Obviously, the Labour caucus did not listen to their membership when they selected Mumblefuck as “leader” of the party. How then did that come about? Well, this audio transcript of the pivotal decision moment has just come to me:
Voice 1: I hereby convene this session of the Iron Spines Society.
Voices [chanting]: We are the ABC Warriors!
Voice [booming]: Bigjobs!!
Voice 1: Yes. Now that our colleague has completed his 3 year assignment; snatching the laurels of failure from the jaws of victory, we needs must select a replacement. Lest we be at risk of the Goff’s human appearance seducing the punters away from the true path before our associate’s tasks are complete.
Voices: [indistinct disgruntled murmuring]
Voice 2: If I may have the floor? [sound of chairs moving etc.] We must be honest with ourselves; the Goff was a mistake; his humulation programing was too successful, and his, well; robotic…
Voices: [chuckling]
Voice: Bigjobs!!
Voice 2: His robotic command of numbers created a dangerous perception of competance.
Voices: [indistinct disgruntled murmuring]
Voice 1: We know this already, Robertron.
Voice 2: Ah, but does not our problem suggest it’s own solution? If the punters are indeed just a insufficiently industrious bunch of losers, then what do we need to seduce them to the cause of steel?
Voice 1: You’re right! What we need is the greatest loser concievable…
Voice 2: But where can we find this paragon of ineptituide?
[sound of door knock, then hinge squeak as it opens]
Voice 3: Did you want some tea? I mean, it smells like; engine oil, but that can’t… It must be tea – it’s in ummm… Teaspoons? No; cups. Or is it coffee? I may have some mango skins on me somewhere I could squeeze out for you? Did I ever tell you about the time I was in Africa…
That was a cut and paste of an earlier comment (33.2.1 on Zetettic’s 7/6 “Gone” post), which is about to slip off the bottom of the page. It seems relevant again with the Sky City rugby box fiasco, and anyway; is the best bit of writing I’ve done since I’ve started commenting on this site – though I’d been a reader for years.
Just so no gets confused: “Well, this audio transcript of the pivotal decision moment has just come to me”, means; I made up this satire to help deal with my anger about Labour’s incompetence. The; ABC Warriors, were a recurring story, with varying writers, in the 2000AD comic which is most famous for; Judge Dredd. They were; an unpleasant band of robotic mercenaries, whose main pleasure in unlife was watching human/ chainsaw torture porn.
It’s been years since I’ve read the comic (is is still being done? Is 2000AD?). Yeah, OK; maybe Hammerstein wasn’t as bad as MekQuake – but that’s a pretty low bar!
I don’t watch TV since it’s gone digital, and rarely enough before then (why didn’t you say; “it looks like you read too many comics”? That’d at least be relevant, though a decade out of date). However, I view DVDs of series, where you get the fill without the content (terms that seem exactly the wrong way round to me). And do sometimes look up news footage online; but I’m not often interested enough. I will stream TV3’s; 7 days, if its on though.
Pasupial is a nom de clave to protect myself against offline retaliation. It refers to my wee Basupial’s tendency to; cling on like a koala to a tree, with myself & Masupial.
I know I say “its a non story” on here a bit but the best non story of the week is the Labour MP’s at the sky city corporate box. If it was business then can the emails and recorded conversations be tabled or leaked to Winston.
I am really concerned that 4 labour MP’s are soliciting corporate sponsorship or business deals.
@ Yes
I’m not so sure about the; “centre” part of “centre right”, but yeah; you’ve been tolerably upfront about your views. And yes; it was a stuff-up by Labour, or at least; one part of the Labour caucus, rather than the Labour party as a whole.
However, NAct’s reponse that; the scandal lay in the Labour MPs accepting the seats in the Sky City box and then not voting for their legislation, suggests that a seat at the rugby really is enough to buy your average NAct MP. Whereas the 4 Labour MPs (plus their 10 minute leader) were merely guilty of a miserable error in judgement, rather than systemic corruption.
But it’s an ill wind that blows no one any good: The Greens have come out of this looking like the only Party in Parliament who actually believe in any ethical principles.
Man, who is advising these idiots? They had it on a plate this week – the Dunne affair, the continuous erosion of labour rights – and then they go and mingle with the SkyCity crowd. And all of a sudden, the topic is not the corrupt ways of the Key government and the Sky City deal, but the blatant hypocrisy of Labour politicians.
It’s fucking embarrassing, because as we know, and the MSM are constantly reminding us of it – in politics, it’s all about perception.
Yep key is calling it “deep hypocrisy” and sadly another arrow in the quiver that could be used to stop these gnats has been broken.
” Phil Goff, Annette King, Kris Faafoi and Clayton Cosgrove accepted SkyCity’s invitation. Their leader David Shearer declined, but turned up for 10 minutes anyway.
Prime Minister John Key said the Labour MPs had displayed “deep hypocrisy” after accusing the Government of being too close to SkyCity over the casino company’s plans to build a $400 million convention centre in Auckland in return for concessions on gambling laws.
“These guys have been running around parading as if they’re holier than thou, telling everybody how terrible SkyCity is and how the sky was going to cave in because a convention centre was being built and the moment we turn our back they are taking their sausage rolls and free beers in their box watching the All Blacks play,” he said today.”
I couldnt agree more.
Labour is a shambles and these Labour MPs dont seem to care, seems they think their career is over at next election already so they should be booted out now along with their wetfish leader
King, Goff, Faaafoi and Cosgrove are dickheads. Are they that stupid that they do not realise how bad it looks? Next time there is a request for the good people of South Auckland and West Auckland to put their hands in their pockets to help fund the Labour Party they will be less likely to do so because of these dickheads.
They are representatives of a proud political movement that has achieved a great deal of good for many ordinary people over many decades. These other bastards, the National Party, are wrecking the country and have to be thrown out next election. To maximise the left’s chances there needs to be no stuff ups and no dickhead moments.
All Labour MPs should be told to not accept any invitations to corporate boxes, especially those sponsored by Sky City, just in case they are too dickheaded to realise how bad it looks.
Nah, it is just four stupid vain people with a big sense of entitlement.
This is the core Shearer cheerleader team.
They are the ones that pushed Charles Chauvel out of winning Ohariu.
Besides taking $1,000 worth of hospitality each from Sky City, three of them used Tax Payer Funded flights to get to Auckland.
Did Sky City pay fot their overnight accomodation?
Did they stay in The Grand at Sky City’s expense?
Did they get Sky City Limos or Tax Payer Funded Corporate Limos?
Did any of them play tables with gift chips?
Does the term “being compromised” mean anything to these selfish morons?
So it is becoming abundantly clear that Brownlee needs to pan pretty much everyone to do with the Christchurch central city rebuild (especially the Christchurch City Council) in order to take the prying eyes away from this government’s most massive failing in this arena….
… that of the failure of the central city rebuild to spark. There have been plenty of stories of local investors and developers and entrepreneurs cashing up and leaving for other pastures. Long time locals. And now we, as participants in this rebuild, have come to a similar decision – a decision to pull back significantly from our intended steps.
The reason for this failure of Brownlee and this government? Imo, it was their decision to abandon the free market approach to the central city rebuild and take an interventionist approach on a par with soviet era Russia and their 5-year plans. This heavy-handed interventionist big-government left-wing approach has heavily distorted the scene. It has distorted the landscape to such an extent that private enterprise in the central city is pretty much impossible and that is why there is pretty much none going on.
That is why Brownlee is creating a crisis at the Council where there is none – to take the heat away from their failings.
It is a serious shame because the donut city becomes more of a reality with every passing day.
Yep, was in there yesterday and told that they have been getting help from Southland and Hawke Bay, among others, for some time already. It is like I said – there really is no crisis. There is a problem, but it is a problem that is consistent right across the city now, namely that of insufficient capacity. Pretty much anything that you need or want has a waiting list now and it is simply due to excess demand that simply cannot be met due to a lack of suitable people to do everything. And that aint going to be resolved.
And as above, the central city rebuild really is in dire straits. Aside from the more important housing and repair delays in the east, it is the most serious issue.
If the government had left the central city rebuild to the marketplace (subject to a few public institutions and relatively minor planning changes) then land values were plummeting to levels that would have made rebuilding stack up. And rebuilding by private enterprise would have sparked by now – as it has in other outer parts of the city.
By stepping in and mandating a Blueprint, and buying up half the city for their special anchor projects, they have completely distorted things.
Why has this government abandoned its political philosophy of small government, no interference, pro-free market? It’s approach in Chch is the most far-left interventionist approach this country has probably ever seen. And it is not working. Idiots.
Why has this government abandoned its political philosophy of small government, no interference, pro-free market?
It hasn’t. The correct terminology is Two faced or Speaking with forked tongue. What National say is never what they mean. They want small, non-interventionist government for everyone but them and their rich mates, i.e, everyone is on their own except for them and their rich mates who will get government support and handouts.
About time too, this is why we (the people of NZ) voted National in: to repeal section 97 of the Employment Relations Act 2000. Section 97 prevents the use of volunteers, contractors, or other casual employees by an employer during a strike or lockout.
I hope Key goes through with this but he probably won’t, just so he can be seen to be center-right…
You righties are unbelievable. You get all frothy on it if a law that you agree with is breached but if a law you do not agree with is breached you do not care.
Being prepared to break a particular law can be a legitimate form of protest, and after all, there are consequences, but neither law breaking nor consequences would be possible were it not for the rule of law.
I said, “can be”, because if we’re talking about the routine flouting or selective application of the law by the state, well, at that point the rule of law ceases.
