“I’ve said consistently that no employer ever really accepts a union. They tolerate the unions. The very minute they can get a pool of unemployment they’ll challenge the unions and try to get back what they call managements prerogatives, meaning hire, fire, pay what you want.”
Mind you, that was when Reagan more or less positioned himself as pro-union. There is a quote from a speech he made somewhere online but I cannot seem to find it anymore.
I think Chris Trotter said a few months back on a Citizen A that it is not good enough for Labour to dance around the middle, then 3 months out from an election throw some policies at the voters (paraphrased).
Look what else Miliband says: “We would put right a mistake made by Gordon Brown and the last Labour government. A ‘one nation’ Labour budget next month would lay the foundations for a recovery made by the many, not just a few at the top”
Yes, he said a mistake was made by the Gordan Brown / Tony Blair Labour Government. What is the chance that Labour will admit to the third way / neoliberal failures of the last Government? Miliband is talking of raising taxes and the people of Britain are responding.
I’d settle for a labour leader who can speak properly before he gets anything of substance as it’ll just come out all mumbles and umm err’s.
No need for that type of handwringing, Clark/Cullen could’ve been bolder in areas but Peters did hamstring them in that 3rd term and they did steer the books to nett zero debt, KBank, Ksaver, KRail, WFF etc
Focus on the slipppery, wrecking policies, corruption etc with solid alternatives is the better tactic IMO.
Clark/Cullen pulled back to the right after the 2002 election.
The minimal levels of unemployment they trumpeted were largely casual/contact positions, wages were stagnant, and poverty more or less blew out, as rents skyrocketed. Etc.
They never really had any backbone, folding to business in its ‘Winter of Discontent’.
Thank goodness Labour lost in 2008, and Helen Clark and Micheal Cullen got booted out. Now we just have to get rid of Goff, King, Mallard, Jones and Cosgrove.
The minimal levels of unemployment they trumpeted were largely casual/contact positions, wages were stagnant, and poverty more or less blew out, as rents skyrocketed. Etc.
Your analysis doesn’t fit the reality – the minimum wage for instance went up by leaps and bounds during that time.
However, the Labour Government’s good economic fortune was built on the back of skyrocketing private debt pumping money into the economy.
Why did Gordon Brown sell the gold….Oh yeah, to prop up failing banks! Where did that pressure come from, and does it still exist today….
Nothing has changed, Milliband is just another sock puppet, whose policy talk is worthless twaddle!
Peace
Edit – Apparantly my ban is over, although OAB will be able to tell you , given he is keeping tabs, but I end up in moderation stil..
Hey Bloke, is my ban officially over yet?
Spot on Muzza…Miliband is another puppet offering us much of the same. But my point wasn’t so much that those policies are good and they will solve our problems, it is that Miliband admit failings of the past (something Labour needs to do) and also Miliband’s policies are attracting voters.
Labour’s housing policy (which I think is lame) could have attracted votes, but it was not presented alongside other policies…as a result, the possible upside of the housing policy has dissipated, its effect is similar to a fart in a hurricane.
I don’t expect Shearer to offer the progressive policies we need, all I hope is that he keeps coming with policies that attract votes and end National’s massacre.
Hey fatty – give some support to the housing policy will you. What about that it is going in the right direction but needs to show more initiative or something. It’s something at least in the right direction that Labour is doing.
NV – No credit from me what so ever, for the housing policy, which will never get off the ground, and if it did, there will be the usual *unexpected consequences*, but with the certainty the private operations will come out on top.
Until the LP come out deamnding the following, you can write them off as the imposters (NACT) they have been since the 80’s
1: RBNZ/OoDM audit
2: Confirmation that NZ is in control of its sovereign monetary supply
3: Confirmation the the LP will instruct RBNZ to issue funds directly to treasury (interest free), for schools, hospitals, R&D, *Green Programmes*, environmental improvements etc…
4: (name the action which will show they are here for NZ, not the foreign masters)
Time is short, talk is cheap, NZ politics is bent beoyond belief
Where is a candidate who upon entering parliament, will report freely back to the public on the inner workings of the deals/lobbying etc which directs policy.
Why is an MP (someone free from blackmail), not publically driving home every day, in as public a way as possible, the corruption of people such as Dunne/Banks etc al, they would be even more despised than they could ever imagine!
Expose it, or you’re in on it – Vote for it, and you support it!
Go ahead and explain, why those inside parliament are seemingly not forthcoming about the corruption going on, and how voting for it, is not endorsing the broken entity which governs us?
Perhaps there is none, perhaps the awful, destructive decisions currently tearing away the country’s core is “incompetance” , perhaps it’s all just bad luck all round old boy!
Nah, I prefer to seek explanations, and in order to do so, it requires means all angles need be considered.
My interest is only for the betterment of NZ, which is more than I can say for those who *go along* , supporting, hoping, dreaming of a *change in fortune*, it ain’t coming, until people accept why/how, the destruction is allowed to continue, without resistance!
Interesting you mention the Queen, which one in particular did you have in mind?
I note that “those inside parliament” have been vocal in their opposition to and condemnation of Banks et al. Your fantasies are no less tiresome for being so easily debunked.
Project Onan would fit perfectly into Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland. You can find the Queen there too.
Bloke, that’s all very good and well, I’m not contesting who wrote it. Thats not what I was referring, when I used the term *Disney adventure*, which I would expect to have been somewhat obvious, and I also suspect your desire to try trip me up, got the better of you , again!
Missed your insults though, nice to hear them, although perhaps time to move on from, tiresome cretin, it’s become a little, self titled!
I’m not referencing the “Disney adventure”, I’m referencing the book. In particular, the way that the Queen’s insistence on “verdict first, sentence afterwards” is an apt summation of your myopic mono-mania.
Hey fatty – give some support to the housing policy will you.
Sorry, but like Muzza said, I just see it perpetuating our problems, not solving them. I don’t think maintaining our property price bubble is going in the ‘right direction’.
I would say that focusing more on building up Government housing stocks so that people from all classes can rent from the Government. I would like to see a move away from this assumption that owning land is embedded in our culture – because its not with younger generations.
I thought I was being quite kind to Labour’s housing policy, I try my best not to shoot down everything Labour does, but that is difficult.
The original point I was trying to make is that UK Labour appear to be presenting vote-gaining policies on a regular basis…in contrast, NZ Labour have given a housing policy that has not been as effective as it could have due to the policy vacuum – that appears to be a Labour strategy?
fatty
You are so right. But I am just grateful for small crumbs from the Labour Barbecue. I’m just like a dog sitting with tongue hanging out thinking – Drop it, go on, drop that juicy bit of sausage. (I don’t have expensive tastes.)
That’s why I say give them some brownie points. By all means then turn around and accuse them of being backward – they can’t do the same as they did in 1938. Haven’t they ever listened to housing advocate groups? – there are quite a few around with excellent ideas. I have a few too. And you also. I think that government building and selling the houses is crazy. I am all for some sort of managed valuation that rises at term deposit rates annually. Then the government pays them back with this much rise added. Still has the house. Tidies it up, makes it available to people who can save a deposit and afford to pay for it – perhaps on a 25 year mortgage to a proper housing department. etc
UK Labour just made their first policy announcement (re-introduction of 10% tax rate) since the 2010 election, and are saying hold out until 2015 for the rest… So i’m not sure your compare and contrast with NZ Labour is particularly fair.
I’d also say UK Labour are every bit as much targeting the middle-class as NZ Labour, and less willing to challenge orthodoxy. Anti-austerity, sure, but not proposing re-structuring the economy, just spending more. The growth of inequality pre-2010 was massive – just reverting to pre-Coalition policies ain’t going to cut it…
While the housing policy may be better with the Greens addition (or something like it), I don’t see a massive house building program as “maintaining our property price bubble”. Shortage of supply maintains our bubble (particularly in AKL/CHC), not massively increasing supply. Labour will build more Housing NZ stock too – it’s not mutually exclusive.
Our previously very high homeownership rates are one of the major reasons for us having the lowest pensioner poverty in the world. We need to stop investment properties (and get people to invest in productive businesses), not home-ownership.
good points Bunji…now I look into it, Miliband hasn’t released policies. Strange how Miliband appears to have a vision, whereas Shearer doesn’t. Maybe its just me that sees that (and NZ & UK voters) – perception is so crucial, even for those of us who think we are well informed.
Reasons for the sudden increase in spam from xtra are in today’s Herald
.”…..the problems lie largely with Yahoo, to which Telecom outsourced their email service in 2007.
……..
The vulnerability apparently came about thanks to Yahoo’s failure to keep its blog software up to date – a widely recognised security hole on the Yahoo subdomain developer. yahoo.com that had been around for close to nine months……….”
This is apparently what you need to do to stop them happening !
*First, log out. Once logged out the session is “dead” and the account cannot be accessed.
*Make sure you always log out as closing the browser window won’t suffice.
*And never use the “remember me” checkbox on webmail, no matter how inconvenient it is to log in every time.
David Shearer should promise to re-nationalise Lake Taupo for all New Zealanders when Labour gets back into power/office. With encourangement from the National/MP alliance, the ‘Keep Out’ signs will soon be up by lunchtime.
“The Lake Taupo District mayor is worried that if a local iwi charges Ironman New Zealand to use the lake for their triathlon event other event organisers could be put off and local businesses could lose money.”
There seemed to be a bit missing, so I’ve added it in –
“The Lake Taupo District mayor is worried that if the District Council continues to charge some events organisers to use council owned land for their events then other event organisers could be put off and local businesses could lose money.”
“Mayor Rick Cooper says even though the tribe does have the right to charge users for the lake, it could have devastating effects on the district’s economy.”
Good on you millsy – looking after the interests of the district’s economy and of course the right for anyone to do anything when they have that right.
You’d take every physical thing given back to tangata whenua and put it into the pit for everyone I’m sure, but please feel free to tell me I’m wrong.
“You’d take every physical thing given back to tangata whenua and put it into the pit for everyone I’m sure, but please feel free to tell me I’m wrong.”
With all due respect, yes.
The handing of vast tracts of recreational estate such as rivers, lakes, and other conservation land to iwi is one of our dirty little secrets.
My point is that this could be the start of a slippery slope, we could all wake up to find that Tuwharetoa are charging people to go for a swim or a walk along the beach.
Public ownership by the New Zealand Crown is the only way to nip this sort of tomfoolery in the bud,
”The handing of vast tracts of recreational estate such as rivers, lakes, and other conservation land to iwi is one of our dirty little secrets”,
Care to provide a list of all these vast tracts that have been handed to Iwi,
The dirty little secret was the fact that these vast tracts were stolen off of those Iwi by the Crown in the first place,
What your saying is if any of its given back you like a good little colonizer want to keep your boot as the oppressor on the neck of Iwi and tell them what and what they cannot do with what was rightfully theirs all the time…
So you think all of our national parks and DOC estates should be handed back to Maori then? Don’t come crying to me when you have to pay $50 to drive up Mt Ruapehu.
Putting ”so you think blah blah blah” is the debating tactic of one who has low intellect,
I see you have no list of these vast tracts that are to be given to Maori just as i see you make no denial that such vast tracts were stolen from Maori in the first place,
I have a picture of Ruapehu Maunga on my kitchen wall, the first time my niece set eyes on it Her words were “that’s my mountain”,
I have no problem with the owners of such property charging any amount of money they so wish if i want to access their property, just as the local farmer has no problem charging hunter’s an access fee to hunt out the back blocks of His or Her property…
That just about confirms it, you DO want all the national parks handed back to iwi. OUR national parks, they belong to ALL of us. The left is depriving future generations of access to recreational assets.
lol – they are not kiwi mountains – read some history and try and learn about this country you’ve decided to live in before you really embarrass yourself.
Colonization – it ain’t over ’till it’s over and it ain’t over that is for sure.
“symbolism is the practice of representing things by symbols, or of investing things with a symbolic meaning or character”
Just like the first arrivals to this beautiful country, I too have also formed a spiritual connection with the land.
For better or worse, depending on your view, Hamilton West is mine.
Most iwi are politically smart enough to know that there is a fine balancing act to be had with the wider communities that they live and do business in. Still, Millsy’s concerns over the loss of DoC land is going to be strongly shared by hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders at a guess.
Colonization – it ain’t over ’till it’s over and it ain’t over that is for sure.
It’s never going to be over because a lot of Maori have learnt much of the language, the forms, the systems and the attitudes of the colonisers. You can get all the land and other assets back you wish, but from the cultural standpoint it’s hard to see how it will ever be “over”.
Really, is that it? Just an ignorant barb is a little condescending and given I’ve written nothing to deserve it, unfair and a bit insulting. It’s like you’ve knee jerked your way to the wrong conclusion.
I’ve written nothing that denigrates Maori. I’ve written nothing that demeans their culture or rights. I’ve written nothing from the viewpoint of a colonizer. I’ve written nothing that makes light of our Treaty. I’ve written nothing to deserve blissful ignorance.
If it’s knee jerk reactions we’re playing, then that’s easy to win from here on in, but I’ll do you a courtesy as a brother and let it slide as misguided rather than some of the less civil options available.
Symbolism is kind of sterile to be honest. It just represents. To get into the real juice you need to start talking about myths.
Now myths aint nothing like fairy stories.
Myths have explanatory power. They explain why symbols hold truth. They demand living up to. A myth demands that those to whom the myth have relevance, justify the truth of the symbolism through their actions.
So what is the story that says why you are of here, rather than just living here. What is the thing you use to give truth to the claim that west Hamilton is yours, rather than just a place you were born and lived or whatever?
Colonialism is New Zealand’s history. Just wishing it away is to have a myth that is a lie, a myth that explicitly denies Maori history. There is no way it can be anything other than racist.
The thing that allows me to say that I am of Whanganui, that I have a connection to the river, (albeit of a different kind to the river Hapu), is the Treaty. That is my myth, it’s the only story we have that allows us a ‘truth’ claim to to say we are of here. And that origin myth demands we honour the Treaty.
Make a lie of the treaty, and you make a lie of who you are and how you are here. You lose legitimacy in your claim to be of here.
So I gree with Marty that you cannot claim the X is your mountain or whatever, if you do not do so in a way that honours the treaty. And that if you have a myth that denies the centrality of the Treaty, that says you have some other claim to be of here, then that myth is just further colonisation in its worst form.
