“On to Te Tai Tonga and Maria said “Hurricane” (Clinton Dearlove) will storm Labour’s vote. Willie was on the right track when he disagreed and said Dearlove will steal Maori Party votes and hand the seat to Rino as a result. This is a point I made after the Te Tai Tonga debate.”
Hey Morgan, would it not be prudent to acknowledge that “Hurricane” (Clinton Dearlove) will take votes off the Greens, New Zealand First, Maori, and Labour Party. Remember the Greens and New Zealand First are only running a party vote campaign in the Te Tai Tonga.
Hey Morgan how about backing your story-telling with some data, or at least some logical reasoning if possible.
Please try and explain the following?
Te Tai Tokerau 2008 Labour Party vote 45% latest poll 27% a drop of 18%
Tamaki Makaurau 2008 Labour Party vote 49% latest poll 32% a drop of 17%
Waiariki 2008 Labour Party vote 51% latest poll 28% a drop of 23%
The average 2008 Labour party vote in the Maori seats was 49% the latest poll average is 29% a drop of 20%.
In the Te Tai Tonga in 2008 the Labour Party vote was 49% and the 2008 Labour candidate vote was 40% a drop of 9%
In the Te Tai Tonga in 2005 the Labour Party vote was 57% and the 2005 Labour candidate vote was 45% a drop of 12%
The average drop in the labour candidate vote was 10.5%.
Therefore based on the 2008 party vote result of 49% less the latest poll average drop in support for labour of 20%, the likely result would have the 2011 Labour Party vote at 29%. However when factoring in the fact that the Labour candidate receives less candidate votes than party votes.
29% less 10.5% leaves Rino Tirikatane with a likely result in the 2011 election of only attracting 18.5% of the Te Tai Tonga candidate vote.
Prof Margaret Mutu was interviewed on Stratos last night by the Southland interviewer that had previously fawned all over David Caygill after he and cohorts had taken over Environment Canterbury to get dairy irrigation underway..
Anyways, Mutu was very smart and articulate of course. But she fell into a hole when she was explaining something along the lines that NZ is / was not one people but two peoples, or many peoples, and she then said “but Maori are the original people and that is the difference”.
A few minutes later she was discussing immigrants who arrived a few hundred years after the Maori immigrants and complaining that they brought “a notion of superiority with them” that they were superior because of a belief in a different genetic makeup. Of course that “notion of superiority” is today more commonly known in these circumstances as racism.
Mutu however is blind to her situation. Her claim that Maori are “different” than the other peoples, based on a belief that being first in line confers something special, is the exact same sentiment that she sees in the original English when they thought they were “different”, based on a belief that their genetics conferred on them something special. The English had it wrong then. Mutu has it wrong now. It is a shame that someone of such academia and outright knowledge (though clearly falling short on the wisdom front) cannot see the glaring hole in her outlook.
I have had this argument many times but I have never seen any decent argument in support of Mutu’s “we’re different” idea. I am flummoxed as to why these supposedly smart people cannot see the stituation. But then I see why with Mutu – she believes her opinion as to “being different” is fact. Just as the English had believed their opinion re genetics was fact. It is a common human failing. And it is only the distance of history that can shed light on current situations for some people.
Mutu was otherwise very good and openly expressed the unstoppable brilliance that Maori and Pakeha working together alongside each other to their maximum potential could bring these islands. But sheesh, this continuing idea that Maori are different and special is as bad as the old idea that the English were different and special. Spectacular fail. And until it is recognised as incorrect by Maori the country will continue to stumble in its race relatonships.
There is something infinitely sad in being “special” or “chosen” because of some accident of birth, or equally sad about being disadvantaged because of the same accident of birth. I cringe at my English fathers attitude that represents his generations views on races / cultures other than his own. And I cringe at being asked to be responsible for historic wrongs, or at being deemed “inferior” because of my fore fathers.