Yet another scabs’ charter from the people who bought us the ’51 lockout. This dovetails nicely with the ‘reasonable’ changes they are proposing to allow bosses to walk away from bargaining. The boss ends bargaining, says ‘what are you gonna do about it?’ to their workers and if the staff take action, the boss brings in scabs under police protection. How’s that brighter future looking people?
Exactly, now that scabbing is legal what more can the Nats do to the remaining workers in this country? Chain them to work stations? Lock fire doors?
The tory labour legislation is all about downward pressure on wages and management by fear in a high unemployment environment. Jamie–Lee Ross what a tosser, hopefully he will get a suitable reaction if ever spotted in public by unionists.
Sure because a union would never start talks during the busy season at a meatworks would they? And they’d never go on strike during the busy time when they have the business over a barrell…no never
Its about time National started doing what they were put in to do.
Why not?
Workers are held to ransom by employers the rest of the time.
Every employer I ever worked for has insisted on getting all the work out of me before I get the money out of them. I’m sure a few folk can insist on it being the other way around, though. But not most workers.
When is the last time the meatworkers have struck during the busy season or the interisland ferries been stopped at Christmas because of strike action Winston?
If this is the problem that you say it is then why is the solution being applied 20 years too late?
When the people of New Zealand voted for National Ltd™ they did so, partially, on the basis of what John Key said. Among the statements he made about the direction his government would take are these . . .
. . . he lied. Again. And again. And again. He’s still lying. If John Key told the truth about National Ltd™’s intentions it would never have been elected. The actions of National Ltd™ in the area of employment are being rammed down the throat of New Zealand workers without a mandate.
Um, moral high horse? I just said you ducked the question, there’s no horse about it.
Undoubtedly there are laws which should be changed or repealed and perhaps infrequently there might be a need for entirely new laws. It is manifestly so, or else why bother with elections?
The rule of law also forms a significant part of the New Zealand constitution. The principles of the rule of law are not easily defined, but encompass ideas such as:
the powers exercised by parliamentarians and officials are based on legal authority;
there are minimum standards of justice to which the law must conform, eg laws affecting individual liberty should be reasonably certain and clear;
the law should have safeguards against the abuse of wide discretionary powers;
unfair discrimination should not be allowed by the law;
a person should not be deprived of his or her liberty, status or other substantial interest without the opportunity of a fair hearing before an impartial court or tribunal.
You need to wake up before you start typing, otherwise it just looks like a vague recollection of your disjointed R.E.M. sleep cycle.
Sadly, and astoundingly, that is our friend Dale when he is wide awake. You might think it resembles the semi-conscious outpourings of someone not fully awake, or even suffering from drug abuse, but I assure you, fender, the poor fellow won’t get any better.
You of course must be privy to details of the investigation before it is complete, whereas mere mortals will have to wait for official findings to be made public I suppose.
By the way, one of Bretts implications seemed to be that the NZ left would blame the “States” for making al Assad use chemical weapons on his own people.
The States has simply been itching to supply heavy weapons to the anti Assad brigade (even though half of them are foreign islamists from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and other nice places)
Syria uses chemical weapons on its own people, and not one word form the left wing parties of New Zealand.
Your witlessness never ceases to astound me. Those are allegations only; nothing has been proved. Where there WAS irrefutable proof of chemical weapon usage was in 2009-9, when Israel used Phosphorus bombs in its murderous assault on Gaza.
Far from condemning that use of chemical weapons, I remember you frequently expressing your endorsement of it.
The rest of your little rant is, as always, too incoherent and confused to justify any response.
Actaully the official statement says “The Assad regime could prove that its request for an investigation was not just a diversionary tactic by granting the U.N. fact-finding mission immediate and unfettered access to conduct on-site investigations to help reveal the truth about chemical weapons use in Syria. While pushing for a U.N. investigation, the United States has also been working urgently with our partners and allies as well as individuals inside Syria, including the Syrian opposition, to procure, share, and evaluate information associated with reports of chemical weapons use so that we can establish the facts and determine what took place.” http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/text-us-statement-syria-chemical-weapons-19396269
But congratuations on finding a way to use the horrible death of 100-150 people in Syria as an excuse to spray around some more of your fanatical Jew hate, Morrissey.
No, I just get bored with you constantly making everything about Israel
So I make “everything” about Israel, you say. Where in all of the debate about Edward Snowden, for instance, have I even mentioned Israel?
The only reason I mentioned Israel was because one (admittedly substandard) poster raised the question of chemical weapons usage. Now, of course, you will probably pretend otherwise, but the fact is that only two regimes have used chemical weapons, and they have in both cases been defended by their U.S. sponsor with the most aggressive and cynical “diplomacy” imaginable. The U.S. even concocted a fantastic story that attempted to pin the blame for the Halabja massacre on another official enemy, Iran.
There is no evidence that Syria has used chemical weapons—unlike Saddam Hussein’s Iraq and Israel.
I am sure you know that—but you keep on defending that halfwit Brett Dale if you want.
Probably because you haven’t thought of a way to connect Snowden and Israel. I wait with anticipation for the UN to confirm that Syria has used Sarin against it’s own people so I can flip you the middle finger and call you some choice names befitting the disgusting waste of protein you are.
Actually that’s not what I’d doing at all – not any more so than Annette Sykes celebrated 9/11 or Hone Harawera gave a moving eulogy of Osama bin Laden. You just enjoy attacking me in your limp fashion because you don’t agree with me – I’ve never known you to debate a point.
You are one of the most pointless commenters here.
Here’s what you said:
I wait with anticipation for the UN to confirm that Syria has used Sarin against it’s own people so I can flip you the middle finger and call you some choice names befitting the disgusting waste of protein you are.
Looking forward to confirmation of CW use, purely so that you can continue your petty little squabble with Morrissey, who you greatly resemble, although he does actually make points, wrongheaded as they often might be.
“Looking forward to confirmation of CW use, purely so that you can continue your petty little squabble with Morrissey, who you greatly resemble, although he does actually make points, wrongheaded as they often might be.”
You are such a martyr – do you get no enjoyment out of bickering you holier than thou prude?
I don’t. But yon Morrissey has a habit of lumping Jewish celebrities in with Likud at every available opportunity
Another lie. I do not “lump Jewish celebrities in with Likud”; some of the bravest, most outspoken critics of the outlaw Israeli regime have been, and are, Jewish celebrities.
A while ago you alleged, absurdly, that my pointing out the vile racism, the merciless lies and the brutal and possibly catastrophic defamation of a Palestinian Christian peace activist by Sacha Baron Cohen means that I was, ergo, attacking all Jews.
Over the last couple of years on this excellent forum, I have also expressed contempt for Barack Obama, Tau Henare, Winston Peters, the Japanese and Chinese governments, the Indonesian government, the American-backed Arab dictators, and many other criminals, con-men and impostors who have managed to get themselves into positions of inordinate and unjustified power.
Yet you, for some absolutely spurious reason, have consistently maintained that I am “fixated on Israel” and that by, say, reminding people that Israel used Phosphorus bombs on the civilians of Gaza, is to “spray around Jew hate”. Apparently, Israeli politicians and their hardline supporters, like Sacha Baron Cohen and Jerry Seinfeld and Maureen Lipman, are immune to criticism; to even point out their fanatical devotion to the Holy State is a crime.
You have no consistency, no integrity and no credibility.
Probably because you haven’t thought of a way to connect Snowden and Israel.
Unbelievable! I publicly keelhaul you for your lack of integrity, your dishonesty, and your irrationality—and you’re back at it almost immediately. As I mentioned before, I do feel a degree of compassion for you, but your idiotic maliciousness sorely tries my patience.
I wait with anticipation for the UN to confirm that Syria has used Sarin against it’s [sic] own people so I can flip you the middle finger and call you some choice names befitting the disgusting waste of protein you are.
We’ll skip the unimaginative and incompetent abuse and go straight to your one point: you are evidently trying to suggest I support the Syrian regime. I do not. Only a fool, i.e. you, would draw that inference from anything I have written here or anywhere else.
Where did I ever suggest you supported the Syrian regime? I was commenting on your adamant refusal to entertain the likelihood that nerve gas had been used simply because of an all too common anti-US knee jerk reflex. You’re projecting somewhat
Where did I ever suggest you supported the Syrian regime?
I thought it might have been one of your little jests, like calling me a “Jew-hater”.
I was commenting on your adamant refusal to entertain the likelihood that nerve gas had been used simply because of an all too common anti-US knee jerk reflex.
A thoroughly discredited regime, at present engaged in two overt wars, both of which it started, and two more undeclared wars, in Yemen and Pakistan, is now making claims similar to the false claims it made to start the 2003 Iraq war. Yet you choose to describe all those who do not accept the unproven allegations of that rogue state as “all too common anti-US knee jerk reflex.” That’s not only trivialization, that’s flagrant misrepresentation.
“A thoroughly discredited regime, at present engaged in two overt wars, both of which it started, and two more undeclared wars, in Yemen and Pakistan, is now making claims similar to the false claims it made to start the 2003 Iraq war. Yet you choose to describe all those who do not accept the unproven allegations of that rogue state as “all too common anti-US knee jerk reflex.” That’s not only trivialization, that’s flagrant misrepresentation.”
And correlation is not causation
“Projecting what?”
I wish I knew. That’s a question for your therapist.
I wait with anticipation for the UN to confirm that Syria has used Sarin against it’s [sic] own people so I can flip you the middle finger and call you some choice names befitting the disgusting waste of protein you are.