“So I gree with Marty that to you cannot claim the X is your mountain or whatever, if you do not do so in a way that honours the treaty.”
With respect, that sounds wrong.
Maori didn’t have a treaty when they first arrived here and formed their spiritual and symbolic connections with the land.
I, like many New Zealanders share the connection to home on a personal level above and beyond any piece of paper, just like I suspect, most Maori do.
The smiley face meant I was only half playing with you and trying to be funnyish not ripping into you – no need to get offended – you have said what I said was irrelevant to you remember. I just think you are wrong and misguided and the Treaty settlement process, including apologies from the Crown for the injustices committed to the indigenous people of this land, seem to back me up.
“you have said what I said was irrelevant to you remember.”
I said it wasn’t relevant, not irrelevant 🙂
“I just think you are wrong and misguided and the Treaty settlement process, including apologies from the Crown for the injustices committed to the indigenous people of this land, seem to back me up.”
I can accept you thinking I’m wrong. That’s always allowed.
But as I fully agree with the settlement process and righting wrongs and injustices, find the link out of place.
I’m on record here as saying the treaty needs to be looked at again to find a definitive article we can all be happy with.
I’m on record here stating I believe in a devolved Maori parliament with permanent seats in cabinet, if that’s what they wanted.
Socially suicidal as it may be on a blog, I’m saying I love this home world just as much as anyone else does.
And very much joking, do you want a fight about that?
You seem to be saying that your sense of belonging here is not reliant on the treaty. That you have some legitimate claim to that sense of belonging other than the treaty.
So what is it based on?
It looks like you are saying that you have a legitimate claim to be here just because you are here; that the fact Maori were here first is not relevant.
If that’s what you are saying, then I’m asking you to explain where that legitimacy comes from, if it doesn’t come from a colonialist logic.
yes millsy – which one are you with – lets make a date.
Your fantastic notions of being forced to pay everywhere (not withstanding your original post here) just haven’t happened but a few settlements have been made – hmmm – how you can side with ansell and that crew and still say you are ‘left’ is beyond me – it’s fucked up mate.
“You seem to be saying that your sense of belonging here is not reliant on the treaty”
Correct, though of course I’m happy for some have to have one with the other.
“That you have some legitimate claim to that sense of belonging other than the treaty.”
Still correct. Doesn’t diminish the treaty or anyone’s reliance on it.
“So what is it based on?”
Years of experience and learnt behaviour make us who we are. I’ll plump for that, for starters.
“It looks like you are saying that you have a legitimate claim to be here just because you are here;”
Not just because I’m here, but because the connection has been made, and you can’t tell me otherwise without stepping all over my mana and rights to belong.
“that the fact Maori were here first is not relevant.”
Not to me, in having a spiritual symbolic attachment, nor does the fact that I’m a relatively late arrival to these shores.
Again, that doesn’t detract from Maori, their rights and claims in any way at all, except maybe in your head.
“If that’s what you are saying,”
It is.
“then I’m asking you to explain where that legitimacy comes from”
Home is where the heart is. Don’t know if legitimacy comes into it, just like the relevance of the point you’re badly trying to make.
Not just because I’m here, but because the connection has been made, and you can’t tell me otherwise without stepping all over my mana and rights to belong.
What right to belong do you have, absent the Treaty?
Why not relatively recently arrive with the inuit and explain to them how much you love their sacred mountain, river, lake and land or whatever, just like them – as MUCH as them, or a Native American or an Andaman Islander? What do you think they would say A?
Don’t bother, I know it is all about you and your status. Must win, must assert dominance – ho fucken hum.
You want to rewrite the treaty? So what – a gate creaks by the shed.
“What right to belong do you have, absent the Treaty?
You haven’t actually explained that part.”
It’s a nothing argument you’re using, mate.
Euro immigrants to UK don’t need the act of Union to to symbolically identify and become part of a new whole, any more than I have use the treaty as my inspiration/justification/reason to be as home here as anybody else.
Surely you’re not as bigoted/short sighted to believe I have to reach a conclusion, but only if I do so your way?
That’s quite a statement if you are, that I can’t be a proper New Zealander unless I see it your way. Are you paul henry?
“Why not relatively recently arrive with the inuit and explain to them how much you love their sacred mountain, river, lake and land or whatever, just like them – as MUCH as them, or a Native American or an Andaman Islander? What do you think they would say A?”
Are you seriously saying I can’t love that mountain, river, lake, land or whatever as MUCH as them? Or I can’t have a spiritual connection that has as much relevance of importance as it does for someone else, even if we’re from different cultures, backgrounds?
And you say I’m blissfully ignorant 😆
“Don’t bother, I know it is all about you and your status. Must win, must assert dominance – ho fucken hum.”
“and please let me know how you get on with those indigenous peoples – take a video camera, the footage will be priceless.”
So what it boils down to, is that you can’t accept a newcomer forming a spiritual connection with the land, equal in strength and passion as your own, not beholding to any piece of paper as incentive or motivation.
That’s okay, I don’t mind.
As long as we all vow to return and keep our mountains, lakes, rivers and land or whatever in pristine condition, fit to leave our rainbow multicultural descendants, then why worry?
“and please let me know how you get on with those indigenous peoples – take a video camera, the footage will be priceless.”
I’ve made my point here just fine to you.
You can accept others spiritual connections and symbolisms, or not.
My mountain, my river, my town, my people, just like you, but different.
Take a screen shot and we’ll save the carbon footprint for our kids.
“So what it boils down to, is that you can’t accept a newcomer forming a spiritual connection with the land, equal in strength and passion as your own, not beholding to any piece of paper as incentive or motivation.”
not ‘my own’ but it does seem a little arrogant imo, – you see you piped in originally snarkily decrying someones heartfelt relationship to their maunga as if you even knew what they were talking about lol, but whatever, I’ve heard the argument more than a few times and rarely does your side adjust their view – bit too much riding on it and uncomfortable truths better left unconsidered.
“you see you piped in originally snarkily decrying someones heartfelt relationship to their maunga as if you even knew what they were talking about lol,”
Completely dispute snarkily and decrying, and you’re imposing an ignorance upon me that doesn’t exist.
Apart from that, you’re sweet.
“rarely does your side adjust their view – bit too much riding on it and uncomfortable truths better left unconsidered.”
I think, for clarity, you should identify ‘my side’, what view it is I’m supposedly sharing and what uncomfortable truth I should or should not be considering.
All I’ve asked is that you explain it, that you give some concrete truth about what it is you’re talking about. But you can’t.
You just fall back on trite hallmark slogans.
Home is where the heart is, ffs.
So what?
You could really really like somewhere, but that doesn’t justify a claim to belong to it. Those sorts of claims rely on history, like it or not.
And in the NZ context, your claim of belonging to it either comes via the Treaty, or via some sort of colonial mindset that says, Hey, I’m here, I like it, I’d like to think it’s mine, and it doesn’t matter about the history of the place. I disregard that history, because it’s not mine.
Now how can you claim to really love the place if you have so little regard for its actual history, if you say the place’s history is just not relevant to your relationship with it?
Can you see why I’d call that sort of love for the place an infatuation?
So no answer then. Thought not, given as how any would expose a flawed argument.
“bad12 …
16 February 2013 at 6:10 pm
A colonizing leftist, how unsurprising”
You know that saying never bring a knife to a gun fight? Works the same as bringing limited wit to a debate with me 😉 😆
“it is Her mountain, just as the Whanganui River which flows from that mountain is Her river,”
Was never ever in dispute, and I don’t really know why some here think it was/is.
But apparently I’m not, despite our differences, allowed to share the same sense of ownership and symbolism as your neice.
Just a question.
Is a four year old natural born kiwi child’s spiritual connection to the landless or more important than a 12 year immigrants?
How can you gauge it, and on who’s authority in our free society do you take your lead from?
Non_Maori connections ot this land are via an honoured Treaty. This is true whether they know it or not. Read the history. Think about what it means.
Inasmuch as they deny the centrality of the Treaty to their relationship, they cheapen their relationship and turn it into something else, a far uglier sort of colonialism. It’s up to each person to work out how they want their relationship with this place to be. they can either choose to make it about honouring the Treaty, or they can choose to make it about subjugation and colonialism.
“lol.
No answer to what?
Whiny teenaged angst?
I gave you an answer.”
To be fair, you haven’t answered how you can rank spiritual connectivity to the land.
I don’t even think you know what you are arguing for.
What you are using against my beliefs here is worse than you accuse others of.
Just saying 😉
“And am waiting on quite a few.”
I’ve been full and upfront. Not my fault you can’t see the logic involved here.
“Figured out a reason to say you are of this place that isn’t acolonialist argument yet?”
Colonist argument 😆 You sound like that deconstructionist feminist bloke.
“Hint: ‘I like it a lot I don’t care what it’s history is, but Imma gonna say I’m of the place’ is a colonialist argument.”
Nope, I’m an immigrant from the end of the 20th century and have formed a special spiritual connection with the land, equal to yours and others, including bad 12s niece, even if I’m not Maori and totally unreliant on the treaty.
You just have to deal with it, I’m afraid.
“One that Pauls Henry and Holmes, Michael Laws, and assorted other tory boys and fuckwits use, all. the. time.”
I have no issue with the treaty (other than not having a version we can all get behind), Maori rights, settlement process etcetera.
The only issue here is a couple of people can’t or won’t accept my non Maori, non treaty reliant spiritual connection as equal.
That makes them overtly prejudiced, or at best a little bit stupid.
You do know that the authority that granted you permission to immigrate, comes from the Treaty, right?
You do know that it’s the Treaty that grants the government in Wellington legitimacy to govern this place eh?
Seriously, you’re welcome here, and I’m stoked that you like it, and it’s up to you, but getting to grips with the place will deepen the relationship. It’s not all about you.
“Why are you totally unreliant on the Treaty?
You’ve not actually explained that yet.”
Does my spirituality depend or rely on the treaty? No, it does not. What’s to explain? If it doesn’t, it just doesn’t.
Spirituality and the symbolism as being discussed, for me, have nothing to do with pieces of paper, however significant to some, or indeed, as our nations founding document.
Doesn’t mean I dishonour the treaty or the people it was signed by, as I’ve clearly demonstrated. Quite me if you think I have.
I’m not actually questioning your spirituality, or whatever.
All I’m saying is that it is the Treaty that gives you the right to form that spiritual connection. Without the Treaty, where do you get off forming that relationship with this place? By what right do you claim to be of here?
The aspect of colonialism that marty was talking about, is the idea that someone can just waltz on in to a place, already inhabited and owned and spiritually connected to a people, and just declare that they like it thank you very much so it’s ours just as much as it is yours and how dare you question that? (sound familiar?)
Now as long as the Treaty is honoured, it doesn’t have to be like that.
But if you say that your relationship with this place is not reliant on the treaty, if the Treaty isn’t the thing that gives you the right to form a spiritual bond with the place, what is? Your feelings? What about the place, what about the people who already own it, as it owns them?
If you say that it isn’t the Treaty that grants you the right to form that spiritual relationship, that’s where you are disrespecting the Treaty. Because that’s what the Treaty did, it granted you, some hundred plus years later, the right to form that relationship you have.
But if you don’t respect the history of the place enough to incorporate it into your own relationship with the place, then yeah, I’d say your spiritual connection is of a lower order than that of those who do respect it. An adolescent sort of relationship without obligations or acknowledgement or realities. A fairy tale, rather than a myth.
Firstly, I have to say I hate the format of this blog. It’s very illogical to have to scroll up half a page in order to get a post in sequence., anyway…
“I’m not actually questioning your spirituality, or whatever.”
Well that’s good, because if you were it would belittle your position.
“All I’m saying is that it is the Treaty that gives you the right to form that spiritual connection. Without the Treaty, where do you get off forming that relationship with this place? By what right do you claim to be of here?”
This is the point of confusion, and I’m happy to agree to disagree if it draws a line under this debate.
My point is the treaty doesn’t give me a right to form those connections, just like Maori don’t need a treaty to form them. We, you, I form our bonds because we just do, whether shared or individually. Where do I get off forming a bond? Just begs the question who are you to judge or set rules?
By what right do you claim to be of here? Just smacks of Henry et al you quoted earlier. You give your answers to those two, and I’ll try to come up with a reply that isn’t as offensive and dismissive as first thought.
“The aspect of colonialism that marty was talking about, is the idea that someone can just waltz on in to a place, already inhabited and owned and spiritually connected to a people, and just declare that they like it thank you very much so it’s ours just as much as it is yours and how dare you question that? (sound familiar?)”
See, now that’s not where I’m coming from at all, as evident in my support for Maori rights amongst other things. My point is spiritual connections can’t be measured by date, age, history and tradition.
I’m not saying any such connection is more spiritual than the other. I see no argument why this is challenged.
“But if you say that your relationship with this place is not reliant on the treaty, if the Treaty isn’t the thing that gives you the right to form a spiritual bond with the place, what is? Your feelings?
Nobodies spirituality is reliant on a treaty. Ask Maori, Chinese, Irish or indeed everyone including al1ens the same question and you’ll probably get a lot of similar answers.
“What about the place, what about the people who already own it, as it owns them?”
We all own it, it owns all us.
I’m taking nothing from anyone by sharing the same feelings for the land.
“If you say that it isn’t the Treaty that grants you the right to form that spiritual relationship, that’s where you are disrespecting the Treaty. Because that’s what the Treaty did, it granted you, some hundred plus years later, the right to form that relationship you have.”
No, you’re wrong. The treaty founded the nation I now live in and call home, and I respect it like most New Zealanders, but it’s not that old bit of paper that permits me a right of connectivity. Spirituality isn’t governed by law or doctrine in a free society.
“But if you don’t respect the history of the place enough to incorporate it into your own relationship with the place, then yeah, I’d say your spiritual connection is of a lower order than that of those who do respect it.”
I’ve not written or expressed any view you allege.
But interesting to find you qualified to judge and rank something you have zero understanding of.
“An adolescent sort of relationship without obligations or acknowledgement or realities. A fairy tale, rather than a myth.”
There’s that deconstuctionalist feminist talk that stalks the halls.
Where we seem to differ is that I do not think everybody just has the right to waltz on in wherever they like and claim that they have just as much right to be there as the people who have already established a place there.
