Sensible Sentencing Trust’s offender data base a bit threadbare
High-profile criminals have not yet been included
Yesterday I heard Garth “The Knife” McVicar on his publicly funded advertising outlet (Radio NZ National) announcing that the S.S. Trust Offenders Database was up and running again. I made a quick visit to the site to see just how thorough and comprehensive it was. One of the first things you notice is this laudable statement: “The Sensible Sentencing Trust believes in an open and transparent Justice System.”
First up, I typed in the name Alan Titford and ticked the box for “Arson”. NO RESULT.
Next, I typed in the name David Garrett and ticked the box for “Robbery/Attempted Robbery”. NO RESULT.
Then I typed in the name Bruce Emery and ticked the box for “Murder/Manslaughter”. NO RESULT.
Since these are all high-profile offenders, it seemed odd that their names were not yet on this database. Then I saw the following sign: “Submit Offender Information: Use the form below to get in touch and submit information about offenders.”
I filled in the submission form with the following information….
BRUCE EMERY. In late 2008, he chased down a boy on a South Auckland street, then stabbed him repeatedly, killing him.
Perhaps other Standard readers may like to submit the same names (Titford, Garrett, Emery) to the database, with a résumé of their crimes, to remind the people at the S.S. Trust to get it up to date…… http://www.sst.org.nz/offenders-database/
SST are particularly selective about who’s on their naughty list aren’t they? Emery’s victim, Pihema Cameron, for example, apparently not worthy of the same amount of outrage as others, yet, Pihema’s family received the least amount of justice. So why the silence?
Emery’s victim, Pihema Cameron, for example, apparently not worthy of the same amount of outrage as others…
It’s actually far, far worse than that, Rosie. Garth McVicar actually mounted a public campaign of traducing the reputation and memory of the dead boy and his family. He also loudly advocated for tolerance for and understanding of the boy’s killer, who he claimed was a decent citizen. Noelle McCarthy was struggling to hide her disgust for McVicar when she interviewed him in March 2011… http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-09032011/#comment-306178
Oh that is truly despicable. Double standards, hypocrisy, and undisguised callousness. McVicar’s brain must be well and truly addled. He is no victims rights advocate, he is a vulture.
And yes, he really is a vulture, the way he swoops when someone has been murdered – but only for a victim who fits his description of who is worthy of outrage.
I have let them know about Alan Titford:
“Alan Titford is an extremely dangerous offender who has been convicted of arson. I believe you need to keep an eye on him, as he is very dangerous to women, children, minorities, and seems totally divorced from reality. ”
They can probably keep an eye on him once he’s paroled, when he’ll be able to attend their meetings again.
Hi folks – would like some help refining this argument. Please any criticisms and other input welcome , Thanks in advance.
I have a problem with cars – a 100 years ago they had 4 wheels, a motor which ran on oil and a body – same as today really. A computer on the other hand was as large as a house, run on valves and need the operating system written in every day. Now your phone is a more powerful computer than the computer they used to land on the moon – but your car is still 4 wheels on a body, with a motor run with oil.
not to mention much like computers, engines have become more powerful, more efficient and much smaller… anf computers still run on electric.
To easily picked apart imo
And the car engines are pretty digitsed today – mechanics take all sorts of readings with electronic machines. My mechanic talks about how these days there’s all sorts of liquids that need monitoring and replacing at different times. Used to be that cars just mostly needed a main oil change.
But, I reckon we should just go back to the horse and cart – maintenance would be far easier – fuel top ups every day, regular checks with the vet and of the wheels, cart and reigns, daily waste disposal…… most jobs we could easily do ourselves without expensive equipment to monitor fluids and parts.
Difference being that horses and what not are merely recycling the ‘natural sink’ of carbon whereas oil is an addition to that ‘natural sink’ – like the difference between burning wood and burning coal. 😉
And again, that depends on the source of the fertiliser and how we choose to manage soils, no? Pour oil derivatives on and we are adding external sources to the ‘natural sink’…allow pastures to lie fallow so that soil, its ecosystems and fertility build up and gasses from the ‘natural sink’ and natural cycle, that nevertheless contribute to warming are, at least temporarily, sequestrated.
“But, I reckon we should just go back to the horse and cart”
Please no karol! Horses are treated appallingly here in NZ, the number of them that turn up half dead with their spirits broken at animal sanctuaries around the country are a testament to that. Even now days, Once a horse is deemed to have finished its useful life it is still sent to slaughter and ends up in Jimbo’s pet food. I kid you not. I have met these beautiful darlings who have been rescued at the last moment.
And work horses that are used in other countries are used and abused and often die young from untreated injuries and illnesses. It’s the one time where you actually welcome those busy body types that get all judgemental with how other cultures operate, to come and set up horse hospitals, take the work horses of the hands of the “owner”, provide them with income lost for not having their horse or donkey working, treat the horse for diseases and injury, feed them up, get them well nourished and return to them to the owner with instructions on how to take care of them. (This happens in Egypt but may also be happening in other countries)
Horses are highly sensitive, sociable and emotional herd animals that suffer so much at our hands and tolerate so much. They are also hugely expensive to look after and high maintenance.
People that are supposed to be “horse people” can’t always be trusted to care for horses, let alone folks that know nothing of them.
Instead, how about we overthrow Big Oil and create a vehicle that is simple to run and maintain and runs on water? Not much to ask eh? Lol.
A lot of people think that SPCAs were set up to look after pets such as dogs and cats, etc.
The history of SPCAs is that they were established in the mid 1800s by Wilberforce and others to deal with the appalling treatment of horses in the days of the horse and cart, horses being used in coal mines etc etc. In fact, the establishment of SPCAs here in NZ for this purpose predates the establishment of a Police force.
Oh, that first scene in “Amazing Grace” where the character of William Wilberforce came across a pair of men who were beating a cart horse who had fallen from exhaustion was so awful.
The Industrial Revolution saved the work horse from future harm and organisations like the SPCA helped to educate others as the horse transitioned from work to recreation in industrialised nations. So the Industrial Revolution improved the lot for the horse but being humans, we managed to stuff up our planet instead.
Its at this point I put my hand up for all the farm animals abused by the attitude of the NZ farmer. All livestock requires shelter from the sun, cold, rain and wind, and all livestock need sufficient space and freedom of movement. Go out of town, see all the cows and sheep in full sun with no shelter, or freezing in open paddocks during a southerly. Or pigs and chickens imprisoned in cages. We farm industrially and treat the stock appallingly.
I might also add the farmers are matched in their disdain of living things by anglers (of whom I am one) who hold their catch up out of water for a photo, and who delight in the joys of “fighting” a distressed fish rather than making it short and sweet. Growl, things that make me mad……
“We farm industrially and treat the stock appallingly’
Indeed we do Ennui. Our lack of basic compassion for “industrial” animals in our care demonstrates a lack of emotional intelligence, and certainly a lack of respect for the animal.
I wonder if there will ever be a government enlightened or willing enough to introduce decent standards of care for farmed animals. Funnily enough it may likely be economically advantageous for exporters if we could demonstrate that NZer’s were caring farmers, of both animals and the land.
Good on you for not mucking around with your fish either.
plus one ennui .
i would have a lot more respect for the spca if they started to agitate/educate/advocate about farmed animals that do not have shelter.
to see a cow in the height of summer, standing with its head in the shadow of a strainer post, to get some relief is kinda sad.
it is even more galling as there is dollars involved.
The motor vehicle saved humankind from horse manure and dead horses. If a horse broke down it was oft shot and left in the street for the city authorities to take care of the corpse.
“The horse was no newcomer on the urban scene. But by the late
1800s, the problem of horse pollution had reached unprecedented
heights. The growth in the horse population was outstripping even the
rapid rise in the number of human city dwellers. American cities were
drowning in horse manure as well as other unpleasant byproducts of
the era’s predominant mode of transportation: urine, flies, congestion,
carcasses, and traffic accidents.Widespread cruelty to horses was a form
of environmental degradation as well.
The situation seemed dire.
In 1894, the Times of London estimated that by 1950 every street in the city would be buried nine feet deep in horse manure.”
I hope that there isn’t any leather in your shoes karol.
If there is I hope you will think of the poor animal that died in order that you might walk comfortably in your leather (uppers or soles) shoes.
I think my footwear is mostly rubber & synthetic – I’d have thought hardly any kinder to the environment than leather – what am I going to do – stay home, go barefoot on todays pavements?
You are forgiven Karol. Sackcloth and ashes are not required.
I was only trying to get a little lightness into life with the remark.
My god, but the stuff before your comment, on the origons of the SPCA and the treatment of horses, was depressing wasn’t it?
Believe me, you wouldn’t go back to a horse and cart if you lived in a city where they regularly run tourists around. The roads they use and the park-up spots are to be avoided. Although the poo is capture in horsey bags, the stench of horse-piss is unbearable in summer (barely bearable in winter).
In the past hundred years I think it is correct to say that the human cargo they are designed to carry has got taller and considerably bigger with over eating, in countries where cars are produced so it is understandable that their size has not reduced …. there has for a long time been the alternative motorbikes and shanks pony .. the latter is miniscule.
Why would car manufacturers want to produce more efficient, and therefore less profitable cars? Maybe trace the connections between the oil industry and car manufacturers? Also…why the hell were cars ever introduced as a means of mass transport? Oh yeah…the conspiracy (charged in court as such and found guilty) of the rubber industry, oil industry and car industry, whereby they bought up public transport networks and deliberately trashed them to create a market for the automobile.
You might also be interested in reading Chris Trotter’s take on the possible ramifications of the launch of KDC’s political party, PU, on his blog site, Bowalley Road and in The Press today.
Trotter’s view is that it may well appeal a lot to the younger generation of voters as a fresh option unencumbered by the past – an extract from his article
“Statistics New Zealand estimate that on June 30, 2013, there were 333,840 New Zealanders aged 20-24 – more than enough to surmount the 5 per cent MMP threshold.”
With over 15,000 people already registered for tickets to The PartyParty next Monday night in less than 24 hours, IMO they will get the 500 registered members very quickly to qualify for registration of the political party.
UPDATE; KDC has just tweeted that the name of the party will be the “Internet Party”, not the Mega Party. He has also tweeted the logo
Guessing the reason for capitalising both words and putting Party directly under Internet is so that you have a vertical acronym IP – Internet Protocol which fits the agenda – such as it is.
Purple is a Suffragette colour. – or lesbian – or just a mix of red and blue signifiying it’s neither totally left or right wing – which, IMO, usually means centrist according to the centre ground of the time.
From memory, his drill sadist used to wear that colour. It was meant to be a mixture between the bright red of arterial blood and the “blue” blood of veins. Actually the blood in veins are also red – a dark red of deoxygenated haemoglobin. Veins just look blue from the outside… But hey it is a just a book.. 😈
Of course if KDC starts to transplant large incisors then I’d start worrying what fictional universe he wants to live in.
@ alwyn lol…yes he has been called a fuckwit ……but he has the vote so you cant ignore it
….the way of youth is totally different from the way we oldies think…the internet has provided another parallel universe for them …and I am afraid for good or ill it is a revolutionary change
imo KDC could mop up a lot of votes from cynical youth who would not otherwise vote
It’s all hypothetical, but Dot com’s a business man first, l reckon, he’d be trying to make as much money out of this political lark as possible.
There’s some really dumb gullible mofos out there that hang off his every word, great opportunity for Orcon to gain a heap of new customers and for Dot com to make some coin.
KDC’s values are conveyed by his way of promoting the party – all we see so far is that it’s got his brand on it and it’s about the internet. Little about what his party stands for in all that, other than what we already know about KDC. So I’m not optimistic. Celebrity branding and partying.
Not even a glimmer of what his party will do for Kiwis in general, other than from what we know of KDC’s focus and interests.
Edit: and on the basis of just as much (or as little evidence), many on the left are uncritically cheerleading KDC’s party move, which I find worrying
Well, I’m not hopeful about it being anything “new” – just the same old same old “neoliberal” celebrity culture of infotainment led by a libertarian type wanting in on the big time capitalist action – old story, new window dressing – remake for the digital age.