Now the US?UK is using the excuse of chemical weapons to validate the arming of Syrian rebel groups such as the Al Nusra Front an Al Qaeda affiliated organisation,
I made a link late last week, maybe from The Guardian, about the political entrepreneurship manipulating Shia / Sunni, and inter-sectarian oppositions, then there is always the memories of the mujahideen…
furthermore, there are the Iranian elections, all candidates competing in obedience to The Supreme Leader, seeking a more complicit Prez. from the single moderate, four conservative and one hardliner candidates.hmmm
In 2010, large amounts of information from numerous sources revealed the USA’s use of white phosphorus and depleted uranium shells in Iraq during various battles resulting from the USA’s illegal invasion in 2003. I don’t remember hearing any outrage about the illegal use of prohibited weapons from National. There was not a sound from their benches during or after the attacks, or later, when they were the Government and the truth became public. Coming to think of it they are still markedly reticent to comment on it.
A soldier’s body containing a live grenade and two bullets is brought back using three separate flights. Jonathan Coleman says Who could have imagined that this would happen. Well all of government really. Because they have fed us the story that our forces overseas are strictly there for reconstruction and to aid peace moves and then turned off their hearing aids off and pocketed their specs.
A major fall from grace gets 12 months home detention and 250 hours community service (what will he do I wonder) hen he was involved with others in losing $millions from hard-working taxpaying citizens. I want equal justice for beneficiaries who are found guilty of defrauding taxpayers.
Something odd happens every day. What’s odder is that nothing seems to be done to adjust the vision for a more practical and effective result.
Two democratic heroes;
Two very different treatments by Radio New Zealand
The Panel, Radio NZ National, Tuesday 11 June 2013
Jim Mora, Tony Doe, David Farrar
Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, I could not listen after 4 o’clock, but if the combination of inanity and insincere unctuousness in the preshow chat was anything to go by, I’m kind of glad I missed the main show.
This is what, according to Susan Baldacci and Jim Mora, the World is Talking About….
1.) Do i-Phones have a soul?
2.) Designated drivers are often just “less drunk” rather than sober.
3.) An exciting new coffee cup design that eliminates cup rings.
4.) Dogshit detectors in Spain.
5.) Nelson Mandela’s health.
This last topic supplied the unctuousness factor. Susan Baldacci announced that Mandela had rallied a little over the last twenty-four hours; Mora huffed and sighed: “That’s goodish news.” More huffing and sighing, then more unctuous expressions of goodwill for the Pope, who is also not in the best of health.
This contrasts brutally with Mora’s behaviour after Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez died…
The Panel, Radio NZ National, Friday 8 March 2013
JIM MORA: Okay, just a couple of minutes left. Should John Key go to Hugo Chávez’s funeral or not? I can see why he’s NOT going. Ha ha ha ha!
DAVID SLACK: Of course he should go. He’s been leaned on by the United States.
MORA: But he’d be seen to be endorsing a revolutionary left wing leader?
MARK INGALLS: I’m ashamed as a New Zealander that he’s not going.
I looked up Stanley the explorer in Wikipedia and was amazed at his great career and adaptability from very harsh beginnings. But others who hadn’t harsh or poor beginnings to overcome don’t always succeed in reaching their potential as civilised, well-rounded human beings. Note Jameson heir of a whiskey manufacturer below and don’t forget the truly awful Belgian King Leopold II. This is from Stanley’s entry in wikipedia.
In 1886, Stanley led the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition to “rescue” Emin Pasha, the governor of Equatoria in the southern Sudan.
King Leopold II demanded that Stanley take the longer route, via the Congo River, hoping to acquire more territory and perhaps even Equatoria.
After immense hardships and great loss of life, Stanley met Emin in 1888, charted the Ruwenzori Range and Lake Edward, and emerged from the interior with Emin and his surviving followers at the end of 1890.[25]
But this expedition tarnished Stanley’s name because of the conduct of the other Europeans: British gentlemen and army officers. An army major was shot by a carrier, after behaving with extreme cruelty.
James Jameson, heir to an Irish whiskey manufacturer, bought an 11-year-old girl and offered her to cannibals to document and sketch how she was cooked and eaten.[26] Stanley only found out when Jameson had died of fever.
I’m not so sure that Stanley should be painted in such a good light. From the same Wikipedia article…
However, statements by contemporaries of Stanley, such as Sir Richard Francis Burton, who claimed “Stanley shoots negroes as if they were monkeys”, paint a very different picture
For those who haven’t yet bothered to base their ‘pro-fluoride’ / ‘not-so-considered’ opinions on FACTS and EVIDENCE – you may be interested in this statement, from a leading UK Professor of Public Health?
Statement by leading UK Professor of Public Health.
Professor Peckham can be quoted as follows:-
As a Professor and Health Researcher I find pro-fluoridationists’ characterisation of those opposed to fluoridation as “quacks” offensive.
My work is supported by the UK Department of Health, I am a member of the UK Faculty of Public Health and have a number of funded research projects from the National Institutes for Health Research in the UK.
I have consistently opposed fluoridation policy due to the poor evidence base on its effectiveness, genuine concerns about potential health problems (requiring further research) and, therefore, the fact that imposing fluoridation is unethical.
Professor Stephen Peckham BSc. MA(Econ)., HMFPH
Director, Centre for Health Services Studies
Professor of Health Policy
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Director, Policy Research Unit in Commissioning and the Healthcare System
University of Kent
______________________________________________________________________________
Hilarious that Booz Allen tried to discredit Snowden by saying that his salary was only $122,000 per year, and Snowden claimed that he earnt $200,000 per year.
But figure in the big annual bonuses and benefits that these private consultant types get…and $200,000 doesn’t sound unreasonable at all.
“Ha ha ha, ho ho ho, he he he! Get him a sun lamp!!!”
An unusually inane and depraved edition of The Panel
Radio NZ National, Friday 14 June 2013
Jim Mora, Lisa Scott, Chris Trotter
JIM MORA: It’s Susan Baldacci, with What the Wooooorld’s Talking About! What have you got for us today? SUSAN BALDACCI: First up, Jim, is this Perth radio host who has been suspended for saying Julia Gillard’s husband is gay, because he is a hairdresser. JIM MORA: This is bizarre, isn’t it! LISA SCOTT: They’re attacking her because she’s a woman! CHRIS TROTTER: The same thing went on with Helen Clark. There were some TERRIBLE things said about her husband too. MORA: Yeah but they were more subterranean, weren’t they? In Australia this kind of thing is much more out in the open. CHRIS TROTTER: Well, Ian Wishart’s Investigate magazine has a much larger readership than one might think. MORA: But surely no mainstream, reputable media outlets in this country would TOLERATE that sort of thing would they?
REALITY CHECK….
Mora is either dishonest or has a memory like John Banks, i.e., he is dishonest. A few years ago on The Panel, one DOCTOR MICHAEL BASSETT worked himself up into a state of preternatural malice and snarled, absurdly, that Nicky Hager was a Holocaust-denier. I can think of nothing more despicable or extreme than uttering such a brutal and offensive falsehood on public radio—but Jim Mora did not say a word. Far from not tolerating “that sort of thing”, Mora’s guests on the Panel have included, as well as Bassett, such extreme and irrational figures as Nevil Breivik Gibson, Christine Spankin’ Rankin, and Garth Gaga George—to name just three off the top of my head. He has also respectfully interviewed such outré figures as the Sensible Sentencing Trust’s Garth “The Knife” McVicar. So much for his contention that no mainstream media outlets in this country would tolerate “that sort of thing.”
MORA: What else have you got for us? SUSAN BALDACCI: Well, this latest study shows that we’re all a little bit paranoid. There are three kinds of paranoia, apparently— MORA: Three kinds of paranoia? SUSAN BALDACCI:[annoyed] Y-y-y-y-yes.
She gives a brief survey of an article about paranoia she has just downloaded from the internet, and then the program takes a sinister turn….
SUSAN BALDACCI: Julian Assange is a little bit paranoid. MORA: Oh yes? Hur, hur, hur, hur! SUSAN BALDACCI: Yeah, he claims that being holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy, he is deprived of his human right of getting enough sun. MORA: Is it a human right to get enough sun? SUSAN BALDACCI: That’s what he claims! He claims that being not allowed to leave London is violating his “human rights”. MORA: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! LISA SCOTT: Ha ha ha ha ha ha! CHRIS TROTTER: Haw haw haw haw haw! SUSAN BALDACCI: He thinks he should be allowed out of his Ecuador embassy hideout to sunbathe. MORA: He can get out on the balcony, where he gave that speech! LISA SCOTT: Yeah! Ha ha ha ha ha! CHRIS TROTTER: Yeah! Ha ha ha ha ha! Or get him a sun lamp! THAT’s what he needs! LISA SCOTT: Ha ha ha ha ha! SUSAN BALDACCI: He he he he he! TROTTER: I suspect the ambassador’s just sick of the sight of him! “Are you ever going to LEEEEAAAVE?” MORA: Sun lamp! Get him a sun lamp!!! LISA SCOTT: Ha ha ha ha ha! MORA: Back after the news!
……4 p.m. News……
WAYNE MOWAT: The time is nine minutes past four and due to circumstances beyond our control, we have some more music.
Plays George Harrison’s “Apple Scruffs”, then something by Fat Freddy’s Drop. Wayne Mowat tells us there’s been a fire alarm so everyone has had to leave the building for a short time.
They’re back in the studio at 4:15. Somebody—presumably not Mora himself—decides to ditch the discussion about fluoridation and the loons who have stampeded the Hamilton City Council into abandoning it. But they still go ahead with the entirely pointless, extended introductions of the guests. Trotter vapors on about Bloom’s Day, which is coming up in Auckland. “There’s a lot of laughing,” he promises, “and some weeping.”
