Yesterday on Nine-to-Noon, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Education (Lesley Longstone, Secretary of Education), responded to questions about whether there was an underlying plan behind the Christchurch school closures that had nothing to do with quake damage. She said the plan was to reconfigure the range of schools with an eye to making positive changes for the future. She explained it as something rational and good for Christchurch.
Ms Parata told principals the rebuild includes some tough decisions.
“At the same time, it’s also about propositions for some new opportunities, for some new ways of providing education, for some whole of life campuses, for some shared facilities. And I think those are exciting opportunities – not just for Christchurch – but for the rest of New Zealand to look at and think about.”
Others are not so sure, and are concerned the government is taking the opportunity to change Christchurch schools, for benefit the better off Cantabrians, at the expense of the less well-off, and to further the NAct government’s agenda for education.
Friday, 14 Sep 2012 | Press Release
…
“It’s right for these decisions be made on the criteria of the state of buildings and land and population changes but we need to know what other criteria were used.
“I want to know if the decisions are based on schools’ educational achievement and if the failed national standards were used at all.
“National standards don’t work and should never be used to make decisions about which schools will be closed.
“Educational achievement is a resourcing issue, not a performance one but actually resourcing the schools that need it in Christchurch is apparently off the negotiating table.
“Moving kids from school to school to school, as will happen if these plans are carried out, is going to be the most damaging for their achievement.
“I have requested an urgent debate for the next sitting day in Parliament as we need to hear more about how these decisions were made.
John Minto is concerned that the Christchurch plans involve introducing Carter Schools:
It appears the wholesale closure of public schools in the city is at least in part to make room for charter schools to take their place.
We saw this happen after Hurricane Katrina devastated the US city of New Orleans and private profiteers worked with the government to close the city’s public schools and reopen them as charter schools run for private profit.
Will some of these 13 schools be closed as public schools only to be reopened in 2014 as profit-making charter schools? Which sites have been quietly earmarked by government ministers and the private business lobbyists as sites for charter schools?
Christchurch was specifically targeted for at least one charter school at the time coalition agreement between Act and National after last year’s election. Auckland was the other centre suggested for a charter school.
Since then Act’s ambitions have grown with Charter Schools promoter Catherine Isaac now talking publicly of up to 30 charter schools. How many of these will be in Christchurch?
People need to keep asking Key, Parata, and the Ministry, exactly what IS their plan for Christchurch schools, and how much this will be followed across NZ.
Disaster capitalism (see Naomi Klein): alive and well in Christchurch.
As usual us poor lefties that raised disaster capitalism happening in Christchurch were dismissed “this is New Zealand, don’t be paranoid” etc. The education unions will leap onto this with a growl hopefully if there is a scent of charter schools being snuck in.
And it’s not just the specter of Charter Schools that’s a problem here, but that involves a new train for consultants to scoop themselves up some gravy:
Education renewal in Canterbury
Friday, 14 September 2012, 6:44 pm
Press Release: Ministry of Education
…
Education renewal in Canterbury
New schools part of greater Christchurch Education Renewal
Christchurch will get new schools and others will be completely rebuilt as part of the $1 billion investment in education renewal in greater Christchurch.
The Secretary for Education, Lesley Longstone, says enhanced provision at Pegasus Town and Rolleston have been confirmed while Halswell School will be rebuilt.
Ms Longstone said: “We are looking to have new and innovative designs for these schools that give learners across greater Christchurch 21st-century learning environments.
“The 10-year renewal plan and investment announced yesterday by Ministers allows us a great opportunity to develop new ways of delivering education for all ages.
…
Over the coming months, the Ministry will be very keen to hear what people have to say.
…
Consultants will also be engaged to begin design work for Halswell as the first step in project planning with a view to physical works beginning early in 2013.
Does anyone else feel that Ms Longstone’s PR-speak sounds a little 1984-ish?
Thanks Carol. You have put together a lot of work there. Much to think about.
John Campbell was assured by Parata that each school will be consulted. John would return to the subject down the track.
Consultation??? But to listen and act on those responses? Yeah right!
Also, on the charter school issue, I’ve heard – through the proverbial grapevine – that the government has been rejecting proposals for ‘special character’ state-funded schools in Nelson (two?) and Auckland that are not ‘special character’ for religious reasons.
That grapevine information came along with suspicion that that was to line-up such initiatives for charter school formats (while allowing religious ‘special character’ initiatives to continue to be state-supported). That is, make it impossible to do something different through the state system (as has been possible until recently) so that the only option is to find some private sector ‘partner’ and go the charter way.
Perhaps others have more information – or knowledge that shows it is only rumour and has no basis in fact?
The simpering John Armstrong misuses his considerable audience reach to try and give two bloggers a telling off. Unfortunately he picks one veteran who has considerable integrity and journalistic skills–Gordon Campbell at Scoop, the other–Bryce Edwards is a new kid on the block who needs more time in the saddle to rate really, as ex Alliance he still seems to have it in for Labour more than the torys at times. But regardless, Bryce does not deserve a pasting from the likes of Nat toady Armstrong.
Meanwhile two bloggers that desperately need a good spanking for all manner of poor and unethical behaviour–Farrar and Whale, are unlikely to get one in the pages of the Herald.
Yeah, WTF is that all about? Armstrong seems to think any number of journalists like him – part of the establishment, complete with an acceptable ambient neo-liberal bias is OK, but ONE blogger like Bryce Edwards pushing an overtly left wing agenda gaining an audience is some kind of threat to civilization. Armstrong also shows considerable arrogance. He is a real journalist. Campbell and Edwards are not. Therefore he will tolerate them until they become a bit of a threat, then they need to be slapped back into place.
a few tried and trusted cliches come to mind…. for Armstrong in his glasshouse…. pot meet kettle:
Cheap shots at press corps based largely on ignorance and show no regard for journalistic accuracy or taste
Here is a blunt message for a couple of old-school Aro Valley-style socialists:
Get off our backs. Stop behaving like a pair of tut-tutting old dowagers gossiping in the salons. In short, stop making blinkered, cheap-shot accusations of the kind you made this week – that the media who went with John Key to Vladivostok and Tokyo concentrated on trivia, interviewed their laptops and parroted Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet press releases.
Gordon Campbell is a far better, critical and well-researched journalist than Armstrong ever will be…. and Armstrong dares to call him and Edwards “blinkered” and ignorant.
UNBELIEVABLE!
Oh, but wait. Armstrong is trotting out his excuses for poor journalism, having a cry about pressures of meeting deadlines within a highly pressured international context, dealing with high status pollies. And is using it for a platform to bash bloggers generally.
If the journalists are not up to the job, they should do something else. And we are all entitled to crtiticise the product journalists turn out…. Here’s another good old cliche….. the proof is in the pudding
A good blogger holds MSM journalists to account. It’s a new environment, John. Get used to it.
In what is otherwise an extraordinarily self indulgent load of drivel it’s the last few paragraphs of Armstrong’s column which I found alarming:
“Edwards’ blog is the extreme example of the fact that most blogsites rely on the mainstream media for their information and then use that information to criticise the media for not stressing something enough or deliberately hiding it.
Unlike the mainstream media, the blogs are not subject to accuracy or taste – and sometimes even the law.
It is the ultimate parasitical relationship. And it will not change until the media start charging for use of their material.”
Is he basically suggesting that charging for content use is a way to stifle criticism?
He might be saying saying people with money have no critical thinking skills, or at least have sufficient “breeding” to be polite.
I disagree about MSM being subject to taste, unless racism and ignorance is a form of polite modern “taste”. In highlighting the parasitical relationship, he nicely avoids his part in the relationship. The dirty dog attracts fleas. In Armstrong’s world, dogs are self cleaning and the best of the best are heavenly creatures with no faults at all – exempt from natural law. If he can’t get rid of his fleas, his owner could give him a bath. Overall, he should be grateful he gets paid for crapping on the carpet.
Fran O’Sullivan has been having a go at Bryce Edwards for a while essentially because he is a leftie. Looks like she has persuaded Armstrong to have a go as well. What is the bet that Edwards’ Political Roundup column will shortly disappear from the Herald.
It is a shame really. The column is usually a good summation of what is happening on the blogs and in reality.
Those nasty bloggers must have hit the spot for him to have such a tantrum in print, and why the f*$k did the editor let it go to print, suppose nothing much happened in politics this week. WTF!!!
Aaaand, Who could forget this zenith of political journalism from his co worker, Audrey Young.
Yeah, Armstrong certainly showed his bias there. Whalespew is just a torrent of vile rubbish, hate speech, and thinly veiled physical threats. He’s hardly even a blogger – he cuts and pastes some rubbish and his “army” starts frothing at the mouth. For all their weaknesses, Campbell and Edwards do at least come across as civilised.
Keith Stewart on Radio Live is doing a series interviewing politicians on Saturday nights at 8pm.
Tonight he has David Shearer on for those interested. Keith is a hard lefty so could be interesting.
“Staff are the best providers of service, of creating a relationship. But staff also give you an opportunity to stuff it up,” said Phil Chant, marketing manager for NCR Australia.
“You could get someone on their off day. But self-service gives you consistency of service. It gives you speed.”
According to NCR, that self-service uniformity will soon extend far beyond the supermarket or airport.
Its machines will see Kiwis able to check in to a hotel, weigh and send a package – even open a bank account by talking to a live video feed of a teller on an ATM screen.
So when machines have replaced the human jobs, what happens to the humans….
To quote an old union official ‘work is disappearing ‘. The scary thing is if that these really bloated inefficient large companies look automation and good process seriously you’d see total carnage in their ranks as swathes of people wouldn’t be required.
Was talking with once of the nice human check out staff a couple of weeks back at a supermarket, and she said that the reason she scanned everything so frantically was that if they dont scan anough units per minute on average, when serting the counter, they get a “chat” with the manager…WTF
The supermarket happened to be Oz owned of course, and no surpirse the wanker above talks negaively about getting people on off days, but positively re consistancy of service &; speed of the machines..
These arseholes do not give a fcuk about human beings, frankly its rather sickening watching it all play out, and have dimwits, some on this site, trying to argue whats happening to us, is in fact not!
Edit: AS soon as it is “appropriate” in terms of time to do so, those processes you refer to will become surplus, just like the people involved in those processes. The finacncial sector is what is is with good reasons, which should be crystal clear by now!
Automation will become the norm, just look at the use of HFT, why the need to people in the front or middle office when the time comes!
Someone needs to come up with a way that people can pay for something using the credit on their mobile. Imagine using your phone as a digital wallet, you pick something up off the shelf, text a code to a number, and the purchase price is taken off your phone credit. Much easier than fumbling with your eftpos card.
millsy 4.2
There is something called Square that has been developed which makes it easy to purchase stuff. Easier than eftpos I think with different way of connecting up.
I went to my local New World the other day, and just because i was waiting in line for a checkout I was accosted by, I presume a manager, who told me to use the self service checkout. I then informed her that 1: I am allowed to use what ever checkout I like. And 2: if I have to spend money then the least they can do is have someone who A: needs the job, and B: who can give you a welcoming smile and a cheery hello. And I also informed her that if they removed all the checkout staff and only left the auto ones open then I would go else where. She was not amused. (you could see it in her face she just wanted to tell me to piss off. Face like thunder lol)
So when machines have replaced the human jobs, what happens to the humans…
That is the question. Under the present system a few get richer and everyone else takes another step or two towards poverty and starvation. The rich will, of course, keep blaming the poor for being poor and saying that we can’t afford to do anything about it.
We need to change the paradigm that we live under.
Design and promote a new paradigm. One that realises that the purpose of the economy is to support everyone and not just a few. One that listens to everyone and ensures that they have an equal say in the direction that society goes in.
I don’t mean to be disparaging, and totally agree that major change is required, but the system isn’t going to simply change because it’s dysfunctional… It will continue to grind on in its dysfunction and the few who have the nous to see it will continue to be ignored by the majority and by those who could effect change.
Conservatives and liberals aren’t going to give up their advantage without a fight… Which is pretty stupid because what we have now is a corruption of capitalism, whereby wealth is mainly being used to try to generate more wealth and not for the betterment of mankind. The thing that capitalists fail to understand is that more wealth can be generated when the people are fed, housed and clothed properly… A wealthy society also creates more wealth for capitalists. Wealth through subjugation and inequality is a fools agenda.
The current situation is entirely unsustainable and it’s only a matter of time before it collapses entirely. The problem is the suffering it causes in the mean time. You can work to increase peoples awareness and reduce peoples suffering, but by and large unless you have serious capital, you cannot bring about the downfall of corrupted capitalism or hope to change the current detrimental system… A catch 22 in other words.
The thing that capitalists fail to understand is that more wealth can be generated when the people are fed, housed and clothed properly… A wealthy society also creates more wealth for capitalists. Wealth through subjugation and inequality is a fools agenda.
Or the agenda of those who like to watch human suffering,!
Who says “the capitalists” , if that is even what they are, fail to understand anythng of the sort!
also, having the Government issue credit into the economy (instead of private banks) to fulfill societal aims, including the setting up of worker owned enterprises and co-operative financing structures.
Its been happening for a very long time. How do you think we moved from the stoneage.
First machine(wheeled carts) replaced serfs carrying things.
More recently cards replaced horse and buggies.
And so it will continue as the “workforce” requirements “adjust” to meet current demands.
The local supermarket I use has self-service which has been in place for over a year. However, on chatting to one of the staff recently, the supermarket is thinking to remove self-service as there has been a great increase in the number of ‘grocery items unaccounted for’ through using self-service.
While they usually have a staff member monitor the use of the six self-service machines they often are not in the position, especially in busy times, to closely inspect the number of items being ‘scanned’ through the system.
I suspect however that rather than get rid of self-service the supermarket will just increase the level and type of surveillance or input additional technology to prevent losses. Self-service will not completely replace the check-out operator but yes it probably will result in loss of jobs especially for our youth.
It will be up to people to vote with their feet, and start thinking about what/where they spend cash be it on essentials, or luxuries etc.
It has to be of concern when there are, and have been for some time, companies producing equipment whose use is/will put humans out of jobs, thats got to ring alarm bells for people surely.
Many Kiwis have voted with their feet and move abroad, plenty will never return, and that leaves the country vulnerable on so many fronts.
I genuinely am concerned about what has been happening to our country, and the direction we are being lead into, and honestly I don;t believe we are too many years away from major social unrest.
Sadly it need not be like that, but people have to open their eyes and realise that just because you believe that “im ok jack”, today, only means that there is some additional time you might have before problems come to your door.
The young of this country, the poor, the elderly, those most vulnerable, are treated so badly, and what are most people doing….asleep at the wheel it seems to me.
It has to be of concern when there are, and have been for some time, companies producing equipment whose use is/will put humans out of jobs, thats got to ring alarm bells for people surely.
Nope, it should be a celebration as it then allows those people to go and do something far more interesting and probably higher paid. The problem isn’t the disappearing jobs but that only a few people benefit from those disappearing jobs rather than all of society.
The young of this country, the poor, the elderly, those most vulnerable, are treated so badly, and what are most people doing….asleep at the wheel it seems to me.