I think that because people form relationships with places, and that places are integral to cultures and societies to some extent, then when you move somewhere, those prior relationships should be not just acknowledged in a real way.
I mean, if everyone, as you seem to say, just has the right to move to a place and declare their relationship is as good as those who preceded them, then what is wrong with colonialism?
As to your question, I have already answered it, multiple times.
“Just begs the question who are you to judge or set rules?”
I don’t claim that, at all. It is a simple matter of historical fact that the Treaty is what grants the legal and moral right for you and I to claim to be of here. It’s not me that is determining anyone’s rights.
I am not saying, like Henry, that you don’t sound like a NZer, or that NZers have a particular sound. Or anything of the ilk. Have whatever relationship or spirituality you like, it’s your right. That right is guaranteed you, in NZ, by the Treaty.
I’m saying that you a right to be here. That right comes from the Treaty.
So I differ completely from Henry et al.
But if you can’t see what I’m saying, or catch the difference between having a relationship with a place, and being able to justify that relationship, I guess we’re done.
“Where we seem to differ is that I do not think everybody just has the right to waltz on in wherever they like and claim that they have just as much right to be there as the people who have already established a place there.”
“I’m saying that you a right to be here. That right comes from the Treaty.”
Are you saying I have a right to be here? Or I have a right, but not as much as others?
Whatever the answer, it doesn’t matter. My relationship and new found spiritual connection doesn’t depend on your answer, which is my point all along.
“Have whatever relationship or spirituality you like, it’s your right.”
At last. 😆
“That right is guaranteed you, in NZ, by the Treaty.”
Guaranteed, perhaps, but definitely not reliant upon or inspired by.
“So I differ completely from Henry et al.”
I’m quite sure you really do.
“But if you can’t see what I’m saying, or catch the difference between having a relationship with a place, and being able to justify that relationship”
I see what you’re saying, I just disagree or think it irrelevant for the most part, and I, like you and everybody else, don’t have to justify any spiritual relationships of any kind to anyone.
“I guess we’re done.”
I could have told you that half a page ago, in fact I might already have done so, but bollocks trying to read through that lot for a quote.
A colonizing leftist, how unsurprising, it is Her mountain, just as the Whanganui River which flows from that mountain is Her river,
She ‘owns’ these things through Her whakapapa, and while tourist operators make billions of dollars off of such marvels i see no reason whatsoever why She as an owner does not have the ability to charge any charge She sees fit through her relevant Tribal Authority for others to access either Her mountain or Her lake…
The slope is already slippery millsy and you are on the slide but I knew that anyway just wanted you to confirm it. I am pleased that your extreme view is only shared by the likes of ansell and ilk – equality means nothing to you it is just a word to help you maintain your privilege – that mode of thinking is dying out like the dinosaurs mate – enjoy it while it lasts.
Millsy Don’t know whether I’m not more scared of your attitude than I am concerned about those of the iwi. Sounds like you are one of these sports people who want to take over the country for their own sporting and competitive interests.
This morning on Radionz a cycling spokesperson seemed to think that everything in life should centre around looking after cyclists and that being asked to wear a visibility vest was a disgraceful burden, rather than seeing it as a lightweight aid to recognition by drivers. And argued about the policeman killed – he was wearing visibility stripes, and died, so the thinking went – a vest would have been no better, so let’s not have them. A poor argument and a poor attitude. This seems to be, do nothing and then cry and vent your anger every time there is an incident.
A woman in New Plymouth who has enjoyed her walks in scenic areas now has to share the path with cyclists and hates having them swish by and break into the enjoyment of nature she wants. I agree, and the aggressive nature of cyclists, mainly young men, often means that they are pumping along paths, not interested in the natural surroundings but just wanting a challenging ride. They have swamped the interests of peaceful walkers or joggers who want to enjoy the outdoors at a human pace relaxed and in safety.
Agree. As a regular walker of paths in reserves, I’m getting seriously pissed off with the arrogant sense of entitlement and indifference to other people that cyclists have. I am expected to step aside for them, but they never think that they have to consider the needs of walkers because it’s all about pushing yourself to the limit man, it’s all about the challenge and everyone else is just an obstacle. Narcissistic jerks.
Economic growth and the brighter future just around the corner, lolz forget it, expect instead another 20,000 unemployed in 12 months as the European economies that make up the Euro-zone drive the train headlong into the wall,
As this continues the economy of China will slow as will that of the US which the Prez has decided to continue to prop up by pumping 40 billion dollars a month of printed monies into via infrastructure spending…
I would like to support the campaign to raise wages to the level of a ‘living wage’ but i don’t, it is not wages for these workers that need rise dramatically which in the economy would force prices to rise and directly hurt the same workers who have no leverage in such a campaign to have their wages raised at all,
I notice while Labour appear to be out in force supporting this living wage they have no proposal that says that should they become Government they will Legislate for this living wage, instead leaving the most vulnerable workers in the economy with the prospect of fighting their employers for that living wage,
While a few employers might be able to be forced to pay their workers such a ‘living wage’, most will simply scoff at such a thought and carry on business as usual,
It is in fact COSTS which should be addressed, specifically the cost of living for those who have a household income of $45,000 or less,
As the largest cost to this decile of low waged workers is in fact accommodation costs it is these costs that should be addressed by the next Labour/Green Government instead of paying lip service to a well meaning but in the end futile campaign for a ‘living wage’,
Having proposed the radical lowering of the cost of accommodation across the board for all those who earn less than $45,000 it would then be my responsibility to propose the means to achieve this which i will get around to later on today…
I have just struck a blog on google full of hate and deliberate misinformation if not lies about NZ. It starts off the page “Proudly killed in NZ” and indicates vast numbers of tourists are dying or being injured. Of course the Christchurch building collapse means high bad statistics, and it updated with the latest being the poor Indian chap that was burned. I have been shocked myself at the lack of help from ACC for tourists’ ongoing needs and the laissez faire attitude by government to adventure businesses and safety measures but this is over the top.
It also calls the NZ Press Association the Ministry of Truth and says that they have forbidden tourist death statistics to be published and that they are a Zionist controlled organisation.
How can the sweepings from the bottom of the long-drop be able to publish this sort of s…t?
I see that Broadcasting standards do not apply to the internet as yet.
There is a name at the end : Theme: Andreas09 by Andreas Viklund and This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
Could I complain to google I wonder? A sick mind with time to spare, plenty of time for the devil’s work as the saying goes.
that’s a special site, for sure. I love the inclusion of long term migrants and workers in the “tourist” numbers.
Even going by their “3 in every 4 days in 2011” stat, that’s still an annual mortality rate about the same or less than the general population. “Toughen up” is what I say.
WikiLeaks is a rare truth-teller. Smearing Julian Assange is shameful
by JOHN PILGER, New Statesman, 14 February 2013
Last December, I stood with supporters of WikiLeaks and Julian Assange in the bitter cold outside the Ecuadorean embassy in London. Candles were lit; the faces were young and old and from all over the world. They were there to demonstrate their human solidarity with someone whose guts they admired. They were in no doubt about the importance of what Assange had revealed and achieved, and the grave dangers he now faced. Absent entirely were the lies, spite, jealousy, opportunism and pathetic animus of a few who claim the right to guard the limits of informed public debate.
These public displays of warmth for Assange are common and seldom reported. Several thousand people packed Sydney Town Hall, with hundreds spilling into the street. In New York recently, Assange was given the Yoko Ono Lennon Courage Award. In the audience was Daniel Ellsberg, who risked all to leak the truth about the barbarism of the Vietnam war.
Like Jemima Khan, the investigative journalist Phillip Knightley, the acclaimed film director Ken Loach and others lost bail money in standing up for Assange. “The US is out to crush someone who has revealed its dirty secrets,” Loach wrote to me. “Extradition via Sweden is more than likely . . . is it difficult to choose whom to support?”
No, it is not difficult.
In the NS last week, Jemima Khan ended her support for an epic struggle for justice, truth and freedom with an article on WikiLeaks’s founder. To Khan, the Ellsbergs and Yoko Onos, the Loaches and Knightleys, and the countless people they represent, have all been duped. We are all “blinkered”. We are all mindlessly “devoted”. We are all “cultists”. In the final ….
Doesn’t Jemima Khan like trying out new positions – wealthy, English degree, converted to Islam for a Pakistani (which country does not seem woman friendly), now top positions on the New Statesman and Vanity Fair. She is entitled to change her mind about Assange if she wants to – it was probably always a matter of time.
Wikipedia – Khan first gained notice in the United Kingdom as a young heiress, the daughter of Lady Annabel and Sir James Goldsmith. She converted to Islam and married Pakistani cricketer and politician Imran Khan in 1995. Khan also gained worldwide media attention for her relationship with British film star Hugh Grant.
Muzza
Your family name and background makes a lot of difference for sure. I love her mother’s extended name. I have given my children the middle name of a female family name that would otherwise disappear through marriage change. But it’s hard when you have so many illustrious names behind you.
Jemima Marcelle Goldsmith, Khan is the eldest child of Lady Annabel Vane-Tempest-Stewart and Anglo-French financier Sir James Goldsmith.
Meanwhile back in the jungle, it’s all good news for those doing the weekly grocery shop,NOT,
Food prices have risen 1.9% in the month of January, not a pleasant prospect for those reliant upon low and fixed incomes,
Why such an overt jump in the price of foods, aah remember just befor Christmas Slippery and Bill nominally in charge of the Titanic came up with their latest bright idea to plug the $1.2 billion hole in the National Governments revenue from taxation initially caused by the 2009 Slippery tax switch,
In a fit of stunning brilliance Bill looked at the books and like the dullard He is, said to Himself if i raise petrol taxes that $1.2 billion dollar hole in the revenue stream will just disappear, trusting Bill’s judgement explicitly Slippery agreed,
So they did, raise petrol taxes that is, and it didn’t (of course),stop the Government books bleeding red ink to the tune of $1.2 billion that is,
The Government rack raising of petrol taxes has simply lead to those costs feeding through the economy and hence food prices rise as a result of that petrol tax rise, we all spend a bit less on food and the Government as an end result collects even less tax…
Some Obs. Cosgrove suggests there may be more job losses like those of Contact following asset sales;
“flat power market, slow growth, declining even.” -Bob Lloyd, Energy Expert
that Finlayson sure seems a sneaky Lawyer (tenacious trailing and climbing plant). Wow, are they harrassing those who require prescriptions, the cross-charge implications were identified by Treasury; seems like an additional tax on the elderly and infirm in particular, to me. Then the Ministry of Health retains two research commissions at 20M combined per annum to save an estimated 1-4.5M from grommet operations!
then they are gonna subsidize Chorus to 160+M to fund fibre??? r r r (nanoo nanoo; The Fisher King is interesting).
on One news, a corporate response to the Living Wage campaign- “if the min. goes up, we’ll have to source cheaper options.”
Christchurch is to get a “Justice Sector Precinct”, (sounds ominous) comprising police + justice+ corrections; now that’s a one-stop-711.
Wow! 134 / 3 per week cyber attacks on critical government and / or corporate infrastructure IT last year.
our “protection is flawed” -Keith Ng
meanwhile NZ retail spending increases with expenditure on the ever helpful Fuel, Car and Hardware (mainly CHCH)
on their road-trip, the Education and Science Commitee are advised that Charter Schools are “a disaster waiting to happen”.
Oh well, diligent hands will rule, yet laziness ends in slave labour.
or
the sluggard craves and gets nothing, yet the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied (proverbially) 🙂
Hooton on Citizen A with Keith Locke.
He couldn’t help trying to get the boot into the Greens as part of his campaign against
the rise in popularity of left ideals. He got soundly laughed at by Bomber and Keith though.
That said, since his clients are polluters, the slimy little arselicker does have to show that he’s giving them their money’s worth… and then pocket his pay.
Far be it from me to deny that…
Still, I’m sticking to my ‘the green’s are the last popular bastion of actual leftist ideals and Hooton really doesn’t want that to catch on’ meme.
Interesting that the Supreme Court released their ‘Minute’ (effectively ignoring the Government’s deadline of 18 February 2013 – the day after the 13 February 2013 rallies/protests against asset sales in both Wellington and Auckland?
(After you’ve helped collect some more signatures on the asset sale referendum? 🙂
“Treasury has released a substantial number of documents related to the mixed ownership process on the COMU website, including papers produced prior to the election. You can access these documents by following this link
Pete George (16,285) Says:
February 15th, 2013 at 4:55 pm
“Someone else has been perpetuating this same lie – Penny Bright:
Got a couple of STUNNING new banners which will be unfurled today – first outside the offices of Mighty River Power, then outside the offices of Mercury Energy!
Opposed to the sale of State Assets by this minority National Government (which only got 59 out of 121 MPs in the 2011 election?
Remember – the vote on the Mixed Ownership Model Act was 61 – 60.
National – who did campaign on asset sales – were dependent on the votes of dodgy John Banks – who arguably should NOT be an MP – let alone a Minister, and Peter Dunne – who DID NOT campaign on supporting State Asset sales.
SO – WHERE’S THE ‘MANDATE’?
Do the maths!
NO MAJORITY – NO MANDATE!
(In my considered opinion)
She posted that here on GD two days ago (where she was puklled up on it) and at The Standard, where Penny was supported by a moderator versus a commenter:
[RL: Penny has chosen to withhold paying her rates as a means of political protest; as distinct from avoiding an obligation to the Council. Your failure to mention this is of course a deliberate distortion. Virtually all protest involves some action which can be described as illegal at one level, while ethically justifiable at another. Your approach is here is not a discussion, it’s abuse. Don’t keep repeating it.]
That’s ironic accusing someone else of “deliberate distortion” when that’s exactly what Penny was doing.”
________________________________________________________________________
MY REPLY:
Here you go Kiwibloggers – United Future 2011 election policy – straight from the mouth of man himself – Peter Dunne:
Kiwibank, Radio New Zealand and the water supply should be ruled out of any future asset sales programmes, UnitedFuture Leader Peter Dunne said today.
Speaking to the Auckland Rotary Club, he said that given that National has a manifesto that includes asset sales, New Zealanders need to start a proper debate on the future limits of those sales.
“To this point there has not been a proper national debate beyond National saying yes and Labour saying no.
