a bit of a random one but here goes. I’m 22 and work an OK job (OK meaning I get paid ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Nicholas, Senior Lecturer in Language and Literacy Education, Deakin University Earlier this month, the New South Wales government announced it would roll out programs for gifted students in every public school in the state. This comes amid concerns gifted school ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney Massachusetts General Hospital In a world first, we heard last week that US surgeons had transplanted a kidney from a gene-edited pig into a living human. News reports said the procedure was a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tombs, Howard Paterson Chair of Theology and Public Issues, University of Otago The 5th-century Maskell panel showing Jesus in a loincloth.British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA When Jesus is shown on the cross, he is almost always depicted wearing a loincloth around ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock When you think about a red object, you might picture a red carpet, or the massive ruby in the Queen’s crown. Indeed, Western monarchies and marketing from brands such ...
COMMENTARY:Jewish Voice for Peace The UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Monday — and for the first time since the beginning of the Israeli military’s genocide of Palestinians, the United States abstained rather than vetoing it. Security Council resolutions are legally binding, ...
Asia Pacific Report A New Zealand investigative journalist and author says the US spy system hosted by the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) appears to be a controversial intelligence system used in global capture-kill operations. Writing a commentary for RNZ News today, Nicky Hager, author of Secret Power, a 1996 ...
While Nicola Willis wouldn’t give any details on its size, she said a package of tax cuts is definitely still coming in this year’s budget, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the investigation into the Department of Internal Affairs after it was revealed that the Department’s Chief Executive personally reached out to expedite a DJs passport application. Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns ...
Finance minister Nicola Willis delivers her first budget statement, and unwittingly helps Joel MacManus save his relationship. Nicola Willis strode into the Beehive Theatrette. Around me, on the green foldout seats, were the country’s top business and political journalists. They were all here to see her announce the Budget Policy ...
Twenty years ago today, Māori Television launched after much controversy. Jamie Tahana looks back on its survival and impact across two decades. Chad Chambers stepped onto the stage, the brim of his cap casting a shadow across his face. His smile beamed as bright as his white freezing works gumboots, ...
The unidentified foreign intelligence operation discussed in a scathing report by New Zealand’s Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) last week appears to be a controversial United States intelligence system. The IGIS report said the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) decision to host a foreign system from 2012-2020 was “improper” ...
Tauranga, Rotorua, Wellsford, Onehunga, Westhaven marina – Gavin Strawhan walks the meanish streets of New Zealand in his entertaining debut novel The Call, almost sure to roar into the number 1 position on the Nielsen bestseller chart, its front cover bearing a rave from somebody: “A really good and genuinely ...
On a Thursday in February, at Wellington’s Conservation House, the Conservation Authority, a statutory body advising the eponymous department and minister, Tama Potaka, opened its 195th meeting. Under consideration that afternoon was an agenda item written by Tim Bamford, chief advisor in the Department of Conservation’s biodiversity, heritage and visitors ...
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 28 March appeared first on Newsroom. ...
A lengthy response to the recently released draft Government policy statement on transport will soon be delivered from Auckland Council to Minister of Transport Simeon Brown. A submission raising concerns about funding distribution and the plan’s treatment of Auckland passed through the council’s transport committee on Wednesday, despite some councillors ...
As a young gymnast, Aimee Didierjean was always conscious of making sure her underwear wasn’t showing on the competition floor. A peek of a bra strap, or briefs if a leotard rode up, would cost a gymnast points in her routines. “When I was growing and going through puberty, it ...
Jubi/West Papua Daily Repeated cases of Indonesian military (TNI) soldiers torturing civilians in Papua have been evident, as seen in the viral video depicting the torture of civilians in the Puncak Regency allegedly done by soldiers of Raider 300/Brajawijaya Infantry Battalion. There is a pressing need for stringent law enforcement ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In 2023, Anthony Albanese was shooting for the moon, his eyes on the Voice referendum. On one view, he looked like the idealist reflecting his left-wing roots. In 2024, we’re seeing a pragmatic, determined, ...
The House - The principle that all MPs are honourable and that they should be taken at their word has been tested multiple times this week in Parliament. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Helen Dickinson, Professor, Public Service Research, UNSW Sydney Drazen Zigic/Shutterstock Since the review of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) released its recommendations in December, there has been a series of Town Hall events to discuss them around the country ...
Asia Pacific Report Two of the global Freedom Flotilla ships are being prepared in Turkey and almost ready for the upcoming humanitarian mission to Gaza. It is expected that the flotilla will include a New Zealand medical team. Kia Ora Gaza is a member of the international Freedom Flotilla Coalition ...
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10890189
Quotes:
Green Party co-leader Russel Norman has accused Prime Minister John Key of conspiring to establish a surveillance state in New Zealand by encouraging American data-mining company Palantir to set up shop here.
-snip-
Dr Norman voiced concerns this week about Palantir and its software Prism, which he suggested was similar to the huge online data gathering and tracking tool of the same name used by United States spy organisation the National Security Agency.
He also pointed out Palantir had set up an office in Wellington and was advertising for an analyst to be embedded with the Government.
Yesterday he said: “We need to know, is John Key effectively trying to replicate Prism in New Zealand by getting this organisation Palantir to set up here and start spying on all of our internet communications and everything digital that we do?”
-snip-
And in a tone reminiscent of the scientists of old who crowed that all that there was to be discovered already had been and laughed when the suggestion was made that the world wasn’t flat…here’s Tony Ryall:
State Owned Enterprises Minister Tony Ryall said Dr Norman suffered from paranoia and called him the Chicken Little of New Zealand politics. “Every time he talks about anything the sky’s falling in … it’s all big business big politics, the right against the innocent little Greens.”
Palantir: The ancient seeing stones of Middle Earth; originally used to keep the free peoples in contact with one another, but which fell under the power of the Eye of Sauron. Corrupting; Saruman the White, and driving mad with despair; Denethor (steward of Gondor, and lord of Minas Tirith; bulwark against the forces of evil). How appropriate.
