Yep, heard that. It completely contradicts John, Bill and Steve’s repeated line that a significant net amount of new jobs have been created under their watch….. and even then I think they are referring to more part time jobs amongst that alleged increase.
Bill was on the radio this morning, doing his best to confuse the issue by saying the household labour survey is what has always been used to measure unemployment, which is true, however the statistic that is being debated at the moment is the jobs creation figure, which definitely is not included in the household labour survey. Don’t let Bill confuse you.
But doesn’t the government reject using the Household Labour Survey as a measure of unemployment, preferring the registered unemployed figure?
Ah, Bill says the HLF Survey has always been used to measure “employment”.
Bill was confused himself first he said the data was from Treasury,until his office corrected saying it was the HH labour survey.
The RBNZ Statement had a significant point .
The bank said evidence of the Canterbury rebuild were becoming “more apparent” in official figures than three months ago.
“Offsetting this, fiscal consolidation is constraining demand growth, and the high New Zealand dollar continues to undermine export earnings and encourage substitution toward imported goods and services.”
Despite warning about the strength of the Kiwi dollar, the Reserve Bank appears to hold little hope that it will weaken in the near term.
The other problematic problem is the creation of poorly thought policy initiatives with employment rules eg
Reinhart at Jackson hole suggested this was a forcing mechanism for persistent economic contraction (and unempolyment).
Economic contraction and slow recovery might also feed back on the prospects for aggregate supply. A sustained stretch of below-trend investment and depreciation of human capital prompted by elevated and lengthy spells of unemployment could hit the level and growth rate of potential output. The unemployment rate stays high because it has been high, exhibiting hysteresis as described by Blanchard and Summers (1986).
The forcing mechanism for a reduction in aggregate supply might be policy itself. In adverse economic circumstances, political leaders sometimes grasp for quick fixes that impair, not improve, the situation. Included in the list of unfortunate interventions are restrictions on trade (both domestically and internationally), work rules and pay practices, and the flow of credit. The output effects of crises might be persistent because we make them so, in the manner posited for the Great Depression by Cole and Ohanian (2002).
They keep on quoting from the Household Labour force survey like it’s scripture, and not just another document. And even if you believe what joyce was quoting today, about the 54000 net jobs in the last 4 years, that’s only just above 15000 a year. Now in that time they have tipped about 60000 people out of work and how many left school in that time?? and thats before they get to us at the bottom of the pile. And we ALL want to work.
Frankly John, Bill and Steve are lucky it’s only 13,000. Imagine what the figure would be if we hadn’t had record emigration to Australia in the last few years. No wonder Key’s stopped blathering on about a brighter future.
The chill winds blow in Europe, the storm coming from this will affect the world. The insamity of the neo-lib financiers made plain to see by Ilargi at Theautomaticearth. This no doubt will be their recipe for all.
…demands the Troika placed on Greece today. They want to fire 150.000 civil servants, raise the retirement age to 67 years immediately, cut “lay-off compensation” by 50%, and, wait for it, introduce a 6-day working week, and stretch the working day to 13 hours. In theory, that could lead to a 78-hour working week.
Hey I want to live and buy a house in Holland. They can buy a house on interest only mortgage and the interest is tax deductible. Sounds like sound financing to me, not!
Prism, Nice story don’t you think…wish I had a Dutch income stream to do the deduct against.
What I find interesting about the stories on TAE and the other international sites are the implications for small countries like NZ. Whilst we Standardistas are busy bitching away on local issues (quite rightly), we are in danger of getting dry gulched by these offshore events. If we dont consider these implications we may win battles and lose the war. To use one of the contemptible management speak lines “think globally, act locally”.
Bored 3 1 1
Yes I sometimes feel we get too close to the pollies here, fascinated with their next reverse backwards flip and triplespeak. They could be regarded as a sideshow in a way, to the world, sort of like that fairground game of moving heads with open mouths that has been used as a graphic here I think. I’m hopeless at throwing balls and scoring points though I keep trying, and we all need to try looking at another show often.
I’m down at Turangawaewae for the water hui, and I just wanted to clear up a few things before I go in. You see John, there’s quite a bit of confusion about how Maori are being pushed to help you with your asset sales problem, but there doesn’t seem to be much of a push from your side to help Maori with any of our problems – like poverty, low wages, massive unemployment, poor housing, benefit cuts … you know the rest.
And in the middle, there’s this:
And water really is a taonga to us John, a treasure. It’s hard to explain in English but water is something to cherish, to care for, to respect and to protect for future generations. Moana Jackson says “every tribe has a river” and the people of Whanganui have a saying: “I am the river and the river is me”. Water is part of who we are.
And Maori water rights need to be understood in that context, John. Not as a tradeable commodity, but as part and parcel of our very existence.
Even Pakeha people get that; I think that might be why so many of them oppose asset sales too.
It seems as if some successful wealthy people who are into large scale fishing won’t be happy till they profit and take all the fish available to them. After the stock is so depleted that its uneconomical for them they will probably look at chopping down all the trees that are left or something of that nature. Or something else in the food business, force feeding cattle to make them grow faster perhaps.
The Dutch are trying to heavy Australia over the present two year ban which is very irresponsible of them to take this anti-ecological sustainability line. They have been working on this with the Australian government apparently for seven years. It may have been that the Oz govmnt has been reluctant to turn down investment, letting money and jobs and overseas finance cloud their realities. Dutch attack
The banning of the super-trawler Abel Tasman means 50 jobs will be lost, operators Seafish Tasmania say….”It seems that after we have met every rule, regulation and request made of us, after years of working with the relevant authorities, that in the end the government reacted to the size of the Abel Tasman and not the size of the quota and the science that supports it,” Mr Geen said. http://nz.finance.yahoo.com/news/super-trawler-ban-cost-50-063210851.html
It is confusing for a newbie to look at the way company formed 20/4/12 is made up and looking at the registration Dutch interests loom large. But only one share is listed under shareholding. http://www.scribd.com/doc/105580298/Seafish-Tasmania-Pelagic-Pty-Limited-ASIC-Report-Data
It can be embarrassing for politicians to admit they don’t understand scientific findings and ask naive questions that elicit where the facts are not what they appear. All the company needs to do is talk about extra jobs and eureka they get stuffed into a hole appearing in the employment stats.
Seafish partnered with the Dutch business have named this large trawler Abel Tasman.
I see that name as an insult to the person who was a great mariner of his time, and deserves a better memorial. They are reported as scooping up all the fish they can in volume – said to be sending much of it to Africa at $1 a kilo. Their explanation and justification will no doubt be ‘We are feeding the hungry in the world’. So they plan to profit from that and clean out fish stocks around the world. Apparently this large trawler has been in other areas and moved on as they have ‘vacuumed’ up the stocks.
A case for a Rainbow Warrior-type memento perhaps.
The banning of the super-trawler Abel Tasman means 50 jobs will be lost In my role as an honorary fish I would point out that when all we fish are caught and gone the jobs will be gone too….I say its a red herring.
Radio news on USA this day 13/9/12 No.1
USA ambassador to Libya has been killed plus others in bomb attack on embassy.
This said to be response to an Israeli-Jewish? man’s You-Tube release denigrating Muhammed.
Republican Romney criticises President Obama for sympathising over deaths instead of first being outraged.
This said to be response to an Israeli-Jewish? man
So said Radio NZ, but he is not really an Israeli, says 3 News. Lolwut? (To use Mandy Rice-Davies’ famous phrase, “they would say that, wouldn’t they?”)
When I walk through the UoA campus and watch people spilling out onto the streets, I wonder how it can be that so many who pass through a world class institution can have such a limited positive impact on a nation. It’s really unsettling. Experience can’t always be trusted to see straight, but education can’t be applied by a mind with no experience – a Catch 22. When people can’t afford to eat properly, the argument about what a “positive impact” is, becomes obscene.