Nope, it should be a celebration as it then allows those people to go and do something far more interesting and probably higher paid. The problem isn’t the disappearing jobs but that only a few people benefit from those disappearing jobs rather than all of society.
Hey B, yes it should be, but I think you would expect that on current course, its got little to no chance to being that way. So the problem is the disappearing jobs, and also the point along the curve at which lack of jobs become a negative sum game, if we are not past that already.
We agree that the sytem needs to change, what it becomes is not as important at this stage, as the question of , how that change will come about!
The only change I am interested initially, is the taking back the control of our money supply. Achieve that and the conversations chnage immediately, and potentially do not require wholesale change.
Which is why I wonder if someone, or someone’s could successfully base an election run on that issue in silo????
well work is not disappearing for some.
make sure you read yesterdays Dompost.
there are two very important article by Chris Trotter and Brenda Pilott on the leader page.
The shadowy Consitutional Advisory Panel and the Local Bodies Act are getting ready to strip the last vestiges of democracy and local input out of the vital institutions that manage the country.
it seems there is always plenty of work for the lampreys who attach themselves to the government to assist them in sucking the lifeblood out of the people.
captain hook
This is awkward. I have been looking at the Dompost and cannot find the articles you mentioned. Can you tell me where to go (on the Dompost page) to see them? Do I look for columnists tab at the top for instance? Or do I put their names in search?
Another top quality link there trav, thanks. But what does it have to do with the Madrid fire?
Do you care that so many truther documents use the madrid fire in a dishonest fashion?
Or do you think that because most people won’t do any checking, that it is all ok. That being dishonest is just the best tactic to get people to think what you what them to think?
It works of course, people don’t check things, telling lies works. I see you skiting about your blog, like I care. But for me, when I see you being dishonest, it makes me discount your views. It is your dishonesty, and the dishonesty of many other truthers, that really convinces me that you are all full of shit.
Start being honest, and you will start being convincing.
If you can’t be convincing without being dishonest, then the claims you are tryimg to convince poeple of are probably false.
You’re calling me a liar now?
For those of you wanting to make up your won mind about the Madrid fire here is PB’s analysis:
Because the Windsor tower was build with reinforced concrete it could withstand 24 hours of intense fire without collapsing
According to another genius here Mike E the towers collapsed because they had not central column but only reinforced concrete.
Here is the reality: both Twin towers had a core of 47 steel columns AND were build with reinforced concrete.
The third tower was build around steel columns and reinforced twice against nuclear blasts in it’s close vicinity. Still it came down in 6.5 seconds (Freefall speed) in the path of most resistance. Breaking every law of Physics known to man.
No Steel framed in human history has ever collapsed due to fire other then the three buildings from the WTC complex. Not even the other four buildings in the same complex which all burned for hours.
It seems to me the it is PB who is trying to turn and twist events and that perhaps it is actually more accurate to call him a liar but I leave that to your discretion.
Search terms you might want to go for are Windsor tower, Phillips building, Failed controlled demolition, Steel framed buildings, collapse due to fire, Newton, gravity, laws of Physics.
People might lie but the laws of physics sort of don’t.
What happened to the top section of the Madrid building Eve?
What was the difference in construction between the top section and the bottom section, how does that relate to the WTC and why don’t truther sites ever talk about that?
Not mentioning these things is dishonest.
Saying that the WTC towers had reinforced concrete, without saying whter or not this was load bearing structural stuff is dishonest.
People can certainly google and come up with thousands of links talking about the madrid fire and saying that it demonstrates that the wtc buildings wouldn’t have collapsed. truthers have been busy, and they link to all sorts of stuff, pushing up the google rankings of crud.
But the facts remain.
So show me your honesty and answer these three questions to the best of your knowledge:
1) What happened to the top section of the madrid building?
2) Was the top section of the buidling different to the bottom section in any respect?
3) If so, were WTC1&2 more like the top section, or the bottom section?
In your own words please. Let’s discuss like humans. Just throwing me alink to some usually irrelevent link is a fob off, one that ought to be beneath you.
They are questions Eve. I don’t need to provide links to verify questions.
Question have answers, you have none however, which is fascinating. It’s almost as if the answers to those questions are things you are not interested in. Do the answers to those questions demonstrate the dishonesty of the truther’s use of the madrid fire eve?
Why don’t you show me up here, and demonstrate your honesty
Here’s another question, this time about the 6.5 second collapse claim. Who said this?
“We screwed up. We had never seen the CBS video when we claimed that it took WTC 7 6.5 seconds to collapse. We only relied on the street video that does not show the Penthouses. By the time we saw the CBS video, we had so much invested in the 6.5-second collapse time, we could not disappoint our supporters who were successfully using the 6.5 free fall time to push 9/11 Truth. We just ignored the evidence.
‘Truth’ funny how you guys keep using that word. A princess bride quote comes to mind.
PB. I just watched the CBS video and the building collapses in roughly 6.5s. It certainly did not take twice that long to collapse.
Further PB it seems that you’ve been had. Jones himself says in a blog post he labels “setting the record straight” that someone has deliberately made up shit (the same shit you quoted actually) and unfairly put his name next to it:
No, I never said that. The blog goes on with its despicable misrepresentations, putting words in my mouth that I never said:
“Responding to the overnight controversy, Steven Jones announced this morning that WTC 7 did indeed take over 13 seconds to collapse. ‘We screwed up. We had never seen the CBS video when we claimed that it took WTC 7 6.5 seconds to collapse. We only relied on the street video that does not show the Penthouses. By the time we saw the CBS video, we had so much invested in the 6.5-second collapse time, we could not disappoint our supporters who were successfully using the 6.5 free fall time to push 9/11 Truth. We just ignored the evidence.’ ”
I supposedly said this in May, 2007. No, I never said that and it is simply not true. I first saw this CBS video in 2005 and I have shown it many times, starting in 2005. I have repeatedly noted that I began timing when the corner of the roof begins to move, and that is how I derived the near-free-fall time of 6.5 seconds for the WTC7 roof-fall. To have me say, “We just ignored the evidence” is grossly incorrect, unfair and despicable.
it only takes 6.5 if you ignore the penthouses, there is no reason to do that. I’ve seen arguments that there were two series of explosions, the first to weaken the structure, the second to bring it down. But that doesn’t explain why we see the penthouses fall. they aren’t holding the structure up, so bringing them down first makes no sense. (and i’ll note here that there are loads of controlled demolition videos on the web. Could you link me to some that sound like the WTC buildings coming down?)
But that’s only a problem for people trying to make the collapse look like something. NIST didn’t have that problem, so they just described what was most likely to have happened based on the evidence.
Other than that it’s one guy’s word against another’s, and Jones denial is pretty shifty,
‘I deny this bit most strenuously, those particular words are not what I said’ etc, and so on.
You’d laugh if John Banks put out a denial like that
How did the building break the laws of Physics? My understanding is that, unlike traffic laws (for example), the laws of physics cannot actually be broken. And what is meant by “breaking every law of Physics known to man”? How was Faraday’s Law broken?
Ev is so blessed with insight that lesser mortals such as ourselves are not even allowed to think about ways her “information” could be checked. She sent me a message mentioning two things I’ve known about for more than 40 years to demonstrate my ignorance of the real world. Blind belief is all that is required, or be labelled a denialist. Pffft.
I had a modicum of respect before this but I can let rip now.
LOL. Fuck, you’re showing yourself to be a nasty vindictive little squirt don’t you?
Great thing you can’t chuck me off here like you did with others on a facebook page who had opinions other than you. And how silly to bring that intolerance and vindictiveness here!
Given the stuff you do respect, I won’t be losing any sleep.
And yes, I am one of the mods of a Facebook group that booted people for abuse, trolling, and constant ranting about all sorts of contradictory conspiracy theories.
Now keep obsessing and not answering questions. It’s what you’re best at, after all. Let rip.
You are giving a quote without any reference to who might have said it and what site you got it from and you are accusing me of being dishonest?
You skirting very close to classic shill behaviour here PB. It is one thing not to agree and try to disprove my assertions but it is entirely different to quote provably false quotes from debunking sites.
For those of you interested in trying to find out what really happened:
First of all steel framed buildings DO NOT COLLAPSE INTO THEIR OWN FOOTPRINT in 6.5, 14, 350 or 3000 seconds as the result of office fires EVER!
That makes PB’s argument moot.
The only reason steel framed buildings collapse into their own footprint is when they are “wired” for a CONTROLLED DEMOLITION.
Here is a video made by David Chandler. David Chandler was the man who forced NIST to admit that WTC 7 fell in free fall speed for 2.5 seconds of the 6.5 seconds it took to collapse.
In those 2.5 seconds 18 FLOORS of the 47 story building fell to the ground without any resistance. That is impossible unless it was imploded with the help of demolition charges.
Here is a Danny Jowenko a Dutch Demolition expert (Who recently died in a freak car accident) and his reaction when he is told that the WTC7 building he just described as a classic controlled demolition
Here is a fragment of an Italian documentary. In it the fire fighters admit to foreknowledge of the collapse and you see the reaction of two policemen when they hear the first explosions after which the building starts to come down.
You see what I mean PB? LINKS so people can make up their own mind!
Do you know what ‘begging the question’ means? It’s a logical fallacy, and here’s an example of it:
First of all steel framed buildings DO NOT COLLAPSE INTO THEIR OWN FOOTPRINT in 6.5, 14, 350 or 3000 seconds as the result of office fires EVER!
And none of your links discuss the simple and relevant questions I asked about the madrid fire.
Why are you avoiding those questions Eve?
You spend a lot of time researching this stuff, surely you could find the answers, surely you have come across them before, surely you don’t just look at one side of the debate right?
For those of you interested in what happened at the Windsor tower and made curious by PB’s insinuating questions the following:
The Windsor tower was a 106m high skyscraper in Madrid, Spain. After an extensive fire which lasted 24 hours the top floors pancaked and collapsed around the inner core.
To PB this proves that all buildings will collapse like the Twin towers and WTC 7 if exposed to fire.
What PB suggests is that people like me don’t want to talk about that because it disproves our theory about controlled demolition.
Here are a few links for you to brush up on the fire, the collapse and what some pre-eminent 911 research websites say about it and I will let you make up your own mind.
Here is a 1 minute BBC video which clearly shows that chunks do indeed fall of the building after huge fires have raged for hours and hours.
Here is a link to a well established 911 research site clearly describing the falling chunks too with the added advantage of actually describing the huge differences in building technique and other significant information such as a timeline showing that the collapse was partial and significantly slower than the freefall speed of the collapse of WTC 7 and more importantly that the collapse followed the laws of physics such as falling along the path of least resistance.
And here is Dr Frank Legge’s take on it illustrated by me with photo’s of both the Windsor tower, the burning Twin tower and of a woman standing in the hole created by one of the planes showing how there was no obvious fire and heat in the area where there were supposed to be furnace level heat bringing the Tower down.
And here is the Journal for 911 studies with articles written by Scientists, Engineers, Architects and others if you want tot learn more.
And PB stop digging that hole you’re already in. You’re getting to be quite desperate with your dishonest fake quotes and innuendo. I wonder why?
So the one link you provide that is at all relevant says that the madrid building was very different to the WTC buildings, but that the parts of the building that were most like the WTC buildings did collapse.
(And we are not talking about ‘chunks’ here, we are talking about the top third of the building)
So why is it used as alleged proof that fires won’t cause collapse?
Surely that information about the section of the madrid building that did in fact collapse, the section more like the wtc buildings, should have been included in the 911 for dummies leaflet you are promoting.
Do you think it is honest to leave that information out Eve?
“To PB this proves that all buildings will collapse like the Twin towers and WTC 7 if exposed to fire.”
I’ll just leave this one here as a fine example of Eve’s honesty for those who can find me saying or implying anything like it.
(HINT: You won’t find me saying anything like that, Eve just can’t help being dishonest. To be fair, her argument requires dishonesty to be at all convincing. Just bear in mind this statement of hers when she accuses others of dishonesty. She just flat out lies.)
Hash comes to mind as the talk revolves about 9/11 which is American coding for 11 September and doesn’t even refer to the year. (So the subject can be revived again each year as if it was just last year.)
Hash – dictionary definition 2. A reuse or rework of old material. and a meaning that holds glamour is 4. settle someone’s hash – to subdue or silence someone.
Personally I am trawling through various events of World War 2 which is full of surprises and shocks for me and there are even new understandings for historians. Now I set World War 2 as winner against your World Trade Centre. Any bets on which was the biggest and most awful and had most secrets and unexplained events.
(The latest is that the Germans told the Allies about the Polish Katyn massacre by the Russians well before the end of WW2 but the Allies kept it quiet because they needed to have the Russian power alongside them or the war and its deathly results would continue longer. And then afterwards the Allies still kept quiet about this sad act of barbarism).
It only took you 70 years to find out that WWII was started with False Flag inside jobs and they kept silent about it???
And you’re only able to admit to them because it was the “bad” people did them?
Oh well, never mind, I’m sure there’s going to be people like you who in 70 years are going to be equally surprised about the events of 911 when it’s “historians” who write about them.
Just the man who should be reading this beautiful book but who won’t.
I hoped you would react to this because it gives me an opportunity to thank you.
Thanks to your responses here my blog has attracted a lot more attention from people than it would have without your inane banter.
People have a tendency to want to see for themselves what is being ridiculed before they join the fray and judging by the fact that a lot more people (44 from the Standard alone) read my blog then the two who left proof of their intellectual fragility I reckon the message gets out there.
Next week I’m going to hit the 50.000 individual IP addresses of which about 46% are New Zealanders. That is at a rate of 117 on average per day over the last 30 days.
The last week more than 3476 people visited my blog with top searches such as:
edna cintron
9 11 twin towers
twin towers 9/11
the real towers on 911
building 7 lights for 9/11
And according to Open Parachute I was number 44 on the August list of NZ blogs. Not bad for a “fringe” blog from a foreigner considering there are now 267 blogs on his list!
But it’s not great link-whoring, now is it? It’s a shame you do not have a background based in recognising the difference between shit and chocolate Ev.
Local musicians are pulling together a concert to raise money for the refugees of Syria.
It’s the brainchild of Tali Williams, a local musician who spent time in Syria in 2006, writing on the plight of refugees. She stayed for a few weeks at the Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus.
“At that time the camp was home to refugees fleeing the Iraqi war,” Williams says. “Now because of the brutal war being waged by Assad on his own people, Yarmouk has faced a deluge of displaced Syrian refugees.”
The situation is desperate Williams says. She’s stayed in touch with workers from the Jafra Foundation whom she met in Syria. Jafra funds relief and youth programmes at the Yarmouk camp.
“The people at Jafra are saying things are really bad there. The camp is being shelled on a daily basis and because of the numbers of refugees arriving at the camp they’re fast running out of basic supplies such as food and water. My friend asked me by email if I could help raise some money for them.”
Williams says she felt “desperate” to help. Her band friends were happy to lend their support to the people of Syria. The result, a fundraising show featuring Wellington acts All Seeing Hand, The Body Lyre, Hutt Old Boys and Von Thundersvolt.