@AwW
These scientists of old you mention; which ones do you mean? Aristarchus was the first (circa 300 BC!) to accurately describe the approximate size and shape of the solar system. But his work was more; lost, than derided by other scientists. Copernicus certainly came in for his share of flak, but that was mainly from the church; who demanded his heliocentricism be taught as merely a hypothesis (tactics reminiscent of the present attacks on teaching evolution).
A better example might be Galileo, the first astronomer to make and use telescopes (all Aristarchus had was; his eyes, the phases of the moon, and the length of shadows cast by the sun). In regard to his discovery of the moons of Jupiter, he begged a priest to look through one of his telescopes and see the evidence for himself. The reply? “I don’t need to look, for my faith informs me that they are not there” [paraphrased from the original Italian, obviously].
Mal Brough compares Gillard to a plucked chook at a QLD fund-raiser ..
http://news.google.co.nz/news/rtc?ncl=d9EFS0Jkf887MwMIV4k4E0SIFNofM&topic=w
Nice one, Mal !
Classy
Subtext
The mining industry own the media in Australia and they want more money. Tony Abbott will give it to them.
.. certainly in QLD & WA – where the state governments are refusing federal Labour to campaign in some places.
Paul – please elucidate on your subtext re mining industry owning media
A big chunk of the mining industry is owned by a woman who has MSM aspirations. I doubt she likes Gillard one bit.
Morning jenny. I’m on my morning tea break, thought I’d drop you a few links I’ve seen today coming down the ol’ wires:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/edward-snowden-bradley-manning-and-the-risk-of-the-low-level-tech-savvy-leaker/2013/06/11/f5e3ad72-d2c7-11e2-a73e-826d299ff459_story.html
http://www.salon.com/2013/06/10/qa_with_laura_poitras_the_woman_behind_the_nsa_scoops/
http://m.guardiannews.com/commentisfree/2013/jun/12/snowden-surveillance-subverting-constitution
One you’ll like most is the new interview with snowde in the South China Morning Post, but it seems to have crashed their server, I imagine it’s popular. the link is here
http://m.guardiannews.com/commentisfree/2013/jun/12/snowden-surveillance-subverting-constitution
you can see some more deets about it here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/12/edward-snowden-hong-kong-live#block-51b892e8e4b053cde2ed63d3
Thanks, PB. I am off to work. Will read them when I get home.
Here’s the link to the SCMP story, c&ped from the wrong tab:
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1259422/edward-snowden-let-hong-kong-people-decide-my-fate
This is great stuff Pb. Some thought provoking and considered commentary. Also good quotes in here. Appreciated.
The citizens of Hong Kong come in for some well deserved praise for their courage for standing up for democracy against the communist regional Power. I see that the citizens of that great city are rallying to support Snowden already.
Meanwhile the communist toady administrator of Hong Kong is calling for Snowden to be promptly sent back to the US. The US and their Communist China rivals and sometimes enemy, rally together against their common foe. Their own people’s thirst for democracy and freedom.
I take back my first impression that Snowden should come here. Hong Kong sounds like the perfect place for Snowden. Snowden has knowingly and willingly placed his life in the hands of the citizens of Hong Kong knowing of their record of standing up for democracy and freedom. Refusing to be bullied by the Communist Leaders of China or the past Colonial rulers.
Snowden has given recognition to the people of Hong Kong and their great history.
I only wish it had been us who had been so honoured.
“But yeah, as you say, no no no….”
Yet another failure by a “liberal” commentator
The Huddle, NewstalkZB, Wednesday 12 June 2013
Tim Dower, Damian Christie, Maria Slade
Larry “Lackwit” Williams is away, possibly with swine flu. But the format of this horror show remains the same: a dim but nasty host (TIM DOWER), a virulently dogmatic right wing opinionator (MARIA SLADE) and one token “liberal” who, in almost every case, is bullied into dithering silence or nervously tries to “find common ground” with the other two. Today that contemptible wimp is played to perfection by DAMIAN CHRISTIE. For anyone concerned at media irresponsibility, mediocrity and downright cowardliness, this little exchange, right at the end of today’s Huddle, is a perfect case study. Note how Christie initially makes a (weak) statement supporting Edward Snowden, but when the other two grunt their disapproval, he not only falls into line, but preposterously compares Snowden to Nazi war criminals hiding in South America….
TIM DOWER: Okay, we’re back with The Huddle. Now, uh, [snicker] this BIZARRE suggestion today that we should grant asylum to this guy Edward Snowden! Ha ha ha ha ha! What do you think of THAT?
MARIA SLADE: [snicker] No, no, no, no, NO.
DAMIAN CHRISTIE: Well…[nervous snicker]… I have some time for Edward Snowden actually. I think that what this Prism business shows is that the very LEAST, I should at least know that my emails are not being spied on! [nervous snicker]
TIM DOWER: [dubiously] Mmmmmmmmm.
MARIA SLADE: [dubiously] Mmmmmmmmmmm. They must have caught Geoffrey Robinson at a low point! I have a lot of time for him actually and, you know, his stand against the death penalty?
TIM DOWER: Yup.
MARIA SLADE: But THIS? [snicker] This is just…aaaaarrrgghhhh!! And you know he’s married to that FABULOUS novelist Kathy Lette! But THIS? No, no, no, no, no.
DAMIAN CHRISTIE: I suppose New Zealand could be like Brazil and Argentina after World War Two, where characters like this could hide out. But yeah, as you say, no, no, no.
MARIA SLADE: Not with our relationship with the United States. It could never happen! No. NO.
TIM DOWER: Damian Christie and Maria Slade, thank you!
Point to Ponder….
The following are all used in NewstalkZB’s on air promos…..
Ranting. Reacting. Reasoning. Reflecting. The Huddle with LarryWilliams, on NewstalkZB!
NewstalkZB. Fair and Balanced.
NewstalkZB. Tune Your Mind.
Yeah I heard Dower’s unpleasant jibes against teachers.
Today’s talking points for Populuxe1
Here’s the official line on dissent for today, written for the morally unimpeachable Daily Telegraph by one Tim Stanley, who is a British version of Dr Michael Bassett.
It’s full of flippant putdowns and piss-weak analysis, but it’s as good as the British and U.S. regimes can manage, short of flinging rape allegations at him.