“But there are some facts as I’ve laid out, and they don’t give me cause for optimism.”
I may be missiing something, Karol, but IMO your comments in this thread at 3.2; 3.2.1.1; and this one seem to be personal opinion/perception – not facts – and based on a lot of assumptions.
Personally, I am keeping an open mind on the Internet Party until we have actually seen their vision, policies etc, and who else is involved – presumably next week.
I have followed the KDC saga closely over the last two years – because of the legal and other ramifications rather than as a cheer leader for KDC. But in so doing, I have come to the opinion that KDC may be a very clever businessman/entrepreneur; but also has a softer side to him also. Loves his wife, children, pets dearly; is very loyal to his friends, work colleagues; and can appreciate the simplicity of a beautiful tree in flower etc. Yes, he has done some bad things in the past; but he was (at the time of his application for residency)and has continued to be open about these (although his German convictions were actually ‘clean slated’ under German legislation similar to our own Clean Slate Act).
As I said, I await fuller details about the Internet Party with an open mind.
The facts are in KDC’s past record. They are also in the way the party is named, and what is so far missing – nothing about what the party or KDC will do for NZers, except for his desire for internet “freedom”.
Many right wingers have their soft family side – means little.
KDC is first and foremost an Entrepreneur – he is out to make money using the Internet – he sees it as an under-utilised platform for business. He is ultimately a capitalist (and very competitive) – and a fairly libertarian one. I have heard nothing from him about being concerned for the plight of the less well off, or of low paid workers, etc.
He may be useful to the left in challenging Key and splitting the right wing vote. But he is not of the left.
But, whatever, ….my views are not going to influence the outcomes. And time will tell what KDC’s party is really about.
One presumes, being launched by Kim Dotcom, that it will be a “fuck John Key / the government / big business / ties to the USA” party aimed at young people.
Chance of this hurting National in election year: zero
How about stating what Bradbury said in full on TDB, and not just one sentence ?
What Bradbury said in full (its not long) is;
Good old Cameron. Thank you for the publicity.
Couple of things.
1: I stood down from my role as a consultant with the MANA Party last year.
2: What Cameron is showing is an early draft of a proposal tabled at a meeting with a whole bunch of other ideas late last year.
3: The idea of me as a candidate was more to kick around ideas.
I am a Political consultant, this is what I do, this was a proposal I was asked to submit. The moment I start working for the Internet Party if I am offered a role I will be shouting it from the rooftops as I think the ideas of an Internet Party focused on civil rights in the online 21st Century and the economic prosperity that could generate for NZ is the future and anything that moves us away from a dairy dependent, drill and mine economy is a good thing.
But all it was, was a proposal. If that changes, I will let you all know.”
Bradbury goes with the highest bidder. Thus he’s busy right now telling us who he’s NOT working for. The moment he tells us he IS working for someone, he’s not worth anything to anyone else. Like a good capitalist he’s just trying to maximise his own asking price.
Still, I note that Bradbury sure ain’t posting any pictures of himself standing in support next to Harawira, Cunliffe, or Norman and Turei.
PS: oh lol at the leaked document: “Bradbury recommends the party pay him $8000 a month to run a campaign in the Auckland Central electorate.
Mr Bradbury also asks for a one-off payment of $5000 to upgrade his computer, cellphone and tablet devices.”
Good. Mana will do a lot better without him. I hope they never paid him. A dead moray eel would be too high a payment for the services of the poor man’s Hooten.
Bomber’s main interest seems to be the media and getting a role for himself. I think he’s a natural fit with Dotcom, much more so than with Mana. I can’t see the Dotcom party doing much good at all, except for in the area of regulation of the internet and maybe the surveillance society. Mana would be much stronger in fighting the surveillance society, because their activists have known for years what it’s like to be watched and persecuted. I think it’s a dangerous distraction, and no, I don’t have to look at their policies to have an opinion, any more than I need to read the ACT manifesto to condemn them.
aye, I tend to agree re: bradbury. Loves being the voice of the left, as long as “the left” agrees with whatever he says – so now he’s working for a Banks supporter.
Bomber’s main interest seems to be the media and getting a role for himself.
heh – 3 News claims the Int Party so far have 3 main policies, including intenet business for NZ and supporting a public broadcasting service – they need to be able to show it will be free from KDC money manipulations.
So the best way, according to 3 news website, that Bomber could help fight against a national third term is to whore himself out for 8,000 a month and a new i rig for a rich prick with a penchant for super cars and shite music, who awaiting extradition on piracy charges, sets up mega, which has dodgy copyright content on it as I type.
Great way to make a contribution, comrade, by filling your own pocket with dirty money.
I will wait to see what the policies are before I decide about the party but I am supportive of him actually making a party especially one that looks like it will bring the young into politics.
People today don’t like being party cannon fodder. If you want someone to do something for you, you have to give them some fun before, during and after. A party that is also a PARTY appeals to people who are turned off by the idea of earnest discussions about Saturday morning (Sunday morning? Are you nuts? I’ve got a hangover/get my only sleep-in on Saturday mornings sayeth the youth of today) leaflet drops by pensioners in drafty halls on a rainy Monday night in July.
I kinda foresee nicely dressed up, but really quite nasty right wing tosh oozing out from this. The challenge for left leaning parties is to grasp the opportunity to pull newly ‘engaged’ Dotcommers into a more honest realm of politics. Will they? Doubt it. And so we’ll wind up with a NZ version of that Italian guy whose name escapes me or a NZ version of the Pirate Party. Not good.
+1 Bill, The political interest it will generate is to be welcomed. But in the long run I can only see it hurting the left unless they re-engage with the public in a meaningful way.
And a computer is still a keyboard and a screen, and if cars shit themselves as often as computers and needed ” upgrading” as often, car companies would have been sued out of existance.
There is a teeny bit more than that in them. But typically the failure components are hard disks and on the printed circuit boards (PCB)
PCBs have a few orders of magnitude more components than the entirety of any production car and are made up of hot or warm components that are densely packed and typically react to each other and their environment. Selecting the right motherboard and case for cooling, maintaining and replacing them for your task makes a hell of difference. Just as it does with a car. Which is why my motherboards typically last until I *upgrade* them – usually about every 5 years. I just replaced the one in my workstation that I brought in 2009.
Hard disks typically operate at sustained movement speeds far in excess of any car apart from Formula one racing cars – which seldom last a year. The best way to think about them is that they are a consumable like brake pads or tyres. You should expect to replace them every few years and build that into your maintenance schedule.
I suspect that you’re mostly complaining about portable computers and handhelds.
Yes it is possible to get longer lasting laptops – for instance a Toughbook. Paying for them is a completely different matter.
The last laptop I brought was in 2009, a sony vaio Z series. It is still happily running and in daily use. My partners old laptops from the last two decades used to litter the household until we disposed on them on moving into less storage space. None of them ever died, they just got new hard disks. Of course these were all rather expensive apples..
Standardisation of components also makes a big difference in enabling rapid development and reducing cost. You don’t see this with cars, apart from obvious things like wheels, tyres etc.
You can’t just grab any old gearbox off the shelf and whack it in your car.
I had hoped one day to see someone start a project for an open source (and open standards) car design. However given that car manufacturing is now a sunset industry (or will be soon) it’s probably not worth doing.
Eric Roy is the 9th National Party Caucus member to resign at the end of this term. Colin James and Michelle Boag (on RNZ this morning) reckon that these people are being tapped on the shoulder to f.o. I reckon the National Party cant be a happy camp at the moment, but it is a very corporate way of running things, interesting.
It’s a good thing really I could name several high profile labour mp’s that should have been ‘shoulder tapped’ years ago.
I doubt things are too unhappy i’m sure most of them will wash up with a few cushy board positions or similar…
That’s the problem. Labour don’t have the corporate jobs to bribe their MOs with to leave.
Anyway, if Labour don’t get rid of their neoliberal rump they are toast.
There are far too many timid or compromised people in the party.
Yes. Labour is much more democratic though, im not convinced that the National’s Corporate approach is the right way, it might get rid of the deadwood but it also has its downsides. It does lead to a lot to people conforming to what the leader wants, so a lot of sucking up…but I still reckon that it is probably a much unhappier party than what is been let on.
If you did jcuknz you wouldn’t be on the blog so much as aRWNJ. After all there is no money in it for you, is there? Or are you too old to be a judge? (shades of Cook and Moore.)
It’s called rejuvenation. Look for more long-serving MPs to retire as National positions itself as a future-facing party in election year.
And on the other side of the political spectrum, we have the party going to the election with David Cunliffe, Phil Goff, Annette King, and Trevor Mallard. All Clark-era Cabinet ministers.
For bonus dotage: Mallard and King entered Parliament in the election that ousted Rob Muldoon.
But wait there’s more: Goff has been an MP since the election that ousted BILL ROWLING.
Plenty of sickening things happen every day but one of the worst this week has been the singing of Ariel Sharon’s praises at his funeral by Israeli politicians and an assortment of international butchers and war criminals such as former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. Our own Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully was marginally less cringe-worthy saying Sharon had acted out of love of his country but at least acknowledged Sharon as “controversial” – a euphemism for “bloody butcher” in this case.
[deleted]
Sharon was one of the most vicious and gruesome political leaders from the 20th century.
[lprent: The quoting was excessive – relevant quoted *teasers* yes – not a copied page and a half. Opinion from yourself is what I’d usually expect as the main teaser anyway. Don’t make me have to do this work again. See the policy on cut’n’paste.
BTW and before you ask: The only reason that Penny Bright gets away with her massive screeds is because I can’t find them on google. Probably means that wherever else they are published has crappy search engine optimisation. BLip’s lists are original. ]
And if Labour retain their neo-liberal hue, nothing will change.
Just three examples off the bat:Goff supports the TPP and Jones supports off shore drilling and Labour MPs take gifts from Sky City
It’ll just be a slower death for workers’ rights in NZ and, more dangerously, more disaffected voters. The UK already suffers from this fact as there is no party there you can vote for that challenges neo-liberal economics.
(and,,ahem..!..the negotiating-stance i wd go for..is..
..if oil is found..the state gets 50% of the gusher…
..that’s the deal..
..take it or leave it..
..50%..or nothing…)
Bad move. Rescind the license completely and then set it up so that the drilling is either done directly by the government or under contract to the government for a fixed price. The government would own all of the oil/gas.
And do that with all the mining and resource extraction in the country.
Labour were infiltrated in the 80s by the neo-liberal virus.
Looks like the grassroots are trying to purge the party of this disease, but it’s hard work to oust these 5th columnists out of their comfortable rotten boroughs.
So where did our billions go? Hawksworth writes: “The logical answer is that the oil money enabled non-oil taxes to be kept lower.” In other words: tax cuts. When the North Sea was providing maximum income, Thatcher’s chancellor, Nigel Lawson slashed income and other direct taxes, especially for the rich. The top rate of tax came down from 60p in the pound to just 40p by 1988. He also reduced the basic rate of income tax; but the poor wouldn’t have seen much of those pounds in their pockets, as, thanks to the Tories, they were paying more VAT.
Yes where is he?…and Rhinocrates?….Maybe they are sunning themselves on a tropical island just listening to the lap of the waves….. and hoping that there wont be a cyclone…..
If one follows the link lprent put up there is some good links I think, though I haven;t caught up yet. Frankly I will always be running behind with the shovel as I think lots of the best stuff gets dropped unnoticed.
People who fight to establish a country are terrorists who become honoured citizens when they succeed in their endeavours. War, official or not, is a horrible and nasty business [irrespective of if you are the respected winner or the despised looser] and Arik succeeded but with age apparently became more sensible and tolerant of what is likely to succeed in the longterm.
As a man of his times and his situation he should be respected rather than reviled. But the past eight years illustrates the foolishness of quantity versus quality as practiced by the medical profession with the support of the rest of us.
What you say does make some sense. Sharon—or “Arik” as he was known to his friends and to hapless political makeweights like Joe “Kinnock” Biden—was a war criminal, and at his his funeral he was eulogized by war criminals. But he is not some monster who was running out of control; he was a faithful servant of a criminal, scofflaw regime. Nothing more, nothing less.
