This sort of article should be headline news.
Every day.
Monbiot nails it.
“It was a moment of the kind that changes lives. At a press conference held by climate activists Extinction Rebellion last week, two of us journalists pressed the organisers on whether their aims were realistic. They have called, for example, for UK carbon emissions to be reduced to net zero by 2025. Wouldn’t it be better, we asked, to pursue some intermediate aims?
A young woman called Lizia Woolf stepped forward. She hadn’t spoken before, but the passion, grief and fury of her response was utterly compelling. “What is it that you are asking me as a 20-year-old to face and to accept about my future and my life? … This is an emergency. We are facing extinction. When you ask questions like that, what is it you want me to feel?” We had no answer.
Softer aims might be politically realistic, but they are physically unrealistic. Only shifts commensurate with the scale of our existential crises have any prospect of averting them. Hopeless realism, tinkering at the edges of the problem, got us into this mess. It will not get us out………
…….Two tasks need to be performed simultaneously: throwing ourselves at the possibility of averting collapse, as Extinction Rebellion is doing, slight though this possibility may appear; and preparing ourselves for the likely failure of these efforts, terrifying as this prospect is. Both tasks require a complete revision of our relationship with the living planet.”
The problem is political. A fascinating analysis by the social science professor Kevin MacKay contends that oligarchy has been a more fundamental cause of the collapse of civilisations than social complexity or energy demand. Control by oligarchs, he argues, thwarts rational decision-making, because the short-term interests of the elite are radically different to the long-term interests of society. This explains why past civilisations have collapsed “despite possessing the cultural and technological know-how needed to resolve their crises”. Economic elites, which benefit from social dysfunction, block the necessary solutions.
Capitalism always destroys the society that it arises in.
If we want to survive we need to get rid of the capitalists.
Even the bodies that claim to be addressing our predicament remain locked within destructive frameworks. Last Wednesday I attended a meeting about environmental breakdown at the Institute for Public Policy Research. Many people in the room seemed to understand that continued economic growth is incompatible with sustaining the Earth’s systems.
“…continued economic growth is incompatible with sustaining the Earth’s systems.”
Something we agree on. Though I’d word it slightly differently nonetheless a system of increasing economic growth based on a system that still uses fuels that are unable to be used in perpetuity is crazy.
So it looks like the venality and political paralysis of the Oxbridge British political elites over Brexit are coming to a head.
If Theresa May’s Brexit deal is rejected by the Tory hardliners, she will have to try and resign. I say try, because no one will want to replace her – a moderate will inherit exactly the same problems she has inherited and a hard line Brexiteer will not have the required support. Boris Johnson’s overweening ambition means he desperately wants to lead the Tories but he would be a disaster – he is incompetent and the remainers in his party hate him. Anyway, the hardliners don’t want a deal – they would be happy with a no deal hard Brexit. Their irresponsibility knows no bounds. The trouble is, it is difficult to trigger a new election under the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 without at least some Turkeys voting for an early Xmas.
Assuming there is another election before Xmas, don’t assume Labour (who would inevitably win) would be any better at fixing the problem. Internally, the Labour party under Corbyn has managed to pretty much deal with “New Labour” PLP faction now, who have become isolated within the party, will dwindle considerably in number after the next general election and have no major constituency outside it (which is why they haven’t yet flounced off to form a new party of the radical centre). But that doesn’t mean the hardline neoliberal remainers of the Labour right. Such is the venality of the Labour’s Blairite Oxbridge political elites that they will wait until after the next general election, then they’ll just use the fixed-term Parliaments Act to cover their forming a new party of the radical centre (possibly with a few Tories and some Lib-dems) and then settle down to paralyse the new Corbyn government on everything from re-nationalisation to Brexit.
The British Oxbridge recruited political class has been a total clusterfuck for 150 years. Short of a major revolution, expect the fight desperately to retain their own political primacy (which is why so many of them really hate Brexit – it was a full-on punch on the nose for them and a direct challenge to their authority) and not much else.
“You may not have heard of the Legatum Institute; I hadn’t either, except for Legatum’s partnership with First Look Media billionaire Pierre Omidyar in a gruesome microfinance investment in India a few years back, SKS Microfinance. Omidyar and Legatum co-invested in Unitus Equity, which then invested in SKS Microfinance ostensibly to help the world’s poorest people in rural India. Instead, a few wealthy insiders cashed out to the tune of mega-millions for themselves, while ruthless SKS debt collectors bullied hundreds of rural Indian villagers into committing suicide by drowning, drinking jars of pesticide, and other horrific means. ”
“bridging the interests of global vulture capitalists like his boss Christopher Chandler with the interests of neocon regime-change groups like the National Endowment for Democracy, and more familiar neocon pro-war lobbyists like Michael Weiss.”
I’ll probably be wrong, but I think 2020 is too early for her. Even purely out of, it would be a dumb move for anyone running against Trump for Republican candidacy.
I have little doubt if anyone is going to be the first female US Prez’ it will probably be her though
@ Chris T,
Yes you might well be right, it does seem early for a run, but then again who know what will happen with Trump between now and then, his presidency to have the air of something that could implode messily at any moment.
@ adam
You are exactly right, and worryingly, it seems more and more like this ridiculous Trump ‘fetish’ along with the equally inane ‘Russiagate conspiracy’ has and still is derailing any serious opposition to his insane narrative.
“Bob Woodward: No Evidence Of Trump-Russia Collusion, I Searched For Two Years”
And finally stopped pretending it’s about travel to and from the CBD and the airport instead of the real opposition which is nimbyism around the planned TOD intensification along the Dominion Road corridor.
I agree with Mike Lee. His reference to ‘experts’ is a timely reminder, considering that many high profile – but low benefit – projects seem to go ahead because of marketing skills rather than true cost benefit analysis.
There was a recent article on the Auckland Cycleway that showed the disconnect between projections and actual use – as well as financial overruns.
Experts are just people who came from privilege who got an education. They struggle to realise it’s their connections which make their opinions count – not some innate sense of understanding.
Experts also often seem to be those who have excelled at self-promotion and have a high visibility and familiarity with the public. Auckland transport and planning have suffered from that reliance.
What frustrates me in particularly, is that those most in need are missing out because they have no profile, and are given none when it counts.
Gotta disagree on the value of an education, there.
The problem is when business consultancies provide “expertise” – are they experts who are also good at marketing, or are they excellent marketers who know fuckall? And will they provide you with an expert solution, or expertly persuade you that you need more of their solutions?
Yep, private enterprise expertise has to be seriously questioned about their actual expertise and about their motivations.
I do recall many roading contractors got really upset when the last Labour government started building rail rather than roads while all declaiming rail.
Reminds me of the thinking that McLuhan did years ago as to where to get the best solution, ideas. The thinking was that you ask a builder and he things of infrastructure, a taxi company thinks of vehicles, a teacher would probably say more education.l All would be partly right. So does one ask a business consultancy that probably is operating from a bunch of theories from business school – and where did that get its ideas and what practical experience in all the fields of business have they had?
“The medium is the message” is a phrase coined by Marshall McLuhan meaning that the form of a medium embeds itself in any message it would transmit or convey, creating a symbiotic relationship by which the medium influences how the message is perceived. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_medium_is_the_message
Also – an organisation I was involved with for a while asked a corporate services outfit to do a systems audit. Recommended outsourcing some management services.
Twenty years later apparently the same outfit is still providing management services to the organisation. Smartest way to go, or self-serving advice? Who knows? No apparent improvement to the organisation.
His reference to the lack of experts in NZ to design Light Rail was a bloody pathetic excuse for an argument. AT and the NZTA are the experts – Mike Lee just doesn’t agree with them.
And the Orsman article in the Herald was just more axe grinding from him and was pretty easily debunked by this https://www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2018/11/13/the-heralds-latest-cycling-smear/
Mike Lee was on the board for Auckland Transport, until Goff dismantled that elector representation. He understands how the system works, and I suspect you don’t.
Our community got access to public transport because of our high-response level to an AT survey, not because it was a community determined in need of it. (Personally advised of this by a Local Board rep, who was upset by the fact his neighbouring community did not respond as fully, and so missed out.) If you understand this – then you have the realisation that it is the vocal – and not the needy – who benefit from this method of resource and planning allocation. Which is why we see those without voices or adequate representation lose out time and time again.
There are experts at fact finding that supports their lobbying. To me, Greater Transport is an example. It’s failure is a lack of comprehensive voices that encompass all of Auckland, and it’s closer relationship with Auckland Transport has removed it’s claim to independence. Auckland Transport has supported it when it aligns, because of it’s influence. That cosy relationship comes at a cost.
The push for light rail is supported by well chosen analytics and presumptions – much like the cycleway project. I support the development of cycleways, but I believe the priority of projects and the feasiblity should be based on independently based evidence, and more accurate projections of both financial and social benefits. From that perspective, I believe the electric train connection to the airport is better on both counts.
How is a heavy rail express service between Britomart and the airport a better social benefit than expansion of public transport to the (currently poorly served) south western suburbs via LRT?
If you noticed I also added priorities to my comment. There is a dearth of adequate affordable public transport in South Auckland, that would also not be improved by the proposed LRT option.
The constant return to a proposed stadium on the waterfront is an example of consistent lobbying gaining traction without evidential requirement for priority spending. As time passes, the public assumes a need has been identified by independent analysis, not the tabled projections by interested parties.
Should we really be looking at airport expansion and consequential airport travellers as a priority, or should we – as you point out – be looking at those in areas of Auckland already poorly served, and be improving their current and future options? Given the growing awareness of climate change, and the failure of any feasible commercial alternative to aviation fuel, this seems a strange consideration. Or alternatively, ‘improving’ the services to Dominion Road residents is hardly improving options for those in South Auckland.
I’m not really sure what you’re trying to say with this comment? The waterfront stadium and the aviation industry’s adverse contribution to climate change are worthy subjects in their own right but not really pertinent to this conversation.
The gist of your argument seems to be that South Auckland’s public transport network is shit and while that’s so everybody else’s should be too?
The South-WESTERN (geddit?) LRT is designed to improve service to that part of Auckland and to alleviate the severe road congestion that’s projected for southern entry points into the CBD if the bus network is to keep up with growing demand.
I am saying that you are making the presumption that projects are being prioritised due to some sort of internal process that identifies both need, short-term and long-term benefits. From observation, this is not what happens.
The aviation’s adverse contribution to climate change is pertinent to the large financial investment – and appropriation of land – for airport expansion, and proposals to facilitate the faster movement of airport travellers.
“…and to alleviate the severe road congestion that’s projected for southern entry points into the CBD if the bus network is to keep up with growing demand…”. There are many Aucklanders that don’t travel into the CBD, that have not had their needs identified. If they don’t get identified, then they aren’t even in the running for prioritisation.
I am unequivocally saying that I agree with Mike Lee. That employment at Auckland Transport does not automatically ensure a balanced, objective view for spending and priorities is presented.
And Mike Lee has dived to the bottom of the pond and survived all that fetid pond water. A strong head and constitution and hopefully with brain cells still in tip top order. We need the wise like him and not the fast thinking then disappearing man.
By whom? Can you link, as far as I know it only came out a couple of days ago, but I haven’t really been watching. I also don’t refer to Greater Auckland as an authority, because I think their perspective is too narrow, but I know that many take what they say as independent and comprehensive analysis.
Further spending is expected to happen in the CBD, and inner Auckland while other areas struggle for alternative transport infrastructure like walking and cycling. The division of Auckland Transport from Auckland Council, means that the way people live and move are treated separately and often have outcomes that are detrimental those that live in those communities.
I am in favour of – and have advocated for – better alternative and public transport planning and implementation. But I also don’t think that a particular cycleway project is necessarily money well spent – unless the need was identified and it provides the best cost/benefit analysis, in terms of other areas where it may be needed.
he figures seemed damning, but one important detail was obscured: the projections the cycleways were failing to live up to were for 2026, which is at last count, eight years in the future. The paper version of the story never mentioned that arguably important fact, while the online version tacked the detail 20 paragraphs down in a quote from the New Zealand Transport Authority. According to Matt Lowrie at Greater Auckland the report leaked to Orsman had been discarded at draft stage because it was so inaccurate. Orsman’s story was, at best, misleading.
Bold mine.
So, we can assume that the reason why that particular report was leaked was because someone within the organisation was working for a political end. He was probably also the person who wrote it.
There is a grain of truth to the trio’s idea that our transport authorities are getting it wrong though. There really are some wasteful, underused, prohibitively expensive transport projects being funded in New Zealand. Even if the worst horror stories about cycleways were all true, these projects’ overruns would still make them pale into economic insignificance. Hosking, Orsman, and Smith should check out some of the stuff that’s happening with roads.
Yeah, roads are actually the real problem but those three dinosaurs won’t accept that reality.
EDIT:
Maybe it’s because these things represent change, and change is scary. Maybe it’s just more interesting and newsworthy to heap scorn on new ways of doing things than to properly examine our existing system.
That’s understandable. But the truth is we’ve institutionalised an often prohibitively expensive, inefficient, unsafe transport model that’s literally killing us. Cycleways are at least a feint in a different direction. They might cost us a few million and a little extra time in our cars, but keeping things the way they are may cost the Earth.
Greater Auckland was also a great advocate of the cycleway from the beginning. They should acknowledge that in any posts.