Then it’s on to the big, in-depth discussions, “the news of the day in a different way”….
Topic No. 1:
Labour’s hypocritical MPs accepting “hospitality” from Sky City…. LISA SCOTT:giggles winsomely It just shows that politicians are people too. CHRIS TROTTER: When I heard David Shearer say he didn’t know they were there, I almost threw my cellphone at the wall. To say that you didn’t know just shows you have no control over your caucus. LISA SCOTT: Yeah, yeah, it’s not a good look. It’s a bad look, all right. I agree with you.
Topic No. 2:
Dunedin mayor Dave Cull’s email exchange about the Dalai Lama is to be released to the public…. CHRIS TROTTER: With our increasing closeness to and reliance on China, there will be increasing pressure on university chancellors, mayors and all public officials to not have ANYTHING to do with the Dalai Lama. LISA SCOTT: Isn’t that sad! CHRIS TROTTER: It is, really. He’s a lovely chap! LISA SCOTT: Ha ha ha ha ha!
….[4:30 News]….
Soapbox….
MORA: What have you been thinking about, Lisa Scott? LISA SCOTT: I’ve been thinking about something called UBF. Do you know what it is—Unintentional Bitch Face. CHRIS TROTTER: Ho ho ho ho ho ho ho! LISA SCOTT: It’s when you look grumpy without meaning to. Posh Spice has UBF. MORA: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! She does too! Ha ha ha ha ha!
Sellotape behind the ears! This is cheap cosmetic surgery! LISA SCOTT: I’ve got UGF—Unintentionally Gormless Face. MORA: Posh DOES have a look doesn’t she! Okay, Chris Trotter, what’s been on your mind?
CHRIS TROTTER: Oh, mine seems terribly worthy now, compared to that GREAT topic. But an interesting factoid I have just learned is that New Zealand now has more than one thousand people employed in security. Why do we need so many spooks? MORA: Do you remember when it was just the SIS? In those days you got the impression it was only fifty to a hundred people. CHRIS TROTTER: Yes, those were the trenchcoat days, trailing Dr. Bill Sutch. Now it’s all NCIS and MORA: We chortle, but if Big Data like Prism is going to conform and constrain and dominate our lives, then we NEED that expertise!
The program ends with Trotter taking up his guitar and singing a melancholy tribute to the legendary Dunedin student pub, the Captain Cook, which is closing after 150 years.
Unfortunately, this publicly funded yock-fest will continue on Monday…..
I ran across a recent essay from The Brothers Krynn, which attempts to map common horror monsters onto the Seven Deadly Sins: https://canadianculturecorner.substack.com/p/horror-monsters-and-vice My interest, however, is not in the meat of the piece, but rather the opening paragraph: It is an interesting fact that in recent decades, Vampires have ...
Buzz from the Beehive Transport Minister Simeon Brown dutifully issued advice to all road users to keep safe on our roads during the Easter weekend. He encouraged them to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. ...
Oliver Hartwich writes – New Zealanders recently learned about a new feature film. It will be about former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern – and taxpayers will subsidise it to the tune of NZ$800,000. Ardern had nothing personally to do with either the film or the subsidy. But her government’s ...
TL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above that was recorded yesterday afternoon above between and The Kākā’s climate correspondent : An independent review panel into the emergency response to Cyclone Gabrielle in Hawkes Bayconcluded “that ...
There are now only a few days left to give feedback on the Draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport 2024-34 (see our earlier post this week on GPS submission guides). As we’ve reported, the GPS is a disaster for Local Government, so we were particularly interested to hear ...
Willis has pledged to go ahead with the debt-funded tax cuts, despite growing opposition from her own supporters worried about appearing fiscally irresponsible. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for ...
Open access notables A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North, van Wijngaarden et al., Climatic Change:The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased ...
Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On ...
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...
New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
COMMENTARY:By Ronny Kareni Since the atrocious footage of the suffering of an indigenous Papuan man reverberates in the heart of Puncak by the brute force of Indonesia’s army in early February, shocking tactics deployed by those in power to silence critics has been unfolding. Nowhere is this more evident ...
Analysis - Nicola Willis is holding firm on tax cuts despite the economic outlook being worse than forecast and critics urging her to wait, writes Peter Wilson for The Week In Politics. ...
Opposition MPs and unions are criticising a proposal by New Zealand’s Ministry of Pacific Peoples to cut staff by 40 percent. The country’s largest trade union — The Public Service Association — says the ministry has informed staff that it is looking to shed 63 of 156 positions. Opposition MPs ...
A poem by Poetry Aotearoa Yearbook 2024 featured poet Carin Smeaton. Daughtr of the 90s when she gets promoted to usherette a baby blu eel carries her all the way up to mothership she’s hovering high she lets the underaged in to see keanu reeves she lets the only lonely ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand. My earlier article – Can ‘Good’ be the Greater Evil? – looked at the issue of how wars should end, and how Good versus Evil ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 AMMA by Saraid de Silva (Moa Press, $38)A stunning debut novel reviewed by Brannavan ...
From Steve Martin to Ricky Stanicky, a pick’n’mix of things worth watching and listening to this long weekend. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. If you’re at a loss for something to occupy yourself with this Easter, don’t panic: The Spinoff’s got ...
Jesus had dinner with his 12 disciples right before he died. Noted historian Madeleine Chapman finds out who really deserved to be there.First published in 2018 but let’s be honest, the subject is timeless. As you sit on your couch this Easter Sunday, eating a chocolate egg you know ...
The newly-promoted Northern League club is on a mission to return to the National League for the first time in two decades. Plenty about domestic football in New Zealand has changed in that time – but the sense that this amateur competition is not an entirely level playing field remains. ...
Comment: Every year on February 2, a dozen men in tuxedos and top hats approach the burrow of a groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania and entice the beaver-like rodent to emerge and predict the weather. If the groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, sees its own shadow when it is summoned, legend ...
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Auckland Council has put a deadline on new weather-impacted property owners applying for categorisation as government funding looks set to run out. Councillors have voted to support a deadline of September 30 for property owners who haven’t accessed support to come forward and engage with the council’s recovery office. It ...
NONFICTION 1 BBQ Economics by Liam Dann (Penguin Random House, $40) “It’s official,” wrote Dann nine days ago in the Herald, where he works as business editor at large, “we’re in recession.” Yeah, great. He delivered the bad stats: “GDP fell 0.1 percent in the December 2023 quarter, compared with ...
By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Miller-Jones, Professor, Curtin University Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets. Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, CC BY-SA How fast can a neutron star drive powerful jets into space? The answer, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The federal government has bowed to pressure from the car industry, announcing it will relax proposed emissions rules for utes and vans and delay enforcement of the new standards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney In his latest book, Jewish Life in Medieval Spain, Jonathan Ray focuses on the tumult of the 14th century in Spain – a time of the plague, civil strife and war between the two largest ...
While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata Māori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is “far-off sight”. In the contemporary and living language of te reo Māori, “whakaata” as a ...
Yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. This significant step and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza prompted an urgent debate in the New Zealand Parliament. Leader ...
The Government’s decision to reduce access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) not only threatens the lives of children with type 1 diabetes and increases the potential for ‘Dead in Bed’ syndrome, but also threatens the health of their parents an ...
Apples are available year-round, but the wide variety on offer involves intensive scientific research – and large-scale commercialisation. What’s beautiful, red, sweet and crunchy? Tony Martin’s favourite kind of apple: Sassy. The CEO of apple and pear breeding organisation Prevar, Martin’s fondness for Sassy represents professional success as well as ...
Family violence specialist service Shine is calling on employers to stop asking for proof of domestic violence in order for employees to access domestic violence leave. The call comes five years after the introduction of the Domestic Violence ...
The Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for public submissions on the Budget Policy Statement 2024. The Budget Policy Statement 2024 (BPS) sets out the Government's priorities for the 2024 Budget. It explains the approach ...
Brutal government spending cuts that will see the size of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples slashed by 40% will hit Pasifika communities hard, the PSA says. The Ministry has told staff that it is seeking voluntary redundancies, and to redeploy and reassign ...
I live with five people I mostly love, but our different ideas about generosity are starting to really irk me.Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,This is a bit of a random one but here goes. I’m 22 and work an OK job (OK meaning I get paid ...
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While Nicola Willis wouldn’t give any details on its size, she said a package of tax cuts is definitely still coming in this year’s budget, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the investigation into the Department of Internal Affairs after it was revealed that the Department’s Chief Executive personally reached out to expedite a DJs passport application. Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns ...
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Tauranga, Rotorua, Wellsford, Onehunga, Westhaven marina – Gavin Strawhan walks the meanish streets of New Zealand in his entertaining debut novel The Call, almost sure to roar into the number 1 position on the Nielsen bestseller chart, its front cover bearing a rave from somebody: “A really good and genuinely ...
Obviously, the Labour caucus did not listen to their membership when they selected Mumblefuck as “leader” of the party. How then did that come about? Well, this audio transcript of the pivotal decision moment has just come to me:
Voice 1: I hereby convene this session of the Iron Spines Society.
Voices [chanting]: We are the ABC Warriors!
Voice [booming]: Bigjobs!!
Voice 1: Yes. Now that our colleague has completed his 3 year assignment; snatching the laurels of failure from the jaws of victory, we needs must select a replacement. Lest we be at risk of the Goff’s human appearance seducing the punters away from the true path before our associate’s tasks are complete.