Williams says entry is only $10, all of which will go directly to the Jafra Foundation.
Right bloody Herald doing its usual. Now turn to Radionz doing its regular bloody good job.
This monrning on Kim Hill’s compered by Producer Mark Cubey today were some very informative items that anyone writing blogs here will want to listen to. http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday (audio won’t be up till a few hours after broadcast or about 12 noon)
The first goes into the nature of politicians and why Britain has the bunch it has which explains what we have and what the public role in their choice is. He also mentions USA. It’s a pretty grim future for us really, for among other points, the super-wealthy have the money to fund the pollies they want to stand and then to get the policies they want. Hence USA. Don’t be too hard on Obama folks.
This interview was at 8:15 Aeron Davis (a good, clear speaker with nous)
Dr Aeron Davis is Professor of Political Communication at Goldsmiths College, University of London. He has investigated communication at Westminster and the London Stock Exchange, and amongst the major political parties and across the trade union movement, interviewing close to 300 high-profile individuals employed in journalism, public relations, politics, business, finance, NGOs and the civil service. Dr Davis is the author of Public Relations Democracy (MUP, 2002), The Mediation of Politics (Routledge, 2007), and Political Communication and Social Theory (Routledge, 2010). He is currently working on a book on the rise of promotional culture.
The second talks about China and how it is changing and casts light on what we should be thinking about it and how to be doing things alongside, in or with it. (Not like John Key building a slanted picture of having ‘tentacles into the Pacific’. What a stupid, ignorant prick he is when he is outside his only skill manipulating other people’s money in a firm that eventually failed.)
Was on at 8:40 Steve Mullinjer (good clear speaker very well versed in background.)
Steve Mullinjer is head of the Asian and Middle-East business for leadership advisory firm Heidrick & Struggles. Based in Shanghai, he also runs the firm’s Asian private equity business.
There was also a third – Martin Snedden who has written a book on the ins and outs of hosting the Rugby World Cup. It gives an overview of it and insight into how NZ can do things like this successfully again. Which we need to to keep money flowing and accumulating in piles to be delivered to education, hospitals and so on.
Prism. The really scary thing from Dr Davis was about the massive dismantling and privatisation of the British Health System. (Coming to a place near you?)
ianmac you’re back! Yes but the whole thing is scary.
I have read about British privatisation from years back in providing housing and the government there has through their lax demands and standards reintroduced slum landlords on probably a bigger scale than Peter Rachman. Wikipedia has coverage of this guy who would now probably be an MP or ex MP. Also this link http://notting-hill.london.myvillage.com/article/peter-rachman
The British are pretty good at doing down the poor and the ‘people’ generally. That’s why our people came all the way out here sailing for three months in crowded discomfort, eating who knows what and with numerous children born on board also dying. But we were brought up with the myth that the good things about the United Kingdom was all there was to know about them. Now the crooks have termited into the heart of the pillars of political and financial probity and services, and the edifice is tottering they are doing a Brownlee and sweeping it all away.
Good info Prism, cheers, and yes the worlds elite certainly have the planet at their mercy, there is no doubt about that! People have let it happen to them, so is expecting them to react to prevent further head stomping too much to expect?
Just one thing to address though “Which we need (corporate events) to to keep money flowing and accumulating in piles to be delivered to education, hospitals and so on.,
We need nothing to ensure that the countrys health, education and general societal well being needs are met, other than to take control of our monetary supply. At that time we can feed, heal, educate, cloth and shelter all those who need the asisstance, and some who may not, throughout our live with some dignity, that has been stripped back to callousness beyond belief in many cases.
Talk about large events and what purpose they serve distract people from core conversations, and given the losses to the country in terms of debt to repay on the back of the event, well we can let the private sector fund that stuff eh, at least until we have taken control of our monetary supply!
Oh come on muzza while it’s true that the people have let it happen etc there is another side and that the people can’t imagine the level of inflated self-promotion masking inherent incompetence and the focussed self-interest and deal-making tendencies that drives the actions of pollies.
The radio discussion talked about who gets elected and why and made the point that people particularly in the USA look for someone who sounds trustworthy and capable of doing the job. Policies are confusing so the electorate is not well informed about them. He also talks about the blatant lies about policies and change of tack once elected, often to the opposite of what was promised. Winston should get in to parliament, he is a consummate politician, but I like his style and if we are to have self-serving, well-paid career politicians (another point he comments on) we might as well have style with it.
And the point that we need to have control of our monetary supply – yes to a large extent. But it’s buying power is always connected to world levels. We could help by making more decisions ourselves true and stopping wealthy people using it as play money mucking up our exchange rate for instance. And we do need to do business and create wealth, or we get more reliance on free health care from old women and otherwise unemployed, and more being done with unacceptable parts of old home remedies. Baking soda on all wounds for instance, Vinegar anyone? T
there is another side and that the people can’t imagine the level of inflated self-promotion masking inherent incompetence and the focussed self-interest and deal-making tendencies that drives the actions of pollies.
The radio discussion talked about who gets elected and why and made the point that people particularly in the USA look for someone who sounds trustworthy and capable of doing the job.
Nah, that side is also called letting it happen to them…Through such traits as laziness, ignorance, arrogance and ego, large helpings of most or all, it is not exclusive the USA!
And the point that we need to have control of our monetary supply – yes to a large extent. But it’s buying power is always connected to world levels. We could help by making more decisions ourselves true and stopping wealthy people using it as play money mucking up our exchange rate for instance
Not in large part, in full part Prism, people got to stop thinking outside of that little box, and fix our exchange rate while we are taking back the money supply, that will stabilise our export markets among other things! Once we have claimed our money supply, we can go about taking back whats left of so called democracy, because time is running very short these days….if its not past tipping point already!
Good on you for reding some history too, get stuck into WW1 while youre at it, I am sure you are already up to speed on the Vietnam lies which kick started that disaster!
The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see. —Sir Winston Churchill (yes he was one of the bros, and high enough to have known exactly what he was saying!)
muzza
Hell no. I can’t go into WW1 or Vietnam in depth (though did a bit of googling on MIA and was fascinated by how many politicians and scam artists (not necessarily the same) got involved in that emotional idea. One woman mortgaged her house to provide funds for someone who said he was going to find evidence in Vietnam. All for nothing, for her, I think. No WW2 is enough. I have only so much time.
And about the exchange rate, if the market isn’t going to set a second by second rate based on points of a cent advantage to the traders, how are we going to establish a rate that holds and is appropriate for the market as well as for us.? Will we set it at certain times of the year, then hold through one season of agricultural or horticultural exports then at a set date look at how the market/blackmarket is going (economists don’t like floor prices as it encourages devious ways around, though I don’t know if that is worse than hedge funds that are set up to play financial games for the h.funds within the main transaction.) And if USA can have Quantitative Easing why can’t we??
And what exchange rate would we have now if we could eliminate much of the short-term trading that we have now. The rate would be different and higher probably than a rational assessment looking at our total economic situation. 70% against the US$? And what about the basket of currencies rate?
……..NZ$ value PayNZ
Euro 0.632211 1.581750
US Dollar 0.830000 1.204819
Australian Dollar 0.785278 1.273434
Canadian Dollar 0.805266 1.241826
(courtesy of X-Rates)
A 1% increase in the TWI reduces the value of exports by .81%. The so called lobbyists such as the EMA and FF argue that the inputs such as fuel etc negate the increased value ie inputs =outputs. Which they do not.
You need higher returns to increase efficiency both in energy,and in local substitution such as packaging etc.
The fact is we have an external deficit,we have to either increase our earnings,or decrease borrowings,when ideology gets in the way of obvious economic reality it may be indeed time to send the old bulls to the works.
Poission 8 2 1 1 1 +
For the information of those at economics 101 like me –
The trade-weighted index (TWI) is a measure of the value of the New Zealand dollar (NZD) relative to the currencies of New Zealand’s major trading partners.
Thank you Reserve Bank. May we learn and honour your actions to preserve the integrity of our NZD.
I’m a beef lover Poission. Even tough old fatty stuff, with mushrooms and a soupcon of red wine perhaps.
“The basic problem for Republicans is that their highest policy priority is to cut the effective tax rate paid by the richest 1 percent of Americans, but the vast majority of the voters don’t share that goal. Handling that problem is the single biggest challenge the Republican party faces. Normally, when a party has an extremely unpopular position, it just jettisons it. But Republicans care so much about this goal that they won’t give it up, which makes sense — you compromise on your secondary goals, not on your primary goal. Still, this ultimately places them in the position Romney finds himself and Paul Ryan and George W. Bush have found as well — the only way they can get elected is to obscure the real trade-offs and make up a bunch of fake numbers.”
This is only about the Republicans isn’t it? I mean National wouldn’t use these tactics like lowering the tax rate for the benefit of the rich would it? Oh.
Remember people not to be conned by the term “rich”, especially when referring to tax cuts in NZ.
Sure the cuts were aimed at those who possibly did not need them, but that conjecture, does not hide the simple fact that it was little more than the following.
1: Vote buying/securing
2: Class warfare ensuring – Hey those rich bastards to a tax cut, and we got a bloody gst tax rise…
3: Budget blowing – leading to more borrowing, from who, at what rate we are not allowed to know, only that we all become pooer for it
4: Distraction!!!!!
The true rich, not those people belive are in charge, do not pay tax, nor do the corporations they own. Even the lackeys like Romney do their best to steal then hide their ill gotten gains…
No, the “rich” , we in NZ, and the idiots in the USA are told that the “rich”, are those in NZ = Over 65K or whatever it is, and in the USA 200-250k+
These people are not why NZ is broke, they are simply a tool being used, just as the poor are. When people can cut through the obvious misdirections, then can we have real conversation.
People who make things for the rich find often that it is very hard to get payment from them, they delay, complain about some minor thing to bring the price down and just don’t want to pay their bills.
Applies to tax as well. That reluctance to pay a small proportion of their discretionary money, ie what’s left after utilities and other living expenses are paid for, and then the tax just reduces their extra pot of gold, starves the country of the income it needs to provide for all the other people who make do on much less, ie the huge majority. And the more that universal provision of services is cut, the more they want to hold onto their gold to make sure that they have the cash to cover their own needs. Universality is often scorned, but it is essential in a democracy that wants to be fair and reasonably equal.
And we noticed that going house to house for charity collections the people in rich houses tended to be rude and nil donors, but many people in poor seeming houses they gave something.
My plumber brother in law hated doing work in Fendalton in Christchurch because they constantly obstructed paying his bills.
Anecdotal I know, but ask around.
You can actually buy ascorbic acid very cheaply and inject it yourself if you really want to. If I thought it would help with cancer, I wouldn’t wait for a hospital.
After 10 weeks of waiting my IR3 tax return was due to be released yesterday. I checked on-line and nothing had changed so I rand IRD. I was informed that because my return contained an overseas component it could not be processed automatically, and so it will now be processed manually which will take another 15 working days. This is after I rang them twice during the ten weeks to check on the progress and discussing with the employee both times the overseas component.
How the $%^% does it take 10 weeks to figure out a single application has to be processed manually?
Further from Water Care comment a few days ago
A standard family of 4 usage 600l/day or 219 kL
In Jan 2012 the annual cost of water would have been:
Fixed charges WasteWater $426.36 pa
Volume Charges $284.70 p.a.
Total Cost $711.06
Now it would be
Fixed $190 p.a
Volume Waste Water $294.12 @ $1.343
Volume Water $499.54 @ $2.281
A New annual cost to the $983.66
An increase of $272.60 or 38%. No wonder everyone is feeling poorer. And for me this is where many miss the point it is these day to day issues that hit the pay packet that get no attention are the issues. Think what a household has to give up now to be able to afford this increase in water. I hope that the new beer factory of Lion have also incurred this increase ???? http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10696787
Water is free just like education – Tui anyone !!!!
Like many of these insidious increases in costs that we cannot escape (Non tradables) and watch deflation form nice to haves that we import and can live without or delay. Hard to delay water, rates etc. These are the every day issues that do have an impact on people not all these beltway issues.
Our town does not meter water. Is your annual water rate of $983 on top of Rates? If so must make Rates + water pretty high? (My total Rates $2,340 pa.)
Rates have had the water component separated for some of the councils that were absorbed into Jakaland others such as Manukau & Auckland had them already separated. Just another small issue that makes all of us poorer and those in severe need ….. Still what is a 38% on top of the rates increase- Just as well we all received a tax cut a few years ago to help us out !!!!
It’s also the first step to privatising the supply.
I’ll wait until leaks become evident, ta very much. given that the only reason my town had a water shortage a few years back was because the reservoirs were too small for the population. Sorted now, I believe.
At those rates it would be advisable to go to this site.
You know, what really pisses me off is that a lot of people actually think that these things such as water can be supplied free. It costs to put them in place and it costs to maintain them. Can’t get away from that. Could get away from the council taking a dividend (profit) but that would require an increase in rates which people will complain about as well but it still comes down to the simple fact that what they want to be supplied costs and they don’t seem willing to pay for it.
Both Key and Shearer will be on Q & A tomorrow (9 am).
Some advice for David Shearer: you know what you will be asked about (water, asset sales) and you need to have a very clear response. Spend the rest of Saturday rehearsing with the bathroom mirror if you have to – just make sure you get it right. It is 100% certain that your soundbite will be featured in the news bulletins, so it’s your job to give the media one they can use.
You will be asked …
“Do Maori own water?”
“Do you agree with the Prime Minister?”
“Would you negotiate with iwi?”
etc
Media Rule One – it is NOT about the question, it is about your answers. And your answer should be that New Zealand assets are not for sale. If you accept Key’s framing of the issue (i.e. it’s about those grasping Maoris) then you lose. So … don’t even THINK about accepting it. You say:
“Our power is not for sale. We’re going to give the people a say, and they’ll say “No sale”.
(Interviewer – “But who owns water?”)
“We’ll have a referendum. I’ve brought a copy of the petition along (*waves paper at camera*) for John Key to sign. Have you signed it yet? Why not?”
(“But who owns water?”)
“Let’s ask the people … if they want to keep our assets, we keep our water.”
etc.
No waffle. Just a clear, principled (and incidentally, popular) position. Please.
+1 I’d like to see DS also throw the issue of falling demand from Kawerau and Tiwai point onto the table which weakens all the generators values.
Shonkeys playing the race card as a distraction from the play Rio Tinto are making to get even cheaper power from our system and overall falling demand.
Taunt the big businesses party with their inability to see this coming from big business, not looking at the global market for aluminium etc etc, as has been stated, answer in a way that sets the agenda.
Yeah but you already know whats going to happen. Umms and errs and arrs and waffle, waffle, waffle. Key will run rings around him, and then Labour really will be a dead duck…Time to start saving my pennies for moving my family out of NZ.
It’s pop-quiz time when it comes to the American way of war: three questions, torn from the latest news, just for you. Here’s the first of them, and good luck!