I wonder how it can be that so many who pass through a world class institution can have such a limited positive impact on a nation.
Lets go back to the concept that education is primarily there to create a compliance and acceptance of the status quo…..educationalists constantly object to that idea and insist upon their independence. They are on the payroll still, what does that tell you?
It used to be, in arts and social science subjects anyway, that uni education aimed at developing critical thinking. Now such subjects have been down-graded under the “neoliberal” scam, and job qualifications are foregrounded. Some there, in various disciplines, develop critical thinking. Most are there just go through the motions to get a qualification, and many get jobs… and their main aim is to keep the job, improve their status and pay, get the mortgage etc.
The rest are left to struggle to survive, probably with a certain amount of (non-productive) cynicism about the “system”.
There is always the claim of “critical thinking” being done in the meal ticket subjects. From the graduates I have employed I very much doubt that it becomes inculcated and readily available. We employ graduates who could be described as coming with the right certifications etc, and able to perform well rehearsed mechanistic functions. Usually these are well defined, and very rarely get changed because the graduates apply any thought to it. They do however perform the functions, quietly and without fuss probably because they have a huge debt attached to their pieces of paper.
Interestingly the much maligned (probably deservedly) Bob Jones reputedly said that he only hired arts grads as opposed to meal ticketers, the reason being they could think critically, and he could teach them the rest.
My personal take is that “Degrees” should generally be reserved for subjects that do NOT qualify the holder for a specialist technocratic role. We used to provide these certificates and skills at “Tech”, with excellent results.
Now such subjects have been down-graded under the “neoliberal” scam, and job qualifications are foregrounded.
Get really pissed off with this concept of getting an education to get a job. In it is the inherent assumption that you’ll be working for someone else and, IMO, it’s that socialisation that actually helps cause the mass inequality within our society.
Yep, Totally agree with that DTB. When I trained as a teacher and started teaching, my idea of education for all was a broad one, to do with education for participation in a democratic society. I am still angry about what has been done to education in the western world by “neoliberal” ideologues.
I understand your anger, I never cease to ask what the hell is taught when I get into conversations with young people who have “degrees” etc? So few have any broad literary, historic, scientific, geographic, language, philosophic knowledge. I don’t blame the teachers although I fear (and I would like to be wrong) that they too now know little either (as a result of their own education).
My wish list would definitely include Maori language as a compulsory subject,it is so much easier to understand another culture if you know their language, and as peoples trapped on a couple of small islands together I reckon we need to do this.
My wish list would definitely include Maori language as a compulsory subject…
I’d be supportive of that but you’d have to include a fairly significant teaching of the culture as well as it’s often knowing the cultural significance of a word grammatical position that will transfer the actual meaning.
Also, bi and multi-lingual people often show greater tendencies to creativity.
Additionally, learning a second language helps one understand one’s own language better…better linguistic, historical and cultural literacy all round with Maori taught as a compulsory subject.
As someone who’s done some uni teaching, I think there’s a big difference in capabilities of those that earn grades in the A range, and those that scrape through on Cs. I think the spread of performance between the highest and lowest grades has extended with the increase in numbers of people attending unis.
Some students turn in brilliant work, and are very knowledgeable…. others not so much.
Then there are still others who turn in C; nay – even D work (after moderation), then have their grades arbitrarily “upped” or “downed” at the whim of insecure people running the show. Can’t balme ’em though – all they’ve ever known themselves is a tik-a-box neo-lib inspired tertiary education regime.
“It used to be, in arts and social science subjects anyway, that uni education aimed at developing critical thinking. Now such subjects have been down-graded under the “neoliberal” scam, and job qualifications are foregrounded.”
Maybe I’ve been lucky, but my lecturers from within social science have always fully supported my critical stance…often pushing me to be more critical, and then be critical of myself.
They will often take the piss out of our university institutions, and then push the students to be critical of the uni. Did an amazing course on development and postcolonialism…almost the whole course was taught from a postdevelopment perspective. Although they work for an institution, they are hyper critical of it.
Oh, yes, I also think arts and social sciences lecturers still aim for students developing their critical faculties. But these disciplines also get pressure to be more vocationally relevant – many philosophy lecturers in the UK lost their jobs when I was there in the 80s – the subject tended to get recast as “philosophy of….[insert vocationally-oriented topic].
And there is pressure to pass students turning in work at a pretty mediocre and uncritical level.
Look above fatty – couldn’t agree more.
IT all changed when education was commodified. (oops….inadverted captalisation……but speaking of which) IT (now known as ITC) changed too. “Cloud Computing” FFS!
There are a number of other wheels that can be reinvented and repackaged just so long as there’s a buck to be made and silly people to get taken in by used car salesmen masquerading as Prime Minstas
The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America – Free download!
Being rolled out to your kids around the globe, ensuring that the gap between the have’s and have nots widens further.
Once the rot is in, the lowered standards, and poorly educated graduates, become “poor” teachers amd so they in turn educate the next generation.
Spiral down its goes, I wonder how dumbed down society will become.
I suspect its past the tipping point, as witnessing what people will tolerate and allow to happen to them, their families, and what they thought were their freedoms, all the while waiting, hoping that those reeking the madness, which they tolerate, are the same people taking their childrens future…
This is bullshit…the earthquake is the never ending excuse. The last thing East Christchurch needs is schools closing.
Stand up Labour…do it now, and make it effective. Do not be afraid to make the earthquake political…it has always been political.
“There is a real concern that the Government will take advantage of the disaster to supersize schools and carry out their undermining of the public education system,” Green Party education spokesperson Catherine Delahunty said today.
“We can see how the closure of these schools will allow the Government to accomplish their unpopular agenda.
The Education Ministry has announced an extraordinary backtracking over its proposal to merge Shirley Boys’ with Christchurch Boys’ High and the merger of Avonside Girls’ with Christchurch Girls’ High.
The ministry has issued a clarification this afternoon explaining that Avonside and Shirley Boys “may be able to stay on their existing sites” if they had favourable geotechnical reports.
1) the Ministry has now retracted the merges after being mauled in the press 😀
2)
The Press understands the plan will merge Shirley Boys’ and Christchurch Boys’ High School.
Even if there was the space for expansion available, the “refined” parents who send their spawn CHBS would revolt in terror at the thought of their snobbish, stupid investment in over-priced, in-zone housing (seriously, for the price of buying an in-zone house you could send a kid or two to Christ’s College, StAC or Bedes) being diminished by allowing the middle and lower class ruffians of SBHS (I should know, I went there).
Sheffield (UK) at Hillsborough 1989 where 96 died, after 23 years, the real story of what happened – and the subsequent cover-up by the police – have finally come to light.
Fresh out of the letterbox “Peter Dunne Reports”. Peter Dunnes’ newsletter to his constituents.
Irrational annoyance coming on at this
“Fair? I don’t think so.(Title of article) blah blah blah………….voted for Labours Mondayising of Waitangi and ANZAC day holidays Bill and the extension to the Paid Parental Leave Bill. In both cases he says his vote was the crucial one………….ok, alright.Then this
“what perplexes me is that Labour seems happy to accept my vote being the one that tips their Bills over the line, while only a few weeks later they were railing very personal and abusive terms against the fact the Mixed Ownership Model Bill was also passed 61-60 on the basis of my vote……………….Now in all three cases my vote was based on long standing UnitedFuture policy positions that I publicly and consistently stood for at the last election”
He then goes on to accuse Labour of being “inconsistent, extremely self serving and not a little hypocritical” What the F does he expect, they are in opposition. They got support from him for their bills, good, fine but like the rest of NZ may have got pissed off with him for supporting the M.O.M Bill.
Really. I might print a t shirt saying “I am surrounded by idiots” and wear it on polling day here in Ohariu. Too antigonistic?
uturn donthold your breath.
the standard of all roundedness is taking a rapid nosedive in this country.
just listen to a radio station like m*refm for example and you will hear the most inane banal drivel you have ever heard and these are the role models for the current crop of no-brainers.