Those of us with a conscience will simply laugh at statements like this one about Prism: “it’s not a snooping programme but a data management tool.” But you will no doubt fall on such made-to-measure soundbites like a maggot on a chop.
Don’t say I never do anything for you, my friend.
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/timstanley/100221535/is-edward-snowdens-story-unravelling-why-the-guardians-scoop-is-looking-a-bit-dodgy/
How sweet, and ironic too, Morrissey, given that you’re the bastion of “flippant putdowns and piss-weak analysis” around here. I shall forbear to meditate on the interesting question as to why Mr Snowden failed to take advantage of US federal whistleblower laws, did not take his concerns to Congress, nor protested to the organisations and institutions for which he worked – the system is undoubtedly flawed. It is, however, curious to say the least, n’est-ce pas, that his exodus to Hong Kong appears to have been in preperation some weeks before the leaking. It is also rather interesting that Mr Snowden chose Hong Kong to flee to because of its regard for free speech. Surely it did not escape one so erudite that Hong Kong remains a part of the People’s Republic of China and has an extradition treaty with the US. In any case, I ceased to have any sympathy for the man when he just recently made the transition (from his plush and expensive hotel room) from whistleblower to treasonist by blabbing too all and sundry about US espionage arrangements in China – a bridge too far. I would postulate that Mr Snowden, if not a conscious saboteur, is at least then like you a delusional narcissist.
Here are some of the ‘flaws’ of the whistle blowing process as told by one who used it:
http://m.guardiannews.com/commentisfree/2013/jun/12/snowden-surveillance-subverting-constitution
And none of the rest is interesting at all in the way you seem to suggest. It can all be explained in the quote above.
It’s not odd that someone working where he did would have an interest in game theory and signalling and use those insights in his actions. It’s a pretty serious game he’s playing.
I also don’t see any particular need to spend much time trying to psychoanalyse the guy. His personality is pretty much completely beside the point.
you are on the money bookie.
While you mind find your confirmation bias comforting, I still find the remainder interestingL Why did he flee to China? WHy is he now spilling his guts that have nothing to do with domestic spying on US citizens?
find comfort in your own bias (and read the entire reference you link might be helpful).
My bias is not to believe anything, never trust in an ideology, and when something is current and widely available news, I don’t feel I need to google for you
“It’s not odd that someone working where he did would have an interest in game theory and signalling and use those insights in his actions. It’s a pretty serious game he’s playing.”
What I meant by that is there are explanations for his behaviour that relate to to strategy rather than ideology.
Youbleaped to answer your questions with ‘treason’ and psychoanalysis. Good for you I guess. I just see other possible explanations.
What he appears to be doing is sending signals about what cards he has in order to change the calculations made by the various people in whose hands his future lies. It’s about affecting decisions that are made by changing the information the decision makers hold.
game theory. Signals. Geeky stuff that geeks get into.
Or maybe just out of the blue he turned chicom. We don’t have enough information. I’ve not made my mind up about him, and don’t see any particular need to. Like I said, his personality is a bit of a non event in the scheme of things.
“It’s not odd that someone working where he did would have an interest in game theory and signalling and use those insights in his actions. It’s a pretty serious game he’s playing.”
What I meant by that is there are explanations for his behaviour that relate to to strategy rather than ideology.
You leaped to answer your questions with ‘treason’ and psychoanalysis. Good for you I guess. I just see other possible explanations.
What he could well be doing is sending signals about what cards he has in order to change the calculations made by the various people in whose hands his future lies. ( ie, telling both the Chinese and the US that he has more stuff, and may talk without letting them know wjhat he has, and to what extent he will talk). It’s about affecting decisions that are made by changing the information the decision makers hold.
That would explain why he went to china. An opponent of the US will act differently toward him than an ally of the US will.
Game theory, Information theory. Signals. Geeky stuff that geeks get into. Especially crypto geeks.
Or maybe just out of the blue he turned chicom. We don’t have enough information. I’ve not made my mind up about him, and don’t see any particular need to. Like I said, his personality is a bit of a non event in the scheme of things.
P1 is hilarious.
First he tries to pillory Snowden for being a high school and army drop out. Now he’s trying to position Snowden as a Chinese spy.
Mate, just get over the fact that this guy is so smart he got a senior consulting position with Booz Allen on $200K pa (including benefits), which is something you couldn’t do.
And that’s before the fact he just threw that and more in, and put his fucking neck on the line. While you whine about his dirty socks.
And maybe you’re jealous of his pole-dancing girfriend – though it seems his salary was actually considerably less than $200,000 a year. Yep, your right, I couldn’t pull that and neither could he. I’m not actually suggesting anything except something remains very fishy, if only his motivations.
Also, you do realise Snowden is a Ron Paul fanatic, don’t you?
Also, you do realise Snowden is a Ron Paul fanatic, don’t you?
Ron Paul’s economic theories are beside the point; his comments about the illegal spying of the government are entirely reasonable and solidly mainstream. Not, of course, if you consider the political class the “mainstream”, but then what does public opinion matter?
Ron Paul is what Richard Prebble would be if he had a conscience and the courage to speak plainly.
You delusional narcissists do like to stick together. There doesn’t appear to be any evidence that he has in fact “leaked” anything that wasn’t already well known to anyone who cared to think about the Patriot Act for ten seconds. Now he’s giving interviews to the Chinese dailies – curiouser and curiouser….
He took The Bourne Identity too seriously perhaps.
Nah, more like he needed a mate like Jason Bourne.
1.) I shall forbear to meditate on the interesting question as to why Mr Snowden failed to take advantage of US federal whistleblower laws
We can see the way that the US treats its whistleblowers, simply by looking at the judicial lynching being perpetrated in Fort Meade, Maryland.
2.) ….the system is undoubtedly flawed.
“Flawed”? What Edward Snowden has confirmed irrefutably is that the U.S. government is spying on its own citizens ILLEGALLY. It is perpetrating CRIMES against its own citizens.
3.) ….curious to say the least, n’est-ce pas, that his exodus to Hong Kong appears to have been in preperation [sic] some weeks before the leaking…
Yes, it was a momentous action he undertook. Planning was essential.
4.) Mr Snowden chose Hong Kong to flee to because of its regard for free speech.
