Excellent column in the NY Times on the election that Mitt Romney won. Â He set out to win the votes of heterosexual white males and succeeded resoundingly. Â The only problem was that he forgot about women, latinos, gays and the black community.
The article also suggests there is hope. Â Maureen Dowd suggests that while Obama lifted progressive America last time, this time progressive America lifted Obama to victory. Â And there is an expectation, that climate change, minority rights and secularism are now given a chance.
How far out of touch is this guy??? I mean FFS all we are is “Nonsense” . Well Fuck you too Shearer
That’s a real good way to keep your voters, all though I cannot for the life of me see that many staying around if you are left in charge of this bunch of children, your caucus, it’s completely out of touch with reality, and running to individual agenda’s, IE: Shane Bloody Jones, he should have been slapped down hard for going into someone Else’s portfolio, instead of that it’s just ignored. You have had a year to ‘get your shit together’ but you have done little to improve the problems you have with speech, and over interpreting every thing, you have obviously ignored any tips from your media tutors, as it seems you have ignored everyone else. So here’s my prediction if you are in charge in 2014. The Green, Mana, & Labour Government led by Dr Norman, and his deputies, Minister of Maori Affairs Metria Turei And associate Hone Hawaria, and Minister of Finance, the Labour leader David Cunliffe. One of only a handful of MP’s to have retained his seat, in the biggest bloodletting in history, as the traditional Labour voters deserted the party in droves, to the Greens and Mana parties.
[lprent: Fixed links – watch out for the trailing ‘ on links. ]
Here is a thought, following on what you say, David H, and the many posts questioning Shearer’s leadership. Someone, I’ve forgotten who, said in one of those posts, that Helen’s favoured successor’s were in turn Steve Maharey and David Cunliffe, but Phil ended up with the job. And it seems to me that this left/right battle for control of the LP has been going on for some time, and has become a public issue since the right had to turn to an inexperienced man to retain their slender hold. It is said that Shearer has no position. I think that his position is to try to be loyal to the right wingers who want him there, to keep the left at bay.
No doubt these people have their reasons for thinking as they do: that there is no going back, that lefties do not attract business donations, etc, etc. What they need to face is that most people who want to see a LP “modernised” to fit the right wing agenda actually want the poor, the low paid, etc. to have no voice, despite their being mercilessly screwed. This is not a moral position for a LP to be in, and it would also be a dangerous one if Australia stopped serving as a safety valve.
No doubt these people have their reasons for thinking as they do: that there is no going back, that lefties do not attract business donations, etc, etc. What they need to face is that most people who want to see a LP âmodernisedâ to fit the right wing agenda actually want the poor, the low paid, etc. to have no voice, despite their being mercilessly screwed. This is not a moral position for a LP to be in, and it would also be a dangerous one if Australia stopped serving as a safety valve
Oh, see how evil Shearer is! What nonsense.
Don’t you people who hate Shearer see how delighted Matthew Hooton and Duncan Garner are with you? If I were you, that would worry me – if the actual right want Shearer to go, and they very very obviously do, then ask oyurself why they want him gone? Maybe you’ve been had?
Vicky: I have yet to see evidence that Shearer is of the left, and that is what worries me. The Labour Party has been hijacked before. And Matthew Hooton has largely showed approval of Shearer’s leadership.
And Matthew Hooton has largely showed approval of Shearerâs leadership.
I suppose you didn’t hear him on Radio NZ yesterday, then! đ
He was rubbing his hands with glee at the prospect of the leadership challenge that he just knows (an insider told him, he said when challenged) is coming.
Ask yourself, why does Hooton cream his jeans at the ;idea of a leadership challenge?
Standatdistas has been campaigning against Shearer for most of this year, and I have never been able to understand why. Someone months ago, even pointed out that an anti-Shearer post deliberately misquoted DS, and yet no one gave a monkeys (except, it would seem for me, and for Labour people out there in the real world.)
Standatdistas has been campaigning against Shearer for most of this year, and I have never been able to understand why.
Ah no. If you have a look at the authors, some are for him for one reason or another and some are against for some reason or another. Ditto with the commentators. I suspect you’re mistaking “volume” for reasoning and failing to read what people are actually saying. Hell I wrote a post explaining it.
In my case I questioned the competence of someone with only a couple of years in parliament to run the parliamentary caucus. He was a neophyte in a area that I have never seen people get competent at in less than 5-6 years as a simple MP. So far he hasn’t shown any signs of exceeding that speed. Quite simply he is at about 3 years now and starting to look like a MP rather than a PM. It is pretty good progress – just not useful to the party who might have to win an early election (if I was a Nat, I’d be calculating when to give John Banks to the police and lose a confidence motion).
Sure John Key became leader after three and a half years. But he was lucky enough to come in just after the Nat’s had repaired most of the party and parliamentary damage from the 1999 and 2002 elections and had nearly won the 2005 and they had a clear campaign strategy underway. There was a pretty experienced and supportive team who helped him a lot. Watching him in 2006 and even 2007 was like watching a fledging try to fly.
With David Shearer this year it has been more like watching him learning how to break the egg.
I question is why the loons in caucus stuck David Shearer in that position with what looks like very limited experienced support. But it has been on a par with some of the other wierdo decisions from caucus over the past few years. I’m annoyed with it.
I question is why the loons in caucus stuck David Shearer in that position with what looks like very limited experienced support.
They saw the icing on the cake (his back-story) and forgot to take into account… whether the ingredients underneath had reached a sufficient mix of knowledge and experience for the job.
My quarrel is not with David Shearer. Its with those in caucus who, in my view, were not thinking of him but rather themselves.
The same is the lack of discipline within the caucus, given the experience of many of those who have self inflicted harm on the party. Mallard, Jones and those who with experience that have been a no show Horomia, Prasad, King. With 34 MP’s there is a dearth of “Team” and it appears to be a few solo efforts holding the party together. Labours issue is not all Shearers but lack of commitment from the dead wood.
I never knew Hooten wants Shearer gone…do you have a link for that (I actually thought he was scared of having Cunliffe as the leader)…Garner I’m not surprised, he’s a political journalist, so he naturally wants political action (I’m not of the opinion that Garner is really that much into National, I’ve always thought of him as being quite fair between Labour and National, despite what some claim here)
I never knew Hooten wants Shearer goneâŚdo you have a link for that (I actually thought he was scared of having Cunliffe as the leader)âŚ
No, I don’t have a link. But he said as much on Radio NZ yesterday.
What craziness. Garner is not too bad, David Shearer is a rightist. Honestly, what has become of the Standard?
most of these blog posts from Garner are anti-National, the fewer times he focuses on Labour he is just as critical of them. I dunno where this idea of a National-bias from Garner comes from. Especially considering he works for media works…and he quit their weekend morning politics bore-fest because it sucks big time. Most of the time he’s pointing out that there is little difference between National and Labour.
I can’t be bothered listening to Hooten…here is an article from him backing Shearer. Hooten wants a lame duck running Labour
Those are his more recent ones – at least at first. Â Garner often spins in the government, or right wing favour: e.g. when analysing TV3 polls. Â He favours Shearer over Cunliffe, and tends to repeat the smears against Cunliffe.
Also, something else I had been thinking about incorporating in a blog post on the MSM, and never got to it. Â Mediaworks repaid its loan to the government back at the beginning of October.Â
How much has that coincided with the likes of Campbell regaining his critical edge?
true…I remember that half-story about Cunliffe that came across as a school yard rumour. That was some b-grade journalism there.
The mediaworks loan relating to channel 3’s critique of the Government would be interesting. I remember years ago when Clark was boosting funding to TVNZ (TVNZ7, Heartland, NZ on air etc) it appeared that she was getting preferential coverage from them – obviously this ended with the nanny-state nonsense around 07-08…not sure if the funding dried up then?
I dunno if what I’ve just written is accurate, just a hunch. Not sure how TVNZ has changed much since TVNZ7 got cut…but I guess if the wages of those in power at TVNZ has increased then who cares if the only channel worth watching gets cut…fat cats and all that.
Sometimes the easiest explanation is the one right in front of you.
A few may “hate Shearer”, but I certainly don’t, and I reckon that goes for most of his critics. We just don’t think he should be leader of the Labour party.
We don’t reach this conclusion by worrying about what Matthew Hooten wants us to think. We get there by observing David Shearer.
I don’t think he should be a ballet dancer or All Black either. Doesn’t mean I hate him. Just exercising the brain. Evidence in, conclusion out.
DH: Â Are you referring to this article: ‘Shearer plays down leadership row‘, by Claire Trevett.? Â Your links go to the NZH main page. Â
They are also running a poll on whether he should stand down, beside the article – no rrecorded votes as yet.
Labour leader David Shearer is brushing off a crescendo of calls for him to step down by left-leaning bloggers and commentators, saying it is “nonsense” and should be ignored….
The series of those calling for Shearer to step down included three bloggers on the Standard blog, although another Standard blogger, former Labour secretary Mike Smith, counselled against a change. Other critics included Brian Edwards, who has consistently been critical of Shearer, and Herald columnist Tapu Misa.
Yesterday the three MPs regarded as having leadership goals – Grant Robertson, David Cunliffe and Andrew Little – all ruled out any immediate challenge and rejected suggestions they were involved in any attempt to undermine Mr Shearer.Â
It crossed my mind this morning that Labour may well have gifted itself an ‘enfant terrible’. I don’t know if that’s quite the right expression, but bashing on…How democratically inclined is a person, simply used to being ensconced in a bureaucracy, likely to be? How likely is years of working in unaccountable bureaucracies likely to foster a mentality along the lines of – “Those ‘poor underlings’ know nothing about how I know what’s good for them. But for them and their better interests, I will persevere”
I’ve been having a problem with the WYSIWYG buttons. Â The blockquote button puts the command around the whole comment, not just the highlighted text. Â I have to go to the html view to sort it out.
It is on my fix list. But the Feed panel was requested by Irish in 2010 according to my notes…..
Nearly through the bugs and features at work – ETA is about 2 weeks for the release of product 2 code.
What I want to do is to drop the tinymce/wysiwg approach and use something a lot simpler more like the the comment editor in the backend. But I have been accumulating holidays while Lyn has been using her’s for festivals and the like. I’ll have to use some of them up shortly and do a site refresh.
He also says the authors here are “feeding off each other” – a similar claim as Farrar’s “co-ordinated strategy to de-stabilise”. Is Shearer running Farrar’s attack lines?
Unless he can prove inside knowledge, perhaps using the footage from a secret camera, the precendent set by The Standard moderation could ban Shearer for implying a hive-mind to a machine. Who’s to say he is not already among us? đŻ
The past three days have given us two further definitions of the word, discussion:
1) co-ordinated strategy to destabilise
2) feeding off each other.
Is Shearer running Farrar’s attack lines? C’mon Uturn, that’s about as silly as Pete George claiming that I’m Shearer’s advisor. RFLMAO Oh how the lines are becoming seriously blurred on this issue. Warning! I just linked to Whaleoil again… Let the cleansing begin.
Ooooh, somebody doesn’t like you, Jackal. You must doing good work! I note that PG is still fixated with my contribution to his downfall, namechecking me in his (sort of) humorous response to the PG5000 joke on Imperator Fish. I think you can take the hatred displayed against you on Whale oil in the same way; proof that you are hitting them where it hurts.
Thanks Te Reo Putake. Yes! The PG5000 is indeed a diabolical super-weapon the likes of which we’ve never seen before. It’s also well past its warranty. Here’s the post we’re talking about btw people: A Day In The Life Of That Labour MP. Excellent!
As an aside, “feeding off each other” is completely different to a coordinated campaign.
  Â
The difference is like between an angry mob that happens to clock off and a gang of bank robbers. The mob mills around, pushes against itself, and basically herds in the direction of least resistance. Robbers move on an objective according to a plan, use targeted force against obstacles, and have a clear endpoint in mind.Â
Comments posted by Eddie on The Standard are quoted. Shearers response is “thats basically people sitting in front of their computers giving their opinions and continuing to drive the discussion of it (his leadership) up”. I found that quite offensive, arrogant and pretty rude given that he is referring to potential Labour supporters and voters. I’ve left a comment on that article but my comments on fairfax only get posted about 50% of the time. I’d encourage others to post on this story. How else are we going to ge them to listen?