We in NZ have a bigger issue than just Maori Euro relationships, we are now becoming a Pasifika Asian mix as well. Fortunately our children will lead the way as Ranganui Walker says “between the bed sheets”. In a few generations most NZ children might have a whakapapa including Chinese, Tongan and European ancestories.
“I have had this argument many times but I have never seen any decent argument in support of Mutu’s “we’re different” idea.”
The simple answer is that whether a person is a street sweeper, university professor or sportsperson, from time to time they engage in politics. Examine the context. In this country that means drawing lines between people: dark/ light, rich/poor, locals/immigrants, law abiding/criminal. That’s what Mutu was doing. Engaging in politics NZ style. What she said doesn’t have to make sense, she doesn’t even have to believe it, it just has to appeal to her target audience. When asked one way or the other, she’ll open a can of spaghetti reasoning for you to untangle. Welcome to politics 101.
Interesting that the police has issued a warning to TV3 not to publish the cuppatea recordings. I cannot recall the Police ever doing this before and there more than a slight stench of police interference in the political system.
If people are interested the section the police are referring to is section 216C of the Crimes Act 1961. The Act does require the interception to be unlawful, which requires the interception to be intentional.
The PM doesn’t like the content of his public conversations revealed. Wonder why?
Can New Zealand now watch this in a different light and still believe what he is saying about the cup-of-tea moment?
Some might say they wouldn’t trust him with the steam off their own …
And what was really printed on that piece of paper when he tried to defend his position on the S and P issue.
We all remember Gordon Brown’s tragic accident with a microphone – that was aired. Surely there are grounds to have the tapes released in the name of public interest?
There is a huge body of knowledge including from the academic community on indigenous thinking, ideology and ways of being. Indigeneity is different in the sense that its arguments, philosophies, dogma derive from the relationships it has to the natural world from which it emerges.
That specialness that comes from being indigenous is not simply a Māori thing, 144 countries world-wide signed the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (only recently did New Zealand sign albeit with the proviso that it will have no material effect on NZ legislation or policy) which articulates the rights inherent in being indigenous.
What is plainly an un-real expectation on behalf of people like yourself and the majority of Pākehā benefiting from colonial expansion is that we should be ‘all the same.’ In other words Māori, Pasifikan, Asian, should give away any notion of being Māori, Pasifikan or Asian and to, at the very least, parody a life of whiteness – to assimilate the values and aspirations of the western tradition.
Aotearoa New Zealand is the largest Polynesian island in the world – a mini-England, Ireland or Scotland it should not be. If there is to be oneness than at the very least let it have a brown skin and a Polynesian tongue. The relentless pursuit of the assimilation of diverse peoples into a homogenous soup of blotchy whiteness is the crime – not what Margaret Mutu articulates. .
Kotahitanga is unity of purpose – which recognises diverse interests pursuing a common purpose – a far better ideology in my opinion.
Adele, you make a couple of points sure, but kinda missed the sinlge base point I was making re the notions of difference, superiority, specialness.
In addition, this point you make here …. “What is plainly an un-real expectation on behalf of people like yourself and the majority of Pākehā benefiting from colonial expansion is that we should be ‘all the same.’ ” is way off the mark and I cannot see how you can pull that assumption from my post. I say vive la difference, but not when it comes to the standing (legal, moral, etc) of separate peoples in one location (and in this regard I guess I am at odds with both the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigineous People and Te Tiriti. Both are/were no doubt appropriate for the existing circumstance, but both are limited by that same circumstance. They have an end-by date due to their failure to acknowledge the issue raised in my post).
Your waffle vto mirrors the denial too many people are in regarding the colonial and post colonial history of this country.
Until all citizens have roughly equal health and wealth stats (improved ones that is) more people had better start learning about Te Tiriti and acting, it holds us all back as a nation in the meantime.
