How badly does illegal downloading actually effect these companies?
I mean the music business still keeps churning out artists, movies are breaking records etc etc
Personally I think CDs (yes yes I’m a dinosaur) are way over-priced, movie tickets (and the food they sell) are exorbitant and video rental store prices used to be way over the top
The Warehouse (NZ’s biggest music retailer) has posted double-digit declines in the sales of CDs and DVDs, apparently for the 2nd or 3rd year in a row.
CD and DVD prices will probably eventually decline, or be replaced out-right by digital distribution which will probably be cheaper.
Liner notes
Albums
Cover art
Sound quality
You can loan/borrow them. (goes triple for dead tree books)
On the cost, they are expensive in comparison to mp3s, but when I get a cd the chances are I’m going to listen to it certainly dozens of times, probably hundreds, possibly thousands. Books, video games, movies? Not so much.
Unless you’ve got a high end sound system 320kb mp3’s are the same quality as CD’s in a blind test đ
And yeah, while you can’t lend them out the price difference on ebooks makes them really attractive, on top of the fact it takes months sometimes for a new book (hard sci-fi in my case) to turn up in NZ whereas I can get an ebook in less than a minute. Though it’s somewhat dependent on the publishers not being douchebags and putting regional restrictions in.
For me this goes for music, TV and films. The view that newest is best and/or that it’s really important to be up with the latest shiny thing, is a hyper-capitalist con, largely being promoted by US corporates. And the Internet has helped spread this mythology.
And not to say anything about the car sound system. Mine don’t even take cds’ no disc at all hence no skip no dirt, and gunk on CD that makes it weird. it takes Memory sticks., Sdram cards and anything with an 8mm jack out put and all for 70 bucks. I put it in my self and I have a 4 GIG memory stick that’s on Random play and I still haven’t heard a repeat yet. And I can plug my Laptop in as well for even more music. All on MP3 at 320 (CD quality)
It is true that the decision to buy a CD and the time and effort to actually purchase it means IMHO that the music on a CD is valued more then that which is downloaded (but the cost…)
How many here are happy with the adversarial dominant parliament we currently have, where bringing down the government or other parties is a major focus of attention?
We need an opposition, and examination of the behaviour of the government. That’s “adversarial” I guess. But we don’t need all the petty personality stuff. We don’t need the continual war.
Trouble is, I don’t see how you can draw the line, or prevent valid examination from turning in to continual petty warfare. And I don’t have a better system to propose (well, not within the bounds of a Westminster system anyway).
Silly question and it ignores the fact that there are significant differences between the parties. Â One is a bunch of rich intent on looking after themselves and their mates to the detriment of the poor. Â The other is committed to managing New Zealand for all Kiwis and making the country socially, financially and environmentally sustainable.
Of course it is adversarial. Â The differences of opinion guarantee that this happens.
PeteG, it’s not so much that there would be not enough conflict but, rather, that your perspective seems to be overestimating (or just over-assuming) the degree of consensus there actually is. Your position probably stems from the false consensus effect.
Anyone else feeling conflicted about voting Green or Mana? I guess for me it will come down to strategic voting and that won’t be apparent until closer to the election and we can see what Mana are standing where. I’m wondering how much of the Green vote will move to Mana. Not that that’s a bad thing, the Greens need to get their shit together anyway and this may prompt them, but I hope the Greens and Mana can look at accomodations.
Anyone else feeling conflicted about voting Green or Mana?
Yep, I am. I’d like to vote for Mana but they have a serious lack of policy to vote for ATM. They’re making most of the right noises but those noises need to backed up with policy.
I will vote Green. Mana already has a strong core constituency& will have 1 MP at least. The left needs a strong Green Party list vote. They also will work with Mana, and Greens have some really good political expertise & systems.
A recent BRANZ study has found that 59% of New Zealand houses are not maintained properly. It found many common defects in the houses studied, such as poor under-floor ventilation, inadequate clearance of wall cladding from the ground, missing or corroding sub-floor fasteners and poor maintenance of timber windows. 25% of the houses surveyed were in particular poor condition.
Households participating in the study fall into two categories; those that participated in the phone survey as well as an on sight physical survey (assessed), and secondly households that participated in the phone survey but did not have a physical survey (non-assessed).
It appears that 23% of the assessed dwellings and 39.7% of non-assessed houses surveyed are rented.
As previously discussed on here, Horizon’s methodology has some “issues”. So it’s probably better to look at the trend over time within their own polling, rather than the party vote numbers in isolation (I doubt that the two main parties are as low as Horizon says).
The trend is … good for ACT and Labour, and also for Mana (from a starting point of zero, so they could hardly go down!).