There was a radio ad the other day for an educational something. Oh yeah, the NZIM. It said something like, “Ralph wants to be a manager…” and I shook my head and wondered, a manager of what? Turns out it doesn’t matter. You just have to want to manage something.
Then there was another really good one, some kind of workforce/labouring employment service with a motherly voice waffling on about how little Johnny was at school arguing with his little friends over whose Dad has the better Job. Mother voice says all jobs are good. I thought it was some kind of political broadcast. Turns out that Mother voice just wants all the Dads on her books.
alright already, u get me! Capiche (now there is a show that will remind you of NAct)
whomever writes as U-Turn is Very, Very, Clever (excellent)
any way, gotta go plant some beans and pumkins-soup while i am waiting for a job
(…waiting for the sun,….waiting,…..waiting,….waiting for U to come along)
for into this House we’re born, Maurice.
when u Open Your Eyes signs are everywhere
He certainly does move in Mysterious Ways and it will be October soon
(interesting music on 63 already)
any way, as i once said to the arresting police, who are now my friends, “opinions are like Bums-
everybody has got one”
yet,
Where will the Children Play
remember, “you don’t have to live like a Refugee”
what will be, will be
however, Great developments for Tuhoe (Russian, German, French and Scots connections)
they have had prophets in the past. i believe that this Time.
fnjckg. I hope you don’t mind me acknowledging your unique style. I appreciate the song titles you introduce into your conversation.
Yes, great developments for Tuhoe – a long time coming. They suffered like many Iwi under colonisation however their experience of it was unique and extremely brutal. They still held on and even thrived for some time during Rua Kenana’s leadership at Maungapohatu. They have spirit, perserverance and Mana. I hope the way ahead is now clearer for them and they can thrive again.
Mr D Parker has recently posted a series of posts in relation to the talks he has been having with overseas experts in the financial and economic fields. Mr D Cunliffe has also been researching in Finland recently and has posted an interesting post on this and Mr Parker’s activities.
I consider these activities that the 2 Labour Party members are conducting as extremely heartening and it would be great to see some of this information being posted & discussed on this site.
It appears to me that discussing National’s phony activities has distracted us all from some more positive things going on in our political scene.
[lprent: So write a guest post and sent it in to thestandardnz@gmail.com. If it is interesting, opinionated, and well written then one of the people who reads the email might decide to pop it up. Here are the previous ones to give you an idea – http://thestandard.org.nz/author/guest-post/
Authors pretty much write about whatever they find interesting. It is entirely likely that they haven’t read those posts or haven’t found them interesting.
Writing anything to “The Standard” will get me by default (since The Standard is a dumbarse computer program running a blog site that I maintain). Since I seldom write posts these days (http://thestandard.org.nz/author/admin/) it isn’t an appeal that is likely to get much of a proactive response… ]
Guess I was hoping for one of your articles that syndicates other posts.
I think that these Labour politicians are doing positive work and the focus is so easily placed on the negatives.
I noticed that Red Alert got more interest in a thread criticizing Nat than these series of posts regarding the researching of finances and different economical approaches.
I conclude it is not only the politicians that need to lift their game…we all do.
Problem is they’re too long. Few people have the time to spend reading them. I know this is something that Labour has been told over and over again. Make your points succinctly and you will get a better response.
There are some very bright people of both genders on this site who can do it. So why can’t our top Labour pollies do it?
Sometimes the National Party’s arrogance and contempt for ordinary people just blows me away.
This week the news coming into Parliament has been horrible and unrelenting. We have received report after report after report of lost jobs and lost hope.
And today we also have a joint Cunliffe/Parker post on the Labour website, and as a press release on Scoop.:
I think such press releases are aimed more at the media, which the journos don’t usually reprint in full – just pick out bits and summarise. But I guess a press release should aim to be reported as the author desires/
Yes, I agree Carol, Cunliffe’s posts are very good. Darien Fenton is another whose posts are succinct and to the point. It’s not surprising therefore that they usually attract a reasonable number of comments. I accept also there are occasions when longer articles are appropriate – such as David Parker’s recent posts on his overseas fact-finding tour.
However anyone who has been in Labour for any length of time would be well aware of the tendency of Labour pollies to produce long-winded diatribes simply for the sake of it. It’s almost as if they like the look of their own words as well as the sound of their own voices – the latter part of this sentence being attributed to pollies of all stripes of course.
Interesting result in the Dutch elections, with the centre right VVD edging the Labour party by 2 seats, 41-39. Both are well short of a majority in the 150 seat Parliament and the most likely outcome is for them to form a left/right coalition. Voters have rejected the anti-european parties, though the Socialist party will not lose any seats as a result and will probably come 4th.
The really good news is that the racist Freedom Party, led by the loony Geert Wilders, has taken a hammering, echoing the declining fortunes of England’s BNP.
Voters rejected anti eur0pean parties, which actually means the rac*sts are still holding power.
In case you can;t work it out, that those who are unelected and pulling the strings at the EU, who control the Central Banks, those types are the real rac*sts
All the while silly people focus in unimportant factors such as the BNP type political parties.
Ill spell it out for you: Most people are not rac*sts, but those in charge almost exclusively, and exhaustively will be!
Result for this election – Holland goes down the pan, because they voted for the rac*sts, you just don’t realise it because you only see the little picture, probably the same as the Dutch!
a thought, while raking; a recent aquaintence, and now friend of mine, is The head unionist at a local manufacturer, where they have established their own site-specific incorporated society Union.
-learn something every day
We were discussing backgrounds and concurred on the relationship between experiencing poverty as a child and the development of shopping (therefore consumption) habits/addictions
isn’t it interesting that there is a suggested positive correlation between
Poverty and Consumption
i hear about this phenomena regularly, now that boomers and Gen X are maturing and reflecting on their developmental histories
fnjckg 16
I heard the story that Sophia Loren who was a gorgeous voluptuous Italian film star had been a skinny hungry street kid. After her success and money came in, she stocked her pantry to overflowing with all sorts of pasta. It gave her great comfort to know she wouldn’t go hungry again.
Yet another case of screw you
Water Cares new regime has gone from quarterly charging to monthly, but how is it that in our case 3 months costs was $195 and now monthly it is $95. Because this CCO s giving it to its customers.
The unit rate has increased from $1.3/kL to $1.343/kT
Waste water fixed cost have reduced from $426.36 p.a. to $190, but also a NEW cost volumetric charging of Wastewater @ $2.81/kL with waste water being calculated as 78.5% of water usage. So to maintain the same annual waste water costs i.e. $426.36 less $190 = $236.36 variable costs which equate to 84.11 kL p.a. or the same usage as a single person household at 84kL or 230L/Day. Yet from Watercare’s own data a family of 4 uses 600L/day of 219 kL or an increase of $380 p.a. or in total a 25% increase. This when inflation is at less than 3%, and not factoring in the theoretical cost to a household from going from quarterly to monthly charging. Thanks Auckland council and your CCO.
It would be of interest to see how many others have picked up the cost increase as to those that have not noticed thru the shortening billing period. Just wait until summer hots us and watering the vege patch.
Herodotus
That comment should be copies by all concerned so they can read over it and then again and compare their past and present a/cs till they see just what this complicated system achieves. Does the 22% not going into the waste water go into you, or evaporate or where?
The 22.5% was to pacify many who claimed that there was no recognition for gardening and other water usage that does not flow back into the waste water system. What they don’t understand is that if 100% was used then the rate would reduce, so by reducing the % to 77.5% all that happened (Though I would find it hard to imagine anyone connect to confirm this) was that the $ rate was lifted over time. My experience related to Manukau Water activities. The same applies to normal rates whereby should valuations over the area increase/decrease then the $ rate to apply would increase/decrease accordingly, we all end up paying roughly the same amount (Unless something like the fixed charge component radically moves)
herodotus 17 1 1
On rates – I think that some Councils set up a particular area rating charge when they do large works that contribute to that area mainly. Which would stop the spread of cost over all. I think that’s a good idea.