Which particular waffle and denial is that Mr Mountain? My point was specific – about Mutu’s missing link in her otherwise robust outlook. (point in post at 6.37 above)
“The relentless pursuit of the assimilation of diverse peoples into a homogenous soup of blotchy whiteness is the crime – not what Margaret Mutu articulates. . ”
You’re damn right is it, even if you’re white! I’d like it very much if as a nation of varied people, we all agreed that everyone should have – as unalienable right – enough to eat, a safe place to be, access to health free care and meaningful work.
I don’t care which language we speak or what colour we turn, but if it’s brown skin we need, can someone turn up the temperature? It’s November for godsakes and it’s not even warm!
See from this mornings Dom the Nats ( a branch of the Flat Earth Society ) are promoting roading again. At the same time Brent Crude flies high in prices and lwo in supply. Still infrastructural development follows the same mantra…roads roads roads….private transport.
When will these goons get that happy motoring is going to be a thing of the past sooner rather than later and in a post growth shrinking economy this represents a massive misallocation of precious resources and money?
There was once a PM who decided that oil was going to be (1) too expensive and (2) run out in the long run, who then built a synthetic fuel plant, electrified part of the rail network, built a dam on the Clyde, and a methanol plant. He is now roundly abhorred by the Left and castigated for these things. And oh, that’d be the Labour government that sold a good few of these projects off. Nice work.
yup, he’s admitted. He hasn’t bothered to flesh out what the mistakes were, and how he would have done anything differently, and which of his x-colleagues he is hanging out to dry. I suppose north of $9billion gives him the right to say he’s made a mistake though.
As I’ve constantly said though Colonial, go see the late Roger Kerrs stuff, it makes a mockery of labours anti-asset sales arguments.
I have read it several times over the decades. Very short term thinker. He always seemed to think of government as if he was an assets stripper who only ever lived in a bull market.
Of course most of the government procedures and assets are designed for hard times.
Sorry lprent, I was referring to his series on privatisation on his blog. Its very interesting reading and covers the selling of assets, obviously, but also the impact on dividends.
Draco, you have already shown in past posts that you couldnt differentiate a balance sheet from revenue statement, so calling the late Roger Kerr a twerp is a bit rich coming from you. I would respectfully suggest that his intellect would smother yours in a nano second.
IVV – you sound like a child boasting about how strong your dad is. You have a Kerr fetish – we get it – just don’t expect others to join in on the adulation.
All I have done Campbell, is direct readers to a series that analyses privatisations. And I don’t expect Kerr to be the recipient of adulation, and I certainly do not idolise the man. I respect him for his intellect, and I agree with his analysis since it is logical and hard to rebut. Perhaps if you read the series and debated it, your comments might have a wee bit more merit.
“No it does not” What does not KJT? Are you saying that Kerr’s series does not debunk the nonsense rhetoric from Labour surrounding asset sales and loss of dividends?
KJT, I’d be interested where your 14 billion dollars comes from.
You clearly haven’t read the series since you claim “reality has disproved his ideas” and “countries that have followed Kerrs religion are failing”. Therefore you have no idea what his ideas were. If you are suggesting that capitalism is failing, at least it will pick itself up and come again. When socialism fails, there are not comebacks, since socialism is great, until it runs out of other peoples money.
I have read the series. Along with many other economic and social commentators and experts.
Unlike RWNJ’s I read fast enough to have read more than Kerr in the last year.
14 billion dollars is the closest estimate I have seen of the loses to New Zealand’s annual current account, resulting from the last rounds of asset sales.
Greece has run out of other peoples money since it borrowed more than it could sustain. The Socialist governments did exactly what socialist governments always do, make promises that they have to borrow to pay for, to remain in government. They ran out of other peoples money to give the greek population a standard of living that they (1) could not sustain and (2) did not deserve.
New Democracy is the main centre-right political party and one of the two major parties in Greece. It was founded in 1974 by Konstantinos Karamanlis and formed the first cabinet of the Third Hellenic Republic. After serving as the Cabinet of Greece from 2004 to 2009 , New Democracy is now the main opposition party in the Hellenic Parliament after its smashing defeat in the 2009 Greek elections in which they recorded their historical lowest percentage of votes.