Two weeks ago, 200 U.S. Marines began armed operations in…?:
a) Afghanistan
b) Pakistan
c) Iran
d) Somalia
e) Yemen
f) Central Africa
g) Northern Mali
h) The Philippines
i) Guatemala
Goodness me. And the outrage of Americans at the attacks on US Embassies and suchlike. What a cheek those non-Americans have to actually molest some of our places. Surprised and shocked. Tsk. Tsk.
joe90
What a smug-looking sh.t. What I can’t understand is why there isn’t a furore about people like Klein calling themselves Christian. If that isn’t taking the Christian religion and Lord’s name in vain I don’t know what is. The established churches who consider themselves following Christian principles should denounce such people. Klein cannot be a true Christian and act as he does, and the Coptic Church should also be calling their people to account if they profess to follow the Christian way.
Having leaders of churches criticise these lowlives plays into their fantasy world, and gives them a chance to have airtime to spout their poisonous filth. Better for the 99% of us who find their views utterly despicable to disempower them with logic, compassion and decency
locus
I disagree. The churches that cling to the idea of integrity and following Christ need to disassociate themselves from so-called ‘Christians’ like Klein and the nasty and stupid so-called Coptic Christian who actually made the film. Jesus would denounce them.
Klein cannot be a true Christian and act as he does, and the Coptic Church should also be calling their people to account if they profess to follow the Christian way.
I don’t believe that he is a Christian at all, much less a Copt. The story changes every 5 minutes, I’ve been discussing it on a rather vicious American board, for the past 3 days, and I have been noting all the changes as they happen…
Watch the following clip. It is the Australian workplace relations minister Bill Shorten, but I’m sure others have seen New Zealand politicians who are just as much of a waste of space….
Actually it could just as easily have been Paula Benefit discussing her future plans for the enhancement of beneficiaries’ well-being – minus a few of the ummms and arrrhhs…
Today Goldworthy spokesperson for Manufacturers is reported as saying no to Green suggestions to ease the exchange rate because it will – put up fuel cost. And no serious politician would consider that. Hey, I think it’s time to recognise it’s already happening. Wakey, wakey.
His message is that manufacturers have to get smart and handle it. This is exactly the same message that they have been coming out with since the exchange rate became a problem. These guys can’t even support a new approach that would benefit all of them in keeping their markets and getting more sales in this world recession! Door closed. Closing down shop. Locked. No new ideas need to apply here.
No wonder NZ is going down the drain. And catching up with Oz, we won’t even be able to hope that if we wait in one spot they will decline to our level. We will be slowly sinking always below them for reasons of size for a start, which gives scale, and also because they are a bunch of tryers, trying yes, but they’ve a bit of the dingo that we haven’t got.
Another move in google’s plan for world domination. ‘Quick view’ in google searches (to save opening DOCs/PDFs etc) is now only available if you are signed into googledocs with a google account.
Scratch that. It seems that I had a gmail account that had been logged out by google, but not by me, and that was what was prompting me to log in. Once I logged out properly, I could view the googledocs fine.
please don’t starve my country
please don’t ruin my economy
please don’t bomb my family
please don’t invade my country
please don’t appoint a corrupt government
please don’t hand my country over to your corporations
please don’t steal our resources
I agree with the Law Society suggesting that we jettison the tv coverage we have at present and instead supply a constant feed with no comments. Jonathan Temm slags the tv coverage we have now as encouraging disrespect for the law, and emotional responses to the process and to the defendant. And concentrating only on particular cases that they can sensationalise. True.
And what about this news.
Road rage case reviewed by Solicitor-General
The Solicitor-General’s office is reviewing a case in which an Auckland investment banker ran over a man and broke his legs.There was an altercation so of course when you are an annoyed banker, or even a disturbed one, you attack someone with your car.
Happened in Christchurch and the guy got away with killing Christine Clark, mother of two.
Perp got 9 months periodic detention and 2 years disqualification. He was a good guy said his barrister, and was frightened by the emotional picketers at Lyttelton and just took off.
Klein USA right wing brain-damaged rabid who was behind the offending film was on radio yesterday or this morning. He talks about Vietnam, which seems to have spawned such a tail of bad attitudes and concepts almost as bad as the war itself. He says his son was injured when in Iraq on some project.
The fast worldwide media gives these crazies and bigots so much power. The First World War I think started after a Serbian killed the ArchDuke of Something which caused outrage and sparked the fuse that went off dragging countries in to support other countries they had treaties with. People like Klein and the southern ‘pastor’ who burnt a Koran are the same sort of dangerous nutters. We have just made closer ties with the USA, our big buddy! What next?
you’re right – the more hatred one side can generate the more it justifies the other side to use the same tactics – putrid attitudes need to be starved of publicity – does the egyptian tv host who broadcast the sick video to the arab world feel any responsibility for the ensuing deaths and escalating hatred?
Re David Bain…
When retired Canadian judge, David Binnie, was appointed by the National Government to assess David Bain’s compensation claim a few months ago, Judge Binnie asked for reading material which included two books written by Bain supporter, Joe Karam: David and Goliath: The Bain family murders; and Bain and Beyond.
But this request did not extend to books written by ant-Bain campaigners. I find that quite extraordinary. The other books included The Mask of Sanity: The Bain Murders by James McNeish; and In the Grip of Evil: The Bain Murders by Judith Wolfe and Trevor Reeves.
To get compensation, applicants must prove their innocence, at a minimum, on the balance of probabilities. In addition, because Bain’s claim fell outside cabinet guidelines, he needs to demonstrate the circumstances were extraordinary. The compensation could be up to $2 million dollars, for the time he spent in prison. He could also be entitled to a public apology or a statement of innocence. I don’t believe that innocence or lack of innocence should be assessed on probabilities. Justice has to be broader than that, surely?
The interesting point that should be considered is that the Prime Minister, John Key, and his Cabinet are not bound to grant compensation. As I wrote above, this claim actually fell outside Cabinet guidelines.
The Government’s decision could take some time. Judge Binnies’ report has to be read by the Minister of Justice, who will then report to Cabinet. There is no right of Appeal to the Cabinet’s decision. It is binding!
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Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
A factory reset restores your Gateway laptop to its original factory settings, erasing all data, apps, and personalizations. This can be necessary to resolve software issues, remove viruses, or prepare your laptop for sale or transfer. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to factory reset your Gateway laptop: Method 1: ...
“You talking about me?”The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
Roger Partridge writes – When the Coalition Government took office last October, it inherited a country on a precipice. With persistent inflation, decades of insipid productivity growth and crises in healthcare, education, housing and law and order, it is no exaggeration to suggest New Zealand’s first-world status was ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – In 2022, the Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education employed 308 staff, according to an Official Information Request. Earlier this week it was announced 202 of those staff were being cut. When you look up “The New Zealand Curriculum” on the Ministry of ...
Chris Bishop’s bill has stirred up a hornets nest of opposition. Photo: Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate from the last day included:A crescendo of opposition to the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill is ...
Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.State of humanity, 20242024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?Full story Share ...
Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
The allure of sport transcends age, culture, and geographical boundaries. It captivates hearts, ignites passions, and provides unparalleled entertainment. Behind the spectacle, however, lies a fascinating world of financial investment and expenditure. Among the vast array of competitive pursuits, one question looms large: which sport carries the hefty title of ...
Introduction Pickleball, a rapidly growing paddle sport, has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions around the world. Its blend of tennis, badminton, and table tennis elements has made it a favorite among players of all ages and skill levels. As the sport’s popularity continues to surge, the question on ...
Abstract: Soccer, the global phenomenon captivating millions worldwide, has a rich history that spans centuries. Its origins trace back to ancient civilizations, but the modern version we know and love emerged through a complex interplay of cultural influences and innovations. This article delves into the fascinating journey of soccer’s evolution, ...
Tinting car windows offers numerous benefits, including enhanced privacy, reduced glare, UV protection, and a more stylish look for your vehicle. However, the cost of window tinting can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article provides a comprehensive guide to help you understand how much you can expect to ...
The pungent smell of gasoline in your car can be an alarming and potentially dangerous problem. Not only is the odor unpleasant, but it can also indicate a serious issue with your vehicle’s fuel system. In this article, we will explore the various reasons why your car may smell like ...
Tree sap can be a sticky, unsightly mess on your car’s exterior. It can be difficult to remove, but with the right techniques and products, you can restore your car to its former glory. Understanding Tree Sap Tree sap is a thick, viscous liquid produced by trees to seal wounds ...
The amount of paint needed to paint a car depends on a number of factors, including the size of the car, the number of coats you plan to apply, and the type of paint you are using. In general, you will need between 1 and 2 gallons of paint for ...
Jump-starting a car is a common task that can be performed even in adverse weather conditions like rain. However, safety precautions and proper techniques are crucial to avoid potential hazards. This comprehensive guide will provide detailed instructions on how to safely jump a car in the rain, ensuring both your ...
Graham Adams writes about the $55m media fund — When Patrick Gower was asked by Mike Hosking last week what he would say to the many Newstalk ZB callers who allege the Labour government bribed media with $55 million of taxpayers’ money via the Public Interest Journalism Fund — and ...
Note: this blog post has been put together over the course of the week I followed the happenings at the conference virtually. Should recordings of the Great Debates and possibly Union Symposia mentioned below, be released sometime after the conference ends, I'll include links to the ones I participated in. ...
The following was my submission made on the “Fast Track Approvals Bill”. This potential law will give three Ministers unchecked powers, un-paralled since the days of Robert Muldoon’s “Think Big” projects.The submission is written a bit tongue-in-cheek. But it’s irreverent because the FTAB is in itself not worthy of respect. ...
One Could Reduce Child Poverty At No Fiscal CostFollowing the Richardson/Shipley 1990 ‘redesign of the welfare state’ – which eliminated the universal Family Benefit and doubled the rate of child poverty – various income supplements for families have been added, the best known being ‘Working for Families’, introduced in 2005. ...
Buzz from the Beehive A few days ago, Point of Order suggested the media must be musing “on why Melissa is mute”. Our article reported that people working in the beleaguered media industry have cause to yearn for a minister as busy as Melissa Lee’s ministerial colleagues and we drew ...
1. What was The Curse of Jim Bolger?a. Winston Peters b. Soon after shaking his hand, world leaders would mysteriously lose office or shuffle off this mortal coilc. Could never shake off the Mother of All Budgetsd. Dandruff2. True or false? The Chairman of a Kiwi export business has asked the ...
Jack Vowles writes – New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’. ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
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. ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
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 ...
Taiwan’s semiconductor industry is seen some as its ‘silicon shield’ against invasion – but how will overseas expansion affect that protection? The post The state of Taiwan’s silicon shield appeared first on Newsroom. ...
There’s relief for building owners bending under the weight of earthquake strengthening rules – and costs – that came into force seven years ago. Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk has announced a scheduled 2027 review of the earthquake-prone building regulations will now start this year. Owners will also get ...
Opinion: It has been announced that nine percent of roles at Oranga Tamariki will be disestablished, presumably to help fund the tax cuts promised by the coalition Government. I am reminded of the graphics used to illustrate pandemic events, where five thousand people are standing in a field and then ...
After more than two sleepless days, running through savage terrain, Greig Hamilton didn’t know if he was going to finish one of the most gruelling psychological assaults in sport. He was metres away from the finish line, a yellow gate made famous in a Netflix documentary; a race he’d dreamed ...
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The following interview with former Green Party MP Sue Kedgley came about because she features in the new memoir Hine Toa by activist Ngāhuia te Awekōtuku; the two knew each other at the University of Auckland in the early 70s, when they were both took on leadership roles in the ...
COMMENTARY:By Murray Horton New Zealand needs to get tough with Israel. It’s not as if we haven’t done so before. When NZ authorities busted a Mossad operation in Auckland 20 years ago, the government didn’t say: “Oh well, Israel has the right to defend itself.” No, it arrested, prosecuted, ...
NEWSMAKERS:By Vijay Narayan, news director of FijiVillage Blessed to be part of the University of Fiji (UniFiji) faculty to continue to teach and mentor those who want to join our noble profession, and to stand for truth and justice for the people of the country. I was privileged to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Three weeks from now, some of us will be presented with a mountain of budget papers, and just about all of us will get to hear about them on radio, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dan Lowry, Ice Sheet & Climate Modeller, GNS Science Hugh Chittock/Antarctica New Zealand, CC BY-SA As the climate warms and Antarctica’s glaciers and ice sheets melt, the resulting rise in sea level has the potential to displace hundreds of millions of ...
The government's plan to reintroduce a three strikes regime is being strongly opposed by lawyers, who argue there is no evidence it reduces crime or helps people rehabilitate. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dan Jerker B. Svantesson, Professor specialising in Internet law, Bond University Do Australian courts have the right to decide what foreign citizens, located overseas, view online on a foreign-owned platform? Anyone inclined to answer “yes” to this question should perhaps also ask ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Giovanni E Ferreira, NHMRC Emerging Leader Research Fellow, Institute of Musculoskeletal Health, University of Sydney Last week in a post on X, owner of the platform Elon Musk recommended people look into disc replacement if they’re experiencing severe neck or back pain. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Hayward, Emeritus Professor of Public Policy, RMIT University anek.soowannaphoom/Shutterstock NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey caught the headlines yesterday, courtesy of a blistering speech condemning the latest GST carve-up. New South Wales, he claimed, would be A$11.9 billion worse off over the ...
While police are "broadly in favour", the government's proposed anti-gang laws are facing pushback from lawyers, rights groups and former gang members. ...
While police are "broadly in favour", the government's proposed anti-gang laws are facing pushback from lawyers, rights groups and former gang members. ...
By Miriam Zarriga in Port Moresby Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has arrived at Kokoda Station, Northern province, at the start of his state visit to Papua New Guinea. Both Albanese and Prime Minister James Marape will meet with the locals and the Northern Provincial government before they begin their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Wallace, Professor, School of Politics Economics & Society, Faculty of Business Government & Law, University of Canberra Shutterstock An important principle was invoked by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last week in defence of the government’s Future Made in Australia industry ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk Security forces reinforcements were sent from France ahead of two rival marches in the capital Nouméa today, at the same time and only two streets away one from the other. One march, called by Union Calédonienne party (a component of the ...
A poll last August found that just 16% of New Zealanders oppose bringing back the ‘Three Strikes’ law. The nationwide poll of 1,000 New Zealanders was commissioned by Family First NZ and carried out by Curia Market Research. ...
The solo show from Ana Scotney is both sprawling and intimate, and a must-see, writes Mad Chapman. In the opening moments of Scattergun: After the Death of Rūaumoko, writer and performer Ana Scotney lays out the groundwork, literally. Silently moving around the square stage, Scotney is not so much dancing ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Burridge, Professor of Linguistics, Monash University Who makes the words? Why are trees called trees and why are shoes called shoes and who makes the names? – Elliot, age 5, Eltham, Victoria Good question Elliot! Let’s start with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne at amRawpixel.com/Shutterstock Roles of health professionals are still unfortunately often stuck in the past. That is, before the ...
COMMENTARY:By Malcolm Evans Last week’s leaked New York Times staff directive, as to what words can and cannot be used to describe the carnage Israel is raining on Palestinians, is proof positive, since those reports are published verbatim here in New Zealand, that our understanding of the conflict is ...