I was working in Palestine when Ariel Sharon rocked up to the Temple of the Mount with armed soldiers in tow, a few months out from the election.
Rioting ensued. So began the second intifada.
Sharon then rode the subsequent tide of racist nationalism to win the election
Most Israelis I spoke to at the time were disgusted that he would forment violence simply to stoke the fears of the Israeli populace. Several mentioned that he should be tried as a war criminal for his role in the Sabra and Shatila massacre. Even more believed he should have been court marshalled for disobeying Golda Meir during the Yom Kippur War which led the the deaths of many of the soldiers under his command (and Golda Meirs resignation).
His career should have ended in a court marshall in 1973. Or at the very least in the Hague after 1982.
“Labour corrections spokeswoman Jacinda Ardern said [SERCO} should lose its contract to run Mt Eden.”
What was wrong with saying: “The next Labour-led government will cancel all contracts and/or close all private prisons. SERCO investors take note: you will lose 100% of your investment every single time you interfere in New Zealand penal policy”?
There are ways to Tory proof this country. Compulsory return of public property without compensation is a tool that needs to come out of the shed more often.
perhaps the most egregious aspect of this sell-out to american corporate interests by this tory govt..
..is the guarantee in the deal..for the nz state to provide these vultures with enough prisoners to fill their cells..and thus guarantee them their-profit-margins..
..and get this..!..under this sell-out deal..if the state does not serve up these/enough bodies for this american corporation..
..the nz taxpayers have to pay them compensation..
..the tories thus continuing to ensure we maintain our place of shame..
..so so near the top of the countries that imprison the most of their citizens..
First, Labour has to rediscover its backbone. Bloody hard when so many are “career politicians”, or else have been voted in under a tide of blue liberalism.
Imagine if some of them had to categorically state something, you wouldn’t see them for the dust. As for Serco, the old saying, a fool and his money are easily parted, rings true in this case.
We look at one of the most shocking incidents in the career of the late former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon: the Sabra and Shatila massacre. Up to 2,000 Palestinians died on Sept. 16-17, 1982, when the Israeli military allowed a Christian militia to attack the camp. Then-Defense Minister Ariel Sharon was forced to resign after a special Israeli investigative panel declared him to be “personally responsible” for the massacre. We air a description of the killings by Ellen Siegel, a Jewish-American nurse who was working at Gaza Hospital at the Sabra camp at the time of the attacks, and speak with Rashid Khalidi, Edward Said Professor of Arab Studies at Columbia University, and Noam Chomsky, world-renowned political dissident, linguist, author and Institute Professor Emeritus at Massachusetts Institute of Technology….
A couple of thoughts.
Apparently there is a lowering crime rate, yet it is a time of increased deprivation of many.
A possible flow on from increased deprivation. Thomas Belmonte in his sociological study of the very poor people of Naples , in his book The Broken Fountain noted that the police were kept away from this area. Their presence usually meant more problems, no-one would want to give them information because of peer pressure and because it drew them personally to police attention. To live they reverted to stealing, it was endemic. The children were adept at getting into car boots of cars stopped at intersections. They might be as adept at climbing as monkeys. The author when new to the area, turned in his room, and found a young boy who had scaled the balcony to the first floor to check him out. They stole from each other, the family possibly, their friends and neighbours, probably. The Catholic church was their first port of call when having difficulties. A cosa nostra scenario really.
So if people are likely to be questioned about their own life if they report a crime, they will think twice. And it has to be serious, to be reported. To people in these conditions, the police are not an option. Police are sometimes unfriendly but fair, sometimes not, always a complication. Community building and support are needed to overcome this in NZ and help with the young delinquents on diversion properly handled could be the best option. That is until, or if, the government sets in place an economy that allows people to strive and to better themselves, and gives them plenty of inexpensive opportunities.
Another thought.
The present parliamentary system is no better than committees I’ve been on for community organisations. A new committee comes in,. and proceeds to overturn decisions made previously that people spent time thinking and arguing and deciding on, and which are of benefit. A new group has a better idea and considers itself automatically better than the past, particularly if as is common in community organisations that don’t have rich patrons or funding, they are just cranking along doing some good.
The government can overturn good policies of the past. To avoid this, there has to be a burst of energy against it. The whole thing can be re argued. There is no cause to do this unless the thing is fundamentally wrong and is likely to be so because of the lack of checks in the system.
It seems to me that there should be a stay on change, though new legislation should go ahead in its processes. There should be panels of people who can put their names forward and are drawn like a jury at random. The lists would be of people who would have passed a test of basic knowledge about the country and its economy and political system. This would result in a highly ordered random selection of people being drawn from say five strata to get a range of backgrounds.
The process of making decisions about changes or new legislation should have a checklist of questions about the cost, the value added, who needs it and why, who doesn’t think they need it and why, the likelihood of unintended consequences, whether it is just a deterrent, an example of a small step to change societal attitudes – and there must be a consideration of under 100 words for each check, and all to be filled in and collated and published. This would slow down legislation immensely, but a lot of what is passed now is repairing badly prepared stuff, or puts new bad law that has immediate advantage to a small group in, later to be mourned by those picking up the pieces. It would cut down on externalities being greatly resorted to, as less could be blithely passed over by the irresponsible.
I like the thoughts. A more ‘informed participatory democracy’ getting a wider range of views, experience and knowledge. It would reduce the influence of well funded individuals, politicians, narrow minded civil servants, ideologists, vested interests and lobbyists. I’m of the view that too much power is vested in too few people.
who read the angry pro-smacking tirade in the dompost this a.m.by one of Craigs acolytes.
people like this should not be allowed to have children in the first place.
The media is definitely doing a beat up on Colin Craig so far this year. It’s amazing how money can get you some much media space.
Why? The Tories are definitely trying to bait the NZ electorate on this one, as it represents their best hope of power in 2014.
I suggest that editors at newspapers and producers at TV and radio stations are being told to include this as content as much as possible. It’s a bit like having a playlist at a bad music radio station. You get no independence to select your own tracks. The owners of this country tell the media what to play.
“The media is definitely doing a beat up on Colin Craig so far this year”
you are missing what is really going on Paul
It is an election year and the Nat supporters who want even more hate to flood NZ need to be told where they can safely vote without scaring the pollsters too much
Brendon Who???, ah what choices for the people of Tauranga, (1) do they vote for the bloke who if watched closely when under pressure shows clear signs of being in possession of a serious disease of the mind, or (2), cast one for the bloke what can switch on and off at will a smile of such radiance that the sun pales into insignificance, said smile all the while never quite being translated through the eyes making one wonder if He who bestows such has an axe concealed somewhere about their person…
Phillip Ure, raking the ashes of what is past, tell me something, as a leftist what use do you see of a NZFirst Party that could just as easily decide to prop up a National Government as a Government of the left,
Now tell me something, Winston cannot carry on forever,(unless He has found some substance the rest of us have so far missed), so who of the 2011 intake of NZFirst could have possibly kept the NZFirst Party alive after Winston,
Who in that Party had an ounce of the charisma, the mana if you will to be able to carry that Party forward after Winston,
Brendon Who??? don’t be such a soft mug Phillip, this is the long game of politics and the knee-capping of Brendon Who is simply a small move in the game,
i don’t think you will find me having commented on Brendon Who’s honesty at any point, simply because as i insinuate that wasn’t the point…
The joys of US ‘quantitative easing’ washing across the borders into New Zealand perhaps, meanwhile back in the jungle as the US leviathans flash the cash the US congress is hell bent on slashing it in the form of cancelling unemployment benefits for 100’s of thousands in the US still suffering from the unemployment brought about the Global Financial Crisis,
The hypocrisy of this which cannot escape any of us except perhaps the most hardened of wing-nuts…
So we keep hearing how business confidence in NZ has hit an all time high.
After mass sacking of workers, slashing of workers’ rights and pay, after total dis-empowering of unions, after blackmailing workers into submission by threatening them with job losses, and making massive profits which are being distributed only among the management, with the help and support by a compliant government, no wonder the business confidence is so high.
Yes, the celebrating of business confidence implies that we all benefit. In fact, things like the GFC are exploited by the coporate plutocracy, so that, when there is a recovery, wages are lower, jobs more preacarious, and workers’ rights have been further whittled away.
Also, why do people so hate Martyn Bradbury? I don’t know the man at all apart from what he writes in his blogs, so more insight would be helpful.
He’s apparently joined Kim Dotcom’s party. WTF?
You know the extradition case is in tatters, don’t you Funi Man? The evidence the police presented proven false, the warrant illegal, the provision of access to sealed court evidence to unauthorised foreign nationals, do you think all those things have just sort of gone away now they aren’t in the media so much?
What sort of weight do you suppose the court will give to this sad litany when considering its decision? Do you suppose it will affect the degree of trust the court is prepared to invest in the rest of the Yankee request much?
Clearly you are of the sort that believes the accused are always guilty whether proven innocent or not, and your opinion is utterly irrelevant, but I care, Funi Man. I’m looking forward to your chagrin 🙂
Source WO. Bradbury was a consultant to the internet Party early on. Ditto Graeme Edgeler. Trotter as alleged cheerleader.+
I don’t hate Bradbury. Sometimes I totally agree with his comments/analysis. Sometimes I think he’s not a very in-depth thinker. He also can be a bit contradictory. He’s a good publicist – can use the media quite well.
Some find him too opinionated and too focused on his own publicity.
The only thing I like about KDC is the way he makes John Key squirm on the end of his bayonet. Millionaire vs Millionaire battle just another gormless media distraction really.
Says you. As for NZ interests, I note he is funding a political party and has apparently hired (or at least called for expressions of interest from) some quite serious players to run it.
The last time someone tried something of this nature, The New Zealand Party got 12% of the vote.
I won’t be surprised if he fails, but I won’t be surprised if he doesn’t.
I’m struggling to seeing him make 5%, but the New Zealand Party…
I’m not. The Greens got 6.8% in their first election. Act got 6.9% in their first election.
I see it as highly probably that, in their first election, The Internet Party will get over 5%. The question is if they will be able to maintain that. Act hasn’t but The Greens are going strong.
Nice little ‘jolt’ felt in Wellington just now, maybe 2.5-3 on the rickety scale, a minor isolated movement or more from the series shaking the top of the South???…
It doesn’t add up. Looking at the numbers from the msd site, the $10.3 billion decrease doesn’t add up to the figures on the site. It only shows $7.3 billion. There was $1.5B was added that was a methodology correction to the 2012 liability figures. So it should have been $8.8 billion. But that’s still $1.5 billion more than the numbers published on the MSD site. http://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/newsroom/media-releases/2014/taylor-fry-welfare-valuation.html
Most of the savings was due to cheaper service rates $3.0 billion.
While only $180 million was due to lower than expected benefit payments.
Take this from the msd site,
—
The June 2012 total liability was $86.8 billion, compared with the June 2013 liability of $76.5 billion.
—
That’s there $10.3 billion figure. But in the notes at the bottom of the page is this,
—
[ii] The starting liability at 30 June 2012 was reduced to $85.3 billion due to methodology correction.
—
Oh look, there’s $1.5 Billion they are still counting even though they had corrected the figure due to methodology. Can’t trust there numbers if they make such a simple error
I just noticed on zerohedge.com that the benchmark Baltic Dry shipping indexing is collapsing at historic rates. That implies massive dry bulk carrying over capacity on 23 of the world’s major trade routes.
I don’t think that the global real economy is going to do any good this year, at all.
That was mentioned in a article I read a year or two back on shipping. The article mentioned that there was an awful lot carrying capacity coming on line in the next year or two and that competition would drive prices for shipping to below cost.
Haven’t noticed any pictures or mentions about David Cunliffe on holiday with his family etc etc…Key’s boys been getting high fives from Obama on the golf course in Hawaii…absolute elitism but also very hard to attack as that…
hmmmm? CCC or KDC? What interesting times we live in! I suppose it should come as no surprise that we see a plethora of minor parties applying for the tail role of, not just wagging the dog, but potentially choosing the pooch to be promenaded by. Fun and doo doors ahead folks. Keep shoveling and smile!