We know how to SHOUT online. Not sure about whispering. Is this a whisper? {or this?}
When I read Shearer’s words, ‘whispering’ to me sounds like something that happens at parliament when people want to talk about something but don’t want to be overheard. It’s a strange choice of word to apply to the internet, where in this case authors and commenters at TS are being quite loud and open. Maybe it’s just a case of Shearer not understanding how the internets work. Or having advisors who don’t quite get it either.
Sigh. Yeah, I know DTB, or rather, I give up. I think he is in head in sand territory. Privately he might be in head in hands territory but can’t find the way to front up and face it.
thats basically people sitting in front of their computers
I think he’s going for some kind of riff on “interviewing their keyboards”. However the problem for Shearer – or whoever came up with that line – is that a hell of a lot of people spend quite a bit of their day “sitting in front of their computers”. We’ve got Stuff Nation, for fuck’s sake. That’s a lot of “ordinary New Zealanders” with their fingers typing away, it’s hardly nerds-only territory …
I found that quite offensive, arrogant and pretty rude given that he is referring to potential Labour supporters and voters
It is to laugh, as Bugs Bunny says. When I first questioned the anti-Shearer hate campaign when it got started at the beginning of the year, I was informed that the anti-Shearer people are all Greenies, therefore generally more honest, decent, etc, than Labour people…
(Richer too, and that’s not to be sneezed at, he?)
All the crocodile tears for beneficiaries from the anti-Shearer people make me projectile vomit.
Hi Vicky at post # 3.6.4. You’ve quoted me and in the same sentence you’ve referred to the “anti Shearer hate campaign”. Just because I and many others can’t support Shearer as the leader of the opposition doesn’t mean I/we/whoever hate him. It’s not personal, its practical. I’m not into hating up on folks. I save hate (as a form of disempowerment, frustration and anger) for very special occasions, such as our current govt, not for those I would normally stand beside.
Also, please don’t assume that all Green supporters are rich. You might be heading into stereotype territory there. I support the Greens, always have, and respect their work but I’m as broken arse as they come. No, I’m not a beneficiary but at the same time its not crocodile tears I’ve shed, as you’ve pointed out that the “anti Shearer campaign” have done. It is genuine despair that I feel that at the way that mostly Key, Bennett, retards of NZ inc and Co, but also Shearer have belittled and attacked their fellow NZers. It really sucks. Labour have left their roots Vicky and I’m only about the gazillionth person to say it. I wish that wasn’t the case and I’d still love to vote for them but with Shearer in charge I can’t. Its feels crappy and a bit sad.
Don’t know if you saw 3news tonight but Clayton Cosgrove dismissed journalists questions about the validity of the Labour Party leadership as “its just the blogosphere”. If thats how they respond to their potential and actual voter base can you really trust them to respect you as a voter?
No, Iâm not a beneficiary but at the same time its not crocodile tears Iâve shed, as youâve pointed out that the âanti Shearer campaignâ have done
Well, I am a beneficiary, and not one of the ‘good’ ones (I am not brown, I am not a solo mother (any more) or under 25.) When the rubber meets the road, to use a cliche, Shearer has helped me and others, with issues we have had with Housing NZ and with WINZ, and that matters more to me than his being perfectly politically correct.
As for what Cosgrove said, no, I didn’t hear it (I don’t watch 3 News, I listen to it) but from what I see around me, and what I hear, he was correct. Afaik, it is the blogosphere.
Oddly, I find myself wishing very much that I did come into one of the favoured categories – if I were under 25 I’d have a much better chance of getting a job. The new owner of the language school, that I wrote about on Friday, fired all the previous staff, and everyone he hired to replace them is under 25, and everyone fired, was over 40. I was in there today, with one of those fired staff, she was collecting her property, and I was providing moral support. We spoke to one of the students, and her whispered comment (as the new owner was ear-wigging) about her new teacher was “She’s very young, isn’t she?” Keith seems not to have realised that international students have no faith in teachers who are younger than they are, and that hiring 18-23 year olds because you can pay them in washers is not such a crash-hot idea.
No, they shouldn’t have dumped a former deputy PM and experienced politician with a strong base in the party, a formidable intellect, an impressive grasp of the issues and a total commitment to self-discipline, and the authority to discipline others.
But they should dump David Shearer, because he isn’t any of those things.
formidable intellect, an impressive grasp of the issues and a total commitment to self-discipline, and the authority to discipline others.
Except when she was interviewing and things did not go as Herr Helen liked, then the tears and blathering would come out.
Wonder where she leant such discipline anyway, and wonder if she really thought the faux marriage to the dodgy pervert actually fooled anyone that it was not about hiding both their sexuality from the public. Media sure did a cracking job sitting on that for so many years, and still now it doesnt get much mention. Nah its not about Helens preferences, thats fine, and her business, its about the lies!
Helen Clarke, got as high up at the UN because she is a “great politician & human being”, and contributed so much to humanity! /sarc
Argh, the lies people accept!
PS – Cunliffe has got far too much inside knowledge, having been a member of the Clarke governement, there will be little he is not aware of….How effective can he be given he is part of the establishment, therefore accomplice to the corruption which rules our parliamentary system!
That was two decades ago. There are voters alive today who weren’t even born then and they’ve grown up on twitter and blogs. I may not like it, but it’s a fact. Even assuming that Shearer’s a nice guy (and so what?… and I don’t think that a bene-basher is, BTW), he’s simply not effective in this age. Obama won by knowing who the voters are, not what they “should” be.
Excellent report by Eugenie Sage: The Green Party Minority Report – Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Bill. Â It incorporates responses from some public submissions on the Bill. Â
Particularly of concern are the cutting back of the kinds of activities local councils are involved in (focus on “core” services) , increased government intervention, increasing the power of mayors
The main things the Green Party opposes:Â
– The changes to the purpose of local government and the deletion of the âfour well-beingsâ (social, economic, environmental and cultural);
– The increased mayoral powers;
– The loss of democracy represented by the increased powers of Ministerial intervention and the processes for how and when this will be used;
– The content of the fiscal benchmarks and
– The undemocratic procedures and criteria for council re-organisation
Also, important is the fact that the proposed changes are not supported by relevant evidence:
The lack of sound data and information or any robust analysis to support the changes in the Bill risks it being ineffective, having unintended consequences, and putting additional costs on councils and ratepayers, such as to amend long term plans.
And, Lynn, I got to this document (and other significant web pages/articles/posts) from the new RSS feeds on the right – very useful, thank-you.
Gaynz editorial: open letter to John Key [on gay red shirt issue].
It explains why the use of such language is an important political issue, and slams the Nats on their anti-gay record.
I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again: your party seems to be the natural political home for homophobia, whether you like it, or understand it, or want it, or not. From the lowliest newbie MPs right up to yourself your party continues to be steeped in the subtle homophobia of the street, the bar and the schoolyard.
The systems are full of people who are being arm twisted into the decisions that are making, and you can apply this to other sectors which “govern, direct and dicate” our lives.
The question is, what are they being “arm twisted” about!
It has been rather disconcerting to read some of the commentary about all round nice guy David Shearer recently, not least because it takes the focus off more important issues. Of particular concern is the amount of articles that completely write him off without a second chance, and as far as I can tell, without really giving any valid reasons for doing so…
I don’t know which articles you are talking about because the ones I’ve read acknowledge Shearer has had plenty of chances, and give logical, valid reasons for him stepping down. Your paragraph above reads like opinion dressed up as fact. By all means support Shearer, but please don’t make out that people who want him gone don’t have any valid reasons and haven’t given him a chance.
“Then thereâs the claim that Shearer doesn’t hold true to Labours principles, as apparently exhibited by the painter on the roof comments. Despite the various misrepresentation of what Shearer said, I think itâs safe to say that he does believe in a fair and equal society, as exhibited by the brevity and contents of his speeches and press releases. Claims that heâs somehow anti-welfare are quite obviously incorrect, and only promoted by the ignorant or those with a vested interest in seeing his political demise.”
I remember the intellectual tools you used to pull apart Paul Holmes utterances. Use those same tools on Shearers speeches and you’ll see what his detractors have been seeing since his first speech. If Shearer cannot understand basic political rhetoric, he has limited use as a spokesperson for anything. You may think this doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be a leader – a silent leader perhaps? Why not, any policy should be able to stand on it’s own regardles of who presents it.
If someone spends all their time saying something that seems hostile, something that can’t conclusively be proven to be so – since no one can ever truly know the contents and intent of another man’s mind and because words and logic can be pretty, but limited – the only thing left to do is wait and see what happens.
The problem many people have, is that they’ve spent their lives observing people they would prefer to be good – despite the indicators. They want and desperately need other people to be good, and choose it as default judgement. It’s called good faith and the world would be a much worse place if some people did not fight to uphold that concept. The line between good faith, naivety and romanticism becomes blurred when logic is dismissed entirely. People will hold out years, decades, to find the good they see in others and instead one day they find that it isn’t coming. They review the years of action and words and they have to face the fact it all adds up to a picture they wish didn’t exist. They’re then faced with a tough choice.
Experience and logic blind us to possibility, tie us to the known, strangle the life out of the new. Hope and naivety can make us creative visionaries, laying the foundation for advancements or just suckers for punishment. But reality is reality. When the moment comes that each person makes their own decision, there is no right or wrong, just a bet on a roll of the dice.
Fair enough Uturn, you make a compelling argument. Just a few things though… My pulling apart of Holmes’ rhetoric was mainly about his racism, and I see nothing similar in Shearer. I’m also aware that he does need to step up to the plate so to speak, but its policy in my opinion that Labour should focus on, not personality politics.
You’re entirely correct that what people want can cloud their vision of reality. However I don’t believe that’s the case with my observations on David Shearer, and I’m open to the possibility that he’s not right for the job. The main question remains largely unanswered though… Is there anybody better placed to achieve Labours victory at the next election, especially considering the instability caused by changing leaders now?
I wonder if they care about who we advocate for anyway, and after reading today’s Herald article “Shearer plays down leadership row”, it would appear that they don’t. Not much has changed in that respect since Helen Clark was in charge then. Pity!
In my opinion, throwing the dice on such things as leadership is not advisable… But I’ve more than chafed my bit on this issue. Let’s hope it all works out in the end.
On Shearer’s “racism” it could certainly be proven logically, but logic cannot prove if he intended to include a racist element, or whether it is a symptom of poor rhetoric i.e. the gaps in the message are so wide they could mean anything. The measure we normally use, “reasonable doubt”, would rest on a person’s perspective. It certainly isn’t at the same level of intent as Holmes openly saying maori – or anyone else – are this or that. Shearer’s constant promotion of Pakeha middle-class values and attitudes could be said to be racist. The environment he works in and the position he holds will encourage him to take that approach whether he wants to or not. This would be a difficult thing to escape for any politician in our system. Even Hone Harawira likes to play with the idea of Maori abandoning their roots for money and moving to Australia.
On the question of who is better placed to lead Labour to victory next election, if we agree that Labour’s policy is all that matters, it doesn’t matter who leads. It only matters who can promote the policy effectively, interpret it for all scenarios, to make it sound like it’s always fresh. Shearer could do the simple memorise-the-script exercise, but for whatever reason, he can’t re-fit it for all scenarios and variations. Then we get those explanations about what he really meant that meanader in contradictions. If winning is all that matters to Labour, all they need do is enforce an internal environment where everyone sticks to their area of concern, find one salesperson among them to take on the “leader role” and set them loose in the media. Then after they win they can go back to whatever they were up to, safe in the knowledge they have three years to sort it out.
I’m annoyed with shearers attitude to the bloggers that question his leadership,after all it is a democratic right to question the leader of a party if you are not happy with him/her.
There are traditional labour supporters/voters/followers who comment on all sorts of blogs and
media outlets, are they nonsense too ?
Shearers next blog should be ignored as well.
OPEN LETTER TO TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL NZ, THE OFFICE OF THE AUDITOR-GENERAL, VICTORIA UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE FOR GOVERNANCE AND POLICY STUDIES:
Today, in Wellington, you are ‘launching the New Zealand National Integrity System Assessment.
