The prudence of the banks is heartening on one level – we need the major banks to stay strong through any economic downturn that may eventuate.
That strength was a blessing for Australasia during the Global Financial Crisis.
But its also a little worrying to consider just what they are bracing for.
Do they see a significant property market correction coming? There’s no shortage of commentators and economists who have delivered similar warnings.
A long range weather forecast is one thing, watching the biggest ships the sea batten down for a storm is another thing altogether.
The fact is that New Zealand is highly vulnerable to any world economic slowdown. Our government debt has skyrocketed since Key and his crew have taken over. It’s over $120 billion. You can watch it grow here. In addition our private debt has soared. We Kiwis are slaves to mortgages, rent and credit cards.
Why isn’t big media informing us about what’s going on with the world’s economy? Are the owners and drivers of our media that shallow, that bound to their class interests, that they can’t bear to tell the truth?
Have we learnt nothing from 2007/8? Don’t trust big media to educate you. Do it yourself, check out some of the links in this post and learn about what’s about what’s going to happen.
Then buckle up, people, it’s going to be a rough landing.
There seems to be rumbling coming from the World Economy. NZ high against the pound etc. And why has Putin “ordered” Russians home? Why are our Banks preparing to cover themselves?
I don’t know because I am an Economic Illiterate.
@Ianmac – the banks have lent too much foreign money and some of the lending is fraudulent or over valued. For example with the SHA zoned by the government, overnight the land was worth millions more. Then the owners sold for those millions more and the banks lent on the new values. However it was the same land, and the same land has no or few houses on it years later. So the bank lending was always reliant on development, development is reliant on more people living there and more people living there and buying houses is reliant on them having secure jobs and wealth…
The government never got around to putting legislation and investment in place to provide more secure jobs and wealth for enough people …. to pay the debts for the houses… that the bank lent on.
Under neoliberalism that opposite is happening, less jobs for more people… less secure wealth… Executives are given short term incentives to save money to get their bonuses… easiest way is to cut jobs, but long term the company will grind to a halt because without investment in quality people then businesses go under.
Thanks Save NZ. So the Bank positioning is to bank against the “grinding to a halt.” Uggh! The withdrawl of Government funding to essential services is another alarm bell. Key/Joyce/English cannot warn us as this would be an admission of defeat.
Judith Collins is not fit to be an MP let alone a minister of the Crown. Her latest brainfart is unacceptable and she should be removed from office immediately.
agreed – she is an utter disgrace and shows her very limited thinking capacity. Typical lazy gnat – blame parents for child poverty –
“I don’t just see monetary poverty,” she said. “I see a poverty of ideas, a poverty of parental responsibility, a poverty of love, a poverty of caring.Ms Collins then said that in New Zealand there was money available to everyone who needed it. “I can tell you that it’s not just a lack of money, it’s primarily a lack of responsibility – I know it’s not PC – but, you know, that’s just me.”
yep the dirty politics queen, friend to the scum, sweet talker to the rwnjs – a disgusting person and reason enough to work hard and replace this govt – collins is not fit for public office.
She and her brethren are dodging the real issue(s) all the time now.
One law for all …. you’d think with all of the bs about the Nat’s being responsible “managers” they would of been on top of Tax Evasion?
Here’s a report backed up with evidence … $1.24 billion of tax was evaded in 2014, while just $33.55 million were cases for fraud were for welfare payments.
Thought she was talking about the national government?
“I don’t just see monetary poverty,” she said. “I see a poverty of ideas, a poverty of parental responsibility, a poverty of love, a poverty of caring.Ms Collins then said that in New Zealand there was money available to everyone who needed it. “I can tell you that it’s not just a lack of money, it’s primarily a lack of responsibility – I know it’s not PC – but, you know, that’s just me.”
Nah, keep her in the limelight as it’s very important for the people to see the calibre of a nat senior minister sooo important to this regime that she is still around after her many indiscretions.
I Prefer Transcendence; if in fact we are nothing we are everything, to remember the Self is to forget the self, to forget the self is to be enlightened by the ten thousand things……
“Let teachers and priests and philosophers brood over questions of reality and illusion. I know this: if life is illusion, then I am no less an illusion, and being thus, the illusion is real to me. I live, I burn with life, I love, I slay, and am content.”
“My proudest moment here wasn’t when I increased profits by 17%, or cut expenditure without losing a single member of staff. No. It was a young Greek guy, first job in the country, hardly spoke a word of English, but he came to me and he went ‘Mr. Brent, will you be the Godfather to my child?’. Didn’t happen in the end. We had to let him go, he was rubbish. He was rubbish.”
Who exactly writes these ghastly, politically servile “news” bulletins
for the likes of Daniel Faitaua to uncomprehendingly recite to camera? Breakfast Television 1, Thursday 13 October 2016
Anyone bored enough or unfortunate enough to have been watching TV1 at 7 o’clock this morning would have witnessed the pleasant but vacuous newsreader Daniel Faitaua blankly, dutifully, reading out a little propaganda nugget which might well have been written for him by the Saudi Arabian or Turkish Foreign Ministries or the U.S. State Department:
The Syrian regime’s Russian-backed ASSAULT on Aleppo CONTINUES.”
At 7:30 a.m. Faitaua was back at it, blandly reading: “the devastating attack by the Russian-backed Syrian regime CONTINUES…”
I might have missed it, but I can remember no occasion when any TV1 newsreader ever recited the following words in 2014: “The Israeli regime’s U.S.-backed ASSAULT on Gaza CONTINUES. … the devastating attack by the U.S.-backed Israeli regime CONTINUES…”
Wait – has Hamas killed tens of thousands of Israelis in the last year (some by beheading, burning and drowning, then putting it up on the internet), just like ISIS has killed tens of thousands of Syrians in the last year (some by beheading, burning and drowning, then putting it up on the internet)?
Or are you just an idiot?
NB Israel took the land of the Palestinians and ethnically cleansed it. Israel is the illegal occupying force.
You won’t hear that because the US is not bombing Gaza and never has, whereas the Russians are actually currently bombing Aleppo. Not hard to figure out, except perhaps for a Russian apologist.
Wayne Mapp: “the US is not bombing Gaza and never has”
(1) Israel only carries out its periodic carpet-bombing campaigns / massacres in Gaza (and Lebanon and the West Bank) when it’s sure it will receive a tacit Green Light from the US.
(2) Most of the weaponry deployed by Israel in these massacres is either US-manufactured or bought with the billions in US aid to Israel.
For example, in their report ” “Rain of Fire: Israel’s Unlawful Use of White Phosphorus in Gaza”, Human Rights Watch found that the white phosphorus shells repeatedly and indiscriminately fired by the IDF over densely populated neighbourhoods in Gaza during 2008-09 Operation Cast Lead were entirely US-manufactured.
More broadly, leading Human Rights groups have concluded that Israel committed a series of War Crimes (based on the definition under International Law) in its regular “operations” against Gaza over the last decade. And yet – despite US law prohibiting military assistance to countries that engage in human rights violations – each year, the US Govt approves more than $3 billion in new weaponry and military financing for Israel.
In just one recent year, for instance, this included F-35 stealth fighters, 14,500 kits to upgrade “dumb” bombs into precision-guided munitions, over 12,000 unguided bombs, over 3,000 hellfire missiles and 50 Super Penetrator “bunker buster” bombs, designed to hit targets underground.
Basically, each time the IDF commit yet another massacre of civilians, they have their weaponry and munitions fully replenished by the US.
Maybe the US wants a war with Russia as bravado to prove to the world they are still relevant after getting no where in the middle east? But what about China and North Korea? So many countries to invade, so little victory so far.. add on Mexico to invade if Trump gets in.
Yep they are coming for everything in a last ditch orgy of excess – last chance for a while to accumulate so they are digging deep.
“The production and consumption of natural Andean and Amazonian ancestral products in Peru is threatened by the “biopiracy” of foreign companies who have filed over 11,690 patents for the domestic produce of the region, effectively poaching the natural heritage of the country. The resources are said to be rich in nutrients and vitamins and range from those with anti-aging properties to those that act as natural aphrodisiacs.
Small farmers could be among those worst affected if foreign companies obtain the patents. “Campesinos have been guardians of seeds and diversity generation after generation, from our ancestors to our fathers we have inherited the seeds,” said Director of the National Association of Ecological Products of Peru Moises Quispe.
“We campesinos are very conscious about it. These seeds are part of our lives, and if there’s a new owner who patents them for their own economic interests, it’s a very worrying situation.””
The same old, same old only comes from the RWNJs that want to keep us the way we are. In fact, National seems to want to take us back to the 15th century and feudalism.
Did you know that the RWNJs in the 19th and 20th centuries were trying to make us more British than the British? The model that they wanted to copy was the failed aristocracy.
Yes, once inflation is taken into account. Hell, Adam Smith reckons there was one lord who could have dined 30, 000 lords and ladies at his dinner table.
Of course, he did have the same poverty levels in the majority of people that National has as well.
They spent their surpluses on Wars.
Wars paid for by taxing peasants and serfs.
I know this wasn’t done with cash, rather produce, free labour etc…but its the same difference, it’s ‘surplus’ being diverted, while the welfare needs of the peasants are ignored.
I was kind-of hoping for Trump to run a stronger case against Hillary.
I was expecting that he would be far superior in the debates, and she would win the electoral college largely through Democrat Party superior vote-collecting capacity.
But putting a misogynist up against a feminist has gone badly.
Trump is beginning to look like the best Democratic Party renewal programme for the Senate that we have seen for many, many years.
Yes, he has also ‘renewed’ the republican party by sending many of the neo-con members back to their original political allies in the democratic party.
The actual paper in question does not even go into gender in grammatical terms at all. Most people master Genders meaning in the real world during pre-school, others conduct ‘serious’ academic research on the subject in higher education.
‘The second is the fact that, usually, sex and gender come together in the way that is expected, I.e. the fact that most females are women and most males are men needs to be explained.’
or
‘It will be concluded that, even in our postmodern world with its technological opportunities the division into the two sexes is extraordinarily persistent’
One can quite vividly see the authors of these statement struggling with the fact that words actually have commonly held meaning (Something routinely denied by postmodern literature).
“Sex” is clearly a 3 letter word if you can count. I don’t seem to have the context for that joke, probably its not a funny one (in case its hilarious please explain it).
… the fact that most females are women and most males are men needs to be explained.
It’s the fact that people who can’t write are able to work as academics that needs to be explained. The above doesn’t get any less funny if it’s written correctly as “most women are female and most men are male.”
That is not an equivalent statement though, correct English though it may be. This may have important implications for what pressing question the author of those words is puzzled about.
Kim Hill is a breath of fresh air on RNZ’s Morning Report. This morning’s treasure was the interview with Judith Collins. Kim started by handing the Minister a shovel, then passed over replacements ones as Collins dug herself ever more deeply into the hole of her own making. The coup was letting the Minister ventilate non-stop at length then advising listeners where Judith Collins’ credibility could be checked.
“…Since the financial crisis in 2008, people have been fleeing the centre-ground across the Western political system and the political establishment are yet to confront this with any real, substantive solutions. Whether it is Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump in America, Jeremy Corbyn and the historic Brexit vote or the rise of the far-right in Europe – more and more people are fleeing an intellectually and morally bankrupt centre-ground.
Votes are gushing to the political fringes because since the financial crash, establishment politicians have failed to come up with any meaningful solutions to the problems that ordinary working people face every single day. Politicians on both the centre-left and the centre-right across the West have failed to make neoliberalism and globalisation work for the masses.”
Gordon Campbell presents another excellent piece on the current political landscape…..where is the alternative, and why have all parties failed to construct and present one in the 8 years post GFC, let alone the past three decades??
Top level Democratic strategist emails show understanding of and complicity with producing “an unaware and compliant citizenry.
But apparently the “compliance” of the citizenry is fading and it is a “problem” that “demands some serious, serious thinking.”
Thanks go to wikileaks and Julian Assange
How does this get handled in the general? Secretary Clinton is not an entertainer, and not a celebrity in the Trump, Kardashian mold; what can she do to offset this? I’m certain the poll-directed insiders are sure things will default to policy as soon as the conventions are over, but I think not. And as I’ve mentioned, we’ve all been quite content to demean government, drop civics and in general conspire to produce an unaware and compliant citizenry. The unawareness remains strong but compliance is obviously fading rapidly. This problem demands some serious, serious thinking – and not just poll driven, demographically-inspired messaging.
Actually, the full email reads like something you or I might have written – sort of a “told you so” commentary on the situation.
It opens:
Well, we all thought the big problem for our US democracy was Citizens United/Koch Brothers big money in politics. Silly us; turns out that money isn’t all that important if you can conflate entertainment with the electoral process.
Talking with a friend who is being evicted from their rental property as the Chinese landlords are bringing their parents over to live in nz. They were quite upfront with their plan.
The children live here and are nz residents.
The grandparents will be the babysitters for the grandchildren.
Parents are currently 54 and 55 years old.
The parents children are both working and will be supporting their parents.
At the ten year mark both parents will be applying for national super.
This, is fundamentally wrong. The parents are loaded, and will be complying with the requirement for funding to get the parental category visa.
If they have the funds to apply for the parental category visa, why should they be able to claim national super?
Easiest way to remove that ability is to simply state that people who were granted residency under parental category are ineligible for national super. Simple and effective.
Easiest way to remove that ability is to simply state that people who were granted residency under parental category are ineligible for national super. Simple and effective.
and when they become NZ citizens, what then?
Do you suggest that this category of NZ residents also be denied the vote?
And of course, all this is simply micro-managing a much bigger problem.
It is time to drive down immigration numbers by 90% plus, as Winston Peters suggested.
This, is fundamentally wrong. The parents are loaded, and will be complying with the requirement for funding to get the parental category visa.
Hey here’s a bright idea that the Left can raise: means testing NZ Super.
“Hey here’s a bright idea that the Left can raise: means testing NZ Super”.
That would really piss off Jim Anderton, wouldn’t it?
He was collecting it when he was getting a ministerial salary. The traditional “I’m entitled” attitude of his class. I wonder if Michael Cullen collects it?
At least Bob Jones never applied for it and tells off wealthy people who do claim it.