Matt Lowrie at Greater Auckland, has his own perspective, and the time and audience to present to. This does not mean that all perspectives are included in their analysis and data which is collected to justify their views.
And the pertinent point that Mike Lee made is not a discussion is not about roads vs cycleways. It is about that particular cycleway project, not providing the level of benefit that was used to secure funding.
Did you read the bit about the report being dumped because it was inaccurate?
The level of benefit was estimated as being 926 in 2026. In other words, in eight years from now and present growth in use shown by the same report indicates that that will actually be seriously under.
I didn’t make it otherwise. The article I linked addressed your concerns and pointed out that the dinosaurs attacking cycleways don’t do the same for roads. In other words, it pointed out both the inaccuracies used to produce a false impression (lies) and the hypocrisy of those lying.
“According to Matt Lowrie at Greater Auckland the report leaked to Orsman had been discarded at draft stage because it was so inaccurate. Orsman’s story was, at best, misleading.”
Matt Lowrie does more than that – he discredits Orsman’s objectivity in all his reporting:
” But I had also noticed the article was authored by Bernard Orsman, who has gained quite a history in recent years of articles that try to generate some sort of outrage, usually related to the council and/or housing. I’ve also noticed there is a tendency in these types of articles for the real story to be somewhere in the last few paragraphs, a point by which many people have stopped reading. Sure enough, this ‘beat up’ fit the pattern perfectly. The key point is in this sentence.
“In undertaking this review, the audit and assurance team was informed that Auckland Transport forecast cyclist user numbers were based on cyclist user estimates forecast in 2026,” a spokesman said.
So Orsman, or the internal report he’s obtained that he’s basing this article on, compares cycling numbers in January-17 with projections for 2026 after we’ve completed an entire city centre networks.
1. When you look at Orsman’s filed stories they are typical council reporting – full with the facts etc that have been presented during meetings, and from my point of view, it seems disingenous to discredit all his work – as a method of discussing this topic.
2. Matt is right, the key point is in this sentence: ” “In undertaking this review, the audit and assurance team was informed that Auckland Transport forecast cyclist user numbers were based on cyclist user estimates forecast in 2026,” a spokesman said.”
Why did were they informed only during the review process? Surely this information should have been clearly given at the time the decision to allocate funds was given? If that was the case, the audit team should have had access to it for the draft report and would not have to be belatedly ‘informed’. Does that not give you pause for thought?
“You’re still trying to believe the lies.”
There is a lack of robust process and transparency going on there. Processes should stand up to scrutiny, and this project while beneficial to many – may not have been the most beneficial – including projects that were designed to provide access to alternative transport modes for those who already are badly served by public transport or are transport poor.
“21. The modelling of the cycle network near the City Centre indicates that by 2026 4500 people a day will cycle to the City Centre, which is the equivalent to approximately four lanes of traffic on the arterial road network during the peak period. Investment in cycling therefore presents a potentially cost effective means of adding additional capacity to the network.”
I’m assuming that this is similar to the figure used for the initial assessment for the cycleway, but despite GA and other articles saying that the inference made by Orsman is misleading, there are no links showing the original figures or report used for decision making. That would go some way to clearing up the confusion, and would provide accessible evidence for those seeking the facts.
Would like to see the Cost Benefit Analysis of Light Rail (Trams) to the Airport vs Heavy Rail via Puhinui. I have little faith in AT. Hopefully the decision is peer reviewed by some professional overseas experts.
I also have little faith in AT, and often still they let me down. 😀
I would like to see some analysis of the benefit of Heavy Rails for long-term provision of passenger network, freight movement, maintenance and service costs, but also whether either option is the best use of transport funds at the moment.
Just had a look at the Greater Auckland latest blog on the topic, and the post and comments seem to move towards a discussion on the benefits of cycleways in general, and a disregard for roads.
Which is a way of going off topic, when you are talking about particular projects, and discussing the merits, costs and benefits of them in regards to alternative spending on other cycling projects.
Two projects – Nelson St and Grafton Gully – went over budget, performed worse than expected and may not have been economically viable, said the report.
That describes every single RON.
And the cycleways are still going to be a better investment.
The business case for Nelson St predicted 986 cyclists would use the cycleway daily, but in January last year the count was 333 when the report was written. The latest figures from AT at the end of September this year show 448 cyclists a day using the cycleway.
Ah, so use is still building.
I suspect that this report will be conveniently lost and forgotten when it reaches and then exceeds the estimated number.
I suspect that this report will be conveniently lost and forgotten when it reaches and then exceeds the estimated number.”
I am in favour of cycleways. But consider if this project was chosen over another – more accurately – but less positively presented project, and it makes a difference to how well our transport spending is being allocated in terms of priority.
Yes, the use is still building. But that was not the criteria that provided the decision makers with the information they needed to responsibly allocate resources.
(Also, I think many smaller projects that would have really good outcomes don’t even make it to the discussion table because they don’t have visible advocates.)
This project is part of an ongoing series of projects that will build up a network of cycle paths across Auckland. When that network reaches across more of Auckland than it does now then we will see explosive growth in cycle use.
This project is a necessary part of that network and without it the network won’t be as good as it should be.
“This project is part of an ongoing series of projects that will build up a network of cycle paths across Auckland. When that network reaches across more of Auckland than it does now then we will see explosive growth in cycle use.”
Great. But where is the analysis that says that this was the priority – not because it was central Auckland – but because it provided the most benefit. As far as I know, analysis on other areas of Auckland has not been done to any high degree of detail – other than self-filled surveys.
This lack of analysis right at the start, makes the allocation and prioritisation of funding lop-sided. Not necessarily the best outcome for all Aucklanders.
“BTW, surveys are about the best democracy we can get ATM.”
Surveys will always then favour the time rich and already provided for. They have the time and resources to participate. That is not a high standard to aim for.
A stocktake of options available to communities of people doesn’t really require surveys, just good robust data. Further research – which may or may not include surveys – can be undertaken to identify areas where investment delivers big returns for community while still putting pieces in place towards an integrated transport system.
“Why don’t you do an OIA and ask?”
Not my cup of tea at the moment. But I did go to many council meetings etc for a few years, and have spent enough time on it – I’ve moved on. I don’t see any significant change in processes though. And I remain concerned about the lack of focus for communities throughout Auckland that don’t have advocacy.
I am a supporter of alternative transport modes, and of increasing public transport options for Aucklanders. I’m not convinced that the ever rising cost of the proposed LRT for the airport link is the best use of transport funds.
The unfolding constitutional crisis in Sri Lanka, a fellow Commonwealth country, is huge news too Cinny but I doubt our parochial media in NZ will be covering that story anytime soon even though there is a sizeable Sri Lankan minority in Auckland.
As the postal ballots slowly get counted in California that state looks to be a rolling bloodbath for Republicans. Nationwide Dems may pick up as many as 40 seats, the third biggest Midterms gain in the last 40 years.
Its looking more like the Democrats will pick up 37 Scott….but that really is an excellent result that has been very poorly reported by the media which (as in NZ) concentrates on early results and not the final result.
The Dems picking up Arizona in the senate yesterday-previously called for the Republicans-was great news.
You’re probably right at 37/38 but possibly as many as 40 if the outstanding races go the Dems way, and most have been.
It seems the tv networks 10 pm election night prognosis was the narrative that got “baked in” as they say in America. Republicans built their spin around that and it’s taken a week to unravel.
The Arizona win is significant for Democrats, even though Sinema (originally a Green Party staffer) recast herself as a very right/centrist Democrat to win and Martha McSally was a pretty bad candidate. It points to some sort of pathway for the Democrats towards majority in the Senate via the shifting demographics in the sunbelt states.
Scott I may be wrong here and you right…Democrats seem to be picking up enough House seats to get to +39 and even +40.
Its a bit weird in my defence-I was relying on realclearpolitics figures that showed that House races had been 100% counted with the Dems behind where in fact the figures have continued to change towards the Dem after this.
Nick Smith has just finished throwing tantrum on Morning Report because Susie Ferguson had the temerity to ask him about the Pike River re-entry rather than let him drone on about government use of consultants.
Dreadful as it may sound, my perceptions/thoughts over recent months have become that Nick Smith is actually now coming across as one of National’s “better and more experienced”* MPs – compared to Bridges, Bennett and co.
* Yes, I did say that! Even I find myself querying myself for saying it. LOL.
However, out of the limelight of Question Time, he has actually been the one leading the Opposition’s questioning and challenging the Government’s position on various bits of legislation during their passage through the House for 1st Readings, 2nd Readings, Committee stages, and final 3rd Readings. This has included the waka jumping amendment legislation but also many other bits of legislation not of such prominence.
This is not meant to be a defense of Smith because he certainly is not someone I like or respect (with the one exception of many years ago when he was Minister for Conservation where he did not too bad a job). IMO he is simply “better’ than the vast majority (all?) members of the current National front bench when measured against a very low benchmark. The fact that I now think that is simply an indication of how far down that benchmark has now dropped, IMO.
For example, his interview this morning was certainly not good, but at least he seemed to be trying to mount an opposition/challenge re the use of consultants – but I was pleased to hear Suzie not giving him a clear run and challenging him.
Smith was at least coherent in what he said re Suzie diverting her questions onto the Pike River re-entry – IMO Bridges in similar situations just throws his toys in a much less mature, coherent manner.
What it really demonstrates is the second class status of the current National Party caucus and their lack of experience, nous and maturity. We may not have liked or agreed with Key, Joyce and co. who fled the sinking Nat ship in advance (or are about to) but at least they carried out their functions in a (mostly) competent manner. It is going to take the Nats quite a few years to grow another caucus that is ready to again take the reins of power.
In the meantime, Dirty Politics is all they have.
Labour – when it went through its ritual growing pains brought on by public rejection – had to be content with fighting and squabbling with one another and, much to my eternal shame, I was one of the participants. 🙁
Thanks Anne. Good to know I am not losing the plot yet, LOL.
Totally agree with your last para, also – and I was also part of that. It is quite interesting watching it now happening with the now Opposition., albeit in a slightly different less open/public manner. Well, up to a point. JLR has put a bit of dent in the behind closed doors scenario. Long may it last.
Many years back I attended a Tararua Tramping Club meeting where Nick spoke on conservation issues. I still recall it quite well; it seemed to me at the time that spoke competently, sincerely and had an extensive, passionate grasp of his subject. He’s certainly served his Party well for many decades, and undertaken much work for the nation.
Others will leap to disagree I realise, but even if my political values are different to his, I can respect his substantial contribution over the decades.
Federated Mountain Club’s, Fish and Game and Forest and Bird all thought he was full of shit:
Federated Mountain Club’s withdrawal from the Land and Water Forum shows how Environment Minister Nick Smith’s water policy is dissolving around him, the Green Party said today.
Environmental groups have been abandoning the Land and Water Forum (LAWF); Fish and Game left last year, while Forest and Bird left just three days ago.
“The Forum is supposed to represent all those with an interest in water in this country, from industry to environmentalists. But the balance is tipped too much in favour of industry and the Minister cherry-picks its recommendations to suit his pro-pollution agenda. It’s become untenable for environmental groups to stay in the Forum,” said Green Party water spokesperson Catherine Delahunty.
“The Green Party has been questioning Nick Smith all week on the failures of his Clean Water package, in which the goal posts have been moved to classify dirty rivers as clean.
Yes … that is the entire purpose of politics; thrashing out competing interests and desires. I’d be shocked if the Greens and FMC were not opposed to at least some of his policy work, and I never said I aligned with Nick’s position, but that I could respect the way he has gone about it.
Two different things, and a distinction many here seem to struggle with.
If you asked Nick in his personal capacity how he’d like our rivers, I bet he’d give the same answer you or I would give, crystal clear and wonderful (as I remember them from decades past).
But that’s politics for you. You don’t always get what you want and you have to make the best of what you get. You can’t make a stand on everything you disagree with, otherwise you get kicked out of the game fast. Call that dishonest if you like, but it’s how the system works.
The thing that was dishonest was changing the definition of “swimmable” to include that which clearly isn’t. That is a separate thing to Nact deciding that water quality should not be significantly improved.
I’m not at all familiar with this story so, but it’s likely a good example of how the system works. If we looked closely at the policy involved we would likely see that in the long-term it creates a reasonable framework for improving river water quality.
But initially it’s going to get opposition from interests that it’s going to impose costs on, ie the farmers. So what you do is put in place an overarching legislation that can have it’s detailed settings altered over time, but accept that the first pass isn’t going to be everything you want.
Yeah I know, it’s boring and incremental, but it’s the way you get things done without too many unintended consequences. I’m not at all unsympathetic to what your saying here; as you can deduce my single biggest passion in life has been tramping in the backcountry of these amazingly beautiful islands; assume I care about the rivers as you do.
But politics isn’t a natural playground for idealists like us; understanding how to get things done requires competence and pragmatism.
Smith was Minister of Conservation from 1996 – 1999 after Denis Marshall resigned post Cave Creek. I worked for the Dept of Conservation for three years after the final Cave Creek report as part of the restructuring of the Dept as a result of the report. Smith was a good Minister during his time and became well respected by Conservation staff, both old and new. My type of work meant I had direct contact with him, and I found him good to deal with on the complex issues pertaining to the restructure etc.
Some of his other and later ‘history’*, some of which is covered by legal suppression orders, not so much. But c’est la vie – we are all a mix of good and bad.
* including his clean water package in 2017 as per Solkta’s comment above.