But is supposed to be a walkover for Key and his governing alone. (Maybe he might need a few Ministers to help but his ego and sense of entitlement means he couls do it alone.) đ
The latest instalment in the effort by Government and the MSM to soften us up to the idea of being policed by an international police force was published in the Sunday Star times today:
This is the fourth time NZ and Aussie cops have run a coordinated operation described as a ‘crackdown on drunken-ness and violence’ and while the media has been very accommodating in trumpeting the success of the ‘operation’ the glaring omission in the articles has been a lack of rationale for an international operation.
Drunken-ness and violence is not suddenly going to spill over the ditch from Australia in one weekend unless, in an inspired moment of lawlessness the offenders happen to highjack airplanes and fly here.
In addition, given the difference in time zones between the two countries any ‘operation’ is going to be staggered in terms of implementation and essentially disconnected in any real physical sense – so why bother?
There is only one scenario in which this kind of coordinated policing across international borders would be required – mass civilian unrest, the kind that is not limited to just one country.
Since there will be some that say ‘what about the RWC? wont we need make sure that all those rugby fans donât cause bother with their celebrations/ commiserations’ – I will respond in advance simply by referring to my earlier point ie that the physical and temporal disconnect between our two countries renders coordinated policing redundant.
Quite clearly practicing civilian control measures simultaneously across international borders is preparation for a specific occurrence – and I am not talking about a rugby game.
I mentioned softening up, and thatâs because this is just the beginning – wait as Aussie police are welcomed back to NZ to help us deal with the crowds at the RWC (no doubt with carefully orchestrated airport applause, or – gag – standing ovation)
I may sound anti-authoritarian – and that would be a fair assessment – but all that I am asking for in this instance is some honesty and transparency in regard to these ‘operations’ – if the cops want to practice simultaneous civilian control with their Australian counterparts so be it – but they should front up about the reasons why and not try and pretend that arresting drunks across the ditch on the same weekend as us has any effect whatsoever on our ability to deal with our own.
“There is only one scenario in which this kind of coordinated policing across international borders would be required â mass civilian unrest, the kind that is not limited to just one country.”
Your are so right Campbell Larsen. The TPPA needs to have enforcers because when people finally begin to understand just how badly their darling John Key has betrayed them for his knighthood/30 pieces of silver/governor general/shares in SOEs… they will take to the streets. It will be too late of course because by the end of the year this government will have sold the rights to New Zealand and passed to the pondscum elite the Treasury key.
If ever there was a time to scream out a “VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE IN THIS GOVERNMENT OF NACTMU”, it must be before the TPPA is signed off.
Yep, agreed, there was and is no justification for coordination of these types of policing except as practice for more nefarious purposes. Think check points and travel papers.
The Sunday Star Times editorial today (only in print version) indicates part of the MSM are waking up to what many of us have known for a long time:
Key’s pleasantness will one day look like blandness and lack of vision. His smiley face will eventually symbolise vapidity and self-satisfaction. His pragmatism will in due course strike many voters as lack of policy and an absence of ideas. And one day his natural conservatism will come to seem like hollowness. The flipside of all his virtues can be seen even now, although the shadow hasn’t fallen across the polls.
Can’t argue so far but then comes the bullshit:
Some time in the second term the perceptions will change.
This is the second time in a week that I have read an editorial which just asssumes that National & Key will win a second term. This alongside the “Goff can’t win” mantra seems to be the way the game’s being played by the MSM – repeat something enough and the people will believe it.
What I am sure of is there will be a point at which there is a collective realisation that Key is just the vacuous frontman for a nasty right wing agenda that aims to destroy what is left to feel proud of in this country. At that point the backlash will be severe. The big question is whether this occurs before or after the up coming election. If Key does lead the next government I predict he will make a hasty exit in the hope that he can get out before the moment of realisation arrives. The most important thing to Key right now is protecting his legacy.
Yes Susan and “The most important thing to Key right now is protecting his legacy.” So true. But that knighthood? How can he serve office for one term or one and a bit, and still get his “Sir John Key, Right Honorable Prime Minister, Minister of Tourism, Money Dealer Extrordinaire, Governor Designate 2014, Celebrity 2008-2011.”
What matters, of course, is not the details (of interest to 0.01% of voters) but the headline. The Horizon poll is already attracting media attention (Radio NZ, Radio Live, Stuff). And Don Brash is talking it up, as you’d expect.
In fact, the Horizon poll has always been out of line with the others. Contrast with the latest Morgan poll, which showed little change. But here’s the thing … Change is news. No change is not news.
So there was no media coverage at all of the last Morgan poll (literally none at all – try and find it mentioned anywhere!). It may have been more accurate, but it wasn’t news.
But the Spinner’s job is to ignore the details and cash in on the headline. The Horizon poll shows a 3% jump for Labour. Therefore Phil Goff should be appearing in all media NOW trumpeting Labour’s leap (you can write the lines in five minutes, scary Brash is back, National falling, voters coming home to Labour, etc, etc). Repeat: All media. NOW.