“We need a conversation that is more detailed and drills down into what New Zealanders really think are acceptable bottom lines,” he said.
“New Zealanders, I believe, are not definitively pro-asset sales, but under certain conditions, it is no longer the bogeyman issue that Labour would have you believe.”
Mr Dunne said UnitedFuture’s role as a support partner is not just to contribute its own policies, but to help keep a government to a reasonable, centrist path.
“UnitedFuture says let’s start with three no-go areas where there would be no asset sales, not now, not ever:
“They are Kiwibank, Radio New Zealand and the supply of water.
“Kiwibank is in every sense now a national institution, whether you bank with it or not. And in a market full of Australian-owned banks, and an increasingly fraught and troubled globe, it is both a symbolic and practical statement of our economic sovereignty.
“Collectively, it is ours pure and simple. It must stay that way.
“Secondly, Radio New Zealand exists in an increasingly commercial media marketplace, and it is more important than ever to have a voice that does not bend to the dollar, to ratings, to external forces.
“Every nation needs its own voice and we need to afford that voice our collective protection.
“Thirdly, and one that I feel particularly deeply about, is water. I do not intend to wait until it is on the asset sales agenda.
“I do not believe New Zealanders would ever – or should ever – accept a sell-off of the supply of the water, or any of the aspects around it.
“Let no one claim for any price what is ours as of right. There needs to be a blanket and clear undertaking that this will never be on the agenda,” Mr Dunne said.
United Future’s “Asset Sales Policy Announcement”
10 October 2011
Anyone want to argue with THAT?
This MINORITY National Government – which DID campaign on asset sales – has only 59 out of 121 MPs.
I put it to you – that if the voting public of Ohariu relied on United Future’s above-mentioned “Asset Sales Policy Announcement” in order to cast an informed vote – they could have been led to believe that Peter Dunne was NOT campaigning for the ‘mixed ownership model for the electricity companies and Air New Zealand’?
It gets a bit deceptive and misleading, in my considered opinion, for politicians not to be upfront and consistent in their stated policies?
penny, do you have a link for the UF asset sales announcement?
PG banged on about the “kind’ve sortof” UF asset sales policy before he was kicked. If you have an actual source for “no asset sales” as an unequivocal claim, that would be lovely. I don’t think it’s been presented before.
Penny, since 1996 there hasn’t ever been a majority government. This is nothing new. National received the largest percentage of the vote that any party has ever received under MMP.
Nine years of Labour, under Clarke, was also a minority.
Buried another precious daughter of Michael Joseph today.
The Depression, the war, Les back from Cassino minus legs, but a brand new ten-bob-a-week house and a five-day job for life. Jack was as good as his master and he still knew it: no whore of the press barons yet engaged to suggest otherwise.
Bliss marred only by the influence of the Church and its fatal fear of Christianity – a fear which our courageous and beloved Jean had the guts and intelligence to reject.
Kids everywhere. Rampant fecundity, suburban neurosis yet to be identified – an indisputable neighbourhood matriarchy content and dominant with maternal love: Jack was still as good as his master, and the state advanced real money to prove it.
And Jean quietly reigned, yielding the spotlight to the more intense; reliable prompt to much more than the CWI drama group, quietest yet most feared by all the neighbourhood brats.
Then along came TV and J Edgar Hoover. Competition raised via propaganda from the muddy ruggerfield to life itself. Dog-eat-dog, rugger ogres elevated based solely on physical size and aggression. Cruelty rewarded with cash. Amputees sidelined.
And too late, revolution. Within a heartbeat our privileged boomers achieved dramatic advance for minorities – but left the ogres still in charge: at funerals every day this week, confused victims of the Douglas/Caygill treason.
Jack is as good as his master. And yes, John Lennon and Jesus, love is all we need.
With the backing of the state, Jean and Les and a million others briefly proved it: and in turn their grateful spawn delivered enormous advances to millions.
It’s your state, young people. Take it back, and give your kids a bliss that we can only imagine.
Our sympathy to you ak. Yes our people struggled on after WW2 and there was hope and belief that we could build a great little country and there would be a place for everybody. I don’t know if my birth father killed in the war would have liked the present.
But some good things remain and we must retain them and watch that we are not impoverished by callous business people and the ideological, or mendacious, or self-seeking amongst our politicians. We may be in a jam but need to turn it into NZ conserve.
The exchange between Pascals B and The Allen seems a good example of what Polish Pride and I discussed today.
PP says “Maybe I am being too precious, maybe I’m not. but if you attack someone you risk looking like the idiot to outsiders not them. If instead you continuously engage them with well reasoned (evidence based arguments) and they just stick with dogmatic faith in the face of what you present. Then it is they who will appear as the idiot…”
I said something like life is too short to argue with people who are totally fixed in place on their pet subjects. There are too many problems in our modern world needing to be considered by people who are willing to think about them and discuss them without getting stuck in a mud wrestling contest out of which no bright new understandings will arise.
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Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
Chris Trotter writes – The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three. ...
Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blogIn 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
Citizen Science writes – Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
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 ...
You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
Karl du Fresne writes – There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
David Farrar writes – The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time.A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brownannounced ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Māori are yet to see anything from this Government except cuts, reversals and taking our people backwards, Māori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...
The Coalition Government’s refusal to commit to ongoing funding for social housing is seeing the sector pull back on developments and families watch their dreams of securing a home fade away, says Labour Housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty. ...
Changes to minimum wage and benefit indexation means many New Zealanders will get less this year, as the Government gives a big tax break to landlords instead. ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel. “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says. "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board. “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti. “I have asked her to ...
The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States. “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced further New Zealand cooperation with the United States in the Pacific Islands region through $16.4 million in funding for initiatives in digital connectivity and oceans and fisheries research. “New Zealand can achieve more in the Pacific if we work together more urgently and ...
In apparent defiance of the Biden administration, the Netanyahu government has now initiated missile strikes against Iran. Last Saturday night (Sunday morning in New Zealand) Iran launched more than 300 drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles against Israeli military targets. With the assistance of US, UK and possibly French forces, ...
Māori representation brings a perspective that encompasses not only the interests of Māori communities but also a broader, holistic approach to environmental stewardship and community well-being, principles deeply embedded in Te Ao Māori (the Māori ...
This week in Auckland, a group of young people took over the microphone at a ministerial press conference, to explain why they oppose the Fast-Track Approvals Bill. One young woman said, ‘We’re here because we love Aotearoa New Zealand. We want to raise our children in an environment that’s thriving, ...
The summer was wonderful. Evie was wonderful, too; finally a teenager, finally worthy of long, hot days. She shaved her legs for the first time and bought cut-off shorts from the op-shop that made them look long. She got a Warehouse singlet so tight on her new shape that her ...
When Thomas James was on his solo camp as part of Outward Bound, the keen outdoorsman didn’t find it too challenging, as others often do. In what might just be the perfect illustration of his character, he saw it as a great opportunity to solve a few problems. “I thought, ...
From the unstable and drippy to the hi-tech and pretty, here’s our ranking of all the tunnels you can drive through in this country. The first tunnel seems to have been built in 2200BC in Babylonia, kicking off a global phenomenon for digging holes in order to get places more ...
Lucinda Bennett on the art of being greedy but resourceful. This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter, The Boil Up. When I picture the market, it is always this time of year. Crisp air, dripping nose, counting coins with cold fingers. Sunlight pale, filtered through specks of dew still ...
Zoë Colling’s favourite piece in the ‘That’s So Last Century’ collection is a lubrication chart for a sewing machine from the ’60s. It’s about the size of a postcard, and carefully maintained. “I like it that this piece of ephemera highlights that manual and technical side of the skill involved ...
Kia Ora Gaza A passionate haka reverberated through Auckland International Airport as a medical team of three New Zealand doctors received an emotional farewell from a big crowd of supporters before flying to Turkey to join the international Freedom Flotilla to Gaza. The doctors, who left Auckland yesterday, hope to ...
With submissions closing today, Macassey-Pickard says groups around the country have been supporting a huge range of people to make their submissions. ...
Our response to the new legislation is informed by targeted conversations with practitioners working in the system and through an implementation lens. ...
The new ‘Fast-track Approvals Bill’ would give just three Ministers the power to approve or deny development projects. They would avoid the usual checks and balances that are in place to protect rivers, land, the ocean, and communities. ...
COMMENTARY:By Eugene Doyle Helen Clark, how I miss you. The former New Zealand Prime Minister — the safest pair of hands this country has had in living memory — gave a masterclass on the importance of maintaining an independent foreign policy when she spoke at an AUKUS symposium held ...
The government's released the list of organisations provided with information on how to apply - just hours before public submissions on the bill close. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milton Speer, Visiting Fellow, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney Before climate change really got going, eastern Australia’s flash floods tended to concentrate on our coastal regions, east of the Great Dividing Range. But that’s changing. Now ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Finkel, Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow, La Trobe University Sia Duff / South Australian Museum In February, the South Australian Museum “re-imagined” itself. In the face of rising costs and inadequate government funds, CEO David Gaimster, who took the reins last June, declared ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alan Pearce, Professor, School of Allied Heath, Human Services & Sport, La Trobe University, La Trobe University This week, Collingwood AFL player Nathan Murphy announced his retirement, brought on by his concussion history and ongoing issues. The 24-year-old’s seemingly sudden retirement, ...
The Mental Health Foundation provides support and resources for those facing the loss of their job, so it’s wrong in the very week the Government adds another 1000 jobs to its tally of cuts, that this is happening. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Howard, Senior Lecturer, Discipline of English and Writing, University of Sydney Daniel Boud/Sydney Theatre Company Decay, terror, revulsion. These are three of the central themes of Thomas Bernhard’s rarely performed play The President. The Austrian is one of the greatest ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says threats by ministers Shane Jones and David Seymour to reform or close down the Waitangi Tribunal were “ill-considered”, as legal experts say the ministers may have breached Cabinet Manual conventions. “I think those comments are ill-considered and we expect all ministers to actually exercise good ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ye In (Jane) Hwang, Postdoctoral Research Associate at School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock You’d be hard pressed to find any aspect of daily life that doesn’t require some form of digital literacy. We need only to look back ten ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Newton, Professor of Exercise Medicine, Edith Cowan University Pexels/RDNE stock project You’re not in your 20s or 30s anymore and you know regular health checks are important. So you go to your GP. During the appointment they measure your waist. ...
A new poem by Evangeline Riddiford Graham. Mitochondrial Problem I. It was long drive to Kansas for the man and his dog but you have to understand he said She doesn’t fly. Which calls to mind not carsick shitting barking or whining but a dog who chooses not to as ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)Hot off the press, this debut ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Wajnryb McDonald, PhD candidate in Criminology, University of Sydney Less than 24 hours after Ashlee Good was murdered in Bondi Junction, her family released a statement requesting the media take down photographs they had reproduced of Ashlee and her family without ...
Chief executive Shaun Robinson said it has not had any government funding cut, but government-funded contracts have not kept pace with rising costs. ...
The Ministry of Health has delayed the release of its evidence brief on the safety, reversibility and mental health and wellbeing outcomes for puberty blockers. While we wait, Julia de Bres speaks to those with firsthand experience. Best practice gender-affirming healthcare is based on trans people’s self-determination and agency. The ...
Barcelona’s city streets have gone from traffic-clogged to pedestrian-friendly. How? Superblocks. Ellen Rykers explains. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week I read a great interview with renowned urbanist Janette Sadik-Khan by The Spinoff’s Wellington editor Joel MacManus: “You can reimagine streets, ...
Student groups ‘Climate Action VUW’, Schools Strike 4 Climate and VUWSA will be on the street in Wellington today, the last day for submissions on the Fast-track Approvals Bill, with a message that the fight against the Government’s ‘War on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sofia Ammassari, Research Fellow, Griffith University Since 2014, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity has grown exponentially – and so has the formidable organisational machine of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). These two factors will be key to delivering the BJP a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendon Hyndman, Associate Professor of Education (Adjunct) & Senior Manager (BCE), Charles Sturt University During COVID almost all Australian students and their families experienced online learning. But while schools have long since gone back to in-person teaching, online learning has not gone ...
Yes, they’re better for the environment. No, that’s not a good enough reason for me to use them. Once every 26 days or so, my period arrives, and if struck by an act of God, I am caught red-crotched without products. How, after 17 years of this, do I still ...
“It will cause significant harm to our environment and communities. It is completely at odds with New Zealanders’ relationship with nature and our need for a low-carbon, sustainable economic future." ...
The Chair of the National Maori Authority, Matthew Tukaki, has warned a Parliamentary Select Committee that fast-tracking legislation is a perilous practice that undermines the core tenets of democracy, transparency, and accountability. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Tenbensel, Associate Professor, Health Policy, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Since coming into power, the coalition government has adopted a simple but shrewd see-how-fast-we-can-move political strategy. However, in the health sector this need for speed entails ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Hronis, Clinical Psychologist, University of Technology Sydney Darya Sannikova/Pexels Whether you’re watching TV, attending a footy game, or eating a meal at your local pub, gambling is hard to escape. Although the rise of gambling is not unique to Australia, ...
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100th birthday of one the greatest union organisers, Jimmy Hoffa. A nice summary of the good work he did here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=jDBbtBS-LP0
“I’ve said consistently that no employer ever really accepts a union. They tolerate the unions. The very minute they can get a pool of unemployment they’ll challenge the unions and try to get back what they call managements prerogatives, meaning hire, fire, pay what you want.”
Still true, eh? Go Teamsters!
The Teamsters endorsed Ronald Reagan in 1980…..
Mind you, that was when Reagan more or less positioned himself as pro-union. There is a quote from a speech he made somewhere online but I cannot seem to find it anymore.
Why is our Labour leader not coming out with these sort of policies?
I think Chris Trotter said a few months back on a Citizen A that it is not good enough for Labour to dance around the middle, then 3 months out from an election throw some policies at the voters (paraphrased).
Look what else Miliband says:
“We would put right a mistake made by Gordon Brown and the last Labour government. A ‘one nation’ Labour budget next month would lay the foundations for a recovery made by the many, not just a few at the top”
Yes, he said a mistake was made by the Gordan Brown / Tony Blair Labour Government. What is the chance that Labour will admit to the third way / neoliberal failures of the last Government? Miliband is talking of raising taxes and the people of Britain are responding.