In the case of New Zealand, the results confirm that there is no popular support for the vicious austerity program being imposed by the National Party-led government, which is backed in all fundamental respects by the opposition Labour Party. ...
The ‘Vampire’ singer has never visited our part of the world, but that might all be about to change. We assess the evidence.Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts World Tour is pulling in massive crowds as it whips around the US and Europe, even helping to catapult regular supporting act Chappell Roan ...
Testing of drinking water in rural Canterbury over the weekend by Greenpeace revealed that several public town supplies were reaching levels of nitrate above 5 mg/L - the threshold which a growing body of scientific evidence has linked to increased ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rohan Fisher, Information Technology for Development Researcher, Charles Darwin University It may come as a surprise to hear 2023 was Australia’s biggest bushfire season in more than a decade. Fires burned across an area eight times as big as the 2019–20 Black ...
Responding to the Government’s announcement of changes to resource management laws, Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, said: “These changes are a step in the right direction in terms of removing ideological and unworkable ...
More than two years after the Human Rights Council called for the establishment of a national human rights commission, such a body has yet to be formed. ...
Comment:An emergency management system with wide variations in performance, significant capability gaps, funding shortfalls and above all a setup that is not meeting the needs of New Zealanders at times of crisis. The Government’s inquiry into the response to Cyclone Gabrielle and other severe weather events in the North ...
Welcome to the whirring wonders of one brain trying to align its actions with its beliefs within a system it thinks is evil. My brain has been spiralling in a woke conundrum ever since I found out a bookshop I’ve never been to was shutting down. Good Books, a bookshop ...
We repeat our call for criminal justice policy to be based on evidence, something the three strikes regime neglects to recognise – with no evidence that it either reduces crime or assists with rehabilitation. ...
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor in Honiara With only four more seats in the 50-member Parliament yet to be officially declared, there is no outright winner in the Solomon Islands elections. As of Monday, the two largest blocs in the winner’s circle, independents and the incumbent Prime Minister Manasseh ...
Two/fiftyseven is a multi-purpose space hidden in the heart of Wellington that is paving a way for sustainable building and responsible landlording in Aotearoa and beyond.By 2060 the world is predicted to double its entire building stock, which equates to building an entire New York City every 34 days, ...
Popstars wasn’t just a reality television revolution, it was also a huge moment for Y2K fashion.It’s 25 years since girl group TrueBliss was formed on New Zealand national television, breaking new ground for both the reality television industry and the shiny clothing industry. With the first episode on NZ ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Pepping, Associate Professor in Clinical Psychology, Griffith University Marvin / Shutterstock Are all single people insecure? When we think about people who have been single for a long time, we may assume it’s because single people have insecurities that make ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By William Geary, Lecturer in Quantitative Ecology & Biodiversity Conservation, The University of Melbourne Trismegist san, Shutterstock Landscapes that have escaped fire for decades or centuries tend to harbour vital structures for wildlife, such as tree hollows and large logs. But these ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Gladstone-Gallagher, Lecturer in Marine Science, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Shutterstock/S Curtis Why are we crossing ecological boundaries that affect Earth’s fundamental life-supporting capacity? Is it because we don’t have enough information about how ecosystems respond to change? Or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Crocker, PhD Student in Economics, Deakin University Here’s something for the board of the Reserve Bank of Australia to ponder as it meets next month to set interest rates. It has pushed up rates on 13 occasions since it began its ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a charity director outlines how she’s saving for retirement and buying secondhand. Want to be part of The Cost of Being? Fill out the questionnaire here.Gender: Female Age: 45 Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: Charity director, mum of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sophie Yates, Research Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Many Australians with disability feel on the edge of a precipice right now. Recommendations from the disability royal commission and the NDIS review were released late last year. Now a ...
It’s been called a failed experiment and a judicial straightjacket but the government says the revised three strikes law will be a more workable regime, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Three ...
New Zealand’s Palestinian community and Palestinian Youth Aotearoa are voicing alarm and disappointment with the lack of factual rigour present during the Israeli Ambassador’s appearance as a guest on TVNZ’s Q+A With Jack Tame Sunday (21/04). ...
Both ACT leader David Seymour, who played a key role in drawing up the assisted dying law, and hospice leaders say it's time the legislation was changed. ...
Public submissions on proposed gang control laws are being heard today. Rising gang membership has been cited as rationale for a crackdown – but what do we actually know about how many people belong to gangs in New Zealand?What’s all this then?A rise in the number of gang ...
Climate activists are setting their sights on an unpopular target, and hoping to bring lots of the public with them. It’s hard to miss the Majestic Princess: the enormous cruise ship, docked at Auckland’s Prince’s Wharf, looms over the nearby buildings. The ship, which can fit nearly 6,000 people, ...
Opinion: We’ve kicked the tyres on the perception NZ’s economy is in a parlous state compared to Australia. We take a quick tour of relative trends in GDP, housing markets, labour markets, trade, the fiscal situation, and the outlooks for inflation and interest rates. We find the cyclical positions of ...
Opinion: Making sure developers, local and central government, and landowners are all on the same page makes sense The post A new kind of city deal appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 23 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...
The following korero between Ngāhuia te Awekōtuku, author of the newly published memoir Hine Toa, one of the year’s most important books, and Dale Husband from e-tangata, was first published in October. It traverses her involvement with the activist group Ngā Tamatoa at Auckland University in the early 1970s, her ...
In the 16 years since it was bought by the government for $690 million, KiwiRail has had several overhauls and turnaround plans worth billions of dollars. Its ambitions as a successful, profitable operator of tourism, freight and ferries have often been derailed by disasters from earthquakes to cyclones, mine explosions ...
Black Ferns trailblazer Kendra Cocksedge was on the verge of tears when her young protégé, Hannah King, unassumingly broke the news. Three-time Rugby World Cup winner Cocksedge and Lincoln agriculture student King meet every few weeks over a hot chocolate, in an enduring mentorship that’s spanned years. “Before we even ...
By Russell Palmer, RNZ News digital political journalist New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Winston Peters is putting off recognition of Palestine as a state, despite opposition Labour’s formal request that he make the move. Peters said diplomatic recognition of Palestine was a matter of “when not if”, but doing so now ...
The opposition has laid into the government's plan to reintroduce a "three strikes" regime, saying it's inequitable and there's very little evidence it works. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Nicholls, Senior research associate, University of Sydney Australia’s eSafety Commissioner has ordered social media platform “X” (formerly known as Twitter) to remove graphic videos of the stabbing of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel in Sydney last week from the site. The incident ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Turnbull, Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Sydney John Turnbull, CC BY-NC-ND In past bleaching events on the Great Barrier Reef, the southern region has sometimes been spared worst of the bleaching. Not this time. This year’s intense underwater heat has ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Austin, Lecturer in Theatre, The University of Melbourne Darren Gill/Mackey, Darling & Collaborators The relationship between witchcraft and teenage girls has been the subject of many books, films and television shows. Over time, the traditional image of witch as crone ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure ...
Yesterday on Nine-to-Noon, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Education (Lesley Longstone, Secretary of Education), responded to questions about whether there was an underlying plan behind the Christchurch school closures that had nothing to do with quake damage. She said the plan was to reconfigure the range of schools with an eye to making positive changes for the future. She explained it as something rational and good for Christchurch.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2532193/schools-shake-up-in-christchurch.asx
Parata has also said as much:
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/canterbury-earthquake/115789/13-schools-to-close,-others-to-merge-in-christchurch
Others are not so sure, and are concerned the government is taking the opportunity to change Christchurch schools, for benefit the better off Cantabrians, at the expense of the less well-off, and to further the NAct government’s agenda for education.
Green MP Catherine Delahunty sys:
http://www.greens.org.nz/press-releases/school-closure-criteria-needs-be-made-clear
John Minto is concerned that the Christchurch plans involve introducing Carter Schools:
http://mana.net.nz/2012/09/13-public-schools-in-christchurch-to-close-how-many-will-reopen-as-charter-schools/
People need to keep asking Key, Parata, and the Ministry, exactly what IS their plan for Christchurch schools, and how much this will be followed across NZ.
Disaster capitalism (see Naomi Klein): alive and well in Christchurch.
As usual us poor lefties that raised disaster capitalism happening in Christchurch were dismissed “this is New Zealand, don’t be paranoid” etc. The education unions will leap onto this with a growl hopefully if there is a scent of charter schools being snuck in.
And it’s not just the specter of Charter Schools that’s a problem here, but that involves a new train for consultants to scoop themselves up some gravy:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED1209/S00116/education-renewal-in-canterbury.htm
Does anyone else feel that Ms Longstone’s PR-speak sounds a little 1984-ish?
Thanks Carol. You have put together a lot of work there. Much to think about.
John Campbell was assured by Parata that each school will be consulted. John would return to the subject down the track.
Consultation??? But to listen and act on those responses? Yeah right!
I think here’s your answer about consultation, ianmac.
Also, on the charter school issue, I’ve heard – through the proverbial grapevine – that the government has been rejecting proposals for ‘special character’ state-funded schools in Nelson (two?) and Auckland that are not ‘special character’ for religious reasons.
That grapevine information came along with suspicion that that was to line-up such initiatives for charter school formats (while allowing religious ‘special character’ initiatives to continue to be state-supported). That is, make it impossible to do something different through the state system (as has been possible until recently) so that the only option is to find some private sector ‘partner’ and go the charter way.
Perhaps others have more information – or knowledge that shows it is only rumour and has no basis in fact?
The worm that turned.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10834120
The simpering John Armstrong misuses his considerable audience reach to try and give two bloggers a telling off. Unfortunately he picks one veteran who has considerable integrity and journalistic skills–Gordon Campbell at Scoop, the other–Bryce Edwards is a new kid on the block who needs more time in the saddle to rate really, as ex Alliance he still seems to have it in for Labour more than the torys at times. But regardless, Bryce does not deserve a pasting from the likes of Nat toady Armstrong.
Meanwhile two bloggers that desperately need a good spanking for all manner of poor and unethical behaviour–Farrar and Whale, are unlikely to get one in the pages of the Herald.
Yeah, WTF is that all about? Armstrong seems to think any number of journalists like him – part of the establishment, complete with an acceptable ambient neo-liberal bias is OK, but ONE blogger like Bryce Edwards pushing an overtly left wing agenda gaining an audience is some kind of threat to civilization. Armstrong also shows considerable arrogance. He is a real journalist. Campbell and Edwards are not. Therefore he will tolerate them until they become a bit of a threat, then they need to be slapped back into place.
No he’s not a real journalist, he’s a paid shill and company man writing slogan driven spin using his position as a so called informed commentator.
His lack of balance is obvious, a dinosaur blathering on in yesterday’s media.
Hey anybody moticed the ‘new herald’ looks eerily like the independent in the UK, wonder how much someone got paid for that.
Armstrong….. o ha, ha, ha
🙄
a few tried and trusted cliches come to mind…. for Armstrong in his glasshouse…. pot meet kettle:
Gordon Campbell is a far better, critical and well-researched journalist than Armstrong ever will be…. and Armstrong dares to call him and Edwards “blinkered” and ignorant.
UNBELIEVABLE!
Oh, but wait. Armstrong is trotting out his excuses for poor journalism, having a cry about pressures of meeting deadlines within a highly pressured international context, dealing with high status pollies. And is using it for a platform to bash bloggers generally.
If the journalists are not up to the job, they should do something else. And we are all entitled to crtiticise the product journalists turn out…. Here’s another good old cliche….. the proof is in the pudding
A good blogger holds MSM journalists to account. It’s a new environment, John. Get used to it.
In what is otherwise an extraordinarily self indulgent load of drivel it’s the last few paragraphs of Armstrong’s column which I found alarming:
“Edwards’ blog is the extreme example of the fact that most blogsites rely on the mainstream media for their information and then use that information to criticise the media for not stressing something enough or deliberately hiding it.
Unlike the mainstream media, the blogs are not subject to accuracy or taste – and sometimes even the law.
It is the ultimate parasitical relationship. And it will not change until the media start charging for use of their material.”
Is he basically suggesting that charging for content use is a way to stifle criticism?
He might be saying saying people with money have no critical thinking skills, or at least have sufficient “breeding” to be polite.
I disagree about MSM being subject to taste, unless racism and ignorance is a form of polite modern “taste”. In highlighting the parasitical relationship, he nicely avoids his part in the relationship. The dirty dog attracts fleas. In Armstrong’s world, dogs are self cleaning and the best of the best are heavenly creatures with no faults at all – exempt from natural law. If he can’t get rid of his fleas, his owner could give him a bath. Overall, he should be grateful he gets paid for crapping on the carpet.
Fran O’Sullivan has been having a go at Bryce Edwards for a while essentially because he is a leftie. Looks like she has persuaded Armstrong to have a go as well. What is the bet that Edwards’ Political Roundup column will shortly disappear from the Herald.
It is a shame really. The column is usually a good summation of what is happening on the blogs and in reality.
Reading Armstrong’s column “Methinks the man doth protest too much!”
The Poutrage!!!
Those nasty bloggers must have hit the spot for him to have such a tantrum in print, and why the f*$k did the editor let it go to print, suppose nothing much happened in politics this week. WTF!!!
Aaaand, Who could forget this zenith of political journalism from his co worker, Audrey Young.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz-government/news/article.cfm?c_id=144&objectid=10610606
Or this one from Audrey Young parrotting Bennett’s lies on Accommodation Supplement instead of checking some basic facts with the MSD.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/audrey-young/news/article.cfm?a_id=164&objectid=10821466
I assume Armstrong has no sense of irony in describing Gordon Campbell as not a journalist.
Conservative tears: cool, crisp, satisfying. Campbell and Edwards must be doing something right.
I had to smile seeing that one of only two comments on Armstrong’s blog post* came from Pete George talking about mutual parasites.
*’cos let’s be honest, that’s all it is.
Yeah, Armstrong certainly showed his bias there. Whalespew is just a torrent of vile rubbish, hate speech, and thinly veiled physical threats. He’s hardly even a blogger – he cuts and pastes some rubbish and his “army” starts frothing at the mouth. For all their weaknesses, Campbell and Edwards do at least come across as civilised.
And the comments section is a chorus of, Piss off John you are a whiny JK suckup.
Keith Stewart on Radio Live is doing a series interviewing politicians on Saturday nights at 8pm.
Tonight he has David Shearer on for those interested. Keith is a hard lefty so could be interesting.
The number of self-checkout machines in New Zealand will increase by half this year – the first wave of technology which is set to forever change our daily interactions
So when machines have replaced the human jobs, what happens to the humans….
To quote an old union official ‘work is disappearing ‘. The scary thing is if that these really bloated inefficient large companies look automation and good process seriously you’d see total carnage in their ranks as swathes of people wouldn’t be required.
Look at most Finance departments as an example.
Was talking with once of the nice human check out staff a couple of weeks back at a supermarket, and she said that the reason she scanned everything so frantically was that if they dont scan anough units per minute on average, when serting the counter, they get a “chat” with the manager…WTF
The supermarket happened to be Oz owned of course, and no surpirse the wanker above talks negaively about getting people on off days, but positively re consistancy of service &; speed of the machines..