The right was in charge during the collapse – just like Italy….
I actually had that conversation in 1982 with Muldoon at a social event….dont ask but he was not nearly as nasty as I had anticipated as a spotty belligerent twenty something. We agreed on the principle of energy sovereignty and the need to have internationally competitive and secure electricity supply etc. Might have argued details and costs but in principle he was on the right track.
I also had the privilege of chatting to him Bored, and would have been spotty and 20 something as well! He was a damned clever man and I found him entirely personable.
It is one of those strange secrets of politics that I’ve always noticed with talking to rather large numbers of politicians and wannabes. Politicians are usually personable, nice in person, and very good persuaders. It is part of the basic job description that they should be likable in person.
I tend to ignore what they say and concentrate on what they do. It is much more revealing
I also look at the people around them more than I look at the politician themselves. Do they retain staff? How fractional is the debate when they are involved. etc… What is their demeanor towards opponents inside their party. Inside other parties. What do they do with critics?
The Herald is once again showing it’s increasing irrelevance –
Less than two weeks till the election and their front page lead story is about the apology of some kid who plays rugby for getting pissed and making a dick of himself on holiday.
I agree Campbell L. I am so sick of hearing about this every time I put the radio on. And everyone is so caring and worried about the poor young drunk (I think he is just 21), the hypocrites. If those who were truly worried worked for tougher liquor laws they would be acting rightly. If we as a society showed determination to improve the situation and gave people the right to decide on the number of and placement of drinking outlets , that would be a plus in turning round this necrotising culture.
Also change the attitude in society that finds excuses for the people who fall foul of the ferment (beautiful alliteration prism). Slam drunks in jail, fine them, put a set charge on everyone who uses the A & E and refuse to treat the violent and abusive.
We all get stopped and breath tested as part of the pretence of doing something about drunkeness. So we are under surveillance in a semi-police state because the government and local authorities won’t or can’t make the changes to reduce alcohol addiction, because they won’t squeeze out the clubs and liquor outlets, reducing their numbers and making them bring in earlier closing times.
MANA leader Hone Harawira urges voters not to be fooled by phoney landline polls that create a false impression about which candidate is in front and which one is behind.
He says today’s poll released by Te Karere proves polls that rely on landlines are a thing of the past.
“It has long been known that mobile phones outstripped landlines as a method of communication five years ago for Maori. It’s about time polling companies caught up with modern day reality instead of rehashing flawed methodologies that do not reflect accurately what is happening on the ground.
“Polling companies and media networks need to be held to account. Instead of having minor margins of error, they should tell the truth when it comes to the Maori seats where the margin of error is give or take 20%?.
“We know that Annette Sykes has done remarkably well to narrow the margin between herself and Te Ururoa Flavell. People should remember she began at 0% and iPredict, the country’s most reliable forecaster of election results, has seen Annette’s vote grow by 10% each week.
“At present she trails Te Ururoa by the small margin of 10%. That means, based on the current trend, that she will win the election by 10%. That’s what we are hearing on the streets.
“Her remaining vote will come from a collapsing Labour vote. The national trend with the party vote is that Labour is in a downhill spiral from 30% to a possible 20%.
“Voters are awakening to the ability of MANA candidates, including Annette Sykes, to vehemently oppose National and the Maori Party plans to introduce policies that will hurt the poor. Left voters are being faced with two choices; put their faith with an imploding Labour Party or back MANA whose candidates have a long history of opposing right wing agendas?”
“Cyclone Sykes is gaining pace heading into the election. The momentum is with her and I ask Maori from Waiariki to think about who will be best at stopping National in Parliament.
Children are not people too
according to the welfare system.
everyone on welfare is allowed
$80 of income before being taxed at
70 cents in the dollar, except
of course the children (who are
not people). Every child a
mum on a dpb, or other benefit,
should increase the threshold
(before abatement starts) by $80.