Voices: [indistinct disgruntled murmuring]
Voice 2: If I may have the floor? [sound of chairs moving etc.] We must be honest with ourselves; the Goff was a mistake; his humulation programing was too successful, and his, well; robotic…
Voices: [chuckling]
Voice: Bigjobs!!
Voice 2: His robotic command of numbers created a dangerous perception of competance.
Voices: [indistinct disgruntled murmuring]
Voice 1: We know this already, Robertron.
Voice 2: Ah, but does not our problem suggest it’s own solution? If the punters are indeed just a insufficiently industrious bunch of losers, then what do we need to seduce them to the cause of steel?
Voice 1: You’re right! What we need is the greatest loser concievable…
Voice 2: But where can we find this paragon of ineptituide?
[sound of door knock, then hinge squeak as it opens]
Voice 3: Did you want some tea? I mean, it smells like; engine oil, but that can’t… It must be tea – it’s in ummm… Teaspoons? No; cups. Or is it coffee? I may have some mango skins on me somewhere I could squeeze out for you? Did I ever tell you about the time I was in Africa…
[Transcript ends]
That was a cut and paste of an earlier comment (33.2.1 on Zetettic’s 7/6 “Gone” post), which is about to slip off the bottom of the page. It seems relevant again with the Sky City rugby box fiasco, and anyway; is the best bit of writing I’ve done since I’ve started commenting on this site – though I’d been a reader for years.
Just so no gets confused: “Well, this audio transcript of the pivotal decision moment has just come to me”, means; I made up this satire to help deal with my anger about Labour’s incompetence. The; ABC Warriors, were a recurring story, with varying writers, in the 2000AD comic which is most famous for; Judge Dredd. They were; an unpleasant band of robotic mercenaries, whose main pleasure in unlife was watching human/ chainsaw torture porn.
Not all the ABC warriors (in particular Hammerstein) were like that especially when they hooked up with Nemesis the Warlock
It’s been years since I’ve read the comic (is is still being done? Is 2000AD?). Yeah, OK; maybe Hammerstein wasn’t as bad as MekQuake – but that’s a pretty low bar!
2000AD is still going strong, in fact the Dredd movie that recently came out was pretty good (even though it bombed at the box office)
+1, and every Dredd fan I know agrees, and wants more from Karl and the gang
Yes please. Still amazes me that they thought to age Dredd in real time in the comics.
Well rejuv drugs help
Pasupial, it looks as if you have been watching too much television. Are you aware of the difference between official fiction and reality ?
“Earthquake ? What earthquake ?” said the Mayor as he brushed off a few crumbs and some debris and passed the tea to Alice.
“.. and what is a Pasupial ?” asked the March Hare as he studied an old map of Australia.
@ Tom
You do understand the term; satire?
I don’t watch TV since it’s gone digital, and rarely enough before then (why didn’t you say; “it looks like you read too many comics”? That’d at least be relevant, though a decade out of date). However, I view DVDs of series, where you get the fill without the content (terms that seem exactly the wrong way round to me). And do sometimes look up news footage online; but I’m not often interested enough. I will stream TV3’s; 7 days, if its on though.
Pasupial is a nom de clave to protect myself against offline retaliation. It refers to my wee Basupial’s tendency to; cling on like a koala to a tree, with myself & Masupial.
7 Days is back on again. About the only thing worth watching on a Friday night until the Cricket comes on.
I know I say “its a non story” on here a bit but the best non story of the week is the Labour MP’s at the sky city corporate box. If it was business then can the emails and recorded conversations be tabled or leaked to Winston.
I am really concerned that 4 labour MP’s are soliciting corporate sponsorship or business deals.
Can anyone help?
You know you’re stirring……..
Not stirring – always declared my position on here. im centre right and enjoy the dialogue. It is a stuff up by labour isn’t it?
@ Yes
I’m not so sure about the; “centre” part of “centre right”, but yeah; you’ve been tolerably upfront about your views. And yes; it was a stuff-up by Labour, or at least; one part of the Labour caucus, rather than the Labour party as a whole.
However, NAct’s reponse that; the scandal lay in the Labour MPs accepting the seats in the Sky City box and then not voting for their legislation, suggests that a seat at the rugby really is enough to buy your average NAct MP. Whereas the 4 Labour MPs (plus their 10 minute leader) were merely guilty of a miserable error in judgement, rather than systemic corruption.
But it’s an ill wind that blows no one any good: The Greens have come out of this looking like the only Party in Parliament who actually believe in any ethical principles.
Yes a stuff up for sure.
Yes a stuff up for sure.
Yes a stuff up for sure.
Man, who is advising these idiots? They had it on a plate this week – the Dunne affair, the continuous erosion of labour rights – and then they go and mingle with the SkyCity crowd. And all of a sudden, the topic is not the corrupt ways of the Key government and the Sky City deal, but the blatant hypocrisy of Labour politicians.
It’s fucking embarrassing, because as we know, and the MSM are constantly reminding us of it – in politics, it’s all about perception.
Yep key is calling it “deep hypocrisy” and sadly another arrow in the quiver that could be used to stop these gnats has been broken.
” Phil Goff, Annette King, Kris Faafoi and Clayton Cosgrove accepted SkyCity’s invitation. Their leader David Shearer declined, but turned up for 10 minutes anyway.
Prime Minister John Key said the Labour MPs had displayed “deep hypocrisy” after accusing the Government of being too close to SkyCity over the casino company’s plans to build a $400 million convention centre in Auckland in return for concessions on gambling laws.
“These guys have been running around parading as if they’re holier than thou, telling everybody how terrible SkyCity is and how the sky was going to cave in because a convention centre was being built and the moment we turn our back they are taking their sausage rolls and free beers in their box watching the All Blacks play,” he said today.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10890361
What a fucken joke this labour opposition is.
I couldnt agree more.
Labour is a shambles and these Labour MPs dont seem to care, seems they think their career is over at next election already so they should be booted out now along with their wetfish leader
Just as well there is also a Greens opposition.
These arrogant clowns were being mollycuddled by Sky City hostesses while we were collecting Asset signatures .
Aye.
King, Goff, Faaafoi and Cosgrove are dickheads. Are they that stupid that they do not realise how bad it looks? Next time there is a request for the good people of South Auckland and West Auckland to put their hands in their pockets to help fund the Labour Party they will be less likely to do so because of these dickheads.
They are representatives of a proud political movement that has achieved a great deal of good for many ordinary people over many decades. These other bastards, the National Party, are wrecking the country and have to be thrown out next election. To maximise the left’s chances there needs to be no stuff ups and no dickhead moments.
All Labour MPs should be told to not accept any invitations to corporate boxes, especially those sponsored by Sky City, just in case they are too dickheaded to realise how bad it looks.
Dickheads, dickheads, dickheads.
Did I mention that I think they are dickheads?
Yeah, pretty fundamentally stupid eh? I really want to like Labour but they sure make it fucking difficult.
At this stage I don’t want to vote for any party.
Try the Vote Them Out party TC.
The only true alternative.
Maybe I’ll vote ALCP just because they are the only ones with a principle they actually stand behind.
Meh, party vote National and a tick for a local liberal to make yourself feel better.
Nah, it is just four stupid vain people with a big sense of entitlement.
This is the core Shearer cheerleader team.
They are the ones that pushed Charles Chauvel out of winning Ohariu.
Besides taking $1,000 worth of hospitality each from Sky City, three of them used Tax Payer Funded flights to get to Auckland.
Did Sky City pay fot their overnight accomodation?
Did they stay in The Grand at Sky City’s expense?
Did they get Sky City Limos or Tax Payer Funded Corporate Limos?
Did any of them play tables with gift chips?
Does the term “being compromised” mean anything to these selfish morons?
They are National lite this crew
The Lite Right.
Did Phil Goff, Annette King, Kris Faafoi and Clayton Cosgrove not think how this may be perceived?
Did they? Or not?
What do they have to say to this fubar? Have they answered the allegation?
So it is becoming abundantly clear that Brownlee needs to pan pretty much everyone to do with the Christchurch central city rebuild (especially the Christchurch City Council) in order to take the prying eyes away from this government’s most massive failing in this arena….
… that of the failure of the central city rebuild to spark. There have been plenty of stories of local investors and developers and entrepreneurs cashing up and leaving for other pastures. Long time locals. And now we, as participants in this rebuild, have come to a similar decision – a decision to pull back significantly from our intended steps.
The reason for this failure of Brownlee and this government? Imo, it was their decision to abandon the free market approach to the central city rebuild and take an interventionist approach on a par with soviet era Russia and their 5-year plans. This heavy-handed interventionist big-government left-wing approach has heavily distorted the scene. It has distorted the landscape to such an extent that private enterprise in the central city is pretty much impossible and that is why there is pretty much none going on.
That is why Brownlee is creating a crisis at the Council where there is none – to take the heat away from their failings.
It is a serious shame because the donut city becomes more of a reality with every passing day.
Brownlee should stick to his knitting.
Agreed VTO.
Interesting that offers of support are flooding in from other Councils. They obviously realise that if Christchurch gets beaten up they may be next.
http://www.ccc.govt.nz/thecouncil/newsmedia/mediareleases/2013/201306135.aspx
Yep, was in there yesterday and told that they have been getting help from Southland and Hawke Bay, among others, for some time already. It is like I said – there really is no crisis. There is a problem, but it is a problem that is consistent right across the city now, namely that of insufficient capacity. Pretty much anything that you need or want has a waiting list now and it is simply due to excess demand that simply cannot be met due to a lack of suitable people to do everything. And that aint going to be resolved.