It costs a lot to live in Auckland, and the reason is ?…. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11185768
Auckland Tourism Events and Economic Development tourism manager Jason Hill said the city billed itself as a top-quality holiday spot.
“Auckland doesn’t profess to be a budget destination, but delivers on other aspects of visitor experiences and consistently ranks highly as a desirable place to visit,” he said.
How about those of us who reside perminately within Auckland and are captured within this low wage economy ? Perhaps as a cup of coffee, a beer , dinner our are so expensive, then those working within the industry could expect to see an uplift in their wages, at least there in no reason for working conditions to be attacked!! http://www.sfwu.org.nz
Common sense and logic fail as to why it is soooo costly to live within New Zealand. Perhaps it is all that money bring exported out as dividends in the banking sector:-)
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 ...
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Inspirational: The Family of Man is a glorious hymn to human equality, but, more than that, it is a clarion call to human freedom. Because equality, unleavened by liberty, is a broken piano, an unstrung harp; upon which the songs of fraternity will never be played.“Somebody must have been telling lies about ...
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Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
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Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
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Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
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New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
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“I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
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Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
"The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
Pacific Media Watch Earthwise hosts Lois and Martin Griffiths. Earthwise presenters Lois and Martin Griffiths on Plains FM 96.9 community radio talk to Dr David Robie, a New Zealand author, independent journalist and media educator with a passion for the Asia-Pacific region. David talks about the struggle to raise awareness ...
Pacific Media Watch Ismail al-Ghoul, an Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent who was held for 12 hours at Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital, says Israeli forces rounded up Palestinian journalists at the facility and made them kneel on the ground for hours, while naked and blindfolded. “The occupation forces handcuffed and blindfolded us ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Wood, Program Director, Energy, Grattan Institute chinasong, Shutterstock Electricity customers in four Australian states can breathe a sigh of relief. After two years in a row of 20% price increases, power prices have finally stabilised. In many places they’re ...
Chumbawamba have reportedly issued the deputy PM a cease-and-desist notice after he used their song 'Tubthumping' before his state of the nation speech. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Lupton, SHARP Professor, Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Centre, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, UNSW Sydney kitzcorner/Shutterstock The assertion from Queensland’s chief health officer John Gerrard that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock Why are musicians so keen to get played on the radio? It can’t be because of the money. In Australia they are paid at rates so low they ...
"Farmers make a point not to tell our urban cousins how to live, yet Chlöe from central Auckland is hell-bent on having her say about farmers," says ACT Rural Communities spokesman Mark Cameron. “On her first day in the House as Green ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Curran, Associate Professor of Ecology, Lincoln University, New Zealand Getty Images/Gerald Corsi In the latest move to reform environmental laws in New Zealand, the coalition government has introduced a bill to fast-track consenting processes for projects deemed to ...
Uber has argued it does not have as much control over drivers as the unions suggest, and wants a judgment ruling that drivers are employees and not contractors set aside and sent back to the Employment Court. The 2022 ruling followed a three-week hearing in which four drivers sought to ...
What can and can’t be purchased by disabled people or their carers has been slashed in an effort by the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha to save money. The purchasing guidelines, a set of rules that sets out what can be purchased using the various streams of Government disability funding, ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Cory Davis, Boston Hart and Benjamin Stubbing, Household cost-of-living impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme and using transfers to mitigate regressive outcomes . This Analytical Note ...
A coalition of public transport and climate organisations, united as ‘Transport for All’, is actively opposing the government’s transport proposals. The draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) includes plans for higher fares for public transport, ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Council’s various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University This article is part of The Conversation’s series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series here. Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ...
The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
Kāinga Ora tenants abused by their neighbours are doubting the government's crackdown on disruptive tenants will make a difference on their behaviour. ...
Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
Why does this myth persist, and what’s the real reason our skin is suffering?It’s one of the biggest international grievances New Zealanders hold, up there with the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and 1981’s underarm incident. We’re quick to tell international travellers that the world’s pollution led to the ...
When the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act was introduced in 2009 it was firmly targeted at gangs and drugs. The legislation means police no longer need a conviction to seize assets that criminals can’t prove were paid for legitimately, as long as their alleged offences are punishable by more than a ...
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Bob’s relationship with certain members of Lincoln’s academic staff continued to deteriorate in the 1990s. Others supported him publicly, though articles such as Roland Clark’s 1993 piece in Growing Today cannot have pleased the university management. Clark wrote that Bob was selling onions from the Biological Husbandry Unit to a ...
SailGP’s races feature in-your-face action, with agile, hydro-foiling catamarans tacking and jibing for the title over several days. However, public comments ahead of the global series’ return to New Zealand have left this past year’s controversy in the shadows, as a key appointment attracts criticism from dolphin advocates. A year ...
Opinion: We are fast approaching a fundamental change in prisons. As the number of people on custodial remand looks set to overtake the number of sentenced prisoners, the main function of prisons in New Zealand may become incarcerating un-sentenced people who may not be guilty of offending. We have already ...
A huge seven months lies in store for the White Ferns, beginning this week with the visit of England and culminating with the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in September and October. Starting on Tuesday in Dunedin, the world ranked No. 2 visitors will play five T20s and three ODIs, ...
Opinion: In a move that has shocked road safety advocates across the country, the new Minister of Transport, Simeon Brown, is poised to abandon the previous government’s speed limit reduction policy, particularly around schools. Even more alarmingly, he wants school speed limits to be variable rather than full-time, arguing ...
Auckland Council is opposing a fast-track development backed by Sir John Kirwan and Spark NZ, because it doesn’t meet stringent new climate adaptation requirements The post Surf-data centre faces new 3.8C climate warming rules appeared first on Newsroom. ...
The letters, which were published last week, were addressed to Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairperson Megawati Sukarnoputri, National Democrat Party (NasDem) Chairperson Surya Paloh, National Awakening Party (PKB) Chairperson Muhaimin Iskandar, Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) President Ahmad Syaikhu and United Development Party (PPP) Chairperson Muhammad Mardiono. In ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
The government says it still intends to deliver tax cuts by July, but will not lock them in until they have got them past their coalition partners. ...
Sensible Sentencing Trust’s offender data base a bit threadbare
High-profile criminals have not yet been included
Yesterday I heard Garth “The Knife” McVicar on his publicly funded advertising outlet (Radio NZ National) announcing that the S.S. Trust Offenders Database was up and running again. I made a quick visit to the site to see just how thorough and comprehensive it was. One of the first things you notice is this laudable statement: “The Sensible Sentencing Trust believes in an open and transparent Justice System.”
First up, I typed in the name Alan Titford and ticked the box for “Arson”. NO RESULT.
Next, I typed in the name David Garrett and ticked the box for “Robbery/Attempted Robbery”. NO RESULT.
Then I typed in the name Bruce Emery and ticked the box for “Murder/Manslaughter”. NO RESULT.
Since these are all high-profile offenders, it seemed odd that their names were not yet on this database. Then I saw the following sign: “Submit Offender Information: Use the form below to get in touch and submit information about offenders.”
I filled in the submission form with the following information….
BRUCE EMERY. In late 2008, he chased down a boy on a South Auckland street, then stabbed him repeatedly, killing him.
Perhaps other Standard readers may like to submit the same names (Titford, Garrett, Emery) to the database, with a résumé of their crimes, to remind the people at the S.S. Trust to get it up to date……
http://www.sst.org.nz/offenders-database/
SST are particularly selective about who’s on their naughty list aren’t they? Emery’s victim, Pihema Cameron, for example, apparently not worthy of the same amount of outrage as others, yet, Pihema’s family received the least amount of justice. So why the silence?
Hypocrites.
Emery’s victim, Pihema Cameron, for example, apparently not worthy of the same amount of outrage as others…
It’s actually far, far worse than that, Rosie. Garth McVicar actually mounted a public campaign of traducing the reputation and memory of the dead boy and his family. He also loudly advocated for tolerance for and understanding of the boy’s killer, who he claimed was a decent citizen. Noelle McCarthy was struggling to hide her disgust for McVicar when she interviewed him in March 2011…
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-09032011/#comment-306178
Oh that is truly despicable. Double standards, hypocrisy, and undisguised callousness. McVicar’s brain must be well and truly addled. He is no victims rights advocate, he is a vulture.
And yes, he really is a vulture, the way he swoops when someone has been murdered – but only for a victim who fits his description of who is worthy of outrage.
mcvicar is not only a ‘vulture’..
..he is a calculated/calculating/opportunistic ‘vulture’..
..the worst kind..
..phillip ure..
To be fair, Garrett isn’t a robber AFAIK.
Thug, identity thief, drink driver: yes.
But not a robber.
I have let them know about Alan Titford:
“Alan Titford is an extremely dangerous offender who has been convicted of arson. I believe you need to keep an eye on him, as he is very dangerous to women, children, minorities, and seems totally divorced from reality. ”
They can probably keep an eye on him once he’s paroled, when he’ll be able to attend their meetings again.
Hi folks – would like some help refining this argument. Please any criticisms and other input welcome , Thanks in advance.
I have a problem with cars – a 100 years ago they had 4 wheels, a motor which ran on oil and a body – same as today really. A computer on the other hand was as large as a house, run on valves and need the operating system written in every day. Now your phone is a more powerful computer than the computer they used to land on the moon – but your car is still 4 wheels on a body, with a motor run with oil.
It could have been so much better….
http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2012/03/retro-future-glorious-transportation.html
I dunno, the monocycle looks outright dangerous. So does that 200mph speed limit.
not to mention much like computers, engines have become more powerful, more efficient and much smaller… anf computers still run on electric.
To easily picked apart imo
And the car engines are pretty digitsed today – mechanics take all sorts of readings with electronic machines. My mechanic talks about how these days there’s all sorts of liquids that need monitoring and replacing at different times. Used to be that cars just mostly needed a main oil change.
But, I reckon we should just go back to the horse and cart – maintenance would be far easier – fuel top ups every day, regular checks with the vet and of the wheels, cart and reigns, daily waste disposal…… most jobs we could easily do ourselves without expensive equipment to monitor fluids and parts.
Unfortunately, horses emit more greenhouse gases per tonne/km, than trucks. 🙂
Difference being that horses and what not are merely recycling the ‘natural sink’ of carbon whereas oil is an addition to that ‘natural sink’ – like the difference between burning wood and burning coal. 😉
right up until they add fertiliser to the soil to feed the horses, in which case the difference diminishes significantly 🙂
And again, that depends on the source of the fertiliser and how we choose to manage soils, no? Pour oil derivatives on and we are adding external sources to the ‘natural sink’…allow pastures to lie fallow so that soil, its ecosystems and fertility build up and gasses from the ‘natural sink’ and natural cycle, that nevertheless contribute to warming are, at least temporarily, sequestrated.
nice – just reread up on the basics of crop rotation, thanks 🙂
“But, I reckon we should just go back to the horse and cart”
Please no karol! Horses are treated appallingly here in NZ, the number of them that turn up half dead with their spirits broken at animal sanctuaries around the country are a testament to that. Even now days, Once a horse is deemed to have finished its useful life it is still sent to slaughter and ends up in Jimbo’s pet food. I kid you not. I have met these beautiful darlings who have been rescued at the last moment.
And work horses that are used in other countries are used and abused and often die young from untreated injuries and illnesses. It’s the one time where you actually welcome those busy body types that get all judgemental with how other cultures operate, to come and set up horse hospitals, take the work horses of the hands of the “owner”, provide them with income lost for not having their horse or donkey working, treat the horse for diseases and injury, feed them up, get them well nourished and return to them to the owner with instructions on how to take care of them. (This happens in Egypt but may also be happening in other countries)
Horses are highly sensitive, sociable and emotional herd animals that suffer so much at our hands and tolerate so much. They are also hugely expensive to look after and high maintenance.
People that are supposed to be “horse people” can’t always be trusted to care for horses, let alone folks that know nothing of them.