Routinely governments ignores
Human rights, and we lack a culture
of human rights thanks t the existence
of the Human rights Commission
shuffling human rights under the
carpet or hiding human rights thinking
in plain sight behind ‘Plain english’.
Why are Children not considered people?
Why can a grandparent open a trust
for their kid that pays their kid
$80 of income a week, that their
parent cannot touch and so would
be considered parential income.
But a grandparent less well off
who cannot afford lawyers cannot
provide extra for their grandchild?
Just imagine the nighmare, your
kid gets a credit card given to them
by your ex-partners parents, and they
can spend like happy little tightwads.
Know nothing of the guy apart from this little stunt. Mahon presents as a self promoting dick and immature provacateur at best. A team blue provocateur at worst. The artists job description involves button and boundary pushing but they should not expect to be liked for it. Two weeks out from the election? you tell us freedom what his timing is all about.
Political assassinations are no joke whatsoever in my view. We have had two politically linked murders in this country-FG Evans Waihi miner and unionist and Ernie Abbot Wellington Trades Hall cleaner.
It’s art for crissake ! Like most decent art, it is about perception. If you only see a crime, well that says a great deal about your socially programmed response when confronted with a reality that simply calls into question the morally and ethically ambiguous la-la land of modern politics. The work of the artist is not an assassination attempt nor suggesting there should be one. It is not condoning a crime nor is it commissioning one. It is not a crime to attempt to provoke thought in this country, yet.
Based on the views expressed against this piece i suspect a large number of brain dead idiots will be lining up for an RFID chip when the reality of the rapidly approaching Police State is finally made public.
The current media push on Tap’n’Go credit cards shows how the incremental plan is progressing nicely.
I do wish some of the vitriolic statements made against free speech were focused on matters such as the Search and Surveillance Bill, or The Customs’ Integrated Targeting and Operations Centre or the untested Backscatter Radiation Scanners now in operation in NZ, but no, let’s just bleat about creative attempts to get NZ people thinking about the future that is beng stolen from their children.
A number of commenters here and on other blogs have commented long and hard about the SSB in particular (and done stuff in the real world too). Kiwis do tend to suck it up, take photo drivers licenses, there were queues at the malls to bloody get one. Mate of mine held out for two years, could not afford the fines any longer.
My main point with Mahon’s Key work is the timing. Self censorship? that is why I asked your opinion on the timing. Art gets no exemption sticker from politics in the middle of an election.
I am happy for cows to be sectioned and mounted in formaldehyde filled glass cases, for small squares of semi gloss white paint to be slapped on matt white walls, for artists taking a dump to be videoed in close up, for artists to walk down K-road in crotchless chaps with no underwear; but I am not happy for an assassination image of the NZ Prime Minister to be launched in a tight election campaign that if National win will indeed be about “drill it, mine it, sell it”.
Then in 2008 National ignored a Labour Department recommendation that check inspectors be restored in underground mines. This undoubtedly ensured a lack of mine safety at Pike River with disastrous results…
Russell just needs to do the obvious Pete with those involved and he should be forgiven by supporters.
What a wallace that guy was appearing on RNZ though. Some people do lose the plot during election campaigns as even the Prime Minister has demonstrated.
Russell has to be seen to say the right thing, but like many of us know National is lying all over the place. A half page ad in my local paper today, full colour, building a brighter future, claiming they have reduced debt – lies
TV3 has a golden opportunity to question him and instead gives him a golden opportunity to totally deflect the focus – He has had hours to prepare himself for this interview and unfortunately the interviewer is a lightweight. She does however give him several chances to endorse Brash and ACT leadership and he cannot answer that directly either.
Opening question:
Q. “Do you have a clear conscience about what’s on the tape?”
Key: “I have a totally clear conscience about what I’ve done, I think it’s the Herald on Sunday…” followed by 7 minutes of rehearsed diatribe.
There is one interesting moment where he talks about confidentiality being breached – “If we let this go then today me, next … could be you. We cannot allow this principle to be breached.”