Leading us into the future’.
Your graphic illustrating ‘National Integrity Foundations’, covering ‘Politics – Society – Economy – Culture’ – shows thirteen ‘pillars’ upon which this ‘National Integrity’ is supposedly based.
These thirteen pillars include:
Legislature
Executive
Judiciary
Public Sector
Law Enforcement
Electoral Management Body
Ombudsman
Audit Institution
Anti-Corruptiion Agencies
Political Parties
Media
Civil Society
Business
Having studied your programme, and having checked the backgrounds of your speakers and facilitators, I fail to see one person who could be said to represent ‘Civil Society’?
(Perhaps not all ‘pillars’ are equal? Perhaps some ‘pillars’ are more significant than others?)
I say this an a recognised ‘Anti-corruption activist’ / ‘Whistleblower’ who has attended two significant Anti-Corruption Conferences – the Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference in Brisbane in 2009, and the Transparency International Anti-Corruption Conference in Bangkok in 2010.
My track record is proven in fighting for a genuinely ‘open, transparent and accountable’ NZ local and central government and judiciary.
Had I known about this event – I would have made the effort to attend.
Not only was I not notified – it was only by chance that I even discovered that it was happening.
However, given my previous treatment by Transparency International NZ – I am not surprised that myself, and other ‘civil society / anti-corruption Public Watchdogs/ Whistleblowers’ were not notified.
In 2009, not only did Transparency International NZ refuse to accept me (and others) as a member (no reasons were given), but at the November 2009 AGM, after being denied access to the TINZ AGM address by the Attorney-General (which was open to non-members), again – with no reasons given, myself and judicial ‘Public Watchdog’ – Vince Siemer, were arrested for trespass.
“TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL NEW ZEALAND ORDERS ARREST OF ANTI-CORRUPTION ADVOCATE
11 December 2009
In a stinging irony – on United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day no less – Chairman Gerald McGhie of Transparency International’s “autonomous” New Zealand chapter ordered Police to arrest public watchdog Penny Bright for trespassing at its Annual General Meeting on Wednesday. This was despite the government-funded group riding her coat-tails as a watchdog front ostensibly focused on increasing transparency and exposing corruption. Attendees were given pamphlets with the bold heading “CORRUPTION RUINS LIVES – FIGHT BACK”.
………………………….
________________________________________________________________________________
The Police later dropped the charges – but what sort of purported ‘anti-corruption’ organisation treats genuine ‘anti-corruption activists’ like that?
It is with some concern that I note the prominent role being played in the establishment of this ‘National Integrity System’ by some of the major accountancy firms, such as Deloitte, KPMG, PwC – who arguably have a vested interest in New Zealand being ‘perceived’ as ‘the least corrupt country in the world’ – when the reality, in my considered opinion, is that New Zealand is actually a corrupt, polluted tax haven.
For example – to whom is the money going in New Zealand in the establishment of ‘foreign trusts’?
The role of international accountancy firms has been highlighted by internationally acknowledged experts such as Professor Prem Sikka, with whom I am in regular contact.
FYI – I have ‘blown the whistle’, nationally and internationally, and sent the following post around the world on 10 November 2012:
To members of the international Tax Justice Network / separately to my latest Transparency International Secretariat and individual country ‘chapter’ list / to 70 World Bank folk whose addresses I found on the World Bank website / to all NZ MPs / to all Auckland Council elected reps (council + Local Boards) / NZ and some international media / NZ human rights groups …… etc….
Transparency International were in the middle of their 15th International Anti-Corruption Conference, and should be announcing any time soon their 2012 ‘Corruption Perception Index’.
(Which isn’t very transparent – given that it is based upon the subjective opinions of anonymous business people?)
……………………………………………….. ”
Oustanding – These events are the outward promotion of how currupted NZ actually is, and should be roundly protested for the sham society that we have, run by these wrong-uns.
Penny do you have the list of speakers, publish it, then let people play the association game, which involves cross checking the incestuous nature of those who spoke, their “network and business interests”, not to mention the stench of criminal activity which is what they seek to protect.
All the while lecturing outwardly to the masses about pillars, and integrity!
You can read the full nine yards here – the full OPEN LETTER I sent to most of those participating in today’s National Integrity System launch: THANK YOU INDYMEDIA! http://www.indymedia.org.nz/submissions/394
Shearer backed by Norman and Winston will lead the country after the next election.
Shearer will make a good job of our Prime Minister as he grows with the role.
The Nats simply cannot coddle enough MMP seats to retain a third term, so it is natural fall to Labour.
3 News is Little America again… sigh…
In an item about the BBC, the reporter refers to someone walking out of an interview because he was behind ‘sked-yool’… đ
Then, they make a point of referring to Mr McAfee, of anti-virus fame, being wanted for murder, as “Briddish Born”… perish the thought that a murderer could be American – even though Stuff refers to him as a US citizen. It’s not a big deal, but it just struck me as bizarre.Â
Wikipedia thinks he is an American… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McAfee
Now, Hil’ry Berry is banging on about the leadership challenge to Shearer. The Standard wants Shearer to go, says the reporter. Well, I for one, don’t want Shearer gone!
Â
I was a cautious supporter of Shearer, then I got a bit iffy about him, but I now think that he should stay. It’s all well and good to say, ‘let’s stick Cunliffe in’, but what if he turns out a dissapointment, do we ditch him and appoint someone else? Do we just go through Robertson, Ardern, Little, Curran? The ALP tends to do that, and look where that got them…
Perhaps the likes of Mallard, Dyson, King, etc needs to go instead.
Yep, the Standard should be able to hit an order of magnitude above that. A little bit more marketing and self promotion and some interesting things will happen.
I wouldn’t mind reading some of the older The Standard publications from the 1930’s onwards. It would be interesting to compare what they were writing about then to today’s topics. Wonder if there are any old copies lying around the place?
“To appreciate fully the inhumanity of [unemployment] you have to see the hurt and despair in the eyes of a man suddenly told he is redundant without provision made for suitable alternative employment . . . Someone, somewhere has decided he is unwanted, unneeded, and is to be thrown on the industrial scrap heap. ”
It isn’t only men who are made redundant Chris. What about the large number of single parent, working women, who are not only likely to be underpaid relative to men when they are working, but as the sole support if a family, both they and the children suffer from any redundancy. There simply isn’t the same number of single parent families headed by males, so when a male loses a job there is likely to be another potential income earning adult in the household.
BTW I know that redundancy is dreadful for anybody, but it seems Chris limits his sympathy to only one group. His workers seem to consist of only adult males, nobody young, nobody female. Perhaps he’d like to reflect on the groups that returned Obama to power.
The problem about New Zealand RB is NZ’ers are cowards when it comes to protesting and standing up against the elites and the government, as a result our occupy movement only contained a few determined students and lecturers. Remember it was the left that opposed the Springbok tour, while the right such as John Key stood silent and only saw rugby balls in their eyes. Why is society so scared to come out on the streets, like in Spain, Greece or even the US?
My guess is because New Zealand is conditioned to shut up and do what it is told, blindly follow and ignore social injustice. Most New Zealanders ignore politics and party away, ignoring the beggar on the street. But when they fall on hard times only then do they realize the truth, that most of the country have forgotten what compassion, empathy or community really is. National’s religion is selfishness, as is the religion of their supporters.
You can see the mentality here by those who think that blogging means anything, or makes a genuine differnce..
What the internet does, is allows people into a false sense of contribution and involvement, when in fact the “elite” will be more than happy with people sitting on their arses typing shit which is not making a difference!
Hell, just take a look at what the Greeks et al are getting from their real life protests, SFA other than another good hiding and some tear gas, rubber bullets and riot police!
Yeah, typing words is really making the world of difference here!
Shall I attempt a rewrite to satisfy the Labour Party/Liberal Left’s minimum PC quotient requirement for fully inclusive language?
âTo appreciate fully the inhumanity of [unemployment] you have to see the hurt and despair in the eyes of a man, woman, or transgendered individual, whether single or attached, and if they have children, in the eyes of their children too, suddenly told he (or their partner, or parent, as is applicable) is redundant without provision made for suitable alternative employment . . . Someone, somewhere has decided he (she, they) is (are) unwanted, unneeded, to be thrown on the industrial scrap heap. â
Now that we’ve hit the minimum PC quotient for fully inclusive language, can we get on with the FRAKING POINT that Trotter was trying to make – that being made redundant with no alternatives hurts and causes despair to the person it happens to.
No wonder Labour/the Left is nowhere and going fast.
By the way. In his Sickness Bene Bashing speech did Shearer specify that the bene in question was male, female, transgendered? Because it’s very important that you don’t bash people in an inequitable way.
Meh.
    Â
I just don’t see why you’d be outraged that people are pointing out the hypocrisy of complaining about social maltreatment in our society while reinforcing other forms of social maltreatment.Â
I think I made it pretty damn clear why I was “outraged” McFlock: but feel free to continue supporting the languaging police against social maltreatment .
I suppose Labour doesn’t want the Waitakere Man vote anyways.
Or the Waikato Man vote or the Taranaki Man vote or the Wairarapa Man vote or the Marlborough Man vote or the McKenzie Man vote or the Taupo Man vote, or the Otago Man Vote or the Southland Man vote or the Hawkes Bay Man vote or the King Country Man vote.
Oh look! Labour hardly holds any seats in each of those areas, what a co-incidence!
Oh, well then. Shearer should probably amend the RMA so putting cowshit in our rivers isn’t a problem.
Or are you suggesting that the only way to get any vote is to pretend other portions of the country don’t exist? I see Robert Moulden is of voting age. Maybe you want Shearer to buy some spray paint?
I agree with your anger at the counterproductive nature of mindless stereotypes. I’ve squealed about them before myself. The point is that a politically constructed derogatory term that simply uses a place name and a gender is the highest level of stupid. It will capture individuals who might ally themselves with a supportive point of view and instead isolates them. Doesn’t matter if the term is Urban Gays, Northland Maori, Taranaki Man, The Disabled or Housewives. It’s lazy and stupid. It could be argued that those isolated types should then just magically find the bridge to freedom themselves, detaching their identity from their past, but it takes time – longer than a three year term. It could be argued that no one can be allied with an ideology that can only end in the death or oppression of the ally. If that person defers to good faith, they can then see that a person can support the good in another’s ideas, without disabling their own self-preservation. This is the trouble created by politicians simulating enemies to push against, just so there is a point to illuminate or something to say. There is a faster, more direct, plain english way. For example:
âTo appreciate fully the inhumanity of [unemployment] you have to see the hurt and despair in the eyes of a person suddenly told they’re redundant without provision made for suitable alternative employment . . . Someone, somewhere has decided they’re unwanted, unneeded, and is to be thrown on the industrial scrap heap. â
The scope for understanding within the article is then widened considerably – especially for the author. It brings all people together for a shared the message, also tending to details of difference. In our current time of crisis, sharing the known effects of defunct beliefs is important. Yes, sections of society have it tougher than others. The article could deal with each in turn, or defer those who have a direct understanding; once again showing how not having a livelihood can effect anyone and illustrating beliefs that contribute to covert hurdles.
The recent marriage amendmnet bill was an excellent example of this approach. It was about equality under law for all people to marry. It did not force those who did not want to marry some people to go against their wishes. By not forcing other people to do anything differently than they already did, it did not further divide an already divided people into smaller groups. By not forcing other people, did it suppress the voice of a minority? Not at all.
Talking about things, at a higher political level, that collectively effect all people does not actively silence minority voices or make social prejudice go away. If a party or political faction wavering at 30% in the polls thinks dividing 30% by anything is going to help them win, they better think again.
Now that weâve hit the minimum PC quotient for fully inclusive language, can we get on with the FRAKING POINT that Trotter was trying to make â that being made redundant with no alternatives hurts and causes despair to the person it happens to.
For the fourth straight day, Israeli airstrikes are pounding Gaza.
Yesterday, Gaza’s main resistance factions, including the Big Two of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, offered a truce if Israel “stops its aggression”.
The Israeli answer has been â more airstrikes.
And there are indications that Tel Aviv is seriously calculating a major military offensive against the Palestinian enclave.
Yesterday, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a meeting of Israel’s foreign ambassadors in what was widely seen as a mission to claim international sympathy for an onslaught against Gaza.