These arseholes do not give a fcuk about human beings, frankly its rather sickening watching it all play out, and have dimwits, some on this site, trying to argue whats happening to us, is in fact not!
Edit: AS soon as it is “appropriate” in terms of time to do so, those processes you refer to will become surplus, just like the people involved in those processes. The finacncial sector is what is is with good reasons, which should be crystal clear by now!
Automation will become the norm, just look at the use of HFT, why the need to people in the front or middle office when the time comes!
Someone needs to come up with a way that people can pay for something using the credit on their mobile. Imagine using your phone as a digital wallet, you pick something up off the shelf, text a code to a number, and the purchase price is taken off your phone credit. Much easier than fumbling with your eftpos card.
You’re joking right!!!
Seriously have a think about what youre saying, then think a little further off along the technology roadmap, and try imagine where it will end up…..
flat phone battery = frakked and hungry
Yeah – lose your phone? Buy a new one. Lose your cards? Call for a replacement and cancel the old. Lose both…
Already happening, folks:
http://www.boston.com/business/technology/innoeco/2012/03/with_new_mobile_payment_app_cu.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_payment
Thats what I was getting at – Its already old technology.
Figured it was well known, but I guess not.
millsy 4.2
There is something called Square that has been developed which makes it easy to purchase stuff. Easier than eftpos I think with different way of connecting up.
I went to my local New World the other day, and just because i was waiting in line for a checkout I was accosted by, I presume a manager, who told me to use the self service checkout. I then informed her that 1: I am allowed to use what ever checkout I like. And 2: if I have to spend money then the least they can do is have someone who A: needs the job, and B: who can give you a welcoming smile and a cheery hello. And I also informed her that if they removed all the checkout staff and only left the auto ones open then I would go else where. She was not amused. (you could see it in her face she just wanted to tell me to piss off. Face like thunder lol)
That is the question. Under the present system a few get richer and everyone else takes another step or two towards poverty and starvation. The rich will, of course, keep blaming the poor for being poor and saying that we can’t afford to do anything about it.
We need to change the paradigm that we live under.
“We need to change the paradigm that we live under.”
How?
Design and promote a new paradigm. One that realises that the purpose of the economy is to support everyone and not just a few. One that listens to everyone and ensures that they have an equal say in the direction that society goes in.
I don’t mean to be disparaging, and totally agree that major change is required, but the system isn’t going to simply change because it’s dysfunctional… It will continue to grind on in its dysfunction and the few who have the nous to see it will continue to be ignored by the majority and by those who could effect change.
Conservatives and liberals aren’t going to give up their advantage without a fight… Which is pretty stupid because what we have now is a corruption of capitalism, whereby wealth is mainly being used to try to generate more wealth and not for the betterment of mankind. The thing that capitalists fail to understand is that more wealth can be generated when the people are fed, housed and clothed properly… A wealthy society also creates more wealth for capitalists. Wealth through subjugation and inequality is a fools agenda.
The current situation is entirely unsustainable and it’s only a matter of time before it collapses entirely. The problem is the suffering it causes in the mean time. You can work to increase peoples awareness and reduce peoples suffering, but by and large unless you have serious capital, you cannot bring about the downfall of corrupted capitalism or hope to change the current detrimental system… A catch 22 in other words.
@ Jackal
If a “tipping point” in the number of people whom develop “capital” within their heads occur “serious capital” can be overcome.
The thing that capitalists fail to understand is that more wealth can be generated when the people are fed, housed and clothed properly… A wealthy society also creates more wealth for capitalists. Wealth through subjugation and inequality is a fools agenda.
Or the agenda of those who like to watch human suffering,!
Who says “the capitalists” , if that is even what they are, fail to understand anythng of the sort!
Draco, you’ve just said the same thing, but used more words. I’m asking how ?
http://rdwolff.com/content/democracy-work
also, having the Government issue credit into the economy (instead of private banks) to fulfill societal aims, including the setting up of worker owned enterprises and co-operative financing structures.
That was the first sentence. Come up with a solution, promote it and then leave the rest to democracy and the failure of the present system.
Its been happening for a very long time. How do you think we moved from the stoneage.
First machine(wheeled carts) replaced serfs carrying things.
More recently cards replaced horse and buggies.
And so it will continue as the “workforce” requirements “adjust” to meet current demands.
Kiaora Muzza
The local supermarket I use has self-service which has been in place for over a year. However, on chatting to one of the staff recently, the supermarket is thinking to remove self-service as there has been a great increase in the number of ‘grocery items unaccounted for’ through using self-service.
While they usually have a staff member monitor the use of the six self-service machines they often are not in the position, especially in busy times, to closely inspect the number of items being ‘scanned’ through the system.
I suspect however that rather than get rid of self-service the supermarket will just increase the level and type of surveillance or input additional technology to prevent losses. Self-service will not completely replace the check-out operator but yes it probably will result in loss of jobs especially for our youth.
.
Hey Adele,
It will be up to people to vote with their feet, and start thinking about what/where they spend cash be it on essentials, or luxuries etc.
It has to be of concern when there are, and have been for some time, companies producing equipment whose use is/will put humans out of jobs, thats got to ring alarm bells for people surely.
Many Kiwis have voted with their feet and move abroad, plenty will never return, and that leaves the country vulnerable on so many fronts.
I genuinely am concerned about what has been happening to our country, and the direction we are being lead into, and honestly I don;t believe we are too many years away from major social unrest.
Sadly it need not be like that, but people have to open their eyes and realise that just because you believe that “im ok jack”, today, only means that there is some additional time you might have before problems come to your door.
The young of this country, the poor, the elderly, those most vulnerable, are treated so badly, and what are most people doing….asleep at the wheel it seems to me.
Be well.
Nope, it should be a celebration as it then allows those people to go and do something far more interesting and probably higher paid. The problem isn’t the disappearing jobs but that only a few people benefit from those disappearing jobs rather than all of society.
/agreed.
True which is why we get rid of capitalism.
Hey B, yes it should be, but I think you would expect that on current course, its got little to no chance to being that way. So the problem is the disappearing jobs, and also the point along the curve at which lack of jobs become a negative sum game, if we are not past that already.
We agree that the sytem needs to change, what it becomes is not as important at this stage, as the question of , how that change will come about!
The only change I am interested initially, is the taking back the control of our money supply. Achieve that and the conversations chnage immediately, and potentially do not require wholesale change.
Which is why I wonder if someone, or someone’s could successfully base an election run on that issue in silo????
muzza, we might well ask that question re incoming robotic servicing AND robots for human care.
Good Morning Dr Terry,
If I read your post correctly, you are saying that that “robots/machines” are possibly being created to help us out, help society etc?
Precisely! I notice that in our local Countdown, customers resist using the machines. I also resist them…
well work is not disappearing for some.
make sure you read yesterdays Dompost.
there are two very important article by Chris Trotter and Brenda Pilott on the leader page.
The shadowy Consitutional Advisory Panel and the Local Bodies Act are getting ready to strip the last vestiges of democracy and local input out of the vital institutions that manage the country.
it seems there is always plenty of work for the lampreys who attach themselves to the government to assist them in sucking the lifeblood out of the people.
The good news is that when the time comes all we have to do is get rid of one group of vampires: The ones in the Beehive!
captain hook
This is awkward. I have been looking at the Dompost and cannot find the articles you mentioned. Can you tell me where to go (on the Dompost page) to see them? Do I look for columnists tab at the top for instance? Or do I put their names in search?
I don’t think that they’re online. I certainly couldn’t find them.
Thanks Draco
Finally!!! 9/11 for Dummies.
Big photo’s, big letters, simple and blunt. Download for free and give to friends and family.
Surely 9/11 from dummies?
I stopped reading when they dragged out the Madrid fire without mentioning that the Windsor Building,
Madrid, was supported by reinforced concrete.
PB,
So true!!! WTC 7 was reinforced twice to withstand a nuclear blast but not a BIC lighter. How silly of them to forget!
Another top quality link there trav, thanks. But what does it have to do with the Madrid fire?
Do you care that so many truther documents use the madrid fire in a dishonest fashion?
Or do you think that because most people won’t do any checking, that it is all ok. That being dishonest is just the best tactic to get people to think what you what them to think?
It works of course, people don’t check things, telling lies works. I see you skiting about your blog, like I care. But for me, when I see you being dishonest, it makes me discount your views. It is your dishonesty, and the dishonesty of many other truthers, that really convinces me that you are all full of shit.
Start being honest, and you will start being convincing.
If you can’t be convincing without being dishonest, then the claims you are tryimg to convince poeple of are probably false.
PB,
You’re calling me a liar now?
For those of you wanting to make up your won mind about the Madrid fire here is PB’s analysis:
Because the Windsor tower was build with reinforced concrete it could withstand 24 hours of intense fire without collapsing
According to another genius here Mike E the towers collapsed because they had not central column but only reinforced concrete.
Here is the reality: both Twin towers had a core of 47 steel columns AND were build with reinforced concrete.
The third tower was build around steel columns and reinforced twice against nuclear blasts in it’s close vicinity. Still it came down in 6.5 seconds (Freefall speed) in the path of most resistance. Breaking every law of Physics known to man.
No Steel framed in human history has ever collapsed due to fire other then the three buildings from the WTC complex. Not even the other four buildings in the same complex which all burned for hours.
It seems to me the it is PB who is trying to turn and twist events and that perhaps it is actually more accurate to call him a liar but I leave that to your discretion.
Search terms you might want to go for are Windsor tower, Phillips building, Failed controlled demolition, Steel framed buildings, collapse due to fire, Newton, gravity, laws of Physics.
People might lie but the laws of physics sort of don’t.
What happened to the top section of the Madrid building Eve?
What was the difference in construction between the top section and the bottom section, how does that relate to the WTC and why don’t truther sites ever talk about that?
Not mentioning these things is dishonest.
Saying that the WTC towers had reinforced concrete, without saying whter or not this was load bearing structural stuff is dishonest.
People can certainly google and come up with thousands of links talking about the madrid fire and saying that it demonstrates that the wtc buildings wouldn’t have collapsed. truthers have been busy, and they link to all sorts of stuff, pushing up the google rankings of crud.
But the facts remain.
So show me your honesty and answer these three questions to the best of your knowledge:
1) What happened to the top section of the madrid building?
2) Was the top section of the buidling different to the bottom section in any respect?
3) If so, were WTC1&2 more like the top section, or the bottom section?
In your own words please. Let’s discuss like humans. Just throwing me alink to some usually irrelevent link is a fob off, one that ought to be beneath you.
And all this without a single link supporting these accusations and distortions and innuendo’s!
Have a nice day PB! I hope you don’t mind me not validating this crap.
Oh, and did I mention it: Lots of people are downloading the 911 for dummies pdf. Keep em coming PB. Keep em coming!
They are questions Eve. I don’t need to provide links to verify questions.
Question have answers, you have none however, which is fascinating. It’s almost as if the answers to those questions are things you are not interested in. Do the answers to those questions demonstrate the dishonesty of the truther’s use of the madrid fire eve?
Why don’t you show me up here, and demonstrate your honesty
Here’s another question, this time about the 6.5 second collapse claim. Who said this?
‘Truth’ funny how you guys keep using that word. A princess bride quote comes to mind.
PB. I just watched the CBS video and the building collapses in roughly 6.5s. It certainly did not take twice that long to collapse.
Further PB it seems that you’ve been had. Jones himself says in a blog post he labels “setting the record straight” that someone has deliberately made up shit (the same shit you quoted actually) and unfairly put his name next to it:
http://www.911blogger.com/news/2010-08-23/setting-record-straight-regarding-accelerated-fall-wtc-building-7
it only takes 6.5 if you ignore the penthouses, there is no reason to do that. I’ve seen arguments that there were two series of explosions, the first to weaken the structure, the second to bring it down. But that doesn’t explain why we see the penthouses fall. they aren’t holding the structure up, so bringing them down first makes no sense. (and i’ll note here that there are loads of controlled demolition videos on the web. Could you link me to some that sound like the WTC buildings coming down?)
But that’s only a problem for people trying to make the collapse look like something. NIST didn’t have that problem, so they just described what was most likely to have happened based on the evidence.
Other than that it’s one guy’s word against another’s, and Jones denial is pretty shifty,
‘I deny this bit most strenuously, those particular words are not what I said’ etc, and so on.
You’d laugh if John Banks put out a denial like that
.
Steven Jones is a really interesting guy. From Wiki:
Jones’ interests extend to archaeometry, solar energy,[2][3] and, like numerous professors at BYU, archaeology and the Book of Mormon.[4] For example, he has sought radiocarbon dating evidence of the existence of pre-Columbian horses in the Americas,[5] though initial results have indicated the equine remains tested are modern in origin,[6] and has interpreted archaeological evidence from the ancient Mayans as supporting his faith’s belief that Jesus Christ visited America.[7]
I’d read that their analysis didn’t cover the actual collapse, only events leading up to that point.
Not a single link and only one provable false quote and you call me a liar?
If you are reduced to this PB I suggest you have nothing at all.
My links will do the talking and none of them are based on lies like your quote.
Calling someone a liar without any supportive evidence is the last resort of the intellectual bankrupt.
Very sad.
Yep CV, very sad indeed but he left awesome testimonials
How did the building break the laws of Physics? My understanding is that, unlike traffic laws (for example), the laws of physics cannot actually be broken. And what is meant by “breaking every law of Physics known to man”? How was Faraday’s Law broken?
Ev is so blessed with insight that lesser mortals such as ourselves are not even allowed to think about ways her “information” could be checked. She sent me a message mentioning two things I’ve known about for more than 40 years to demonstrate my ignorance of the real world. Blind belief is all that is required, or be labelled a denialist. Pffft.
Oh Murray,
I had a modicum of respect before this but I can let rip now.
LOL. Fuck, you’re showing yourself to be a nasty vindictive little squirt don’t you?
Great thing you can’t chuck me off here like you did with others on a facebook page who had opinions other than you. And how silly to bring that intolerance and vindictiveness here!
Given the stuff you do respect, I won’t be losing any sleep.
And yes, I am one of the mods of a Facebook group that booted people for abuse, trolling, and constant ranting about all sorts of contradictory conspiracy theories.
Now keep obsessing and not answering questions. It’s what you’re best at, after all. Let rip.
Interesting PB,
You are giving a quote without any reference to who might have said it and what site you got it from and you are accusing me of being dishonest?
You skirting very close to classic shill behaviour here PB. It is one thing not to agree and try to disprove my assertions but it is entirely different to quote provably false quotes from debunking sites.
For those of you interested in trying to find out what really happened:
First of all steel framed buildings DO NOT COLLAPSE INTO THEIR OWN FOOTPRINT in 6.5, 14, 350 or 3000 seconds as the result of office fires EVER!
That makes PB’s argument moot.
The only reason steel framed buildings collapse into their own footprint is when they are “wired” for a CONTROLLED DEMOLITION.
Here is a video made by David Chandler. David Chandler was the man who forced NIST to admit that WTC 7 fell in free fall speed for 2.5 seconds of the 6.5 seconds it took to collapse.