We in Nelson have had meters installed which in theory is good because it helps you to monitor your use and control it. We had to put in a large filtering system because our water quality was I think low at D or E. I think we pay for it or most out of our meterage. When people started being more careful with water to keep their costs down, there was less cash coming in to meet the repayment of the new water system, so then the rates went up. Practical and follows logical principles but not what individuals had hoped.
Incidentally our chargeable rate is $1.62 per cubic metre (not litres as I suppose yours is) and daily line charge at 44.60c and 6 month charge is $174.
Did the media tell the Labour leader to disappear into the provinces? Are the media responsible for the Greens getting more and better coverage than Labour, most days?
If you’d like a basic tutorial on how to get stories into the media, ask the Greens, or Winston, or Hone, or Louisa Wall, or pretty much anybody … except Labour’s front man.
It’s HIS job. It’s tiresome and just false, to keep blaming the media for Shearer’s inability to communicate his message (last Sunday was the exception, but when else?).
I’m unclear of the details of how the game works, however I am capable of observing the general trends in reporting.
Perhaps you are right, that it is all up to the political party to keep their faces on the News, however, considering the massive fodder that is available on National stuff ups and has been all last term too, I question the NZ journalists interests in keeping the general public interested, let alone informed.
I wouldn’t make the previous comment had not the bias on NZ TV toward Key been palpable over the elections. This went so far as to ban one left-wing commentator and take another journalist to court for finding out a little too much against National’s interests.
I consider left wing parties are up against a distinct bias with our media at present, although, as you say, perhaps there are tactics that could be used to overcome this.
There has been highly faourable – fawning, in fact – coverage of John Key during the first term. No doubt about that.
It began to fade with the “teapot tape” story. Police raids on media organisations weren’t a great goodwill gesture by Key. The love-in ended.
So this year, the tone of the coverage has clearly changed, and the opportunities for the opposition have been there for the taking. The Greens (with far fewer resources) have been astute and effective, whereas Labour have been bumbling and stumbling.
We just can’t keep blaming the MSM. Labour need to have something to communicate, and know how to communicate it. Usually they don’t.
I agree the tone has improved, yet I note that still they are very quick to put in the Nat election line-for example the “see how they will find the money to afford it” comment after the piece about the recent education speech.
It would be nice if they were equally scathing about National-there is plenty of room for it.
You do make a good point about the Greens though, they do manage to get their point across regularly and clearly.
There appears to be some lack of savvy from Labour, yet on balance I still consider that the bias is toward the National paradigm (…or maybe JK worship based on money-whore-fawning-mentality…).
dunno.
If nat go up again next time I’ll start being wary. I’d expect a change in tack by labour post-pag, for better or worse (the new strategist could end up going even more vanilla, god forbid) .
Of course you are correct. Especially if it’s the unelected,hired strategists who determine how Left or Right (or “vanilla”) Labour is, not caucus, or god forbid, the Leadership.
My impression of the labour caucus collectively (one or two individuals are willing to call a spade a spade) is that what strategy their is is focus-group driven, and scheduled according to an imaginary “optimum” election cycle timetable rather than as circumstances change.
I could be very wrong, of course. It’s just what it looks like to me from the outside.
Interesting. The Maori hui on water is in progress still, but this report has King Tuheitia asking the powerful Iwi Leaders to stand down from individual negotiations with the government, until a pan-Maori agreement is completed:
A hui on water has called on the Government to halt asset sales till it negotiates a deal recognising Maori rights and interests with a new pan-Maori body.
It has also urged Iwi to “stand down” from individual negotiations with the Government on the effect of the sale of shares on the state owned power companies on their Treaty claims. The resolve to present a united front could throw the governments timetable for selling the SOE shares into turmoil.
….
Among the first speakers was Tuwharetoa chairman Sir Tumu te Heuheu, who said any enduring and sustainable framework for the future management of fresh water in New Zealand had to appropriately recognise and provide for the “rights, interests and responsibilities of iwi and hapu in relation to water.”
He urged attendees to separate the issues of Maori rights and interests in fresh water from the government’s plan to sell power company shares.
“Let us be clear, our rights and interests and responsibilities in relation to water do not just exist on awa and moana that are used by power companies.
Thanks Carol, that whole article makes interesting reading.
In a speech to as many as 1000 of Maoridom’s movers and shakers, King Tuheitia said Maori had always owned the water and their rights over the water had been handed down from generation to generation. “From birth we have been taught that the Waikato river is the life force of my people….simply, it has given life to our people.” But the crystal clear river which he used to swim in as a child was “a degraded body of water”. “From Ngaruawahia out to the sea you cannot swim or take kai from it. This is not the legacy I want to leave for our children.”
How can anyone own water?
I feel that the message that Maori are trying to give is being lost in the whole ownership argument that leaves most of us believing it is about greed
Cool, so I can use your pool? Be round in the morning. Oh yeah I’ll be bringing a few mates and having some beers in the afternoon, maybe a bit of a party friday night. We’ll be selling beers and Woodstocks to cover the cost of the sound system and the bands.
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Saturday we’ll run a sausage sizzle most of the day and if it all goes well we’ll be back to do the same every weekend this summer.
In the 1930’s Labour decided that every child should have a chance at secondary school. So, under the guidance of one Clarence Beeby, secondary education was universalised and made free for all students, and schools given the tools to ensure a quality education for ALL.
In the 2010’s National decided that every child should have a chance at early childhood education. So, under the guidance of one Paula Bennett, they forced the poorest of single parents to purchase ECE services of dubious quality, threatening to cut their benefits if they didn’t.
It goes to show how far to the dogs this country has gone really..
Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
Peter Dunne writes – The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisitionNOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)New Zealand Government’s Fast Track legislation. Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government ...
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...
Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julien Cooper, Honorary Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Julien Cooper The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new ...
The sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign ...
The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
Rock The Vote NZ, known for its advocacy for minor party unity and its role within the Freedoms NZ Coalition during the 2023 General Election, celebrates this merger as a strategic enhancement of its operational strength and outreach. ...
Nearly everyone has experienced the frustration of something you use breaking and being difficult or expensive to fix. Proposed legislation could change that. It’s been raining on and off all Sunday afternoon but people are lining up outside a building in a corner of Gribblehirst Park in Sandringham, Auckland. In ...
What does a forever relationship look like when you don’t believe in marriage? And how do you celebrate it? This essay is part of our Sunday Essay series, made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.I’m going to do it, right now. I’m going to say ...
It’s not that long ago Eliza McCartney was seriously wondering if the Paris Olympics would be her pole vaulting swansong. After years of being hounded by injury after injury, the Rio Olympics bronze medallist was still confident she would compete at her second Olympics in Paris in July, unless something ...
FICTION 1 Take Two by Danielle Hawkins (Allen & Unwin, $36.99) There’s commercial fiction, like this book, and then there’s quality fiction, quality writers, quality literature; the forthcoming Auckland Writers Festival is full of quality, and ReadingRoom has two tickets to give away to the following events: Paul Lynch (Dublin ...
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You can’t have missed the Gallipoli story as the movies, documentaries, essays and books capture what it was like for New Zealand troops in their eight-month campaign on the Peninsula. But this Anzac Day the Auckland War Memorial Museum has published a book that sheds light on a little-known aspect of the ...
The Prime Minister has committed to resuming direct flights to Thailand. But it’s not a promise he will be able to deliver on anytime soon. The post Prime Minister jumps the gun in Thailand appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Musk’s vociferous opposition to ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Pacific Media Watch Journalists who report on environmental issues are encountering growing difficulties in many parts of the world, reports Reporters Without Borders. According to the tally kept by RSF, 200 journalists have been subjected to threats and physical violence, including murder, in the past 10 years because they were ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in ...