CV
Just how strange is it for you being; the token Asian in NZ First? I don’t know if you’ve formally joined the party yet, but you certainly parrot their positions frequently. And as you’ve; burnt your bridges with Labour, and the Green Party doesn’t want anything to do with you, then I can’t see you’ve got many other options (except starting your own party I guess, but that’s a pretty lonely proposition).
I can’t imagine that you will just become politically disengaged from the electoral system. Even though you have stated that you think (contemporary representative ballot-box) democracy is inadequate to the challenges facing it this millenium, I don’t think you were recommending a military coup by that. Direct action maybe?
Stunned Mullet
Last I heard; MANA were falling back to a Māori seat only strategy, their partnership with the IP is history (as is the IP itself – there were only two nominations for their exec last month; so both were elected unopposed). I can’t really see where CV would fit in there (yes, I too know his offline name; but tend to avoid using it unless he has that day).
Anyway, the MANA movement is as much about empowering the powerless generally, as it is about Nga Tino Rangatiratanga. See the continued involvement of Trinder and Minto (who might be non-Māori seat candidates next election, so I guess that’s some precedent for CV’s involvement):
It is not so far-fetched that some Asians (say; exploited sub minimum wage fastfood workers), might turn to MANA for representation (if none of the other parties thought there were the votes to be got from advocating for noncitizens). Whereas NZF are reknowned for their racist anti-immigration stances (though not for their consistency). Also, CV hasn’t been repeating MANA talking points, but has been for NZF.
It’s also that we just don’t have the resources to keep up with the infrastructure needed for the population growth and that higher population is not sustainable either.
Well if the Left think that rich Chinese immigrants shouldn’t get NZ super (which is fair enough), then a means test is going to have to be instituted.
And once you institute a means test for super, why not make that means test universal?
Unless of course we simply mean to make it a modern day poll tax for the Chinese.
Well, how can we be sure that some of these wealthy older Chinese coming in to NZ don’t have criminal backgrounds, and that’s why they’re so keen on leaving and coming here?
Stories of Chinese wanting to take $$$ of hard currency out of China that they have obtained through fraudulent means are common enough that the Chinese Govt is working hard to stomp out the practice.
Maybe it’s time that NZ implement some extreme vetting for these people before we accept them into our country. They seem to be placing unjustifiable burdens on our health and social welfare system as many commentators on this post have recognised.
So it’s a suggestion which I think would make a lot of sense to a lot of people.
there is not enough super for everybody…it should be restricted to New Zealanders who have been paying taxes for it all their lives
( are elderly NZers flocking to live in China and applying for Chinese super?…or don’t they have super over in China for the elderly?)
young new Zealanders can not afford to pay for their NZ tertiary education and NZ houses ( because they have been taken up by recent rich immigrants) …let alone get well paying jobs ….and on top of this pay for super for the New Zealand elderly!!!!
…young New Zealanders should not have the burden of paying for recent elderly foreign immigrants
“it should be restricted to New Zealanders who have been paying taxes for it all their lives”
Only those ones? Is that really how you are going to cut it off? No taxes paid, no super is the Chooky credo.
You must mean that people who have been on benefits during their younger days won’t get anything then.
People who stayed at home raising families will have to miss out as well.
Are you really sure you mean what you are saying?
God you really are a hard-hearted SOB.
stupid argument from you alwyn (look in the mirror and you will find the answer to your final insult)
… every NZer pays taxes for being a NZer and living here…what about GST? ( or in the case of NZ students overseas they pay taxes and extra interest on student loans)
( the country is tax ridden …except for those who evade and avoid and hide their incomes…generally the wealthy )
…even those on benefits pay taxes (GST) on their fruit and veges and everything else when they can least afford it
….and especially people, generally women, who have stayed at home raising families have paid taxes indirectly( with their life’s blood)….do they get paid a living wage for bringing up the kids and looking after the elderly?…they should be paid by the State ( do they…NO…so for them tax is a double whammy)
…so yes all NZers should get super if they have lived here most of their lives and contributed to New Zealand society… they have all paid taxes
“( or in the case of NZ students overseas they pay taxes and extra interest on student loans)”
No wonder your arguments make so little sense.
Somehow you seem to see the repayment of a loan, and paying interest on a loan as being “taxes”.
On that logic you would have to argue that anyone who borrows money to buy a house wasn’t repaying a loan and paying interest on the loan. They were, by your strange argument, “paying taxes”.
You do, finally, come round to being rather more generous on who is to get the super. However the way you seem to justify it is more than a little irrational.
“there is not enough super for everybody…it should be restricted to New Zealanders who have been paying taxes for it all their lives”
This is based on an incorrect assumption (that NZ can run out of money) in practice it does not work like this. The only super crisis in NZ is caused by NZ actually trying to deal with the make believe super crisis often discussed in the media. The make believe NZ super crisis is trying to cut the government deficit by limiting the governments total super payment obligations. This is also what Kiwi-Saver, the Cullen Fund and so on are about.
In practice if the government succeeds in under-funding retirees they will in turn not be able to fund their retirement. By funding their retirement they will on the other hand provide ample opportunities for NZ’s workforce to cater to their needs. If the government under-funds retirees on the other hand and they can’t afford to live then they miss-out on their consumption (what they can buy to live on) and the workforce misses out on its work opportunity and income. That would be a tragedy for everybody involved and would also be more difficult to deal with as the private sector would lose some capacity to cater to the retired as this occurred. Also any spending the government does will eventually return to it to be collected as tax as it gets spent or earned. This will always provide ample income to actually fund any borrowing the government undertook to fund the super payments to begin with (not that the government can actually go broke anyway).
It would also be possible to have a retirement crisis as too much of the active workforce was needed to assist the retired with their needs. This argument however is ridiculous (this is quite clearly not happening) and nobody is making it. The only super crisis in NZ will be caused if NZ tries to deal with its make believe super crisis. The make believe super crisis is entirely premised on economic models which claim all government deficit spending is inflationary (in the long run) but this is quite clearly more fiction than observable fact of the actual economy.
“The increasingly secretive central bank does not reveal how much it costs to print each bill, but based on international parameters, José Manuel Puente, an economist and professor with the Institute of Higher Administration Studies, estimates that the cost of paper, ink and printing of each note is about 20% more than their face value. “They are not worth what they cost. It’s a joke. But that’s the way things are,” he said.”
Thanks Pat. I think UK penies cost more than their nominal value to issue also. Most spending however (in most coumtries is electronic account entries) so obviously does not suffer such an issue.
Yes, Venezuela has a significant inflation and problems arising from that. The question is what is the cause however. Is it government spending or on the other hand is it political instability causing shortages and supply issues (some intentional by opponents of the government), or is it some cause (exchange rate arbitrage) from the heavy use of US dollers by their economy?
So if its government over spending then this implies their economy is operating beyond capacity, does it not? Is it then?
BTW, all examples of hyper inflation I know about were caused by some significant drop in real supply side capacity. That includes Weimar confiscation of German industrial capacity as war reparations and Mugabe well known handing over of farm lands to African Native ownership.
lol..thats an interesting chicken and egg proposition…however even if you were correct it remains the relationship between realised (not potential) capacity and money supply….but print away.
Why does money supply come into it? Its a relationship between productive capacity and utilisation of that capacity causing suppliers to increase prices. The money supply is only a poor proxy for describing capacity utilisation rates of the economy, and difficult to limit spending via to boot!
“The money supply is only a poor proxy for describing capacity utilisation rates of the economy, and difficult to limit spending via to boot!”
Money supply is indeed used as a proxy, poor or otherwise for describing capacity utilisation rates and it is for that simple reason that changing the supply rate changes the description even though the utilisation rate can remain unchanged.
In terms of using money as a proxy for capacity utilisation it probably doesn’t help that such modelling assumes that equilibrium is reached and therefore full capacity utilisation of the economy is always reached, because this is nonsense! That is the only basis for the QToM, a nonsense assumption not any form of scientific evidence.
On the other hand there is reasonable evidence that changes in the unemployment rate (a more direct proxy for capacity utilisation) does correlate well with changes in inflation.
“It would also be possible to have a retirement crisis as too much of the active workforce was needed to assist the retired with their needs. This argument however is ridiculous (this is quite clearly not happening)”.
The argument being made is not that it IS happening. The argument is that it WILL happen in the future. With the declining birth-rate, the huge bulge in the elderly from the retiring baby boomers and the great increase in the life expectancy of the population that there will be a massive increase in the ratio of retired people to the number of working people.
That is expected to happen in New Zealand between now and about 2040. This is just the same thing that has been happening in Japan.
The solution isn’t saving now and still retiring at the same age. It requires that people work longer and keep producing.
After all, the only things that can be consumed are those that are produced. If a retired person is no longer producing their consumption can come only from the goods produced by those who are still working.
If cutting the government deficit by saving up a large stock of investments is the answer then this was never the question, was it? Neither was it the question if we are trying to get people to save for their own retirement.
On the other hand if we want to boost capacity for elderly care then increasing their spending capacity now probably is an answer to that question.
Is HNZ a for profit organisation? national framing the debate as always and the media enabling them.
Funky idea, find a region with high unemployment, not hard
Setup a training institution,
train and employee the locals to build their own houses, and the required infrastructure to support the local community. Extend this to supportive industries like forestry or quarry’s and stone masonry, Empower people instead of taking away their ability to support themselves.
How to get former President Clinton to your conference: pay over US$6M
In what appears an amusing instance of the Clinton Foundation caught (with its pants down) in a glorious pay-to-play moment, in one of today’s leaked Podesta emails from November 2011, Ira Magaziner, who is Vice Chairman and CEO of the Clinton Health Access Initiative, sent an email to John Podesta and Amitabh Desai, Director of Foreign Policy at the Clinton Foundation, in which he said that “CHAI [Clinton Health Access Initiative] would like to request that President Clinton call Sheik Mohammed to thank him for offering his plane to the conference in Ethiopia and expressing regrets that President Clinton’s schedule does not permit him to attend the conference.”
He appears to be referring to Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Ali Al-‘Amoudi, a Saudi Arabian and Ethiopian billionaire businessman, whose net worth was estimated at Forbes at $8.3 billion as of 2016.
He is also a prominent donor of the Clinton Health Access Initiative.
To this the response by Desai is a very simple one: “Unless Sheikh Mo has sent us a $6 million check, this sounds crazy to do.”
At this point, Bill Clinton’s former chief advisor and current president of the infamous Teneo Holding Doug Band, chimes in that it probably is a good idea: “If he doesn’t do it Chai [Clinton Health Access Initiative] will say he didn’t give the money bc of wjc [William Jefferson Clinton].”
Finally, John Podesta chimes in: “I agree with Doug and this seems rather easy and harmless and not a big time sink.”
Russia has just requested that all public officials with children studying overseas recall their children home immediately, regardless of whether or not that disrupts the completion of the childs year of study.
NZ “burning” is very much what I am concerned about.
Former police officer and National MP for Whanganui Chester Borrows is confident he won’t be found guilty on a charge of injuring two TPP protesters and says he wouldn’t step down from Parliament if he was… pleaded not guilty, and was remanded at large until a case review hearing in September…
incident happened on March 22, when he was driving a car at an anti-TPP protest in Whanganui’s Liverpool St… It is alleged he injured two female protesters with his vehicle…
In a statement released at the time he was charged, Borrows said he would defend the matter.
He’s pretty forgettable, so I couldn’t recall his name at first (googling “national MP assault” gives a couple of million choices – it took a while to refine the search till he popped up). Nothing new shows up for; “Chester Borrows case review hearing”, has anyone heard of any developments in this case?
My suspicion is that Borrows’ lawyers are trying to push the case out past the 2017 election, at which point he can safely take his sentence: “The maximum penalty for careless driving causing injury is three months’ jail, or a fine of up to $4500. An MP must resign from Parliament if convicted of a crime with a maximum penalty of two or more years’ jail time.” So even if convicted, he wouldn’t be obligated to leave parliament. However, he might find it harder to get re-elected if the case does go to trial before the election.
But wait … there’s more! That’s the problem with saying you like to molest women, sooner or later some of the women you molested will confirm that its true.
We walked into that room alone, and Trump shut the door behind us. I turned around, and within seconds, he was pushing me against the wall, and forcing his tongue down my throat.
Now, I’m a tall, strapping girl who grew up wrestling two giant brothers. I even once sparred with Mike Tyson. It takes a lot to push me. But Trump is much bigger—a looming figure—and he was fast, taking me by surprise, and throwing me off balance. I was stunned. And I was grateful when Trump’s longtime butler burst into the room a minute later, as I tried to unpin myself.
The butler informed us that Melania would be down momentarily, and it was time to resume the interview.
I was still in shock, and remained speechless as we both followed him to an outdoor patio overlooking the grounds. In those few minutes alone with Trump, my self-esteem crashed to zero. How could the actions of one man make me feel so utterly violated? I’d been interviewing A-list celebrities for over 20 years, but what he’d done was a first. Did he think I’d be flattered?
I tried to act normal. I had a job to do, and I was determined to do it. I sat in a chair that faced Trump, who waited for his wife on a loveseat. The butler left us, and I fumbled with my tape recorder. Trump smiled and leaned forward. “You know we’re going to have an affair, don’t you?” he declared, in the same confident tone he uses when he says he’s going to make America great again. “Have you ever been to Peter Luger’s for steaks? I’ll take you. We’re going to have an affair, I’m telling you.” He also referenced the infamous cover of the New York Post during his affair with Marla Maples. “You remember,” he said. “Best Sex I Ever Had.”
Melania walked in just then, serene and glowing. Donald instantly reverted back to doting husband mode, as if nothing had happened, and we continued our interview about their wedded bliss. I nodded at his hollow words and smiled at his jokes, but I was nauseated. It didn’t seem to register to him in the slightest that what he’d done might have hurt or offended me, or his wife.
An hour later, I was back at my hotel. My shock began to wear off, and was replaced by anger. I kept thinking, Why didn’t I slug him? Why couldn’t I say anything?
Has Melania Trump personally and politically attacked this outspoken “bimbo” (using Hillary Clinton’s phrasing) just as Hillary Clinton did to the women who accused Bill Clinton of sexual assault?
The English had their own version of Donald J. Trump. This bloke was also a raving egomaniac as well as being, like Trump, about as funny as a mass grave…..