And as above, the central city rebuild really is in dire straits. Aside from the more important housing and repair delays in the east, it is the most serious issue.
If the government had left the central city rebuild to the marketplace (subject to a few public institutions and relatively minor planning changes) then land values were plummeting to levels that would have made rebuilding stack up. And rebuilding by private enterprise would have sparked by now – as it has in other outer parts of the city.
By stepping in and mandating a Blueprint, and buying up half the city for their special anchor projects, they have completely distorted things.
Why has this government abandoned its political philosophy of small government, no interference, pro-free market? It’s approach in Chch is the most far-left interventionist approach this country has probably ever seen. And it is not working. Idiots.
square pegs and round holes, National’s policies and New Zealand’s needs
It hasn’t. The correct terminology is Two faced or Speaking with forked tongue. What National say is never what they mean. They want small, non-interventionist government for everyone but them and their rich mates, i.e, everyone is on their own except for them and their rich mates who will get government support and handouts.
Knitting??? More like eating everything in sight. Reminds me of Billy Bunter, the “Fat Owl of the Remove”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Bunter
Prisoners to refurbish houses for HNZ
About time too, this is why we (the people of NZ) voted National in: to repeal section 97 of the Employment Relations Act 2000. Section 97 prevents the use of volunteers, contractors, or other casual employees by an employer during a strike or lockout.
I hope Key goes through with this but he probably won’t, just so he can be seen to be center-right…
Do you believe in the rule of law Winston?
Not always, depends on the law.
You righties are unbelievable. You get all frothy on it if a law that you agree with is breached but if a law you do not agree with is breached you do not care.
Good Answer some laws are just plain stupid.
WS ducks the question.
Being prepared to break a particular law can be a legitimate form of protest, and after all, there are consequences, but neither law breaking nor consequences would be possible were it not for the rule of law.
I said, “can be”, because if we’re talking about the routine flouting or selective application of the law by the state, well, at that point the rule of law ceases.
Yet another scabs’ charter from the people who bought us the ’51 lockout. This dovetails nicely with the ‘reasonable’ changes they are proposing to allow bosses to walk away from bargaining. The boss ends bargaining, says ‘what are you gonna do about it?’ to their workers and if the staff take action, the boss brings in scabs under police protection. How’s that brighter future looking people?
“I’d love to see wages drop”. John Key.
Exactly, now that scabbing is legal what more can the Nats do to the remaining workers in this country? Chain them to work stations? Lock fire doors?
The tory labour legislation is all about downward pressure on wages and management by fear in a high unemployment environment. Jamie–Lee Ross what a tosser, hopefully he will get a suitable reaction if ever spotted in public by unionists.
Sure because a union would never start talks during the busy season at a meatworks would they? And they’d never go on strike during the busy time when they have the business over a barrell…no never
Its about time National started doing what they were put in to do.
What, collective action timed to be as effective as possible?
Why are you so afraid of the freedoms of speech and assembly? Why are you whining about people exercising their freedoms?
Are you a cry-baby as well as a scab?
Scab…lol, sorry I seem to have misplaced my cloth cap as I trudge off down t’ mill
I’m not saying people can’t strike, if they want to strike then good on them but employers shouldn’t be held to ransom by some union delegates
Why not?
Workers are held to ransom by employers the rest of the time.
Every employer I ever worked for has insisted on getting all the work out of me before I get the money out of them. I’m sure a few folk can insist on it being the other way around, though. But not most workers.
@ O’Brien
I see you remembered your arse-hat though.
When is the last time the meatworkers have struck during the busy season or the interisland ferries been stopped at Christmas because of strike action Winston?
If this is the problem that you say it is then why is the solution being applied 20 years too late?
Hey Winston Smith, take your attitude to workers and shove it as hard as you can right up until your eyes water, arsehole.
Aint no trouble finding you in this you ignorant evil prick … http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyUagbsg-HI
I appreciate that you have sexual feelings towards me but, alas, I’m happily married but don’t worry theres someone for everyone.
🙂
Once again you prove comprehension is not your forte.
It sounded like he/she wanted to have sexy times with me so I thought I’d let them down easy, don’t want to lead anyone on 🙂
Maybe you place too much importance in having your arsehole giving you “sexy times”.
I don’t discriminate about where people have sexy times
Good on you, though your discrimination towards workers makes you look rather discriminaTory.
W Smith I see you have turned up again to encourage the inhabitants to tease you with bananas and peanuts. Clever old you.
‘
When the people of New Zealand voted for National Ltd™ they did so, partially, on the basis of what John Key said. Among the statements he made about the direction his government would take are these . . .
. . . he lied. Again. And again. And again. He’s still lying. If John Key told the truth about National Ltd™’s intentions it would never have been elected. The actions of National Ltd™ in the area of employment are being rammed down the throat of New Zealand workers without a mandate.
Um, moral high horse? I just said you ducked the question, there’s no horse about it.
Undoubtedly there are laws which should be changed or repealed and perhaps infrequently there might be a need for entirely new laws. It is manifestly so, or else why bother with elections?
Comment apparently orphaned?
Syria uses chemical weapons on its own people, and not one word form the left wing parties of New Zealand.
But if a farmer from Otago, sprays chemicals on his apples, Russell Norman will be screaming from the roof tops.
Im sure the standard and the left wing parties will mention the syria story, of course they will blame the states though.
You need to wake up before you start typing, otherwise it just looks like a vague recollection of your disjointed R.E.M. sleep cycle.
You need to wake up before you start typing, otherwise it just looks like a vague recollection of your disjointed R.E.M. sleep cycle.
Sadly, and astoundingly, that is our friend Dale when he is wide awake. You might think it resembles the semi-conscious outpourings of someone not fully awake, or even suffering from drug abuse, but I assure you, fender, the poor fellow won’t get any better.
Fender
Oh Please, your ideology is stopping you from condemning a crime,
Yeah the “States” made Bashar al-Assad use chemical weapons did they?
Those Hobbit boxer shorts must be too tight, they seem to be restricting a supply of blood to your brain.
I rather think the implication was that the left wing parties whould be condemning Al-Assad. Your mind is fascinating.
You of course must be privy to details of the investigation before it is complete, whereas mere mortals will have to wait for official findings to be made public I suppose.
By the way, one of Bretts implications seemed to be that the NZ left would blame the “States” for making al Assad use chemical weapons on his own people.
The States has simply been itching to supply heavy weapons to the anti Assad brigade (even though half of them are foreign islamists from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and other nice places)
Nothing to go wrong here.
Syria uses chemical weapons on its own people, and not one word form the left wing parties of New Zealand.
Your witlessness never ceases to astound me. Those are allegations only; nothing has been proved. Where there WAS irrefutable proof of chemical weapon usage was in 2009-9, when Israel used Phosphorus bombs in its murderous assault on Gaza.
Far from condemning that use of chemical weapons, I remember you frequently expressing your endorsement of it.
The rest of your little rant is, as always, too incoherent and confused to justify any response.
Actaully the official statement says “The Assad regime could prove that its request for an investigation was not just a diversionary tactic by granting the U.N. fact-finding mission immediate and unfettered access to conduct on-site investigations to help reveal the truth about chemical weapons use in Syria. While pushing for a U.N. investigation, the United States has also been working urgently with our partners and allies as well as individuals inside Syria, including the Syrian opposition, to procure, share, and evaluate information associated with reports of chemical weapons use so that we can establish the facts and determine what took place.” http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/text-us-statement-syria-chemical-weapons-19396269
But congratuations on finding a way to use the horrible death of 100-150 people in Syria as an excuse to spray around some more of your fanatical Jew hate, Morrissey.
… your fanatical Jew hate, Morrissey.
What a deliriously funny example of desperation. You just can’t argue in good faith, can you?
A word to the wise, my friend: when you are unable to formulate a coherent and civilized response, silence is the better option.
That kind of mad rhetoric only makes you look bad. In fact, it’s so crazed that I’m not even offended, and I actually feel pity for you.
No, I just get bored with you constantly making everything about Israel
No, I just get bored with you constantly making everything about Israel
So I make “everything” about Israel, you say. Where in all of the debate about Edward Snowden, for instance, have I even mentioned Israel?
The only reason I mentioned Israel was because one (admittedly substandard) poster raised the question of chemical weapons usage. Now, of course, you will probably pretend otherwise, but the fact is that only two regimes have used chemical weapons, and they have in both cases been defended by their U.S. sponsor with the most aggressive and cynical “diplomacy” imaginable. The U.S. even concocted a fantastic story that attempted to pin the blame for the Halabja massacre on another official enemy, Iran.
There is no evidence that Syria has used chemical weapons—unlike Saddam Hussein’s Iraq and Israel.
I am sure you know that—but you keep on defending that halfwit Brett Dale if you want.
Probably because you haven’t thought of a way to connect Snowden and Israel. I wait with anticipation for the UN to confirm that Syria has used Sarin against it’s own people so I can flip you the middle finger and call you some choice names befitting the disgusting waste of protein you are.
I have no doubt you will.
Pretty much sums up your interest in things as far as I can see.
Ironic thopugh that you so look forward to using the deaths in syria as an excuse to indulge your, what was it, ‘semi-fictional persona’?
Actually that’s not what I’d doing at all – not any more so than Annette Sykes celebrated 9/11 or Hone Harawera gave a moving eulogy of Osama bin Laden. You just enjoy attacking me in your limp fashion because you don’t agree with me – I’ve never known you to debate a point.
That’s hilarious Pop.
You are one of the most pointless commenters here.