A naughty Banksie… coveting the neighbours gal too.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7664819/John-Banks-told-lawyer-of-Dotcom-donation
jeez if the PM can let this slide because of the 6 month limit that Richard Worth must have been incredibly, majorly, naughty.
Me, I still want know who was it that stole his Harley…
statistics nz as reported by rnz says there is a net job loss of 13000.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/115734/nz-economy-lost-jobs
Yep, heard that. It completely contradicts John, Bill and Steve’s repeated line that a significant net amount of new jobs have been created under their watch….. and even then I think they are referring to more part time jobs amongst that alleged increase.
Bill was on the radio this morning, doing his best to confuse the issue by saying the household labour survey is what has always been used to measure unemployment, which is true, however the statistic that is being debated at the moment is the jobs creation figure, which definitely is not included in the household labour survey. Don’t let Bill confuse you.
But doesn’t the government reject using the Household Labour Survey as a measure of unemployment, preferring the registered unemployed figure?
Ah, Bill says the HLF Survey has always been used to measure “employment”.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/115734/nz-economy-lost-jobs
Bill was confused himself first he said the data was from Treasury,until his office corrected saying it was the HH labour survey.
The RBNZ Statement had a significant point .
The bank said evidence of the Canterbury rebuild were becoming “more apparent” in official figures than three months ago.
“Offsetting this, fiscal consolidation is constraining demand growth, and the high New Zealand dollar continues to undermine export earnings and encourage substitution toward imported goods and services.”
Despite warning about the strength of the Kiwi dollar, the Reserve Bank appears to hold little hope that it will weaken in the near term.
The other problematic problem is the creation of poorly thought policy initiatives with employment rules eg
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/7666692/Work-trials-adding-to-skills-shortages
Reinhart at Jackson hole suggested this was a forcing mechanism for persistent economic contraction (and unempolyment).
Economic contraction and slow recovery might also feed back on the prospects for aggregate supply. A sustained stretch of below-trend investment and depreciation of human capital prompted by elevated and lengthy spells of unemployment could hit the level and growth rate of potential output. The unemployment rate stays high because it has been high, exhibiting hysteresis as described by Blanchard and Summers (1986).
The forcing mechanism for a reduction in aggregate supply might be policy itself. In adverse economic circumstances, political leaders sometimes grasp for quick fixes that impair, not improve, the situation. Included in the list of unfortunate interventions are restrictions on trade (both domestically and internationally), work rules and pay practices, and the flow of credit. The output effects of crises might be persistent because we make them so, in the manner posited for the Great Depression by Cole and Ohanian (2002).
They keep on quoting from the Household Labour force survey like it’s scripture, and not just another document. And even if you believe what joyce was quoting today, about the 54000 net jobs in the last 4 years, that’s only just above 15000 a year. Now in that time they have tipped about 60000 people out of work and how many left school in that time?? and thats before they get to us at the bottom of the pile. And we ALL want to work.
Frankly John, Bill and Steve are lucky it’s only 13,000. Imagine what the figure would be if we hadn’t had record emigration to Australia in the last few years. No wonder Key’s stopped blathering on about a brighter future.
And what percentage of these losses concern youth?
The chill winds blow in Europe, the storm coming from this will affect the world. The insamity of the neo-lib financiers made plain to see by Ilargi at Theautomaticearth. This no doubt will be their recipe for all.
…demands the Troika placed on Greece today. They want to fire 150.000 civil servants, raise the retirement age to 67 years immediately, cut “lay-off compensation” by 50%, and, wait for it, introduce a 6-day working week, and stretch the working day to 13 hours. In theory, that could lead to a 78-hour working week.
http://theautomaticearth.com/Finance/those-dutch-tulips-aint-looking-all-that-rosy.html
Hey I want to live and buy a house in Holland. They can buy a house on interest only mortgage and the interest is tax deductible. Sounds like sound financing to me, not!
Prism, Nice story don’t you think…wish I had a Dutch income stream to do the deduct against.
What I find interesting about the stories on TAE and the other international sites are the implications for small countries like NZ. Whilst we Standardistas are busy bitching away on local issues (quite rightly), we are in danger of getting dry gulched by these offshore events. If we dont consider these implications we may win battles and lose the war. To use one of the contemptible management speak lines “think globally, act locally”.
Bored 3 1 1
Yes I sometimes feel we get too close to the pollies here, fascinated with their next reverse backwards flip and triplespeak. They could be regarded as a sideshow in a way, to the world, sort of like that fairground game of moving heads with open mouths that has been used as a graphic here I think. I’m hopeless at throwing balls and scoring points though I keep trying, and we all need to try looking at another show often.
prism
Until after Holland’s election today – then watch this space.
fortran
Thanks I will. I’m not up on Dutch politics though I believe they were tilting right, with immigration being a sore point.
Surely this illustrates just how powerful those behind the scenes really are.
An Germany will be bankrupted to front the leveredged funds, following the court ruling yesterday!
Hone calls for “cup of tea” time…
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10833597
well someone has to be the eager beaver linker each day…
Thanks. Excellent! It starts:
And in the middle, there’s this:
I wish they’d start throwing Rio Tinto and Norske Skog into the ring.
All too easy to blame the maaari’s when these 2 big companies (y’know that big business NACT love so much) are one of the major reasons to delay.
Wonder what dodgy deal they’ll attempt with those 2 to prop up the demand they place on our generation..
Thanks TM
It seems as if some successful wealthy people who are into large scale fishing won’t be happy till they profit and take all the fish available to them. After the stock is so depleted that its uneconomical for them they will probably look at chopping down all the trees that are left or something of that nature. Or something else in the food business, force feeding cattle to make them grow faster perhaps.
The Dutch are trying to heavy Australia over the present two year ban which is very irresponsible of them to take this anti-ecological sustainability line. They have been working on this with the Australian government apparently for seven years. It may have been that the Oz govmnt has been reluctant to turn down investment, letting money and jobs and overseas finance cloud their realities. Dutch attack
The banning of the super-trawler Abel Tasman means 50 jobs will be lost, operators Seafish Tasmania say….”It seems that after we have met every rule, regulation and request made of us, after years of working with the relevant authorities, that in the end the government reacted to the size of the Abel Tasman and not the size of the quota and the science that supports it,” Mr Geen said. http://nz.finance.yahoo.com/news/super-trawler-ban-cost-50-063210851.html
It is confusing for a newbie to look at the way company formed 20/4/12 is made up and looking at the registration Dutch interests loom large. But only one share is listed under shareholding. http://www.scribd.com/doc/105580298/Seafish-Tasmania-Pelagic-Pty-Limited-ASIC-Report-Data
It can be embarrassing for politicians to admit they don’t understand scientific findings and ask naive questions that elicit where the facts are not what they appear. All the company needs to do is talk about extra jobs and eureka they get stuffed into a hole appearing in the employment stats.
Seafish partnered with the Dutch business have named this large trawler Abel Tasman.
I see that name as an insult to the person who was a great mariner of his time, and deserves a better memorial. They are reported as scooping up all the fish they can in volume – said to be sending much of it to Africa at $1 a kilo. Their explanation and justification will no doubt be ‘We are feeding the hungry in the world’. So they plan to profit from that and clean out fish stocks around the world. Apparently this large trawler has been in other areas and moved on as they have ‘vacuumed’ up the stocks.
A case for a Rainbow Warrior-type memento perhaps.
The banning of the super-trawler Abel Tasman means 50 jobs will be lost In my role as an honorary fish I would point out that when all we fish are caught and gone the jobs will be gone too….I say its a red herring.
Radio news on USA this day 13/9/12 No.1
USA ambassador to Libya has been killed plus others in bomb attack on embassy.