Instead, how about we overthrow Big Oil and create a vehicle that is simple to run and maintain and runs on water? Not much to ask eh? Lol.
I absolutely agree, Rosie.
A lot of people think that SPCAs were set up to look after pets such as dogs and cats, etc.
The history of SPCAs is that they were established in the mid 1800s by Wilberforce and others to deal with the appalling treatment of horses in the days of the horse and cart, horses being used in coal mines etc etc. In fact, the establishment of SPCAs here in NZ for this purpose predates the establishment of a Police force.
Oh, that first scene in “Amazing Grace” where the character of William Wilberforce came across a pair of men who were beating a cart horse who had fallen from exhaustion was so awful.
The Industrial Revolution saved the work horse from future harm and organisations like the SPCA helped to educate others as the horse transitioned from work to recreation in industrialised nations. So the Industrial Revolution improved the lot for the horse but being humans, we managed to stuff up our planet instead.
Its at this point I put my hand up for all the farm animals abused by the attitude of the NZ farmer. All livestock requires shelter from the sun, cold, rain and wind, and all livestock need sufficient space and freedom of movement. Go out of town, see all the cows and sheep in full sun with no shelter, or freezing in open paddocks during a southerly. Or pigs and chickens imprisoned in cages. We farm industrially and treat the stock appallingly.
I might also add the farmers are matched in their disdain of living things by anglers (of whom I am one) who hold their catch up out of water for a photo, and who delight in the joys of “fighting” a distressed fish rather than making it short and sweet. Growl, things that make me mad……
“We farm industrially and treat the stock appallingly’
Indeed we do Ennui. Our lack of basic compassion for “industrial” animals in our care demonstrates a lack of emotional intelligence, and certainly a lack of respect for the animal.
I wonder if there will ever be a government enlightened or willing enough to introduce decent standards of care for farmed animals. Funnily enough it may likely be economically advantageous for exporters if we could demonstrate that NZer’s were caring farmers, of both animals and the land.
Good on you for not mucking around with your fish either.
plus one ennui .
i would have a lot more respect for the spca if they started to agitate/educate/advocate about farmed animals that do not have shelter.
to see a cow in the height of summer, standing with its head in the shadow of a strainer post, to get some relief is kinda sad.
it is even more galling as there is dollars involved.
Methinks horses are not the answer.
The motor vehicle saved humankind from horse manure and dead horses. If a horse broke down it was oft shot and left in the street for the city authorities to take care of the corpse.
http://www.uctc.net/access/30/Access%2030%20-%2002%20-%20Horse%20Power.pdf
“The horse was no newcomer on the urban scene. But by the late
1800s, the problem of horse pollution had reached unprecedented
heights. The growth in the horse population was outstripping even the
rapid rise in the number of human city dwellers. American cities were
drowning in horse manure as well as other unpleasant byproducts of
the era’s predominant mode of transportation: urine, flies, congestion,
carcasses, and traffic accidents.Widespread cruelty to horses was a form
of environmental degradation as well.
The situation seemed dire.
In 1894, the Times of London estimated that by 1950 every street in the city would be buried nine feet deep in horse manure.”
OK. I learned something. Thanks, Rosie and veuto.
I like walking anyway.
I hope that there isn’t any leather in your shoes karol.
If there is I hope you will think of the poor animal that died in order that you might walk comfortably in your leather (uppers or soles) shoes.
Yes alwyn, treating animals cruelly while they’re alive is exactly the same as making shoes out of them when they’re dead.
🙄
it’s more that it is part of the same uncaring continuum..felix..
..that belief that animals are there for our pleasure/use/exploitation..
..and yep..!..when you haven’t worn animal skins for a long time..
..yr standard pair of shoes is kinda gross..
..you look at it..and you don’t think..’mmm!..leather.!’..
..you think..animal skin taken/used as the final indignity in their miserable/tortured lives..ew..!
..it’s all a matter of perspective..eh…
..phillip ure..
I think my footwear is mostly rubber & synthetic – I’d have thought hardly any kinder to the environment than leather – what am I going to do – stay home, go barefoot on todays pavements?
I think my footwear is mostly rubber & synthetic –
Ah, nothing to beat that old vegan stinkfoot syndrome…especially hingy when synthetic socks are thrown into the rubber/canvas/nylon shoe mix 😉
You are forgiven Karol. Sackcloth and ashes are not required.
I was only trying to get a little lightness into life with the remark.
My god, but the stuff before your comment, on the origons of the SPCA and the treatment of horses, was depressing wasn’t it?
@ alwyn..
..that recoiling in disgust re the historical treatment of horses..
..if vehemently stated today..while wolfing down some veal/w.h.y….
..does take black-irony to a new level..eh..?
..i call it the greenpeace-bbq-syndrome..
..save the planet..!
..(but first..excuse me while i chow down on some animal-flesh..)
..phillip ure..
Phil …
you seem to be …
posting more frequently…
lately….
Are you…
leaving enough room…
for…
Penny?
If we don’t crush the souls of animals as we walk, how do we absorb their vitalistic powers?
Lol. I may have been a bit reactive karol, but it wasn’t aimed at you at all 🙂
Believe me, you wouldn’t go back to a horse and cart if you lived in a city where they regularly run tourists around. The roads they use and the park-up spots are to be avoided. Although the poo is capture in horsey bags, the stench of horse-piss is unbearable in summer (barely bearable in winter).
In the past hundred years I think it is correct to say that the human cargo they are designed to carry has got taller and considerably bigger with over eating, in countries where cars are produced so it is understandable that their size has not reduced …. there has for a long time been the alternative motorbikes and shanks pony .. the latter is miniscule.
Why would car manufacturers want to produce more efficient, and therefore less profitable cars? Maybe trace the connections between the oil industry and car manufacturers? Also…why the hell were cars ever introduced as a means of mass transport? Oh yeah…the conspiracy (charged in court as such and found guilty) of the rubber industry, oil industry and car industry, whereby they bought up public transport networks and deliberately trashed them to create a market for the automobile.
fascinating doco on the killing of the electric car http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4EbhkmlaK8
15,000+ people registered to attend Kim Dotcom’s party launch, which due to wild interest has been moved from the Cloud to Vector Arena.
I hope John Key has got his party pants, because it looks like we are in for a German Sparkle Party.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-jN3vH26NQ
re 15,000 vector..
could you give the link/source for than information..
..ta..
..i wd like to report on it..
..but can’t just take yr word for it..eh..?
..nothing personal…
phillip ure..
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11186349
“…However, more than 15,000 people registered for tickets, forcing Dotcom to move the party to Vector Arena…”
@ sanctuary..
..thanks..
..just that fact should have politicians of all stripes reaching for the anti-depressants..
phillip ure..
You might also be interested in reading Chris Trotter’s take on the possible ramifications of the launch of KDC’s political party, PU, on his blog site, Bowalley Road and in The Press today.
http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2014/01/get-ready-for-megaparty-of-serious-fun.html
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/opinion/columnists/chris-trotter/9606125/Dotcoms-Megaparty-of-serious-fun
Trotter’s view is that it may well appeal a lot to the younger generation of voters as a fresh option unencumbered by the past – an extract from his article
“Statistics New Zealand estimate that on June 30, 2013, there were 333,840 New Zealanders aged 20-24 – more than enough to surmount the 5 per cent MMP threshold.”
With over 15,000 people already registered for tickets to The PartyParty next Monday night in less than 24 hours, IMO they will get the 500 registered members very quickly to qualify for registration of the political party.
UPDATE; KDC has just tweeted that the name of the party will be the “Internet Party”, not the Mega Party. He has also tweeted the logo
https://twitter.com/KimDotcom
KDC is popular up north.
He was doing rather a good job of redistributing his wealth, locally.
lousy logo..
you’d think they’d de-capitalise..drop the stop..
..and centre ‘party’ under ‘internet’..
..or run both on same line..
..it feels not in the slightest bit..’modern’..
..and that was the best shade of purple to hand..?
..i don’t mean to be picky..but..
..there is so much to pick at..
..phillip ure..
Guessing the reason for capitalising both words and putting Party directly under Internet is so that you have a vertical acronym IP – Internet Protocol which fits the agenda – such as it is.
Have no idea about the purple though.
Purple is a Suffragette colour. – or lesbian – or just a mix of red and blue signifiying it’s neither totally left or right wing – which, IMO, usually means centrist according to the centre ground of the time.
Purple = United Future in my brain.
Someone on Twitter noted it’s also close to the colour palette for Orcon.
[ETA: I see BM also made the Orcon connection downthread.]
Bill the galactic hero…
From memory, his drill sadist used to wear that colour. It was meant to be a mixture between the bright red of arterial blood and the “blue” blood of veins. Actually the blood in veins are also red – a dark red of deoxygenated haemoglobin. Veins just look blue from the outside… But hey it is a just a book.. 😈
Of course if KDC starts to transplant large incisors then I’d start worrying what fictional universe he wants to live in.
Looking around it appears that this red/blue thing is still a popular myth.
http://scienceline.ucsb.edu/getkey.php?key=2927
my 18 year old son is voting for KDC…otherwise he said he wouldn’t vote
I knew that reducing the voting age from 21 to 18 was a mistake.
I fear that your son is proving it.
Because there won’t be hundreds of hipster 25-year-olds voting for KDC. 🙄
@ alwyn lol…yes he has been called a fuckwit ……but he has the vote so you cant ignore it
….the way of youth is totally different from the way we oldies think…the internet has provided another parallel universe for them …and I am afraid for good or ill it is a revolutionary change
imo KDC could mop up a lot of votes from cynical youth who would not otherwise vote
Suspicious use of purple, same color as the Orcon logo, hmmmm.
Is the internet party just a advertising gimmick for Orcon?
KDC already has a relationship with Orcon – and features on some of their advertising.
https://t.co/1PrbjUDCCP/large
Oops, that link doesn’t work. See the link to KDC’s Twitter site in my earlier comment. There is a picture of KDC in an Orcon ad on a bus.
I know, that’s why I mentioned it.
It’s all hypothetical, but Dot com’s a business man first, l reckon, he’d be trying to make as much money out of this political lark as possible.
There’s some really dumb gullible mofos out there that hang off his every word, great opportunity for Orcon to gain a heap of new customers and for Dot com to make some coin.
Like John Key isn’t
bm..
..the picture of a perfectly modern/nervous green…
..heh..!
..and these ‘he’s only in it for the money!’..are laughable..
..d’yareckon he’s jonesing for that opposition party president honorarium..?
..heh..!
..i’m surprised at the amount of irrational/ill-informed hysteria i am seeing here from some..
..if he supports the centre-left..(and no..he won’t support his mortal-enemy key..)
..what is the problem..?..
..and this is not f.p.p…
..so unlike a previous equivalent on the right..jones/nz party..
..under mmp this political-vehicle has the chance of a much longer life than the nz party had..
..so those moaning/bitching had better get used to it..
..or it could be a flash-in-the-pan/this election only..
..but i doubt it..
..there are a lot of people out there who feel un-represented..
..(some 800,000 odd..i believe..)
..with chookys’ sons’ assertion a dotcom party is the only one he will drag himself away from his monitor for..
..surely being a policy-alarm-bell for labour/grns/mana..?
..you’d think..?
..i said it the other day..and i’ll say it again..
..i reckon this will be the first real mmp-election..
..where the policies of the minor and major parties is/will be more to the fore than ever before..
..and those parties that think they will..as in the past..just cruise in/get by..on their traditional ‘brand’..plus a bit of spin..
..are in for a serious/unpleasant shock..
..(and i most certainly include labour in that prescription..
..i see them in more danger than most..
..of seeing their support leach away to parties that are offering not just more of the same..but exciting/innovative/game-changing ‘policies’..
..and with this formal announcement of the dotcom-gig..and that 15,000 sign-up for his opening party party..
..david cunnliffes’ state-of-the-nation speech suddenly swings much more into focus/import)…
..eh..?
phillip ure..
The politics of partying: Dotcom’s celebrity circuses. Not much about the bread distribution to all.
@ karol..
..no sense of jury out/wait ’till the evidence appears..?