Here’s what you said:
I wait with anticipation for the UN to confirm that Syria has used Sarin against it’s own people so I can flip you the middle finger and call you some choice names befitting the disgusting waste of protein you are.
Looking forward to confirmation of CW use, purely so that you can continue your petty little squabble with Morrissey, who you greatly resemble, although he does actually make points, wrongheaded as they often might be.
“Looking forward to confirmation of CW use, purely so that you can continue your petty little squabble with Morrissey, who you greatly resemble, although he does actually make points, wrongheaded as they often might be.”
You are such a martyr – do you get no enjoyment out of bickering you holier than thou prude?
I’m not claiming any sort of martyr status Pop. That would be you having a big old cry because the mean old bookie calls you on your contentless shit.
And pointless bickering for the sake of it is, obviously, pointless.
But at least you’ve confirmed that’s what you come here for, which is obvious enough given the way you (t)roll.
@Populuxe1
Please don’t confuse the actions of the Israeli government with Judaism.
@Populuxe1
Please don’t confuse the actions of the Israeli government with Judaism.
He’s not confused, richard, he’s just dishonest.
I don’t. But yon Morrissey has a habit of lumping Jewish celebrities in with Likud at every available opportunity
I don’t. But yon Morrissey has a habit of lumping Jewish celebrities in with Likud at every available opportunity
Another lie. I do not “lump Jewish celebrities in with Likud”; some of the bravest, most outspoken critics of the outlaw Israeli regime have been, and are, Jewish celebrities.
A while ago you alleged, absurdly, that my pointing out the vile racism, the merciless lies and the brutal and possibly catastrophic defamation of a Palestinian Christian peace activist by Sacha Baron Cohen means that I was, ergo, attacking all Jews.
Over the last couple of years on this excellent forum, I have also expressed contempt for Barack Obama, Tau Henare, Winston Peters, the Japanese and Chinese governments, the Indonesian government, the American-backed Arab dictators, and many other criminals, con-men and impostors who have managed to get themselves into positions of inordinate and unjustified power.
Yet you, for some absolutely spurious reason, have consistently maintained that I am “fixated on Israel” and that by, say, reminding people that Israel used Phosphorus bombs on the civilians of Gaza, is to “spray around Jew hate”. Apparently, Israeli politicians and their hardline supporters, like Sacha Baron Cohen and Jerry Seinfeld and Maureen Lipman, are immune to criticism; to even point out their fanatical devotion to the Holy State is a crime.
You have no consistency, no integrity and no credibility.
Probably because you haven’t thought of a way to connect Snowden and Israel.
Unbelievable! I publicly keelhaul you for your lack of integrity, your dishonesty, and your irrationality—and you’re back at it almost immediately. As I mentioned before, I do feel a degree of compassion for you, but your idiotic maliciousness sorely tries my patience.
I wait with anticipation for the UN to confirm that Syria has used Sarin against it’s [sic] own people so I can flip you the middle finger and call you some choice names befitting the disgusting waste of protein you are.
We’ll skip the unimaginative and incompetent abuse and go straight to your one point: you are evidently trying to suggest I support the Syrian regime. I do not. Only a fool, i.e. you, would draw that inference from anything I have written here or anywhere else.
Where did I ever suggest you supported the Syrian regime? I was commenting on your adamant refusal to entertain the likelihood that nerve gas had been used simply because of an all too common anti-US knee jerk reflex. You’re projecting somewhat
Where did I ever suggest you supported the Syrian regime?
I thought it might have been one of your little jests, like calling me a “Jew-hater”.
I was commenting on your adamant refusal to entertain the likelihood that nerve gas had been used simply because of an all too common anti-US knee jerk reflex.
A thoroughly discredited regime, at present engaged in two overt wars, both of which it started, and two more undeclared wars, in Yemen and Pakistan, is now making claims similar to the false claims it made to start the 2003 Iraq war. Yet you choose to describe all those who do not accept the unproven allegations of that rogue state as “all too common anti-US knee jerk reflex.” That’s not only trivialization, that’s flagrant misrepresentation.
You’re projecting somewhat
Projecting what?
“A thoroughly discredited regime, at present engaged in two overt wars, both of which it started, and two more undeclared wars, in Yemen and Pakistan, is now making claims similar to the false claims it made to start the 2003 Iraq war. Yet you choose to describe all those who do not accept the unproven allegations of that rogue state as “all too common anti-US knee jerk reflex.” That’s not only trivialization, that’s flagrant misrepresentation.”
And correlation is not causation
“Projecting what?”
I wish I knew. That’s a question for your therapist.
I wait with anticipation for the UN to confirm that Syria has used Sarin against it’s [sic] own people so I can flip you the middle finger and call you some choice names befitting the disgusting waste of protein you are.
Oops
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8p_quncrKlI
Ok, Syrian rebels used it against Syrians. They’re both as bad as each other.
Now the US?UK is using the excuse of chemical weapons to validate the arming of Syrian rebel groups such as the Al Nusra Front an Al Qaeda affiliated organisation,
What could go wrong with this plan?.
I made a link late last week, maybe from The Guardian, about the political entrepreneurship manipulating Shia / Sunni, and inter-sectarian oppositions, then there is always the memories of the mujahideen…
furthermore, there are the Iranian elections, all candidates competing in obedience to The Supreme Leader, seeking a more complicit Prez. from the single moderate, four conservative and one hardliner candidates.hmmm
In 2010, large amounts of information from numerous sources revealed the USA’s use of white phosphorus and depleted uranium shells in Iraq during various battles resulting from the USA’s illegal invasion in 2003. I don’t remember hearing any outrage about the illegal use of prohibited weapons from National. There was not a sound from their benches during or after the attacks, or later, when they were the Government and the truth became public. Coming to think of it they are still markedly reticent to comment on it.
here is a press release about one of the studies
http://www.thecbdf.org/ar/cbdf-reaserch-papers/61-international-journal-of-environmental-studies-and-public-health-ijerph-switzerland-genetic-damage-and-health-in-fallujah-iraq-worse-than-hiroshima-
p.s. here is the Greens policy on such
http://www.greens.org.nz/policy/globalaffairs
section on global security 3 B
A soldier’s body containing a live grenade and two bullets is brought back using three separate flights. Jonathan Coleman says Who could have imagined that this would happen. Well all of government really. Because they have fed us the story that our forces overseas are strictly there for reconstruction and to aid peace moves and then turned off their hearing aids off and pocketed their specs.
A major fall from grace gets 12 months home detention and 250 hours community service (what will he do I wonder) hen he was involved with others in losing $millions from hard-working taxpaying citizens. I want equal justice for beneficiaries who are found guilty of defrauding taxpayers.
Something odd happens every day. What’s odder is that nothing seems to be done to adjust the vision for a more practical and effective result.
Two democratic heroes;
Two very different treatments by Radio New Zealand
The Panel, Radio NZ National, Tuesday 11 June 2013
Jim Mora, Tony Doe, David Farrar
Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, I could not listen after 4 o’clock, but if the combination of inanity and insincere unctuousness in the preshow chat was anything to go by, I’m kind of glad I missed the main show.
This is what, according to Susan Baldacci and Jim Mora, the World is Talking About….
1.) Do i-Phones have a soul?
2.) Designated drivers are often just “less drunk” rather than sober.
3.) An exciting new coffee cup design that eliminates cup rings.
4.) Dogshit detectors in Spain.
5.) Nelson Mandela’s health.
This last topic supplied the unctuousness factor. Susan Baldacci announced that Mandela had rallied a little over the last twenty-four hours; Mora huffed and sighed: “That’s goodish news.” More huffing and sighing, then more unctuous expressions of goodwill for the Pope, who is also not in the best of health.
This contrasts brutally with Mora’s behaviour after Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez died…
The Panel, Radio NZ National, Friday 8 March 2013
JIM MORA: Okay, just a couple of minutes left. Should John Key go to Hugo Chávez’s funeral or not? I can see why he’s NOT going. Ha ha ha ha!
DAVID SLACK: Of course he should go. He’s been leaned on by the United States.
MORA: But he’d be seen to be endorsing a revolutionary left wing leader?
MARK INGALLS: I’m ashamed as a New Zealander that he’s not going.
[Long uncomfortable pause….]
MORA: [grudgingly] Mmmmkay.
I looked up Stanley the explorer in Wikipedia and was amazed at his great career and adaptability from very harsh beginnings. But others who hadn’t harsh or poor beginnings to overcome don’t always succeed in reaching their potential as civilised, well-rounded human beings. Note Jameson heir of a whiskey manufacturer below and don’t forget the truly awful Belgian King Leopold II. This is from Stanley’s entry in wikipedia.
In 1886, Stanley led the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition to “rescue” Emin Pasha, the governor of Equatoria in the southern Sudan.
King Leopold II demanded that Stanley take the longer route, via the Congo River, hoping to acquire more territory and perhaps even Equatoria.
After immense hardships and great loss of life, Stanley met Emin in 1888, charted the Ruwenzori Range and Lake Edward, and emerged from the interior with Emin and his surviving followers at the end of 1890.[25]
But this expedition tarnished Stanley’s name because of the conduct of the other Europeans: British gentlemen and army officers. An army major was shot by a carrier, after behaving with extreme cruelty.
James Jameson, heir to an Irish whiskey manufacturer, bought an 11-year-old girl and offered her to cannibals to document and sketch how she was cooked and eaten.[26] Stanley only found out when Jameson had died of fever.
I’m not so sure that Stanley should be painted in such a good light. From the same Wikipedia article…
Richard I missed that – Stanley was a man of his time it seems. What a time, thumbs down.