Sadly, on past performance, Labour’s lethargic losers will respond to this poll in a forgettable media release some time on Tuesday.
Therefore Phil Goff should be appearing in all media NOW trumpeting Labourâs leap (you can write the lines in five minutes, scary Brash is back, National falling, voters coming home to Labour, etc, etc). Repeat: All media. NOW.
Exactly. I’d add; Brash is back, National falling as voters switch to Labour, Key has to make a choice for once, will he rule out Brash?
Thanks for this, Bunji. I also notice that the ACT women MPs are particularly strong on cutting back on the WomenâsAffairs Ministry. It seems to rankle with their fantasy of individualism, and their anti-âcollectivistâ principles.
But, given that the ACT male MPs have a record of sexual/gender harrassment and bullying, the ACT women seem to me to be colluding with, and/or accepting of the way they are demeaned and kept in a secondary positon in the party. This all exposes the neoliberal fantasy of a society of equally âfreeâ & sovereign individuals, with equal amounts of, or access to power.”
I hope Carol will not mind me quoting her but it needs to be highlighted that if Act gets high votes in this election the rights of women will be reduced further. We’ve seen how Brash has behaved towards the women in his caucus.
The sad thing is that the Act women actually believe the men of Act actually see them as equal.
In the French revolution the men saw the women as equal until the revolution was sewn up and then the women were sent back to reality and to inequality.
Act which is at present controlling National would pretend to see women as being equal, but espouse the same beliefs as National – women will be made redundant as much as possible and forced to work in aged care, the men encouraged to believe women are taking their jobs.
Act cabinet members will be sidelined increasingly as Brash has done in the past, as Key has done in the past, unless they are in positions where women cabinet ministers destroy the futures of other women.
I’m glad Brash isn’t being called a ‘gentleman’ anymore; he never was.
As for how he would see the place of women in this society and the value they are held in – at a MOTU meeting, Jenny Gibbs, who has openly campaigned against the Suffragist Memorial Tiles in Lower Khartoum Place being retained, was asking the speaker Don Brash patsy questions, so gives you a good idea about that! If you are rich he will use you. If you are poor he will abuse you.
I love it how they give Family First so much space, instead of say noting the legal and human rights issues that lead to parental notification being optional, along with legitimising what was likely a flawed poll.
They weren’t murderers or anything; they had merely stolen more money than most people can rationally conceive of, from their own customers, in a few blinks of an eye. But then they went one step further. They came to Washington, took an oath before Congress, and lied about it.
Thanks to an extraordinary investigative effort by a Senate subcommittee that unilaterally decided to take up the burden the criminal justice system has repeatedly refused to shoulder, we now know exactly what Goldman Sachs executives like Lloyd Blankfein and Daniel Sparks lied about. We know exactly how they and other top Goldman executives, including David Viniar and Thomas Montag, defrauded their clients. America has been waiting for a case to bring against Wall Street. Here it is, and the evidence has been gift-wrapped and left at the doorstep of federal prosecutors, evidence that doesn’t leave much doubt: Goldman Sachs should stand trial.
And wasn’t someone saying that we should listen to these people about some financial deals going through the other day?
Buzz from the Beehive Transport Minister Simeon Brown dutifully issued advice to all road users to keep safe on our roads during the Easter weekend. He encouraged them to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. ...
Oliver Hartwich writes –Â New Zealanders recently learned about a new feature film. It will be about former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern â and taxpayers will subsidise it to the tune of NZ$800,000. Ardern had nothing personally to do with either the film or the subsidy. But her governmentâs ...
TL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above that was recorded yesterday afternoon above between and The Kākā’s climate correspondent : An independent review panel into the emergency response to Cyclone Gabrielle in Hawkes Bayconcluded “that ...
There are now only a few days left to give feedback on the Draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport 2024-34 (see our earlier post this week on GPS submission guides). As weâve reported, the GPS is a disaster for Local Government, so we were particularly interested to hear ...
Willis has pledged to go ahead with the debt-funded tax cuts, despite growing opposition from her own supporters worried about appearing fiscally irresponsible. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for ...
Open access notables A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North, van Wijngaarden et al., Climatic Change:The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased ...
Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealandâs biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On ...
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...
New Zealandâs biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a âmoisture-ladenâ long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own governmentâs fiscal policies raised issues of substance. âToday in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media â sure enough â have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willisâ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra â that the Budget âwill deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing.  Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – Itâs becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-MÄori andâŠ. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you donât like and donât ...
Don Brash writes –Â As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that countryâs mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isnât already pretty well-off? Itâs as if protecting landlordsâ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of Nationalâs ...
 Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, itâs that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxonâs ...