He chose a place where he would be safe from the depradations of another regime which has scant respect for free speech. Similarly, Ai Wei Wei recently sought asylum in the embassy of a regime which has scant respect for free speech. Not that a dedicated servant of state power like yourself is ever likely to anger any criminals like Snowden has done, but you need to remember the concept of “any port in a storm.”
5.) …the People’s Republic of China and has an extradition treaty with the US.
That is for criminal activity, not for political activity. If anyone were to be deported from Hong Kong now, it would be those U.S. operatives in the consul there who have not denounced their country’s criminal activities and are, therefore, still directly or indirectly involved in the commission of those crimes.
6.) …whistleblower to treasonist by blabbing too all and sundry about US espionage arrangements in China – a bridge too far.
He blew the whistle on illegal surveillance of American citizens. THAT is what the criminal U.S. regime wants him for.
7.) …if not a conscious saboteur, is at least then like you a delusional narcissist.
It is telling that you reserve all your bile and vitriol for the whistle-blower, not the criminals he has exposed. Perhaps you would be well advised to spend some of your time dreaming up some adjectives to describe Barack Obama or THIS liar….
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ETjGOxY5q6U/UUGEcuF1lsI/AAAAAAAAOk4/D_LLTUoCDCs/s1600/Clapper.jpg
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/12/james-clapper-intelligence-chief-criticism
EQC. The government department set up to provide a form of land and building insurance in the event of a major disaster hitting anyone in NZ, but especially hitting a large population centre in one of our cities.
Its very reason for being of course came into play in Christchurch during 2010 and 2011.
EQC’s failings to comply with its own legislated obligations is legendary. It has completely and utterly failed. It has failed to such an extent that EQC offices have no signs, have razor wire around the perimeter and security guards. It is so completely incompetent that if you want to “opt-out” you cannot even speak to the people and you cannot even find out where their offices are to pay a visit.
EQC is the most incompetent and useless bureaucratic organisation I have ever had to deal with, bar none. Fucked.
EQC of course is subject to Gerry Brownlee’s rule in Christchurc. BIG MOST MASSIVE FAIL FOR THE BIG MAN.
So…. when I hear yesterday that the big man Brownlee has had enough of Christchurch City Council building consent delays I laughed. And laughed. and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed
Brownlee wants to take consent processing off the Council due to their delays.
So I look forward to EQC being taken off Brownlee.
Fucking scab-arsed hypocrite prick. I hate shit like this – double standards and total bullshit.
be great for journos to access their media vaults for the statements regarding the EQC reserves,
the ones that after the first quake, had Key saying the following
day one: ” EQC has cash reserves of 15 billion dollars ”
day two: EQC has cash reserves of 6 billion dollars
day three (to present) “EQC has (had) cash reserves of 3 billion dollars”
V.
I’m so sorry this is happening man. Our country should be better than this.
Yeah. The funny thing is that we are better than this…..
Example – Christchurch City Council building consent applications of all things. We’ve punched a few through there over the years and the staff are brilliant. Helpful, friendly, competent (mostly). We have just pushed our first one through post-earthquake and while there were some biggish delays overall it was not bad and I’ve heard of plenty that have gone through in time. The Council has very real resource constraint issues, just like everybody down here. They are dealing with it better than fucking Brownlee departments with the same issue that’s for sure.
This broadside has wider intent imo.
That can be the only explanation – what does Brownlee expect if the consent process is taken elsewhere? They going to deal with them quicker? Where will he get the staff and competence to do this? Fucking joke ha ha ha ha ha ha. Given Brownlee’s competency with EQC one must expect that if Brownlee is to process consents then it will be on a par with EQC and take bloody shitloads longer than Council. Council outperforms Brownlee.
There is wider intent to this …… keep the ears peeled …….
It is all a part of a general theme the Nats are building up that everything that is wrong is the fault of Local Government and Central Government is not to blame.
Same sort of stuff is happening in Auckland. The Housing Accord stuff is really scary and is clearly an attempt to transfer blame. There is also an underlying anti environmental meme as well and if you look at Environment Canterbury a similar thing is happening.
It is really really scary and my contempt for this Government has hit a new high this year.
Yep, this government is doing everything to shift the blame from them onto government bureaucrats and then we’ll see the private is better meme come front and centre and from there we’ll see even more of our administration shifted into private hands giving National’s rich mates a government guaranteed profit while we get to pay more and get less for it.
passing the bucket is certainly a modus operandi of this government clear to see.
And that is the biggest question of all and the answer is that he will have to get them from the council thus crippling the council even more than it is. National and Labour have no understanding of economics – they just see the money.
The more I think about this attack on the Christchurch City Council by Gerry Brownlee (and it is an attack. The allegation perception and reality are a mullion miles apart) the more I see it as a political stunt as part of a longer campaign (as much as it is).
You watch – this “crisis” will evaporate and nothing will be heard of it in a few weeks. Gets Brownlee and Key and his lot some good headlines for a while though…
I doubt its a stunt. These rightwing people are on a mission : privatise all of NZ for their rich mates.
hmm… it does smell a tad fishy, the private sector to the rescue.
would this be the same private sector that issued consents for leaky buildings in auckland?
the same private sector that seems incapable to settle their insuranse obligations to the insured after taking premiums for decades?
the same private sector that needed $1.2 billion from the state when sth canterbury finance fell over?
there is something else at play here
VTO – The situation in ChCh, quite clearly contrived , I would not expect to see any opportunity missed, to outsource.
Up here, the attacks are happening from the inside, courtesy of the appointments made by the unelected agency, which is now disbanded, who also signed the city into expensive, long term, damaging contracts, many of which have been *disappeared* from public view, and many which are evident by the numbers of consultants, the agencies they represent, and the *professional*, relationships, which dominate the departments, are easily available to track.
Preferred supplier lists are not adhered to, contractors enter on over-inflated rates/salaries, via the agencies with the *professional connections* – The fraudulant, crony behaviour, to line the pockets of the few, while the many, pick up the tab, is unbelieveable!
It’s a fruadulant enterprise, covering itself, and its actions, in more fraud!
It’s merely more of the same: the National Party War Against Christchurch has been in full gear for a while now.