Yes … like many politicians meeting or working with them in person is a different experience to their media projection. Your comment is interesting, clearly Nick Smith was at his best in the Conservation portfolio, and his record in other roles has been …. let’s say workmanlike, but sometimes scratchy.
Exactly – well said. From all accounts, Conservation was probably his Ministerial high point.
I also agree with what you have said above to solkta.
I don’t mean this as a criticism, but for those who have not worked in the parliamentary environment and/or in govt in roles that interact with the parliamentary system, things can be very black or white and idealistic; whereas the reality of our system of government is one of shades of grey including (acceptable levels of) compromise, deferred/staged implementation etc, etc.
This, of course, is also true for many other areas of work, business etc – for example, the type of work you appear to be in.
As you said, two different things, and a distinction many here seem to struggle with.
I know one politician who says of Nick Smith that he is the biggest liar they have ever met, and that includes John Key. It was an opinion expressed to me as we drove over to a conference in Hamilton in 2014 on Climate Change and NZ’s commitment, or otherwise.
I don’t think anything I, or possibly others, have said necessarily excludes that as a possibility. We humans are complex beings, and that possibility is not necessarily out of line with my brief mention of legally suppressed matters of many years ago. Will say no more.
Nick Smith married a woman he was assisting when she was a constituant thats akin to a Doctor sleeping with patients, a big no no, likely to get any other professional struck off from their registration body. Then again polititians have no understanding of ethical behaviour.
Sorry Psych nurse but that is silly. There are no parallels with a doctor tending to a patient. That is a deeply personal situation at all levels (even if its only to syringe a dammed pesky ear every few months 🙁 ) whereas a constituent is only requiring advice or wanting to reference some local concern that may be bothering them. There is no reason why after such an encounter with an MP that they don’t discover (maybe) they have friends and associates in common and ultimately choose to extend their relationship.
Good grief, does that mean you can’t strike up a friendship with your local chemist or computer technician (if you’re a pc dummy like me) or anyone you may hire to do a job for you?
Ooops – not meant that way at all, especially as I have just worked out the difference in age between him and I. ROFL.
But I do think that he needs to move on, and find something else for his remaining working years. Or perhaps, he still has designs on being Leader? …………………………..
Leader…
Putting a tory hat on, I couldnt think of three better candidates in the party.
I am being sincere here.
Although IMO the best candidate for leader is someone the likes of O’Sullivan, GP in the far north, and chopper him in to Botany.
A la key, that went well for them.
I’m no fan of the Waka Jumping Legislation but I’m not really inclined to be lectured on its many flaws by Nick Smith, who was part of the National government that completely ignored the recommendations of the MMP Review in 2012 for no better reason than those recommendations (abolishing of coattails rule and resulting overhang and lowering the threshold to 4% etc), if implemented, would have disadvantaged National’s client parties.
I will never trust a word he ever says again after the way he lied about the National Party’s devious RMA reforms (and the Special Housing Areas) that are a developers charter and a disaster for NZ’s landscapes.
The Maori Party got its just deserts for supporting the RMA reforms.
What I was trying to get through in my comment that you have replied to was that while I do not have any great love, trust or anything else for Smith, using him as a form of measure, he actually shows up many/most/all (?) of the rest of the Nat frontbench as being possibly worse.
In other words, I think the quality of the current Nats MPs is at a major low. (I am trying to keep a bit of an open mind re some of the latest additions but suspect that they are just other chips off the same block.)
I certainly do not have any respect for Smith or trust him – with the one exception of the short period when Smith was Minister of Conservation and I discussed that further down the thread with Red Logix.
As I also replied to Macro who also reported that he had been referred to as the biggest liar another politician had ever met, I certainly don’t exclude that as well.
ScottGN also made good points re Smith and the waka jumping legislation.
We all see things from slightly different perspectives and it would be a dull old world if we didn’t.
Miss almost 14 was bullied badly at school earlier in the year, I got involved, the boys concerned were punished by the school, the bullying has pretty much stopped.
She meet a brother of one of the bullies at the bike track, turns out both him and his brother get beaten by their father. When the father was contacted by the school to advise him that his son was bullying my daughter, the father beat up his son with a stick, threw a chair at him etc.
Myself and Miss almost 14 are deeply troubled that these boys are getting beaten by their father. We only know one of the boys first names.
We need to do something to protect these boys, what should we do or who should we approach?
Should we go to the school and tell them or the police?
I’m really lost on who to approach and how to go about it, I don’t want these kids to get another beating.
KAhaI agree with the advice above.
By all means help how you see fit, also set some boundaries for yourself and yours.
It is important to keep yourself safe. Safe physically, mentally and emotionally.
It is quite possible you may not achieve concrete results in this case.
You may be able to help in other kids lives.
By this I mean perhaps help out with another group. Youthline, Big Brother Big Sister, after school groups etc.
It may not be on the front line, all these groups need help running.
All this according to your time and resources.
IMO it depends on your relationship with your school principal. I recall that you have mentioned him/her on here once or twice. If you have a good trusting relationship where you feel confident in the principal’s integrity, confidentiality etc, then I would start there.
If not, I would suggest either the police (they usually have specific officers especially trained in these areas) and/or Oranga Tamariki.
Oranga Tamariki has a specific section on their website on this very issue with who to contact, contact numbers etc. They seem to be doing a lot better under the guidance of Tracey Martin as their Minister.
EDIT – Actually, I would suggest talking to OT first as they will/should know the best/right(legal) procedures in such cases. There were some changes to the law on this recently IIRC.
Approach the school / principal. Hopefully they can investigate or get police involved if needed which separates yourself. Good luck…horrible situation.
I contacted Oranga Tamariki, cheers for the links VV very much appreciated. Because I don’t know the last name or address of the children unfortunately they are unable to progress it.
But they were ever so helpful, and suggested to go to the school and advise them, and ask the school to contact O.T. Glad the staff at the school and the principal are so very approachable, makes a massive difference.
Social worker on the phone said that because the parent used a stick to beat their children and threw a chair at them that it could well end up being a police matter.
Will have to tread very carefully as the last thing I want is those boys to get another beating because they disclosed their situation to someone.
Once again thanks everyone for the info and advice.
I thought that OT would know the legalities etc. The principal and school will be able to “disclose” the personal details to OT and/or the Police, which they cannot do to you or other people.
It also keeps you and your daughters out of the picture, as the school, OT etc must all keep your details confidential. (Also See below for Section 16 protections.)
———-
Here are a few more links on reporting child abuse for anyone interested:
Sections 15 – 19 of the Children, Young Persons and Their Families Act (1989) cover the reporting of suspected child abuse (including the roles of OT and NZ Police).
Section 16 protects people who notify concerns of abuse in good faith from civil and criminal proceedings.
This Ministry of Education pdf, while older (eg refers to CYF not OT) is useful for the flow charts showing how schools etc report child abuse and the different roles, obligations etc of school principals, Boards of Trustees, OT, Police etc
VV, have just got off the phone to the schools DP. She’s received an email from Oranga Tamariki about my call, so is following it all up confidentially. Hope it all works out for those boys.
That herald article was interesting, thanks again for the links.
So pleased, Cinny – and well done, both you and daughter.
The fact that the brother felt he could disclose to your daughter speaks heaps about her, and your parenting.
If I recall you are in the Tasman Bay area. If so, I am not surprised that the school is on to it. Had excellent experiences with schools, social service authorities, foster family etc in that area a decade or so ago with a “godchild” who was fostered in the area for some years after some bad parental experiences.
EDIT – Just seen your reply to DTB and it clicked as to what was nagging at me re the CAB link I gave above. Look at the bottom of that page, and the second to bottom link. A thought re sharing experiences. You’ll understand.
It’s certainly not something that would have worked when I was living with my father after my mother died 36 years ago. I tried after I ran away because the fuckwit was beating me most days for things that I hadn’t even done and got caught by the police. Their only response was that my father could actually force me to stay at home until I was twenty.
But things have changed since then and going to the police can actually work. Especially after the repeal of s59 which gave abusers an out.
Exclusive: Serious concern over preschool checks as conditions not picked-up
“Many children were starting at a language development age of 3-4 years. More than 30 per cent had a language proficiency in the bottom 2.5 per cent of the population.
The study, sent to ministers of health and education, concludes: “our current model of delivering health, education and social services equally is increasing inequity. We need to realign the current health and education systems”.”
“But it took a comprehensive check of new entrants at schools in the Tamaki area as part of the Welcome to School study to reveal the true picture.
By the time they were five-and-a-half, a quarter of new entrants either had or needed tooth extractions under general anaesthetic.
Burt said in a middle class family such a procedure would be considered extremely significant.
The fact it was so common in his school’s area but not well understood showed how disadvantage “normalises things that ought not to be normal”.
Other study findings included 36 per cent of new entrants being obese and a similar proportion overweight.
“It is normal in this community to be an unhealthy weight,” the study’s executive summary noted. “Many of these children are actually malnourished kids in big bodies.”
Revealed: Hundreds declined specialist care for painful skin conditions
“Half of South Auckland children sent for specialist care for serious skin conditions are declined an appointment, a Herald investigation has found.
The picture is similar at some other district health boards (DHBs), as the public system struggles with specialist-to-population ratios called “third world” by the NZ Dermatological Society.
Health Minister David Clark has now asked for advice on the problem.
In Canterbury, hundreds of referrals (mostly for adults) have been sent back, despite meeting the usual clinical threshold for an appointment.”
In the wake of the ‘compassion’ and amount Karel Sroubek has cost the taxpayers, maybe the government could reprioritise their spending onto kids born here, who seem to be receiving a third world health service.
Likewise there is so much government money being spent on private housing, and the hundreds of thousands of new migrants and work permits being given out, but where are the new hospitals and the doctors and schools that should be put in BEFORE the migrants and work permits are given out. Or the prison gets another drug smuggler needing hundreds of thousands of tax payer money for their prison stay and our government fights for their rights out of ‘compassion” while the priorities of kids born here that have little to nothing, are having worse and worse outcomes.
NZ is a small country with a set amount to be spent, the big issue seems to be that our government seem more interested in overseas drug smuggler’s rights than making sure the human rights of their own kids are a priority and don’t want for anything.
What we need to ask ourselves is who is paying for the hospital and schools and congestion, because more houses don’t create wealth, well paid secure jobs do, and to keep the same standard of living with more houses and people we need to also AT THE SAME TIME, build more hospitals and schools and have the money to fund the doctors and teachers who teach in them ready and accounted for.
Instead of giving more money to big construction interests through housing, maybe the government should look at where the well paid secure jobs being created in Auckland are, (truck drivers and baristas are not exactly well paid jobs) the educational and health levels of the next generation who seem to be going backwards, otherwise the government are diverting public money and resources to the world’s wealthy and privileged new home owners and away from NZ poor and middle classes who have to ‘share’ the dwindling hospitals and schools, and roads/public transport and polluted beaches with more and more of the world’s privileged with money earned outside of NZ and people who qualify for free super, health care and even public transport with the gold card, but may have only been in NZ for a fraction of their life time.
I have wondered for some time about the skin reaction to the strength of the ‘soap’ powders on offer and whether the clothes get properly rinsed by modern washing machine programs. In my machine the idea seems to be to save water and energy with seemingly lower rinse levels than for wash period, and only one full rinse. If the machine is very full of washing, as it probably would be for poor households who are also time poor, then there could be a considerable amount of washing solution left in the clothes which could be irritating and sensitise the skin.
I have the same thoughts about the new washing machines. I purchased a new front loading machine when we shifted house in 2015 – the older top loader was too wide for the space, and have despaired at times at the rinsing programme, even with the extra rinse option. I often then put the load through a rinse cycle again, which takes extra time. This certain could have detrimental effects on some people who have sensitive skin – I just get a bit p****d off at the towels drying like sheets of plywood.
Natzi’s undermined the Health System and imported 500k fresh Asian Immigrants with no improvements to the country’s infrastructure have a think about the consequences ?
It is brilliant the boys have started the dialogue.
It is a cry for help.
James is correct, as an adult you need to report the possible abuse, in as far as you know it.
The police will speak with the Principal, who has the right to speak with the boys and trigger protection.
Cinny, you will be taken seriously. Even a phone call to the police would elicit a response.
For those members, old and new, who oppose Pelosi from the left, the #FiveWhiteGuys are offering a sucker’s bet. The #FiveWhiteGuys are of the school that believes that the Democratic Party’s needs are best served winning back all those disgruntled folks at diners in the Mahoning Valley, a theory fairly well demolished last Tuesday. It is very unlikely that a Green New Deal or Medicare For All is high on their list of priorities. The only argument that the #FiveWhiteGuys have that might resonate with their new progressive colleagues is that Pelosi is old and has been in Congress for a long time. Period. That’s not enough to dispense with the party’s most effective legislative leader since Lyndon Johnson.
These #FiveWhiteGuys are Blue Dog Dems trying to what Blue Dog Dems do, drag the party to the right.
Progressives are going to be in trouble if they go along with them.
1. Something happened at the Capitol Tuesday to reaffirm my long-held view that liberals should stop believing what conservatives say liberals believe.— (((John Stoehr))) (@johnastoehr) November 14, 2018
This interview with her from Abby Martin the Empire Files is just fantastic. Talking about mass killing and white nationalism. Her analysis of trump is illuminating.