Robert MacCulloch writes –Â The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this yearâs Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran OâSullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm â a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon â note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinsonâs analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana â or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. Itâs a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealandâs highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes –Â Â Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – âIt is often said that behind every great man is a great womanâ. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their âLadies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxonâ. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Petersâ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes â If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshubâs closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
The Coalition Governmentâs plan to âget Auckland movingâ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities sheâs meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Governmentâs archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the Americaâs Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it wonât stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Memberâs Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labourâs change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand Firstâs State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared âco-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te PÄti MÄori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. âIâm calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to âtake back our countryâ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jonesâ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Governmentâs fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Governmentâs miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesnât act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. âIt was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. âThe Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend.  âThis travel will focus on a range of New Zealandâs traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,â Mr Peters says.  Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. âRoad safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. âOur relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliamentâs order paper. âThe Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,â Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams wonât be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. âThe coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. âDam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. âI have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. âThe Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023â24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the governmentâs finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Governmentâs Budget objectives. âThe coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says.                                        âThe Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says.  âThese changes are long overdue â the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealandâs growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Ministerâs Prizes for Space today. âNew Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealandâs concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. Â Â âThe Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Educationâs School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. âThere is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. âToday I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of Peopleâs Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. âThe use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,â Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. âWeâre sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealandâs ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. Â Â âI am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. âI have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commissionâs online consultation portal.â Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. âComprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. âI would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. âThis is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women donât ...
Good morning, itâs great to be here.  First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Governmentâs ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Governmentâs commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools MÄori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. âThe Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, Iâm proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of todayâs address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and Iâm sorry I canât be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the WhangÄrei site where the facility will be constructed. âNorthland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata MÄori 20 years ago, says MÄori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisationâs 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
Opposition MPs and unions are criticising a proposal by New Zealandâs Ministry of Pacific Peoples to cut staff by 40 percent. The countryâs largest trade union â The Public Service Association â says the ministry has informed staff that it is looking to shed 63 of 156 positions. Opposition MPs ...
A poem by Poetry Aotearoa Yearbook 2024 featured poet Carin Smeaton. Daughtr of the 90s when she gets promoted to usherette a baby blu eel carries her all the way up to mothership sheâs hovering high she lets the underaged in to see keanu reeves she lets the only lonely ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand. My earlier article â Can ‘Good’ be the Greater Evil? â looked at the issue of how wars should end, and how Good versus Evil ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Booksâ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 AMMA by Saraid de Silva (Moa Press, $38)A stunning debut novel reviewed by Brannavan ...
From Steve Martin to Ricky Stanicky, a pickânâmix of things worth watching and listening to this long weekend. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. If youâre at a loss for something to occupy yourself with this Easter, donât panic: The Spinoffâs got ...
Jesus had dinner with his 12 disciples right before he died. Noted historian Madeleine Chapman finds out who really deserved to be there.First published in 2018 but letâs be honest, the subject is timeless. As you sit on your couch this Easter Sunday, eating a chocolate egg you know ...
The newly-promoted Northern League club is on a mission to return to the National League for the first time in two decades. Plenty about domestic football in New Zealand has changed in that time â but the sense that this amateur competition is not an entirely level playing field remains. ...
Comment: Every year on February 2, a dozen men in tuxedos and top hats approach the burrow of a groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania and entice the beaver-like rodent to emerge and predict the weather. If the groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, sees its own shadow when it is summoned, legend ...
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Auckland Council has put a deadline on new weather-impacted property owners applying for categorisation as government funding looks set to run out. Councillors have voted to support a deadline of September 30 for property owners who havenât accessed support to come forward and engage with the councilâs recovery office. It ...
NONFICTION 1 BBQ Economics by Liam Dann (Penguin Random House, $40) “Itâs official,” wrote Dann nine days ago in the Herald, where he works as business editor at large, “weâre in recession.” Yeah, great. He delivered the bad stats: “GDP fell 0.1 percent in the December 2023 quarter, compared with ...
By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliamentâs forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the âdisappearanceâ of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people âsequesteredâ in this weekâs raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University Itâs Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether youâre a boomer, or an â80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fijiâs Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? â Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems thereâs one luxury most Australians wonât sacrifice â their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Educationâs claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxonâs fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Essential poll, conducted March 20â24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50â44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayersâ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the Peopleâs Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether youâre facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, itâs always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. Itâs an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Miller-Jones, Professor, Curtin University Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets. Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, CC BY-SA How fast can a neutron star drive powerful jets into space? The answer, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting âoff the booksâ illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Governmentâs announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is âshamefulâ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The federal government has bowed to pressure from the car industry, announcing it will relax proposed emissions rules for utes and vans and delay enforcement of the new standards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney In his latest book, Jewish Life in Medieval Spain, Jonathan Ray focuses on the tumult of the 14th century in Spain â a time of the plague, civil strife and war between the two largest ...