… all appear to be symptoms of a government that has been hell bent on cutting back-office here and back-office there. I suspect that the delay in action is largely because there are not enough operators to deal with queries/phones/ etc.
From my shortish (two terms) experiences in local government (North Shore) it was very clear that the Nats really want to take over local government for themselves and their mates. The infrastructure and potential profit to be made from it is huge.
While it might seem ridiculous for Brownlee to say he’ll take over from Ch’ch city because they’ve got delays in approving resource consents, and you wonder where/how he’ll get the staff to do it any better – this could well be just another form of privatisation and takeover of NZ”s traditional way of doing things. As Mickey Savage says above – its very scarey – and there seems to be no stopping them. There’s still 16 months or so to the next general election – that sufficient time for the Nats to do still more enormous damage.
Does anyone know why Kim Hill is not on Morning Report today?
I woke up invigorated at the prospect of another good morning listening to the much improved programme since Kim has been back – only to find Susie Ferguson on with Simon Mercep and heard no explanation re Kim. I also don’t recall any mention of Kim not being on today in yesterday’s programme.
Nothing against Susie as I am impressed with her, but it seems unusual when she is currently filling in for Mary Wilson on Checkpoint – and then suddenly pops up again on the early morning show as well.
Have Kim’s brilliant interviews of Key and Parata been too revealing for some RNZ management – or their ‘masters’ who pay the cheques using our taxpayer dollars?
She’s filling in for Kim, who is filling in for the usuals. Kim’s last day of filling in will be tommorrow.
I realise that PB – but was it planned for today or is Kim sick or have other commitments today (eg preparation for Saturday)? My understanding from what has been said on MR was that Kim was to on for the full two weeks.
Edit – What I mean is that it would be nice if MR actually said something as to why Kim is not on today.
“Edit – What I mean is that it would be nice if MR actually said something as to why Kim is not on today.”
MR usually doesn’t say why people are gone, just saying “xx is filling in for yy”. Presume because of illness.
I reckon after shonkey the word went out to compliant RNZ natty boys, takes a few days. Susie is dogmatic but Kim is incisive and they are trained to cope with susies style, they lack the brains to cope with Kim.
very likely, but we feel for the poor spinmeisters…. it is so inconvenient when the interviewer listens to the answers given
Relief – as MR closes Suzie stated that Kim is back tomorrow.
vv
Yes I was wondering wheres Kim. But somebody said she was only standing in for 2 weeks. I think it will definitely be short term as I dont know if she would want the early starts each day to do the morning news and she has the reading and keeping up to date to do that enables her to surprise so many interviewees on her Saturday morning show with her depth of knowledge and understanding and get very memorable and interesting interviews from them. They’re gold, but getting gold requires work, time and commitment.
Fa’foi the Mana MP, no Sky City links to his area.
Cosgrave the Chch MP, no Sky City links to his area.
WTF? Why did they think Sky wanted to grease them?
What a pair of numpties!
Goff? Unbelievable. Sky is a big employer of his constituents. However Phil should have known the huge political risk of accepting this invitation.
Shearer’s ten minutes of fame! He continues to match the low expectations we have of him.
My understanding is that corporate boxes are often rented out to other organisations, for functions etc unconnected to the actual longterm owner/renter of the box. Maybe that was the situation on this occasion.
Still looks and smells dodgy and is utterly hypocritical.
However it is par for the course for the current Labour leadership
Hypocritical indeed. Labour should’ve voted for the Sky City deal.
Feckin MPs.
Memo to Labour’s caucus. Do not accept corporate gifts from anyone, especially a corporate that profits on human misery and is engaged in the selling of our law.
Dickheads.
When do we seriously start asking if Shearer has been planted as leader by National? Because no leader could be this shit, without trying to be this shit
You mean you haven’t been asking that, fatty?
I’ve been taking it as read.
I know the tory-fan-boys did all they could to make him leader, and now they are doing all they can to keep him there. But I’m beginning to think that National run the Labour party
You mean you haven’t been asking that, fatty?
I’ve been taking it as read.
Alright alright what’s what’s with with all all the the double double comments comments lately lately??
Must be a temporal rift in space…space…..space……..space……….space……………
Could be the database process. It has been boosting over 50% midday. Or the email, which is on a amazon server and seems to get dup issues with the emails from people monitoring via email.
Agreed, SP. Not a good look.
I doubt Sky would rent their box out for an All Black game.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10890195
But when National Party’s no 1 PR Man….John Armstrong writes about it, it does serious damage.
I would expect far better discipline from Labour MP’s, what the hell was going through their mind when they were invited and then accepted an invitation to Sky’s box…using the same thick part of their brain that made them select Shearer as leader.
Dumb!
10 minutes…yeah right.
Par for the course for the Labour party though I mean they wern’t happy with the Hobbit but didn’t mind walking the red carpet
Grudging respect for the Greens for not going
Please define “weren’t happy with the Hobbit”.
Surely you don’t mean “weren’t happy with the National govt using the Hobbit as an excuse to ram through changes to employment law while giving massive subsidies to the foreign corporates who insisted on the changes”.
If not, then you’ll be able to find me an example of someone – anyone – from Labour being not happy with the Hobbit. gogogo.
David shearer should hire you, you’d be a better spin meister then the people hes got now.
So, that would mean that you failed to find any evidence to back up what you previously said?
Nope it means I can’t be bothered googling to find what I already know and giving props to someone whos a good spinner
The description you’re reaching for would be “spin-buster” actually Winston.
It’s a straight question. Who in Labour has ever been opposed to the Hobbit?
If you can’t answer it’s because you know you weren’t being honest.
Maybe you’re right and maybe you’re wrong but what I know is that Sir Peter Jackson is more trusted and respected then anyone in the Labour party
And when the election campaign starts the MSM (in the pay of the National party backers) will be running the line that Labour were against the Hobbit movies
But hey I’m sure David Shearer will be able to succinctly and clearly put the matter to rest eh
So you might have told a bit of a fib before (labour being anti the hobbit), but you’re pretty confident that PJ the titular knight and the band of merry MSM will repeat the story even if it’s untrue.
And everyone will believe Sir PJ the publicly-funded VJ because Reader’s Digest says so.