Israel’s leading daily newspaper said Washington had already green-lighted such an Israeli operation.
It remains to be seen how much is politicking and bluff by Netanyahu and his inner cabinet, and how much is a real escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by the Zionist regime in Tel Aviv.
Kia Ora Gaza’s website, kiaoragaza.net, has been carrying multiple daily reports on these potentially serious developments. Here’s a link to their latest story, courtesy of the Palestinian news agency Ma’an:
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Climate change is everywhere. And when something's everywhere it can feel like it's nowhere. So how do we get our heads ...
Its a law like gravity: whenever a right-wing government is elected, they start attacking democracy. And now, after talking to their Republican and Tory and Fidesz chums at the International Democracy Union forum in Wellington, National is doing it here, announcing plans to remove election-day enrolment. Or, to put it ...
Yesterday Winston Peters focussed his attention on the important matter at hand. Tweeting. Like the former, and quite possibly next, orange POTUS, from whom he takes much of his political strategy, Winston is an avid X’er.His message didn’t resemble an historic address this time. In fact it was more reminiscent ...
Buzz from the Beehive A significant decline in natural gas production has given Resources Minister Shane Jones an opportunity to reiterate his enthusiasm for the mining and burning of coal. For good measure, he has praised an announcement from Genesis Energy that it will resume importing coal. He and Energy ...
âFollow the moneyâ is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The political parties are legally obliged to make ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Here is my subjective ranking on a “most-left” to “most-right” scale of most of our major NZ Universities, with some anecdotal (and at times amusing) evidence to back up the claim.Extreme Left  Auckland University of TechnologyEvidenceThe ...
Eric Crampton writes –Â I hadn’t thought about this one until a helpful email showed up in my inbox.It’s pretty obvious that income tax thresholds should automatically index with inflation – whether to anchor the thresholds in percentiles of the income distribution, or to anchor against a real ...
Jacqui Van Der Kaay writes –Â Parliamentâs speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National ...
Gary Judd writes â The Dean of the law school at the Auckland University of Technology is someone called Khylee Quince. I have been sent her social media posting in which she has, over the LawNews headline âSenior Kingâs Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Maori studies for ...
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With hindsight, it was inevitable that (a) Hamas would agree to the ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar and that ( b) Israel would then immediately launch attacks on Rafah, regardless. We might have hoped the concessions made by Hamas would cause Israel to desist from slaughtering thousands more ...
Placards and mourners outside the Kilbirnie Mosque following the Christchurch terror attack: MSD has terminated the Kaiwhakaoranga service, which has been used by 415 families since the attacks. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The Government’s pledge to only cut ‘back office’ staff rather than ‘frontline’ services is on increasingly shaky ground, with ...
There’s been a few smaller public transport announcements over the last week or so that I thought I’d cover in a single post. Fareshare I’ve long called for Auckland Transport to offer a way to enable employer-subsidised public transport options. The need for this took on even more importance ...
Parliamentâs speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National Minister Matt Doocey, reflects poorly on Genter and ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Who likes being sneered at? Nobody. Worse yet, when the sneerer has their facts all wrong, and might well be an idiot.The sneer in question is The adults are in charge now, and it is a sneer offered in retort to criticism of this new Government, no matter how well ...
When in government, Labour pushed to extend the Parliamentary term to four years, to reduce accountability and our ability to vote out a bad government. And now, they're trying to do it through the member's ballot, with a Four-Year Parliamentary Term Legislation Bill. The bill at least requires a referendum ...
A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of MÄori Land) Amendment Bill (HĹŤhana Lyndon) The bill would prevent the government from stealing MÄori land in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It ...
Simeon Brown, alongside Wayne Brown, is favouring a political figleaf now in exchange for loading up tens of millions in extra interest costs on Auckland ratepayers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is pushing back hard at suggestions from Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown ...
 Buzz from the Beehive One headline-grabber from the Beehive yesterday was the OECD’s advice that the government must bring the Budget deficit under control or face higher interest rates. Another was the announcement of a $1.9 billion âinvestmentâ in Corrections over the next four years. In the best interests of ...
Chris Trotter writes –Â Had Zheng He’s fleet sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks of the Ming Dynasty, among the largest and most sophisticated sailing vessels ever constructed, would have failed ...
David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
The tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and appliedâŚÂ Gary Judd KC writes – I have made a complaint to Parliamentâs Regulation ...
The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
The OECDâs chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changesâintroducing a ...
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
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Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
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Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, Â “Oranga Tamarikiâs governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealandâs foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealandâs foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
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Eric Crampton writes – Grudges are bad. Better to move on. But it can be fun to keep a couple of really trivial ones, so you’re not tempted to have other ones. For example, because of the rootkit fiasco of 2005, no Sony products in our household. ...
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Buzz from the Beehive Much more media attention is being paid to something Winston Peters said about former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr than to a speech he delivered to the New Zealand China Council. One word is missing from the speech:Â AUKUS. But AUKUS loomed large in his considerations ...
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Peter Dunne writes – It is one of the oldest truisms that there is never a good time for MPs to get a pay rise. This weekâs announcement of pay raises of around 2.8% backdated to last October could hardly have come at a worse time, with the ...
David Farrar writes – Newshub reports: Newshub can reveal a fresh allegation of intimidation against Green MP Julie-Anne Genter. Genter is subject to a disciplinary process for aggressively waving a book in the face of National Minister Matt Doocey in the House â but itâs not the first time ...
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Winston Peters’ comments about former Australian foreign minister look set to be an ongoing headache for both him and Luxon. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guests on Gaza and ...
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Photo by Jari Hytönen on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...
Buzz from the Beehive Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters was bound to win headlines when he set out his thinking about AUKUS in his speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. The headlines became bigger when â during an interview on RNZâs Morning Report today – he criticised ...
The Post reports on how the government is refusing to release its advice on its corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law, instead using the "soon to be publicly available" refusal ground to hide it until after select committee submissions on the bill have closed. Fast-track Minister Chris Bishop's excuse? âIt's not ...
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The New Zealand Herald reports – Stats NZ has offered a voluntary redundancy scheme to all of its workers as a way to give staff some control over their âfutureâ amidst widespread job losses in the public sector. In an update to staff this morning, seen by the Herald, Statistics New Zealand ...
On Werewolf/Scoop, I usually do two long form political columns a week. From now on, there will be an extra column each week about music and movies. But first, some late-breaking political events:The rise in unemployment numbers for the March quarter was bigger than expected â and especially sharp ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: TVNZ says it is dealing with about 50 formal complaints over its coverage of the latest 1News-Verian political poll, with some viewers â as well as the Prime Minister and a former senior Labour MP â critical of the tone of the 6pm report. ...
Muriel Newman writes – When Meridian Energy was seeking resource consents for a West Coast hydro dam proposal in 2010, local Maori âstrenuouslyâ objected, claiming their mana was inextricably linked to âtheirâ river and could be damaged. After receiving a financial payment from the company, however, the Ngai Tahu ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Councilâs 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 âThis House Believes British Museums are not Very Britishâ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP HĹŤhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of MÄori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of MÄori land. ...
A senior, highly respected Kingâs Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga MÄori 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 Zealandâs 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 doesnât know or care about the frontline cuts sheâs 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. Â ...
Todayâs 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 itâs 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. âThis 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. âThe government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicineâ, said Ayesha Verrall âThis is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoonâs interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour childrenâs spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te PÄti MÄori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veteransâ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veteransâ affairs spokesperson Greg OâConnor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxonâs management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonightâs court decision to overturn the summons of the Childrenâs Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about MÄori without evidence, says Te PÄti MÄori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. âThe judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last yearâs severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labourâs environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our countryâs most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Governmentâs Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a âget out of jail freeâ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te PÄti MÄori Justice Spokesperson, TÄkuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, MÄori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealandâs good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National governmentâs lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Â Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Â Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Â Ladies and gentlemen -Â Â In diplomacy, we often speak of âcloseâ and âlong-standingâ relations. Â ...
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. âThe medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. âWellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. âWith 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. âWe are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayersâ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in TairÄwhiti and Hawkeâs Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealandâs engagement with the region.  The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu.  âNew Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealandersâ security and wellbeing. âCongratulations to this yearâs recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealandâs defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealandâs digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. Â âThe immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Governmentâs school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealandâs next Ambassador to the United States of America.  âOur relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,â Mr Peters says.  âNew Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. âNew Zealand was built on gold, itâs in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is âan Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhereâ and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. âThis is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASAâs Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. âOur Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECDâs latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its membersâ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli.  ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Councilâs Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today.  "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Councilâs Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today.  Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. âThese reforms are long overdue. New Zealandâs insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. âThree years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. âBeing able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canadaâs refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ânext moveâ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Childrenâs Commissioner. âThe Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says.    âThe coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. âOur Governmentâs thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening â  Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealandâs foreign policy, weâd like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. âCreating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northlandâs marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. âThis is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the countryâs total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. âThe beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ĺ-RÄkau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mĹ Ĺ-RÄkau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ĺ-RÄkau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Governmentâs plan to supercharge New Zealandâs EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four â and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Governmentâs plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. âI have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People â Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government is talking up the crucial role of gas as a transition fuel âthrough to 2050 and beyondâ. In a gas strategy to be released on Thursday, the government envisages the fuelâs ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Next week the government will again next try to get its legislation through to deal with non-citizens who wonât cooperate with efforts to deport them. The bill, which the opposition and crossbench refused to rush ...
A long-term project that will set out an alternative vision for Aotearoa that looks beyond the narrow confines of the policy straight jacket adopted by successive governments. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bree Hurst, Associate Professor, Faculty of Business and Law, QUT, Queensland University of Technology TK Kurikawa/Shutterstock A much-awaited report into Coles and Woolworths has found what many customers have long believed â Australiaâs big supermarkets engage in price gouging. What started ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daniel Ghezelbash, Associate Professor and Deputy Director, Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, UNSW Law & Justice, UNSW Sydney The Albanese government wanted to avoid an inquiry into its migration amendment bill. The report, handed down yesterday by a senate committee that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joo-Cheong Tham, Professor, Melbourne Law School, The University of Melbourne Lobbying is at the heart of government. Who has access to and influence over key government officials shapes the decisions governments make â and how they make them. The ability to influence ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Myfany Turpin, Associate Professor, Ethnomusicology, Linguistics and Ethnobiology, University of Sydney The act representing Australia at this yearâs Eurovision contest has sadly not qualified for the grand final. Yet for Zaachariaha Fielding and Michael Ross, the duo that makes up Electric Fields, ...
In announcing changes to the school lunches programme, David Seymour said kids would no longer be served âwokeâ foods. To clear up any confusion, The Spinoff has compiled a guide to the wokeness levels of some common food items. Apple = NOT WOKE Avocado = WOKE Avocado, smashed = EVEN ...
The Minister Responsible for GCSB and the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security have been notified of this review, and have been provided a finalised Terms of Reference. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Minglu Chen, Senior Lecturer, Government and International Relations, University of Sydney Robert Way/Shutterstock As the past few years have illustrated so clearly, the Australia-China relationship is complicated. As such, it is crucial for Australians to develop a more nuanced understanding of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mariana Campbell, Research Lecturer, Conservation, Charles Darwin University Marilyn Connell Australian freshwater turtles are facing an alarming trend. Almost half of these species are listed as vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered. The Mary River turtle (Elusor macrurus) is one of Australiaâs ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Debbie Passey, Digital Health Research Fellow, The University of Melbourne Algorithms have become integral to our lives. From social media apps to Netflix, algorithms learn your preferences and prioritise the content you are shown. Google Maps and artificial intelligence are nothing without ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Josephine Barbaro, Associate Professor, Principal Research Fellow, Psychologist, La Trobe University Unsplash Weâve come a long way in terms of understanding that everyone thinks, interacts and experiences the world differently. In the past, autistic people, people with attention deficit hyperactive disorder ...
PNG Post-Courier Papua New Guineaâs deputy opposition leader James Nomane has accused the government of âreckless economic managementâ that has forced devaluation to manage loan repayments in foreign currency and placate the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Prime Minister James Marape âmust stop lying to the people of Papua New Guineaâ, ...