While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata MÄori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is âfar-off sightâ. In the contemporary and living language of te reo MÄori, âwhakaataâ as a ...
Yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israelâs war on Gaza. This significant step and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza prompted an urgent debate in the New Zealand Parliament. Leader ...
The Governmentâs decision to reduce access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) not only threatens the lives of children with type 1 diabetes and increases the potential for âDead in Bedâ syndrome, but also threatens the health of their parents an ...
Apples are available year-round, but the wide variety on offer involves intensive scientific research â and large-scale commercialisation. Whatâs beautiful, red, sweet and crunchy? Tony Martinâs favourite kind of apple: Sassy. The CEO of apple and pear breeding organisation Prevar, Martinâs fondness for Sassy represents professional success as well as ...
Family violence specialist service Shine is calling on employers to stop asking for proof of domestic violence in order for employees to access domestic violence leave. The call comes five years after the introduction of the Domestic Violence ...
The Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for public submissions on the Budget Policy Statement 2024. The Budget Policy Statement 2024 (BPS) sets out the Government's priorities for the 2024 Budget. It explains the approach ...
Brutal government spending cuts that will see the size of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples slashed by 40% will hit Pasifika communities hard, the PSA says. The Ministry has told staff that it is seeking voluntary redundancies, and to redeploy and reassign ...
I live with five people I mostly love, but our different ideas about generosity are starting to really irk me.Want Heraâs help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,This is a bit of a random one but here goes. Iâm 22 and work an OK job (OK meaning I get paid ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Nicholas, Senior Lecturer in Language and Literacy Education, Deakin University Earlier this month, the New South Wales government announced it would roll out programs for gifted students in every public school in the state. This comes amid concerns gifted school ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney Massachusetts General Hospital In a world first, we heard last week that US surgeons had transplanted a kidney from a gene-edited pig into a living human. News reports said the procedure was a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tombs, Howard Paterson Chair of Theology and Public Issues, University of Otago The 5th-century Maskell panel showing Jesus in a loincloth.British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA When Jesus is shown on the cross, he is almost always depicted wearing a loincloth around ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock When you think about a red object, you might picture a red carpet, or the massive ruby in the Queenâs crown. Indeed, Western monarchies and marketing from brands such ...
COMMENTARY:Jewish Voice for Peace The UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Monday â and for the first time since the beginning of the Israeli militaryâs genocide of Palestinians, the United States abstained rather than vetoing it. Security Council resolutions are legally binding, ...
Asia Pacific Report A New Zealand investigative journalist and author says the US spy system hosted by the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) appears to be a controversial intelligence system used in global capture-kill operations. Writing a commentary for RNZ News today, Nicky Hager, author of Secret Power, a 1996 ...
While Nicola Willis wouldnât give any details on its size, she said a package of tax cuts is definitely still coming in this yearâs budget, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoffâs morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
The Taxpayersâ Union is welcoming the investigation into the Department of Internal Affairs after it was revealed that the Departmentâs Chief Executive personally reached out to expedite a DJs passport application. Taxpayersâ Union Campaigns ...
Finance minister Nicola Willis delivers her first budget statement, and unwittingly helps Joel MacManus save his relationship. Nicola Willis strode into the Beehive Theatrette. Around me, on the green foldout seats, were the countryâs top business and political journalists. They were all here to see her announce the Budget Policy ...
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http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/5003521/Illegal-downloading-a-favourite-NZ-pastime
How badly does illegal downloading actually effect these companies?
I mean the music business still keeps churning out artists, movies are breaking records etc etc
Personally I think CDs (yes yes I’m a dinosaur) are way over-priced, movie tickets (and the food they sell) are exorbitant and video rental store prices used to be way over the top
The Warehouse (NZ’s biggest music retailer) has posted double-digit declines in the sales of CDs and DVDs, apparently for the 2nd or 3rd year in a row.
CD and DVD prices will probably eventually decline, or be replaced out-right by digital distribution which will probably be cheaper.
I think thats because prices for CDs and DVDs are still too high plus downloading is just so convienent (or so I’ve heard of course)
Why I prefer cd’s:
Liner notes
Albums
Cover art
Sound quality
You can loan/borrow them. (goes triple for dead tree books)
On the cost, they are expensive in comparison to mp3s, but when I get a cd the chances are I’m going to listen to it certainly dozens of times, probably hundreds, possibly thousands. Books, video games, movies? Not so much.
Unless you’ve got a high end sound system 320kb mp3’s are the same quality as CD’s in a blind test đ
And yeah, while you can’t lend them out the price difference on ebooks makes them really attractive, on top of the fact it takes months sometimes for a new book (hard sci-fi in my case) to turn up in NZ whereas I can get an ebook in less than a minute. Though it’s somewhat dependent on the publishers not being douchebags and putting regional restrictions in.