The thing about evil plans to mislead the public is that they tend to not work if you tell everyone about them. You should have learned that at Minitrue.
Goff, ‘n, King (sounds like a famous songwriting pair) are obviously making hay while the sun shines. They won’t be around parliament much longer, so won’t get many more opportunities. Appalling judgement though. We had to watch the match, full of adverts, on Prime after the match had finished.
Just as an aside, we caught a glimpse of Joky Hen in some important seats. Who supplied them?
They don’t seem to get it do they. Three of them have received huge ministerial salaries and are currently paid amounts that the ordinary punter can only dream of – why don’t they just spend their own “hard earned” for once. In this household, we have been waiting some time now for Shearer to show some leadership and authority. Won’t be supporting this shower of a party next election now, (though local electorate MP may still get the votes).
+1
National … The Haves
Left … The Have Nots
Labour … Have Box
Wishful thinking.
They are 2 of Shearer’s 3 enforcers.
They are awaiting their 2014 reward, and will on current track be even more necessary to prop up what will be our weakest pm since Palmer.
It’s like they want to lose the next election. I feel sorry for paid up Labour members and activists. This is how they repay your work.
If you have any doubts about Phil’s commitment to the cause take a look at 3 News footage last night of him tearing into Tolley over the Hutton euology. I wish he had been a bit more like that in the last election.
Tolley will get her come-uppance.
2017 isn’t that far away
iPredict sooner, rather than later; defending Hutton and Bush.a half-century.
2017 isn’t that far away
From what I can see, Labour not being elected next year would be the best thing for NZ.
At least Key amuses me, he’s our version of George W, or Berlusconi without the sex appeal.
Shearer just makes me want to shove my face in a food blender.
Yep, ditto.
He also surely had the opportunity to expedite the police review into the Thomas / Crewe investigation when in office. Yet, here we are in 2013 still knocking it around the paddock..
Not to mention the Ellis case which was shamefully handled on Goff’s watch.
Yes, him and Ahmed Zaoui would be a good reminder to anyone who thinks that the Labour Mandarins such as Goff – who are still front benchers – are liberal in any real way. Fucking hypocrites.
Agree about Zaoui as well. Total travesty and I never understood Clark’s almost feral and apparently irrational dislike of the man.
Heard on Radionz this morning.
The Turkish leader is talking about a referendum about confiscating green area in the city used as a park and allocating it to businesspeople to build on. It’s a step towards fairness though shouldn’t need to be considered because taking the park should never have been considered.
The Afghani interpreters and their families have arrived, but there are still about ten they are worried about. And the way things are going there the truth that they could be endangered seems evident.
Queenstown is unhappy with government withdrawal of personal services and replacing with on line etc distant communication by voice or electronics. Do we want our government to be constantly breaking down their relationship with us in this way? Computers are great as an adjunct and aid but they have bugs and we don’t want to feel that we are being ordered by machines which is what will happen as they increase the automation and drop the amount of actual people staff employed. I have thought of a name for this government at a distance approach – Portcullis government. This brings to mind the barred gate that dropped down at the entrance to castles in days not so different as now.
Christchurch is being threatened with a takeover of its services. The problem is that there are millions to be invested in the CBD and they can’t get timely okays on their plans. Bob Parker is his usual smooth self. He was very involved in who was employed as ceo and one wonders if both are the right people for the job. More takeover by the central government. They will rule us all soon, in every way. We have to be brave and wise hobbits and make our supportive relationships to prevent being swamped by the corrupted ones.
In an old Listener Gareth Morgan commented unfavourably on the corruption and selfishness of African governments and officials and blamed them for being greedy and preventing so many African countries from being able to provide decent living standards and effective systems for the people.
Viewing NZ I think we need to be under scrutiny for the same reason. The latest – our mining approach is all right Australia and Canada provide the example of good practice. We don’t look to see what is good for the country beyond immediate gratification of new industry bringing in some money and turnover, and of course its so macho, men in hard hats and big machines doing big things – really it’s very like Think Big all over again.
Gareth in Under African Skies -My country, my aid money p.50 20/10/2007 comments on shoddy government screwing the people. But I think he also shows how public-private type partnerships do the same and says:
Africa will go nowhere so long as dictatorships equipped with the machinery of democratic government institutions are able to abuse their public. It’s a toxic mix of village or tribal feudalism controlling Westminster-style institutions, significantly funded by money derived from Euro-American, Middle Eastern and Chinese imperialist and development strategies. Global expansionism is driven by the coveting of access to oil and the other natural resources…and pursuit of military alliances and accommodations.
“The first wave of post-colonial rulers in Africa, who having led their peoples to independence, felt the need to articulate the theoretical foundations of their programmes for socio-economic development and cultural renewal. With rare exceptions they argued for forms of socialism based on first principles deriving from traditional African communalism. The African provenance of their philosophies was clearest in the ‘Ujamaa’ (Familyhood) socialism of Nyerere of Tanzania and the ‘Zambian humanism’ of Kaunda, who both steered studiously clear of foreign ideological admixtures.More indebted to foreign philosophies, specifically to Marxism-Leninism, though no less sincere in their pursuit of African authenticity, were the ‘scientific’ socialisms of Nkrumah of Ghana and Sekou Toure of Guinea. In between these philosopher-kings was Senghor of Senegal, poet, statesman, scholar, and philosopher of Negritude, whose writings display more scholarly appreciation for Marx than ideological commitment to him.
Although no continental unanimity is assumed, traditional African conceptions of the cosmos in many instances involve homogenous ontologies that cut across the natural / supernatural opposition in Western philosophy. God is conceived of as a cosmic architect of the world rather than it’s ex nihilo creator, and minds as capacity rather than entity. The associated conception of the human personality, though postulating a life principle not fully material, is still devoid of any sharp dualism of body and spirit. That conception also has a normative dimension which incorporates a communalist and humanistic (as distinct from a religious) notion of moral responsibility into the very definition of a person. At the level of the state this goes along naturally with a consensual philosophy of politics based on kinship representation under a kingship dispensation.