Those father daughter pics become way more disturbing.
Trump deliberately walked in on naked 15-year-old girls during the Miss USA pageant, because he could "get away with things like that" pic.twitter.com/5D8wKwr2kb— Lauren Duca (@laurenduca) October 12, 2016
I wanna spill my tea so bad……. sooooo bad! But let me just say – I believe every word. https://t.co/PM5G2Q4H1K— Kamie Crawford (@TheRealKamie) October 12, 2016
The linked page was posted in June by Lisa Bloom, attorney and “Legal analyst for NBC News”. Excerpt: I’ve carefully reviewed this federal complaint. It is now much stronger than the one she filed on her own, which makes sense because she now has an experienced litigator representing her. Jane Doe says that as a thirteen year old, she was enticed to attend parties at the home of Jeffrey Epstein with the promise of money modeling jobs. Mr. Epstein is a notorious “billionaire pedophile” who is now a Level 3 registered sex offender – the most dangerous kind, “a threat to public safety” — after being convicted of misconduct with another underage girl.
Jane Doe says that Mr. Trump “initiated sexual contact” with her on four occasions in 1994. Since she was thirteen at the time, consent is not an issue. If Mr. Trump had any type sexual contact with her in 1994, it was a crime.
On the fourth incident, she says Mr. Trump tied her to a bed and forcibly raped her, in a “savage sexual attack,” while she pleaded with him to stop. She says Mr. Trump violently struck her in the face. She says that afterward, if she ever revealed what he had done, Mr. Trump threatened that she and her family would be “physically harmed if not killed.” She says she has been in fear of him ever since.
Former Miss Arizona: Trump 'just came strolling right in' on naked contestants https://t.co/JcoXVjRKRx— (((gocart mozart))) (@gocartmozart1) October 13, 2016
It appears that in 2002 Trump was very approving of how his neighbor Jeffrey Epstein; “likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side”.
Epstein likes to tell people that he’s a loner, a man who’s never touched alcohol or drugs, and one whose nightlife is far from energetic. And yet if you talk to Donald Trump, a different Epstein emerges. “I’ve known Jeff for fifteen years. Terrific guy,” Trump booms from a speakerphone. “He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side. No doubt about it — Jeffrey enjoys his social life.
Tiffany Doe corroborates, based on her own personal observations, just about everything in Jane Doe’s complaint: that twelve year old Maria was involved in a sex act with Mr. Trump, that Mr. Trump threatened the life of Jane Doe if she ever revealed what happened, and that she would “disappear” like Maria if she did. – from that HuffPo link above.
Fortunately, neither Bill Clinton nor Jeffery ‘took the fifth’ Epstein are running for office.
Q. Have you ever socialized with Donald Trump in the presence of females under the age of 18?
A: Though I’d like to answer that question, at least today I’m going to have to assert my Fifth, Sixth, and 14th Amendment rights, sir
It only takes one courageous soul to take a stand to embolden others:
By late Wednesday evening the list of new allegations against Trump included:
Two Miss USA contestants who claimed Trump deliberately walked in on them when they were naked in a dressing room.
Two women who allege Trump groped or kissed them without consent – one in the first-class seat of an aircraft.
A claim by a woman that she was groped at a Trump event at his Mar-A-Lago estate in Florida.
A People magazine reporter who says Trump forced himself on her shortly before she was due to interview him and his wife in 2005.
An incident in which Trump appears to sexualize a 10-year-old girl.
The encounter with the young girl surfaced in a video of a 1992 Entertainment Tonight Christmas special in which Trump appeared, according to CBS News. Trump was 46 at the time.
There has been a steady trickle of women relating similar instance of Trump’s sexual predation where he felt he was secure in in position of wealth and power. Even now he threatens to sue those who make allegations against him – and this would have been his modus operandii against the women who felt they were alone thus keeping them silent until now. But as with Crosby, Rolf Harris, et al, who also felt secure in their power, it will come to a bad end.
The one and only (probably) teen African-American Trump supporter in Illinois somehow made it onto the LA Times tracking poll panel. Which is why that poll has skewed massively towards Trump.
Today all information is supplied to us, the best we can do is seek credible sources, and vet the information they supply to us based on our own rational and the truths we hold dear. Propagating misinformation and lies based on our own confirmation bias is a trap we all fall into, I have fallen for lies and been manipulated into believing falsehoods and yes it hurts when you find out, cognitive dissonance is real and blinds us all at times.
In this age of social media manipulation it is imperative we hold to account those we follow even more so than those we oppose. When someone or something effects you emotionally or appeals to you in some way, stop and ask yourself why, and examine how this was present and supplied to you,
“Not only will the SIS and GCSB have the legal protection to break any bloody law they like – THEY CAN EXTEND THIS POWER TO ANY OTHER STATE AGENCY THEY DESIGNATE TO HAVE THAT POWER!!!!
Are you listening yet sleepy hobbits?
Not only will the state spies be able to break any law legally – they can deputise different agencies to have the same power.
ARE YOU LISTENING YET?
Look, this is an extraordinary abuse of power the likes we’ve honestly never ever seen before. NO state agency should have the power to break any law they like and they sure as hell shouldn’t be allowed to tag in any other agency to have the same powers.
As more and more NZers suddenly wake up to this appalling legislation and its ramifications – people are going to be outraged.”
They can also break into your house, and steal your phone or computer. However, they don’t need to do that because they can sift through all your email, record all your phone conversations, and txts, and they can let the police do that also, or customs, or whoever,… and you need never know.
I wouldn’t even bother responding to him, Paul. Over the weekend, somebody defended that witless troll, claiming that he had an interesting take on things. If only that were the case.
I agree Paul your Conspiracies and Armageddon predictions sprinkled with a daily dose of uplifting positivity is so much more interesting. Interesting in a way as the characters in one flew over the cuckoo nest where also interesting
The Trump campaign sent a fundraising email Wednesday morning claiming that “all the momentum” was on their side — and they used what appears to be a map showing only male voters’ preferences to prove it.
…”Dotcom faces copyright infringement and money laundering charges over his now defunct file sharing website Megaupload. New Zealand’s High Court in Auckland has heard the extradition appeal over the last four weeks.
Lawyers for Dotcom contended in their closing arguments that there was not enough evidence to show he conspired to commit a crime, according to Reuters.
Dotcom took to Twitter to express his delight that the hearing has finished and thanked his lawyers for their work.
He also revealed his focus is now on the launch of Megaupload 2 and Bitcache – a blockchain powered service that links file transfers to bitcoin microtransactions, both planned for next year…
and
‘Kim Dotcom runs ‘Trump vs Clinton vs Putin’ Twitter poll, result is something you’d expect’
The irony of a homeless person finding shelter in an artwork about homelessness which the council workers removed on the advice of police in spite of council permits for artwork…
The consequences being increasing social stress – spikes in crime, homelessness, and housing unaffordability being three very visible indicators currently trending.
Of course – however there are lots of positives out there as well – but I know you are incapable of seeing them – but if you open your eyes they are out there.
Many New Zealanders are more than happy and confident that the country is doing well. You know its great to look things that we should all be grateful for as well.
You are doing a fine job as cheerleader. I apologise for turning your attention to those less fortunate than yourself – I know you don’t like thinking about them.
Big spend up for Election year….for tax cuts…that’s not wise governance, that’s short term bribery.
Shiny baubles for National Voters.
But no plan for economic growth. Which is why there are traditional National Business folk who are not that thrilled with this neo-liberal National Government.
Though another earthquake would save them I guess.
Meantime, with Public debt, we’re hitting around half a trillion dollars worth of gross debt, that’s an average of $100,000 for every New Zealander.
You’d think such a ‘fiscally’ responsible Government would keep an eye on that.
You would think Business would want affordable houses for their workers.
You would think business would want people investing in business not housing.
You would think that business would want investment in R and D.
From the Herald, Mood of the Boardroom……
“The Government’s Business Growth Agenda has produced short term results but some CEOs are questioning whether it will be successful in the long term.
The CEOs suspect the Government may have an eye on retaining power (next year) rather than promoting sustainable economic measures.”
I think you will find that it is Bill who is the idiot:
“A Treasury paper showed Housing NZ was due to run out of cash for development and maintenance by February.”
“”HNZC modelling indicates that it is likely to exhaust its cash balance by February 2017 based on its planned development activity.”
This was despite the Government’s decision to forgo dividends from HNZ for the next two years.
The documents showed this would no longer make a difference because HNZ was now unlikely to produce any dividends.
HNZ’s financial situation was partly the result of the transfer of 2800 state houses to the Tamaki Regeneration Company, a Government-council entity, this year.
The transfer meant $1.6 billion was removed from HNZ’s balance sheet and it was now collecting $34m less in rent a year.
English has been asked for comment.”
You should read further than the Headline idiot!
if the government accounts were a business what would the shareholders think of a board that announced a profit on the back of reduced investment, deferred maintenance, a reduction in product development and staff training and the sale of core assets, and how would the future viability of that business be viewed?
Isn’t it fascinating the government has gone from demanding ‘fiscal responsibility’ from HNZ, to suddenly forgoing the once crucial dividend, to now throwing several hundred million at them in the space of a few short months? All this without a plan or coherent announcement.
It’s obvious from many examples now that when the opposition says ‘jump’, the government says ‘how high?’
National’s pathological lying pretends their non-performance is better than it is.
The people, living in the real economy, know better.
There are in the world objective truths, and subjective ones. There is no objective truth in National’s claims of economic continence, only subjective ones. Thus, only their crawliest sycophants credit their assertions.
Which is more inane: this light chat show on public radio
or Seven Sharp with New Zealand’s Sean Hannity? The Panel pre-show, RNZ National, Thursday 13 October 2016, 3:58 p.m.
Jim Mora, James Elliott, Lisa Scott, Julie Moffett, Jesse Mulligan
JIM MORA: Ha ha ha ha ha! Hmm, hmm.
JESSE MULLIGAN: Ha ha!
JULIE MOFFETT: No one ever looks HAPPY when they’re running, though, DO they?
JESSE MULLIGAN: No, ho, they DON’T! [snicker]
JULIE MOFFETT: Ahhh, and finally, uh, how are your selfie skills? Are you doing the old selfies a lot, James, or—?
JAMES ELLIOTT: Yeah, my children encourage me to do that and then they normally put it on an app and then do something funny with my face so I’m a little bit confli—
JIM MORA: Yeah I’ve had that.
JAMES ELLIOTT: —little bit conflicted about that.
JULIE MOFFETT: So-o-o, have they also tried the High Five selfie?
JIM MORA: Hmmm….
JESSE MULLIGAN: Naahh, how’s that?
JULIE MOFFETT: Maybe this is NEW. So basically, a guy in the States decided—he MUST have had a lot of time on his hands—threw his phone up, took, you know, must have clicked the clicker at the same time while he was clapping his hands, and got a selfie of himself clapping his hands that he’d taken himself.
JIM MORA: It’s pretty impressive.
JULIE MOFFETT: So it’s basically hands-free selfie.
JESSE MULLIGAN: Hmmmm….
JIM MORA: That MUST be hard to DO.
JULIE MOFFETT: It WOULD be hard to do, and apparently people have been IMITATING him and—-
JESSE MULLIGAN: A ha ha HA!
JULIE MOFFETT: —breaking their phones.
JIM MORA: Breaking their phones.
JULIE MOFFETT: They drop them.
JESSE MULLIGAN: You like to send us a hands-free selfie—
JULIE MOFFETT: He, he! High Five!
JESSE MULLIGAN: The Panel at Radio NZ dot co dot NZ. Jim’ll make a gallery over the course of the next hour, while Lisa Scott and James Elliott chat about the issues facing the WORLD—
JIM MORA: HA! If we can get Lisa in the building!
JESSE MULLIGAN: Heh, indeed! And tomorrow on MY show, we put your food questions to Julie Biuso, send ’em THROUGH! Jesse at Radio New Zealand dot co dot NZ. Anything you want to know about FOOD, we can help….
It only got worse after four o’clock. More tomorrow…
Come on Red, are you really serious when you ask such a question? No doubt people like you upbraided Molière for wasting his time transcribing and sending up the hypocrisies and idiocies of people he found appalling.
I do agree with you that these people constitute nothing more than “shite”, but in spite of my distaste for them, I have a duty….
“Dozens of astrologers are coming together to predict who will be president, anticipating a ‘potentially explosive’ October surprise that could shape the result”
Speaking of fake; do you believe a single word that you type, Red? Or are you just here for the shits and giggles?
You are certainly not skilled enough to be a professional threadjacker (and your words are such shit that I can’t help picturing you giggling vapidly as you bang them out).
+100 Red…there is a oligarchy witch hunt against Trump from both the elite establishment in the Democrats and the Republicans…they are scared shitless of him
…sure he is a bad mouth but that is as far as it goes imo
…whereas the Clintons have real corrupt form and worse from a way back …which most peop-le are ignorant of
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The Transport Minister has set a hard 'fiscal envelope' of $6.54 billion for transport capital spending. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The economy is settling into a state of suspended animation as the Government’s funding freezes and job cuts chill confidence and combine with stubbornly high interest rates to ...
To be precise, the term “anti- Zionism” refers to (a) criticism of the political movement that created a modern Jewish state on the historical land of Israel, and to (b)the subjugation of Palestinians by the Israeli state. By contrast, the term “anti-Semitism” means bigotry and racism directed at Jewish people, ...
This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Because hurricanes are one of the big-ticket weather disasters that humanity has to face, climate misinformers spend a lot of effort muddying the waters on whether climate change is making hurricanes more damaging. With the official start to the hurricane ...
Yesterday the Mayor released what he calls his “plan to save public transport” which is part of his final proposal for the Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP). This comes following consultation on the draft version that occurred in March which showed, once again, that people want more done on transport, especially ...
And it's a pleasure that I have knownAnd it's a treasure that I have gainedAotearoa’s coalition government is fragile. It’s held together by the obsequious sycophancy of Christopher Luxon, who willingly contorts his party into the fringe positions of his junior coalition partners and is unwilling to contradict them. The ...
The Select Committee hearing submissions on the fast-track consenting legislation is starting to become a beat-up of regional councils. The inflexibility and slow workings of the Councils were prominent in two submissions yesterday. One, from the Coromandel Marine Farmers Association, simply said that the Waikato Regional Council’s planning decisions were ...