FYI
For those who haven’t yet bothered to base their ‘pro-fluoride’ / ‘not-so-considered’ opinions on FACTS and EVIDENCE – you may be interested in this statement, from a leading UK Professor of Public Health?
______________________________________________________________________________
Statement by leading UK Professor of Public Health.
Professor Peckham can be quoted as follows:-
As a Professor and Health Researcher I find pro-fluoridationists’ characterisation of those opposed to fluoridation as “quacks” offensive.
My work is supported by the UK Department of Health, I am a member of the UK Faculty of Public Health and have a number of funded research projects from the National Institutes for Health Research in the UK.
I have consistently opposed fluoridation policy due to the poor evidence base on its effectiveness, genuine concerns about potential health problems (requiring further research) and, therefore, the fact that imposing fluoridation is unethical.
Professor Stephen Peckham BSc. MA(Econ)., HMFPH
Director, Centre for Health Services Studies
Professor of Health Policy
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Director, Policy Research Unit in Commissioning and the Healthcare System
University of Kent
______________________________________________________________________________
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption /anti-privatisation’ campaigner
2013 Auckland Mayoral candidate
http://www.occupyaucklandvsaucklandcouncilappeal.org.nz/?page_id=152
Gluckman pronounced the last word for NZ;
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE1306/S00035/sir-peter-gluckman-statement-of-flouride.htm
IMO, the evidence base for its effectiveness is much better than the evidence base for any concerns.
same. ‘see ya’ on the ‘morrow.
Internal (upskirt) Affairs going on.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10890527
The Depletion of Natural Capital
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/environment/news/article.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=10890145
1 in 5 Pensioners still in paid employment; high cost of living, finance company collapses and divorce
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10890446
Snowden: China stays quiet.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10890430
Europe Floods
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/europe/news/article.cfm?l_id=7&objectid=10889629
Hilarious that Booz Allen tried to discredit Snowden by saying that his salary was only $122,000 per year, and Snowden claimed that he earnt $200,000 per year.
But figure in the big annual bonuses and benefits that these private consultant types get…and $200,000 doesn’t sound unreasonable at all.
just about to retrieve some Chinese perspective before biking home (cold snap).
Here’s a good read, and a short one too:
http://indigenoushistory.wordpress.com/2013/05/09/what-if-people-told-european-history-like-they-told-native-american-history/
That’s good. The comments are interesting too.
Thanks Pb I enjoyed that.
On Chinese response to Snowden
L.A Times
http://www.latimes.com/news/world/worldnow/la-fg-wn-chinese-media-snowden-20130613,0,2845643.story
from The New Yorker
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/evanosnos/2013/06/snowdens-chinese-fans.html
some Chinese net users arguing for asylum as a demonstration of State Power , or sending him to Russia 😀
10 000 Police to G8-ITV
“Ha ha ha, ho ho ho, he he he! Get him a sun lamp!!!”
An unusually inane and depraved edition of The Panel
Radio NZ National, Friday 14 June 2013
Jim Mora, Lisa Scott, Chris Trotter
JIM MORA: It’s Susan Baldacci, with What the Wooooorld’s Talking About! What have you got for us today?
SUSAN BALDACCI: First up, Jim, is this Perth radio host who has been suspended for saying Julia Gillard’s husband is gay, because he is a hairdresser.
JIM MORA: This is bizarre, isn’t it!
LISA SCOTT: They’re attacking her because she’s a woman!
CHRIS TROTTER: The same thing went on with Helen Clark. There were some TERRIBLE things said about her husband too.
MORA: Yeah but they were more subterranean, weren’t they? In Australia this kind of thing is much more out in the open.
CHRIS TROTTER: Well, Ian Wishart’s Investigate magazine has a much larger readership than one might think.
MORA: But surely no mainstream, reputable media outlets in this country would TOLERATE that sort of thing would they?
REALITY CHECK….
Mora is either dishonest or has a memory like John Banks, i.e., he is dishonest. A few years ago on The Panel, one DOCTOR MICHAEL BASSETT worked himself up into a state of preternatural malice and snarled, absurdly, that Nicky Hager was a Holocaust-denier. I can think of nothing more despicable or extreme than uttering such a brutal and offensive falsehood on public radio—but Jim Mora did not say a word. Far from not tolerating “that sort of thing”, Mora’s guests on the Panel have included, as well as Bassett, such extreme and irrational figures as Nevil Breivik Gibson, Christine Spankin’ Rankin, and Garth Gaga George—to name just three off the top of my head. He has also respectfully interviewed such outré figures as the Sensible Sentencing Trust’s Garth “The Knife” McVicar. So much for his contention that no mainstream media outlets in this country would tolerate “that sort of thing.”
MORA: What else have you got for us?
SUSAN BALDACCI: Well, this latest study shows that we’re all a little bit paranoid. There are three kinds of paranoia, apparently—
MORA: Three kinds of paranoia?
SUSAN BALDACCI: [annoyed] Y-y-y-y-yes.
She gives a brief survey of an article about paranoia she has just downloaded from the internet, and then the program takes a sinister turn….
SUSAN BALDACCI: Julian Assange is a little bit paranoid.
MORA: Oh yes? Hur, hur, hur, hur!
SUSAN BALDACCI: Yeah, he claims that being holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy, he is deprived of his human right of getting enough sun.
MORA: Is it a human right to get enough sun?
SUSAN BALDACCI: That’s what he claims! He claims that being not allowed to leave London is violating his “human rights”.
MORA: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
LISA SCOTT: Ha ha ha ha ha ha!
CHRIS TROTTER: Haw haw haw haw haw!
SUSAN BALDACCI: He thinks he should be allowed out of his Ecuador embassy hideout to sunbathe.
MORA: He can get out on the balcony, where he gave that speech!
LISA SCOTT: Yeah! Ha ha ha ha ha!
CHRIS TROTTER: Yeah! Ha ha ha ha ha! Or get him a sun lamp! THAT’s what he needs!
LISA SCOTT: Ha ha ha ha ha!
SUSAN BALDACCI: He he he he he!
TROTTER: I suspect the ambassador’s just sick of the sight of him! “Are you ever going to LEEEEAAAVE?”
MORA: Sun lamp! Get him a sun lamp!!!
LISA SCOTT: Ha ha ha ha ha!
MORA: Back after the news!
……4 p.m. News……
WAYNE MOWAT: The time is nine minutes past four and due to circumstances beyond our control, we have some more music.
Plays George Harrison’s “Apple Scruffs”, then something by Fat Freddy’s Drop. Wayne Mowat tells us there’s been a fire alarm so everyone has had to leave the building for a short time.
They’re back in the studio at 4:15. Somebody—presumably not Mora himself—decides to ditch the discussion about fluoridation and the loons who have stampeded the Hamilton City Council into abandoning it. But they still go ahead with the entirely pointless, extended introductions of the guests. Trotter vapors on about Bloom’s Day, which is coming up in Auckland. “There’s a lot of laughing,” he promises, “and some weeping.”
Then it’s on to the big, in-depth discussions, “the news of the day in a different way”….
Topic No. 1:
Labour’s hypocritical MPs accepting “hospitality” from Sky City….
LISA SCOTT: giggles winsomely It just shows that politicians are people too.
CHRIS TROTTER: When I heard David Shearer say he didn’t know they were there, I almost threw my cellphone at the wall. To say that you didn’t know just shows you have no control over your caucus.
LISA SCOTT: Yeah, yeah, it’s not a good look. It’s a bad look, all right. I agree with you.
Topic No. 2:
Dunedin mayor Dave Cull’s email exchange about the Dalai Lama is to be released to the public….
CHRIS TROTTER: With our increasing closeness to and reliance on China, there will be increasing pressure on university chancellors, mayors and all public officials to not have ANYTHING to do with the Dalai Lama.
LISA SCOTT: Isn’t that sad!
CHRIS TROTTER: It is, really. He’s a lovely chap!
LISA SCOTT: Ha ha ha ha ha!
….[4:30 News]….
Soapbox….
MORA: What have you been thinking about, Lisa Scott?
LISA SCOTT: I’ve been thinking about something called UBF. Do you know what it is—Unintentional Bitch Face.
CHRIS TROTTER: Ho ho ho ho ho ho ho!
LISA SCOTT: It’s when you look grumpy without meaning to. Posh Spice has UBF.
MORA: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! She does too! Ha ha ha ha ha!
Sellotape behind the ears! This is cheap cosmetic surgery!
LISA SCOTT: I’ve got UGF—Unintentionally Gormless Face.
MORA: Posh DOES have a look doesn’t she! Okay, Chris Trotter, what’s been on your mind?
CHRIS TROTTER: Oh, mine seems terribly worthy now, compared to that GREAT topic. But an interesting factoid I have just learned is that New Zealand now has more than one thousand people employed in security. Why do we need so many spooks?
MORA: Do you remember when it was just the SIS? In those days you got the impression it was only fifty to a hundred people.
CHRIS TROTTER: Yes, those were the trenchcoat days, trailing Dr. Bill Sutch. Now it’s all NCIS and
MORA: We chortle, but if Big Data like Prism is going to conform and constrain and dominate our lives, then we NEED that expertise!
The program ends with Trotter taking up his guitar and singing a melancholy tribute to the legendary Dunedin student pub, the Captain Cook, which is closing after 150 years.
Unfortunately, this publicly funded yock-fest will continue on Monday…..
Pretend to be surprised: intelligence agencies share and swap sensitive data with thousands of private corporates
Who would’ve thought.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-06-14/u-s-agencies-said-to-swap-data-with-thousands-of-firms.html
It’s the new norman