I tend to find that given the number of really good books I have not yet read, the time pressure to buy any given new one? Not high. đ
For me this goes for music, TV and films. The view that newest is best and/or that it’s really important to be up with the latest shiny thing, is a hyper-capitalist con, largely being promoted by US corporates. And the Internet has helped spread this mythology.
Welp, I do have an abundance of free time at present due to being on the sickness benefit + I can eat a 400-500 pg book in one day đ
So cheap and easy to get is better for me.
Libraries are moving more to ebooks that can be accessed fro m home.
And not to say anything about the car sound system. Mine don’t even take cds’ no disc at all hence no skip no dirt, and gunk on CD that makes it weird. it takes Memory sticks., Sdram cards and anything with an 8mm jack out put and all for 70 bucks. I put it in my self and I have a 4 GIG memory stick that’s on Random play and I still haven’t heard a repeat yet. And I can plug my Laptop in as well for even more music. All on MP3 at 320 (CD quality)
It is true that the decision to buy a CD and the time and effort to actually purchase it means IMHO that the music on a CD is valued more then that which is downloaded (but the cost…)
And it’s easier to get to see all of the episodes of your favourite show right up to date and not 2 years behind NZ and no ads. (Or so I have heard)
How many here are happy with the adversarial dominant parliament we currently have, where bringing down the government or other parties is a major focus of attention?
Too negative? Ok? Not enough conflict?
I’m not happy with it at all.
We need an opposition, and examination of the behaviour of the government. That’s “adversarial” I guess. But we don’t need all the petty personality stuff. We don’t need the continual war.
Trouble is, I don’t see how you can draw the line, or prevent valid examination from turning in to continual petty warfare. And I don’t have a better system to propose (well, not within the bounds of a Westminster system anyway).
Silly question and it ignores the fact that there are significant differences between the parties. Â One is a bunch of rich intent on looking after themselves and their mates to the detriment of the poor. Â The other is committed to managing New Zealand for all Kiwis and making the country socially, financially and environmentally sustainable.
Of course it is adversarial. Â The differences of opinion guarantee that this happens.
The problem is its hard to tell which party is which (I mean Phil Goff was/is a Roger Douglas disciple) at times
PeteG, it’s not so much that there would be not enough conflict but, rather, that your perspective seems to be overestimating (or just over-assuming) the degree of consensus there actually is. Your position probably stems from the false consensus effect.
Wow
Sunday Star Times has a full page advertisement with Brash’s letter to Key being reproduced.
Any idea how much it would have cost?
15 to 20 k?
For donkey’s chums, that’s chump change.
These are seen now as their investment opportunities,
i.e. to get their hands on the seat of power
to raid the people’s coffers and assets.
They get in to carry on their unfinished business
and we’re finished.
Australia will be welcoming another wave of Kiwi economic refugees.
it’s heaps.
There’s a rates card for the SST but I don’t know what the pricing signifies – cost per column centimetre? http://www.fairfaxmedia.co.nz/dotAsset/9017.pdf
If it’s column cm, there are 540 column/cms on a full page, $42 each at casual rate in Section A = $22K
Who has paid for the ad?
Don will be very honest about who has been putting the stuffing in his hollowness this time.
Well, it seems that electioneering is now in full swing. How many months before the regulated period starts?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/5006057/Activist-Minto-eyes-role-in-Mana-Party
This partys just getting better and better
for a few percent of Kiwis, it is. That’s all they’re aiming for.
It’s called diversity. Not everyone’s like you but they have just as much right to a voice in Parliament.
I totally agree
Anyone else feeling conflicted about voting Green or Mana? I guess for me it will come down to strategic voting and that won’t be apparent until closer to the election and we can see what Mana are standing where. I’m wondering how much of the Green vote will move to Mana. Not that that’s a bad thing, the Greens need to get their shit together anyway and this may prompt them, but I hope the Greens and Mana can look at accomodations.
Yep, I am. I’d like to vote for Mana but they have a serious lack of policy to vote for ATM. They’re making most of the right noises but those noises need to backed up with policy.
I will vote Green. Mana already has a strong core constituency& will have 1 MP at least. The left needs a strong Green Party list vote. They also will work with Mana, and Greens have some really good political expertise & systems.
I voted for the maori party and greens last time but Mana will get them both this time.
59% of NZ Houses Not Maintained Properly
http://thejackalman.blogspot.com/2011/05/59-of-nz-houses-not-maintained-properly.html
A recent BRANZ study has found that 59% of New Zealand houses are not maintained properly. It found many common defects in the houses studied, such as poor under-floor ventilation, inadequate clearance of wall cladding from the ground, missing or corroding sub-floor fasteners and poor maintenance of timber windows. 25% of the houses surveyed were in particular poor condition.