This said to be response to an Israeli-Jewish? man’s You-Tube release denigrating Muhammed.
Republican Romney criticises President Obama for sympathising over deaths instead of first being outraged.
So said Radio NZ, but he is not really an Israeli, says 3 News. Lolwut? (To use Mandy Rice-Davies’ famous phrase, “they would say that, wouldn’t they?”)
Where does the education go?
When I walk through the UoA campus and watch people spilling out onto the streets, I wonder how it can be that so many who pass through a world class institution can have such a limited positive impact on a nation. It’s really unsettling. Experience can’t always be trusted to see straight, but education can’t be applied by a mind with no experience – a Catch 22. When people can’t afford to eat properly, the argument about what a “positive impact” is, becomes obscene.
I wonder how it can be that so many who pass through a world class institution can have such a limited positive impact on a nation.
Lets go back to the concept that education is primarily there to create a compliance and acceptance of the status quo…..educationalists constantly object to that idea and insist upon their independence. They are on the payroll still, what does that tell you?
It used to be, in arts and social science subjects anyway, that uni education aimed at developing critical thinking. Now such subjects have been down-graded under the “neoliberal” scam, and job qualifications are foregrounded. Some there, in various disciplines, develop critical thinking. Most are there just go through the motions to get a qualification, and many get jobs… and their main aim is to keep the job, improve their status and pay, get the mortgage etc.
The rest are left to struggle to survive, probably with a certain amount of (non-productive) cynicism about the “system”.
There is always the claim of “critical thinking” being done in the meal ticket subjects. From the graduates I have employed I very much doubt that it becomes inculcated and readily available. We employ graduates who could be described as coming with the right certifications etc, and able to perform well rehearsed mechanistic functions. Usually these are well defined, and very rarely get changed because the graduates apply any thought to it. They do however perform the functions, quietly and without fuss probably because they have a huge debt attached to their pieces of paper.
Interestingly the much maligned (probably deservedly) Bob Jones reputedly said that he only hired arts grads as opposed to meal ticketers, the reason being they could think critically, and he could teach them the rest.
My personal take is that “Degrees” should generally be reserved for subjects that do NOT qualify the holder for a specialist technocratic role. We used to provide these certificates and skills at “Tech”, with excellent results.
Get really pissed off with this concept of getting an education to get a job. In it is the inherent assumption that you’ll be working for someone else and, IMO, it’s that socialisation that actually helps cause the mass inequality within our society.
Yep, Totally agree with that DTB. When I trained as a teacher and started teaching, my idea of education for all was a broad one, to do with education for participation in a democratic society. I am still angry about what has been done to education in the western world by “neoliberal” ideologues.
I understand your anger, I never cease to ask what the hell is taught when I get into conversations with young people who have “degrees” etc? So few have any broad literary, historic, scientific, geographic, language, philosophic knowledge. I don’t blame the teachers although I fear (and I would like to be wrong) that they too now know little either (as a result of their own education).
My wish list would definitely include Maori language as a compulsory subject,it is so much easier to understand another culture if you know their language, and as peoples trapped on a couple of small islands together I reckon we need to do this.
I’d be supportive of that but you’d have to include a fairly significant teaching of the culture as well as it’s often knowing the cultural significance of a word grammatical position that will transfer the actual meaning.
Also, bi and multi-lingual people often show greater tendencies to creativity.
+1 Bored and Draco T Bastard
Additionally, learning a second language helps one understand one’s own language better…better linguistic, historical and cultural literacy all round with Maori taught as a compulsory subject.
I am multi-lingual, in 5 European languages and one Asian language… Will that do?
That’ll do, pig. That’ll do. 😀
As someone who’s done some uni teaching, I think there’s a big difference in capabilities of those that earn grades in the A range, and those that scrape through on Cs. I think the spread of performance between the highest and lowest grades has extended with the increase in numbers of people attending unis.
Some students turn in brilliant work, and are very knowledgeable…. others not so much.
Then there are still others who turn in C; nay – even D work (after moderation), then have their grades arbitrarily “upped” or “downed” at the whim of insecure people running the show. Can’t balme ’em though – all they’ve ever known themselves is a tik-a-box neo-lib inspired tertiary education regime.
“It used to be, in arts and social science subjects anyway, that uni education aimed at developing critical thinking. Now such subjects have been down-graded under the “neoliberal” scam, and job qualifications are foregrounded.”
Maybe I’ve been lucky, but my lecturers from within social science have always fully supported my critical stance…often pushing me to be more critical, and then be critical of myself.
They will often take the piss out of our university institutions, and then push the students to be critical of the uni. Did an amazing course on development and postcolonialism…almost the whole course was taught from a postdevelopment perspective. Although they work for an institution, they are hyper critical of it.
Oh, yes, I also think arts and social sciences lecturers still aim for students developing their critical faculties. But these disciplines also get pressure to be more vocationally relevant – many philosophy lecturers in the UK lost their jobs when I was there in the 80s – the subject tended to get recast as “philosophy of….[insert vocationally-oriented topic].
And there is pressure to pass students turning in work at a pretty mediocre and uncritical level.
Sort of the same in my science courses, though it was easy to tell which lecturers would rather not be teaching undergrads 😉
Look above fatty – couldn’t agree more.
IT all changed when education was commodified. (oops….inadverted captalisation……but speaking of which) IT (now known as ITC) changed too. “Cloud Computing” FFS!
There are a number of other wheels that can be reinvented and repackaged just so long as there’s a buck to be made and silly people to get taken in by used car salesmen masquerading as Prime Minstas
The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America – Free download!
Being rolled out to your kids around the globe, ensuring that the gap between the have’s and have nots widens further.
Once the rot is in, the lowered standards, and poorly educated graduates, become “poor” teachers amd so they in turn educate the next generation.
Spiral down its goes, I wonder how dumbed down society will become.
I suspect its past the tipping point, as witnessing what people will tolerate and allow to happen to them, their families, and what they thought were their freedoms, all the while waiting, hoping that those reeking the madness, which they tolerate, are the same people taking their childrens future…
Not alot of noise, given whats going on is there…
Hi. Um, what?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/7669865/13-Canterbury-schools-to-close-18-to-merge
13 Canterbury schools to close, 18 to merge
The Press understands the plan will merge Shirley Boys’ and Christchurch Boys’ High School.
Avonside Girls will be merged with Christchurch Girls’ High School.
Aranui High school will be clustered with Aranui primary, Avondlate and Chisnalwood, into a learning cluster.
This is bullshit…the earthquake is the never ending excuse. The last thing East Christchurch needs is schools closing.
Stand up Labour…do it now, and make it effective. Do not be afraid to make the earthquake political…it has always been political.
And the Greens have a <a href="http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1209/S00203/government-closing-schools-and-giving-up-on-the-east.htm"Press Release about that out:
Corrected link
OOPS
The Education Ministry has announced an extraordinary backtracking over its proposal to merge Shirley Boys’ with Christchurch Boys’ High and the merger of Avonside Girls’ with Christchurch Girls’ High.
The ministry has issued a clarification this afternoon explaining that Avonside and Shirley Boys “may be able to stay on their existing sites” if they had favourable geotechnical reports.
I smell charter schools for Christchurch.
1) the Ministry has now retracted the merges after being mauled in the press 😀
2)
Even if there was the space for expansion available, the “refined” parents who send their spawn CHBS would revolt in terror at the thought of their snobbish, stupid investment in over-priced, in-zone housing (seriously, for the price of buying an in-zone house you could send a kid or two to Christ’s College, StAC or Bedes) being diminished by allowing the middle and lower class ruffians of SBHS (I should know, I went there).
Sheffield (UK) at Hillsborough 1989 where 96 died, after 23 years, the real story of what happened – and the subsequent cover-up by the police – have finally come to light.