I’d settle for a labour leader who can speak properly before he gets anything of substance as it’ll just come out all mumbles and umm err’s.
No need for that type of handwringing, Clark/Cullen could’ve been bolder in areas but Peters did hamstring them in that 3rd term and they did steer the books to nett zero debt, KBank, Ksaver, KRail, WFF etc
Focus on the slipppery, wrecking policies, corruption etc with solid alternatives is the better tactic IMO.
Clark/Cullen pulled back to the right after the 2002 election.
The minimal levels of unemployment they trumpeted were largely casual/contact positions, wages were stagnant, and poverty more or less blew out, as rents skyrocketed. Etc.
They never really had any backbone, folding to business in its ‘Winter of Discontent’.
Thank goodness Labour lost in 2008, and Helen Clark and Micheal Cullen got booted out. Now we just have to get rid of Goff, King, Mallard, Jones and Cosgrove.
Your analysis doesn’t fit the reality – the minimum wage for instance went up by leaps and bounds during that time.
However, the Labour Government’s good economic fortune was built on the back of skyrocketing private debt pumping money into the economy.
Hey Fatty, enjoy your posts by the way….
Why did Gordon Brown sell the gold….Oh yeah, to prop up failing banks! Where did that pressure come from, and does it still exist today….
Nothing has changed, Milliband is just another sock puppet, whose policy talk is worthless twaddle!
Peace
Edit – Apparantly my ban is over, although OAB will be able to tell you , given he is keeping tabs, but I end up in moderation stil..
Hey Bloke, is my ban officially over yet?
[RL: I’m not sure but I’ll approve this ok?]
Spot on Muzza…Miliband is another puppet offering us much of the same. But my point wasn’t so much that those policies are good and they will solve our problems, it is that Miliband admit failings of the past (something Labour needs to do) and also Miliband’s policies are attracting voters.
Labour’s housing policy (which I think is lame) could have attracted votes, but it was not presented alongside other policies…as a result, the possible upside of the housing policy has dissipated, its effect is similar to a fart in a hurricane.
I don’t expect Shearer to offer the progressive policies we need, all I hope is that he keeps coming with policies that attract votes and end National’s massacre.
Hey fatty – give some support to the housing policy will you. What about that it is going in the right direction but needs to show more initiative or something. It’s something at least in the right direction that Labour is doing.
NV – No credit from me what so ever, for the housing policy, which will never get off the ground, and if it did, there will be the usual *unexpected consequences*, but with the certainty the private operations will come out on top.
Until the LP come out deamnding the following, you can write them off as the imposters (NACT) they have been since the 80’s
1: RBNZ/OoDM audit
2: Confirmation that NZ is in control of its sovereign monetary supply
3: Confirmation the the LP will instruct RBNZ to issue funds directly to treasury (interest free), for schools, hospitals, R&D, *Green Programmes*, environmental improvements etc…
4: (name the action which will show they are here for NZ, not the foreign masters)
Time is short, talk is cheap, NZ politics is bent beoyond belief
Where is a candidate who upon entering parliament, will report freely back to the public on the inner workings of the deals/lobbying etc which directs policy.
Why is an MP (someone free from blackmail), not publically driving home every day, in as public a way as possible, the corruption of people such as Dunne/Banks etc al, they would be even more despised than they could ever imagine!
Expose it, or you’re in on it – Vote for it, and you support it!
The embodiment of self-serving twaddle: “Endorse my conspiracist world view or you must be part of the conspiracy.”
‘No, no!’ said the Queen. ‘Sentence first – verdict afterwards.’
Hello mate, was wondering what took you so long..
Go ahead and explain, why those inside parliament are seemingly not forthcoming about the corruption going on, and how voting for it, is not endorsing the broken entity which governs us?
Perhaps there is none, perhaps the awful, destructive decisions currently tearing away the country’s core is “incompetance” , perhaps it’s all just bad luck all round old boy!
Nah, I prefer to seek explanations, and in order to do so, it requires means all angles need be considered.
My interest is only for the betterment of NZ, which is more than I can say for those who *go along* , supporting, hoping, dreaming of a *change in fortune*, it ain’t coming, until people accept why/how, the destruction is allowed to continue, without resistance!
Interesting you mention the Queen, which one in particular did you have in mind?
🙄
I note that “those inside parliament” have been vocal in their opposition to and condemnation of Banks et al. Your fantasies are no less tiresome for being so easily debunked.
Project Onan would fit perfectly into Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland. You can find the Queen there too.
Whatever helps you sleep at night bro, I’ll go to the theatre if I want to see a play!
Alice in Wonderland, now there’s a Disney adventure to share with the kids!
Out of curiosity – Which day did my ban oficially finish Bloke, you’re still stalking me, so obviously know the answer!
[RL: Look I’m the one releasing your comments from moderation muzza. I don’t have to.]
“…a Disney adventure…”
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, aka Lewis Carroll, wrote Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland.
That’s exactly what they want you to think!
I don’t know whether to roll or lol 😀
McFlock as well, hello little buddy how you doing, good to see you’re still propping up OAB, who seems to have been counting the days of my ban.
Bloke – Which company produced the animated film Alice in Wonderland (1951)?
Clue it was called, Walt Disney Productions!
Muzza, which author wrote the book Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland, published in 1865, you tiresome cretin?
check out The Financial Post below (they are banning hookah pipes in parts of Arabian M.E; Open Sesame)
Bloke, that’s all very good and well, I’m not contesting who wrote it. Thats not what I was referring, when I used the term *Disney adventure*, which I would expect to have been somewhat obvious, and I also suspect your desire to try trip me up, got the better of you , again!
Missed your insults though, nice to hear them, although perhaps time to move on from, tiresome cretin, it’s become a little, self titled!
I’m not referencing the “Disney adventure”, I’m referencing the book. In particular, the way that the Queen’s insistence on “verdict first, sentence afterwards” is an apt summation of your myopic mono-mania.
😆 and I even managed to muddle the order too.
Hey fatty – give some support to the housing policy will you.
Sorry, but like Muzza said, I just see it perpetuating our problems, not solving them. I don’t think maintaining our property price bubble is going in the ‘right direction’.
I would say that focusing more on building up Government housing stocks so that people from all classes can rent from the Government. I would like to see a move away from this assumption that owning land is embedded in our culture – because its not with younger generations.
I thought I was being quite kind to Labour’s housing policy, I try my best not to shoot down everything Labour does, but that is difficult.
The original point I was trying to make is that UK Labour appear to be presenting vote-gaining policies on a regular basis…in contrast, NZ Labour have given a housing policy that has not been as effective as it could have due to the policy vacuum – that appears to be a Labour strategy?
fatty
You are so right. But I am just grateful for small crumbs from the Labour Barbecue. I’m just like a dog sitting with tongue hanging out thinking – Drop it, go on, drop that juicy bit of sausage. (I don’t have expensive tastes.)
That’s why I say give them some brownie points. By all means then turn around and accuse them of being backward – they can’t do the same as they did in 1938. Haven’t they ever listened to housing advocate groups? – there are quite a few around with excellent ideas. I have a few too. And you also. I think that government building and selling the houses is crazy. I am all for some sort of managed valuation that rises at term deposit rates annually. Then the government pays them back with this much rise added. Still has the house. Tidies it up, makes it available to people who can save a deposit and afford to pay for it – perhaps on a 25 year mortgage to a proper housing department. etc
Obama channels Ayn Rand (well, sorta)
http://opinion.financialpost.com/2013/02/13/terence-corcoran-why-obamas-big-government-plans-will-hinder-not-help-the-middle-class/
UK Labour just made their first policy announcement (re-introduction of 10% tax rate) since the 2010 election, and are saying hold out until 2015 for the rest… So i’m not sure your compare and contrast with NZ Labour is particularly fair.
I’d also say UK Labour are every bit as much targeting the middle-class as NZ Labour, and less willing to challenge orthodoxy. Anti-austerity, sure, but not proposing re-structuring the economy, just spending more. The growth of inequality pre-2010 was massive – just reverting to pre-Coalition policies ain’t going to cut it…
While the housing policy may be better with the Greens addition (or something like it), I don’t see a massive house building program as “maintaining our property price bubble”. Shortage of supply maintains our bubble (particularly in AKL/CHC), not massively increasing supply. Labour will build more Housing NZ stock too – it’s not mutually exclusive.
Our previously very high homeownership rates are one of the major reasons for us having the lowest pensioner poverty in the world. We need to stop investment properties (and get people to invest in productive businesses), not home-ownership.
good points Bunji…now I look into it, Miliband hasn’t released policies. Strange how Miliband appears to have a vision, whereas Shearer doesn’t. Maybe its just me that sees that (and NZ & UK voters) – perception is so crucial, even for those of us who think we are well informed.
Reasons for the sudden increase in spam from xtra are in today’s Herald
.”…..the problems lie largely with Yahoo, to which Telecom outsourced their email service in 2007.
……..
The vulnerability apparently came about thanks to Yahoo’s failure to keep its blog software up to date – a widely recognised security hole on the Yahoo subdomain developer. yahoo.com that had been around for close to nine months……….”
This is apparently what you need to do to stop them happening !
*First, log out. Once logged out the session is “dead” and the account cannot be accessed.
*Make sure you always log out as closing the browser window won’t suffice.
*And never use the “remember me” checkbox on webmail, no matter how inconvenient it is to log in every time.
Why we should be worried about iwi gaining control of our lakes, rivers and mountains
David Shearer should promise to re-nationalise Lake Taupo for all New Zealanders when Labour gets back into power/office. With encourangement from the National/MP alliance, the ‘Keep Out’ signs will soon be up by lunchtime.
“The Lake Taupo District mayor is worried that if a local iwi charges Ironman New Zealand to use the lake for their triathlon event other event organisers could be put off and local businesses could lose money.”
There seemed to be a bit missing, so I’ve added it in –
“The Lake Taupo District mayor is worried that if the District Council continues to charge some events organisers to use council owned land for their events then other event organisers could be put off and local businesses could lose money.”
“Mayor Rick Cooper says even though the tribe does have the right to charge users for the lake, it could have devastating effects on the district’s economy.”
Good on you millsy – looking after the interests of the district’s economy and of course the right for anyone to do anything when they have that right.
You’d take every physical thing given back to tangata whenua and put it into the pit for everyone I’m sure, but please feel free to tell me I’m wrong.
True it did, but that’s all that went up.
“You’d take every physical thing given back to tangata whenua and put it into the pit for everyone I’m sure, but please feel free to tell me I’m wrong.”
With all due respect, yes.
The handing of vast tracts of recreational estate such as rivers, lakes, and other conservation land to iwi is one of our dirty little secrets.
My point is that this could be the start of a slippery slope, we could all wake up to find that Tuwharetoa are charging people to go for a swim or a walk along the beach.
Public ownership by the New Zealand Crown is the only way to nip this sort of tomfoolery in the bud,
”The handing of vast tracts of recreational estate such as rivers, lakes, and other conservation land to iwi is one of our dirty little secrets”,
Care to provide a list of all these vast tracts that have been handed to Iwi,
The dirty little secret was the fact that these vast tracts were stolen off of those Iwi by the Crown in the first place,
What your saying is if any of its given back you like a good little colonizer want to keep your boot as the oppressor on the neck of Iwi and tell them what and what they cannot do with what was rightfully theirs all the time…
So you think all of our national parks and DOC estates should be handed back to Maori then? Don’t come crying to me when you have to pay $50 to drive up Mt Ruapehu.
Putting ”so you think blah blah blah” is the debating tactic of one who has low intellect,
I see you have no list of these vast tracts that are to be given to Maori just as i see you make no denial that such vast tracts were stolen from Maori in the first place,
I have a picture of Ruapehu Maunga on my kitchen wall, the first time my niece set eyes on it Her words were “that’s my mountain”,
I have no problem with the owners of such property charging any amount of money they so wish if i want to access their property, just as the local farmer has no problem charging hunter’s an access fee to hunt out the back blocks of His or Her property…
That just about confirms it, you DO want all the national parks handed back to iwi. OUR national parks, they belong to ALL of us. The left is depriving future generations of access to recreational assets.
“I have no problem with the owners of such property charging any amount of money they so wish if i want to access their property,”
That’s what tories say.
“I have a picture of Ruapehu Maunga on my kitchen wall, the first time my niece set eyes on it Her words were “that’s my mountain”,”
I say that too, about all kiwi mountains, rivers, parks, lakes, people, Jade etc…
Hope you told her what symbolic means.
lol – they are not kiwi mountains – read some history and try and learn about this country you’ve decided to live in before you really embarrass yourself.
Colonization – it ain’t over ’till it’s over and it ain’t over that is for sure.
“symbolism is the practice of representing things by symbols, or of investing things with a symbolic meaning or character”
Just like the first arrivals to this beautiful country, I too have also formed a spiritual connection with the land.
For better or worse, depending on your view, Hamilton West is mine.
Nothing in your reply is really relevant to me.
Most iwi are politically smart enough to know that there is a fine balancing act to be had with the wider communities that they live and do business in. Still, Millsy’s concerns over the loss of DoC land is going to be strongly shared by hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders at a guess.
It’s never going to be over because a lot of Maori have learnt much of the language, the forms, the systems and the attitudes of the colonisers. You can get all the land and other assets back you wish, but from the cultural standpoint it’s hard to see how it will ever be “over”.
A – enjoy your ignorance oh blissful one 🙂
“enjoy your ignorance oh blissful one”
Really, is that it? Just an ignorant barb is a little condescending and given I’ve written nothing to deserve it, unfair and a bit insulting. It’s like you’ve knee jerked your way to the wrong conclusion.
I’ve written nothing that denigrates Maori. I’ve written nothing that demeans their culture or rights. I’ve written nothing from the viewpoint of a colonizer. I’ve written nothing that makes light of our Treaty. I’ve written nothing to deserve blissful ignorance.
If it’s knee jerk reactions we’re playing, then that’s easy to win from here on in, but I’ll do you a courtesy as a brother and let it slide as misguided rather than some of the less civil options available.
It is actually.
Symbolism is kind of sterile to be honest. It just represents. To get into the real juice you need to start talking about myths.
Now myths aint nothing like fairy stories.