In those 2.5 seconds 18 FLOORS of the 47 story building fell to the ground without any resistance. That is impossible unless it was imploded with the help of demolition charges.
Here is a Danny Jowenko a Dutch Demolition expert (Who recently died in a freak car accident) and his reaction when he is told that the WTC7 building he just described as a classic controlled demolition
Here is a fragment of an Italian documentary. In it the fire fighters admit to foreknowledge of the collapse and you see the reaction of two policemen when they hear the first explosions after which the building starts to come down.
You see what I mean PB? LINKS so people can make up their own mind!
lol.
Calling me dishonest doesn’t make it so.
Do you know what ‘begging the question’ means? It’s a logical fallacy, and here’s an example of it:
First of all steel framed buildings DO NOT COLLAPSE INTO THEIR OWN FOOTPRINT in 6.5, 14, 350 or 3000 seconds as the result of office fires EVER!
And none of your links discuss the simple and relevant questions I asked about the madrid fire.
Why are you avoiding those questions Eve?
You spend a lot of time researching this stuff, surely you could find the answers, surely you have come across them before, surely you don’t just look at one side of the debate right?
For those of you interested in what happened at the Windsor tower and made curious by PB’s insinuating questions the following:
The Windsor tower was a 106m high skyscraper in Madrid, Spain. After an extensive fire which lasted 24 hours the top floors pancaked and collapsed around the inner core.
To PB this proves that all buildings will collapse like the Twin towers and WTC 7 if exposed to fire.
What PB suggests is that people like me don’t want to talk about that because it disproves our theory about controlled demolition.
Here are a few links for you to brush up on the fire, the collapse and what some pre-eminent 911 research websites say about it and I will let you make up your own mind.
Here is a 1 minute BBC video which clearly shows that chunks do indeed fall of the building after huge fires have raged for hours and hours.
Here is a link to a well established 911 research site clearly describing the falling chunks too with the added advantage of actually describing the huge differences in building technique and other significant information such as a timeline showing that the collapse was partial and significantly slower than the freefall speed of the collapse of WTC 7 and more importantly that the collapse followed the laws of physics such as falling along the path of least resistance.
And here is Dr Frank Legge’s take on it illustrated by me with photo’s of both the Windsor tower, the burning Twin tower and of a woman standing in the hole created by one of the planes showing how there was no obvious fire and heat in the area where there were supposed to be furnace level heat bringing the Tower down.
And here is the Journal for 911 studies with articles written by Scientists, Engineers, Architects and others if you want tot learn more.
And PB stop digging that hole you’re already in. You’re getting to be quite desperate with your dishonest fake quotes and innuendo. I wonder why?
Oops, Purgatory again.
Saddened to hear this.
So the one link you provide that is at all relevant says that the madrid building was very different to the WTC buildings, but that the parts of the building that were most like the WTC buildings did collapse.
(And we are not talking about ‘chunks’ here, we are talking about the top third of the building)
So why is it used as alleged proof that fires won’t cause collapse?
Surely that information about the section of the madrid building that did in fact collapse, the section more like the wtc buildings, should have been included in the 911 for dummies leaflet you are promoting.
Do you think it is honest to leave that information out Eve?
“To PB this proves that all buildings will collapse like the Twin towers and WTC 7 if exposed to fire.”
I’ll just leave this one here as a fine example of Eve’s honesty for those who can find me saying or implying anything like it.
(HINT: You won’t find me saying anything like that, Eve just can’t help being dishonest. To be fair, her argument requires dishonesty to be at all convincing. Just bear in mind this statement of hers when she accuses others of dishonesty. She just flat out lies.)
Hash comes to mind as the talk revolves about 9/11 which is American coding for 11 September and doesn’t even refer to the year. (So the subject can be revived again each year as if it was just last year.)
Hash – dictionary definition 2. A reuse or rework of old material. and a meaning that holds glamour is 4. settle someone’s hash – to subdue or silence someone.
Personally I am trawling through various events of World War 2 which is full of surprises and shocks for me and there are even new understandings for historians. Now I set World War 2 as winner against your World Trade Centre. Any bets on which was the biggest and most awful and had most secrets and unexplained events.
(The latest is that the Germans told the Allies about the Polish Katyn massacre by the Russians well before the end of WW2 but the Allies kept it quiet because they needed to have the Russian power alongside them or the war and its deathly results would continue longer. And then afterwards the Allies still kept quiet about this sad act of barbarism).
It only took you 70 years to find out that WWII was started with False Flag inside jobs and they kept silent about it???
And you’re only able to admit to them because it was the “bad” people did them?
Oh well, never mind, I’m sure there’s going to be people like you who in 70 years are going to be equally surprised about the events of 911 when it’s “historians” who write about them.
Why do you talk about starting WW2 in response to prism mentioning the Katyn massacre?
🙁
Just the man who should be reading this beautiful book but who won’t.
I hoped you would react to this because it gives me an opportunity to thank you.
Thanks to your responses here my blog has attracted a lot more attention from people than it would have without your inane banter.
People have a tendency to want to see for themselves what is being ridiculed before they join the fray and judging by the fact that a lot more people (44 from the Standard alone) read my blog then the two who left proof of their intellectual fragility I reckon the message gets out there.
Next week I’m going to hit the 50.000 individual IP addresses of which about 46% are New Zealanders. That is at a rate of 117 on average per day over the last 30 days.
The last week more than 3476 people visited my blog with top searches such as:
edna cintron
9 11 twin towers
twin towers 9/11
the real towers on 911
building 7 lights for 9/11
And according to Open Parachute I was number 44 on the August list of NZ blogs. Not bad for a “fringe” blog from a foreigner considering there are now 267 blogs on his list!
So thank you and keep em coming!!!
No-one said link-whoring was without rewards.
Not if it’s great link-whoring!! LOL.
Who noticed how this year there was no upping or obvious highlighting of the “terror threat” level. leading into the anniversary of 911?
Then bam, right after, almost without warning (to the public, or the ambassador it seems), there goes deaths, attacks and the like.
Then some “bomb threat hoaxes” at universities in the USA…
Yeah this shit stinks as usual, whatever it is!
And let’s not forget the whole Mohammed film and Libya disaster
But it’s not great link-whoring, now is it? It’s a shame you do not have a background based in recognising the difference between shit and chocolate Ev.
For fuck’s sake? Howdy to you too!
Big BS trav read huffintons Expose on GW Bush’s cover up!
Link please!
Don’t bother. Just remembered Huffington’s post bans everybody who so much as whispers 911 together with the word question in the same sentence.
Concert for Syria
http://www.capitaltimes.co.nz/Concert-for-Syria
Syrian Refugee Fundraiser
8pm, Tonight.
Garrett Street
Be there or be square
Late News: Jon Lemon’s arm is DJing.
http://www.facebook.com/jon.lemmon.7
Right bloody Herald doing its usual. Now turn to Radionz doing its regular bloody good job.
This monrning on Kim Hill’s compered by Producer Mark Cubey today were some very informative items that anyone writing blogs here will want to listen to.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday (audio won’t be up till a few hours after broadcast or about 12 noon)
The first goes into the nature of politicians and why Britain has the bunch it has which explains what we have and what the public role in their choice is. He also mentions USA. It’s a pretty grim future for us really, for among other points, the super-wealthy have the money to fund the pollies they want to stand and then to get the policies they want. Hence USA. Don’t be too hard on Obama folks.
This interview was at 8:15 Aeron Davis (a good, clear speaker with nous)
Dr Aeron Davis is Professor of Political Communication at Goldsmiths College, University of London. He has investigated communication at Westminster and the London Stock Exchange, and amongst the major political parties and across the trade union movement, interviewing close to 300 high-profile individuals employed in journalism, public relations, politics, business, finance, NGOs and the civil service. Dr Davis is the author of Public Relations Democracy (MUP, 2002), The Mediation of Politics (Routledge, 2007), and Political Communication and Social Theory (Routledge, 2010). He is currently working on a book on the rise of promotional culture.
The second talks about China and how it is changing and casts light on what we should be thinking about it and how to be doing things alongside, in or with it. (Not like John Key building a slanted picture of having ‘tentacles into the Pacific’. What a stupid, ignorant prick he is when he is outside his only skill manipulating other people’s money in a firm that eventually failed.)
Was on at 8:40 Steve Mullinjer (good clear speaker very well versed in background.)
Steve Mullinjer is head of the Asian and Middle-East business for leadership advisory firm Heidrick & Struggles. Based in Shanghai, he also runs the firm’s Asian private equity business.
There was also a third – Martin Snedden who has written a book on the ins and outs of hosting the Rugby World Cup. It gives an overview of it and insight into how NZ can do things like this successfully again. Which we need to to keep money flowing and accumulating in piles to be delivered to education, hospitals and so on.
Prism. The really scary thing from Dr Davis was about the massive dismantling and privatisation of the British Health System. (Coming to a place near you?)
ianmac you’re back! Yes but the whole thing is scary.
I have read about British privatisation from years back in providing housing and the government there has through their lax demands and standards reintroduced slum landlords on probably a bigger scale than Peter Rachman. Wikipedia has coverage of this guy who would now probably be an MP or ex MP. Also this link http://notting-hill.london.myvillage.com/article/peter-rachman
The British are pretty good at doing down the poor and the ‘people’ generally. That’s why our people came all the way out here sailing for three months in crowded discomfort, eating who knows what and with numerous children born on board also dying. But we were brought up with the myth that the good things about the United Kingdom was all there was to know about them. Now the crooks have termited into the heart of the pillars of political and financial probity and services, and the edifice is tottering they are doing a Brownlee and sweeping it all away.
Good info Prism, cheers, and yes the worlds elite certainly have the planet at their mercy, there is no doubt about that! People have let it happen to them, so is expecting them to react to prevent further head stomping too much to expect?
Just one thing to address though “Which we need (corporate events) to to keep money flowing and accumulating in piles to be delivered to education, hospitals and so on.,
We need nothing to ensure that the countrys health, education and general societal well being needs are met, other than to take control of our monetary supply. At that time we can feed, heal, educate, cloth and shelter all those who need the asisstance, and some who may not, throughout our live with some dignity, that has been stripped back to callousness beyond belief in many cases.
Talk about large events and what purpose they serve distract people from core conversations, and given the losses to the country in terms of debt to repay on the back of the event, well we can let the private sector fund that stuff eh, at least until we have taken control of our monetary supply!
Oh come on muzza while it’s true that the people have let it happen etc there is another side and that the people can’t imagine the level of inflated self-promotion masking inherent incompetence and the focussed self-interest and deal-making tendencies that drives the actions of pollies.
The radio discussion talked about who gets elected and why and made the point that people particularly in the USA look for someone who sounds trustworthy and capable of doing the job. Policies are confusing so the electorate is not well informed about them. He also talks about the blatant lies about policies and change of tack once elected, often to the opposite of what was promised. Winston should get in to parliament, he is a consummate politician, but I like his style and if we are to have self-serving, well-paid career politicians (another point he comments on) we might as well have style with it.
And the point that we need to have control of our monetary supply – yes to a large extent. But it’s buying power is always connected to world levels. We could help by making more decisions ourselves true and stopping wealthy people using it as play money mucking up our exchange rate for instance. And we do need to do business and create wealth, or we get more reliance on free health care from old women and otherwise unemployed, and more being done with unacceptable parts of old home remedies. Baking soda on all wounds for instance, Vinegar anyone? T
Nah, that side is also called letting it happen to them…Through such traits as laziness, ignorance, arrogance and ego, large helpings of most or all, it is not exclusive the USA!
Not in large part, in full part Prism, people got to stop thinking outside of that little box, and fix our exchange rate while we are taking back the money supply, that will stabilise our export markets among other things! Once we have claimed our money supply, we can go about taking back whats left of so called democracy, because time is running very short these days….if its not past tipping point already!
Good on you for reding some history too, get stuck into WW1 while youre at it, I am sure you are already up to speed on the Vietnam lies which kick started that disaster!
The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see. —Sir Winston Churchill (yes he was one of the bros, and high enough to have known exactly what he was saying!)
muzza
Hell no. I can’t go into WW1 or Vietnam in depth (though did a bit of googling on MIA and was fascinated by how many politicians and scam artists (not necessarily the same) got involved in that emotional idea. One woman mortgaged her house to provide funds for someone who said he was going to find evidence in Vietnam. All for nothing, for her, I think. No WW2 is enough. I have only so much time.
And about the exchange rate, if the market isn’t going to set a second by second rate based on points of a cent advantage to the traders, how are we going to establish a rate that holds and is appropriate for the market as well as for us.? Will we set it at certain times of the year, then hold through one season of agricultural or horticultural exports then at a set date look at how the market/blackmarket is going (economists don’t like floor prices as it encourages devious ways around, though I don’t know if that is worse than hedge funds that are set up to play financial games for the h.funds within the main transaction.) And if USA can have Quantitative Easing why can’t we??
And what exchange rate would we have now if we could eliminate much of the short-term trading that we have now. The rate would be different and higher probably than a rational assessment looking at our total economic situation. 70% against the US$? And what about the basket of currencies rate?
……..NZ$ value PayNZ
Euro 0.632211 1.581750
US Dollar 0.830000 1.204819
Australian Dollar 0.785278 1.273434
Canadian Dollar 0.805266 1.241826
(courtesy of X-Rates)
A 1% increase in the TWI reduces the value of exports by .81%. The so called lobbyists such as the EMA and FF argue that the inputs such as fuel etc negate the increased value ie inputs =outputs. Which they do not.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/115888/ctu-urges-action-on-high-dollar
You need higher returns to increase efficiency both in energy,and in local substitution such as packaging etc.
The fact is we have an external deficit,we have to either increase our earnings,or decrease borrowings,when ideology gets in the way of obvious economic reality it may be indeed time to send the old bulls to the works.
The EMA has long been a right wing neoliberal lobby who represents VERY FEW manufacturers.
The NZMEA is far more representative of the NZ manufacturing sector.
The NZMEA does indeed to seem to have the problem quite clearly identified eg
http://www.realeconomy.co.nz/305-exchange_rate_costs_exporters_.aspx
The NZMEA site has quite an innovative approach to issue discussion,such as links to Steve Keen discussions.
Poission 8 2 1 1 1 +
For the information of those at economics 101 like me –
The trade-weighted index (TWI) is a measure of the value of the New Zealand dollar (NZD) relative to the currencies of New Zealand’s major trading partners.
Thank you Reserve Bank. May we learn and honour your actions to preserve the integrity of our NZD.
I’m a beef lover Poission. Even tough old fatty stuff, with mushrooms and a soupcon of red wine perhaps.
Labour seems to have woken up,that there is an Achilles heel and it is Joyce (culled from vet school )
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1209/S00241/federal-reserve-action-requires-exchange-rate-action.htm
We can always afford what we make from NZ resources.
DTB
Yes point taken that we need to make things, repair things here but we still will need to import some parts or whole items.
Sound familiar ?