Sucks to live in the Ohariu electorate
Fresh out of the letterbox “Peter Dunne Reports”. Peter Dunnes’ newsletter to his constituents.
Irrational annoyance coming on at this
“Fair? I don’t think so.(Title of article) blah blah blah………….voted for Labours Mondayising of Waitangi and ANZAC day holidays Bill and the extension to the Paid Parental Leave Bill. In both cases he says his vote was the crucial one………….ok, alright.Then this
“what perplexes me is that Labour seems happy to accept my vote being the one that tips their Bills over the line, while only a few weeks later they were railing very personal and abusive terms against the fact the Mixed Ownership Model Bill was also passed 61-60 on the basis of my vote……………….Now in all three cases my vote was based on long standing UnitedFuture policy positions that I publicly and consistently stood for at the last election”
He then goes on to accuse Labour of being “inconsistent, extremely self serving and not a little hypocritical” What the F does he expect, they are in opposition. They got support from him for their bills, good, fine but like the rest of NZ may have got pissed off with him for supporting the M.O.M Bill.
Really. I might print a t shirt saying “I am surrounded by idiots” and wear it on polling day here in Ohariu. Too antigonistic?
uturn donthold your breath.
the standard of all roundedness is taking a rapid nosedive in this country.
just listen to a radio station like m*refm for example and you will hear the most inane banal drivel you have ever heard and these are the role models for the current crop of no-brainers.
There was a radio ad the other day for an educational something. Oh yeah, the NZIM. It said something like, “Ralph wants to be a manager…” and I shook my head and wondered, a manager of what? Turns out it doesn’t matter. You just have to want to manage something.
Then there was another really good one, some kind of workforce/labouring employment service with a motherly voice waffling on about how little Johnny was at school arguing with his little friends over whose Dad has the better Job. Mother voice says all jobs are good. I thought it was some kind of political broadcast. Turns out that Mother voice just wants all the Dads on her books.
alright already, u get me! Capiche (now there is a show that will remind you of NAct)
whomever writes as U-Turn is Very, Very, Clever (excellent)
any way, gotta go plant some beans and pumkins-soup while i am waiting for a job
(…waiting for the sun,….waiting,…..waiting,….waiting for U to come along)
for into this House we’re born, Maurice.
to the community
Thank You (Led Zep)
when u Open Your Eyes signs are everywhere
He certainly does move in Mysterious Ways and it will be October soon
(interesting music on 63 already)
any way, as i once said to the arresting police, who are now my friends, “opinions are like Bums-
everybody has got one”
yet,
Where will the Children Play
remember, “you don’t have to live like a Refugee”
what will be, will be
however, Great developments for Tuhoe (Russian, German, French and Scots connections)
they have had prophets in the past. i believe that this Time.
Are Friends Electric?
me? i disconnect from u
fnjckg. I hope you don’t mind me acknowledging your unique style. I appreciate the song titles you introduce into your conversation.
Yes, great developments for Tuhoe – a long time coming. They suffered like many Iwi under colonisation however their experience of it was unique and extremely brutal. They still held on and even thrived for some time during Rua Kenana’s leadership at Maungapohatu. They have spirit, perserverance and Mana. I hope the way ahead is now clearer for them and they can thrive again.
Dear The Standard,
Mr D Parker has recently posted a series of posts in relation to the talks he has been having with overseas experts in the financial and economic fields. Mr D Cunliffe has also been researching in Finland recently and has posted an interesting post on this and Mr Parker’s activities.
I consider these activities that the 2 Labour Party members are conducting as extremely heartening and it would be great to see some of this information being posted & discussed on this site.
It appears to me that discussing National’s phony activities has distracted us all from some more positive things going on in our political scene.
http://blog.labour.org.nz/2012/09/12/the-cult-of-national-party-economics/
[lprent: So write a guest post and sent it in to thestandardnz@gmail.com. If it is interesting, opinionated, and well written then one of the people who reads the email might decide to pop it up. Here are the previous ones to give you an idea – http://thestandard.org.nz/author/guest-post/
Authors pretty much write about whatever they find interesting. It is entirely likely that they haven’t read those posts or haven’t found them interesting.
Writing anything to “The Standard” will get me by default (since The Standard is a dumbarse computer program running a blog site that I maintain). Since I seldom write posts these days (http://thestandard.org.nz/author/admin/) it isn’t an appeal that is likely to get much of a proactive response… ]
Cheers lprent,
Guess I was hoping for one of your articles that syndicates other posts.
I think that these Labour politicians are doing positive work and the focus is so easily placed on the negatives.
I noticed that Red Alert got more interest in a thread criticizing Nat than these series of posts regarding the researching of finances and different economical approaches.
I conclude it is not only the politicians that need to lift their game…we all do.
Problem is they’re too long. Few people have the time to spend reading them. I know this is something that Labour has been told over and over again. Make your points succinctly and you will get a better response.
There are some very bright people of both genders on this site who can do it. So why can’t our top Labour pollies do it?
I think Parker’s RA posts particularly have that draw back. But Cunliffe’s press releases/posts on the Labour Party site are reasonably succinct.
And I think there is a place for longer pieces for discussion by the more hardcore lefties.
e.g. this rather angry piece by Cunliffe today, slamming Joyce and National re the country’s jobs.
http://blog.labour.org.nz/2012/09/13/they-dont-care-about-your-job/
It begins:
And today we also have a joint Cunliffe/Parker post on the Labour website, and as a press release on Scoop.:
http://www.labour.org.nz/news/national%E2%80%99s-selective-figures-hide-problems-in-the-real-economy
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1209/S00213/nationals-selective-figures-hide-problems.htm
I think such press releases are aimed more at the media, which the journos don’t usually reprint in full – just pick out bits and summarise. But I guess a press release should aim to be reported as the author desires/
Yes, I agree Carol, Cunliffe’s posts are very good. Darien Fenton is another whose posts are succinct and to the point. It’s not surprising therefore that they usually attract a reasonable number of comments. I accept also there are occasions when longer articles are appropriate – such as David Parker’s recent posts on his overseas fact-finding tour.
However anyone who has been in Labour for any length of time would be well aware of the tendency of Labour pollies to produce long-winded diatribes simply for the sake of it. It’s almost as if they like the look of their own words as well as the sound of their own voices – the latter part of this sentence being attributed to pollies of all stripes of course.
‘National day of action against welfare reform oct 5th 2012’
This is on the scoop site,sorry can’t link it.
Welfare changes come in on the 15th oct.
Interesting result in the Dutch elections, with the centre right VVD edging the Labour party by 2 seats, 41-39. Both are well short of a majority in the 150 seat Parliament and the most likely outcome is for them to form a left/right coalition. Voters have rejected the anti-european parties, though the Socialist party will not lose any seats as a result and will probably come 4th.
The really good news is that the racist Freedom Party, led by the loony Geert Wilders, has taken a hammering, echoing the declining fortunes of England’s BNP.
Voters rejected anti eur0pean parties, which actually means the rac*sts are still holding power.
In case you can;t work it out, that those who are unelected and pulling the strings at the EU, who control the Central Banks, those types are the real rac*sts
All the while silly people focus in unimportant factors such as the BNP type political parties.
Ill spell it out for you: Most people are not rac*sts, but those in charge almost exclusively, and exhaustively will be!
Result for this election – Holland goes down the pan, because they voted for the rac*sts, you just don’t realise it because you only see the little picture, probably the same as the Dutch!
I take it you had the Amsterdam space cake for breakfast this morning, Muzza. Get in touch when you come down.
a thought, while raking; a recent aquaintence, and now friend of mine, is The head unionist at a local manufacturer, where they have established their own site-specific incorporated society Union.