Myths have explanatory power. They explain why symbols hold truth. They demand living up to. A myth demands that those to whom the myth have relevance, justify the truth of the symbolism through their actions.
So what is the story that says why you are of here, rather than just living here. What is the thing you use to give truth to the claim that west Hamilton is yours, rather than just a place you were born and lived or whatever?
Colonialism is New Zealand’s history. Just wishing it away is to have a myth that is a lie, a myth that explicitly denies Maori history. There is no way it can be anything other than racist.
The thing that allows me to say that I am of Whanganui, that I have a connection to the river, (albeit of a different kind to the river Hapu), is the Treaty. That is my myth, it’s the only story we have that allows us a ‘truth’ claim to to say we are of here. And that origin myth demands we honour the Treaty.
Make a lie of the treaty, and you make a lie of who you are and how you are here. You lose legitimacy in your claim to be of here.
So I gree with Marty that you cannot claim the X is your mountain or whatever, if you do not do so in a way that honours the treaty. And that if you have a myth that denies the centrality of the Treaty, that says you have some other claim to be of here, then that myth is just further colonisation in its worst form.
“So I gree with Marty that to you cannot claim the X is your mountain or whatever, if you do not do so in a way that honours the treaty.”
With respect, that sounds wrong.
Maori didn’t have a treaty when they first arrived here and formed their spiritual and symbolic connections with the land.
I, like many New Zealanders share the connection to home on a personal level above and beyond any piece of paper, just like I suspect, most Maori do.
The smiley face meant I was only half playing with you and trying to be funnyish not ripping into you – no need to get offended – you have said what I said was irrelevant to you remember. I just think you are wrong and misguided and the Treaty settlement process, including apologies from the Crown for the injustices committed to the indigenous people of this land, seem to back me up.
Maori didn’t need a Treaty?
So what? They have different stories because they have a different history.
To say that you are of here, but not reliant on the Treaty is simply and purely to deny not only Maori history, but our own.
Like I said, you can’t just wish it away without extending a colonial project of the worst type.
Feel free to explain how you could if you like.
What’s the story that gives you a claim to be of here that doesn’t deny that the place was someone elses when we arrived.
“you have said what I said was irrelevant to you remember.”
I said it wasn’t relevant, not irrelevant 🙂
“I just think you are wrong and misguided and the Treaty settlement process, including apologies from the Crown for the injustices committed to the indigenous people of this land, seem to back me up.”
I can accept you thinking I’m wrong. That’s always allowed.
But as I fully agree with the settlement process and righting wrongs and injustices, find the link out of place.
I’m on record here as saying the treaty needs to be looked at again to find a definitive article we can all be happy with.
I’m on record here stating I believe in a devolved Maori parliament with permanent seats in cabinet, if that’s what they wanted.
Socially suicidal as it may be on a blog, I’m saying I love this home world just as much as anyone else does.
And very much joking, do you want a fight about that?
“Maori didn’t need a Treaty?
So what? They have different stories because they have a different history.”
That’s the answer, right there. Now expand that to me and everyone else that loves New Zealand and you got it.
“To say that you are of here, but not reliant on the Treaty is simply and purely to deny not only Maori history, but our own.”
No it’s not, and you’ve taken that well beyond the context intended. I won’t say disingenuous, just poorly interpreted.
“What’s the story that gives you a claim to be of here that doesn’t deny that the place was someone elses when we arrived.”
I don’t know what you’re asking.
It’s not difficult.
You seem to be saying that your sense of belonging here is not reliant on the treaty. That you have some legitimate claim to that sense of belonging other than the treaty.
So what is it based on?
It looks like you are saying that you have a legitimate claim to be here just because you are here; that the fact Maori were here first is not relevant.
If that’s what you are saying, then I’m asking you to explain where that legitimacy comes from, if it doesn’t come from a colonialist logic.
Cool Marty, good to know that you want iwi to own all of our mountains. Try going round to the local tramping club with all that B/S.
yes millsy – which one are you with – lets make a date.
Your fantastic notions of being forced to pay everywhere (not withstanding your original post here) just haven’t happened but a few settlements have been made – hmmm – how you can side with ansell and that crew and still say you are ‘left’ is beyond me – it’s fucked up mate.
Besides that, you hold ‘symbolism’ as sterile, then use it by citing the treaty.
Symbolism by itself is sterile. You need a narrative to explain the truth of the symbol, to show where the symbol gets power.
“Symbolism by itself is sterile. You need a narrative to explain the truth of the symbol, to show where the symbol gets power.”
Well we all have our own narratives. Problem solved.
“But dad, it’s real, it’s luuurve.
‘
One can only imagine had someone disrespected Bad 12s neices relationship with her land.
“You seem to be saying that your sense of belonging here is not reliant on the treaty”
Correct, though of course I’m happy for some have to have one with the other.
“That you have some legitimate claim to that sense of belonging other than the treaty.”
Still correct. Doesn’t diminish the treaty or anyone’s reliance on it.
“So what is it based on?”
Years of experience and learnt behaviour make us who we are. I’ll plump for that, for starters.
“It looks like you are saying that you have a legitimate claim to be here just because you are here;”
Not just because I’m here, but because the connection has been made, and you can’t tell me otherwise without stepping all over my mana and rights to belong.
“that the fact Maori were here first is not relevant.”
Not to me, in having a spiritual symbolic attachment, nor does the fact that I’m a relatively late arrival to these shores.
Again, that doesn’t detract from Maori, their rights and claims in any way at all, except maybe in your head.
“If that’s what you are saying,”
It is.
“then I’m asking you to explain where that legitimacy comes from”
Home is where the heart is. Don’t know if legitimacy comes into it, just like the relevance of the point you’re badly trying to make.
“if it doesn’t come from a colonialist logic.”
😆
Not just because I’m here, but because the connection has been made, and you can’t tell me otherwise without stepping all over my mana and rights to belong.
What right to belong do you have, absent the Treaty?
You haven’t actually explained that part.
“i’m an alien, an illegal alien, i’m an englishman in new york”
hey, that Graham Norton can be funny-
“well oil be foocked” (WOBH)
“Home is where the heart is” so trite.
Why not relatively recently arrive with the inuit and explain to them how much you love their sacred mountain, river, lake and land or whatever, just like them – as MUCH as them, or a Native American or an Andaman Islander? What do you think they would say A?
Don’t bother, I know it is all about you and your status. Must win, must assert dominance – ho fucken hum.
You want to rewrite the treaty? So what – a gate creaks by the shed.
“What right to belong do you have, absent the Treaty?
You haven’t actually explained that part.”
It’s a nothing argument you’re using, mate.
Euro immigrants to UK don’t need the act of Union to to symbolically identify and become part of a new whole, any more than I have use the treaty as my inspiration/justification/reason to be as home here as anybody else.
Surely you’re not as bigoted/short sighted to believe I have to reach a conclusion, but only if I do so your way?
That’s quite a statement if you are, that I can’t be a proper New Zealander unless I see it your way. Are you paul henry?
““Home is where the heart is” so trite.”
That’s your interpretation, nothing more.
“Why not relatively recently arrive with the inuit and explain to them how much you love their sacred mountain, river, lake and land or whatever, just like them – as MUCH as them, or a Native American or an Andaman Islander? What do you think they would say A?”
Are you seriously saying I can’t love that mountain, river, lake, land or whatever as MUCH as them? Or I can’t have a spiritual connection that has as much relevance of importance as it does for someone else, even if we’re from different cultures, backgrounds?
And you say I’m blissfully ignorant 😆
“Don’t bother, I know it is all about you and your status. Must win, must assert dominance – ho fucken hum.”
Don’t be a div.
““i’m an alien, an illegal alien, i’m an englishman in new york”
hey, that Graham Norton can be funny-
“well oil be foocked” (WOBH)”
Excellent stuff.
lol – the empire is gone, oh dear what a pity.
and please let me know how you get on with those indigenous peoples – take a video camera, the footage will be priceless.
“lol – the empire is gone, oh dear what a pity.”
😆
“and please let me know how you get on with those indigenous peoples – take a video camera, the footage will be priceless.”
So what it boils down to, is that you can’t accept a newcomer forming a spiritual connection with the land, equal in strength and passion as your own, not beholding to any piece of paper as incentive or motivation.
That’s okay, I don’t mind.
As long as we all vow to return and keep our mountains, lakes, rivers and land or whatever in pristine condition, fit to leave our rainbow multicultural descendants, then why worry?
“and please let me know how you get on with those indigenous peoples – take a video camera, the footage will be priceless.”
I’ve made my point here just fine to you.
You can accept others spiritual connections and symbolisms, or not.
My mountain, my river, my town, my people, just like you, but different.
Take a screen shot and we’ll save the carbon footprint for our kids.
“So what it boils down to, is that you can’t accept a newcomer forming a spiritual connection with the land, equal in strength and passion as your own, not beholding to any piece of paper as incentive or motivation.”
not ‘my own’ but it does seem a little arrogant imo, – you see you piped in originally snarkily decrying someones heartfelt relationship to their maunga as if you even knew what they were talking about lol, but whatever, I’ve heard the argument more than a few times and rarely does your side adjust their view – bit too much riding on it and uncomfortable truths better left unconsidered.
“you see you piped in originally snarkily decrying someones heartfelt relationship to their maunga as if you even knew what they were talking about lol,”
Completely dispute snarkily and decrying, and you’re imposing an ignorance upon me that doesn’t exist.
Apart from that, you’re sweet.
“rarely does your side adjust their view – bit too much riding on it and uncomfortable truths better left unconsidered.”
I think, for clarity, you should identify ‘my side’, what view it is I’m supposedly sharing and what uncomfortable truth I should or should not be considering.
lol that was quite funny
Quite funny is an improvement on ignorance. I’ll take it.
Still doesn’t mean I haven’t got a great stonking symbolic spiritual relationship with the land I call home. 😉
You’ve asserted this relationship, but it seems to be a puddle deep one, based on nothing but what looks like personal self based feelings.
Like an adolescent’s first crush in comparison to an actual relationship.
“You’ve asserted this relationship, but it seems to be a puddle deep one, based on nothing but what looks like personal self based feelings.”
How do you rank and gauge my spiritual connection to NZ?
And are not all such connections “personal self based feelings”?
But dad, it’s real, it’s luuurve.
All I’ve asked is that you explain it, that you give some concrete truth about what it is you’re talking about. But you can’t.
You just fall back on trite hallmark slogans.
Home is where the heart is, ffs.
So what?
You could really really like somewhere, but that doesn’t justify a claim to belong to it. Those sorts of claims rely on history, like it or not.
And in the NZ context, your claim of belonging to it either comes via the Treaty, or via some sort of colonial mindset that says, Hey, I’m here, I like it, I’d like to think it’s mine, and it doesn’t matter about the history of the place. I disregard that history, because it’s not mine.
Now how can you claim to really love the place if you have so little regard for its actual history, if you say the place’s history is just not relevant to your relationship with it?
Can you see why I’d call that sort of love for the place an infatuation?
“Pascal’s bookie …
16 February 2013 at 6:09 pm”
So no answer then. Thought not, given as how any would expose a flawed argument.
“bad12 …
16 February 2013 at 6:10 pm
A colonizing leftist, how unsurprising”
You know that saying never bring a knife to a gun fight? Works the same as bringing limited wit to a debate with me 😉 😆
“it is Her mountain, just as the Whanganui River which flows from that mountain is Her river,”
Was never ever in dispute, and I don’t really know why some here think it was/is.
But apparently I’m not, despite our differences, allowed to share the same sense of ownership and symbolism as your neice.
“But dad, it’s real, it’s luuurve.”
One can only imagine the response if someone had diminished bad 12s neices spiritual connection.
Shame on you 😉
Just a question.
Is a four year old natural born kiwi child’s spiritual connection to the landless or more important than a 12 year immigrants?
How can you gauge it, and on who’s authority in our free society do you take your lead from?
lol.
No answer to what?
Whiny teenaged angst?
I gave you an answer.
And am waiting on quite a few.
Figured out a reason to say you are of this place that isn’t acolonialist argument yet?
Hint: ‘I like it a lot I don’t care what it’s history is, but Imma gonna say I’m of the place’ is a colonialist argument.
One that Pauls Henry and Holmes, Michael Laws, and assorted other tory boys and fuckwits use, all. the. time.
Sigh,
Your questions are drivel Al1en.
Non_Maori connections ot this land are via an honoured Treaty. This is true whether they know it or not. Read the history. Think about what it means.
Inasmuch as they deny the centrality of the Treaty to their relationship, they cheapen their relationship and turn it into something else, a far uglier sort of colonialism. It’s up to each person to work out how they want their relationship with this place to be. they can either choose to make it about honouring the Treaty, or they can choose to make it about subjugation and colonialism.
If you think there is another way, I’m all ears.
“lol.
No answer to what?
Whiny teenaged angst?
I gave you an answer.”
To be fair, you haven’t answered how you can rank spiritual connectivity to the land.
I don’t even think you know what you are arguing for.
What you are using against my beliefs here is worse than you accuse others of.
Just saying 😉
“And am waiting on quite a few.”
I’ve been full and upfront. Not my fault you can’t see the logic involved here.
“Figured out a reason to say you are of this place that isn’t acolonialist argument yet?”
Colonist argument 😆 You sound like that deconstructionist feminist bloke.
“Hint: ‘I like it a lot I don’t care what it’s history is, but Imma gonna say I’m of the place’ is a colonialist argument.”
Nope, I’m an immigrant from the end of the 20th century and have formed a special spiritual connection with the land, equal to yours and others, including bad 12s niece, even if I’m not Maori and totally unreliant on the treaty.
You just have to deal with it, I’m afraid.
“One that Pauls Henry and Holmes, Michael Laws, and assorted other tory boys and fuckwits use, all. the. time.”
And by the evidence here, you too.
You keep posting lots, yet say nothing.
“You’re questions are drivel Al1en.”
That fuck your argument out of the water.
“Non_Maori connections ot this land are via an honoured Treaty. This is true whether they know it or not. Read the history.”
My connection with this land, or any other I chose to connect with has nothing to do with the treaty.
“Think about what it means.”
I have, and it’s okay. Just like pre treaty Maori bonded with the country without a founding document, I can do the same.