Welcome to The Spinoff Bookseller Confessional, in which we get to know Aotearoaâs booksellers. This week: Jane Arthur, author of Brown Bird, and former bookseller at Good Books.The book I wish Iâd writtenI have been working on not comparing myself to others. On accepting that what I can ...
The final decision on the Wellington District Plan makes it official: High-density housing is legal across most of Wellington. Housing minister Chris Bishop has announced his decision on the Wellington District Plan, approving a series of amendments to radically upzone most of Wellington, allowing tens of thousands of new townhouses ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. âFollow the moneyâ is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to ...
RNZ News As Israel presses ahead with strikes in Rafah and seizing the Rafah crossing from Egypt, aid agencies are sounding the alarm of a âcatastrophic humanitarian situationâ. Rafah was âsignificantâ because it was the only part in Gaza that had not been terribly damaged by the conflict, United Nations ...
With funding set to be scrapped for the Hamilton-Auckland commuter train, Te Huia enthusiast Georgie Dansey argues for it to be thrown a lifeline. Itâs 5.45am and the chain of my crappy old bike falls off slugging up the one hill in Hamilton. I contemplate yeeting the bike into the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna Cooke, Honorary Fellow, School of the Environment, The University of Queensland We feel ecological grief when we lose places, species or ecosystems we value and love. These losses are a growing threat to mental health and wellbeing globally. We all see ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shauna Brail, Associate Professor, Institute for Management & Innovation, University of Toronto A shift to hybrid and remote work continues to affect worker presence in Toronto’s downtown.(Shutterstock) Downtown Toronto, the core of Canadaâs largest city, continues to reel from the lingering ...
Responding to an Auditor-General's report slamming failures in the administration of the 2023 General Election, Taxpayersâ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said: ...
Productivity apps now make up a big chunk of the software market. But do they work? And why do they all have AI integrations?Despite being firmly on the record as a physical planner fan, I sometimes dream of something better than my pretty diary and its scrawled, ugly, interior ...
The Taxpayersâ Union says the Beehive need to lead by example, following reports of more than $50,000 spent upgrading video conferencing equipment and furniture in the Prime Ministerâs office. Taxpayersâ Union Campaign Manager, Connor Molloy, ...
An objective list of the 50 most powerful people in New Zealand, as judged by the Spinoff Editorial Board. Itâs power list season, baby, and we want in on the action. Sure, thereâs the rich list and the powerful âc-suiteâ list and the young people with power (hmmm) but here, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thalia Anthony, Professor of Law, University of Technology Sydney ShutterstockThis article contains information on deaths in custody and the names of deceased people, and describes ongoing colonial violence towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. First Nations people in Australia ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alex Simpson, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, Macquarie University Netflix Baby Reindeerâs phenomenal success has much to do with its writer and lead, Richard Gadd, who plays Donny in a tender semi-autobiographical account of sexual abuse, harassment and stalking. Gaddâs story has ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Collins, Laureate Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Newcastle KarolinaGrabowska/Pexels If you didnât have food allergies as a child, is it possible to develop them as an adult? The short answer is yes. But the reasons why are much ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Moon, Professor of History, Auckland University of Technology Ans Westra, self-portrait, c. 1963. National Library ref AWM-0705-F They try but invariably fail â those writers who believe they are capable of encapsulating in prose or verse the essence of ...
Stewart Sowman-Lund looks at the growing concern around the world in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Whatâs all this? When Covid-19 arrived on our shores in early 2020, some argued we were too slow, or crucially, ill-prepared for a pandemic. So ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Franco Montalto, Professor of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering and Director, Sustainable Water Resource Engineering Laboratory, Drexel University Water runs into a storm drain in a Los Angeles alley on Aug. 19, 2023, during Tropical Storm Hilary.Citizen of the Planet/Universal Images ...
The inquest into the death of Gore toddler Lachlan Jones has turned up a new witness who says he saw two teenagers and a small child in a high vis vest in the area where the boyâs body was found the day he died. Lachieâs body was discovered face up ...
Stories from the tenancy trenches, featuring spider infestations, cupboard rats and same-sex discrimination. Lucyâs brother was living in a damp 1930s building in Mt Eden where âhe had to tie the cupboard doors closed so the rats didnât get inâ. Although he shared custody of his six-year-old son, his property ...
Simeon Brown, Chris Luxon, and Wayne Brown climbed into a hole and announced a plan to solve Aucklandâs water woes. This is how itâll work. New Zealandâs pipes are munted. Theyâre cracked and leaking, and struggling to handle all the extra poos excreted by our rising population. Itâs a big, ...
Opinion: ‘Reference-class forecasting’ is at the heart of improving pricing a project and identifying the expected timeframe but it doesn’t appear to be in use here The post ‘Think fast and act slowly’ is failing big projects appeared first on Newsroom. ...
What do a sombrero in Argentina and cognitive driving tests have in common? Don’t worry, we’re not setting up a bad joke. Hinengaro Clinic dementia clinician Gregory Winkelman has the answer on today’s episode of The Detail. “We ask a patient’s spouse or son or daughter: If you went to ...
Wellington long jumper Phoebe Edwards is back and sheâs having fun again. Until this year, Edwards, a top athlete in her teens, had never competed as a senior athlete in New Zealand. In March, the 26-year-old won a national long jump title in a lifetime best of 6.28m after ...
After replacing a fifth of their caucus in just four months, the Greens’ opportunity to reset, reshuffle and refocus on the Government is quickly slipping away The post Persistent Green Party scandals delay caucus reset appeared first on Newsroom. ...
I knew Taika Waititi quite well when he was a kid. His mother lived in a tall narrow house in Aro St, and my youngest sister had a similar house two doors along. They were both single mums, they each had a son aged seven. Taika and my nephew Stepan ...
Opinion: âAs time passes, knowledge of the circumstances of the August 2016 outbreak will fade and its immediate impact will be lost.â This statement is from the 2017 report of the Official Inquiry into the Havelock North campylobacteriosis outbreak. The then National-led government established the inquiry after the outbreak left ...
Opinion: Nicholas Khoo looks at two key points in the high-stakes foreign policy pact debate â and asks if NZ can engage with as little drama as possible. The post Where to next for the Aukus ruckus? appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 8 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...
ANALYSIS:By Olli Hellmann, University of Waikato When New Zealanders commemorate Anzac Day today on April 25, itâs not only to honour the soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and subsequent conflicts, but also to mark a defining event for national identity. The battle of Gallipoli against ...
By Robin Martin, RNZ News reporter A New Zealand local authority, Whanganui District Council, has passed a motion calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, condemnation of all acts of violence and terror against civilians on both sides of the conflict and the immediate return of hostages. It comes as ...
Asia Pacific Report The Aotearoa chapter of the Womenâs International league for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) has appealed to the New Zealand government to call out Israel over the âcruel and barbaric use of forceâ in Gaza and demand a permanent ceasefire. The leagueâs open letter was sent to Prime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government will invest $566 million over a decade on data, maps and other tools to promote exploration and development in Australiaâs resources industry. The project will fund âthe first comprehensive map of whatâs ...
Asia Pacific Report Following an open letter by Auckland University academics speaking out in support of their studentsâ right to protest against the genocidal Israeli war on Gaza, a group of academics at Otago University have today also called on New Zealand academic institutions to ârepair colonial violenceâ and end ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Linda J. Graham, Professor and Director of the Centre for Inclusive Education, Queensland University of Technology Ryan Tauss/ Unsplash, CC BY Two male students have been expelled from a Melbourne private school for their involvement in a list ranking female students. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The Reserve Bank is now assuming Australians will see no interest rate cuts this year â and quite possibly none before the next federal election, due next May. Thatâs ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Hayward, Emeritus Professor of Public Policy, RMIT University The Victorian budget offered more of the same on Tuesday, with the only change being how the budget papers were packaged. The usual shrink wrap was gone, hinting at savings in the pages ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Coalition is demanding extensive amendments to the governmentâs legislation targeting non-citizens who refuse to co-operate with their removal. In a dissenting report to the senate inquiry into the legislation, the Coalition says it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vanita Yadav, Senior Research Fellow, Urban Transformations Research Centre, Western Sydney University Brett Boardman/Belvoir The complex and grappling issue of violence against women takes centre stage in the soul-stirring solo dance drama Nayika: A Dancing Girl. During a dinner conversation ...
You will note the new RSS feeds on the right. These are:-
1This is known as the Whaledreck rule as described here.
2This is known as the PG 5000 rule. Described in here.
like it
Me too. Thanks Lynn.
And I notice the PG5000 has struck in there.
Nice!
…and The Standard on 3 News; curiouser and curiouser…
Excellent column in the NY Times on the election that Mitt Romney won. Â He set out to win the votes of heterosexual white males and succeeded resoundingly. Â The only problem was that he forgot about women, latinos, gays and the black community.
The article also suggests there is hope. Â Maureen Dowd suggests that while Obama lifted progressive America last time, this time progressive America lifted Obama to victory. Â And there is an expectation, that climate change, minority rights and secularism are now given a chance.
Thanks for the link ms, great read.
How far out of touch is this guy??? I mean FFS all we are is “Nonsense” . Well Fuck you too Shearer
That’s a real good way to keep your voters, all though I cannot for the life of me see that many staying around if you are left in charge of this bunch of children, your caucus, it’s completely out of touch with reality, and running to individual agenda’s, IE: Shane Bloody Jones, he should have been slapped down hard for going into someone Else’s portfolio, instead of that it’s just ignored. You have had a year to ‘get your shit together’ but you have done little to improve the problems you have with speech, and over interpreting every thing, you have obviously ignored any tips from your media tutors, as it seems you have ignored everyone else. So here’s my prediction if you are in charge in 2014. The Green, Mana, & Labour Government led by Dr Norman, and his deputies, Minister of Maori Affairs Metria Turei And associate Hone Hawaria, and Minister of Finance, the Labour leader David Cunliffe. One of only a handful of MP’s to have retained his seat, in the biggest bloodletting in history, as the traditional Labour voters deserted the party in droves, to the Greens and Mana parties.
[lprent: Fixed links – watch out for the trailing ‘ on links. ]
Here is a thought, following on what you say, David H, and the many posts questioning Shearer’s leadership. Someone, I’ve forgotten who, said in one of those posts, that Helen’s favoured successor’s were in turn Steve Maharey and David Cunliffe, but Phil ended up with the job. And it seems to me that this left/right battle for control of the LP has been going on for some time, and has become a public issue since the right had to turn to an inexperienced man to retain their slender hold. It is said that Shearer has no position. I think that his position is to try to be loyal to the right wingers who want him there, to keep the left at bay.
No doubt these people have their reasons for thinking as they do: that there is no going back, that lefties do not attract business donations, etc, etc. What they need to face is that most people who want to see a LP “modernised” to fit the right wing agenda actually want the poor, the low paid, etc. to have no voice, despite their being mercilessly screwed. This is not a moral position for a LP to be in, and it would also be a dangerous one if Australia stopped serving as a safety valve.
Stuff have a poll on the Labour Leadership issue if anyone is interested.
And the Herald have one too.
Oh, see how evil Shearer is! What nonsense.
Don’t you people who hate Shearer see how delighted Matthew Hooton and Duncan Garner are with you? If I were you, that would worry me – if the actual right want Shearer to go, and they very very obviously do, then ask oyurself why they want him gone? Maybe you’ve been had?
Vicky: I have yet to see evidence that Shearer is of the left, and that is what worries me. The Labour Party has been hijacked before. And Matthew Hooton has largely showed approval of Shearer’s leadership.
I suppose you didn’t hear him on Radio NZ yesterday, then! đ
He was rubbing his hands with glee at the prospect of the leadership challenge that he just knows (an insider told him, he said when challenged) is coming.
Ask yourself, why does Hooton cream his jeans at the ;idea of a leadership challenge?
Standatdistas has been campaigning against Shearer for most of this year, and I have never been able to understand why. Someone months ago, even pointed out that an anti-Shearer post deliberately misquoted DS, and yet no one gave a monkeys (except, it would seem for me, and for Labour people out there in the real world.)