“The basic problem for Republicans is that their highest policy priority is to cut the effective tax rate paid by the richest 1 percent of Americans, but the vast majority of the voters don’t share that goal. Handling that problem is the single biggest challenge the Republican party faces. Normally, when a party has an extremely unpopular position, it just jettisons it. But Republicans care so much about this goal that they won’t give it up, which makes sense — you compromise on your secondary goals, not on your primary goal. Still, this ultimately places them in the position Romney finds himself and Paul Ryan and George W. Bush have found as well — the only way they can get elected is to obscure the real trade-offs and make up a bunch of fake numbers.”
Romney: My Magic Tax Plan Will Repeal Laws of Arithmetic http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2012/09/romney-my-magic-tax-plan-will-repeal-math.html
This is only about the Republicans isn’t it? I mean National wouldn’t use these tactics like lowering the tax rate for the benefit of the rich would it? Oh.
Remember people not to be conned by the term “rich”, especially when referring to tax cuts in NZ.
Sure the cuts were aimed at those who possibly did not need them, but that conjecture, does not hide the simple fact that it was little more than the following.
1: Vote buying/securing
2: Class warfare ensuring – Hey those rich bastards to a tax cut, and we got a bloody gst tax rise…
3: Budget blowing – leading to more borrowing, from who, at what rate we are not allowed to know, only that we all become pooer for it
4: Distraction!!!!!
The true rich, not those people belive are in charge, do not pay tax, nor do the corporations they own. Even the lackeys like Romney do their best to steal then hide their ill gotten gains…
No, the “rich” , we in NZ, and the idiots in the USA are told that the “rich”, are those in NZ = Over 65K or whatever it is, and in the USA 200-250k+
These people are not why NZ is broke, they are simply a tool being used, just as the poor are. When people can cut through the obvious misdirections, then can we have real conversation.
People who make things for the rich find often that it is very hard to get payment from them, they delay, complain about some minor thing to bring the price down and just don’t want to pay their bills.
Applies to tax as well. That reluctance to pay a small proportion of their discretionary money, ie what’s left after utilities and other living expenses are paid for, and then the tax just reduces their extra pot of gold, starves the country of the income it needs to provide for all the other people who make do on much less, ie the huge majority. And the more that universal provision of services is cut, the more they want to hold onto their gold to make sure that they have the cash to cover their own needs. Universality is often scorned, but it is essential in a democracy that wants to be fair and reasonably equal.
And we noticed that going house to house for charity collections the people in rich houses tended to be rude and nil donors, but many people in poor seeming houses they gave something.
My plumber brother in law hated doing work in Fendalton in Christchurch because they constantly obstructed paying his bills.
Anecdotal I know, but ask around.
Isn’t the job of hospitals to help keep you ALIVE?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vbu5eUzTgYA
PROTEST today Saturday 15 September 2012 from 12 noon to 2pm outside Auckland Hospital.
VITAMIN C CAN CURE! So why does Auckland Hospital REFUSE to give it to you?
http://www.vitaminccancure.org.nz
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Penny Bright
You can actually buy ascorbic acid very cheaply and inject it yourself if you really want to. If I thought it would help with cancer, I wouldn’t wait for a hospital.
What is it a treatment for? Broken leg? Blindness? The vapours? Dementia?
After 10 weeks of waiting my IR3 tax return was due to be released yesterday. I checked on-line and nothing had changed so I rand IRD. I was informed that because my return contained an overseas component it could not be processed automatically, and so it will now be processed manually which will take another 15 working days. This is after I rang them twice during the ten weeks to check on the progress and discussing with the employee both times the overseas component.
How the $%^% does it take 10 weeks to figure out a single application has to be processed manually?
I’ve made a formal complaint.
Thats the public service or you.
Further from Water Care comment a few days ago
A standard family of 4 usage 600l/day or 219 kL
In Jan 2012 the annual cost of water would have been:
Fixed charges WasteWater $426.36 pa
Volume Charges $284.70 p.a.
Total Cost $711.06
Now it would be
Fixed $190 p.a
Volume Waste Water $294.12 @ $1.343
Volume Water $499.54 @ $2.281
A New annual cost to the $983.66
An increase of $272.60 or 38%. No wonder everyone is feeling poorer. And for me this is where many miss the point it is these day to day issues that hit the pay packet that get no attention are the issues. Think what a household has to give up now to be able to afford this increase in water. I hope that the new beer factory of Lion have also incurred this increase ????
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10696787
herodotus 12
And who says that water is free and we all own it???? Good old Jokey Hen that’s who. Cluck cluck again.
Water is free just like education – Tui anyone !!!!
Like many of these insidious increases in costs that we cannot escape (Non tradables) and watch deflation form nice to haves that we import and can live without or delay. Hard to delay water, rates etc. These are the every day issues that do have an impact on people not all these beltway issues.
Our town does not meter water. Is your annual water rate of $983 on top of Rates? If so must make Rates + water pretty high? (My total Rates $2,340 pa.)
Rates have had the water component separated for some of the councils that were absorbed into Jakaland others such as Manukau & Auckland had them already separated. Just another small issue that makes all of us poorer and those in severe need ….. Still what is a 38% on top of the rates increase- Just as well we all received a tax cut a few years ago to help us out !!!!
Which is really incredibly stupid. Metering each house gives gives people a way to cut down their water use and also helps detect leaks in the pipe.
It’s also the first step to privatising the supply.
I’ll wait until leaks become evident, ta very much. given that the only reason my town had a water shortage a few years back was because the reservoirs were too small for the population. Sorted now, I believe.
Only if you allow it to be.
And that would have been known before it became a problem if proper measurements (inflow, storage and outflow) were in place.
At those rates it would be advisable to go to this site.
You know, what really pisses me off is that a lot of people actually think that these things such as water can be supplied free. It costs to put them in place and it costs to maintain them. Can’t get away from that. Could get away from the council taking a dividend (profit) but that would require an increase in rates which people will complain about as well but it still comes down to the simple fact that what they want to be supplied costs and they don’t seem willing to pay for it.
If all new houses were required to have rain/roof fed water tanks, the cost of water could start to approach “free”.
It would drop down to the minimum amount needed to maintain the infrastructure which we would need to keep going – especially the waste water systems.
John Armstrong vs Bloggers
It’s free speech stupid and the blogosphere is here to stay…
A heads-up …
Both Key and Shearer will be on Q & A tomorrow (9 am).
Some advice for David Shearer: you know what you will be asked about (water, asset sales) and you need to have a very clear response. Spend the rest of Saturday rehearsing with the bathroom mirror if you have to – just make sure you get it right. It is 100% certain that your soundbite will be featured in the news bulletins, so it’s your job to give the media one they can use.
You will be asked …
“Do Maori own water?”
“Do you agree with the Prime Minister?”
“Would you negotiate with iwi?”
etc
Media Rule One – it is NOT about the question, it is about your answers. And your answer should be that New Zealand assets are not for sale. If you accept Key’s framing of the issue (i.e. it’s about those grasping Maoris) then you lose. So … don’t even THINK about accepting it. You say:
“Our power is not for sale. We’re going to give the people a say, and they’ll say “No sale”.
(Interviewer – “But who owns water?”)
“We’ll have a referendum. I’ve brought a copy of the petition along (*waves paper at camera*) for John Key to sign. Have you signed it yet? Why not?”
(“But who owns water?”)
“Let’s ask the people … if they want to keep our assets, we keep our water.”
etc.
No waffle. Just a clear, principled (and incidentally, popular) position. Please.
+1 I’d like to see DS also throw the issue of falling demand from Kawerau and Tiwai point onto the table which weakens all the generators values.
Shonkeys playing the race card as a distraction from the play Rio Tinto are making to get even cheaper power from our system and overall falling demand.
Taunt the big businesses party with their inability to see this coming from big business, not looking at the global market for aluminium etc etc, as has been stated, answer in a way that sets the agenda.
Play on your own terms not the hollowmens
Yeah but you already know whats going to happen. Umms and errs and arrs and waffle, waffle, waffle. Key will run rings around him, and then Labour really will be a dead duck…Time to start saving my pennies for moving my family out of NZ.
Hateful arses.
http://maxblumenthal.com/2012/09/meet-the-right-wing-extremist-behind-anti-muslim-film-that-sparked-deadly-riots/
Tomgram: Monopolizing War?
What America Knows How to Do Best
It’s pop-quiz time when it comes to the American way of war: three questions, torn from the latest news, just for you. Here’s the first of them, and good luck!
Two weeks ago, 200 U.S. Marines began armed operations in…?:
a) Afghanistan
b) Pakistan
c) Iran
d) Somalia
e) Yemen
f) Central Africa
g) Northern Mali
h) The Philippines
i) Guatemala
related inforgraphic
Goodness me. And the outrage of Americans at the attacks on US Embassies and suchlike. What a cheek those non-Americans have to actually molest some of our places. Surprised and shocked. Tsk. Tsk.
joe90
What a smug-looking sh.t. What I can’t understand is why there isn’t a furore about people like Klein calling themselves Christian. If that isn’t taking the Christian religion and Lord’s name in vain I don’t know what is. The established churches who consider themselves following Christian principles should denounce such people. Klein cannot be a true Christian and act as he does, and the Coptic Church should also be calling their people to account if they profess to follow the Christian way.
Having leaders of churches criticise these lowlives plays into their fantasy world, and gives them a chance to have airtime to spout their poisonous filth. Better for the 99% of us who find their views utterly despicable to disempower them with logic, compassion and decency
locus
I disagree. The churches that cling to the idea of integrity and following Christ need to disassociate themselves from so-called ‘Christians’ like Klein and the nasty and stupid so-called Coptic Christian who actually made the film. Jesus would denounce them.
I don’t believe that he is a Christian at all, much less a Copt. The story changes every 5 minutes, I’ve been discussing it on a rather vicious American board, for the past 3 days, and I have been noting all the changes as they happen…
My apologies to Banksy…….no….the other one
That is good WJ and I’m sure Banksy would love it.
Just had a look at the other pics too. Great William.
Just how useless can a politician be?
Watch the following clip. It is the Australian workplace relations minister Bill Shorten, but I’m sure others have seen New Zealand politicians who are just as much of a waste of space….
http://ceasefiremagazine.co.uk/i-opinion-told-yet/
There’s this one for starters:
http://www.3news.co.nz/Hekia-Parata-announces-backdown/tabid/370/articleID/257000/Default.aspx
Thanks for that, Anne. We’ve been onto that talent-free timeserver for a while around here…
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-30082011/#comment-369467
Enjoyed that one 🙂
Actually it could just as easily have been Paula Benefit discussing her future plans for the enhancement of beneficiaries’ well-being – minus a few of the ummms and arrrhhs…
Today Goldworthy spokesperson for Manufacturers is reported as saying no to Green suggestions to ease the exchange rate because it will – put up fuel cost. And no serious politician would consider that. Hey, I think it’s time to recognise it’s already happening. Wakey, wakey.
His message is that manufacturers have to get smart and handle it. This is exactly the same message that they have been coming out with since the exchange rate became a problem. These guys can’t even support a new approach that would benefit all of them in keeping their markets and getting more sales in this world recession! Door closed. Closing down shop. Locked. No new ideas need to apply here.
No wonder NZ is going down the drain. And catching up with Oz, we won’t even be able to hope that if we wait in one spot they will decline to our level. We will be slowly sinking always below them for reasons of size for a start, which gives scale, and also because they are a bunch of tryers, trying yes, but they’ve a bit of the dingo that we haven’t got.
Another move in google’s plan for world domination. ‘Quick view’ in google searches (to save opening DOCs/PDFs etc) is now only available if you are signed into googledocs with a google account.
weka
Thanks for that information. When is that happening? We just did a test and could get it without doing anything extra.
Everytime I use it now. But just checking… it only happens in Safari. Firefox seems to be fine.
Scratch that. It seems that I had a gmail account that had been logged out by google, but not by me, and that was what was prompting me to log in. Once I logged out properly, I could view the googledocs fine.
Typical 🙄 google being only mildly evil.
This should be first up on the news
He should also have added….
please don’t starve my country
please don’t ruin my economy
please don’t bomb my family
please don’t invade my country
please don’t appoint a corrupt government
please don’t hand my country over to your corporations
please don’t steal our resources
@ William Joyce 21 +1
I agree with the Law Society suggesting that we jettison the tv coverage we have at present and instead supply a constant feed with no comments. Jonathan Temm slags the tv coverage we have now as encouraging disrespect for the law, and emotional responses to the process and to the defendant. And concentrating only on particular cases that they can sensationalise. True.
And what about this news.
Road rage case reviewed by Solicitor-General
The Solicitor-General’s office is reviewing a case in which an Auckland investment banker ran over a man and broke his legs.There was an altercation so of course when you are an annoyed banker, or even a disturbed one, you attack someone with your car.
Happened in Christchurch and the guy got away with killing Christine Clark, mother of two.
Perp got 9 months periodic detention and 2 years disqualification. He was a good guy said his barrister, and was frightened by the emotional picketers at Lyttelton and just took off.
Sydney police tear gas anti-US protestors
Coming to a town near you.
http://rt.com/news/police-australia-protesters-sydney-187/
Klein USA right wing brain-damaged rabid who was behind the offending film was on radio yesterday or this morning. He talks about Vietnam, which seems to have spawned such a tail of bad attitudes and concepts almost as bad as the war itself. He says his son was injured when in Iraq on some project.
The fast worldwide media gives these crazies and bigots so much power. The First World War I think started after a Serbian killed the ArchDuke of Something which caused outrage and sparked the fuse that went off dragging countries in to support other countries they had treaties with. People like Klein and the southern ‘pastor’ who burnt a Koran are the same sort of dangerous nutters. We have just made closer ties with the USA, our big buddy! What next?
you’re right – the more hatred one side can generate the more it justifies the other side to use the same tactics – putrid attitudes need to be starved of publicity – does the egyptian tv host who broadcast the sick video to the arab world feel any responsibility for the ensuing deaths and escalating hatred?
Re David Bain…
When retired Canadian judge, David Binnie, was appointed by the National Government to assess David Bain’s compensation claim a few months ago, Judge Binnie asked for reading material which included two books written by Bain supporter, Joe Karam: David and Goliath: The Bain family murders; and Bain and Beyond.
But this request did not extend to books written by ant-Bain campaigners. I find that quite extraordinary. The other books included The Mask of Sanity: The Bain Murders by James McNeish; and In the Grip of Evil: The Bain Murders by Judith Wolfe and Trevor Reeves.
To get compensation, applicants must prove their innocence, at a minimum, on the balance of probabilities. In addition, because Bain’s claim fell outside cabinet guidelines, he needs to demonstrate the circumstances were extraordinary. The compensation could be up to $2 million dollars, for the time he spent in prison. He could also be entitled to a public apology or a statement of innocence. I don’t believe that innocence or lack of innocence should be assessed on probabilities. Justice has to be broader than that, surely?
The interesting point that should be considered is that the Prime Minister, John Key, and his Cabinet are not bound to grant compensation. As I wrote above, this claim actually fell outside Cabinet guidelines.
The Government’s decision could take some time. Judge Binnies’ report has to be read by the Minister of Justice, who will then report to Cabinet. There is no right of Appeal to the Cabinet’s decision. It is binding!