“Inasmuch as they deny the centrality of the Treaty to their relationship,”
Who’s relationship?
“they cheapen their relationship and turn it into something else,”
That’s a lie if directed at me.
“aIt’s up to each person to work out how they want their relationship with this place to be.”
That’s a truth of yours I agree with.
“they can either choose to make it about honouring the Treaty, or they can choose to make it about subjugation and colonialism.”
There’s the disconnect.
And again, seeing as it’s being overlooked,
I have no issue with the treaty (other than not having a version we can all get behind), Maori rights, settlement process etcetera.
The only issue here is a couple of people can’t or won’t accept my non Maori, non treaty reliant spiritual connection as equal.
That makes them overtly prejudiced, or at best a little bit stupid.
Why are you totally unreliant on the Treaty?
You’ve not actually explained that yet.
You do know that the authority that granted you permission to immigrate, comes from the Treaty, right?
You do know that it’s the Treaty that grants the government in Wellington legitimacy to govern this place eh?
Seriously, you’re welcome here, and I’m stoked that you like it, and it’s up to you, but getting to grips with the place will deepen the relationship. It’s not all about you.
“Why are you totally unreliant on the Treaty?
You’ve not actually explained that yet.”
Does my spirituality depend or rely on the treaty? No, it does not. What’s to explain? If it doesn’t, it just doesn’t.
Spirituality and the symbolism as being discussed, for me, have nothing to do with pieces of paper, however significant to some, or indeed, as our nations founding document.
Doesn’t mean I dishonour the treaty or the people it was signed by, as I’ve clearly demonstrated. Quite me if you think I have.
“You do know that the authority that granted you permission to immigrate, comes from the Treaty, right?
You do know that it’s the Treaty that grants the government in Wellington legitimacy to govern this place eh?”
See, that’s you not getting it, twice in a row.
“Seriously, you’re welcome here,”
Nice to know, but irrelevant.
“and I’m stoked that you like it”
Lucky all of us.
” and it’s up to you, but getting to grips with the place will deepen the relationship.”
I have a firm grip on my place on planet Earth, thanks.
“It’s not all about you.”
That’s wrong, even when we’re not talking spirituality. 🙂
I’m not actually questioning your spirituality, or whatever.
All I’m saying is that it is the Treaty that gives you the right to form that spiritual connection. Without the Treaty, where do you get off forming that relationship with this place? By what right do you claim to be of here?
The aspect of colonialism that marty was talking about, is the idea that someone can just waltz on in to a place, already inhabited and owned and spiritually connected to a people, and just declare that they like it thank you very much so it’s ours just as much as it is yours and how dare you question that? (sound familiar?)
Now as long as the Treaty is honoured, it doesn’t have to be like that.
But if you say that your relationship with this place is not reliant on the treaty, if the Treaty isn’t the thing that gives you the right to form a spiritual bond with the place, what is? Your feelings? What about the place, what about the people who already own it, as it owns them?
If you say that it isn’t the Treaty that grants you the right to form that spiritual relationship, that’s where you are disrespecting the Treaty. Because that’s what the Treaty did, it granted you, some hundred plus years later, the right to form that relationship you have.
But if you don’t respect the history of the place enough to incorporate it into your own relationship with the place, then yeah, I’d say your spiritual connection is of a lower order than that of those who do respect it. An adolescent sort of relationship without obligations or acknowledgement or realities. A fairy tale, rather than a myth.
Firstly, I have to say I hate the format of this blog. It’s very illogical to have to scroll up half a page in order to get a post in sequence., anyway…
“I’m not actually questioning your spirituality, or whatever.”
Well that’s good, because if you were it would belittle your position.
“All I’m saying is that it is the Treaty that gives you the right to form that spiritual connection. Without the Treaty, where do you get off forming that relationship with this place? By what right do you claim to be of here?”
This is the point of confusion, and I’m happy to agree to disagree if it draws a line under this debate.
My point is the treaty doesn’t give me a right to form those connections, just like Maori don’t need a treaty to form them. We, you, I form our bonds because we just do, whether shared or individually. Where do I get off forming a bond? Just begs the question who are you to judge or set rules?
By what right do you claim to be of here? Just smacks of Henry et al you quoted earlier. You give your answers to those two, and I’ll try to come up with a reply that isn’t as offensive and dismissive as first thought.
“The aspect of colonialism that marty was talking about, is the idea that someone can just waltz on in to a place, already inhabited and owned and spiritually connected to a people, and just declare that they like it thank you very much so it’s ours just as much as it is yours and how dare you question that? (sound familiar?)”
See, now that’s not where I’m coming from at all, as evident in my support for Maori rights amongst other things. My point is spiritual connections can’t be measured by date, age, history and tradition.
I’m not saying any such connection is more spiritual than the other. I see no argument why this is challenged.
“But if you say that your relationship with this place is not reliant on the treaty, if the Treaty isn’t the thing that gives you the right to form a spiritual bond with the place, what is? Your feelings?
Nobodies spirituality is reliant on a treaty. Ask Maori, Chinese, Irish or indeed everyone including al1ens the same question and you’ll probably get a lot of similar answers.
“What about the place, what about the people who already own it, as it owns them?”
We all own it, it owns all us.
I’m taking nothing from anyone by sharing the same feelings for the land.
“If you say that it isn’t the Treaty that grants you the right to form that spiritual relationship, that’s where you are disrespecting the Treaty. Because that’s what the Treaty did, it granted you, some hundred plus years later, the right to form that relationship you have.”
No, you’re wrong. The treaty founded the nation I now live in and call home, and I respect it like most New Zealanders, but it’s not that old bit of paper that permits me a right of connectivity. Spirituality isn’t governed by law or doctrine in a free society.
“But if you don’t respect the history of the place enough to incorporate it into your own relationship with the place, then yeah, I’d say your spiritual connection is of a lower order than that of those who do respect it.”
I’ve not written or expressed any view you allege.
But interesting to find you qualified to judge and rank something you have zero understanding of.
“An adolescent sort of relationship without obligations or acknowledgement or realities. A fairy tale, rather than a myth.”
There’s that deconstuctionalist feminist talk that stalks the halls.
Where we seem to differ is that I do not think everybody just has the right to waltz on in wherever they like and claim that they have just as much right to be there as the people who have already established a place there.
I think that because people form relationships with places, and that places are integral to cultures and societies to some extent, then when you move somewhere, those prior relationships should be not just acknowledged in a real way.
I mean, if everyone, as you seem to say, just has the right to move to a place and declare their relationship is as good as those who preceded them, then what is wrong with colonialism?
As to your question, I have already answered it, multiple times.
“Just begs the question who are you to judge or set rules?”
I don’t claim that, at all. It is a simple matter of historical fact that the Treaty is what grants the legal and moral right for you and I to claim to be of here. It’s not me that is determining anyone’s rights.
I am not saying, like Henry, that you don’t sound like a NZer, or that NZers have a particular sound. Or anything of the ilk. Have whatever relationship or spirituality you like, it’s your right. That right is guaranteed you, in NZ, by the Treaty.
I’m saying that you a right to be here. That right comes from the Treaty.
So I differ completely from Henry et al.
But if you can’t see what I’m saying, or catch the difference between having a relationship with a place, and being able to justify that relationship, I guess we’re done.
“Where we seem to differ is that I do not think everybody just has the right to waltz on in wherever they like and claim that they have just as much right to be there as the people who have already established a place there.”
“I’m saying that you a right to be here. That right comes from the Treaty.”
Are you saying I have a right to be here? Or I have a right, but not as much as others?
Whatever the answer, it doesn’t matter. My relationship and new found spiritual connection doesn’t depend on your answer, which is my point all along.
“Have whatever relationship or spirituality you like, it’s your right.”
At last. 😆
“That right is guaranteed you, in NZ, by the Treaty.”
Guaranteed, perhaps, but definitely not reliant upon or inspired by.
“So I differ completely from Henry et al.”
I’m quite sure you really do.
“But if you can’t see what I’m saying, or catch the difference between having a relationship with a place, and being able to justify that relationship”
I see what you’re saying, I just disagree or think it irrelevant for the most part, and I, like you and everybody else, don’t have to justify any spiritual relationships of any kind to anyone.
“I guess we’re done.”
I could have told you that half a page ago, in fact I might already have done so, but bollocks trying to read through that lot for a quote.
A colonizing leftist, how unsurprising, it is Her mountain, just as the Whanganui River which flows from that mountain is Her river,
She ‘owns’ these things through Her whakapapa, and while tourist operators make billions of dollars off of such marvels i see no reason whatsoever why She as an owner does not have the ability to charge any charge She sees fit through her relevant Tribal Authority for others to access either Her mountain or Her lake…
The slope is already slippery millsy and you are on the slide but I knew that anyway just wanted you to confirm it. I am pleased that your extreme view is only shared by the likes of ansell and ilk – equality means nothing to you it is just a word to help you maintain your privilege – that mode of thinking is dying out like the dinosaurs mate – enjoy it while it lasts.
Millsy Don’t know whether I’m not more scared of your attitude than I am concerned about those of the iwi. Sounds like you are one of these sports people who want to take over the country for their own sporting and competitive interests.
This morning on Radionz a cycling spokesperson seemed to think that everything in life should centre around looking after cyclists and that being asked to wear a visibility vest was a disgraceful burden, rather than seeing it as a lightweight aid to recognition by drivers. And argued about the policeman killed – he was wearing visibility stripes, and died, so the thinking went – a vest would have been no better, so let’s not have them. A poor argument and a poor attitude. This seems to be, do nothing and then cry and vent your anger every time there is an incident.
A woman in New Plymouth who has enjoyed her walks in scenic areas now has to share the path with cyclists and hates having them swish by and break into the enjoyment of nature she wants. I agree, and the aggressive nature of cyclists, mainly young men, often means that they are pumping along paths, not interested in the natural surroundings but just wanting a challenging ride. They have swamped the interests of peaceful walkers or joggers who want to enjoy the outdoors at a human pace relaxed and in safety.
same attitude to helmets in some sectors of the cycling community as the hi-viz comments you mentioned.
And yet many of them are perfectly willing to be seen in public wearing a corporate-branded full-body condom.
But then cyclists are one of the topics which make me all irrational and totalitarian 🙂
🙂
Agree. As a regular walker of paths in reserves, I’m getting seriously pissed off with the arrogant sense of entitlement and indifference to other people that cyclists have. I am expected to step aside for them, but they never think that they have to consider the needs of walkers because it’s all about pushing yourself to the limit man, it’s all about the challenge and everyone else is just an obstacle. Narcissistic jerks.
Economic growth and the brighter future just around the corner, lolz forget it, expect instead another 20,000 unemployed in 12 months as the European economies that make up the Euro-zone drive the train headlong into the wall,
http://www.uk.reuters.com/…/eurozone-gdp-flash-idUKBRE…-unitedkingdom
As this continues the economy of China will slow as will that of the US which the Prez has decided to continue to prop up by pumping 40 billion dollars a month of printed monies into via infrastructure spending…
I would like to support the campaign to raise wages to the level of a ‘living wage’ but i don’t, it is not wages for these workers that need rise dramatically which in the economy would force prices to rise and directly hurt the same workers who have no leverage in such a campaign to have their wages raised at all,
I notice while Labour appear to be out in force supporting this living wage they have no proposal that says that should they become Government they will Legislate for this living wage, instead leaving the most vulnerable workers in the economy with the prospect of fighting their employers for that living wage,
While a few employers might be able to be forced to pay their workers such a ‘living wage’, most will simply scoff at such a thought and carry on business as usual,
It is in fact COSTS which should be addressed, specifically the cost of living for those who have a household income of $45,000 or less,
As the largest cost to this decile of low waged workers is in fact accommodation costs it is these costs that should be addressed by the next Labour/Green Government instead of paying lip service to a well meaning but in the end futile campaign for a ‘living wage’,
Having proposed the radical lowering of the cost of accommodation across the board for all those who earn less than $45,000 it would then be my responsibility to propose the means to achieve this which i will get around to later on today…
I have just struck a blog on google full of hate and deliberate misinformation if not lies about NZ. It starts off the page “Proudly killed in NZ” and indicates vast numbers of tourists are dying or being injured. Of course the Christchurch building collapse means high bad statistics, and it updated with the latest being the poor Indian chap that was burned. I have been shocked myself at the lack of help from ACC for tourists’ ongoing needs and the laissez faire attitude by government to adventure businesses and safety measures but this is over the top.
It also calls the NZ Press Association the Ministry of Truth and says that they have forbidden tourist death statistics to be published and that they are a Zionist controlled organisation.
How can the sweepings from the bottom of the long-drop be able to publish this sort of s…t?
I see that Broadcasting standards do not apply to the internet as yet.
There is a name at the end : Theme: Andreas09 by Andreas Viklund and This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
Could I complain to google I wonder? A sick mind with time to spare, plenty of time for the devil’s work as the saying goes.
that’s a special site, for sure. I love the inclusion of long term migrants and workers in the “tourist” numbers.
Even going by their “3 in every 4 days in 2011” stat, that’s still an annual mortality rate about the same or less than the general population. “Toughen up” is what I say.
I am not surprised NZ gets bagged in this fashion, per capita, it often appears a comparitively savage place…(just ask John Key)
http://www.newstatesman.com/2013/02/wikileaks-rare-truth-teller-smearing-julian-assange-shameful
WikiLeaks is a rare truth-teller. Smearing Julian Assange is shameful
by JOHN PILGER, New Statesman, 14 February 2013
Last December, I stood with supporters of WikiLeaks and Julian Assange in the bitter cold outside the Ecuadorean embassy in London. Candles were lit; the faces were young and old and from all over the world. They were there to demonstrate their human solidarity with someone whose guts they admired. They were in no doubt about the importance of what Assange had revealed and achieved, and the grave dangers he now faced. Absent entirely were the lies, spite, jealousy, opportunism and pathetic animus of a few who claim the right to guard the limits of informed public debate.
These public displays of warmth for Assange are common and seldom reported. Several thousand people packed Sydney Town Hall, with hundreds spilling into the street. In New York recently, Assange was given the Yoko Ono Lennon Courage Award. In the audience was Daniel Ellsberg, who risked all to leak the truth about the barbarism of the Vietnam war.