Young families are leaving Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes due to the losing battle with housing affordability.
The inevitable result of allowing offshore ownership.
I note two things:
1. The council is ignoring the fact that it’s the rich outsiders that are the problem.
2. The council is concerned with losing workers thus we see that rich people can’t actually support themselves or the economy.
That reminds me of The Admirable Crichton a play which was made as a film in 1957. Based on the James Barrie classic, THE ADMIRABLE CRICHTON tells the story of an English butler who, shipwrecked with his employers, resourcefully leads them in their attempts to survive.
I can’t give a clip of it because Columbia Pictures, although it is 60 years od, won’t allow it to be shown with a soundtrack). It’s available in audio voiced by a machine, or can be seen as a nearly mute soundtrack (just the faintest tape rustle or something to be heard).
Perhaps we need to be resourceful and lead ourselves out of this mess that the export-oriented, anti-domestic, money-mad business people have landed us in.
Thanks so much for that link. I did not see it at the time (too young) but recall seeing it many years later and it has always stuck in my memory. Great to see it again.
It’s more the normal cyclical behaviour of the Queenstown and Central Otago property and employment markets. I’ve seen four or five cycles now and the same thing happens every time.
Queenstown’s a funny place, there’s lots of glitz and glamour, and it’s all premium property, think the very top suburbs of Auckland or Sydney, but most of the residents are really pretty modest, along with most of the jobs. You probably wouldn’t see them trying to live in the top suburbs in auckland or Sydney. Unfortunately the closest we have to Ranui is Lumsden, and that’s 100 km away.
But people come to town and see the glamour, the stunning landscape and “lifestyle” and think the streets are paved with gold. And just have to be part of it. Generally this turns out to be a cashflow negative undertaking and after a few years they realise that the streets are truly paved with gold, but it’s, or was, their gold. This realisation can have a profound effect on attitudes and there can be some spectacular spitting of the dummy. The Queenstown’s ruined rant is at the lower end of the spectrum.
Talkback has had it’s day, replaced with social media and the like. Hopefully at least we will get to see Magic come to Taranaki, with Radio Live’s frequency being take over.
Mike Williams continues to agree with everything Michelle Boag says;
This is cringe-inducing radio, on a level with Newstalk ZzzzzB. The Panel, RNZ National, Wednesday 14 November 2018
Jim Mora, Michelle Boag, Mike “I Agree With Michelle” Williams, Emil Donovan
We’ve studied many times over the last few years the less than stellar performances of the late Paul Holmes’s former classmate Mike Williams. While he has the ability to speak clearly and intelligently, Williams too often chooses to abase himself in order to curry favor with the likes of Matthew Hooton [1] and, as we heard today, the notorious democracy-hater Michelle Boag. In Williams she has secured another perfect stooge, or sycophant, now that Brian “I agree entirely with Michelle” Edwards is no longer available. [2]
First major “discussion” this afternoon concerned the teacher pay dispute. As would have surprised nobody at all, Boag launched into an extended rant against the teacher unions, with Williams adding the odd supportive “yeah” and “mmmm” every now and again. Then, after several minutes, mercifully, she came to a halt. Mike Williams now had a chance to respond. This is what he said:
“I agree with Michelle.”
Next topic was the Karel Sroubek “saga”. Boag again took the opportunity to launch into another extended, partisan rant. At the end of it, Mike Williams again had a chance to say something intelligent. He said:
“Look I, I agree with Michelle very largely here.”
The third-last item for consideration by these thoroughly thoughtful thinkers was previewed as follows:
Spying drones
Following our drones discussion over the last few days, we look into the problem of drones being used to spy on people and to scout out properties for thieves to burgle. We ask New Zealand Police if they’ve had any cases, as have been seen in other countries.
Now, The Panel has discussed drones many, many times. It’s a topic that they’ve chatted lightly about almost as often as they’ve chatted about coffee, or diet research, or the frustrations of buying rock concert tickets online. [3] Never once during these frivolous talkfests have I heard them even mention the use of drones to kill thousands of people, mainly civilians and children, in Somalia, Pakistan, Yemen, Gaza, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Previewing this discussion at 3:45 p.m., Jim Mora read out, without a trace of irony in his voice: “Could drones be used for crime?”
I know it’s all politics but god, how could Ardern stand to be seated next to (or near to given Pence doesn’t want any woman closer to him than his wife – weird little religious zealot he is) Mike Pence. A Christian nut with some very strange ideas about homosexuality, climate change, evolution etc etc etc.
I couldn’t spend 5 mins with him without getting into an argument
Kia ora The Am Show
judy trying to the flip flop on the Pike River Mine disaster tipal neo polly itwasent me.
shonky was pulling all the strings come on .
May the word’s that come out of the waha don’t match her body language.
I tau toko respecting the Wahine and treating them Equally but I say those stat’s about Aotearoa being the worst in the world is full of stats were country’s are manipulating there data to make there image look good hence a honest country sit at the top .
A Star Is Born is A awesome movie some in our MSM have been kicking it a bit?????????.
If one does not talk about a problem there are no solutions found to solve the suicide problem with our Stars .Fame Alcohol hard drugs can = suicide people are passing on way to early because of that fact not being talked about hence no reduction in this problem.
Re setting driver’s licences test is not a bright Idea who thought of this bright Idea I say no more.
Ka kite ano . P.S have a good weekend
The Norton based dimp worked I just managed to save this computer .
I went to Auckland to see our MOKO’s and you should have seen the sandfly’s marked ones everywhere .
I remember in the 90ts some trying to launch super rugby/league comp and it FLOPPED just like this one the positive out come from that attempt is we now have professorial Rugby . some people don’t know how to be original they are copy cats.
A new rugby competition involving teams from Australia and smaller nations has been conditionally sanctioned by the World Rugby Council.
Rapid Rugby, the brainchild of Australian billionaire Andrew Forrest, will include the Perth-based Western Force as well as teams from Samoa, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Fiji, plus another backed by a private consortium based in a country yet to be revealed.
The teams would contest 56 games over 14 rounds, prior to four finals over three weeks, with the winners taking a $1 million first prize.
The competition will run during a similar period to Super Rugby, with Forrest indicating a start in late February, with a three-week finals series culminating in a June grand final.
Ka kite ano link below P.S this guy should use his money to support Australian rugby
Kia ora Newshub looks like a good circus.
Lloyd Britexit in a nother move by the wealthy for the wealthy the commoners are the people who are going to pay for the wealthy like trump is steam rolling Americans it all about the rich oil barron to them.
It was cool that the conjoined twins have been separated by operation in Australia.
The Bill Clinton saga the Republins new he is a stick man they used Monaca Lewnsky to set him up and played the media and Bill like a violin.
That Panda is so gorgeous.
Ka kite ano P.S I have been busy using dimp
The Crowd goes Wild apologies I have been tied up with the mokos.
Because the sandflys are playing with them selves so much these days I am using sign language a lot as of late ki kaha to the Crowd goes Wild crew.
Ka kite ano P.S I will have to be more careful who I post about
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Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
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 ...
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy.Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Genterwocky After a hard days marching, Sir Doocey calls in at the Village Tavern For a pint of ale and a pork pie. The grim villagers stare at him. “Do not be travelling on the forest road,” warns a crusty old beak. “And why is that, antique peasant?” Grins Sir ...
Political conferences after a party returns to power are usually a chance for some healthy, even unhealthy backslapping. Yet National Party president Sylvia Wood’s address to its mainland representatives on Saturday hardly contained the unalloyed delight that one might have expected following National’s escape from the wilderness of opposition. Yes, ...
Comment: Almost half the world is voting in national elections this year and artificial intelligence is the elephant in the room. There are genuine fears AI-generated or AI-edited deepfakes will potentially manipulate election outcomes not just in the US and UK, but critically in countries such as India. For that ...
Ahead of the reality franchise’s return to New Zealand, allow us to introduce the eight brides and grooms. Chuck on a veil and tie back your man bun, because it’s time to say “I do” to a new season of Married at First Sight NZ. The reality TV “social experiment” ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Norton, Professor in the Practice of Higher Education Policy, Australian National University Every year on June 1, student debt in Australia is indexed to inflation. In 2023, high inflation pushed the indexation rate to 7.1%, the highest since 1990. This ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Changes in the May 14 budget will cut the student debt of more than three million people, wiping more than $3 billion from what people owe. The government will cap the HELP indexation rate ...
Asia Pacific Report The prosecutor’s office at the International Criminal Court (ICC) has appealed for an end to what it calls intimidation of its staff, saying such threats could constitute an offence against the “administration of justice” by the world’s permanent war crimes court. The Hague-based office of ICC Prosecutor ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk A women’s union in New Caledonia has staged a sit-in protest this week to support senior Kanak indigenous journalist Thérèse Waia, who works for public broadcaster Nouvelle-Calédonie la Première, after a smear attack by critics. The peaceful demonstration was held on ...
New Zealand Food Safety is monitoring overseas recalls of Indian packaged spice products manufactured by MDH and Everest due to concerns over a cancer-causing pesticide. ...
By Stephen Wright and Stefan Armbruster of BenarNews Fiji’s ranking in a global press freedom index has jumped into the top tier of countries with free or mostly free media after its government last year repealed a draconian law that threatened journalists with prison for doing their jobs. Fiji’s improvement ...
We might be in Invercargill but all anyone can talk about is Gore. Specifically, Salford Street. That’s where three-year-old Lachlan Jones lived, south of the centre of town, between the A&P Showgrounds and the Mataura River. Roughly 1.2 km away from the single level home he lived in with his ...
MONDAY I lined up the latest round of civil servants from city hall against the wall, and signalled for the firing squad to drop their rifles. I stepped up onto a wooden crate to look at the office workers in the eye. But that didn’t feel right, so I found ...
Keen hiker and second-year MSc student Liam Hewson wears two hats when he’s in the great outdoors. “The scientist in me appreciates nature and goes, ‘Oh, there’s that thing and there’s another thing,’ but then the tramper and the outdoorsy person in me thinks, ‘Cool bush.’” Born and bred in ...
After a long and illustrious career as a goal kicker, Dan Carter’s favourite way to unwind is… kicking goals. Why can’t he get enough of it? And what it’s like to watch him do it for an hour straight? A semicircle of people wielding cameras and phones has formed in ...
Dame Susan Devoy takes us through her life in television, including late night ER debriefs, her proudest CTI moment and the show she watches in secret. Quite aside from her four world champion squash titles, Dame Susan Devoy will likely go down in history as one of the best Celebrity ...
Hera Lindsay Bird reveals the best places in Ōtepoti to score more for your apocalypse-prep book hoard.Sometimes I get the feeling I’ve been killed in a car crash, and this second half of my life is just the brain unspooling itself, like one of those episodes of a hospital ...
ThreeNow’s new murder mystery series takes us on a dark, damp journey into the Australian wilderness.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. High Country is ThreeNow’s new Australian eight-part crime drama, set in a remote part of the Victorian highlands. It tells ...
Introducing a new way to read The Spinoff every weekend. After nearly 10 years of being an online magazine, we’re finally embracing the weekend liftout. Despite our best efforts to convince you otherwise, writers and editors at The Spinoff don’t work weekend. It is through the sheer power of technology ...
Tip one: let yourself be nurtured by this big old man. Tip two: don’t ask him to adopt you. So, you’ve arrived at your first session with a new therapist. He tells you to make yourself comfortable and you opt for the tweed armchair, hoping it makes you look like ...
I didn’t know books could open you back up; that there were books that stayed with you, where reading was like a chemical event. I knew nothing.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.Not too long ago, I was listening to the American ...
Former Olympic swimmer James Magnussen has already started training for the Enhanced games, though says he won’t start taking performance enhancing substances until about nine months out from the competition. The Australian world champion was the first athlete to be announced by Enhanced, but he says the organisation has had ...
Everyone thinks he’s dead. Every day they expect his body to be washed up along the coast. Most likely up Karitane way, the way the tide’s running. But nobody’ll be too surprised if his body’s never found. Even in death he wouldn’t have wished for such attention. He would have ...
Council members voted 21 to 4 in favour of Ahluwalia returning to the Laucala campus following a much-awaited meeting in Vanuatu this week. It comes as USP and its two unions — the Association of the University of the South Pacific Staff (AUSPS) and the Administration and Support Staff Union ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicola Henry, Professor & Australian Research Council Future Fellow, Social and Global Studies Centre, RMIT University Shutterstock Following an emergency meeting of the National Cabinet this week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a raft of measures to tackle the problem ...
Analysis - A poll showing the opposition is more popular than the government raises questions, politicians go through their 'trial by pay rise' and a Green MP loses her cool in the debating chamber. ...
The entire stretch of Tokomaru Bay on the East Coast will be subject to a joint customary marine title for two hapū, and extending up to four miles out to sea. A High Court judge has found the two groups, who during the case settled a dispute over boundaries for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Hall, Lecturer, Media & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University A longstanding feud between TikTok and Universal Music Group seems to have finally reached an end, with both parties signing a deal that will see Universal-backed music returned to the social media ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Siobhan O’Dean, Postdoctoral Research Associate, The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney After several highly publicised alleged murders of women in Australia, the Albanese government this week pledged more than A$925 million over five years ...
Political parties have now fully disclosed the donations they received last year - with National getting more than double the cash of any other party. ...