Go for it John Boy. We can’t wait for your public castigation of Paula Bennett over her breaching confidentiality in her totally inappropriate use of a beneficiary’s information to protect her own and your political hides.
If we let this go then today me, next … could be you. We cannot allow this principle to be breached.
John Key
Surely all this is deeply ironic?
Key was quite happy to “allow this principle to be breached”, when it was Maori who were being illegally taped. Passing legislation to retrospectively ‘legalise’, illegal and intrusive electronic snooping on Tuhoe.
Inadvertently condemning himself with his own words, “If we let this go then today me,…”
the whole thng was rehearsed from start to finish.
the tories know how to waste time inparliament and how to deliver red herrings to the juvenile infants at present infesting the media.
dumb and dumber.
No idiot, learn to read before you embarrass yourself again, and again and again.
The Leader of the Greens has taken the front foot and outed the person responsible. A person who is in a relationship to someone who works for the Greens. Certainly it is a close link and yes if the party roles were different and it was a NACT worker’s partner i would say the same thing. Who do you think does the regular vandalism to all Party billboards if not those supporters linked to the workers and the volunteers of political parties? Do you honestly think all that damage is from people not interested in Politics?
Based on your regularly discredited comments, it is little wonder you won’t even vote for yourself.
?? Are you trying to claim that calling for a cleanup of how we do politics is discredited?
Yes, Norman has dealt with it very well, but it is still highly embarrassing to him and the Greens.
Greens being involved in widespread planned illegal activity – which was totally unnecessary by the way the polls were looking – it illustrates how pervasive dirty politics is, if not directly in party leadership at least amongst party operatives.
To me that means intellect, ability, passion, a well articulated vision of where my country is headed and the political nous to be able to get there.
I’ve voted in every election since 1975 and the only politician that exhibited everything I wanted in a leader was Clark and the current offering, across all parties, leaves me cold.
Draco, as always you are willing to put your spin on past history – check out the Chief Electoral Officer’s take on it “inappropriate and illegal” were his words. Doesnt matter how you cut it Draco, Labour were caught with their hand in the till as it were.
You do realise that every party did the same thing don’t you? And had been doing it for 14 years? And if the AG went back further than three months Nationals bill would have been quite bit higher?
Not putting spin on past history – just relating how it was.
Oh dear – so it looks like any possible Green / National ‘coalition talks’ are probably now right off the table?
How sad 🙁
Not sure how telling the voting public the TRUTH is ‘defacing’ billboards?
If the mainstream media isn’t going to provide accurate information in order to better enable the voting public to ‘cast an informed’ vote – then this ‘piggy-backing’ technique seems fair to me.
I mean – it’s not like the National billboards have been physically damaged / knocked down?
hmmmm……….. maybe it’s just that the TRUTH hurts?
I predict that National’s apparently total reliance on fomer Wall St Bank$ter, ex-foreign exchange advisor for the (privately-owned) New York Federal Reserve, former Head of Derivatives for Merrill Lynch, current Bank of America shareholder – NZ Prime Minister John Key – is going to be their downfall in this 2011 election.
As one of my banners (yet to be published by mainstream media), but which has been publicly-displayed in the wilds of the Epsom electorate, states rather succintly –
“The KEY thing in life is sincerity.
(Same election hoarding photo of arguably ‘shonky’ John Key)
Once you can fake that – you’ve got it made.”
A week is a VERY long time in politics.
Eleven days to go…………..
🙂
Penny Bright
Independent Candidate for Epsom
Campaigning against ‘white collar’ CRIME, CORRUPTION (and its root cause – PRIVATISATION) and CORPORATE WELFARE.
National aren’t the only party putting arts and culture on the to do list though. An overall lack of any substantial policy creation has been highlighted in a current issue of the Listener.