Like Jemima Khan, the investigative journalist Phillip Knightley, the acclaimed film director Ken Loach and others lost bail money in standing up for Assange. “The US is out to crush someone who has revealed its dirty secrets,” Loach wrote to me. “Extradition via Sweden is more than likely . . . is it difficult to choose whom to support?”
No, it is not difficult.
In the NS last week, Jemima Khan ended her support for an epic struggle for justice, truth and freedom with an article on WikiLeaks’s founder. To Khan, the Ellsbergs and Yoko Onos, the Loaches and Knightleys, and the countless people they represent, have all been duped. We are all “blinkered”. We are all mindlessly “devoted”. We are all “cultists”. In the final ….
Read more…
http://www.newstatesman.com/2013/02/wikileaks-rare-truth-teller-smearing-julian-assange-shameful
Doesn’t Jemima Khan like trying out new positions – wealthy, English degree, converted to Islam for a Pakistani (which country does not seem woman friendly), now top positions on the New Statesman and Vanity Fair. She is entitled to change her mind about Assange if she wants to – it was probably always a matter of time.
Wikipedia – Khan first gained notice in the United Kingdom as a young heiress, the daughter of Lady Annabel and Sir James Goldsmith. She converted to Islam and married Pakistani cricketer and politician Imran Khan in 1995. Khan also gained worldwide media attention for her relationship with British film star Hugh Grant.
Jemima Goldsmith (Goldschmidt) is a member of one of the worlds most powerful, and influencial families, part of the worlds original banking cartel!
Muzza
Your family name and background makes a lot of difference for sure. I love her mother’s extended name. I have given my children the middle name of a female family name that would otherwise disappear through marriage change. But it’s hard when you have so many illustrious names behind you.
Jemima Marcelle Goldsmith, Khan is the eldest child of Lady Annabel Vane-Tempest-Stewart and Anglo-French financier Sir James Goldsmith.
Meanwhile back in the jungle, it’s all good news for those doing the weekly grocery shop,NOT,
Food prices have risen 1.9% in the month of January, not a pleasant prospect for those reliant upon low and fixed incomes,
Why such an overt jump in the price of foods, aah remember just befor Christmas Slippery and Bill nominally in charge of the Titanic came up with their latest bright idea to plug the $1.2 billion hole in the National Governments revenue from taxation initially caused by the 2009 Slippery tax switch,
In a fit of stunning brilliance Bill looked at the books and like the dullard He is, said to Himself if i raise petrol taxes that $1.2 billion dollar hole in the revenue stream will just disappear, trusting Bill’s judgement explicitly Slippery agreed,
So they did, raise petrol taxes that is, and it didn’t (of course),stop the Government books bleeding red ink to the tune of $1.2 billion that is,
The Government rack raising of petrol taxes has simply lead to those costs feeding through the economy and hence food prices rise as a result of that petrol tax rise, we all spend a bit less on food and the Government as an end result collects even less tax…
luv ya work; a dab here, a dab there…
Some Obs. Cosgrove suggests there may be more job losses like those of Contact following asset sales;
“flat power market, slow growth, declining even.” -Bob Lloyd, Energy Expert
that Finlayson sure seems a sneaky Lawyer (tenacious trailing and climbing plant). Wow, are they harrassing those who require prescriptions, the cross-charge implications were identified by Treasury; seems like an additional tax on the elderly and infirm in particular, to me. Then the Ministry of Health retains two research commissions at 20M combined per annum to save an estimated 1-4.5M from grommet operations!
then they are gonna subsidize Chorus to 160+M to fund fibre??? r r r (nanoo nanoo; The Fisher King is interesting).
on One news, a corporate response to the Living Wage campaign- “if the min. goes up, we’ll have to source cheaper options.”
Christchurch is to get a “Justice Sector Precinct”, (sounds ominous) comprising police + justice+ corrections; now that’s a one-stop-711.
Wow! 134 / 3 per week cyber attacks on critical government and / or corporate infrastructure IT last year.
our “protection is flawed” -Keith Ng
meanwhile NZ retail spending increases with expenditure on the ever helpful Fuel, Car and Hardware (mainly CHCH)
on their road-trip, the Education and Science Commitee are advised that Charter Schools are “a disaster waiting to happen”.
Oh well, diligent hands will rule, yet laziness ends in slave labour.
or
the sluggard craves and gets nothing, yet the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied (proverbially) 🙂
Apartheid Fort New Zealand. I came across that page a few years ago. Somebody definitely took the brown acid.
Hooton on Citizen A with Keith Locke.
He couldn’t help trying to get the boot into the Greens as part of his campaign against
the rise in popularity of left ideals. He got soundly laughed at by Bomber and Keith though.
He always tries that with the Greens. It’s a fetish, like Wishart’s hate-boner for Helen Clark.
That said, since his clients are polluters, the slimy little arselicker does have to show that he’s giving them their money’s worth… and then pocket his pay.
Far be it from me to deny that…
Still, I’m sticking to my ‘the green’s are the last popular bastion of actual leftist ideals and Hooton really doesn’t want that to catch on’ meme.
Holy shitballs Mr Internet!
Check out these meteor videos from russia today:
Driving along in my automobile:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7c-0iwBEswE&feature=youtu.be
At about 20 some seconds the shockwave hits:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Np_mpGYSBSA
woah! very cool.
Bloody hell that is impressive!
And here’s where (parts of ?) it reportedly hit, reports of people killed:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BDH3-ItCMAANqCv.jpg:large
Quick while it’s still warm, drill it mine it sell it…
It’s on RT if you’ve got sky.
The news broke on TV1 just before 7pm. My god… the impact must have been horrendous!
Another one here, the shockwave seems to be taking while to reach where the videos are coming from, but it’s pretty bloody strong::
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7mLUIDGqmw
this guy’s timeline will worth keeping an eye on for updates on the meteor:
https://twitter.com/BadAstronomer
Shit…I got BBC world on and no reports as of yet.
I call bullshit….but BadAstronomer is a good source…hmmm
Interesting story
here it is
Interesting considering this happens this weekend:
http://cosmiclog.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/14/16954270-asteroids-close-shave-ranks-among-earths-biggest-hits-and-misses?lite
BBC carrying the story now
And LOL @ the russians claiming they shot it down.
YOU’RE DRUNK RUSSIA, GO HOME
It’s Russia, drunk is how they beat the National Socialists.
and a shitload of artillery
True.
http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/supreme-court-ignore-government-deadline-water-rights-decision-bd-135939
Interesting that the Supreme Court released their ‘Minute’ (effectively ignoring the Government’s deadline of 18 February 2013 – the day after the 13 February 2013 rallies/protests against asset sales in both Wellington and Auckland?
__________________________________________________
Want a bit of light weekend reading?
(After you’ve helped collect some more signatures on the asset sale referendum? 🙂
“Treasury has released a substantial number of documents related to the mixed ownership process on the COMU website, including papers produced prior to the election. You can access these documents by following this link
http://www.comu.govt.nz/publications/information-releases/mixed-ownership-model/index.html ”
(Direct from Treasury! THROW AWAY YOUR ‘WOMEN’S WEEKLY’! 🙂
Cheers!
Penny Bright
Must have hit a BIG FAT nerve on Kiwiblog!
That Peter Dunne did NOT campaign on selling ‘mixed ownership model for the electricity companies and Air New Zealand’?
FYI
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Pete George (16,285) Says:
February 15th, 2013 at 4:55 pm
“Someone else has been perpetuating this same lie – Penny Bright:
Got a couple of STUNNING new banners which will be unfurled today – first outside the offices of Mighty River Power, then outside the offices of Mercury Energy!
Opposed to the sale of State Assets by this minority National Government (which only got 59 out of 121 MPs in the 2011 election?
Remember – the vote on the Mixed Ownership Model Act was 61 – 60.
National – who did campaign on asset sales – were dependent on the votes of dodgy John Banks – who arguably should NOT be an MP – let alone a Minister, and Peter Dunne – who DID NOT campaign on supporting State Asset sales.
SO – WHERE’S THE ‘MANDATE’?
Do the maths!
NO MAJORITY – NO MANDATE!
(In my considered opinion)
She posted that here on GD two days ago (where she was puklled up on it) and at The Standard, where Penny was supported by a moderator versus a commenter:
[RL: Penny has chosen to withhold paying her rates as a means of political protest; as distinct from avoiding an obligation to the Council. Your failure to mention this is of course a deliberate distortion. Virtually all protest involves some action which can be described as illegal at one level, while ethically justifiable at another. Your approach is here is not a discussion, it’s abuse. Don’t keep repeating it.]
That’s ironic accusing someone else of “deliberate distortion” when that’s exactly what Penny was doing.”
________________________________________________________________________
MY REPLY:
Here you go Kiwibloggers – United Future 2011 election policy – straight from the mouth of man himself – Peter Dunne:
http://www.unitedfuture.org.nz/asset-sales-policy-announcement/
Asset Sales Policy Announcement
10 October 2011
Kiwibank, Radio New Zealand and the water supply should be ruled out of any future asset sales programmes, UnitedFuture Leader Peter Dunne said today.
Speaking to the Auckland Rotary Club, he said that given that National has a manifesto that includes asset sales, New Zealanders need to start a proper debate on the future limits of those sales.
“To this point there has not been a proper national debate beyond National saying yes and Labour saying no.
“We need a conversation that is more detailed and drills down into what New Zealanders really think are acceptable bottom lines,” he said.
“New Zealanders, I believe, are not definitively pro-asset sales, but under certain conditions, it is no longer the bogeyman issue that Labour would have you believe.”
Mr Dunne said UnitedFuture’s role as a support partner is not just to contribute its own policies, but to help keep a government to a reasonable, centrist path.
“UnitedFuture says let’s start with three no-go areas where there would be no asset sales, not now, not ever:
“They are Kiwibank, Radio New Zealand and the supply of water.
“Kiwibank is in every sense now a national institution, whether you bank with it or not. And in a market full of Australian-owned banks, and an increasingly fraught and troubled globe, it is both a symbolic and practical statement of our economic sovereignty.
“Collectively, it is ours pure and simple. It must stay that way.
“Secondly, Radio New Zealand exists in an increasingly commercial media marketplace, and it is more important than ever to have a voice that does not bend to the dollar, to ratings, to external forces.
“Every nation needs its own voice and we need to afford that voice our collective protection.
“Thirdly, and one that I feel particularly deeply about, is water. I do not intend to wait until it is on the asset sales agenda.
“I do not believe New Zealanders would ever – or should ever – accept a sell-off of the supply of the water, or any of the aspects around it.
“Let no one claim for any price what is ours as of right. There needs to be a blanket and clear undertaking that this will never be on the agenda,” Mr Dunne said.
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That’s where I got my FACTS from.
United Future’s “Asset Sales Policy Announcement”
10 October 2011
Anyone want to argue with THAT?
This MINORITY National Government – which DID campaign on asset sales – has only 59 out of 121 MPs.
I put it to you – that if the voting public of Ohariu relied on United Future’s above-mentioned “Asset Sales Policy Announcement” in order to cast an informed vote – they could have been led to believe that Peter Dunne was NOT campaigning for the ‘mixed ownership model for the electricity companies and Air New Zealand’?
It gets a bit deceptive and misleading, in my considered opinion, for politicians not to be upfront and consistent in their stated policies?
Kind regards,
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption campaigner’
Auckland Mayoral Candidate 2013
penny, do you have a link for the UF asset sales announcement?
PG banged on about the “kind’ve sortof” UF asset sales policy before he was kicked. If you have an actual source for “no asset sales” as an unequivocal claim, that would be lovely. I don’t think it’s been presented before.
“This MINORITY National Government”
Penny, since 1996 there hasn’t ever been a majority government. This is nothing new. National received the largest percentage of the vote that any party has ever received under MMP.
Nine years of Labour, under Clarke, was also a minority.
Buried another precious daughter of Michael Joseph today.
The Depression, the war, Les back from Cassino minus legs, but a brand new ten-bob-a-week house and a five-day job for life. Jack was as good as his master and he still knew it: no whore of the press barons yet engaged to suggest otherwise.
Bliss marred only by the influence of the Church and its fatal fear of Christianity – a fear which our courageous and beloved Jean had the guts and intelligence to reject.
Kids everywhere. Rampant fecundity, suburban neurosis yet to be identified – an indisputable neighbourhood matriarchy content and dominant with maternal love: Jack was still as good as his master, and the state advanced real money to prove it.
And Jean quietly reigned, yielding the spotlight to the more intense; reliable prompt to much more than the CWI drama group, quietest yet most feared by all the neighbourhood brats.
Then along came TV and J Edgar Hoover. Competition raised via propaganda from the muddy ruggerfield to life itself. Dog-eat-dog, rugger ogres elevated based solely on physical size and aggression. Cruelty rewarded with cash. Amputees sidelined.
And too late, revolution. Within a heartbeat our privileged boomers achieved dramatic advance for minorities – but left the ogres still in charge: at funerals every day this week, confused victims of the Douglas/Caygill treason.
Jack is as good as his master. And yes, John Lennon and Jesus, love is all we need.
With the backing of the state, Jean and Les and a million others briefly proved it: and in turn their grateful spawn delivered enormous advances to millions.
It’s your state, young people. Take it back, and give your kids a bliss that we can only imagine.
We have been working underground building missiles for World War 3- The Fugees…
+1
Excellent!
Our sympathy to you ak. Yes our people struggled on after WW2 and there was hope and belief that we could build a great little country and there would be a place for everybody. I don’t know if my birth father killed in the war would have liked the present.
But some good things remain and we must retain them and watch that we are not impoverished by callous business people and the ideological, or mendacious, or self-seeking amongst our politicians. We may be in a jam but need to turn it into NZ conserve.
The exchange between Pascals B and The Allen seems a good example of what Polish Pride and I discussed today.
PP says “Maybe I am being too precious, maybe I’m not. but if you attack someone you risk looking like the idiot to outsiders not them. If instead you continuously engage them with well reasoned (evidence based arguments) and they just stick with dogmatic faith in the face of what you present. Then it is they who will appear as the idiot…”
I said something like life is too short to argue with people who are totally fixed in place on their pet subjects. There are too many problems in our modern world needing to be considered by people who are willing to think about them and discuss them without getting stuck in a mud wrestling contest out of which no bright new understandings will arise.