Ah no. If you have a look at the authors, some are for him for one reason or another and some are against for some reason or another. Ditto with the commentators. I suspect you’re mistaking “volume” for reasoning and failing to read what people are actually saying. Hell I wrote a post explaining it.
In my case I questioned the competence of someone with only a couple of years in parliament to run the parliamentary caucus. He was a neophyte in a area that I have never seen people get competent at in less than 5-6 years as a simple MP. So far he hasn’t shown any signs of exceeding that speed. Quite simply he is at about 3 years now and starting to look like a MP rather than a PM. It is pretty good progress – just not useful to the party who might have to win an early election (if I was a Nat, I’d be calculating when to give John Banks to the police and lose a confidence motion).
Sure John Key became leader after three and a half years. But he was lucky enough to come in just after the Nat’s had repaired most of the party and parliamentary damage from the 1999 and 2002 elections and had nearly won the 2005 and they had a clear campaign strategy underway. There was a pretty experienced and supportive team who helped him a lot. Watching him in 2006 and even 2007 was like watching a fledging try to fly.
With David Shearer this year it has been more like watching him learning how to break the egg.
I question is why the loons in caucus stuck David Shearer in that position with what looks like very limited experienced support. But it has been on a par with some of the other wierdo decisions from caucus over the past few years. I’m annoyed with it.
They saw the icing on the cake (his back-story) and forgot to take into account… whether the ingredients underneath had reached a sufficient mix of knowledge and experience for the job.
My quarrel is not with David Shearer. Its with those in caucus who, in my view, were not thinking of him but rather themselves.
Exactly.
And Shearer himself should have said, thanks but no thanks, I’ll take my turn when I’ve time under my belt and it’s right to do so.
The same is the lack of discipline within the caucus, given the experience of many of those who have self inflicted harm on the party. Mallard, Jones and those who with experience that have been a no show Horomia, Prasad, King. With 34 MP’s there is a dearth of “Team” and it appears to be a few solo efforts holding the party together. Labours issue is not all Shearers but lack of commitment from the dead wood.
I never knew Hooten wants Shearer gone…do you have a link for that (I actually thought he was scared of having Cunliffe as the leader)…Garner I’m not surprised, he’s a political journalist, so he naturally wants political action (I’m not of the opinion that Garner is really that much into National, I’ve always thought of him as being quite fair between Labour and National, despite what some claim here)
No, I don’t have a link. But he said as much on Radio NZ yesterday.
What craziness. Garner is not too bad, David Shearer is a rightist. Honestly, what has become of the Standard?
most of these blog posts from Garner are anti-National, the fewer times he focuses on Labour he is just as critical of them. I dunno where this idea of a National-bias from Garner comes from. Especially considering he works for media works…and he quit their weekend morning politics bore-fest because it sucks big time. Most of the time he’s pointing out that there is little difference between National and Labour.
I can’t be bothered listening to Hooten…here is an article from him backing Shearer. Hooten wants a lame duck running Labour
Those are his more recent ones – at least at first. Â Garner often spins in the government, or right wing favour: e.g. when analysing TV3 polls. Â He favours Shearer over Cunliffe, and tends to repeat the smears against Cunliffe.
Also, something else I had been thinking about incorporating in a blog post on the MSM, and never got to it. Â Mediaworks repaid its loan to the government back at the beginning of October.Â
How much has that coincided with the likes of Campbell regaining his critical edge?
true…I remember that half-story about Cunliffe that came across as a school yard rumour. That was some b-grade journalism there.
The mediaworks loan relating to channel 3’s critique of the Government would be interesting. I remember years ago when Clark was boosting funding to TVNZ (TVNZ7, Heartland, NZ on air etc) it appeared that she was getting preferential coverage from them – obviously this ended with the nanny-state nonsense around 07-08…not sure if the funding dried up then?
I dunno if what I’ve just written is accurate, just a hunch. Not sure how TVNZ has changed much since TVNZ7 got cut…but I guess if the wages of those in power at TVNZ has increased then who cares if the only channel worth watching gets cut…fat cats and all that.
To say nothing of Rachael Smalley she got real smarts there. As proved when she interviewed Hone.
Vicky
Sometimes the easiest explanation is the one right in front of you.
A few may “hate Shearer”, but I certainly don’t, and I reckon that goes for most of his critics. We just don’t think he should be leader of the Labour party.
We don’t reach this conclusion by worrying about what Matthew Hooten wants us to think. We get there by observing David Shearer.
I don’t think he should be a ballet dancer or All Black either. Doesn’t mean I hate him. Just exercising the brain. Evidence in, conclusion out.
Shearer would make an excellent Crown Minister in his 2nd or 3rd full term as an MP.
We’ll see what kind of a director he is in the new year ….
(Which is where everyone’s fear really lives)
Trundling along on Planet Shearer as usual…
DH: Â Are you referring to this article: ‘Shearer plays down leadership row‘, by Claire Trevett.? Â Your links go to the NZH main page. Â
They are also running a poll on whether he should stand down, beside the article – no rrecorded votes as yet.
It crossed my mind this morning that Labour may well have gifted itself an ‘enfant terrible’. I don’t know if that’s quite the right expression, but bashing on…How democratically inclined is a person, simply used to being ensconced in a bureaucracy, likely to be? How likely is years of working in unaccountable bureaucracies likely to foster a mentality along the lines of – “Those ‘poor underlings’ know nothing about how I know what’s good for them. But for them and their better interests, I will persevere”
ARRRRRGG The links did’nt work. Thats what you get for trying to be tidy.
Nonsense should be http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10846967
SBJ should be http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10846365
Can some one please fix.
I’ve been noticing a few broken links lately on TS – they all have an errant apostrophe at the end. Is that a cut and paste issue?
I’ve been having a problem with the WYSIWYG buttons. Â The blockquote button puts the command around the whole comment, not just the highlighted text. Â I have to go to the html view to sort it out.
WYSIWYG doesn’t work propery in Safari. I find it’s fine in Firefox (mac)
I’ve been using Chrome a lot lately.
It is on my fix list. But the Feed panel was requested by Irish in 2010 according to my notes…..
Nearly through the bugs and features at work – ETA is about 2 weeks for the release of product 2 code.
What I want to do is to drop the tinymce/wysiwg approach and use something a lot simpler more like the the comment editor in the backend. But I have been accumulating holidays while Lyn has been using her’s for festivals and the like. I’ll have to use some of them up shortly and do a site refresh.
Yes. From the incoming side. Just comment to call them to our attention and someone will fix them eventually.
How could he know if the blogs were nonsense if he doesn’t read them? đ
He also says the authors here are “feeding off each other” – a similar claim as Farrar’s “co-ordinated strategy to de-stabilise”. Is Shearer running Farrar’s attack lines?
Unless he can prove inside knowledge, perhaps using the footage from a secret camera, the precendent set by The Standard moderation could ban Shearer for implying a hive-mind to a machine. Who’s to say he is not already among us? đŻ
The past three days have given us two further definitions of the word, discussion:
1) co-ordinated strategy to destabilise
2) feeding off each other.
Is Shearer running Farrar’s attack lines? C’mon Uturn, that’s about as silly as Pete George claiming that I’m Shearer’s advisor. RFLMAO Oh how the lines are becoming seriously blurred on this issue. Warning! I just linked to Whaleoil again… Let the cleansing begin.
Ooooh, somebody doesn’t like you, Jackal. You must doing good work! I note that PG is still fixated with my contribution to his downfall, namechecking me in his (sort of) humorous response to the PG5000 joke on Imperator Fish. I think you can take the hatred displayed against you on Whale oil in the same way; proof that you are hitting them where it hurts.
Thanks Te Reo Putake. Yes! The PG5000 is indeed a diabolical super-weapon the likes of which we’ve never seen before. It’s also well past its warranty. Here’s the post we’re talking about btw people: A Day In The Life Of That Labour MP. Excellent!
It’s true, there’s no way Shearer is part of a Nat conspiracy…
…or is he?
đŻ
I suggest an immediate purge of commenters who like to throw mangoes.
As an aside, “feeding off each other” is completely different to a coordinated campaign.
  Â
The difference is like between an angry mob that happens to clock off and a gang of bank robbers. The mob mills around, pushes against itself, and basically herds in the direction of least resistance. Robbers move on an objective according to a plan, use targeted force against obstacles, and have a clear endpoint in mind.Â
So… they’ve got you too. I’m not sure who they are anymore, but they’re good…
Must be Vorlons then.
Paranoia much? Honestly, this place has gone insane.
Who did Shearer offend? The identity politics crowd is my guess.
Hi David. Yes, our discussion IS nonsense apparently. Check out this story in the Dom Post:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/politics/7941813/Shearer-confident-knives-won-t-come-out
Comments posted by Eddie on The Standard are quoted. Shearers response is “thats basically people sitting in front of their computers giving their opinions and continuing to drive the discussion of it (his leadership) up”. I found that quite offensive, arrogant and pretty rude given that he is referring to potential Labour supporters and voters. I’ve left a comment on that article but my comments on fairfax only get posted about 50% of the time. I’d encourage others to post on this story. How else are we going to ge them to listen?
Rosie, looks like your comment is the first up this time. Â Well said. And this “whispering” meme is nasty and wrong.
Karol, the choice of the word ‘whispering’ got me. Shades of “innoculation” ala crobsy textor/Nat stylez?
We know how to SHOUT online. Not sure about whispering. Is this a whisper? {or this?}
When I read Shearer’s words, ‘whispering’ to me sounds like something that happens at parliament when people want to talk about something but don’t want to be overheard. It’s a strange choice of word to apply to the internet, where in this case authors and commenters at TS are being quite loud and open. Maybe it’s just a case of Shearer not understanding how the internets work. Or having advisors who don’t quite get it either.
I can’t post I get an error every time, and NO matter how much I E-Mail them, they won’t fix it.
Don’t bother trying – Shearer just proved that, no matter what you do, he isn’t listening.
Sigh. Yeah, I know DTB, or rather, I give up. I think he is in head in sand territory. Privately he might be in head in hands territory but can’t find the way to front up and face it.
thats basically people sitting in front of their computers
I think he’s going for some kind of riff on “interviewing their keyboards”. However the problem for Shearer – or whoever came up with that line – is that a hell of a lot of people spend quite a bit of their day “sitting in front of their computers”. We’ve got Stuff Nation, for fuck’s sake. That’s a lot of “ordinary New Zealanders” with their fingers typing away, it’s hardly nerds-only territory …
It also runs counter to his statement last week: “Now we’ve all got Skype”.
That would be news to a lot of Labour voters.
It is to laugh, as Bugs Bunny says. When I first questioned the anti-Shearer hate campaign when it got started at the beginning of the year, I was informed that the anti-Shearer people are all Greenies, therefore generally more honest, decent, etc, than Labour people…
(Richer too, and that’s not to be sneezed at, he?)
All the crocodile tears for beneficiaries from the anti-Shearer people make me projectile vomit.
Hi Vicky at post # 3.6.4. You’ve quoted me and in the same sentence you’ve referred to the “anti Shearer hate campaign”. Just because I and many others can’t support Shearer as the leader of the opposition doesn’t mean I/we/whoever hate him. It’s not personal, its practical. I’m not into hating up on folks. I save hate (as a form of disempowerment, frustration and anger) for very special occasions, such as our current govt, not for those I would normally stand beside.
Also, please don’t assume that all Green supporters are rich. You might be heading into stereotype territory there. I support the Greens, always have, and respect their work but I’m as broken arse as they come. No, I’m not a beneficiary but at the same time its not crocodile tears I’ve shed, as you’ve pointed out that the “anti Shearer campaign” have done. It is genuine despair that I feel that at the way that mostly Key, Bennett, retards of NZ inc and Co, but also Shearer have belittled and attacked their fellow NZers. It really sucks. Labour have left their roots Vicky and I’m only about the gazillionth person to say it. I wish that wasn’t the case and I’d still love to vote for them but with Shearer in charge I can’t. Its feels crappy and a bit sad.
Don’t know if you saw 3news tonight but Clayton Cosgrove dismissed journalists questions about the validity of the Labour Party leadership as “its just the blogosphere”. If thats how they respond to their potential and actual voter base can you really trust them to respect you as a voter?