How many of those 59% of homes that are not maintained properly are rental units?
One would guess a larger proportion than in the good 31% of houses.
You can download the full report here.
Households participating in the study fall into two categories; those that participated in the phone survey as well as an on sight physical survey (assessed), and secondly households that participated in the phone survey but did not have a physical survey (non-assessed).
It appears that 23% of the assessed dwellings and 39.7% of non-assessed houses surveyed are rented.
Horizon opinion poll out:
http://www.horizonpoll.co.nz/page/122/act-breaks-t
As previously discussed on here, Horizon’s methodology has some “issues”. So it’s probably better to look at the trend over time within their own polling, rather than the party vote numbers in isolation (I doubt that the two main parties are as low as Horizon says).
The trend is … good for ACT and Labour, and also for Mana (from a starting point of zero, so they could hardly go down!).
But is supposed to be a walkover for Key and his governing alone. (Maybe he might need a few Ministers to help but his ego and sense of entitlement means he couls do it alone.) đ
So Don Brash has finally left home.
hmm?
and we hope not to be the butler or delivery man for millionaires’ mansions?
Whose home was he seen leaving?
Operation ‘Unite’
The latest instalment in the effort by Government and the MSM to soften us up to the idea of being policed by an international police force was published in the Sunday Star times today:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/5005498/Minors-get-alcohol-in-police-sting
This is the fourth time NZ and Aussie cops have run a coordinated operation described as a ‘crackdown on drunken-ness and violence’ and while the media has been very accommodating in trumpeting the success of the ‘operation’ the glaring omission in the articles has been a lack of rationale for an international operation.
Drunken-ness and violence is not suddenly going to spill over the ditch from Australia in one weekend unless, in an inspired moment of lawlessness the offenders happen to highjack airplanes and fly here.
In addition, given the difference in time zones between the two countries any ‘operation’ is going to be staggered in terms of implementation and essentially disconnected in any real physical sense – so why bother?
There is only one scenario in which this kind of coordinated policing across international borders would be required – mass civilian unrest, the kind that is not limited to just one country.
Since there will be some that say ‘what about the RWC? wont we need make sure that all those rugby fans donât cause bother with their celebrations/ commiserations’ – I will respond in advance simply by referring to my earlier point ie that the physical and temporal disconnect between our two countries renders coordinated policing redundant.
Quite clearly practicing civilian control measures simultaneously across international borders is preparation for a specific occurrence – and I am not talking about a rugby game.
I mentioned softening up, and thatâs because this is just the beginning – wait as Aussie police are welcomed back to NZ to help us deal with the crowds at the RWC (no doubt with carefully orchestrated airport applause, or – gag – standing ovation)
I may sound anti-authoritarian – and that would be a fair assessment – but all that I am asking for in this instance is some honesty and transparency in regard to these ‘operations’ – if the cops want to practice simultaneous civilian control with their Australian counterparts so be it – but they should front up about the reasons why and not try and pretend that arresting drunks across the ditch on the same weekend as us has any effect whatsoever on our ability to deal with our own.
You’re describing a disturbing loss of sovereignty here.
Next thing we know, we’ll be combining aspects of our criminal justice system with Australia.
“There is only one scenario in which this kind of coordinated policing across international borders would be required â mass civilian unrest, the kind that is not limited to just one country.”
Your are so right Campbell Larsen. The TPPA needs to have enforcers because when people finally begin to understand just how badly their darling John Key has betrayed them for his knighthood/30 pieces of silver/governor general/shares in SOEs… they will take to the streets. It will be too late of course because by the end of the year this government will have sold the rights to New Zealand and passed to the pondscum elite the Treasury key.
If ever there was a time to scream out a “VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE IN THIS GOVERNMENT OF NACTMU”, it must be before the TPPA is signed off.
Yep, agreed, there was and is no justification for coordination of these types of policing except as practice for more nefarious purposes. Think check points and travel papers.
The Sunday Star Times editorial today (only in print version) indicates part of the MSM are waking up to what many of us have known for a long time:
Can’t argue so far but then comes the bullshit:
This is the second time in a week that I have read an editorial which just asssumes that National & Key will win a second term. This alongside the “Goff can’t win” mantra seems to be the way the game’s being played by the MSM – repeat something enough and the people will believe it.
What I am sure of is there will be a point at which there is a collective realisation that Key is just the vacuous frontman for a nasty right wing agenda that aims to destroy what is left to feel proud of in this country. At that point the backlash will be severe. The big question is whether this occurs before or after the up coming election. If Key does lead the next government I predict he will make a hasty exit in the hope that he can get out before the moment of realisation arrives. The most important thing to Key right now is protecting his legacy.