A Pacific regionalism expert has called out New Zealand's Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters for withholding information from the public on AUKUS military pact. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard de Grijs, Professor of Astrophysics, Macquarie University Bruno Scramgnon/Pexels All systems are “go” for tonight’s launch of China’s next step in a carefully planned lunar exploration program. Placed on top of a powerful Long March 5 rocket, the Chang’e 6 ...
National returned a massive donation the day after a Newsroom story linked the donors to a property being investigated for operating unlawfully as a migrant workers’ hostel. The party’s 2023 donation filings, released on Friday, show it returned a $200,000 donation from Buen Holdings on August 23. That was the ...
Pacific Media Watch New Zealand has slumped to an unprecedented 19th place in the annual Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index survey released today on World Press Freedom Day — May 3. This was a drop of six places from 13th last year when it slipped out of its ...
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This sort of article should be headline news.
Every day.
Monbiot nails it.
“It was a moment of the kind that changes lives. At a press conference held by climate activists Extinction Rebellion last week, two of us journalists pressed the organisers on whether their aims were realistic. They have called, for example, for UK carbon emissions to be reduced to net zero by 2025. Wouldn’t it be better, we asked, to pursue some intermediate aims?
A young woman called Lizia Woolf stepped forward. She hadn’t spoken before, but the passion, grief and fury of her response was utterly compelling. “What is it that you are asking me as a 20-year-old to face and to accept about my future and my life? … This is an emergency. We are facing extinction. When you ask questions like that, what is it you want me to feel?” We had no answer.
Softer aims might be politically realistic, but they are physically unrealistic. Only shifts commensurate with the scale of our existential crises have any prospect of averting them. Hopeless realism, tinkering at the edges of the problem, got us into this mess. It will not get us out………
…….Two tasks need to be performed simultaneously: throwing ourselves at the possibility of averting collapse, as Extinction Rebellion is doing, slight though this possibility may appear; and preparing ourselves for the likely failure of these efforts, terrifying as this prospect is. Both tasks require a complete revision of our relationship with the living planet.”
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/14/earth-death-spiral-radical-action-climate-breakdown
Capitalism always destroys the society that it arises in.
If we want to survive we need to get rid of the capitalists.
My bold.
In other words, economic growth is uneconomic.
“…continued economic growth is incompatible with sustaining the Earth’s systems.”
Something we agree on. Though I’d word it slightly differently nonetheless a system of increasing economic growth based on a system that still uses fuels that are unable to be used in perpetuity is crazy.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2018/nov/14/brexit-deal-theresa-may-conservatives-meet-decide-cabinet-politics-live
So it looks like the venality and political paralysis of the Oxbridge British political elites over Brexit are coming to a head.
If Theresa May’s Brexit deal is rejected by the Tory hardliners, she will have to try and resign. I say try, because no one will want to replace her – a moderate will inherit exactly the same problems she has inherited and a hard line Brexiteer will not have the required support. Boris Johnson’s overweening ambition means he desperately wants to lead the Tories but he would be a disaster – he is incompetent and the remainers in his party hate him. Anyway, the hardliners don’t want a deal – they would be happy with a no deal hard Brexit. Their irresponsibility knows no bounds. The trouble is, it is difficult to trigger a new election under the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 without at least some Turkeys voting for an early Xmas.
Assuming there is another election before Xmas, don’t assume Labour (who would inevitably win) would be any better at fixing the problem. Internally, the Labour party under Corbyn has managed to pretty much deal with “New Labour” PLP faction now, who have become isolated within the party, will dwindle considerably in number after the next general election and have no major constituency outside it (which is why they haven’t yet flounced off to form a new party of the radical centre). But that doesn’t mean the hardline neoliberal remainers of the Labour right. Such is the venality of the Labour’s Blairite Oxbridge political elites that they will wait until after the next general election, then they’ll just use the fixed-term Parliaments Act to cover their forming a new party of the radical centre (possibly with a few Tories and some Lib-dems) and then settle down to paralyse the new Corbyn government on everything from re-nationalisation to Brexit.
The British Oxbridge recruited political class has been a total clusterfuck for 150 years. Short of a major revolution, expect the fight desperately to retain their own political primacy (which is why so many of them really hate Brexit – it was a full-on punch on the nose for them and a direct challenge to their authority) and not much else.
Its passed Cabinet.
She’s doing well so far.
Probably because any other option would open the door for Corbyn to come to power.
https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/brexit-ttip-conservative-us-deal-tory-party-cato-legatum-institute-trade-a8252216.html
“You may not have heard of the Legatum Institute; I hadn’t either, except for Legatum’s partnership with First Look Media billionaire Pierre Omidyar in a gruesome microfinance investment in India a few years back, SKS Microfinance. Omidyar and Legatum co-invested in Unitus Equity, which then invested in SKS Microfinance ostensibly to help the world’s poorest people in rural India. Instead, a few wealthy insiders cashed out to the tune of mega-millions for themselves, while ruthless SKS debt collectors bullied hundreds of rural Indian villagers into committing suicide by drowning, drinking jars of pesticide, and other horrific means. ”
“bridging the interests of global vulture capitalists like his boss Christopher Chandler with the interests of neocon regime-change groups like the National Endowment for Democracy, and more familiar neocon pro-war lobbyists like Michael Weiss.”
https://pando.com/2015/05/17/neocons-2-0-the-problem-with-peter-pomerantsev/
Here is a good interview with Max Blumenthal on the appalling Nikki Haley, possibly a very real contender for 2020.
Max Blumenthal: Natsec Elites Welcome Nikki Haley
I’ll probably be wrong, but I think 2020 is too early for her. Even purely out of, it would be a dumb move for anyone running against Trump for Republican candidacy.
I have little doubt if anyone is going to be the first female US Prez’ it will probably be her though
@ Chris T,
Yes you might well be right, it does seem early for a run, but then again who know what will happen with Trump between now and then, his presidency to have the air of something that could implode messily at any moment.
Good point
Lol
The President is said to be in a deep funk about the Republicans dismal showing in the midterms.
The problem with trump, is that there are hundreds in the wings just like him. And this fetish to ‘stop’ trump conveniently side steps this point.
@ adam
You are exactly right, and worryingly, it seems more and more like this ridiculous Trump ‘fetish’ along with the equally inane ‘Russiagate conspiracy’ has and still is derailing any serious opposition to his insane narrative.
“Bob Woodward: No Evidence Of Trump-Russia Collusion, I Searched For Two Years”
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2018/09/14/woodward_no_evidence_of_collusion_between_trump_and_russia_i_searched_for_two_years.html
oh and old man waves fist at cloud –
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=12159819
And finally stopped pretending it’s about travel to and from the CBD and the airport instead of the real opposition which is nimbyism around the planned TOD intensification along the Dominion Road corridor.
I agree with Mike Lee. His reference to ‘experts’ is a timely reminder, considering that many high profile – but low benefit – projects seem to go ahead because of marketing skills rather than true cost benefit analysis.
There was a recent article on the Auckland Cycleway that showed the disconnect between projections and actual use – as well as financial overruns.
Experts are just people who came from privilege who got an education. They struggle to realise it’s their connections which make their opinions count – not some innate sense of understanding.
Experts also often seem to be those who have excelled at self-promotion and have a high visibility and familiarity with the public. Auckland transport and planning have suffered from that reliance.
What frustrates me in particularly, is that those most in need are missing out because they have no profile, and are given none when it counts.
That’s not always true and you also have to prove that they’re doing worse than a bunch of ignoramuses who couldn’t even do the maths.
Gotta disagree on the value of an education, there.
The problem is when business consultancies provide “expertise” – are they experts who are also good at marketing, or are they excellent marketers who know fuckall? And will they provide you with an expert solution, or expertly persuade you that you need more of their solutions?
Yep, private enterprise expertise has to be seriously questioned about their actual expertise and about their motivations.
I do recall many roading contractors got really upset when the last Labour government started building rail rather than roads while all declaiming rail.
Reminds me of the thinking that McLuhan did years ago as to where to get the best solution, ideas. The thinking was that you ask a builder and he things of infrastructure, a taxi company thinks of vehicles, a teacher would probably say more education.l All would be partly right. So does one ask a business consultancy that probably is operating from a bunch of theories from business school – and where did that get its ideas and what practical experience in all the fields of business have they had?
“The medium is the message” is a phrase coined by Marshall McLuhan meaning that the form of a medium embeds itself in any message it would transmit or convey, creating a symbiotic relationship by which the medium influences how the message is perceived.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_medium_is_the_message
Also – an organisation I was involved with for a while asked a corporate services outfit to do a systems audit. Recommended outsourcing some management services.
Twenty years later apparently the same outfit is still providing management services to the organisation. Smartest way to go, or self-serving advice? Who knows? No apparent improvement to the organisation.
This cartoon from Alex by Peattie and Taylor in Telegraph is on the perils of calling in knowledgable experts:
Alex
Hope it comes up surrounded in black for you.
lol worked fine, thanks
Often have little practical experience or track records.
His reference to the lack of experts in NZ to design Light Rail was a bloody pathetic excuse for an argument. AT and the NZTA are the experts – Mike Lee just doesn’t agree with them.
And the Orsman article in the Herald was just more axe grinding from him and was pretty easily debunked by this https://www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2018/11/13/the-heralds-latest-cycling-smear/
Mike Lee was on the board for Auckland Transport, until Goff dismantled that elector representation. He understands how the system works, and I suspect you don’t.
Our community got access to public transport because of our high-response level to an AT survey, not because it was a community determined in need of it. (Personally advised of this by a Local Board rep, who was upset by the fact his neighbouring community did not respond as fully, and so missed out.) If you understand this – then you have the realisation that it is the vocal – and not the needy – who benefit from this method of resource and planning allocation. Which is why we see those without voices or adequate representation lose out time and time again.
There are experts at fact finding that supports their lobbying. To me, Greater Transport is an example. It’s failure is a lack of comprehensive voices that encompass all of Auckland, and it’s closer relationship with Auckland Transport has removed it’s claim to independence. Auckland Transport has supported it when it aligns, because of it’s influence. That cosy relationship comes at a cost.
The push for light rail is supported by well chosen analytics and presumptions – much like the cycleway project. I support the development of cycleways, but I believe the priority of projects and the feasiblity should be based on independently based evidence, and more accurate projections of both financial and social benefits. From that perspective, I believe the electric train connection to the airport is better on both counts.
How is a heavy rail express service between Britomart and the airport a better social benefit than expansion of public transport to the (currently poorly served) south western suburbs via LRT?
If you noticed I also added priorities to my comment. There is a dearth of adequate affordable public transport in South Auckland, that would also not be improved by the proposed LRT option.
The constant return to a proposed stadium on the waterfront is an example of consistent lobbying gaining traction without evidential requirement for priority spending. As time passes, the public assumes a need has been identified by independent analysis, not the tabled projections by interested parties.
Should we really be looking at airport expansion and consequential airport travellers as a priority, or should we – as you point out – be looking at those in areas of Auckland already poorly served, and be improving their current and future options? Given the growing awareness of climate change, and the failure of any feasible commercial alternative to aviation fuel, this seems a strange consideration. Or alternatively, ‘improving’ the services to Dominion Road residents is hardly improving options for those in South Auckland.
I’m not really sure what you’re trying to say with this comment? The waterfront stadium and the aviation industry’s adverse contribution to climate change are worthy subjects in their own right but not really pertinent to this conversation.
The gist of your argument seems to be that South Auckland’s public transport network is shit and while that’s so everybody else’s should be too?
The South-WESTERN (geddit?) LRT is designed to improve service to that part of Auckland and to alleviate the severe road congestion that’s projected for southern entry points into the CBD if the bus network is to keep up with growing demand.
I am saying that you are making the presumption that projects are being prioritised due to some sort of internal process that identifies both need, short-term and long-term benefits. From observation, this is not what happens.
The aviation’s adverse contribution to climate change is pertinent to the large financial investment – and appropriation of land – for airport expansion, and proposals to facilitate the faster movement of airport travellers.
“…and to alleviate the severe road congestion that’s projected for southern entry points into the CBD if the bus network is to keep up with growing demand…”. There are many Aucklanders that don’t travel into the CBD, that have not had their needs identified. If they don’t get identified, then they aren’t even in the running for prioritisation.
I am unequivocally saying that I agree with Mike Lee. That employment at Auckland Transport does not automatically ensure a balanced, objective view for spending and priorities is presented.
And Mike Lee has dived to the bottom of the pond and survived all that fetid pond water. A strong head and constitution and hopefully with brain cells still in tip top order. We need the wise like him and not the fast thinking then disappearing man.
Molly that article has been debunked repeatedly.
By whom? Can you link, as far as I know it only came out a couple of days ago, but I haven’t really been watching. I also don’t refer to Greater Auckland as an authority, because I think their perspective is too narrow, but I know that many take what they say as independent and comprehensive analysis.
Further spending is expected to happen in the CBD, and inner Auckland while other areas struggle for alternative transport infrastructure like walking and cycling. The division of Auckland Transport from Auckland Council, means that the way people live and move are treated separately and often have outcomes that are detrimental those that live in those communities.
I am in favour of – and have advocated for – better alternative and public transport planning and implementation. But I also don’t think that a particular cycleway project is necessarily money well spent – unless the need was identified and it provides the best cost/benefit analysis, in terms of other areas where it may be needed.
Yes, I can:
Bold mine.
So, we can assume that the reason why that particular report was leaked was because someone within the organisation was working for a political end. He was probably also the person who wrote it.