Well, I am a beneficiary, and not one of the ‘good’ ones (I am not brown, I am not a solo mother (any more) or under 25.) When the rubber meets the road, to use a cliche, Shearer has helped me and others, with issues we have had with Housing NZ and with WINZ, and that matters more to me than his being perfectly politically correct.
As for what Cosgrove said, no, I didn’t hear it (I don’t watch 3 News, I listen to it) but from what I see around me, and what I hear, he was correct. Afaik, it is the blogosphere.
Oddly, I find myself wishing very much that I did come into one of the favoured categories – if I were under 25 I’d have a much better chance of getting a job. The new owner of the language school, that I wrote about on Friday, fired all the previous staff, and everyone he hired to replace them is under 25, and everyone fired, was over 40. I was in there today, with one of those fired staff, she was collecting her property, and I was providing moral support. We spoke to one of the students, and her whispered comment (as the new owner was ear-wigging) about her new teacher was “She’s very young, isn’t she?” Keith seems not to have realised that international students have no faith in teachers who are younger than they are, and that hiring 18-23 year olds because you can pay them in washers is not such a crash-hot idea.
Well as I wrote earlier A Green / Mana / Labour decimated and all the deadwood gone Hmm Not such a bad outcome after all.
From memory, Labours polling after Clark had been leader for about a year were hovering just below 20%. Should the paryt have dumped her then?
No, they shouldn’t have dumped a former deputy PM and experienced politician with a strong base in the party, a formidable intellect, an impressive grasp of the issues and a total commitment to self-discipline, and the authority to discipline others.
But they should dump David Shearer, because he isn’t any of those things.
Except when she was interviewing and things did not go as Herr Helen liked, then the tears and blathering would come out.
Wonder where she leant such discipline anyway, and wonder if she really thought the faux marriage to the dodgy pervert actually fooled anyone that it was not about hiding both their sexuality from the public. Media sure did a cracking job sitting on that for so many years, and still now it doesnt get much mention. Nah its not about Helens preferences, thats fine, and her business, its about the lies!
Helen Clarke, got as high up at the UN because she is a “great politician & human being”, and contributed so much to humanity! /sarc
Argh, the lies people accept!
PS – Cunliffe has got far too much inside knowledge, having been a member of the Clarke governement, there will be little he is not aware of….How effective can he be given he is part of the establishment, therefore accomplice to the corruption which rules our parliamentary system!
That was two decades ago. There are voters alive today who weren’t even born then and they’ve grown up on twitter and blogs. I may not like it, but it’s a fact. Even assuming that Shearer’s a nice guy (and so what?… and I don’t think that a bene-basher is, BTW), he’s simply not effective in this age. Obama won by knowing who the voters are, not what they “should” be.
Actually, you just broke them in a different way – the NZH doesn’t use trailing / on their URLs.
David, your prediction for 2014 is the best argument I have seen for having Shearer as Labour leader.
You know it may not be so bad after all. Just 2 ticks GREEN.
Well that’d be a tick wasted, David. The Greens are not going to win an electorate seat.
They have before.
Thank you. I will.
Excellent report by Eugenie Sage: The Green Party Minority Report – Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Bill. Â It incorporates responses from some public submissions on the Bill. Â
Particularly of concern are the cutting back of the kinds of activities local councils are involved in (focus on “core” services) , increased government intervention, increasing the power of mayors
The main things the Green Party opposes:Â
Also, important is the fact that the proposed changes are not supported by relevant evidence:
And, Lynn, I got to this document (and other significant web pages/articles/posts) from the new RSS feeds on the right – very useful, thank-you.
National hates democracy though, unless it suits their interests.
Gaynz editorial: open letter to John Key [on gay red shirt issue].
It explains why the use of such language is an important political issue, and slams the Nats on their anti-gay record.
Â
Nearly half their party are homophobic if we take the recent gay marriage vote as evidence.
I’d re-examine that if I were you..
The systems are full of people who are being arm twisted into the decisions that are making, and you can apply this to other sectors which “govern, direct and dicate” our lives.
The question is, what are they being “arm twisted” about!
Very good editorial. Maybe we should start a trend of using the word Key to mean fuckwit. “Do you have to be such a Key?”
Blood in the water
It has been rather disconcerting to read some of the commentary about all round nice guy David Shearer recently, not least because it takes the focus off more important issues. Of particular concern is the amount of articles that completely write him off without a second chance, and as far as I can tell, without really giving any valid reasons for doing so…
I don’t know which articles you are talking about because the ones I’ve read acknowledge Shearer has had plenty of chances, and give logical, valid reasons for him stepping down. Your paragraph above reads like opinion dressed up as fact. By all means support Shearer, but please don’t make out that people who want him gone don’t have any valid reasons and haven’t given him a chance.
From your blog:
“Then thereâs the claim that Shearer doesn’t hold true to Labours principles, as apparently exhibited by the painter on the roof comments. Despite the various misrepresentation of what Shearer said, I think itâs safe to say that he does believe in a fair and equal society, as exhibited by the brevity and contents of his speeches and press releases. Claims that heâs somehow anti-welfare are quite obviously incorrect, and only promoted by the ignorant or those with a vested interest in seeing his political demise.”
I remember the intellectual tools you used to pull apart Paul Holmes utterances. Use those same tools on Shearers speeches and you’ll see what his detractors have been seeing since his first speech. If Shearer cannot understand basic political rhetoric, he has limited use as a spokesperson for anything. You may think this doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be a leader – a silent leader perhaps? Why not, any policy should be able to stand on it’s own regardles of who presents it.
If someone spends all their time saying something that seems hostile, something that can’t conclusively be proven to be so – since no one can ever truly know the contents and intent of another man’s mind and because words and logic can be pretty, but limited – the only thing left to do is wait and see what happens.
The problem many people have, is that they’ve spent their lives observing people they would prefer to be good – despite the indicators. They want and desperately need other people to be good, and choose it as default judgement. It’s called good faith and the world would be a much worse place if some people did not fight to uphold that concept. The line between good faith, naivety and romanticism becomes blurred when logic is dismissed entirely. People will hold out years, decades, to find the good they see in others and instead one day they find that it isn’t coming. They review the years of action and words and they have to face the fact it all adds up to a picture they wish didn’t exist. They’re then faced with a tough choice.
Experience and logic blind us to possibility, tie us to the known, strangle the life out of the new. Hope and naivety can make us creative visionaries, laying the foundation for advancements or just suckers for punishment. But reality is reality. When the moment comes that each person makes their own decision, there is no right or wrong, just a bet on a roll of the dice.
Fair enough Uturn, you make a compelling argument. Just a few things though… My pulling apart of Holmes’ rhetoric was mainly about his racism, and I see nothing similar in Shearer. I’m also aware that he does need to step up to the plate so to speak, but its policy in my opinion that Labour should focus on, not personality politics.
You’re entirely correct that what people want can cloud their vision of reality. However I don’t believe that’s the case with my observations on David Shearer, and I’m open to the possibility that he’s not right for the job. The main question remains largely unanswered though… Is there anybody better placed to achieve Labours victory at the next election, especially considering the instability caused by changing leaders now?
I wonder if they care about who we advocate for anyway, and after reading today’s Herald article “Shearer plays down leadership row”, it would appear that they don’t. Not much has changed in that respect since Helen Clark was in charge then. Pity!
In my opinion, throwing the dice on such things as leadership is not advisable… But I’ve more than chafed my bit on this issue. Let’s hope it all works out in the end.
I’m sure it will work out in the end.
On Shearer’s “racism” it could certainly be proven logically, but logic cannot prove if he intended to include a racist element, or whether it is a symptom of poor rhetoric i.e. the gaps in the message are so wide they could mean anything. The measure we normally use, “reasonable doubt”, would rest on a person’s perspective. It certainly isn’t at the same level of intent as Holmes openly saying maori – or anyone else – are this or that. Shearer’s constant promotion of Pakeha middle-class values and attitudes could be said to be racist. The environment he works in and the position he holds will encourage him to take that approach whether he wants to or not. This would be a difficult thing to escape for any politician in our system. Even Hone Harawira likes to play with the idea of Maori abandoning their roots for money and moving to Australia.
On the question of who is better placed to lead Labour to victory next election, if we agree that Labour’s policy is all that matters, it doesn’t matter who leads. It only matters who can promote the policy effectively, interpret it for all scenarios, to make it sound like it’s always fresh. Shearer could do the simple memorise-the-script exercise, but for whatever reason, he can’t re-fit it for all scenarios and variations. Then we get those explanations about what he really meant that meanader in contradictions. If winning is all that matters to Labour, all they need do is enforce an internal environment where everyone sticks to their area of concern, find one salesperson among them to take on the “leader role” and set them loose in the media. Then after they win they can go back to whatever they were up to, safe in the knowledge they have three years to sort it out.
I want an all round nice guy as a neighbour looking after my dogs for the weekend, and collecting my mail when I head on holiday for a week.
I’m annoyed with shearers attitude to the bloggers that question his leadership,after all it is a democratic right to question the leader of a party if you are not happy with him/her.
There are traditional labour supporters/voters/followers who comment on all sorts of blogs and
media outlets, are they nonsense too ?
Shearers next blog should be ignored as well.
“basically people sitting in front of their computers giving their opinions”
That says it all, really. A 14th century monarch could only agree.
Future definitions by David Shearer
“people coming along, giving their opinions” (= party conference)
“people answering the phone, giving their opinions” (= opinion polls)
“people with a piece of paper, giving their opinions” (= elections)
Damnit. The Recommend button for Facebook is dead again. No change to the code. I guess that they have changed something in the API yet again.
Fix this evening.
an interesting symbiosis between The Herald and The Standard today; all those links from the Shearer article: like magic
FYI.
Why have proven ‘anti-corruption’ civil society ‘whistleblowers not been invited to today’s launch of the NZ National Integrity System Assessment?
http://www.victoria.ac.nz/home/viclife/events/conferences/new-zealand-national-integrity-system-assessment
OPEN LETTER TO TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL NZ, THE OFFICE OF THE AUDITOR-GENERAL, VICTORIA UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE FOR GOVERNANCE AND POLICY STUDIES:
Today, in Wellington, you are ‘launching the New Zealand National Integrity System Assessment.
Leading us into the future’.
Your graphic illustrating ‘National Integrity Foundations’, covering ‘Politics – Society – Economy – Culture’ – shows thirteen ‘pillars’ upon which this ‘National Integrity’ is supposedly based.
These thirteen pillars include:
Legislature
Executive
Judiciary
Public Sector
Law Enforcement
Electoral Management Body
Ombudsman
Audit Institution
Anti-Corruptiion Agencies
Political Parties
Media
Civil Society
Business
Having studied your programme, and having checked the backgrounds of your speakers and facilitators, I fail to see one person who could be said to represent ‘Civil Society’?
(Perhaps not all ‘pillars’ are equal? Perhaps some ‘pillars’ are more significant than others?)
I say this an a recognised ‘Anti-corruption activist’ / ‘Whistleblower’ who has attended two significant Anti-Corruption Conferences – the Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference in Brisbane in 2009, and the Transparency International Anti-Corruption Conference in Bangkok in 2010.
My track record is proven in fighting for a genuinely ‘open, transparent and accountable’ NZ local and central government and judiciary.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/central-leader/21588/Hubbard-defends-big-water-bills
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10602660
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10655565
Had I known about this event – I would have made the effort to attend.
Not only was I not notified – it was only by chance that I even discovered that it was happening.
However, given my previous treatment by Transparency International NZ – I am not surprised that myself, and other ‘civil society / anti-corruption Public Watchdogs/ Whistleblowers’ were not notified.
In 2009, not only did Transparency International NZ refuse to accept me (and others) as a member (no reasons were given), but at the November 2009 AGM, after being denied access to the TINZ AGM address by the Attorney-General (which was open to non-members), again – with no reasons given, myself and judicial ‘Public Watchdog’ – Vince Siemer, were arrested for trespass.
http://kiwisfirst.co.nz/index.asp?PageID=2145845357#transparency-international-new-zealand
“TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL NEW ZEALAND ORDERS ARREST OF ANTI-CORRUPTION ADVOCATE
11 December 2009
In a stinging irony – on United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day no less – Chairman Gerald McGhie of Transparency International’s “autonomous” New Zealand chapter ordered Police to arrest public watchdog Penny Bright for trespassing at its Annual General Meeting on Wednesday. This was despite the government-funded group riding her coat-tails as a watchdog front ostensibly focused on increasing transparency and exposing corruption. Attendees were given pamphlets with the bold heading “CORRUPTION RUINS LIVES – FIGHT BACK”.