How to adapt this understanding of politics to current African conditions is oone of the severest challenges facing African philosophy today.” 🙂
Hey Rogue that is a mighty comment and one I’ll read more than once for best understanding. But unfortunately for Africans the west knows how to prise the community part from the personal enrichment (including nepotism) part. We don’t have that here though it is noticeable common connections between power givers and peer compatriots.
What have you to say about Botswana? I have read Alexander McCall Smith’s books on Mma Ramotswe and he has spent time there I think. They are simple books with a sentimental approach. It would be good to hear that there is a core of goodness and pride running strong in that country as he portrays it.
mighty reply. chose not to read the McCall Smith books; RGP enjoyed them from memory. Have you circumnavigated The Pillars of The Earth or studied The Testament of Gideon Mack
Stone ; just biding time, Minnie keeps Mickey honest, 1979, the old man’s favourite song, lying cheating, that’s all they seem to do, their Time is gonna’ come. the cooper has refilled with chunks (and the Sargent is at arms length,1 2 3). If not free, then a spree.
The Chinese don’t seem to need to adapt to anything like this.
They just buy what they need, without full colonization.
Cash seems to be the superior translator, and change of ownership the strongest liminal threshold.
that is well-written Ad, particularly the last line.
http://inaliminalspace.com/about/what
(liminal spaces).
Seen this?
______________________________________________________________________________
Professor Prem Sikka exposes STATE CAPTURE BY BIG BUSINESS IN THE UK.
“In fact, tax policymaking seems to be handed over tax avoiders.”
Ahead of the G8 meeting I have an article on the website of The Conversation.
It provides examples to show that big business has thoroughly penetrated and captured the state. In fact, tax policymaking seems to be handed over tax avoiders. Yet this is not on the G8 agenda and without this no fight against organised tax avoidance is going to be effective.
The article is titled “Without curbing corporate power the G8 have no chance of combating tax avoidance” and is available at
https://theconversation.com/without-curbing-corporate-power-the-g8-have-no-chance-of-combating-tax-avoidance-15153
Prem Sikka
Professor of Accounting
Centre for Global Accountability
Essex Business School
University of Essex
Colchester, Essex CO4 3SQ, UK
Office Tel: +44(0)1206 873773
Office Fax: +44 (01206) 873429
AABA Website: http://www.aabaglobal.org
Scabby Jami-Lee Ross’ Employment Relations (Continuity of Labour) Bill has been drawn from the ballot.
According to the draft legislation, the bill aims to repeal section 97 of the Employment Relations Act 2000. Which prevents replacement/causal/management aka SCAB labour being employed during a strike or lockout. Ross is another brown nosing piece of detritus that needs to be jumped on from a great height.
Just what we need. A return to 1913 or 1951 style Industrial Relations.
I bet that Jamie dreamt of being one of Massey’s cossacks when he was a young lad.
Peoples livelihoods in the hands of a beige man who left school with no qualifications to become a career trougher. His bio says that he had a crack at tertiary with so far nothing to show for it and the only thing that he’s done that looks even remotely like a job was a sinecure as Williamson’s electorate office toe sucker. Peachy.
Yup, imagine what he had to *offer*, to get himself inside the *career trougher*, club!
Nothing, is for free!
two Conservative words- Todd McClay.
a mirror of the wider mental illness problems facing peoples in the Pacific (Dreaver).
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/brownlee-not-confident-council-can-turn-consent-process-around-5462846
I look forward to the council telling Brownlee to go fuck himself when he tries to do to the CCC what was done to ECan, which is the government’s standard response to council’s not submitting to stupidity.
As for the whining over consent times, it seems a good deal of unwarranted self-importance is present in some, along with a detachment from reality vis the shear number of new consents vs the lack of graduate planners to process them. As planners have to go through a 4 year degree, and can’t be imported, combined with the quakes, it’s created a man-power shortage for the council that wont disappear with bloody stupid solutions. Solutions that the RMA was created in the first place to lock away and so try to prevent long-term issues with environment or building issues.
QT 11.6 : Collins on the uptake from maori to enrol on the Maori Roll, “has not been favourable-only 5000 new enrolments”. Need for the ministry (Justice) and Electoral Commission to encourage face-to-face assistance. mana to MANA for solicitation at local P ‘n’ S, although some officious prat followed up complaints about the flags. I canvassed the cu-de-sac; officer does not vote, next neighbour, ambivalent, next, on roll and advised of by-election date, next, on General Roll and so on.
Q.3 Nats put Shanks in the camera; own goal. “economic growth (mainly) due to private consumption”.-English.
Q.4 Hipkins is on the right track re Nat.Stds moderation. (Carter-suggests he answer his own question by Google :-D). This “progression” explanation of Parata’s is not relevant to current results.This is gonna be another f*ck-up, to paraphrase the “education academics” surveyed on RNZ -“this is a farce”.
(can see the subdued demeanour of the govt. benches; how they believe their own spin is beyond comprehension 😉 )
But (they) have planted wickedness, (they) have reaped evil, (they) have eaten the fruit of deception…
-Hosea 10:13.
as even Stephen Franks finds, the Sky City agreement is “unlawful”, with the BORA implications not sought-Turei.
Q.7 “restrictive land supply issues favouring the old and rich, penalising the poor”- Nick Smith
(“the grey greedies”- Susan Wood).
Q.8″ MRI and ultra-sound waiting times pose a risk to patients right now; 25,000 awaiting”-King.
Q.10 “I trust the collective judgement of teachers”- Parata. yet they oppose National Standards in general; tie your stoopid self up in pony-tails Parata.
Key continued to minimise the Henry Report deficiencies.
Mallard and Metiria have been like attack dogs; “(have) cobbled together a coalition of disgrace”.
and as Dunne’s e-mails are likey subject to OIA, “will eventually come out, while Key continues to defend the indefensible”.
17:23 A wicked man accepts a bribe in secret to pervert the course of justice.
17:26 It is not good to punish an innocent man, or to flog officials for their integrity.
18:9 One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys (Joyce and Guy come to mind).
Paul Thompson – new head of RNZ.
Mmmmm …. From my perspective, that doesn’t bode well for its future.
Business business business
We’re in the business of story-telling [tall story telling]
Right-sizing
No doubt Jim and others will be creaming themselves.
Question for Morissey….