Yes Susan and “The most important thing to Key right now is protecting his legacy.” So true. But that knighthood? How can he serve office for one term or one and a bit, and still get his “Sir John Key, Right Honorable Prime Minister, Minister of Tourism, Money Dealer Extrordinaire, Governor Designate 2014, Celebrity 2008-2011.”
Did anyone see Winston on QA this morning when he said the Nats were looking at the pensioners Gold Card.
The Nats are looking at the Card to find gold there?
More on the Horizon poll …
What matters, of course, is not the details (of interest to 0.01% of voters) but the headline. The Horizon poll is already attracting media attention (Radio NZ, Radio Live, Stuff). And Don Brash is talking it up, as you’d expect.
In fact, the Horizon poll has always been out of line with the others. Contrast with the latest Morgan poll, which showed little change. But here’s the thing … Change is news. No change is not news.
So there was no media coverage at all of the last Morgan poll (literally none at all – try and find it mentioned anywhere!). It may have been more accurate, but it wasn’t news.
But the Spinner’s job is to ignore the details and cash in on the headline. The Horizon poll shows a 3% jump for Labour. Therefore Phil Goff should be appearing in all media NOW trumpeting Labour’s leap (you can write the lines in five minutes, scary Brash is back, National falling, voters coming home to Labour, etc, etc). Repeat: All media. NOW.
Sadly, on past performance, Labour’s lethargic losers will respond to this poll in a forgettable media release some time on Tuesday.
Prove me wrong, guys. Please.
Therefore Phil Goff should be appearing in all media NOW trumpeting Labourâs leap (you can write the lines in five minutes, scary Brash is back, National falling, voters coming home to Labour, etc, etc). Repeat: All media. NOW.
Exactly. I’d add; Brash is back, National falling as voters switch to Labour, Key has to make a choice for once, will he rule out Brash?
Everything you need to know summed up in three graphs:
http://seanbonner.tumblr.com/post/5497438449/everything-you-need-to-know-summed-up-in-three-graphs
Tumblr are busy but Kos has them.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/05/13/865501/-Open-thread-for-night-owls:-Charting-American-exceptionalism
Ah thanks, i couldn’t get into the first link.
“Carol
19 November 2010 at 11:09 am
Thanks for this, Bunji. I also notice that the ACT women MPs are particularly strong on cutting back on the WomenâsAffairs Ministry. It seems to rankle with their fantasy of individualism, and their anti-âcollectivistâ principles.
But, given that the ACT male MPs have a record of sexual/gender harrassment and bullying, the ACT women seem to me to be colluding with, and/or accepting of the way they are demeaned and kept in a secondary positon in the party. This all exposes the neoliberal fantasy of a society of equally âfreeâ & sovereign individuals, with equal amounts of, or access to power.”
I hope Carol will not mind me quoting her but it needs to be highlighted that if Act gets high votes in this election the rights of women will be reduced further. We’ve seen how Brash has behaved towards the women in his caucus.
The sad thing is that the Act women actually believe the men of Act actually see them as equal.
In the French revolution the men saw the women as equal until the revolution was sewn up and then the women were sent back to reality and to inequality.
Do you think that the Act List will see current MPs dropped down to below 30th, and Brash no 1 Banks no 2. and perhaps the first woman about no 25?
Ianmac,
Act list 30+? Now you are scaring me.
Act which is at present controlling National would pretend to see women as being equal, but espouse the same beliefs as National – women will be made redundant as much as possible and forced to work in aged care, the men encouraged to believe women are taking their jobs.
Act cabinet members will be sidelined increasingly as Brash has done in the past, as Key has done in the past, unless they are in positions where women cabinet ministers destroy the futures of other women.
Mark Sainsury should ask Shagger Brash…”Do you think women have a special place in New Zealand?’
I wonder what his answer would be.
Rodel,
I’m glad Brash isn’t being called a ‘gentleman’ anymore; he never was.
As for how he would see the place of women in this society and the value they are held in – at a MOTU meeting, Jenny Gibbs, who has openly campaigned against the Suffragist Memorial Tiles in Lower Khartoum Place being retained, was asking the speaker Don Brash patsy questions, so gives you a good idea about that! If you are rich he will use you. If you are poor he will abuse you.
Stay Classy TV3.
http://www.3news.co.nz/Schools-accused-of-ignorance-in-abortion-debate/tabid/423/articleID/211216/Default.aspx
Steve Taylor
http://fundypost.blogspot.com/2008/07/chien-andalusia.html
http://publicaddress.net/hardnews/moral-thugs/
Not really a go-to guy for commentary, but if you do, you should point out his affiliations and history.
I love it how they give Family First so much space, instead of say noting the legal and human rights issues that lead to parental notification being optional, along with legitimising what was likely a flawed poll.
The People vs. Goldman Sachs
And wasn’t someone saying that we should listen to these people about some financial deals going through the other day?