………………………….
________________________________________________________________________________
The Police later dropped the charges – but what sort of purported ‘anti-corruption’ organisation treats genuine ‘anti-corruption activists’ like that?
________________________________________________________________________________
It is with some concern that I note the prominent role being played in the establishment of this ‘National Integrity System’ by some of the major accountancy firms, such as Deloitte, KPMG, PwC – who arguably have a vested interest in New Zealand being ‘perceived’ as ‘the least corrupt country in the world’ – when the reality, in my considered opinion, is that New Zealand is actually a corrupt, polluted tax haven.
For example – to whom is the money going in New Zealand in the establishment of ‘foreign trusts’?
The role of international accountancy firms has been highlighted by internationally acknowledged experts such as Professor Prem Sikka, with whom I am in regular contact.
http://www.publishwhatyoupay.no/conference/speaker/prem-sikka
________________________________________________________________________________
FYI – I have ‘blown the whistle’, nationally and internationally, and sent the following post around the world on 10 November 2012:
To members of the international Tax Justice Network / separately to my latest Transparency International Secretariat and individual country ‘chapter’ list / to 70 World Bank folk whose addresses I found on the World Bank website / to all NZ MPs / to all Auckland Council elected reps (council + Local Boards) / NZ and some international media / NZ human rights groups …… etc….
Transparency International were in the middle of their 15th International Anti-Corruption Conference, and should be announcing any time soon their 2012 ‘Corruption Perception Index’.
(Which isn’t very transparent – given that it is based upon the subjective opinions of anonymous business people?)
……………………………………………….. ”
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption campaigner’
http://www.dodgyjohnhasgone.com
Oustanding – These events are the outward promotion of how currupted NZ actually is, and should be roundly protested for the sham society that we have, run by these wrong-uns.
Penny do you have the list of speakers, publish it, then let people play the association game, which involves cross checking the incestuous nature of those who spoke, their “network and business interests”, not to mention the stench of criminal activity which is what they seek to protect.
All the while lecturing outwardly to the masses about pillars, and integrity!
Phooey!
http://www.transparency.org.nz/National-Integrity-System-Assessment.htm
You can read the full nine yards here – the full OPEN LETTER I sent to most of those participating in today’s National Integrity System launch: THANK YOU INDYMEDIA! http://www.indymedia.org.nz/submissions/394
Penny Bright
Shearer backed by Norman and Winston will lead the country after the next election.
Shearer will make a good job of our Prime Minister as he grows with the role.
The Nats simply cannot coddle enough MMP seats to retain a third term, so it is natural fall to Labour.
Government ignores responsibility and demonstrates little concern for job losses:
http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2012/11/defending-indefensible.html
My goodness, I just realised I’m wondering where the next Roy Morgan poll is, nay even eagerly anticipating it! I must go and get some fresh air…
3 News is Little America again… sigh…
In an item about the BBC, the reporter refers to someone walking out of an interview because he was behind ‘sked-yool’… đ
Then, they make a point of referring to Mr McAfee, of anti-virus fame, being wanted for murder, as “Briddish Born”… perish the thought that a murderer could be American – even though Stuff refers to him as a US citizen. It’s not a big deal, but it just struck me as bizarre.Â
Wikipedia thinks he is an American…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McAfee
Now, Hil’ry Berry is banging on about the leadership challenge to Shearer. The Standard wants Shearer to go, says the reporter.
Well, I for one, don’t want Shearer gone!
Â
I was a cautious supporter of Shearer, then I got a bit iffy about him, but I now think that he should stay. It’s all well and good to say, ‘let’s stick Cunliffe in’, but what if he turns out a dissapointment, do we ditch him and appoint someone else? Do we just go through Robertson, Ardern, Little, Curran? The ALP tends to do that, and look where that got them…
Perhaps the likes of Mallard, Dyson, King, etc needs to go instead.
Anyone notice that Matt McCarten didnt have his column in the HoS Sunday?
I did. I hope he hasn’t taken a turn for the worse.
Nice work getting the TV promos guys, not a cent spent? …. sweet M8! O-:
Whats next ? ….
More links in the Herald/Truth/KiwiBlog etc etc etc ?
A set “The Standard” as your homepage promo maybe ?
“The Standard” Flyers at the Bank/Post Office/Pub/Cafe ?
The Dreaded email campaign ? )-|
…
H8 me yet anyone ? (-:
4000 more hits this month, not bad Lads but we can do better!
No More HypnoToad!!
Union tables in the Standard from a foggy memory 25 years ago …..
Yep, the Standard should be able to hit an order of magnitude above that. A little bit more marketing and self promotion and some interesting things will happen.
I wouldn’t mind reading some of the older The Standard publications from the 1930’s onwards. It would be interesting to compare what they were writing about then to today’s topics. Wonder if there are any old copies lying around the place?
I have one borrowed copy, 1938 I think. I mean to scan it (so I can return it), then start posting articles from it. Must get on to that…
Laugh at Romney
Chris Trotter is at it with his myopia again.
“To appreciate fully the inhumanity of [unemployment] you have to see the hurt and despair in the eyes of a man suddenly told he is redundant without provision made for suitable alternative employment . . . Someone, somewhere has decided he is unwanted, unneeded, and is to be thrown on the industrial scrap heap. ”
It isn’t only men who are made redundant Chris. What about the large number of single parent, working women, who are not only likely to be underpaid relative to men when they are working, but as the sole support if a family, both they and the children suffer from any redundancy. There simply isn’t the same number of single parent families headed by males, so when a male loses a job there is likely to be another potential income earning adult in the household.
BTW I know that redundancy is dreadful for anybody, but it seems Chris limits his sympathy to only one group. His workers seem to consist of only adult males, nobody young, nobody female. Perhaps he’d like to reflect on the groups that returned Obama to power.
The problem about New Zealand RB is NZ’ers are cowards when it comes to protesting and standing up against the elites and the government, as a result our occupy movement only contained a few determined students and lecturers. Remember it was the left that opposed the Springbok tour, while the right such as John Key stood silent and only saw rugby balls in their eyes. Why is society so scared to come out on the streets, like in Spain, Greece or even the US?
My guess is because New Zealand is conditioned to shut up and do what it is told, blindly follow and ignore social injustice. Most New Zealanders ignore politics and party away, ignoring the beggar on the street. But when they fall on hard times only then do they realize the truth, that most of the country have forgotten what compassion, empathy or community really is. National’s religion is selfishness, as is the religion of their supporters.
KC – You are spot on…
You can see the mentality here by those who think that blogging means anything, or makes a genuine differnce..
What the internet does, is allows people into a false sense of contribution and involvement, when in fact the “elite” will be more than happy with people sitting on their arses typing shit which is not making a difference!
Hell, just take a look at what the Greeks et al are getting from their real life protests, SFA other than another good hiding and some tear gas, rubber bullets and riot police!
Yeah, typing words is really making the world of difference here!
Maybe Chris might like to consider writing from the perspective of Christine Trotter.
FOR FRAKS SAKE
Shall I attempt a rewrite to satisfy the Labour Party/Liberal Left’s minimum PC quotient requirement for fully inclusive language?
Now that we’ve hit the minimum PC quotient for fully inclusive language, can we get on with the FRAKING POINT that Trotter was trying to make – that being made redundant with no alternatives hurts and causes despair to the person it happens to.
No wonder Labour/the Left is nowhere and going fast.
By the way. In his Sickness Bene Bashing speech did Shearer specify that the bene in question was male, female, transgendered? Because it’s very important that you don’t bash people in an inequitable way.
Thanks for that public broadcast from “Waitakere Man”.Â
And thanks for confirming my point.
Meh.
    Â
I just don’t see why you’d be outraged that people are pointing out the hypocrisy of complaining about social maltreatment in our society while reinforcing other forms of social maltreatment.Â
I think I made it pretty damn clear why I was “outraged” McFlock: but feel free to continue supporting the languaging police against social maltreatment .
I suppose Labour doesn’t want the Waitakere Man vote anyways.
Or the Waikato Man vote or the Taranaki Man vote or the Wairarapa Man vote or the Marlborough Man vote or the McKenzie Man vote or the Taupo Man vote, or the Otago Man Vote or the Southland Man vote or the Hawkes Bay Man vote or the King Country Man vote.
Oh look! Labour hardly holds any seats in each of those areas, what a co-incidence!
Oh, well then. Shearer should probably amend the RMA so putting cowshit in our rivers isn’t a problem.
Or are you suggesting that the only way to get any vote is to pretend other portions of the country don’t exist? I see Robert Moulden is of voting age. Maybe you want Shearer to buy some spray paint?
I agree with your anger at the counterproductive nature of mindless stereotypes. I’ve squealed about them before myself. The point is that a politically constructed derogatory term that simply uses a place name and a gender is the highest level of stupid. It will capture individuals who might ally themselves with a supportive point of view and instead isolates them. Doesn’t matter if the term is Urban Gays, Northland Maori, Taranaki Man, The Disabled or Housewives. It’s lazy and stupid. It could be argued that those isolated types should then just magically find the bridge to freedom themselves, detaching their identity from their past, but it takes time – longer than a three year term. It could be argued that no one can be allied with an ideology that can only end in the death or oppression of the ally. If that person defers to good faith, they can then see that a person can support the good in another’s ideas, without disabling their own self-preservation. This is the trouble created by politicians simulating enemies to push against, just so there is a point to illuminate or something to say. There is a faster, more direct, plain english way. For example:
âTo appreciate fully the inhumanity of [unemployment] you have to see the hurt and despair in the eyes of a person suddenly told they’re redundant without provision made for suitable alternative employment . . . Someone, somewhere has decided they’re unwanted, unneeded, and is to be thrown on the industrial scrap heap. â
The scope for understanding within the article is then widened considerably – especially for the author. It brings all people together for a shared the message, also tending to details of difference. In our current time of crisis, sharing the known effects of defunct beliefs is important. Yes, sections of society have it tougher than others. The article could deal with each in turn, or defer those who have a direct understanding; once again showing how not having a livelihood can effect anyone and illustrating beliefs that contribute to covert hurdles.
The recent marriage amendmnet bill was an excellent example of this approach. It was about equality under law for all people to marry. It did not force those who did not want to marry some people to go against their wishes. By not forcing other people to do anything differently than they already did, it did not further divide an already divided people into smaller groups. By not forcing other people, did it suppress the voice of a minority? Not at all.
Talking about things, at a higher political level, that collectively effect all people does not actively silence minority voices or make social prejudice go away. If a party or political faction wavering at 30% in the polls thinks dividing 30% by anything is going to help them win, they better think again.
Well said, CV!
Because of course it’s simply impossible to construct that paragraph using the all-inclusive word person. đ
For the fourth straight day, Israeli airstrikes are pounding Gaza.
Yesterday, Gaza’s main resistance factions, including the Big Two of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, offered a truce if Israel “stops its aggression”.
The Israeli answer has been â more airstrikes.
And there are indications that Tel Aviv is seriously calculating a major military offensive against the Palestinian enclave.
Yesterday, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a meeting of Israel’s foreign ambassadors in what was widely seen as a mission to claim international sympathy for an onslaught against Gaza.
Israel’s leading daily newspaper said Washington had already green-lighted such an Israeli operation.
It remains to be seen how much is politicking and bluff by Netanyahu and his inner cabinet, and how much is a real escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by the Zionist regime in Tel Aviv.
Kia Ora Gaza’s website, kiaoragaza.net, has been carrying multiple daily reports on these potentially serious developments. Here’s a link to their latest story, courtesy of the Palestinian news agency Ma’an:
http://kiaoragaza.wordpress.com/2012/11/13/israel-airstrikes-pound-gaza/
Don’t complain about Israel, they’ve now initiated artillery direct attacks on Assad positions in Syria, so they’re the good guys, right?