Back in April, the High Court surprised everyone by ruling that Ministers are above the law, at least as far as the Waitangi Tribunal is concerned. The reason for this ruling was "comity" - the idea that the different branches of government shouldn't interfere with each other's functions. Which makes ...
Buzz from the BeehiveTolling was mentioned when Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced the government was re-introducing the Roads of National Significance (RoNS) programme, with 15 “crucial” projects to support economic growth and regional development across New Zealand. All RoNS would be four-laned, grade-separated highways, and all funding, financing, and ...
or the past 14 years, ever since the Spanish government cheated on an autonomy deal, Catalonia has reliably given pro-independence parties a majority of seats in their regional parliament. But now that seems to be over. Catalans went to the polls yesterday, and stripped the Catalan parties of their majority. ...
David Farrar writes – Radio NZ report: Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins said the Electoral Commission should make sure the system ran smoothly and “taking away the right of thousands of people to vote” was not the answer. “Thousands of people enroled and voted on the day. If ...
The Government’s introduction of legislation that would enable landlords to end tenancies with no reason marks a dark day for the 1.4 million people who rent their home in Aotearoa. ...
The Minister for Mental Health has found the Suicide Prevention Office and mental health support for 111 calls slipping through his fingers, says Labour spokesperson for Mental Health Ingrid Leary. ...
Today’s justification from the Minister for Children for scrapping protections for our tamariki was either a case of ignorance or deliberate deception. ...
The Green Party says the Government’s misguided policy on gangs will fail, following the announcement of the establishment of a national gang unit and district gang disruption units to target gang activities. ...
“With Police pay negotiations still unresolved after six months in Government, Mark Mitchell has today rolled the Commissioner out for a rebrand of their approach to gang crime,” Labour police spokesperson Ginny Andersen said. ...
The Government bringing back 50 charter schools will not increase achievement and is a distraction from the core mission of the education system, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Te Pāti Māori is showing extreme concern over the Environment Select Committees adoption of a lucky dip draw to determine hearings for the Fast Track Approvals bill. Of the 27,000 submissions, 2,900 requested to present. All organisations will be heard; however, the remaining 2,350 submitters will be subject to a ...
Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect women’s spaces. The ‘Fair Access to Bathrooms Bill’ will require, primarily in the interest and safety of women and girls, that all new non-domestic publicly accessible buildings provide separate, clearly demarcated, unisex and single sex bathrooms. This Bill ...
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced that the Government will make it easier for lines firms to take action to remove vegetation from obstructing local powerlines. The change will ensure greater security of electricity supply in local communities, particularly during severe weather events. “Trees or parts of trees falling on ...
Wairarapa Moana ki Pouakani were the top winners at this year’s Ahuwhenua Trophy awards recognising the best in Māori dairy farming. Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka announced the winners and congratulated runners-up, Whakatōhea Māori Trust Board, at an awards celebration also attended by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Finance Minister ...
"On the 27th of March, I sought assurances from the Chief Executive, Department of Internal Affairs, that the Department’s correct processes and policies had been followed in regards to a passport application which received media attention,” says Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden. “I raised my concerns after being ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins has announced the appointment of three new District Court Judges, to replace Judges who have recently retired. Peter James Davey of Auckland has been appointed a District Court Judge with a jury jurisdiction to be based at Whangarei. Mr Davey initially started work as a law clerk/solicitor with ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour is calling on the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) to put ideology to the side and focus on students’ learning, in reaction to the union holding paid teacher meetings across New Zealand about charter schools. “The PPTA is disrupting schools up and down the ...
Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly today announced the appointment of Craig Stobo as the new chair of the Financial Markets Authority (FMA). Mr Stobo takes over from Mark Todd, whose term expired at the end of April. Mr Stobo’s appointment is for a five-year term. “The FMA plays ...
Surf Life Saving New Zealand and Coastguard New Zealand will continue to be able to keep people safe in, on, and around the water following a funding boost of $63.644 million over four years, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Associate Transport Minister Matt Doocey say. “Heading to the beach for ...
New Zealand and Tuvalu have reaffirmed their close relationship, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand is committed to working with Tuvalu on a shared vision of resilience, prosperity and security, in close concert with Australia,” says Mr Peters, who last visited Tuvalu in 2019. “It is my pleasure ...
New Zealand is gravely concerned about the situation in New Caledonia, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The escalating situation and violent protests in Nouméa are of serious concern across the Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says. “The immediate priority must be for all sides to take steps to de-escalate the ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon met today with Samoa’s O le Ao o le Malo, Afioga Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II, who is making a State Visit to New Zealand. “His Highness and I reflected on our two countries’ extensive community links, with Samoan–New Zealanders contributing to all areas of our national ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has announced that he has approved Waiheke Island ferry operator Island Direct to be eligible for SuperGold Card funding, paving the way for a commercial agreement to bring the operator into the scheme. “Island Direct started operating in November 2023, offering an additional option for people ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters today announced further sanctions on 28 individuals and 14 entities providing military and strategic support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Russia is directly supported by its military-industrial complex in its illegal aggression against Ukraine, attacking its sovereignty and territorial integrity. New Zealand condemns all entities and ...
A year on from the tragedy at Loafers Lodge, the Government is working hard to improve building fire safety, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “I want to share my sincere condolences with the families and friends of the victims on the anniversary of the tragic fire at Loafers ...
Ka nui te mihi kia koutou. Kia ora and good afternoon, everyone. Thank you so much for having me here in the lead up to my Government’s first Budget. Before I get started can I acknowledge: Simon Bridges – Auckland Business Chamber CEO. Steve Jurkovich – Kiwibank CEO. Kids born ...
New Zealand and Vanuatu will enhance collaboration on issues of mutual interest, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “It is important to return to Port Vila this week with a broad, high-level political delegation which demonstrates our deep commitment to New Zealand’s relationship with Vanuatu,” Mr Peters says. “This ...
Minister for Land Information, Chris Penk will travel to Peru this week to represent New Zealand at a meeting of trade ministers from the Asia-Pacific region on behalf of Trade Minister Todd McClay. The annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade meeting will be held on 17-18 May ...
Minister of Education Erica Stanford will head to the United Kingdom this week to participate in the 22nd Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM) and the 2024 Education World Forum (EWF). “I am looking forward to sharing this Government’s education priorities, such as introducing a knowledge-rich curriculum, implementing an evidence-based ...
Minister of Education Erica Stanford has today thanked outgoing New Zealand Qualifications Authority Chair, Hon Tracey Martin. “Tracey Martin tendered her resignation late last month in order to take up a new role,” Ms Stanford says. Ms Martin will relinquish the role of Chair on 10 May and current Deputy ...
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and President Emmanuel Macron of France today announced a new non-governmental organisation, the Christchurch Call Foundation, to coordinate the Christchurch Call’s work to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online. This change gives effect to the outcomes of the November 2023 Call Leaders’ Summit, ...
Distinguished public servant and former diplomat Sir Maarten Wevers will lead the independent review into the disability support services administered by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. The review was announced by Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston a fortnight ago to examine what could be done to strengthen the ...
Today’s announcement by Police Commissioner Andrew Coster of a National Gang Unit and district Gang Disruption Units will help deliver on the coalition Government’s pledge to restore law and order and crack down on criminal gangs, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. “The National Gang Unit and Gang Disruption Units will ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today expressed regret at North Korea’s aggressive rhetoric towards New Zealand and its international partners. “New Zealand proudly stands with the international community in upholding the rules-based order through its monitoring and surveillance deployments, which it has been regularly doing alongside partners since 2018,” Mr ...
Air Vice-Marshal Tony Davies MNZM is the new Chief of Defence Force, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today. The Chief of Defence Force commands the Navy, Army and Air Force and is the principal military advisor to the Defence Minister and other Ministers with relevant portfolio responsibilities in the defence ...
Legislation to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act has been introduced to Parliament. The Bill’s introduction reaffirms the Coalition Government’s commitment to the safety of children in care, says Minister for Children, Karen Chhour. “While section 7AA was introduced with good intentions, it creates a conflict for Oranga ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins will this week travel to the UK and Italy to meet with her defence counterparts, and to attend Battles of Cassino commemorations. “I am humbled to be able to represent the New Zealand Government in Italy at the commemorations for the 80th anniversary of what was ...
The upcoming Budget will include funding for up to 50 charter schools to help lift declining educational performance, Associate Education Minister David Seymour announced today. $153 million in new funding will be provided over four years to establish and operate up to 15 new charter schools and convert 35 state ...
“The results of the public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has now been received, with results indicating over 13,000 submissions were made from members of the public,” Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “We heard feedback about the extended lockdowns in ...
Foreign Minister, Defence Minister, other Members of Parliament Acting Chief of Defence Force, Secretary of Defence Distinguished Guests Defence and Diplomatic Colleagues Ladies and Gentlemen, Good afternoon, tēna koutou, apinun tru It’s a pleasure to be back in Port Moresby today, and to speak here at the Kumul Leadership ...
Health, infrastructure, renewable energy, and stability are among the themes of the current visit to Papua New Guinea by a New Zealand political delegation, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Papua New Guinea carries serious weight in the Pacific, and New Zealand deeply values our relationship with it,” Mr Peters ...
The coalition Government is launching Roads of Regional Significance to sit alongside Roads of National Significance as part of its plan to deliver priority roading projects across the country, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The Roads of National Significance (RoNS) built by the previous National Government are some of New Zealand’s ...
A high-level New Zealand political delegation in Honiara today congratulated the new Government of Solomon Islands, led by Jeremiah Manele, on taking office. “We are privileged to meet the new Prime Minister and members of his Cabinet during his government’s first ten days in office,” Deputy Prime Minister and ...
New Zealand voted in favour of a resolution broadening Palestine’s participation at the United Nations General Assembly overnight, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The resolution enhances the rights of Palestine to participate in the work of the UN General Assembly while stopping short of admitting Palestine as a full ...
Introduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
Arawata Shane Arawata Shane had wandered long In the wild tangled hills of the West Coast. He came to a stop on the mighty range And looked down at the wide river flats. He breathed in the clean air, And he took in the shadows playing across The face of ...
SPECIAL REPORT:Islands Business in Suva Today is the 24th anniversary of renegade and failed businessman George Speight’s coup in 2000 Fiji. The elected coalition government headed by Mahendra Chaudhry, the first and only Indo-Fijian prime minister of Fiji, was held hostage at gunpoint for 56 days in the country’s ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist and Kelvin Anthony, RNZ Pacific digital journalist Police have used tear gas and stun grenades on rioters at an airport near Nouméa as the chaos in New Caledonia stretched into its sixth day. Five people, including two police officers, have died and hundreds of ...
Asia Pacific ReportThe global human rights watchdog Amnesty International has called on France to not “misuse” a crackdown in the ongoing unrest in the non-self-governing French Pacific territory of Kanaky New Caledonia in the wake of a controversial vote by the French Parliament to adopt a bill changing the territory’s ...
A major provider of school lunches fears the government's new $3 limit for most students will see them eating more pre-packaged and processed food. ...
The star of Dark City: The Cleaner takes us through his life in TV, including the VHS revolution and the John Campbell impression that started it all. Best known for his comedic roles, Cohen Holloway says he struggled at times to maintain the stone cold facade of serial killer on ...
David Hill remembers an old friend, who you’ve probably never heard of. My friend Doug never travelled; he had little interest in the world beyond his own tiny rural town. I’ve rarely known anyone who radiated such contentment. Doug (I’ll call him that) died in March. You won’t know him. ...
Some of the earliest photos of life in Aotearoa are on display at Auckland Museum right now – but the identities of some of the people in them are a mystery.What was it like to be one of the first people in New Zealand to have their photo taken? ...
Since its founding almost a decade ago, Featherston Booktown has grown into one of the country’s most interesting and idiosyncratic literary events. Erin Banks reports from the audience. “Come in, have you had lunch? I’m about to make a cheese toastie.” Mary Biggs, operations manager of Featherston Booktown Karukatea Festival, ...
After 33 years abroad, Loveni Enari recently returned to Aotearoa and Samoa in what a friend joked was an “existential crisis”. He learnt and re-learnt so much about his family, friends and both countries. Almost as an afterthought, he got a Samoan tatau. This is his story. (Accompanying it are ...
Nearly 30 years ago, two people told me they’d killed a woman they knew. I thought the truth would come out, that others would tell it. In the end, I had to. The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.Fact: in 1995, Angela Blackmoore ...
Editor Madeleine Chapman looks back at the week and shines a light on some increasingly rare longform journalism. Mōrena and welcome to The Weekend where there will sadly be no aurora to see. After a busy week last week of short, sharp pieces, this week we swung the other way, ...
ANALYSIS:By David Robie, editor of Asia Pacific Report Jean-Marie Tjibaou, a revered Kanak visionary, was inspirational to indigenous Pacific political activists across Oceania, just like Tongan anthropologist and writer Epeli Hao’ofa was to cultural advocates. Tragically, he was assassinated in 1989 by an opponent within the independence movement during ...
Forget thin is in, apparently now bigger is better … or is it? After over a decade of body positivity, girls, teens and women are even more confused about what body positivity actually is. The movement began with women confronting unrealistic expectations of how their bodies should look. But sub-strands ...
Grace always sat at the bar at the back of The Cambridge, where she could watch who came in. A huge mirror ran the length of the pub, so you could sometimes watch people without them knowing. The mirror made the place seem a lot bigger than it really was. ...
MONDAY Sheriff Mark Mitchell rose at dawn. He had a long day’s ride ahead of him. He was headed for Waikeria. Waikeria! Even the name itself stirred his blood, and set root in his imagination. There was nothing and no one in Waikeria. But he would bend it to his ...
The first phase of the inquest into the death of Gore toddler Lachlan Jones finished this week, turning up plenty of revelations and few answers. But through all the confusion, heartbreak and antipathy on display, the simple fact at the heart of this case remains: if little Lachie’s body had ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Roger Benjamin, Professor in Art History, University of Sydney “She’s no oil painting”. Those were the unkind words of a colleague commenting on the subject of Vincent Namatjira’s acrylic painting, Gina. Every one of the prominent Australians and cultural heroes in Namatjira’s ...