-learn something every day
We were discussing backgrounds and concurred on the relationship between experiencing poverty as a child and the development of shopping (therefore consumption) habits/addictions
isn’t it interesting that there is a suggested positive correlation between
Poverty and Consumption
i hear about this phenomena regularly, now that boomers and Gen X are maturing and reflecting on their developmental histories
-Big Cars? -Alain de Botton: Status Anxiety
(vouch)
fnjckg 16
I heard the story that Sophia Loren who was a gorgeous voluptuous Italian film star had been a skinny hungry street kid. After her success and money came in, she stocked her pantry to overflowing with all sorts of pasta. It gave her great comfort to know she wouldn’t go hungry again.
Yet another case of screw you
Water Cares new regime has gone from quarterly charging to monthly, but how is it that in our case 3 months costs was $195 and now monthly it is $95. Because this CCO s giving it to its customers.
The unit rate has increased from $1.3/kL to $1.343/kT
Waste water fixed cost have reduced from $426.36 p.a. to $190, but also a NEW cost volumetric charging of Wastewater @ $2.81/kL with waste water being calculated as 78.5% of water usage. So to maintain the same annual waste water costs i.e. $426.36 less $190 = $236.36 variable costs which equate to 84.11 kL p.a. or the same usage as a single person household at 84kL or 230L/Day. Yet from Watercare’s own data a family of 4 uses 600L/day of 219 kL or an increase of $380 p.a. or in total a 25% increase. This when inflation is at less than 3%, and not factoring in the theoretical cost to a household from going from quarterly to monthly charging. Thanks Auckland council and your CCO.
It would be of interest to see how many others have picked up the cost increase as to those that have not noticed thru the shortening billing period. Just wait until summer hots us and watering the vege patch.
Herodotus
That comment should be copies by all concerned so they can read over it and then again and compare their past and present a/cs till they see just what this complicated system achieves. Does the 22% not going into the waste water go into you, or evaporate or where?
The 22.5% was to pacify many who claimed that there was no recognition for gardening and other water usage that does not flow back into the waste water system. What they don’t understand is that if 100% was used then the rate would reduce, so by reducing the % to 77.5% all that happened (Though I would find it hard to imagine anyone connect to confirm this) was that the $ rate was lifted over time. My experience related to Manukau Water activities. The same applies to normal rates whereby should valuations over the area increase/decrease then the $ rate to apply would increase/decrease accordingly, we all end up paying roughly the same amount (Unless something like the fixed charge component radically moves)
herodotus 17 1 1
On rates – I think that some Councils set up a particular area rating charge when they do large works that contribute to that area mainly. Which would stop the spread of cost over all. I think that’s a good idea.
We in Nelson have had meters installed which in theory is good because it helps you to monitor your use and control it. We had to put in a large filtering system because our water quality was I think low at D or E. I think we pay for it or most out of our meterage. When people started being more careful with water to keep their costs down, there was less cash coming in to meet the repayment of the new water system, so then the rates went up. Practical and follows logical principles but not what individuals had hoped.
Incidentally our chargeable rate is $1.62 per cubic metre (not litres as I suppose yours is) and daily line charge at 44.60c and 6 month charge is $174.
Latest poll, minor changes (margin of error), but no traction for Labour –
http://www.roymorgan.com/news/polls/2012/4821/
That’s in line with the Herald Digi-poll this week.
No change = need to change. Time is being wasted under Labour’s caretaker leader.
Maybe National just needs to stuff up a bit more?
…or maybe our media need to start reporting on just how much they are stuffing up
(…I mean how much MORE stuff ups does it take….)
🙁
Did the media tell the Labour leader to disappear into the provinces? Are the media responsible for the Greens getting more and better coverage than Labour, most days?
If you’d like a basic tutorial on how to get stories into the media, ask the Greens, or Winston, or Hone, or Louisa Wall, or pretty much anybody … except Labour’s front man.
It’s HIS job. It’s tiresome and just false, to keep blaming the media for Shearer’s inability to communicate his message (last Sunday was the exception, but when else?).
I’m unclear of the details of how the game works, however I am capable of observing the general trends in reporting.
Perhaps you are right, that it is all up to the political party to keep their faces on the News, however, considering the massive fodder that is available on National stuff ups and has been all last term too, I question the NZ journalists interests in keeping the general public interested, let alone informed.
I wouldn’t make the previous comment had not the bias on NZ TV toward Key been palpable over the elections. This went so far as to ban one left-wing commentator and take another journalist to court for finding out a little too much against National’s interests.
I consider left wing parties are up against a distinct bias with our media at present, although, as you say, perhaps there are tactics that could be used to overcome this.
There has been highly faourable – fawning, in fact – coverage of John Key during the first term. No doubt about that.
It began to fade with the “teapot tape” story. Police raids on media organisations weren’t a great goodwill gesture by Key. The love-in ended.
So this year, the tone of the coverage has clearly changed, and the opportunities for the opposition have been there for the taking. The Greens (with far fewer resources) have been astute and effective, whereas Labour have been bumbling and stumbling.
We just can’t keep blaming the MSM. Labour need to have something to communicate, and know how to communicate it. Usually they don’t.
I agree the tone has improved, yet I note that still they are very quick to put in the Nat election line-for example the “see how they will find the money to afford it” comment after the piece about the recent education speech.
It would be nice if they were equally scathing about National-there is plenty of room for it.
You do make a good point about the Greens though, they do manage to get their point across regularly and clearly.
There appears to be some lack of savvy from Labour, yet on balance I still consider that the bias is toward the National paradigm (…or maybe JK worship based on money-whore-fawning-mentality…).
dunno.
If nat go up again next time I’ll start being wary. I’d expect a change in tack by labour post-pag, for better or worse (the new strategist could end up going even more vanilla, god forbid) .
Of course you are correct. Especially if it’s the unelected,hired strategists who determine how Left or Right (or “vanilla”) Labour is, not caucus, or god forbid, the Leadership.
too true.
My impression of the labour caucus collectively (one or two individuals are willing to call a spade a spade) is that what strategy their is is focus-group driven, and scheduled according to an imaginary “optimum” election cycle timetable rather than as circumstances change.
I could be very wrong, of course. It’s just what it looks like to me from the outside.
4 teh Lulz
https://twitter.com/PeteDGeorge/status/246147580579430400
Oh Petey. Oh dear.
Interesting. The Maori hui on water is in progress still, but this report has King Tuheitia asking the powerful Iwi Leaders to stand down from individual negotiations with the government, until a pan-Maori agreement is completed:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7665035/Hui-calls-for-new-deal-on-Maori-rights
Thanks Carol, that whole article makes interesting reading.
In a speech to as many as 1000 of Maoridom’s movers and shakers, King Tuheitia said Maori had always owned the water and their rights over the water had been handed down from generation to generation.
“From birth we have been taught that the Waikato river is the life force of my people….simply, it has given life to our people.”
But the crystal clear river which he used to swim in as a child was “a degraded body of water”.
“From Ngaruawahia out to the sea you cannot swim or take kai from it. This is not the legacy I want to leave for our children.”
How can anyone own water?
I feel that the message that Maori are trying to give is being lost in the whole ownership argument that leaves most of us believing it is about greed
Cool, so I can use your pool? Be round in the morning. Oh yeah I’ll be bringing a few mates and having some beers in the afternoon, maybe a bit of a party friday night. We’ll be selling beers and Woodstocks to cover the cost of the sound system and the bands.
\
Saturday we’ll run a sausage sizzle most of the day and if it all goes well we’ll be back to do the same every weekend this summer.
In the 1930’s Labour decided that every child should have a chance at secondary school. So, under the guidance of one Clarence Beeby, secondary education was universalised and made free for all students, and schools given the tools to ensure a quality education for ALL.
In the 2010’s National decided that every child should have a chance at early childhood education. So, under the guidance of one Paula Bennett, they forced the poorest of single parents to purchase ECE services of dubious quality, threatening to cut their benefits if they didn’t.
It goes to show how far to the dogs this country has gone really..