Did I just hear that vacuous …. on the Panel correctly? She effectively referred to the Police as a Corporation.
I’ll wait till audio is posted, but it went over the nicest man on Earth completely.
(Jim was – as usual – too busy trying to be ‘nice’)
… PolCorp (needs a new logo and some severe ‘re-imaging’)
Denise Strange Sorbet was on the afternoon radionz saying that really victims ought to decide on the severity of crimes. Apparently having a disinterested and stable justice system hasn’t caught on in her neck of the woods doing its pilot period. I think it’s nice that in one country someone who will otherwise be stoned to death can be forgiven by the other party. Perhaps that’s what we need more of, she feels, after someone broke into her van and stole money etc.
I knew it would be a substandard Panel as soon as I learned the guests were Denise L’Estrange-Corbet and Barry Corbett. I have never heard Denise L’Estrange Corbet utter a single sentence that indicates she has even a lick of common sense, let alone ever sat down with a book and engaged in some higher order thinking, or even lower order thinking.
And Barry Corbett is a dunderhead, pure and simple.
I’m not sad I missed this episode..
“The property market favours the older people, disadvantages the younger”. -Luke Malpass, The New Zealand Initiative (think-tank).(fingers down throat).
“…widening inequalities due to house prices”. -Hickey (feeling better again).
Immigration Amendment Bill; Committee Stage Pt.2 : Woodhouse vs Cunliffe. It is saying something even further about the capacity of Cunliffe to pwn Woodhouse (who is an admirable Nat, if there is such an animal).
Ratana “unity under God, negation of the Tohunga” hmmmm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tohunga
that was a broad wero. anyway, the establishment turned against Ratana-prophet of innovation, hope and potential. interesting.
C.S. Lewis’ Four Loves
-agape’, equivalent to Kant’s ‘practical love’
-affection
-friendship
-eros.
“agent-relative moralities are difficult to reconcile with consequentialism-that each agent should pursue the common aim of promoting the best outcome from an impartial perspective”.
One of my anarchist fellows listens to political pod-casts while he works, Behind The News, Democracy Now etc, and he reads from the consensus that the financial mess will wash-up in 4-5 years time, Winston S.
“It is saying something even further about the capacity of Cunliffe to pwn Woodhouse (who is an admirable Nat, if there is such an animal).”
Call me fick Rogue – but whats pwn mean?
I’m genuinely interested – since my brother was Christened Ratana and I well remember the ‘discovery’ – even including the symbolism of Rising Suns and Rising Moons (WWII time – all that – and who and where Ratana was going to have to ‘stick phat’ with)
“pwn” is netspeak (l33tspeak) that rumour has it came from one of the earlier incarnations of Warcraft. Or hackers.
To thoroughly thrash someone in the game is/was to “own” them, and legend has it that a rushed programmer made an undetected typo in a message box “you’ve been pwned!”. Because it was the mark of a strong victory, it became a bit like a gold medal to “pwn” someone. The other option is that when a hacker gains control of a server they “own” it – but then gleeful messages written on sleep-deprived caffeine highs can create the “o/p” typo.
[edit] lol – and because it’s a gloating claim of outright victory, use of the “p” variant shunts a comment straight to the moderation list: sorry ’bout the workload 🙂
own.( you are clearly not ‘fick’, though hard to reduce at times).;)
geez Wayne – I was tired, obviously (and I had the nicest man on Earth on as background noise).
Cheers
thats naughty ‘Tim’; yet I’ll let you off, gotta cycle home and watch the news. 😉
Daniel Ellsberg on Snowdon.
http://www.ellsberg.net/archive/edward-snowden
Joseph Albo Ikkarim
Samuel Alexander
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Alexander
Space, Time and Deity
-emergent evolution
-existence, hierarchically ordered (apologies Bill); an ongoing evolutionary process with the emergence of ever-higher levels of existence-principles of organization (apologies RL).
oh god. Now Fairfax’s chief editor,
Good job.
About time they got some sponsorship in there.
It’s fucking Orwell to the letter.
meanwhile, back in Hawkes Bay, according to the HBRC propaganda, land-owners are increasingly turning to ground-water (currently easier to get) which may start affecting the reliability of takes, as the aquifiers may not have time to recover over winter.
Rabbit numbers are on the rise ;); 70% of the rabbit pop. have immunity tp strains of RHD.
h/t to Eugenie Sage (sage); the RWSS includes allowable levels of nitrates in the Tukituki to increase 1000%, with the only mitigating ‘benefit’, the return of summer flows close to natural levels.(QT 12.6,Q.9).
Q.4 Rebuilding ChCh is redirecting investment from the tradeables sector. treasury has no forecast of an increase in export-related jobs. Exports to decline 2.8% in year to March 2014. (17% decline in manufacturing exports since 2008, excluding the primary sector. This is despite business-growth initiatives numbering 300 and the public funds being poured into Primary Growth Partnerships.
Q.6 Ardern- “govt. will not measure ‘deprivation’.
English- “income =/= deprivation.hmmm.Even Treasury identifies there is currently a gap in the monitoring of material-living standards.
From a different cell; “tensions are rising in the nation’s prisons”, despite Tolley’s denials. The word from the dog across the way with 18 years experience up his sleeves ) and across his fore-head; “no nicotine bro!”
RNZ- “globally, a mining slow-down, particularly as small companies cash-strapped”.
3: Business News / Sharemarket Shill – “credit-card spending up, consumption sign of the economy going forward” Yep (echoed by English- a “consumption-driven re-bound) Rubber Ball 😉
Cemetery Gates .
Have just watched the latest Kim Dotcom video.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/8793127/Dotcom-humour-in-raid-music-video
It beggars belief that Key, the minister in charge of the nation’s security and the member of parliament for the seat that K.dc resides in, new nothing of these raids.
Yeah, naah
Wasn’t it that Key knew nothing til about a day or so before the raids took place, when he was alerted to it?
Tory women are way worse though…
That was not meant to be in this thread. Can it be deleted?
It has come to my attention that Andrea Vance is friendly with Jordan Williams, to the point of helping him make some contacts in London. Jordan Williams is, of course, Simon Lusk’s minion. Make of that what you will…..