Government plans to require local councils hold a referendum on whether to have Māori wards breaches the Treaty of Waitangi, a Waitangi Tribunal report has found. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Harcourt, Industry Professor and Chief Economist, University of Technology Sydney This year the National Rugby League (NRL) opened its season in Las Vegas. It was an audacious move by the league’s ambitious head honcho Peter V’Landys to showcase the game in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine Strong, Associate Professor, Music Industry, RMIT University Leading music organisations have praised the federal budget for its investment in the live music sector. The budget includes A$8.6 million for a program called Revive Live: to provide essential support to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marnee Shay, Associate Professor, Principal Research Fellow, The University of Queensland The 2024 federal budget contains A$110 million for Indigenous education. This includes funding for various different organisations to represent and help Indigenous people as well as scholarships in a bid to ...
Air New Zealand has confirmed Nouméa’s Tontouta International airport in New Caledonia is closed until Tuesday. The airline earlier told RNZ it would update customers as soon as it could. Earlier today, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters told RNZ Morning Report government officials had been working on an “hourly basis” ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Grant Linley, PhD Candidate in Ecology, Charles Sturt University Grant Linley Australia’s unprecedented Black Summer bushfires in 2019–20 created ideal conditions for misinformation to spread, from the insidious to the absurd. It was within this context that a bizarre story ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marcel Scharth, Lecturer in Business Analytics, University of Sydney OpenAI executive Mira Murati launching GPT-4o.OpenAI Earlier this week OpenAI launched GPT-4o (“o” for “omni”), a new version of the artificial intelligence (AI) system powering the popular ChatGPT chatbot. GPT-4o is promoted ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Treasure McGuire, Assistant Director of Pharmacy, Mater Health SEQ in conjoint appointment as Associate Professor of Pharmacology, Bond University and as Associate Professor (Clinical), The University of Queensland Speedkingz/Shutterstock Menopause is a natural biological process that marks the end of a ...
A new poem by Hannah Patterson. Xiāng There’s a pear tree in our backyard And Xiāng tells me She can’t eat them anymore Not after some things that have happened in her life. She tells me, in Mandarin The word for pear sounds the same as the word for disassociation ...
‘Cycling Works’ aims to show business support for citywide cycle infrastructure. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, supermarket giant Foodstuffs lost its attempt to block the construction of a cycle lane outside Thorndon New World in Wellington. The Spinoff’s Wellington editor ...
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 Slow Productivity by Cal Newport (Penguin, $40)Taking out the top spot in Auckland this ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Lowe, Emeritus Professor, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University For decades, Australia has exported uranium – but not used it, other than in the Lucas Heights research reactor. But change is coming. We now face a rapidly deepening commitment to ...
"In future I should walk away," Green MP Julie Anne Genter says after complaints over an exchange in Parliament and from two members of the public. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Graffam, PhD Candidate in Theatre, Monash University Gianna Rizzo/Malthouse Music pumps; lights pulsate; two sweaty bodies sway together, touching, breathing in each other’s scent. A male body framed by downlight restlessly shifts between stances and gestures. He undresses. The intensity ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sandra van der Laan, Professor of Accounting, University of Sydney Mtaya/Shutterstock At some point, you or someone else will need to make a decision about your “send-off”. Most Australians die in an institution, such as a hospital or aged care facility. ...
Asia Pacific Report Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Salwai — who is also Chairman of the Melanesian Spearhead Group — has reaffirmed MSG’s support of the pro-independence umbrella group Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS) stance opposing the French government’s constitutional bill “unfreezing” the New Caledonia Electoral Roll. It is ...
Producer Susan Leonard remembers her father Ernie, a pioneer of Māori television, and how his legacy lives on in Pathfinders.My father was a fabulous man. His name was Ernie Leonard and he started in TV in the 1970s when it was still glamorous – when TVNZ made behind the ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk, and Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist The suspected ringleaders of the unrest in New Caledonia have been placed in home detention and the social network TikTok has been banned as French security forces struggle to restore law and order. The French ...
Multi-year appropriations - which give the government authority to spend money without reapplying annually - are loosening Parliament's control of the public purse, auditor-general says. ...
Dr. Eric Chuah who stood for a centrist NZ political party in the October 2023 NZ Elections for Maungakiekie Auckland will stand as a candidate for Tauranga City Council Ward of Matua-=Otumoetai and Mayor of Tauranga. ...
If you can’t get to the comedy fest, let us bring the comedy fest to you. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. The New Zealand International Comedy Festival is in full swing at the moment, with a veritable smorgasboard of comedy treats ...
A new poll commissioned by Unions Wellington shows an overwhelming majority of Wellingtonians oppose the Council’s plan to sell the 34% public stake in Wellington Airport. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Aruna Sathanapally, Chief Executive, Grattan Institute, Grattan Institute A central focus of this week’s budget is the treasury’s forecast for inflation. By this time next year, inflation is projected to be back within the Reserve Bank’s 2-3% target range. Inflation has ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yolanda van Heezik, Professor of Ecology, University of Otago Getty Images Cities across Aotearoa New Zealand are trying to solve a housing crisis, with increasing residential density a key solution. But not everyone is happy about the resulting loss of natural ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alison Reeve, Deputy Program Director, Energy and Climate Change, Grattan Institute WDG Photo/Shutterstock For years, the electricity sector has been the poster child for emissions cuts in Australia. The sector achieved a stunning 26% drop in emissions over the past 15 ...
It’s often the last thing people want to do, but asking someone if they’re having suicidal thoughts is a critical first step to helping them. Content warning: this story discusses suicide and suicidal ideation. For a list of resources that can help if you or someone you know is feeling ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy J. Ralph, Associate Professor, Macquarie University The pyramids at Giza, like dozens of others, are located several kilometres west of the current path of the Nile.Alex Cimbal / Shutterstock The largest field of pyramids in Egypt – consisting of 31 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Diepstraten, Senior Research Officer, Blood Cells and Blood Cancer Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute ABO PHOTOGRAPHY/Shutterstock Receiving a cancer diagnosis is life-changing and can cause a range of concerns about ongoing health. Fear of cancer returning is one ...
Winston Peters has been on tour around the Pacific while two unrelated crises unfolded, explains Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Two separate ...
This is the Mount Everest of artificial meatcraft.Ah, bacon. Pig’s gold. Toast’s consolation. Dawn’s savoury embrace. If meat was a currency, bacon would be the Benjamin Franklin. Or if you’re feeling patriotic, the Lord Rutherford. When it comes to fake bacon, the obvious question is: why bother? In the ...
From illegal milk to sprinkler bans and airplane ticket scams, Tyrone Barugh is on a one-man mission through New Zealand’s most obscure legal loopholes. I’m deep undercover, investigating Wellington’s criminal underworld. Inside this store, I’ve been told there is a million-dollar trade in illicit substances. A man dressed in black ...
It’s been a recess week at Parliament, which might indicate slim pickings for conversation topics for the Raw Politics team. But things are never dull in politics, especially with a new Government keen to follow through on its law and order promises, and a NZ First minister who wants to ...
Dear Hon Judith Collins, Minister of Defence, and Hon Christopher Penk, Associate Minister of Defence I have written to you, to attempt to give you an insight into the incredible hardship of being an NZDF family. Whilst I cannot speak on behalf of serving personnel, I can speak from my ...
Storm clouds brewing……
Liam Dann: Are the banks bracing for a storm?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11727593
BNZ plans restructure, won’t say how many jobs could be impacted
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11727398
NZ’s big banks see profits dip
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/business/315452/nz's-big-banks-see-profits-dip
I would point you to this
https://thestandard.org.nz/keep-calm-and-carry-on/
I would point you to this
https://thestandard.org.nz/keep-calm-and-carry-on/
If you keep saying there’s going to be a financial melt down you will undoubtedly be right sooner or later.
There seems to be rumbling coming from the World Economy. NZ high against the pound etc. And why has Putin “ordered” Russians home? Why are our Banks preparing to cover themselves?
I don’t know because I am an Economic Illiterate.
@Ianmac – the banks have lent too much foreign money and some of the lending is fraudulent or over valued. For example with the SHA zoned by the government, overnight the land was worth millions more. Then the owners sold for those millions more and the banks lent on the new values. However it was the same land, and the same land has no or few houses on it years later. So the bank lending was always reliant on development, development is reliant on more people living there and more people living there and buying houses is reliant on them having secure jobs and wealth…
The government never got around to putting legislation and investment in place to provide more secure jobs and wealth for enough people …. to pay the debts for the houses… that the bank lent on.
Under neoliberalism that opposite is happening, less jobs for more people… less secure wealth… Executives are given short term incentives to save money to get their bonuses… easiest way is to cut jobs, but long term the company will grind to a halt because without investment in quality people then businesses go under.
Thanks Save NZ. So the Bank positioning is to bank against the “grinding to a halt.” Uggh! The withdrawl of Government funding to essential services is another alarm bell. Key/Joyce/English cannot warn us as this would be an admission of defeat.
It’s rude to point Paul
I just would like to point out however Tomorrow it may rain but it may not, just a rumbling
Yes it is – but it doesn’t stop Trump
Judith Collins is not fit to be an MP let alone a minister of the Crown. Her latest brainfart is unacceptable and she should be removed from office immediately.
Do tell…….
I haven’t heard anything out of the ordinary, not that I take much notice of what she says.
agreed – she is an utter disgrace and shows her very limited thinking capacity. Typical lazy gnat – blame parents for child poverty –
“I don’t just see monetary poverty,” she said. “I see a poverty of ideas, a poverty of parental responsibility, a poverty of love, a poverty of caring.Ms Collins then said that in New Zealand there was money available to everyone who needed it. “I can tell you that it’s not just a lack of money, it’s primarily a lack of responsibility – I know it’s not PC – but, you know, that’s just me.”
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/315510/collins-criticised-over-child-poverty-comments
yep the dirty politics queen, friend to the scum, sweet talker to the rwnjs – a disgusting person and reason enough to work hard and replace this govt – collins is not fit for public office.
She and her brethren are dodging the real issue(s) all the time now.
One law for all …. you’d think with all of the bs about the Nat’s being responsible “managers” they would of been on top of Tax Evasion?
Here’s a report backed up with evidence … $1.24 billion of tax was evaded in 2014, while just $33.55 million were cases for fraud were for welfare payments.
http://www.interest.co.nz/personal-finance/84038/tax-professor-calls-independent-inquiry-how-tax-evaders-and-benefit
Thought she was talking about the national government?
“I don’t just see monetary poverty,” she said. “I see a poverty of ideas, a poverty of parental responsibility, a poverty of love, a poverty of caring.Ms Collins then said that in New Zealand there was money available to everyone who needed it. “I can tell you that it’s not just a lack of money, it’s primarily a lack of responsibility – I know it’s not PC – but, you know, that’s just me.”
Nah, keep her in the limelight as it’s very important for the people to see the calibre of a nat senior minister sooo important to this regime that she is still around after her many indiscretions.
The Sky is Falling, The Sky is Falling!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NO04VXBIS0M
BUT Don’t worry, apparantly the appocolypse is nigh…
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3833941/Russia-orders-officials-fly-home-relatives-living-abroad-tensions-mount-prospect-global-war.html
What is this appocolypse you speak of ?
Does it have anything to do with the imbeseals who post here.
It’s imbecile, I am picking an imbeseal is something the Green Party wants protected from set nets…
yeah well they are endangered 🙂
Good to see you can spell imbecile Tory, now look in the mirror.
I’m not sure I understand your point as I am wearing a moron filter…..
Doesn’t that keep you in a permanent existential crisis?
In case anyone is in a permanent existential crisis or want to get out of it:
http://www.wikihow.com/Deal-with-an-Existential-Crisis
With pictures!
I Prefer Transcendence; if in fact we are nothing we are everything, to remember the Self is to forget the self, to forget the self is to be enlightened by the ten thousand things……
Conan laughs at your philosophy:
“Let teachers and priests and philosophers brood over questions of reality and illusion. I know this: if life is illusion, then I am no less an illusion, and being thus, the illusion is real to me. I live, I burn with life, I love, I slay, and am content.”
“My proudest moment here wasn’t when I increased profits by 17%, or cut expenditure without losing a single member of staff. No. It was a young Greek guy, first job in the country, hardly spoke a word of English, but he came to me and he went ‘Mr. Brent, will you be the Godfather to my child?’. Didn’t happen in the end. We had to let him go, he was rubbish. He was rubbish.”
Who exactly writes these ghastly, politically servile “news” bulletins
for the likes of Daniel Faitaua to uncomprehendingly recite to camera?
Breakfast Television 1, Thursday 13 October 2016
Anyone bored enough or unfortunate enough to have been watching TV1 at 7 o’clock this morning would have witnessed the pleasant but vacuous newsreader Daniel Faitaua blankly, dutifully, reading out a little propaganda nugget which might well have been written for him by the Saudi Arabian or Turkish Foreign Ministries or the U.S. State Department:
At 7:30 a.m. Faitaua was back at it, blandly reading: “the devastating attack by the Russian-backed Syrian regime CONTINUES…”
I might have missed it, but I can remember no occasion when any TV1 newsreader ever recited the following words in 2014: “The Israeli regime’s U.S.-backed ASSAULT on Gaza CONTINUES. … the devastating attack by the U.S.-backed Israeli regime CONTINUES…”
As I understand it the Russians are attacking the ISIS forces who are occupying Aleppo illegally.
As I understand it the IDF is attacking Hamas who are firing missiles at Israel.
Wait – has Hamas killed tens of thousands of Israelis in the last year (some by beheading, burning and drowning, then putting it up on the internet), just like ISIS has killed tens of thousands of Syrians in the last year (some by beheading, burning and drowning, then putting it up on the internet)?
Or are you just an idiot?
NB Israel took the land of the Palestinians and ethnically cleansed it. Israel is the illegal occupying force.
Oh the irony………….and the silvery for that matter.
I suggest you go have have one off the wrist to calm down…here use this.
https://qph.ec.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-c14e24f1ee8d11015dc9b134847f19d7-c?convert_to_webp=true
Israel is an invasion of Palestine. Do you not think that the Palestinians have a right to self-defence?
He’s just an idiot, Viper. But I think you already knew that.