Claiming that climate change is a plot to steal American freedom is rather tame by Heartland standards. Over the course of this two-day conference, I will learn that Obama’s campaign promise to support locally owned biofuels refineries was really about “green communitarianism,” akin to the “Maoist” scheme to put “a pig iron furnace in everybody’s backyard” (the Cato Institute’s Patrick Michaels). That climate change is “a stalking horse for National Socialism” (former Republican senator and retired astronaut Harrison Schmitt). And that environmentalists are like Aztec priests, sacrificing countless people to appease the gods and change the weather (Marc Morano, editor of the denialists’ go-to website, ClimateDepot.com).
Did I hear – “Sorry Russel, I had a brain storm and encouraged the vandalisation of about 700 National billboards”? Just the sort of activist the Green Party doesn’t need. Someone who outsources their brain work obviously.
The radiation is apparently not from Fukushima and the Czech Republic is adamant that none of their reactors have released radiation that would account for the higher levels of Iodine 131 in the atmosphere. So where the hell did the radiation come from?
Why NZ can never compete in the modern world economy. Rakon a NZ business has had a 14 per cent rise in revenue but its profits cut by a rise in the exchange rate to 81 cents when it was 10 cents lower last year. Then it made a $5 million profit, this year on more revenue, a measly $569,000.
Listen to the Radionz business report and get the details, and then you will understand why we are forever falling behind. Films occasionally show a person being dragged on the ground behind a horse. If we think of our country like this, being dragged along by a mendacious and vicious financial system we can get a true and instant image of our position.
Why should, how can businesses stay in this country that pays lip service to wanting a thriving, innovative country but then allows the profit to be siphoned off through whimsical runs or drops in the exchange rate as a result of playing with our currency by the the financial masses, leaving us an uncertain amount that no planning can define. http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/5968560/Rakon-returns-to-the-red-shares-slump
I think the statement that we can never compete in a modern world economy is false but educated. If we really looked into this we would see that economies of scale and trade terms have a very distorting impact. Contrary to popular belief “free trade” deals rarely do anything fair for the smaller nations, in fact they merely open them up to anti competitive practices.
One of the biggest problems we have is the differential of “slave” wage levels, for example we could never compete with Chinese wages because they are so low. Consequently we should in an ideal world create equal opportunity by tariffing them. It wont happen….but what will is that energy scarcity will level the playing field to a high degree in the near future. Those with adequate energy resources to leverage versus raw manpower will come out ahead.
Come 2020 my forecast is that we will have a very hungry world, the petro chems needed to fertilise and plow will be in short supply…and then there will be the effects of climate change. Ugly picture but we will still in NZ be doing that one thing we are really good at is growing grass all year round and turning it into protein for export. That’s a distinct competitive advantage.
Bored – I am blinded by tears from seeing our exchange rate swoop about like an out-of-control rocket. It’s seeing the carry trade et al buying and selling our money for short-term gains. We are quite small in the world economy yet I think we are 11th most traded, when there are over 100 countries.
It just makes me despair as we keep watching our balance and footing as we run on this treadmill no-one ever admitting that we will never get ahead. Relying on big splashes in our small pond from oil shocks and climate change is dangerous. We will have given away our ability to grow what we want to Monsanto by then. The cretins in charge of our economy, the idiot savants, won’t recognise a tipping point if they fall over it.
Akshully. National should be prosecuted under the commerce act for false advertising on their bill boards. And thanking those who changed them, for helping them avoid prosecution..
So we have our very own kiwi curtain twitchers club–“Snitchline” over at blubbers blog. Disgusting, the ultimate neighbourhood watch. Not quite Stasi junior but given their political masters Search and Surveillence Bill who knows where such snooping will go. http://www.whaleoil.co.nz/2011/11/information-please/#disqus_thread
A humorous little story on stuff – Key’s bus crashes at the first corner .
Not so humorous is the fact that two apparently legally parked vehicles “were broken in to police and shifted to allow the bus to pass” (in Stuff’s unparalleled sub-editing paucity). Isn’t that unlawfully interfering with a motor vehicle? Shouldn’t they just have driven the bus out the same way they brought it in? Arrogant fucktards.