..just that rush to judgement..eh..?
..i prefer to wait ’till i see the policies..
..then..if needed..i’ll pile in..
..but really karol..
..’judgement-rush’ is how you are coming across on this dotcom-thing..
..why the beef..?..(excuse the non-vegan metaphor..)
phillip ure..
KDC’s values are conveyed by his way of promoting the party – all we see so far is that it’s got his brand on it and it’s about the internet. Little about what his party stands for in all that, other than what we already know about KDC. So I’m not optimistic. Celebrity branding and partying.
Not even a glimmer of what his party will do for Kiwis in general, other than from what we know of KDC’s focus and interests.
Edit: and on the basis of just as much (or as little evidence), many on the left are uncritically cheerleading KDC’s party move, which I find worrying
same thoughts and fears here
Me too karol.
A move away from the sad-old,same-old, failed policies, maybe? Something new on the horizon?
Well, I’m not hopeful about it being anything “new” – just the same old same old “neoliberal” celebrity culture of infotainment led by a libertarian type wanting in on the big time capitalist action – old story, new window dressing – remake for the digital age.
um..!..i’m not ‘cheerleading’ his move..
..as i don’t yet know what his policies will be..
..depending on them will define the level of any ensuing ‘cheerleading’..
..i don’t know..
..you don’t know..
..this is the only point i am making..
..and rushing to judgement..about anything..without the facts..
..is both a folly..and not a good look..
phillip ure..
Well, f the Internet Party surprises me I’ll say so. But there are some facts as I’ve laid out, and they don’t give me cause for optimism.
“But there are some facts as I’ve laid out, and they don’t give me cause for optimism.”
I may be missiing something, Karol, but IMO your comments in this thread at 3.2; 3.2.1.1; and this one seem to be personal opinion/perception – not facts – and based on a lot of assumptions.
Personally, I am keeping an open mind on the Internet Party until we have actually seen their vision, policies etc, and who else is involved – presumably next week.
I have followed the KDC saga closely over the last two years – because of the legal and other ramifications rather than as a cheer leader for KDC. But in so doing, I have come to the opinion that KDC may be a very clever businessman/entrepreneur; but also has a softer side to him also. Loves his wife, children, pets dearly; is very loyal to his friends, work colleagues; and can appreciate the simplicity of a beautiful tree in flower etc. Yes, he has done some bad things in the past; but he was (at the time of his application for residency)and has continued to be open about these (although his German convictions were actually ‘clean slated’ under German legislation similar to our own Clean Slate Act).
As I said, I await fuller details about the Internet Party with an open mind.
The facts are in KDC’s past record. They are also in the way the party is named, and what is so far missing – nothing about what the party or KDC will do for NZers, except for his desire for internet “freedom”.
Many right wingers have their soft family side – means little.
KDC is first and foremost an Entrepreneur – he is out to make money using the Internet – he sees it as an under-utilised platform for business. He is ultimately a capitalist (and very competitive) – and a fairly libertarian one. I have heard nothing from him about being concerned for the plight of the less well off, or of low paid workers, etc.
He may be useful to the left in challenging Key and splitting the right wing vote. But he is not of the left.
But, whatever, ….my views are not going to influence the outcomes. And time will tell what KDC’s party is really about.
Dotcom’s political party is brand new. It’s still very early days and I am guessing that it still has a lot of policy development work to do.
But I will bet that it’s political posture will not fall easily into analysis via the traditional Left/Right dimensions.
One presumes, being launched by Kim Dotcom, that it will be a “fuck John Key / the government / big business / ties to the USA” party aimed at young people.
Chance of this hurting National in election year: zero
Labour and the Greens, on the other hand…
you are wrong shg..
..dotcom has most appeal to that disenfranchised 800.000 +
..and as a centre-left supporter after the outcome..
..this will have key/the right worried..
..they would be fools if they weren’t..
phillip ure..
Well WO is claiming Martyn Bradbury is part of the party and will be a candidate – Bradbury is distancing himself somewhat.
I’d be disappointed if Bradbury moved from supporting Mana (or was it Cunliffe) to the Internet Party.
But it depends on who else is involved.
Bradbury just changed his twitter profile image to this:
https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_banners/26863166/1375401091/web
If you don’t feel like clicking: it’s Bradbury standing at Dotcom’s right hand as Dotcom makes his announcement.
Bradbury just posted at TDB that he has stood down from his role with Mana.
But that he hasn’t joined the Internet Party – will let us know if/when he does.
I for one cannot wait to see whether or not the hairy fat bespectacled white guy joins the hairy fat bespectacled white guy.
How about stating what Bradbury said in full on TDB, and not just one sentence ?
What Bradbury said in full (its not long) is;
Good old Cameron. Thank you for the publicity.
Couple of things.
1: I stood down from my role as a consultant with the MANA Party last year.
2: What Cameron is showing is an early draft of a proposal tabled at a meeting with a whole bunch of other ideas late last year.
3: The idea of me as a candidate was more to kick around ideas.
I am a Political consultant, this is what I do, this was a proposal I was asked to submit. The moment I start working for the Internet Party if I am offered a role I will be shouting it from the rooftops as I think the ideas of an Internet Party focused on civil rights in the online 21st Century and the economic prosperity that could generate for NZ is the future and anything that moves us away from a dairy dependent, drill and mine economy is a good thing.
But all it was, was a proposal. If that changes, I will let you all know.”
Bradbury goes with the highest bidder. Thus he’s busy right now telling us who he’s NOT working for. The moment he tells us he IS working for someone, he’s not worth anything to anyone else. Like a good capitalist he’s just trying to maximise his own asking price.
Still, I note that Bradbury sure ain’t posting any pictures of himself standing in support next to Harawira, Cunliffe, or Norman and Turei.
PS: oh lol at the leaked document: “Bradbury recommends the party pay him $8000 a month to run a campaign in the Auckland Central electorate.
Mr Bradbury also asks for a one-off payment of $5000 to upgrade his computer, cellphone and tablet devices.”
http://www.3news.co.nz/Details-leaked-about-Doctoms-Internet-Party/tabid/1607/articleID/328539/Default.aspx
SLURP SLURP SLURP
Good. Mana will do a lot better without him. I hope they never paid him. A dead moray eel would be too high a payment for the services of the poor man’s Hooten.
Bomber’s main interest seems to be the media and getting a role for himself. I think he’s a natural fit with Dotcom, much more so than with Mana. I can’t see the Dotcom party doing much good at all, except for in the area of regulation of the internet and maybe the surveillance society. Mana would be much stronger in fighting the surveillance society, because their activists have known for years what it’s like to be watched and persecuted. I think it’s a dangerous distraction, and no, I don’t have to look at their policies to have an opinion, any more than I need to read the ACT manifesto to condemn them.
aye, I tend to agree re: bradbury. Loves being the voice of the left, as long as “the left” agrees with whatever he says – so now he’s working for a Banks supporter.
+ 1 So true Murray – Mana don’t need him and never did – he was never a natural fit there and TIP is much more his cup of tea
Bomber’s main interest seems to be the media and getting a role for himself.
heh – 3 News claims the Int Party so far have 3 main policies, including intenet business for NZ and supporting a public broadcasting service – they need to be able to show it will be free from KDC money manipulations.
I was right about Bomber all along then!
http://www.3news.co.nz/Details-leaked-about-Doctoms-Internet-Party/tabid/1607/articleID/328539/Default.aspx
So the best way, according to 3 news website, that Bomber could help fight against a national third term is to whore himself out for 8,000 a month and a new i rig for a rich prick with a penchant for super cars and shite music, who awaiting extradition on piracy charges, sets up mega, which has dodgy copyright content on it as I type.
Great way to make a contribution, comrade, by filling your own pocket with dirty money.
Apart from that, not a lot really.
yep I agree too karol – I’m not sure where the votes are going to come from but I can’t imagine many Mana voters are going to jump ship to partyparty.
edit: bomber is a political consultant – he consults for a crust – good luck to him I say although I do think Mana wasted their money on him.
I will wait to see what the policies are before I decide about the party but I am supportive of him actually making a party especially one that looks like it will bring the young into politics.
+1
People today don’t like being party cannon fodder. If you want someone to do something for you, you have to give them some fun before, during and after. A party that is also a PARTY appeals to people who are turned off by the idea of earnest discussions about Saturday morning (Sunday morning? Are you nuts? I’ve got a hangover/get my only sleep-in on Saturday mornings sayeth the youth of today) leaflet drops by pensioners in drafty halls on a rainy Monday night in July.
I kinda foresee nicely dressed up, but really quite nasty right wing tosh oozing out from this. The challenge for left leaning parties is to grasp the opportunity to pull newly ‘engaged’ Dotcommers into a more honest realm of politics. Will they? Doubt it. And so we’ll wind up with a NZ version of that Italian guy whose name escapes me or a NZ version of the Pirate Party. Not good.
+1 Bill, The political interest it will generate is to be welcomed. But in the long run I can only see it hurting the left unless they re-engage with the public in a meaningful way.
And a computer is still a keyboard and a screen, and if cars shit themselves as often as computers and needed ” upgrading” as often, car companies would have been sued out of existance.
There is a teeny bit more than that in them. But typically the failure components are hard disks and on the printed circuit boards (PCB)
PCBs have a few orders of magnitude more components than the entirety of any production car and are made up of hot or warm components that are densely packed and typically react to each other and their environment. Selecting the right motherboard and case for cooling, maintaining and replacing them for your task makes a hell of difference. Just as it does with a car. Which is why my motherboards typically last until I *upgrade* them – usually about every 5 years. I just replaced the one in my workstation that I brought in 2009.
Hard disks typically operate at sustained movement speeds far in excess of any car apart from Formula one racing cars – which seldom last a year. The best way to think about them is that they are a consumable like brake pads or tyres. You should expect to replace them every few years and build that into your maintenance schedule.
I suspect that you’re mostly complaining about portable computers and handhelds.
Yes it is possible to get longer lasting laptops – for instance a Toughbook. Paying for them is a completely different matter.
The last laptop I brought was in 2009, a sony vaio Z series. It is still happily running and in daily use. My partners old laptops from the last two decades used to litter the household until we disposed on them on moving into less storage space. None of them ever died, they just got new hard disks. Of course these were all rather expensive apples..
I suspect that you’re getting what you pay for.
Standardisation of components also makes a big difference in enabling rapid development and reducing cost. You don’t see this with cars, apart from obvious things like wheels, tyres etc.
You can’t just grab any old gearbox off the shelf and whack it in your car.
I had hoped one day to see someone start a project for an open source (and open standards) car design. However given that car manufacturing is now a sunset industry (or will be soon) it’s probably not worth doing.
cars shit themselves as often as computers and needed ” upgrading” as often
You should stop buying shit computers then. My cars need far more attention than my computers.
Eric Roy is the 9th National Party Caucus member to resign at the end of this term. Colin James and Michelle Boag (on RNZ this morning) reckon that these people are being tapped on the shoulder to f.o. I reckon the National Party cant be a happy camp at the moment, but it is a very corporate way of running things, interesting.
It’s a good thing really I could name several high profile labour mp’s that should have been ‘shoulder tapped’ years ago.
I doubt things are too unhappy i’m sure most of them will wash up with a few cushy board positions or similar…
That’s the problem. Labour don’t have the corporate jobs to bribe their MOs with to leave.
Anyway, if Labour don’t get rid of their neoliberal rump they are toast.
There are far too many timid or compromised people in the party.
Yes. Labour is much more democratic though, im not convinced that the National’s Corporate approach is the right way, it might get rid of the deadwood but it also has its downsides. It does lead to a lot to people conforming to what the leader wants, so a lot of sucking up…but I still reckon that it is probably a much unhappier party than what is been let on.
I gather that most Labour MPs simply do not have the workskills to perform in the real world outside of Parliament.
If you did jcuknz you wouldn’t be on the blog so much as aRWNJ. After all there is no money in it for you, is there? Or are you too old to be a judge? (shades of Cook and Moore.)
jcuknz, I gather that you’re talking out your arse.