Morrissey
You won’t hear that because the US is not bombing Gaza and never has, whereas the Russians are actually currently bombing Aleppo. Not hard to figure out, except perhaps for a Russian apologist.
True about Aleppo – but US aid buying IDF bombs muddies that water good.
Exactly SM.
Aiding and abetting, is as much a crime, as actually physically committing the crime. As Wayne is well aware.
Wayne Mapp: “the US is not bombing Gaza and never has”
(1) Israel only carries out its periodic carpet-bombing campaigns / massacres in Gaza (and Lebanon and the West Bank) when it’s sure it will receive a tacit Green Light from the US.
(2) Most of the weaponry deployed by Israel in these massacres is either US-manufactured or bought with the billions in US aid to Israel.
For example, in their report ” “Rain of Fire: Israel’s Unlawful Use of White Phosphorus in Gaza”, Human Rights Watch found that the white phosphorus shells repeatedly and indiscriminately fired by the IDF over densely populated neighbourhoods in Gaza during 2008-09 Operation Cast Lead were entirely US-manufactured.
More broadly, leading Human Rights groups have concluded that Israel committed a series of War Crimes (based on the definition under International Law) in its regular “operations” against Gaza over the last decade. And yet – despite US law prohibiting military assistance to countries that engage in human rights violations – each year, the US Govt approves more than $3 billion in new weaponry and military financing for Israel.
In just one recent year, for instance, this included F-35 stealth fighters, 14,500 kits to upgrade “dumb” bombs into precision-guided munitions, over 12,000 unguided bombs, over 3,000 hellfire missiles and 50 Super Penetrator “bunker buster” bombs, designed to hit targets underground.
Basically, each time the IDF commit yet another massacre of civilians, they have their weaponry and munitions fully replenished by the US.
Maybe the US wants a war with Russia as bravado to prove to the world they are still relevant after getting no where in the middle east? But what about China and North Korea? So many countries to invade, so little victory so far.. add on Mexico to invade if Trump gets in.
http://shop.countdown.co.nz/Shop/Browse/baking-cooking/oven-trays-foil-bags/foil
Repeaters , not reporters.
Yep they are coming for everything in a last ditch orgy of excess – last chance for a while to accumulate so they are digging deep.
“The production and consumption of natural Andean and Amazonian ancestral products in Peru is threatened by the “biopiracy” of foreign companies who have filed over 11,690 patents for the domestic produce of the region, effectively poaching the natural heritage of the country. The resources are said to be rich in nutrients and vitamins and range from those with anti-aging properties to those that act as natural aphrodisiacs.
Small farmers could be among those worst affected if foreign companies obtain the patents. “Campesinos have been guardians of seeds and diversity generation after generation, from our ancestors to our fathers we have inherited the seeds,” said Director of the National Association of Ecological Products of Peru Moises Quispe.
“We campesinos are very conscious about it. These seeds are part of our lives, and if there’s a new owner who patents them for their own economic interests, it’s a very worrying situation.””
https://intercontinentalcry.org/corporate-biopiracy-peru-threatens-indigenous-knowledge/
It’s how capitalism works – by stealing off of everyone else.
Yep that is why I agree with you that it must go.
Don’t get Draco started, please
Why?
Are you afraid that your tightly held beliefs will be challenged by reality?
No just hearing the same old same old does sap your wil to live
The same old, same old only comes from the RWNJs that want to keep us the way we are. In fact, National seems to want to take us back to the 15th century and feudalism.
Didn’t know there was feudalism in 15th century NZ ?
Did you know that the RWNJs in the 19th and 20th centuries were trying to make us more British than the British? The model that they wanted to copy was the failed aristocracy.
Same attitude still seems to apply in the RWNJs.
Did fuedal overlords run 1.5b surpluses
Yes, once inflation is taken into account. Hell, Adam Smith reckons there was one lord who could have dined 30, 000 lords and ladies at his dinner table.
Of course, he did have the same poverty levels in the majority of people that National has as well.
They spent their surpluses on Wars.
Wars paid for by taxing peasants and serfs.
I know this wasn’t done with cash, rather produce, free labour etc…but its the same difference, it’s ‘surplus’ being diverted, while the welfare needs of the peasants are ignored.
I conceed😀
I was kind-of hoping for Trump to run a stronger case against Hillary.
I was expecting that he would be far superior in the debates, and she would win the electoral college largely through Democrat Party superior vote-collecting capacity.
But putting a misogynist up against a feminist has gone badly.
Trump is beginning to look like the best Democratic Party renewal programme for the Senate that we have seen for many, many years.
Yes, he has also ‘renewed’ the republican party by sending many of the neo-con members back to their original political allies in the democratic party.
Just discovered a new and actually quite exciting twitter account, ‘New Real Peer Review’.
Best recent tweet “Gender scholar puzzled over the fact that most females are women and most males are men”
Nice
“Gender” is a grammatical term. Nouns and adjectives, in some languages, have genders. People have sexes. “Sex” is not a four letter word.
Yes, but ‘sex scholar’ would have a different connotation.
The actual paper in question does not even go into gender in grammatical terms at all. Most people master Genders meaning in the real world during pre-school, others conduct ‘serious’ academic research on the subject in higher education.
‘The second is the fact that, usually, sex and gender come together in the way that is expected, I.e. the fact that most females are women and most males are men needs to be explained.’
or
‘It will be concluded that, even in our postmodern world with its technological opportunities the division into the two sexes is extraordinarily persistent’
One can quite vividly see the authors of these statement struggling with the fact that words actually have commonly held meaning (Something routinely denied by postmodern literature).
“Sex” is clearly a 3 letter word if you can count. I don’t seem to have the context for that joke, probably its not a funny one (in case its hilarious please explain it).
… the fact that most females are women and most males are men needs to be explained.
It’s the fact that people who can’t write are able to work as academics that needs to be explained. The above doesn’t get any less funny if it’s written correctly as “most women are female and most men are male.”
That is not an equivalent statement though, correct English though it may be. This may have important implications for what pressing question the author of those words is puzzled about.
Kim Hill is a breath of fresh air on RNZ’s Morning Report. This morning’s treasure was the interview with Judith Collins. Kim started by handing the Minister a shovel, then passed over replacements ones as Collins dug herself ever more deeply into the hole of her own making. The coup was letting the Minister ventilate non-stop at length then advising listeners where Judith Collins’ credibility could be checked.
Yes. It was brilliant. Kim is such a gem.
“…Since the financial crisis in 2008, people have been fleeing the centre-ground across the Western political system and the political establishment are yet to confront this with any real, substantive solutions. Whether it is Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump in America, Jeremy Corbyn and the historic Brexit vote or the rise of the far-right in Europe – more and more people are fleeing an intellectually and morally bankrupt centre-ground.
Votes are gushing to the political fringes because since the financial crash, establishment politicians have failed to come up with any meaningful solutions to the problems that ordinary working people face every single day. Politicians on both the centre-left and the centre-right across the West have failed to make neoliberalism and globalisation work for the masses.”
Gordon Campbell presents another excellent piece on the current political landscape…..where is the alternative, and why have all parties failed to construct and present one in the 8 years post GFC, let alone the past three decades??
http://gordoncampbell.scoop.co.nz/2016/10/11/gordon-campbell-on-how-the-political-centre-is-a-mirage/
The Sound radio just reported that Housing NZ is pretty much broke? Can’t seem to find anything on web at present.
This?
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/housing-new-zealand-warned-broke-in-months
Top level Democratic strategist emails show understanding of and complicity with producing “an unaware and compliant citizenry.
But apparently the “compliance” of the citizenry is fading and it is a “problem” that “demands some serious, serious thinking.”
Thanks go to wikileaks and Julian Assange
(bold mine)
https://wikileaks.org/podesta-emails/emailid/3599
Actually, the full email reads like something you or I might have written – sort of a “told you so” commentary on the situation.
It opens:
Talking with a friend who is being evicted from their rental property as the Chinese landlords are bringing their parents over to live in nz. They were quite upfront with their plan.
The children live here and are nz residents.
The grandparents will be the babysitters for the grandchildren.
Parents are currently 54 and 55 years old.
The parents children are both working and will be supporting their parents.
At the ten year mark both parents will be applying for national super.
This, is fundamentally wrong. The parents are loaded, and will be complying with the requirement for funding to get the parental category visa.
If they have the funds to apply for the parental category visa, why should they be able to claim national super?
Easiest way to remove that ability is to simply state that people who were granted residency under parental category are ineligible for national super. Simple and effective.
Why single out the Chinese ?
I know of Indian, South African, Zimbabwean, English and all flavours of imigrants doing exactly the same thing.
and when they become NZ citizens, what then?
Do you suggest that this category of NZ residents also be denied the vote?
And of course, all this is simply micro-managing a much bigger problem.
It is time to drive down immigration numbers by 90% plus, as Winston Peters suggested.
Hey here’s a bright idea that the Left can raise: means testing NZ Super.
“Hey here’s a bright idea that the Left can raise: means testing NZ Super”.
That would really piss off Jim Anderton, wouldn’t it?
He was collecting it when he was getting a ministerial salary. The traditional “I’m entitled” attitude of his class. I wonder if Michael Cullen collects it?
At least Bob Jones never applied for it and tells off wealthy people who do claim it.
CV
Just how strange is it for you being; the token Asian in NZ First? I don’t know if you’ve formally joined the party yet, but you certainly parrot their positions frequently. And as you’ve; burnt your bridges with Labour, and the Green Party doesn’t want anything to do with you, then I can’t see you’ve got many other options (except starting your own party I guess, but that’s a pretty lonely proposition).
I can’t imagine that you will just become politically disengaged from the electoral system. Even though you have stated that you think (contemporary representative ballot-box) democracy is inadequate to the challenges facing it this millenium, I don’t think you were recommending a military coup by that. Direct action maybe?
Isn’t [deleted] the token asian in Mana ?
[Banned for 2 weeks for referring to an author by their real world identity] – Bill
Stunned Mullet
Last I heard; MANA were falling back to a Māori seat only strategy, their partnership with the IP is history (as is the IP itself – there were only two nominations for their exec last month; so both were elected unopposed). I can’t really see where CV would fit in there (yes, I too know his offline name; but tend to avoid using it unless he has that day).
Anyway, the MANA movement is as much about empowering the powerless generally, as it is about Nga Tino Rangatiratanga. See the continued involvement of Trinder and Minto (who might be non-Māori seat candidates next election, so I guess that’s some precedent for CV’s involvement):
http://mananews.co.nz/wp/?p=9704
It is not so far-fetched that some Asians (say; exploited sub minimum wage fastfood workers), might turn to MANA for representation (if none of the other parties thought there were the votes to be got from advocating for noncitizens). Whereas NZF are reknowned for their racist anti-immigration stances (though not for their consistency). Also, CV hasn’t been repeating MANA talking points, but has been for NZF.
NZF talking points on reducing immigration perhaps, but mainly because they are the only party willing to slash immigration to the bone.
And the equivalent of one jumbo jet entering and leaving the country a day is more than enough, thanks.
It’s time to transition away from this utterly unsustainable fuel burning aviation reliant foreign tourism enterprise.
It’s also that we just don’t have the resources to keep up with the infrastructure needed for the population growth and that higher population is not sustainable either.
I think non-violent resistance against the world destroying capitalist direction we’re all being told to run in might be an idea.
+1
“Hey here’s a bright idea that the Left can raise: means testing NZ Super.”
Please dear god no. Has the left not lost enough elections based on unwanted super anuation reforms yet?
Well if the Left think that rich Chinese immigrants shouldn’t get NZ super (which is fair enough), then a means test is going to have to be instituted.
And once you institute a means test for super, why not make that means test universal?
Unless of course we simply mean to make it a modern day poll tax for the Chinese.
OK, I’m pretty sure that your last line is meant sarcastically.
The rest of 13.2.3.1 and 13.2 is impossible to tell, because it’s you.
Well, how can we be sure that some of these wealthy older Chinese coming in to NZ don’t have criminal backgrounds, and that’s why they’re so keen on leaving and coming here?
Stories of Chinese wanting to take $$$ of hard currency out of China that they have obtained through fraudulent means are common enough that the Chinese Govt is working hard to stomp out the practice.
Maybe it’s time that NZ implement some extreme vetting for these people before we accept them into our country. They seem to be placing unjustifiable burdens on our health and social welfare system as many commentators on this post have recognised.
So it’s a suggestion which I think would make a lot of sense to a lot of people.
See, again, it’s something Trump might say. If you weren’t such a Trump fanboi then you’d definitely be taking the piss, but as it is… who knows?
Extreme vetting? Good grief
Totally agree.
there is not enough super for everybody…it should be restricted to New Zealanders who have been paying taxes for it all their lives
( are elderly NZers flocking to live in China and applying for Chinese super?…or don’t they have super over in China for the elderly?)
young new Zealanders can not afford to pay for their NZ tertiary education and NZ houses ( because they have been taken up by recent rich immigrants) …let alone get well paying jobs ….and on top of this pay for super for the New Zealand elderly!!!!
…young New Zealanders should not have the burden of paying for recent elderly foreign immigrants
“it should be restricted to New Zealanders who have been paying taxes for it all their lives”
Only those ones? Is that really how you are going to cut it off? No taxes paid, no super is the Chooky credo.
You must mean that people who have been on benefits during their younger days won’t get anything then.
People who stayed at home raising families will have to miss out as well.
Are you really sure you mean what you are saying?
God you really are a hard-hearted SOB.
stupid argument from you alwyn (look in the mirror and you will find the answer to your final insult)
… every NZer pays taxes for being a NZer and living here…what about GST? ( or in the case of NZ students overseas they pay taxes and extra interest on student loans)
( the country is tax ridden …except for those who evade and avoid and hide their incomes…generally the wealthy )
…even those on benefits pay taxes (GST) on their fruit and veges and everything else when they can least afford it
….and especially people, generally women, who have stayed at home raising families have paid taxes indirectly( with their life’s blood)….do they get paid a living wage for bringing up the kids and looking after the elderly?…they should be paid by the State ( do they…NO…so for them tax is a double whammy)
…so yes all NZers should get super if they have lived here most of their lives and contributed to New Zealand society… they have all paid taxes
“( or in the case of NZ students overseas they pay taxes and extra interest on student loans)”
No wonder your arguments make so little sense.