Yeah, roads are actually the real problem but those three dinosaurs won’t accept that reality.
EDIT:
Greater Auckland was also a great advocate of the cycleway from the beginning. They should acknowledge that in any posts.
Matt Lowrie at Greater Auckland, has his own perspective, and the time and audience to present to. This does not mean that all perspectives are included in their analysis and data which is collected to justify their views.
And the pertinent point that Mike Lee made is not a discussion is not about roads vs cycleways. It is about that particular cycleway project, not providing the level of benefit that was used to secure funding.
It is a derailment 😀 to make it otherwise.
Did you read the bit about the report being dumped because it was inaccurate?
The level of benefit was estimated as being 926 in 2026. In other words, in eight years from now and present growth in use shown by the same report indicates that that will actually be seriously under.
I didn’t make it otherwise. The article I linked addressed your concerns and pointed out that the dinosaurs attacking cycleways don’t do the same for roads. In other words, it pointed out both the inaccuracies used to produce a false impression (lies) and the hypocrisy of those lying.
You’re still trying to believe the lies.
“According to Matt Lowrie at Greater Auckland the report leaked to Orsman had been discarded at draft stage because it was so inaccurate. Orsman’s story was, at best, misleading.”
Matt Lowrie does more than that – he discredits Orsman’s objectivity in all his reporting:
” But I had also noticed the article was authored by Bernard Orsman, who has gained quite a history in recent years of articles that try to generate some sort of outrage, usually related to the council and/or housing. I’ve also noticed there is a tendency in these types of articles for the real story to be somewhere in the last few paragraphs, a point by which many people have stopped reading. Sure enough, this ‘beat up’ fit the pattern perfectly. The key point is in this sentence.
“In undertaking this review, the audit and assurance team was informed that Auckland Transport forecast cyclist user numbers were based on cyclist user estimates forecast in 2026,” a spokesman said.
So Orsman, or the internal report he’s obtained that he’s basing this article on, compares cycling numbers in January-17 with projections for 2026 after we’ve completed an entire city centre networks.
1. When you look at Orsman’s filed stories they are typical council reporting – full with the facts etc that have been presented during meetings, and from my point of view, it seems disingenous to discredit all his work – as a method of discussing this topic.
2. Matt is right, the key point is in this sentence: ” “In undertaking this review, the audit and assurance team was informed that Auckland Transport forecast cyclist user numbers were based on cyclist user estimates forecast in 2026,” a spokesman said.”
Why did were they informed only during the review process? Surely this information should have been clearly given at the time the decision to allocate funds was given? If that was the case, the audit team should have had access to it for the draft report and would not have to be belatedly ‘informed’. Does that not give you pause for thought?
“You’re still trying to believe the lies.”
There is a lack of robust process and transparency going on there. Processes should stand up to scrutiny, and this project while beneficial to many – may not have been the most beneficial – including projects that were designed to provide access to alternative transport modes for those who already are badly served by public transport or are transport poor.
A very quick search delivers a Auckland Transport Business Case study published in 2017, that shows on Page 4 the following:
“21. The modelling of the cycle network near the City Centre indicates that by 2026 4500 people a day will cycle to the City Centre, which is the equivalent to approximately four lanes of traffic on the arterial road network during the peak period. Investment in cycling therefore presents a potentially cost effective means of adding additional capacity to the network.”
I’m assuming that this is similar to the figure used for the initial assessment for the cycleway, but despite GA and other articles saying that the inference made by Orsman is misleading, there are no links showing the original figures or report used for decision making. That would go some way to clearing up the confusion, and would provide accessible evidence for those seeking the facts.
Would like to see the Cost Benefit Analysis of Light Rail (Trams) to the Airport vs Heavy Rail via Puhinui. I have little faith in AT. Hopefully the decision is peer reviewed by some professional overseas experts.
I also have little faith in AT, and often still they let me down. 😀
I would like to see some analysis of the benefit of Heavy Rails for long-term provision of passenger network, freight movement, maintenance and service costs, but also whether either option is the best use of transport funds at the moment.
Just had a look at the Greater Auckland latest blog on the topic, and the post and comments seem to move towards a discussion on the benefits of cycleways in general, and a disregard for roads.
Which is a way of going off topic, when you are talking about particular projects, and discussing the merits, costs and benefits of them in regards to alternative spending on other cycling projects.
That describes every single RON.
And the cycleways are still going to be a better investment.
Ah, so use is still building.
I suspect that this report will be conveniently lost and forgotten when it reaches and then exceeds the estimated number.
“Ah, so use is still building.
I suspect that this report will be conveniently lost and forgotten when it reaches and then exceeds the estimated number.”
I am in favour of cycleways. But consider if this project was chosen over another – more accurately – but less positively presented project, and it makes a difference to how well our transport spending is being allocated in terms of priority.
Yes, the use is still building. But that was not the criteria that provided the decision makers with the information they needed to responsibly allocate resources.
(Also, I think many smaller projects that would have really good outcomes don’t even make it to the discussion table because they don’t have visible advocates.)
This project is part of an ongoing series of projects that will build up a network of cycle paths across Auckland. When that network reaches across more of Auckland than it does now then we will see explosive growth in cycle use.
This project is a necessary part of that network and without it the network won’t be as good as it should be.
“This project is part of an ongoing series of projects that will build up a network of cycle paths across Auckland. When that network reaches across more of Auckland than it does now then we will see explosive growth in cycle use.”
Great. But where is the analysis that says that this was the priority – not because it was central Auckland – but because it provided the most benefit. As far as I know, analysis on other areas of Auckland has not been done to any high degree of detail – other than self-filled surveys.
This lack of analysis right at the start, makes the allocation and prioritisation of funding lop-sided. Not necessarily the best outcome for all Aucklanders.
Thanks for adding thought and analysis Molly.
Why don’t you do an OIA and ask?
BTW, surveys are about the best democracy we can get ATM.
“BTW, surveys are about the best democracy we can get ATM.”
Surveys will always then favour the time rich and already provided for. They have the time and resources to participate. That is not a high standard to aim for.
A stocktake of options available to communities of people doesn’t really require surveys, just good robust data. Further research – which may or may not include surveys – can be undertaken to identify areas where investment delivers big returns for community while still putting pieces in place towards an integrated transport system.
“Why don’t you do an OIA and ask?”
Not my cup of tea at the moment. But I did go to many council meetings etc for a few years, and have spent enough time on it – I’ve moved on. I don’t see any significant change in processes though. And I remain concerned about the lack of focus for communities throughout Auckland that don’t have advocacy.
I am a supporter of alternative transport modes, and of increasing public transport options for Aucklanders. I’m not convinced that the ever rising cost of the proposed LRT for the airport link is the best use of transport funds.
Cease fire between Israel and Palestine results in the Israeli Defence Minister resigning.
Personally I think lieberman resigning is huge news, come on NZ media, catch up please.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/11/israel-defence-minister-lieberman-resigns-gaza-ceasefire-181114111137338.html
The unfolding constitutional crisis in Sri Lanka, a fellow Commonwealth country, is huge news too Cinny but I doubt our parochial media in NZ will be covering that story anytime soon even though there is a sizeable Sri Lankan minority in Auckland.
We tend to get a more balanced viewpoint from Al Jazeera compared the US news networks. Hopefully they can sort this shit out once and for all ?
As the postal ballots slowly get counted in California that state looks to be a rolling bloodbath for Republicans. Nationwide Dems may pick up as many as 40 seats, the third biggest Midterms gain in the last 40 years.
Its looking more like the Democrats will pick up 37 Scott….but that really is an excellent result that has been very poorly reported by the media which (as in NZ) concentrates on early results and not the final result.
The Dems picking up Arizona in the senate yesterday-previously called for the Republicans-was great news.
You’re probably right at 37/38 but possibly as many as 40 if the outstanding races go the Dems way, and most have been.
It seems the tv networks 10 pm election night prognosis was the narrative that got “baked in” as they say in America. Republicans built their spin around that and it’s taken a week to unravel.
The Arizona win is significant for Democrats, even though Sinema (originally a Green Party staffer) recast herself as a very right/centrist Democrat to win and Martha McSally was a pretty bad candidate. It points to some sort of pathway for the Democrats towards majority in the Senate via the shifting demographics in the sunbelt states.
agree totally…Trump said he won so he must have won!
That must be why he was so cheerful on his Europe trip. 🙂
the helicopter couldn’t fly in the rain. That’s it. Not that the president of the USA is a fucking three year old throwing a week-long tantrum.
Helicopters don’t work in the rain and you need voter ID to buy cereal.
Jesus man, this is basic stuff.
Scott I may be wrong here and you right…Democrats seem to be picking up enough House seats to get to +39 and even +40.
Its a bit weird in my defence-I was relying on realclearpolitics figures that showed that House races had been 100% counted with the Dems behind where in fact the figures have continued to change towards the Dem after this.
Nick Smith has just finished throwing tantrum on Morning Report because Susie Ferguson had the temerity to ask him about the Pike River re-entry rather than let him drone on about government use of consultants.
He misses that cabinet limo….time he hung up his spurs.
He still pontificates like he’s a cabinet minister.
Dreadful as it may sound, my perceptions/thoughts over recent months have become that Nick Smith is actually now coming across as one of National’s “better and more experienced”* MPs – compared to Bridges, Bennett and co.
* Yes, I did say that! Even I find myself querying myself for saying it. LOL.
However, out of the limelight of Question Time, he has actually been the one leading the Opposition’s questioning and challenging the Government’s position on various bits of legislation during their passage through the House for 1st Readings, 2nd Readings, Committee stages, and final 3rd Readings. This has included the waka jumping amendment legislation but also many other bits of legislation not of such prominence.
This is not meant to be a defense of Smith because he certainly is not someone I like or respect (with the one exception of many years ago when he was Minister for Conservation where he did not too bad a job). IMO he is simply “better’ than the vast majority (all?) members of the current National front bench when measured against a very low benchmark. The fact that I now think that is simply an indication of how far down that benchmark has now dropped, IMO.
For example, his interview this morning was certainly not good, but at least he seemed to be trying to mount an opposition/challenge re the use of consultants – but I was pleased to hear Suzie not giving him a clear run and challenging him.
Smith was at least coherent in what he said re Suzie diverting her questions onto the Pike River re-entry – IMO Bridges in similar situations just throws his toys in a much less mature, coherent manner.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018671303/nick-smith-criticises-govt-over-contractor-spending
I agree with you vv about Nick Smith.
What it really demonstrates is the second class status of the current National Party caucus and their lack of experience, nous and maturity. We may not have liked or agreed with Key, Joyce and co. who fled the sinking Nat ship in advance (or are about to) but at least they carried out their functions in a (mostly) competent manner. It is going to take the Nats quite a few years to grow another caucus that is ready to again take the reins of power.
In the meantime, Dirty Politics is all they have.
Labour – when it went through its ritual growing pains brought on by public rejection – had to be content with fighting and squabbling with one another and, much to my eternal shame, I was one of the participants. 🙁
Thanks Anne. Good to know I am not losing the plot yet, LOL.
Totally agree with your last para, also – and I was also part of that. It is quite interesting watching it now happening with the now Opposition., albeit in a slightly different less open/public manner. Well, up to a point. JLR has put a bit of dent in the behind closed doors scenario. Long may it last.
> What it really demonstrates is the second class status of the current National Party caucus and their lack of experience, nous and maturity
100% agree – though in my view the Labour Party caucus is not in a much better state – I think both parties had much more talent in the mid 2000s.
A.
Many years back I attended a Tararua Tramping Club meeting where Nick spoke on conservation issues. I still recall it quite well; it seemed to me at the time that spoke competently, sincerely and had an extensive, passionate grasp of his subject. He’s certainly served his Party well for many decades, and undertaken much work for the nation.
Others will leap to disagree I realise, but even if my political values are different to his, I can respect his substantial contribution over the decades.
He was certainly not being sincere with all the lies and bullshit he spoke about fresh water quality.
Federated Mountain Club’s, Fish and Game and Forest and Bird all thought he was full of shit:
https://www.greens.org.nz/news/press-release/nick-smith%E2%80%99s-water-policy-dissolving-another-environmental-group-walks-away-land
Yes … that is the entire purpose of politics; thrashing out competing interests and desires. I’d be shocked if the Greens and FMC were not opposed to at least some of his policy work, and I never said I aligned with Nick’s position, but that I could respect the way he has gone about it.
Two different things, and a distinction many here seem to struggle with.
So you think that changing the definition of “swimmable” to include that which clearly is not is an honest way of going about this?
It’s probably what he could get past Cabinet.
Oh OK, so it is OK for him to be dishonest as long as he has got the best he can out of Cabinet? Now you are talking about a different thing.
If you asked Nick in his personal capacity how he’d like our rivers, I bet he’d give the same answer you or I would give, crystal clear and wonderful (as I remember them from decades past).
But that’s politics for you. You don’t always get what you want and you have to make the best of what you get. You can’t make a stand on everything you disagree with, otherwise you get kicked out of the game fast. Call that dishonest if you like, but it’s how the system works.
The thing that was dishonest was changing the definition of “swimmable” to include that which clearly isn’t. That is a separate thing to Nact deciding that water quality should not be significantly improved.
I’m not at all familiar with this story so, but it’s likely a good example of how the system works. If we looked closely at the policy involved we would likely see that in the long-term it creates a reasonable framework for improving river water quality.