Paul
+1 National is showing the way. Labour get to work.
It’s called rejuvenation. Look for more long-serving MPs to retire as National positions itself as a future-facing party in election year.
And on the other side of the political spectrum, we have the party going to the election with David Cunliffe, Phil Goff, Annette King, and Trevor Mallard. All Clark-era Cabinet ministers.
For bonus dotage: Mallard and King entered Parliament in the election that ousted Rob Muldoon.
But wait there’s more: Goff has been an MP since the election that ousted BILL ROWLING.
We are all Palestinians by JOHN MINTO [deleted]
[deleted]
– See more at: http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2014/01/15/we-are-all-palestinians/#sthash.8duMXuCK.dpuf
[lprent: The quoting was excessive – relevant quoted *teasers* yes – not a copied page and a half. Opinion from yourself is what I’d usually expect as the main teaser anyway. Don’t make me have to do this work again. See the policy on cut’n’paste.
BTW and before you ask: The only reason that Penny Bright gets away with her massive screeds is because I can’t find them on google. Probably means that wherever else they are published has crappy search engine optimisation. BLip’s lists are original. ]
I thought it might have been pushing the margin a bit there. My apologies.
(why aren’t we screaming from the rooftops about this one.)
http://whoar.co.nz/2014/dude-wheres-my-north-sea-oil-money-ed-hey-guess-what-funny-story-if-oil-is-found-off-the-nz-coast-we-are-going-to-be-screwed-by-the-oil-companies-just-as-the-british-were/
(excerpt:..)
“..For a few years – the UK enjoyed a once-in-a-lifetime windfall –
– only – unlike the Norwegians –
– we’ve got almost nothing to show for it..”
(cont..)
..(ed:..now..if we don’t take this as a cautionary-tale..a ‘whoop-whoop..!..pull-up!-moment..
..then we have sawdust between our ears..
..’cos this govt..using super-negotiator/hard-man browning..
..signed off on one of the most pathetically low oil rates..in the world..
..so..like britain..if a gusher is found..
..these clowns that rule over us..
..have guaranteed that – like britain..
..we will be screwed over by the oil-companies..
..all the profits will flow offshore..
..directly to them..
..and we will get s.f.a..
..and if a political party doesn’t seize on this populist-hand-grenade as an election-issue..
..well they all also have sawdust between their ears..
..and don’t believe nathan ‘clutch cargo’ guy when he bangs on about how wonderful it will be..
..and when he throws out actual figures/amounts..
..be aware they have been massaged so much..
..they are black and blue from the bruises..
..and they added in the gst on the packet of gum the courier driver bought on his way to this oil-field nirvana..
..to deliver a package..
..it is all just a cover-up to conceal their traitorous sell-out of our interests as a country..”
(cont..)
phillip ure…
This government is working for foreign corporate interests.
Simple.
Absolutely, and as long as they stay in power, the more irreversible damage they will do
And if Labour retain their neo-liberal hue, nothing will change.
Just three examples off the bat:Goff supports the TPP and Jones supports off shore drilling and Labour MPs take gifts from Sky City
It’ll just be a slower death for workers’ rights in NZ and, more dangerously, more disaffected voters. The UK already suffers from this fact as there is no party there you can vote for that challenges neo-liberal economics.
+1
I doubt if Labour would be doing anything different so I would crit the politicians not just the current government.
@ jcunz..
..i agree..labour cannot preach on this..
..as they are guilty of the same..(they showed the oil companies how easy we are to negotiate out the door..
..they set the bar so low you get back-strain reaching for it..
..the greens cannot..lest they be seen to have accepted drilling as a fait-accomplit..
..so i see this as yet another populist issue dotcom can ride to parliament..
..(and,,ahem..!..the negotiating-stance i wd go for..is..
..if oil is found..the state gets 50% of the gusher…
..that’s the deal..
..take it or leave it..
..50%..or nothing…)
phillip ure..
Bad move. Rescind the license completely and then set it up so that the drilling is either done directly by the government or under contract to the government for a fixed price. The government would own all of the oil/gas.
And do that with all the mining and resource extraction in the country.
i’ll see yr 100%..
phillip ure..
Labour were infiltrated in the 80s by the neo-liberal virus.
Looks like the grassroots are trying to purge the party of this disease, but it’s hard work to oust these 5th columnists out of their comfortable rotten boroughs.
Paul
Interesting you use that rotten boroughs term. That came to my mind as a comparison a while ago when thinking of what is happening here.
Another reason why we need Democracy instead of our blind faith in the loons in power.
+1
+2
this seemed fairly familiar:
So where did our billions go? Hawksworth writes: “The logical answer is that the oil money enabled non-oil taxes to be kept lower.” In other words: tax cuts. When the North Sea was providing maximum income, Thatcher’s chancellor, Nigel Lawson slashed income and other direct taxes, especially for the rich. The top rate of tax came down from 60p in the pound to just 40p by 1988. He also reduced the basic rate of income tax; but the poor wouldn’t have seen much of those pounds in their pockets, as, thanks to the Tories, they were paying more VAT.
Where is Rogue Trooper these days?
Yes where is he?…and Rhinocrates?….Maybe they are sunning themselves on a tropical island just listening to the lap of the waves….. and hoping that there wont be a cyclone…..
[lprent: Resting apparently. See http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-31122013/#comment-751547
Rhinocrates has been around. ]
Rhinocrates was around yesterday, but Rogue?
Yes, I’ve been reading Rhinocrates – and you too, Freedom by the way. I enjoyed your see saw metaphor for FFP vs. MMP. I support what you said.
Often I don’t have the time or the energy to reply to topics raised here at TS but I do read the majority of articles. Always thought provoking stuff.
I do miss Roguey’s unique style.
If one follows the link lprent put up there is some good links I think, though I haven;t caught up yet. Frankly I will always be running behind with the shovel as I think lots of the best stuff gets dropped unnoticed.
On the Phenomenon of Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber. (Author of Debt: The First 5000 Years)
http://www.strikemag.org/bullshit-jobs/
+1
Lookalike
Surely this writer, i.e., moi, is not the first to notice the uncanny similarity of these two notorious right wing gentlemen….
NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR CHRIS CHRISTIE….
http://www.fijisun.com.fj/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Cameron-Slater.gif
CAMERON “WHALEOIL” SLATER….
http://patdollard.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Chris-Christie.jpg
People who fight to establish a country are terrorists who become honoured citizens when they succeed in their endeavours. War, official or not, is a horrible and nasty business [irrespective of if you are the respected winner or the despised looser] and Arik succeeded but with age apparently became more sensible and tolerant of what is likely to succeed in the longterm.
As a man of his times and his situation he should be respected rather than reviled. But the past eight years illustrates the foolishness of quantity versus quality as practiced by the medical profession with the support of the rest of us.
@ jcunz..
..pigs-arse..!
..he was a war-criminal who butchered unarmed/defenceless women and children..in a palestinian refugee camp..
..he deserves all the reviling he gets..
phillip ure..
What you say does make some sense. Sharon—or “Arik” as he was known to his friends and to hapless political makeweights like Joe “Kinnock” Biden—was a war criminal, and at his his funeral he was eulogized by war criminals. But he is not some monster who was running out of control; he was a faithful servant of a criminal, scofflaw regime. Nothing more, nothing less.
I was working in Palestine when Ariel Sharon rocked up to the Temple of the Mount with armed soldiers in tow, a few months out from the election.
Rioting ensued. So began the second intifada.
Sharon then rode the subsequent tide of racist nationalism to win the election
Most Israelis I spoke to at the time were disgusted that he would forment violence simply to stoke the fears of the Israeli populace. Several mentioned that he should be tried as a war criminal for his role in the Sabra and Shatila massacre. Even more believed he should have been court marshalled for disobeying Golda Meir during the Yom Kippur War which led the the deaths of many of the soldiers under his command (and Golda Meirs resignation).
His career should have ended in a court marshall in 1973. Or at the very least in the Hague after 1982.
Weak as piss from the Labour party.
“Labour corrections spokeswoman Jacinda Ardern said [SERCO} should lose its contract to run Mt Eden.”
What was wrong with saying: “The next Labour-led government will cancel all contracts and/or close all private prisons. SERCO investors take note: you will lose 100% of your investment every single time you interfere in New Zealand penal policy”?
There are ways to Tory proof this country. Compulsory return of public property without compensation is a tool that needs to come out of the shed more often.
+ 1.
+ 1 also.
+1
Serco has had its UK tender cancelled due to fraud.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-25052373
Ardern should ask the auditor general to investigate,any improprieties in NZ.
How can we expect tory-proofing from a party that’s still stacked with pale blue, cut rate, 3rd way tories itself?
+1
Depressing but true.
+1
+1
for those who have never watched it, you really should
these guys are very clear in their intentions
and NZ is on their to do list
Well, that was scary shit……………….but perhaps more disturbingly, wasn’t surprising.
+1..
phillip ure..
perhaps the most egregious aspect of this sell-out to american corporate interests by this tory govt..
..is the guarantee in the deal..for the nz state to provide these vultures with enough prisoners to fill their cells..and thus guarantee them their-profit-margins..
..and get this..!..under this sell-out deal..if the state does not serve up these/enough bodies for this american corporation..
..the nz taxpayers have to pay them compensation..
..the tories thus continuing to ensure we maintain our place of shame..
..so so near the top of the countries that imprison the most of their citizens..
..now..doesn’t all of that both suck and blow..?
..phillip ure..
First, Labour has to rediscover its backbone. Bloody hard when so many are “career politicians”, or else have been voted in under a tide of blue liberalism.
Imagine if some of them had to categorically state something, you wouldn’t see them for the dust. As for Serco, the old saying, a fool and his money are easily parted, rings true in this case.
+1
+1
We need to stop kowtowing to the multi-national corporates and tell them to fuck off.
Noam Chomsky: Sabra & Shatila massacre recalls worst Jewish Pogroms
We look at one of the most shocking incidents in the career of the late former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon: the Sabra and Shatila massacre. Up to 2,000 Palestinians died on Sept. 16-17, 1982, when the Israeli military allowed a Christian militia to attack the camp. Then-Defense Minister Ariel Sharon was forced to resign after a special Israeli investigative panel declared him to be “personally responsible” for the massacre. We air a description of the killings by Ellen Siegel, a Jewish-American nurse who was working at Gaza Hospital at the Sabra camp at the time of the attacks, and speak with Rashid Khalidi, Edward Said Professor of Arab Studies at Columbia University, and Noam Chomsky, world-renowned political dissident, linguist, author and Institute Professor Emeritus at Massachusetts Institute of Technology….
http://www.democracynow.org/2014/1/13/noam_chomsky_sabra_shatila_massacre_that
A couple of thoughts.
Apparently there is a lowering crime rate, yet it is a time of increased deprivation of many.
A possible flow on from increased deprivation. Thomas Belmonte in his sociological study of the very poor people of Naples , in his book The Broken Fountain noted that the police were kept away from this area. Their presence usually meant more problems, no-one would want to give them information because of peer pressure and because it drew them personally to police attention. To live they reverted to stealing, it was endemic. The children were adept at getting into car boots of cars stopped at intersections. They might be as adept at climbing as monkeys. The author when new to the area, turned in his room, and found a young boy who had scaled the balcony to the first floor to check him out. They stole from each other, the family possibly, their friends and neighbours, probably. The Catholic church was their first port of call when having difficulties. A cosa nostra scenario really.
So if people are likely to be questioned about their own life if they report a crime, they will think twice. And it has to be serious, to be reported. To people in these conditions, the police are not an option. Police are sometimes unfriendly but fair, sometimes not, always a complication. Community building and support are needed to overcome this in NZ and help with the young delinquents on diversion properly handled could be the best option. That is until, or if, the government sets in place an economy that allows people to strive and to better themselves, and gives them plenty of inexpensive opportunities.
Another thought.
The present parliamentary system is no better than committees I’ve been on for community organisations. A new committee comes in,. and proceeds to overturn decisions made previously that people spent time thinking and arguing and deciding on, and which are of benefit. A new group has a better idea and considers itself automatically better than the past, particularly if as is common in community organisations that don’t have rich patrons or funding, they are just cranking along doing some good.