Somehow you seem to see the repayment of a loan, and paying interest on a loan as being “taxes”.
On that logic you would have to argue that anyone who borrows money to buy a house wasn’t repaying a loan and paying interest on the loan. They were, by your strange argument, “paying taxes”.
You do, finally, come round to being rather more generous on who is to get the super. However the way you seem to justify it is more than a little irrational.
“there is not enough super for everybody…it should be restricted to New Zealanders who have been paying taxes for it all their lives”
This is based on an incorrect assumption (that NZ can run out of money) in practice it does not work like this. The only super crisis in NZ is caused by NZ actually trying to deal with the make believe super crisis often discussed in the media. The make believe NZ super crisis is trying to cut the government deficit by limiting the governments total super payment obligations. This is also what Kiwi-Saver, the Cullen Fund and so on are about.
In practice if the government succeeds in under-funding retirees they will in turn not be able to fund their retirement. By funding their retirement they will on the other hand provide ample opportunities for NZ’s workforce to cater to their needs. If the government under-funds retirees on the other hand and they can’t afford to live then they miss-out on their consumption (what they can buy to live on) and the workforce misses out on its work opportunity and income. That would be a tragedy for everybody involved and would also be more difficult to deal with as the private sector would lose some capacity to cater to the retired as this occurred. Also any spending the government does will eventually return to it to be collected as tax as it gets spent or earned. This will always provide ample income to actually fund any borrowing the government undertook to fund the super payments to begin with (not that the government can actually go broke anyway).
It would also be possible to have a retirement crisis as too much of the active workforce was needed to assist the retired with their needs. This argument however is ridiculous (this is quite clearly not happening) and nobody is making it. The only super crisis in NZ will be caused if NZ tries to deal with its make believe super crisis. The make believe super crisis is entirely premised on economic models which claim all government deficit spending is inflationary (in the long run) but this is quite clearly more fiction than observable fact of the actual economy.
“The increasingly secretive central bank does not reveal how much it costs to print each bill, but based on international parameters, José Manuel Puente, an economist and professor with the Institute of Higher Administration Studies, estimates that the cost of paper, ink and printing of each note is about 20% more than their face value. “They are not worth what they cost. It’s a joke. But that’s the way things are,” he said.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/oct/11/venezuela-on-the-brink-a-journey-through-a-country-in-crisis
Thanks Pat. I think UK penies cost more than their nominal value to issue also. Most spending however (in most coumtries is electronic account entries) so obviously does not suffer such an issue.
Yes, Venezuela has a significant inflation and problems arising from that. The question is what is the cause however. Is it government spending or on the other hand is it political instability causing shortages and supply issues (some intentional by opponents of the government), or is it some cause (exchange rate arbitrage) from the heavy use of US dollers by their economy?
So if its government over spending then this implies their economy is operating beyond capacity, does it not? Is it then?
BTW, all examples of hyper inflation I know about were caused by some significant drop in real supply side capacity. That includes Weimar confiscation of German industrial capacity as war reparations and Mugabe well known handing over of farm lands to African Native ownership.
lol..thats an interesting chicken and egg proposition…however even if you were correct it remains the relationship between realised (not potential) capacity and money supply….but print away.
Why does money supply come into it? Its a relationship between productive capacity and utilisation of that capacity causing suppliers to increase prices. The money supply is only a poor proxy for describing capacity utilisation rates of the economy, and difficult to limit spending via to boot!
“The money supply is only a poor proxy for describing capacity utilisation rates of the economy, and difficult to limit spending via to boot!”
Money supply is indeed used as a proxy, poor or otherwise for describing capacity utilisation rates and it is for that simple reason that changing the supply rate changes the description even though the utilisation rate can remain unchanged.
Not clear to me what you are trying to say here.
In terms of using money as a proxy for capacity utilisation it probably doesn’t help that such modelling assumes that equilibrium is reached and therefore full capacity utilisation of the economy is always reached, because this is nonsense! That is the only basis for the QToM, a nonsense assumption not any form of scientific evidence.
On the other hand there is reasonable evidence that changes in the unemployment rate (a more direct proxy for capacity utilisation) does correlate well with changes in inflation.
“It would also be possible to have a retirement crisis as too much of the active workforce was needed to assist the retired with their needs. This argument however is ridiculous (this is quite clearly not happening)”.
The argument being made is not that it IS happening. The argument is that it WILL happen in the future. With the declining birth-rate, the huge bulge in the elderly from the retiring baby boomers and the great increase in the life expectancy of the population that there will be a massive increase in the ratio of retired people to the number of working people.
That is expected to happen in New Zealand between now and about 2040. This is just the same thing that has been happening in Japan.
The solution isn’t saving now and still retiring at the same age. It requires that people work longer and keep producing.
After all, the only things that can be consumed are those that are produced. If a retired person is no longer producing their consumption can come only from the goods produced by those who are still working.
If cutting the government deficit by saving up a large stock of investments is the answer then this was never the question, was it? Neither was it the question if we are trying to get people to save for their own retirement.
On the other hand if we want to boost capacity for elderly care then increasing their spending capacity now probably is an answer to that question.
Meanwhile in Natland the finance minister shows his head for business…
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11728095
In Natland:
In Natland:
In Natland:
Is HNZ a for profit organisation? national framing the debate as always and the media enabling them.
Funky idea, find a region with high unemployment, not hard
Setup a training institution,
train and employee the locals to build their own houses, and the required infrastructure to support the local community. Extend this to supportive industries like forestry or quarry’s and stone masonry, Empower people instead of taking away their ability to support themselves.
How to get former President Clinton to your conference: pay over US$6M
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-10-12/clinton-foundation-moment-unless-saudi-sheikh-gave-us-6-million-sounds-crazy-do
Still rabbiting on about Clinton while New Zealand burns. 😐
Russia has just requested that all public officials with children studying overseas recall their children home immediately, regardless of whether or not that disrupts the completion of the childs year of study.
NZ “burning” is very much what I am concerned about.
Mate of yours ?
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/putin-ally-tells-americans-vote-trump-or-face-nuclear-war-n665376
Why Susan Sarandon had to break up with Clinton, and why Trump is less scary than Hillary
Now that you mention it, Sarandon might be a mate too…
I’m with Susan on this
Clinton has a serious talk about climate plans.
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/10/al-gore-hillary-clinton-campaign-miami-climate-214351
I was commenting yesterday (Open Mike comment #19) about protestors being run over in the USA:
http://www.rgj.com/story/news/crime/2016/10/10/driver-plows-through-reno-protesters-under-arch/91883894/
Which made me think about this case in Aotearoa:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/82715740/MP-Chester-Borrows-in-court-over-protester-incident
He’s pretty forgettable, so I couldn’t recall his name at first (googling “national MP assault” gives a couple of million choices – it took a while to refine the search till he popped up). Nothing new shows up for; “Chester Borrows case review hearing”, has anyone heard of any developments in this case?
My suspicion is that Borrows’ lawyers are trying to push the case out past the 2017 election, at which point he can safely take his sentence: “The maximum penalty for careless driving causing injury is three months’ jail, or a fine of up to $4500. An MP must resign from Parliament if convicted of a crime with a maximum penalty of two or more years’ jail time.” So even if convicted, he wouldn’t be obligated to leave parliament. However, he might find it harder to get re-elected if the case does go to trial before the election.
Protester should have been arrested for public nuisance
I don’t know about Hillary going to jail But Trump could be.
But wait … there’s more! That’s the problem with saying you like to molest women, sooner or later some of the women you molested will confirm that its true.
http://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2016-37639839
It appears his propensity to molest women is the only thing he’s told us the truth about.
The thug responds.
https://twitter.com/nycsouthpaw/status/786338751706378240/photo/1
It’s pouring.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/palm-beach-post-exclusive-local-woman-says-trump-groped-her/w5ii48gwdJY9htsLl88GcP/?ecmp=pbp_social_twitter_2015_sfp
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/300475-apprentice-winner-trump-demeaning-to-women-on-set
Yep the flood to wash away
And yet another woman comes forward.
edit: turn the volume down – damned auto play
http://people.com/politics/donald-trump-attacked-people-writer/
Has Melania Trump personally and politically attacked this outspoken “bimbo” (using Hillary Clinton’s phrasing) just as Hillary Clinton did to the women who accused Bill Clinton of sexual assault?
She may still be in shock at the number of allegations coming out. Possibly she is consoling the man she loves in his darkest hour.
Personally, I think Hillary came to terms with Bill’s predatory sexual nature decades ago. The perpetrator and the enabler. What a combo.
Boy the Clinton campaign is on the rocks now.
Hillary employed strategies to help Wal Mart avoid raising their poverty level wages according to The Intercept.
Also learnt that Hillary was on the board of Wal Mart for 6 years. Fine employers, the Waltons.
I’m not surprised you think that – pretty tame for you.
AFAIK there’s only been one rapist in the White House in modern times. And if Hillary wins, he’ll be back in the White House.
Yeah i get the feeling that believing that really bothers you
The English had their own version of Donald J. Trump. This bloke was also a raving egomaniac as well as being, like Trump, about as funny as a mass grave…..
Another link to Macro’s ref:
http://www.rawstory.com/2016/10/trump-to-head-to-court-in-december-for-allegedly-tying-up-and-raping-a-13-year-old-girl-report/
Those father daughter pics become way more disturbing.
https://twitter.com/laurenduca/status/786206480265457664
Flash flooding.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/more-unearthed-footage-trump-says-of-10-year-old-i-am-going-to-be-dating-her-in-10-years/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab7e&linkId=29868172
edit: yup, it gets worse
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/features/timeline-of-trumps-creepiness-while-he-owned-miss-universe-w444634
http://www.king5.com/news/local/miss-washington-2013-says-donald-trump-groped-her/334981243?C=n
This has got to hurt.
Former Miss teen USA…
https://twitter.com/therealkamie/status/786335518963408896
On that twitter page, by ‘Harmony & Grace’, is this link:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-bloom/why-the-new-child-rape-ca_b_10619944.html
The linked page was posted in June by Lisa Bloom, attorney and “Legal analyst for NBC News”. Excerpt:
I’ve carefully reviewed this federal complaint. It is now much stronger than the one she filed on her own, which makes sense because she now has an experienced litigator representing her. Jane Doe says that as a thirteen year old, she was enticed to attend parties at the home of Jeffrey Epstein with the promise of money modeling jobs. Mr. Epstein is a notorious “billionaire pedophile” who is now a Level 3 registered sex offender – the most dangerous kind, “a threat to public safety” — after being convicted of misconduct with another underage girl.
Jane Doe says that Mr. Trump “initiated sexual contact” with her on four occasions in 1994. Since she was thirteen at the time, consent is not an issue. If Mr. Trump had any type sexual contact with her in 1994, it was a crime.
On the fourth incident, she says Mr. Trump tied her to a bed and forcibly raped her, in a “savage sexual attack,” while she pleaded with him to stop. She says Mr. Trump violently struck her in the face. She says that afterward, if she ever revealed what he had done, Mr. Trump threatened that she and her family would be “physically harmed if not killed.” She says she has been in fear of him ever since.
Oh fuck….another Saville.
https://twitter.com/gocartmozart1/status/786366245549531136
It appears that in 2002 Trump was very approving of how his neighbor Jeffrey Epstein; “likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side”.
http://nymag.com/nymetro/news/people/n_7912/
They “like” them … enough to make them disappear?
Tiffany Doe corroborates, based on her own personal observations, just about everything in Jane Doe’s complaint: that twelve year old Maria was involved in a sex act with Mr. Trump, that Mr. Trump threatened the life of Jane Doe if she ever revealed what happened, and that she would “disappear” like Maria if she did. – from that HuffPo link above.
How come the name Jeffrey Epstein rings a bell when it comes to the Clintons?
Fortunately, neither Bill Clinton nor Jeffery ‘took the fifth’ Epstein are running for office.
Q. Have you ever socialized with Donald Trump in the presence of females under the age of 18?
A: Though I’d like to answer that question, at least today I’m going to have to assert my Fifth, Sixth, and 14th Amendment rights, sir
It only takes one courageous soul to take a stand to embolden others:
There has been a steady trickle of women relating similar instance of Trump’s sexual predation where he felt he was secure in in position of wealth and power. Even now he threatens to sue those who make allegations against him – and this would have been his modus operandii against the women who felt they were alone thus keeping them silent until now. But as with Crosby, Rolf Harris, et al, who also felt secure in their power, it will come to a bad end.
The one and only (probably) teen African-American Trump supporter in Illinois somehow made it onto the LA Times tracking poll panel. Which is why that poll has skewed massively towards Trump.
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2016/10/12/one_of_trump_s_african_americans_in_illinois_is_messing_up_the_l_a_times.html
Should be all good then. Clinton by double digits come November. Right?
Today all information is supplied to us, the best we can do is seek credible sources, and vet the information they supply to us based on our own rational and the truths we hold dear. Propagating misinformation and lies based on our own confirmation bias is a trap we all fall into, I have fallen for lies and been manipulated into believing falsehoods and yes it hurts when you find out, cognitive dissonance is real and blinds us all at times.
In this age of social media manipulation it is imperative we hold to account those we follow even more so than those we oppose. When someone or something effects you emotionally or appeals to you in some way, stop and ask yourself why, and examine how this was present and supplied to you,
From TDB about the spying, sounds appalling…
“Not only will the SIS and GCSB have the legal protection to break any bloody law they like – THEY CAN EXTEND THIS POWER TO ANY OTHER STATE AGENCY THEY DESIGNATE TO HAVE THAT POWER!!!!
Are you listening yet sleepy hobbits?
Not only will the state spies be able to break any law legally – they can deputise different agencies to have the same power.
ARE YOU LISTENING YET?
Look, this is an extraordinary abuse of power the likes we’ve honestly never ever seen before. NO state agency should have the power to break any law they like and they sure as hell shouldn’t be allowed to tag in any other agency to have the same powers.
As more and more NZers suddenly wake up to this appalling legislation and its ramifications – people are going to be outraged.”
yes and Labour supports them
Shocking.
No wonder people don’t vote. What sort of decent person thinks that’s ok?
According to Chooky this guy does:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/a/u/y/d/a/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620×349.1avzb4.png/1460270362288.jpg
have you heard the Labour Party opposing this BILL?