But initially it’s going to get opposition from interests that it’s going to impose costs on, ie the farmers. So what you do is put in place an overarching legislation that can have it’s detailed settings altered over time, but accept that the first pass isn’t going to be everything you want.
Yeah I know, it’s boring and incremental, but it’s the way you get things done without too many unintended consequences. I’m not at all unsympathetic to what your saying here; as you can deduce my single biggest passion in life has been tramping in the backcountry of these amazingly beautiful islands; assume I care about the rivers as you do.
But politics isn’t a natural playground for idealists like us; understanding how to get things done requires competence and pragmatism.
Smoke and mirrors Red Logix?
Smith was Minister of Conservation from 1996 – 1999 after Denis Marshall resigned post Cave Creek. I worked for the Dept of Conservation for three years after the final Cave Creek report as part of the restructuring of the Dept as a result of the report. Smith was a good Minister during his time and became well respected by Conservation staff, both old and new. My type of work meant I had direct contact with him, and I found him good to deal with on the complex issues pertaining to the restructure etc.
Some of his other and later ‘history’*, some of which is covered by legal suppression orders, not so much. But c’est la vie – we are all a mix of good and bad.
* including his clean water package in 2017 as per Solkta’s comment above.
Yes … like many politicians meeting or working with them in person is a different experience to their media projection. Your comment is interesting, clearly Nick Smith was at his best in the Conservation portfolio, and his record in other roles has been …. let’s say workmanlike, but sometimes scratchy.
Exactly – well said. From all accounts, Conservation was probably his Ministerial high point.
I also agree with what you have said above to solkta.
I don’t mean this as a criticism, but for those who have not worked in the parliamentary environment and/or in govt in roles that interact with the parliamentary system, things can be very black or white and idealistic; whereas the reality of our system of government is one of shades of grey including (acceptable levels of) compromise, deferred/staged implementation etc, etc.
This, of course, is also true for many other areas of work, business etc – for example, the type of work you appear to be in.
As you said, two different things, and a distinction many here seem to struggle with.
I know one politician who says of Nick Smith that he is the biggest liar they have ever met, and that includes John Key. It was an opinion expressed to me as we drove over to a conference in Hamilton in 2014 on Climate Change and NZ’s commitment, or otherwise.
I don’t think anything I, or possibly others, have said necessarily excludes that as a possibility. We humans are complex beings, and that possibility is not necessarily out of line with my brief mention of legally suppressed matters of many years ago. Will say no more.
Nick Smith married a woman he was assisting when she was a constituant thats akin to a Doctor sleeping with patients, a big no no, likely to get any other professional struck off from their registration body. Then again polititians have no understanding of ethical behaviour.
Sorry Psych nurse but that is silly. There are no parallels with a doctor tending to a patient. That is a deeply personal situation at all levels (even if its only to syringe a dammed pesky ear every few months 🙁 ) whereas a constituent is only requiring advice or wanting to reference some local concern that may be bothering them. There is no reason why after such an encounter with an MP that they don’t discover (maybe) they have friends and associates in common and ultimately choose to extend their relationship.
Good grief, does that mean you can’t strike up a friendship with your local chemist or computer technician (if you’re a pc dummy like me) or anyone you may hire to do a job for you?
Is it regarded as unethical to try to marry a computer technician if you are a needy computer klutz?
Jingos VV, this is sounding more like an obituary.
(Not wishing ill on the man).
Ooops – not meant that way at all, especially as I have just worked out the difference in age between him and I. ROFL.
But I do think that he needs to move on, and find something else for his remaining working years. Or perhaps, he still has designs on being Leader? …………………………..
Leader…
Putting a tory hat on, I couldnt think of three better candidates in the party.
I am being sincere here.
Although IMO the best candidate for leader is someone the likes of O’Sullivan, GP in the far north, and chopper him in to Botany.
A la key, that went well for them.
What he did and the lies he told re ACC remain painful for many.
I’m no fan of the Waka Jumping Legislation but I’m not really inclined to be lectured on its many flaws by Nick Smith, who was part of the National government that completely ignored the recommendations of the MMP Review in 2012 for no better reason than those recommendations (abolishing of coattails rule and resulting overhang and lowering the threshold to 4% etc), if implemented, would have disadvantaged National’s client parties.
JLR has done the country a service exposing the grubby workings of the Natzi Party
I will never trust a word he ever says again after the way he lied about the National Party’s devious RMA reforms (and the Special Housing Areas) that are a developers charter and a disaster for NZ’s landscapes.
The Maori Party got its just deserts for supporting the RMA reforms.
Fair enough. And that is a biggie.
What I was trying to get through in my comment that you have replied to was that while I do not have any great love, trust or anything else for Smith, using him as a form of measure, he actually shows up many/most/all (?) of the rest of the Nat frontbench as being possibly worse.
In other words, I think the quality of the current Nats MPs is at a major low. (I am trying to keep a bit of an open mind re some of the latest additions but suspect that they are just other chips off the same block.)
I certainly do not have any respect for Smith or trust him – with the one exception of the short period when Smith was Minister of Conservation and I discussed that further down the thread with Red Logix.
As I also replied to Macro who also reported that he had been referred to as the biggest liar another politician had ever met, I certainly don’t exclude that as well.
ScottGN also made good points re Smith and the waka jumping legislation.
We all see things from slightly different perspectives and it would be a dull old world if we didn’t.
Time to put his slippers on and have another whisky perhaps.
I need some advice please…..
Miss almost 14 was bullied badly at school earlier in the year, I got involved, the boys concerned were punished by the school, the bullying has pretty much stopped.
She meet a brother of one of the bullies at the bike track, turns out both him and his brother get beaten by their father. When the father was contacted by the school to advise him that his son was bullying my daughter, the father beat up his son with a stick, threw a chair at him etc.
Myself and Miss almost 14 are deeply troubled that these boys are getting beaten by their father. We only know one of the boys first names.
We need to do something to protect these boys, what should we do or who should we approach?
Should we go to the school and tell them or the police?
I’m really lost on who to approach and how to go about it, I don’t want these kids to get another beating.
STart with your school principal and be clear you are speaking in confidence?
A.
Agree.
I would recommend going directly to the police.
Telll then the school has the full names of the boys.
That separates you and your daughter from the school (so less chance of blow back on you) and better change of it being acted on quickly.
Not a fun position. Good luck.
I agree with James. It is a criminal offence and rightly so. The boys and their father need help. Or you could
KAhaI agree with the advice above.
By all means help how you see fit, also set some boundaries for yourself and yours.
It is important to keep yourself safe. Safe physically, mentally and emotionally.
It is quite possible you may not achieve concrete results in this case.
You may be able to help in other kids lives.
By this I mean perhaps help out with another group. Youthline, Big Brother Big Sister, after school groups etc.
It may not be on the front line, all these groups need help running.
All this according to your time and resources.
Good luck and stay safe.
A difficult situation, Cinny.
IMO it depends on your relationship with your school principal. I recall that you have mentioned him/her on here once or twice. If you have a good trusting relationship where you feel confident in the principal’s integrity, confidentiality etc, then I would start there.
If not, I would suggest either the police (they usually have specific officers especially trained in these areas) and/or Oranga Tamariki.
Oranga Tamariki has a specific section on their website on this very issue with who to contact, contact numbers etc. They seem to be doing a lot better under the guidance of Tracey Martin as their Minister.
https://www.orangatamariki.govt.nz/worried-about-a-child-tell-us/
Full site https://www.orangatamariki.govt.nz/
Kia kaha
EDIT – Actually, I would suggest talking to OT first as they will/should know the best/right(legal) procedures in such cases. There were some changes to the law on this recently IIRC.
Approach the school / principal. Hopefully they can investigate or get police involved if needed which separates yourself. Good luck…horrible situation.
Thanks so much everyone.
I contacted Oranga Tamariki, cheers for the links VV very much appreciated. Because I don’t know the last name or address of the children unfortunately they are unable to progress it.
But they were ever so helpful, and suggested to go to the school and advise them, and ask the school to contact O.T. Glad the staff at the school and the principal are so very approachable, makes a massive difference.
Social worker on the phone said that because the parent used a stick to beat their children and threw a chair at them that it could well end up being a police matter.
Will have to tread very carefully as the last thing I want is those boys to get another beating because they disclosed their situation to someone.
Once again thanks everyone for the info and advice.
You are very welcome, Cinny.
I thought that OT would know the legalities etc. The principal and school will be able to “disclose” the personal details to OT and/or the Police, which they cannot do to you or other people.
It also keeps you and your daughters out of the picture, as the school, OT etc must all keep your details confidential. (Also See below for Section 16 protections.)
———-
Here are a few more links on reporting child abuse for anyone interested:
http://www.police.govt.nz/faq/i-suspect-a-child-is-being-abused-what-should-i-do
This explains the relationship and interaction between Oranga Tamariki and the NZ Police
Sections 15 – 19 of the Children, Young Persons and Their Families Act (1989) cover the reporting of suspected child abuse (including the roles of OT and NZ Police).
Section 16 protects people who notify concerns of abuse in good faith from civil and criminal proceedings.
http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1989/0024/latest/whole.html#DLM149466
Community Law has a page that covers legal questions about Section 16 protections etc for people reporting suspected abuse
http://communitylaw.org.nz/community-law-manual/chapter-12-dealing-with-oranga-tamariki-ministry-for-children/reporting-child-abuse/
Citizen Advice Bureau (CAB) also has some more detailed FAQs on reporting suspected child abuse (and elder abuse).
http://www.cab.org.nz/vat/fp/va/pages/reportingabuse.aspx
As does the Ministry of Health from a slightly different perspective (and includes partner abuse).
https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/preventative-health-wellness/family-violence/family-violence-questions-and-answers
This Ministry of Education pdf, while older (eg refers to CYF not OT) is useful for the flow charts showing how schools etc report child abuse and the different roles, obligations etc of school principals, Boards of Trustees, OT, Police etc
https://www.education.govt.nz/assets/Documents/School/Traumatic-incidents-and-emergencies/MoE-STA-CYFProtocolForReportingActualOrSuspectedChildAbuseNov09Amendment-3-2015.pdf
Lots more links are available through a generic Google search using “reporting child abuse nz”.
——————–
This is not directly related to this particular situation but I was pleased to see this article on the new 2018 requirements for reporting of abuse of children in state care.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12114959
VV, have just got off the phone to the schools DP. She’s received an email from Oranga Tamariki about my call, so is following it all up confidentially. Hope it all works out for those boys.
That herald article was interesting, thanks again for the links.
So pleased, Cinny – and well done, both you and daughter.
The fact that the brother felt he could disclose to your daughter speaks heaps about her, and your parenting.
If I recall you are in the Tasman Bay area. If so, I am not surprised that the school is on to it. Had excellent experiences with schools, social service authorities, foster family etc in that area a decade or so ago with a “godchild” who was fostered in the area for some years after some bad parental experiences.
EDIT – Just seen your reply to DTB and it clicked as to what was nagging at me re the CAB link I gave above. Look at the bottom of that page, and the second to bottom link. A thought re sharing experiences. You’ll understand.
I’d go to the police. That’s not just smacking but outright assault.
I wish it was that easy Draco, but having been a in violent relationship I know it’s not.
It’s certainly not something that would have worked when I was living with my father after my mother died 36 years ago. I tried after I ran away because the fuckwit was beating me most days for things that I hadn’t even done and got caught by the police. Their only response was that my father could actually force me to stay at home until I was twenty.
But things have changed since then and going to the police can actually work. Especially after the repeal of s59 which gave abusers an out.
Exclusive: Serious concern over preschool checks as conditions not picked-up
“Many children were starting at a language development age of 3-4 years. More than 30 per cent had a language proficiency in the bottom 2.5 per cent of the population.
The study, sent to ministers of health and education, concludes: “our current model of delivering health, education and social services equally is increasing inequity. We need to realign the current health and education systems”.”
“But it took a comprehensive check of new entrants at schools in the Tamaki area as part of the Welcome to School study to reveal the true picture.
By the time they were five-and-a-half, a quarter of new entrants either had or needed tooth extractions under general anaesthetic.
Burt said in a middle class family such a procedure would be considered extremely significant.
The fact it was so common in his school’s area but not well understood showed how disadvantage “normalises things that ought not to be normal”.
Other study findings included 36 per cent of new entrants being obese and a similar proportion overweight.
“It is normal in this community to be an unhealthy weight,” the study’s executive summary noted. “Many of these children are actually malnourished kids in big bodies.”
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12159206
Revealed: Hundreds declined specialist care for painful skin conditions
“Half of South Auckland children sent for specialist care for serious skin conditions are declined an appointment, a Herald investigation has found.
The picture is similar at some other district health boards (DHBs), as the public system struggles with specialist-to-population ratios called “third world” by the NZ Dermatological Society.
Health Minister David Clark has now asked for advice on the problem.
In Canterbury, hundreds of referrals (mostly for adults) have been sent back, despite meeting the usual clinical threshold for an appointment.”
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12150553
In the wake of the ‘compassion’ and amount Karel Sroubek has cost the taxpayers, maybe the government could reprioritise their spending onto kids born here, who seem to be receiving a third world health service.