The government can overturn good policies of the past. To avoid this, there has to be a burst of energy against it. The whole thing can be re argued. There is no cause to do this unless the thing is fundamentally wrong and is likely to be so because of the lack of checks in the system.
It seems to me that there should be a stay on change, though new legislation should go ahead in its processes. There should be panels of people who can put their names forward and are drawn like a jury at random. The lists would be of people who would have passed a test of basic knowledge about the country and its economy and political system. This would result in a highly ordered random selection of people being drawn from say five strata to get a range of backgrounds.
The process of making decisions about changes or new legislation should have a checklist of questions about the cost, the value added, who needs it and why, who doesn’t think they need it and why, the likelihood of unintended consequences, whether it is just a deterrent, an example of a small step to change societal attitudes – and there must be a consideration of under 100 words for each check, and all to be filled in and collated and published. This would slow down legislation immensely, but a lot of what is passed now is repairing badly prepared stuff, or puts new bad law that has immediate advantage to a small group in, later to be mourned by those picking up the pieces. It would cut down on externalities being greatly resorted to, as less could be blithely passed over by the irresponsible.
Or we could just go to referenda rather than looking for a new set of people to put up on pedestals.
I like the thoughts. A more ‘informed participatory democracy’ getting a wider range of views, experience and knowledge. It would reduce the influence of well funded individuals, politicians, narrow minded civil servants, ideologists, vested interests and lobbyists. I’m of the view that too much power is vested in too few people.
who read the angry pro-smacking tirade in the dompost this a.m.by one of Craigs acolytes.
people like this should not be allowed to have children in the first place.
The media is definitely doing a beat up on Colin Craig so far this year. It’s amazing how money can get you some much media space.
Why? The Tories are definitely trying to bait the NZ electorate on this one, as it represents their best hope of power in 2014.
I suggest that editors at newspapers and producers at TV and radio stations are being told to include this as content as much as possible. It’s a bit like having a playlist at a bad music radio station. You get no independence to select your own tracks. The owners of this country tell the media what to play.
“The media is definitely doing a beat up on Colin Craig so far this year”
you are missing what is really going on Paul
It is an election year and the Nat supporters who want even more hate to flood NZ need to be told where they can safely vote without scaring the pollsters too much
“..The owners of this country tell the media what to play.”
aye..
..the most recent odious example of this was the advertorial penned by the head of the bankers’ cartel..
..posing as an opinion-piece on stuff..
..and the kicker..?
..it was headlined on that site..
..for a week..
phillip ure..
And now Brendan Horan is planning to start his own Independent Coaliltion party – battle of the minors.
Brendon Who???, ah what choices for the people of Tauranga, (1) do they vote for the bloke who if watched closely when under pressure shows clear signs of being in possession of a serious disease of the mind, or (2), cast one for the bloke what can switch on and off at will a smile of such radiance that the sun pales into insignificance, said smile all the while never quite being translated through the eyes making one wonder if He who bestows such has an axe concealed somewhere about their person…
i think note should be made that horan has been officially cleared of all the allegations made against him..
..there was no wrongdoing in his handling of his mothers’ estate/assets..
..and given all the shit that was thrown at him around that..(by me too..)
..i think fair-justice be that the clearing of his name is widely broadcast..
..and peters deserves a premature-ejaculation-award..
..for throwing horan out of his party..
..based purely on allegations..
..peters comes out of this looking the worst..
phillip ure..
Phillip Ure, raking the ashes of what is past, tell me something, as a leftist what use do you see of a NZFirst Party that could just as easily decide to prop up a National Government as a Government of the left,
Now tell me something, Winston cannot carry on forever,(unless He has found some substance the rest of us have so far missed), so who of the 2011 intake of NZFirst could have possibly kept the NZFirst Party alive after Winston,
Who in that Party had an ounce of the charisma, the mana if you will to be able to carry that Party forward after Winston,
Brendon Who??? don’t be such a soft mug Phillip, this is the long game of politics and the knee-capping of Brendon Who is simply a small move in the game,
i don’t think you will find me having commented on Brendon Who’s honesty at any point, simply because as i insinuate that wasn’t the point…
tracy martin wd be up for the job..
..she is the best of them..
phillip ure..
And so goes Sky City – multinational investment mamangement company slowly growing their slice of the shares.
The joys of US ‘quantitative easing’ washing across the borders into New Zealand perhaps, meanwhile back in the jungle as the US leviathans flash the cash the US congress is hell bent on slashing it in the form of cancelling unemployment benefits for 100’s of thousands in the US still suffering from the unemployment brought about the Global Financial Crisis,
The hypocrisy of this which cannot escape any of us except perhaps the most hardened of wing-nuts…
So we keep hearing how business confidence in NZ has hit an all time high.
After mass sacking of workers, slashing of workers’ rights and pay, after total dis-empowering of unions, after blackmailing workers into submission by threatening them with job losses, and making massive profits which are being distributed only among the management, with the help and support by a compliant government, no wonder the business confidence is so high.
Yes, the celebrating of business confidence implies that we all benefit. In fact, things like the GFC are exploited by the coporate plutocracy, so that, when there is a recovery, wages are lower, jobs more preacarious, and workers’ rights have been further whittled away.
Also, why do people so hate Martyn Bradbury? I don’t know the man at all apart from what he writes in his blogs, so more insight would be helpful.
He’s apparently joined Kim Dotcom’s party. WTF?
Yes he is working for Krim.con and the Mana party.
You know the extradition case is in tatters, don’t you Funi Man? The evidence the police presented proven false, the warrant illegal, the provision of access to sealed court evidence to unauthorised foreign nationals, do you think all those things have just sort of gone away now they aren’t in the media so much?
What sort of weight do you suppose the court will give to this sad litany when considering its decision? Do you suppose it will affect the degree of trust the court is prepared to invest in the rest of the Yankee request much?
Clearly you are of the sort that believes the accused are always guilty whether proven innocent or not, and your opinion is utterly irrelevant, but I care, Funi Man. I’m looking forward to your chagrin 🙂
Source WO. Bradbury was a consultant to the internet Party early on. Ditto Graeme Edgeler. Trotter as alleged cheerleader.+
I don’t hate Bradbury. Sometimes I totally agree with his comments/analysis. Sometimes I think he’s not a very in-depth thinker. He also can be a bit contradictory. He’s a good publicist – can use the media quite well.
Some find him too opinionated and too focused on his own publicity.
Yup. Can’t see KDC and Bradbury being a comfortable mix for long.
Interesting though. WO has scored a bit of an own goal with this. He’s added to the Internet Party publicity, and aligned it with the left.
The only thing I like about KDC is the way he makes John Key squirm on the end of his bayonet. Millionaire vs Millionaire battle just another gormless media distraction really.
*sigh* Yep.
Own goal? Seems like he’s handled it perfectly.
I don’t know, Arfarmo. I can’t see them treading on one anothers’ toes that much. Dotcom wants to be a celebrity billionaire, not a politician.
I’ve concluded Bomber’s much the same. Their supporters will each claim their hearts are in the right place. But their egos will clash I reckon.
There is not a chance in hell that dot com gets 5% of the party vote.
What a waste of his money and his supporters time.
He’s a capitalist. He knows that’s what they’re there for. Big fun.
A lot of people are pissed off about being spied on, Brett. I’m struggling to seeing him make 5%, but the New Zealand Party…
Knucklehead:
He wont get 5% though, and do his supporters really think this guy actually has their best
interests at heart?
Says you. As for NZ interests, I note he is funding a political party and has apparently hired (or at least called for expressions of interest from) some quite serious players to run it.
The last time someone tried something of this nature, The New Zealand Party got 12% of the vote.
I won’t be surprised if he fails, but I won’t be surprised if he doesn’t.
Alistair Thompson has resigned from Scoop in the last hour or two and confirmed he is working for the IntP.
do his supporters really think this guy actually has their best
interests at heart?
If they didn’t they probably wouldn’t be supporters. #logic
QOT:
Most people who support fringe parties dont use logic.
#thinkaboutit
Most people who support TORY parties dont use logic.
#FIFY
“do his supporters really think this guy actually has their best
interests at heart?”
Dunno. Do John Key’s supporters?
I’m not. The Greens got 6.8% in their first election. Act got 6.9% in their first election.
I see it as highly probably that, in their first election, The Internet Party will get over 5%. The question is if they will be able to maintain that. Act hasn’t but The Greens are going strong.
The Conservative flesh out the field a bit…
so..brett..are you so sure of yr claim..
..that you will do a keith locke..?
..and walk naked down a main thoroughfare naked..
..if you are wrong..?
phillip ure..
Phillip:
I think its best for all concern that I keep my clothes on.
Secondly again he wont get near 5%.
Thirdly I find it beyond belief that there are kiwis who think Kim dotcom actually cares about
them.
He will end up doing what that Irish gimp did.
Nice little ‘jolt’ felt in Wellington just now, maybe 2.5-3 on the rickety scale, a minor isolated movement or more from the series shaking the top of the South???…
It doesn’t add up. Looking at the numbers from the msd site, the $10.3 billion decrease doesn’t add up to the figures on the site. It only shows $7.3 billion. There was $1.5B was added that was a methodology correction to the 2012 liability figures. So it should have been $8.8 billion. But that’s still $1.5 billion more than the numbers published on the MSD site.
http://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/newsroom/media-releases/2014/taylor-fry-welfare-valuation.html
Most of the savings was due to cheaper service rates $3.0 billion.
While only $180 million was due to lower than expected benefit payments.
Take this from the msd site,
—
The June 2012 total liability was $86.8 billion, compared with the June 2013 liability of $76.5 billion.
—
That’s there $10.3 billion figure. But in the notes at the bottom of the page is this,
—
[ii] The starting liability at 30 June 2012 was reduced to $85.3 billion due to methodology correction.
—
Oh look, there’s $1.5 Billion they are still counting even though they had corrected the figure due to methodology. Can’t trust there numbers if they make such a simple error
I just noticed on zerohedge.com that the benchmark Baltic Dry shipping indexing is collapsing at historic rates. That implies massive dry bulk carrying over capacity on 23 of the world’s major trade routes.
I don’t think that the global real economy is going to do any good this year, at all.
That was mentioned in a article I read a year or two back on shipping. The article mentioned that there was an awful lot carrying capacity coming on line in the next year or two and that competition would drive prices for shipping to below cost.
Haven’t noticed any pictures or mentions about David Cunliffe on holiday with his family etc etc…Key’s boys been getting high fives from Obama on the golf course in Hawaii…absolute elitism but also very hard to attack as that…
Parapara Peak, Golden Bay, South Island.
https://www.facebook.com/david.cunliffe.labour
Note the beard is back. 🙂
hmmmm? CCC or KDC? What interesting times we live in! I suppose it should come as no surprise that we see a plethora of minor parties applying for the tail role of, not just wagging the dog, but potentially choosing the pooch to be promenaded by. Fun and doo doors ahead folks. Keep shoveling and smile!
It costs a lot to live in Auckland, and the reason is ?….
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11185768
Auckland Tourism Events and Economic Development tourism manager Jason Hill said the city billed itself as a top-quality holiday spot.
“Auckland doesn’t profess to be a budget destination, but delivers on other aspects of visitor experiences and consistently ranks highly as a desirable place to visit,” he said.
How about those of us who reside perminately within Auckland and are captured within this low wage economy ? Perhaps as a cup of coffee, a beer , dinner our are so expensive, then those working within the industry could expect to see an uplift in their wages, at least there in no reason for working conditions to be attacked!!
http://www.sfwu.org.nz
Common sense and logic fail as to why it is soooo costly to live within New Zealand. Perhaps it is all that money bring exported out as dividends in the banking sector:-)
Hey Dunedin Standardista’s, is the Off The Pages meet up still happening on Saturday?
http://thestandard.org.nz/off-the-pages/
Was going to put up a ‘notice and features’ on Thursday…
Will be there in spirit.
Oh good 🙂 Thanks Bill.