…NZF opposes it.
… The Greens oppose it
+ 73.61 Chooky
thanx…lol ( not 100% though…this is what I always aim for)
Yawn
Hobbit
The SIS and GCSB can go around murdering people, driving on the wrong side of the road and exposing themselves in public ?
Sounds terrible..
Yes it is.
They can also break into your house, and steal your phone or computer. However, they don’t need to do that because they can sift through all your email, record all your phone conversations, and txts, and they can let the police do that also, or customs, or whoever,… and you need never know.
Also internet banking transactions, websites and blogs visited/written on, access your email/facebook/social media accounts and post/alter content.
In the US it is thought that the IRS have used these records to target individuals and organisations for political reasons.
If this reminds you of the Stasi State…well, the Stasi were low powered amateurs compared to the FVEY system.
I’m off home to tinfoil all my possessions including the cat.
The usual ad hominem from someone who does not know how to debate.
I wouldn’t even bother responding to him, Paul. Over the weekend, somebody defended that witless troll, claiming that he had an interesting take on things. If only that were the case.
He is SO dull.
I agree Paul your Conspiracies and Armageddon predictions sprinkled with a daily dose of uplifting positivity is so much more interesting. Interesting in a way as the characters in one flew over the cuckoo nest where also interesting
Did you Dita da Boni on The Panel today?
All these revelations are years old and covered by The Intercept, Bill Binney, Jacob Appelbaum, Laura Poitras, Edward Snowden and others.
But you do perform an admirable imitation of an ostrich.
Here’s the link: http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2016/10/13/must-read-dear-new-zealanders-do-you-have-any-idea-what-the-bloody-hell-the-nz-security-and-intelligence-bill-does/
& http://axesofjustice.blogspot.co.nz/2016/10/nz-security-intelligence-bill-assault.html
Uday ain’t too bright.
The Trump campaign sent a fundraising email Wednesday morning claiming that “all the momentum” was on their side — and they used what appears to be a map showing only male voters’ preferences to prove it.
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/eric-trump-tweets-map-if-only-men-voted
Aww….them womans and their votes..
/
https://twitter.com/latimes/status/786289108184424448
‘NZ Court hears closing arguments in Kim Dotcom’s US extradition appeal hearing’
https://www.rt.com/viral/360986-kim-dotcom-extradition-us/
…”Dotcom faces copyright infringement and money laundering charges over his now defunct file sharing website Megaupload. New Zealand’s High Court in Auckland has heard the extradition appeal over the last four weeks.
Lawyers for Dotcom contended in their closing arguments that there was not enough evidence to show he conspired to commit a crime, according to Reuters.
Dotcom took to Twitter to express his delight that the hearing has finished and thanked his lawyers for their work.
He also revealed his focus is now on the launch of Megaupload 2 and Bitcache – a blockchain powered service that links file transfers to bitcoin microtransactions, both planned for next year…
and
‘Kim Dotcom runs ‘Trump vs Clinton vs Putin’ Twitter poll, result is something you’d expect’
https://www.rt.com/viral/362353-putin-clinton-trump-kimdotcom-poll/
+72.3-141,23 Chooky
+100 Stunned Mullet …so you are showing me your maths prowess…?…I am very impressed!
here is another one for you …Piers Morgan stands up for Trump
…Piers Morgan always did have guts , probably his Irish ancestry…he made himself very unpopular in the States over his views on gun control
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/donald-trump-tapes-piers-morgan-twitter-defends-us-republican-sexist-election-debate-latest-a7352791.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piers_Morgan
http://www.pri.org/stories/2015-10-08/piers-morgan-gun-control-me-doing-nothing-unconscionable
( arithmetic please)
Well if Piers Morgan is pro Trump he must surely be the man for president, after all who are the voters to disagree with the celebrities of the day.
Matt Damon for head of UN I say and Tom Cruise for Pope……..Save me Oprah Winfrey !
+100…actually yes Trump for President
…I think Hillary Clinton for Pope
…Oprah Winfrey for Head of the UN
….Matt Damon Head of the FBI
…and Tom Cruise for Head of UFO investigations
btw this is damned good …shows how easily humans are brainwashed
‘Going Clear Scientology and the Prison of Belief’
+1000 Chooky
Good luck to Dotcom.
And good bye
sorry…I think he has won…it will be HELLO!
( anyone around who deserves to have the pants sued off them for the way he was illegally treated?)
I hope Dotcom wins. And that NZ stops being an illegal enforcement arm of US corporate interests.
+100 to that !
Blockchains are big. Why oh why does the government persecute our most talented migrants who could really create jobs and a silicon valley here in NZ.
They did a deal for Mr Yan, and Dotcom is a lot more talented and probably a lot less guilty.
+100 save nz …yes why did they persecute Dot.com…probably NZ’s most genius and entrepreneurial new migrants?!
…because Jonkey Nact is a servant to USA Hollywood corporate interests and monopolies
…and many New Zealanders bought into this bullshit
The irony of a homeless person finding shelter in an artwork about homelessness which the council workers removed on the advice of police in spite of council permits for artwork…
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11726953
It’s called hubris.
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/05/trump-said-no-opposition-research-vetting
Good grief….it just gets worse and worse:
http://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2016-37639839
“Trump ‘groped woman like an octopus'”
Shudder….
Its not always a bad thing: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/82/Hokusai_The_Dream_of_the_Fisherman's_Wife.jpg
Octopussy?
God, thinking about an amorous Trump is revolting. I need to wash my brain with bleach
Get that bleach ready.
https://youtu.be/uOxHhD55lFI
🙀😸😈
Nationals good management delivers 1.8 Billion surplus.
Waiting for lefties to tell us what a bad job they have done.
Lots of money in the kitty for next year.
It’s a trade off though, isn’t it?
The consequences being increasing social stress – spikes in crime, homelessness, and housing unaffordability being three very visible indicators currently trending.
Of course – however there are lots of positives out there as well – but I know you are incapable of seeing them – but if you open your eyes they are out there.
Many New Zealanders are more than happy and confident that the country is doing well. You know its great to look things that we should all be grateful for as well.
You are doing a fine job as cheerleader. I apologise for turning your attention to those less fortunate than yourself – I know you don’t like thinking about them.
Im capable of thinking about both – it keeps me balanced.
You should try it.
I don’t see any evidence of that from your post history.
Big spend up for Election year….for tax cuts…that’s not wise governance, that’s short term bribery.
Shiny baubles for National Voters.
But no plan for economic growth. Which is why there are traditional National Business folk who are not that thrilled with this neo-liberal National Government.
Though another earthquake would save them I guess.
Meantime, with Public debt, we’re hitting around half a trillion dollars worth of gross debt, that’s an average of $100,000 for every New Zealander.
You’d think such a ‘fiscally’ responsible Government would keep an eye on that.
“Which is why there are traditional National Business folk who are not that thrilled with this neo-liberal National Government.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11716154
A quote from the traditional business folk who you say are not thrilled with this government:
“An overwhelming majority agree the Government’s current economic management is good.”
But you keep telling yourself that we are not happy.
You would think Business would want affordable houses for their workers.
You would think business would want people investing in business not housing.
You would think that business would want investment in R and D.
From the Herald, Mood of the Boardroom……
“The Government’s Business Growth Agenda has produced short term results but some CEOs are questioning whether it will be successful in the long term.
The CEOs suspect the Government may have an eye on retaining power (next year) rather than promoting sustainable economic measures.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11716940
Debt
NZ$ 114,859,082,834
That is 114 billion
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/305802/mental-health-workers-struggling-to-cope
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/305163/official-suicide-numbers-'miss-the-bigger-picture‘
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/315564/maggie's-mother-found-not-guilty-due-to-insanity
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/regional/303524/another-inquest-for-capital-mental-health
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11726792
And that’s just in Mental Health – Underfunded and poorly staffed.
Yep! National are doing a great job.
How much is a life worth these days….?
But never mind John and Bill and Judith will all get their tax cuts next year – and that is what really matters.
If they have such a huge surplus, why then is Housing New Zealand going broke, has Bill cooked the books I wonder – explain please.
They’re not going broke, the issue is with Phil Twyford who an idiot and doesn’t understand financing.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11728095
National have such a great record with Solid Energy…
Maybe they have given all the state house cronies all the money… how many advisor fees, how many P fees, how many unoccupied ghost state houses….
I think you will find that it is Bill who is the idiot:
“A Treasury paper showed Housing NZ was due to run out of cash for development and maintenance by February.”
“”HNZC modelling indicates that it is likely to exhaust its cash balance by February 2017 based on its planned development activity.”
This was despite the Government’s decision to forgo dividends from HNZ for the next two years.
The documents showed this would no longer make a difference because HNZ was now unlikely to produce any dividends.
HNZ’s financial situation was partly the result of the transfer of 2800 state houses to the Tamaki Regeneration Company, a Government-council entity, this year.
The transfer meant $1.6 billion was removed from HNZ’s balance sheet and it was now collecting $34m less in rent a year.
English has been asked for comment.”
You should read further than the Headline idiot!
Do you not understand Bill English explanation?
when is a surplus not a surplus?
if the government accounts were a business what would the shareholders think of a board that announced a profit on the back of reduced investment, deferred maintenance, a reduction in product development and staff training and the sale of core assets, and how would the future viability of that business be viewed?
What was that about Bill’s explanation?
Isn’t it fascinating the government has gone from demanding ‘fiscal responsibility’ from HNZ, to suddenly forgoing the once crucial dividend, to now throwing several hundred million at them in the space of a few short months? All this without a plan or coherent announcement.
It’s obvious from many examples now that when the opposition says ‘jump’, the government says ‘how high?’
More like “how low can we get away with?”
Then Farrar fills em in,
palm greased with silver.
National.
Great for the super rich.
Dreadful for the rest of us.
slogans slogans slogans, Dull
National’s pathological lying pretends their non-performance is better than it is.
The people, living in the real economy, know better.
There are in the world objective truths, and subjective ones. There is no objective truth in National’s claims of economic continence, only subjective ones. Thus, only their crawliest sycophants credit their assertions.
Which is more inane: this light chat show on public radio
or Seven Sharp with New Zealand’s Sean Hannity?
The Panel pre-show, RNZ National, Thursday 13 October 2016, 3:58 p.m.
Jim Mora, James Elliott, Lisa Scott, Julie Moffett, Jesse Mulligan
JIM MORA: Ha ha ha ha ha! Hmm, hmm.
JESSE MULLIGAN: Ha ha!
JULIE MOFFETT: No one ever looks HAPPY when they’re running, though, DO they?
JESSE MULLIGAN: No, ho, they DON’T! [snicker]
JULIE MOFFETT: Ahhh, and finally, uh, how are your selfie skills? Are you doing the old selfies a lot, James, or—?
JAMES ELLIOTT: Yeah, my children encourage me to do that and then they normally put it on an app and then do something funny with my face so I’m a little bit confli—
JIM MORA: Yeah I’ve had that.
JAMES ELLIOTT: —little bit conflicted about that.
JULIE MOFFETT: So-o-o, have they also tried the High Five selfie?
JIM MORA: Hmmm….
JESSE MULLIGAN: Naahh, how’s that?
JULIE MOFFETT: Maybe this is NEW. So basically, a guy in the States decided—he MUST have had a lot of time on his hands—threw his phone up, took, you know, must have clicked the clicker at the same time while he was clapping his hands, and got a selfie of himself clapping his hands that he’d taken himself.
JIM MORA: It’s pretty impressive.
JULIE MOFFETT: So it’s basically hands-free selfie.
JESSE MULLIGAN: Hmmmm….
JIM MORA: That MUST be hard to DO.
JULIE MOFFETT: It WOULD be hard to do, and apparently people have been IMITATING him and—-
JESSE MULLIGAN: A ha ha HA!
JULIE MOFFETT: —breaking their phones.
JIM MORA: Breaking their phones.
JULIE MOFFETT: They drop them.
JESSE MULLIGAN: You like to send us a hands-free selfie—
JULIE MOFFETT: He, he! High Five!
JESSE MULLIGAN: The Panel at Radio NZ dot co dot NZ. Jim’ll make a gallery over the course of the next hour, while Lisa Scott and James Elliott chat about the issues facing the WORLD—
JIM MORA: HA! If we can get Lisa in the building!
JESSE MULLIGAN: Heh, indeed! And tomorrow on MY show, we put your food questions to Julie Biuso, send ’em THROUGH! Jesse at Radio New Zealand dot co dot NZ. Anything you want to know about FOOD, we can help….
It only got worse after four o’clock. More tomorrow…
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/thepanel/audio/201819849/the-panel-pre-show-for-13-october-2016
Why do you listen and watch all this shite if it upsets you so , remedy switch off
Like an ostrich.
Come on Red, are you really serious when you ask such a question? No doubt people like you upbraided Molière for wasting his time transcribing and sending up the hypocrisies and idiocies of people he found appalling.
I do agree with you that these people constitute nothing more than “shite”, but in spite of my distaste for them, I have a duty….
http://www.foreveroldies.com/johnwayne3.jpg
Sorry all you f…..s looks like Trump is going to WIN!
‘Astrologers predict the election: Trump is from Mars, Clinton is from Venus’
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/oct/12/astrologers-predict-us-election-trump-clinton-zodiac
“Dozens of astrologers are coming together to predict who will be president, anticipating a ‘potentially explosive’ October surprise that could shape the result”
( read more )
Good thing astrology is a pile of steaming horseshit then
lol…I was waiting for the cockroaches to come out of the woodwork…but AOB must be away and McFlock safely tucked up in bed like a good boy
…however it is good to see you on the case The Extremist66…(lol heartily again)
Well, it is horseshit
Trump will win people understand him good and bad, Clinton they just see a fake
Speaking of fake; do you believe a single word that you type, Red? Or are you just here for the shits and giggles?
You are certainly not skilled enough to be a professional threadjacker (and your words are such shit that I can’t help picturing you giggling vapidly as you bang them out).
+100 Red…there is a oligarchy witch hunt against Trump from both the elite establishment in the Democrats and the Republicans…they are scared shitless of him
…sure he is a bad mouth but that is as far as it goes imo
…whereas the Clintons have real corrupt form and worse from a way back …which most peop-le are ignorant of