Likewise there is so much government money being spent on private housing, and the hundreds of thousands of new migrants and work permits being given out, but where are the new hospitals and the doctors and schools that should be put in BEFORE the migrants and work permits are given out. Or the prison gets another drug smuggler needing hundreds of thousands of tax payer money for their prison stay and our government fights for their rights out of ‘compassion” while the priorities of kids born here that have little to nothing, are having worse and worse outcomes.
NZ is a small country with a set amount to be spent, the big issue seems to be that our government seem more interested in overseas drug smuggler’s rights than making sure the human rights of their own kids are a priority and don’t want for anything.
Major infrastructure partnership for North Auckland
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1811/S00135/major-infrastructure-partnership-for-north-auckland.htm
What we need to ask ourselves is who is paying for the hospital and schools and congestion, because more houses don’t create wealth, well paid secure jobs do, and to keep the same standard of living with more houses and people we need to also AT THE SAME TIME, build more hospitals and schools and have the money to fund the doctors and teachers who teach in them ready and accounted for.
Instead of giving more money to big construction interests through housing, maybe the government should look at where the well paid secure jobs being created in Auckland are, (truck drivers and baristas are not exactly well paid jobs) the educational and health levels of the next generation who seem to be going backwards, otherwise the government are diverting public money and resources to the world’s wealthy and privileged new home owners and away from NZ poor and middle classes who have to ‘share’ the dwindling hospitals and schools, and roads/public transport and polluted beaches with more and more of the world’s privileged with money earned outside of NZ and people who qualify for free super, health care and even public transport with the gold card, but may have only been in NZ for a fraction of their life time.
Maybe Karel can rustle up some under the counter skin cream savvy.
Sad about skin conditions lack of help.
I have wondered for some time about the skin reaction to the strength of the ‘soap’ powders on offer and whether the clothes get properly rinsed by modern washing machine programs. In my machine the idea seems to be to save water and energy with seemingly lower rinse levels than for wash period, and only one full rinse. If the machine is very full of washing, as it probably would be for poor households who are also time poor, then there could be a considerable amount of washing solution left in the clothes which could be irritating and sensitise the skin.
I have the same thoughts about the new washing machines. I purchased a new front loading machine when we shifted house in 2015 – the older top loader was too wide for the space, and have despaired at times at the rinsing programme, even with the extra rinse option. I often then put the load through a rinse cycle again, which takes extra time. This certain could have detrimental effects on some people who have sensitive skin – I just get a bit p****d off at the towels drying like sheets of plywood.
Jilly Bee, try baking soda in the water. It helps.
Natzi’s undermined the Health System and imported 500k fresh Asian Immigrants with no improvements to the country’s infrastructure have a think about the consequences ?
Tells you everything
https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/17b7f4c81f0722f4e0af64d96598ee9947dc5404/0_0_2473_3014/master/2473.jpg?width=700&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=b201186ff7b7d0a055b304e7c3949377
Ooh, look, the Dems even have a token few old pale males amongst their noobs.
The dems are lacking a pirate.
It is brilliant the boys have started the dialogue.
It is a cry for help.
James is correct, as an adult you need to report the possible abuse, in as far as you know it.
The police will speak with the Principal, who has the right to speak with the boys and trigger protection.
Cinny, you will be taken seriously. Even a phone call to the police would elicit a response.
don’t know why his failed to link Cinny.
Thanks Patricia much appreciated
#FiveWhiteGuys think the menz should be running the shop.
(1/7)
https://twitter.com/frodofied/status/1062463577532055557
For those members, old and new, who oppose Pelosi from the left, the #FiveWhiteGuys are offering a sucker’s bet. The #FiveWhiteGuys are of the school that believes that the Democratic Party’s needs are best served winning back all those disgruntled folks at diners in the Mahoning Valley, a theory fairly well demolished last Tuesday. It is very unlikely that a Green New Deal or Medicare For All is high on their list of priorities. The only argument that the #FiveWhiteGuys have that might resonate with their new progressive colleagues is that Pelosi is old and has been in Congress for a long time. Period. That’s not enough to dispense with the party’s most effective legislative leader since Lyndon Johnson.
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a25093451/nancy-pelosi-speaker-democrat-opposition-tim-ryan-seth-moulton/?
They’d be more interesting if they had an alternative candidate. Without one, the progressives will roast them alive as sellouts.
These #FiveWhiteGuys are Blue Dog Dems trying to what Blue Dog Dems do, drag the party to the right.
Progressives are going to be in trouble if they go along with them.
(1/26)
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1062761886796668934.html
Roxanne Dunbar-Ortizhas has always been an historian I really respect.
http://reddirtsite.com/
This interview with her from Abby Martin the Empire Files is just fantastic. Talking about mass killing and white nationalism. Her analysis of trump is illuminating.
Housing crisis in Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes forces young families out of region
The inevitable result of allowing offshore ownership.
I note two things:
1. The council is ignoring the fact that it’s the rich outsiders that are the problem.
2. The council is concerned with losing workers thus we see that rich people can’t actually support themselves or the economy.
That reminds me of The Admirable Crichton a play which was made as a film in 1957.
Based on the James Barrie classic, THE ADMIRABLE CRICHTON tells the story of an English butler who, shipwrecked with his employers, resourcefully leads them in their attempts to survive.
I can’t give a clip of it because Columbia Pictures, although it is 60 years od, won’t allow it to be shown with a soundtrack). It’s available in audio voiced by a machine, or can be seen as a nearly mute soundtrack (just the faintest tape rustle or something to be heard).
Perhaps we need to be resourceful and lead ourselves out of this mess that the export-oriented, anti-domestic, money-mad business people have landed us in.
that was a lovely movie.
Hi grey, is this it on Youtube?
Hi Molly, that is it but on my computer I don’t get any sound. Do you?
Hi grey, yes I do.
Thanks so much for that link. I did not see it at the time (too young) but recall seeing it many years later and it has always stuck in my memory. Great to see it again.
Qtown might lose its appeal to the richpricks if there’s nobody there to clean their pools even for redy money.
It’s more the normal cyclical behaviour of the Queenstown and Central Otago property and employment markets. I’ve seen four or five cycles now and the same thing happens every time.
Queenstown’s a funny place, there’s lots of glitz and glamour, and it’s all premium property, think the very top suburbs of Auckland or Sydney, but most of the residents are really pretty modest, along with most of the jobs. You probably wouldn’t see them trying to live in the top suburbs in auckland or Sydney. Unfortunately the closest we have to Ranui is Lumsden, and that’s 100 km away.
But people come to town and see the glamour, the stunning landscape and “lifestyle” and think the streets are paved with gold. And just have to be part of it. Generally this turns out to be a cashflow negative undertaking and after a few years they realise that the streets are truly paved with gold, but it’s, or was, their gold. This realisation can have a profound effect on attitudes and there can be some spectacular spitting of the dummy. The Queenstown’s ruined rant is at the lower end of the spectrum.
World boutique, who appear to be doing very well at making our streets glitter, were in the paper again this morning for some provocative displays. https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/queenstown/shop-window-display-signs-removed-after-complaint Our first reaction was, oh, they’re on their way…
Was the sign fabrique en nouvelle zelande?
Probably just the price sticker, maybe
Oh dear, how sad.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/entertainment-top-stories/108622921/mediaworks-radio-arm-radio-live-to-be-merged-with-magic-network
Another lot licking at RNZ door’s threshold hoping for mercy. (They’re becoming increasingly merciful towards the commercially oriented)
In the meantime, I ‘spose a spot or two on the Panel with Jum (not TS’ Jum) will pay for the groceries.
Talkback has had it’s day, replaced with social media and the like. Hopefully at least we will get to see Magic come to Taranaki, with Radio Live’s frequency being take over.
Mike Williams continues to agree with everything Michelle Boag says;
This is cringe-inducing radio, on a level with Newstalk ZzzzzB.
The Panel, RNZ National, Wednesday 14 November 2018
Jim Mora, Michelle Boag, Mike “I Agree With Michelle” Williams, Emil Donovan
We’ve studied many times over the last few years the less than stellar performances of the late Paul Holmes’s former classmate Mike Williams. While he has the ability to speak clearly and intelligently, Williams too often chooses to abase himself in order to curry favor with the likes of Matthew Hooton [1] and, as we heard today, the notorious democracy-hater Michelle Boag. In Williams she has secured another perfect stooge, or sycophant, now that Brian “I agree entirely with Michelle” Edwards is no longer available. [2]
First major “discussion” this afternoon concerned the teacher pay dispute. As would have surprised nobody at all, Boag launched into an extended rant against the teacher unions, with Williams adding the odd supportive “yeah” and “mmmm” every now and again. Then, after several minutes, mercifully, she came to a halt. Mike Williams now had a chance to respond. This is what he said:
Next topic was the Karel Sroubek “saga”. Boag again took the opportunity to launch into another extended, partisan rant. At the end of it, Mike Williams again had a chance to say something intelligent. He said:
The third-last item for consideration by these thoroughly thoughtful thinkers was previewed as follows:
Now, The Panel has discussed drones many, many times. It’s a topic that they’ve chatted lightly about almost as often as they’ve chatted about coffee, or diet research, or the frustrations of buying rock concert tickets online. [3] Never once during these frivolous talkfests have I heard them even mention the use of drones to kill thousands of people, mainly civilians and children, in Somalia, Pakistan, Yemen, Gaza, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Previewing this discussion at 3:45 p.m., Jim Mora read out, without a trace of irony in his voice: “Could drones be used for crime?”
[1] https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-21092015/#comment-1072911
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-06102015/#comment-1078888
[2] https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-08102014/#comment-906562
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-22072012/#comment-496531
[3] https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-10062014/#comment-828881
Jimoara does seem a wee bit drone obsessed morry. I guess he ‘gets’ drones. Best laugh was Boagy growling ‘I’m rilly empatheddic’.
He certainly has a great number of drones on his program. Boag is not even the worst of them.
Who could ever forget Deborah Hill Cone?
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/01/how-did-panel-handle-woolwich-killings.html
…or Spiro Zavos?
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/01/doddery-spiro-zavos-makes-fool-of.html
…or Rosemary McLeod, Andrew Clay, and Stephen Franks?
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/01/why-is-stephen-franks-being-interviewed.html
BTW, and perhaps à propos of something, “drones” is an anagram of “snored.”
Franks is the worst.
I switch off if I hear he is on.
I know it’s all politics but god, how could Ardern stand to be seated next to (or near to given Pence doesn’t want any woman closer to him than his wife – weird little religious zealot he is) Mike Pence. A Christian nut with some very strange ideas about homosexuality, climate change, evolution etc etc etc.
I couldn’t spend 5 mins with him without getting into an argument
Worst of all, he’s a warmonger, as anyone who has listened to his ranting about North Korea and, especially, Iran, will know.
Perhaps he’s Queer …. I’d enjoy the discussion ..
Kia ora The Am Show
judy trying to the flip flop on the Pike River Mine disaster tipal neo polly itwasent me.
shonky was pulling all the strings come on .
May the word’s that come out of the waha don’t match her body language.
I tau toko respecting the Wahine and treating them Equally but I say those stat’s about Aotearoa being the worst in the world is full of stats were country’s are manipulating there data to make there image look good hence a honest country sit at the top .
A Star Is Born is A awesome movie some in our MSM have been kicking it a bit?????????.
If one does not talk about a problem there are no solutions found to solve the suicide problem with our Stars .Fame Alcohol hard drugs can = suicide people are passing on way to early because of that fact not being talked about hence no reduction in this problem.
Re setting driver’s licences test is not a bright Idea who thought of this bright Idea I say no more.
Ka kite ano . P.S have a good weekend
The Norton based dimp worked I just managed to save this computer .
I went to Auckland to see our MOKO’s and you should have seen the sandfly’s marked ones everywhere .
These beautiful Creatures deserve a future we are there Guardians
Ka kite ano link below
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2018/nov/15/the-empire-of-the-eagle-book-mike-unwin-david-tiplin
I remember in the 90ts some trying to launch super rugby/league comp and it FLOPPED just like this one the positive out come from that attempt is we now have professorial Rugby . some people don’t know how to be original they are copy cats.
A new rugby competition involving teams from Australia and smaller nations has been conditionally sanctioned by the World Rugby Council.
Rapid Rugby, the brainchild of Australian billionaire Andrew Forrest, will include the Perth-based Western Force as well as teams from Samoa, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Fiji, plus another backed by a private consortium based in a country yet to be revealed.
The teams would contest 56 games over 14 rounds, prior to four finals over three weeks, with the winners taking a $1 million first prize.
The competition will run during a similar period to Super Rugby, with Forrest indicating a start in late February, with a three-week finals series culminating in a June grand final.
Ka kite ano link below P.S this guy should use his money to support Australian rugby
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=12161083
Kia ora Newshub looks like a good circus.
Lloyd Britexit in a nother move by the wealthy for the wealthy the commoners are the people who are going to pay for the wealthy like trump is steam rolling Americans it all about the rich oil barron to them.
It was cool that the conjoined twins have been separated by operation in Australia.
The Bill Clinton saga the Republins new he is a stick man they used Monaca Lewnsky to set him up and played the media and Bill like a violin.
That Panda is so gorgeous.
Ka kite ano P.S I have been busy using dimp
The Crowd goes Wild apologies I have been tied up with the mokos.
Because the sandflys are playing with them selves so much these days I am using sign language a lot as of late ki kaha to the Crowd goes Wild crew.
Ka kite ano P.S I will have to be more careful who I post about