Serious Fraud Office Chief Executive Adam Feeley says it’s concerning that fraud against banks and other lending institutions continues to represent a significant portion of SFO cases. – Link
Just been to Meet the Candidates meeting for the Waitakere Electorate in Glen Eden this evening. I just wish someone had planted a recording device in the vicinity of Paula Bennett and Winston Peters – they were having a few intimate discussions with a few giggles along the way!
After a large number of National’s election hoardings were vandalized, John Key decided he would have to commission some more appropriate artwork for his re-election campaign to be successful. His brief was to design a new set of hoardings that captures exactly what the National party really stands for…
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisitionNOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
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 that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- 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. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
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 ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
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. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
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. ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
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 ...
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Morgan Godfery on his blog Maui Street states
“On to Te Tai Tonga and Maria said “Hurricane” (Clinton Dearlove) will storm Labour’s vote. Willie was on the right track when he disagreed and said Dearlove will steal Maori Party votes and hand the seat to Rino as a result. This is a point I made after the Te Tai Tonga debate.”
Hey Morgan, would it not be prudent to acknowledge that “Hurricane” (Clinton Dearlove) will take votes off the Greens, New Zealand First, Maori, and Labour Party. Remember the Greens and New Zealand First are only running a party vote campaign in the Te Tai Tonga.
Hey Morgan how about backing your story-telling with some data, or at least some logical reasoning if possible.
Please try and explain the following?
Te Tai Tokerau 2008 Labour Party vote 45% latest poll 27% a drop of 18%
Tamaki Makaurau 2008 Labour Party vote 49% latest poll 32% a drop of 17%
Waiariki 2008 Labour Party vote 51% latest poll 28% a drop of 23%
The average 2008 Labour party vote in the Maori seats was 49% the latest poll average is 29% a drop of 20%.
In the Te Tai Tonga in 2008 the Labour Party vote was 49% and the 2008 Labour candidate vote was 40% a drop of 9%
In the Te Tai Tonga in 2005 the Labour Party vote was 57% and the 2005 Labour candidate vote was 45% a drop of 12%
The average drop in the labour candidate vote was 10.5%.
Therefore based on the 2008 party vote result of 49% less the latest poll average drop in support for labour of 20%, the likely result would have the 2011 Labour Party vote at 29%. However when factoring in the fact that the Labour candidate receives less candidate votes than party votes.
29% less 10.5% leaves Rino Tirikatane with a likely result in the 2011 election of only attracting 18.5% of the Te Tai Tonga candidate vote.
Prof Margaret Mutu was interviewed on Stratos last night by the Southland interviewer that had previously fawned all over David Caygill after he and cohorts had taken over Environment Canterbury to get dairy irrigation underway..
Anyways, Mutu was very smart and articulate of course. But she fell into a hole when she was explaining something along the lines that NZ is / was not one people but two peoples, or many peoples, and she then said “but Maori are the original people and that is the difference”.
A few minutes later she was discussing immigrants who arrived a few hundred years after the Maori immigrants and complaining that they brought “a notion of superiority with them” that they were superior because of a belief in a different genetic makeup. Of course that “notion of superiority” is today more commonly known in these circumstances as racism.
Mutu however is blind to her situation. Her claim that Maori are “different” than the other peoples, based on a belief that being first in line confers something special, is the exact same sentiment that she sees in the original English when they thought they were “different”, based on a belief that their genetics conferred on them something special. The English had it wrong then. Mutu has it wrong now. It is a shame that someone of such academia and outright knowledge (though clearly falling short on the wisdom front) cannot see the glaring hole in her outlook.
I have had this argument many times but I have never seen any decent argument in support of Mutu’s “we’re different” idea. I am flummoxed as to why these supposedly smart people cannot see the stituation. But then I see why with Mutu – she believes her opinion as to “being different” is fact. Just as the English had believed their opinion re genetics was fact. It is a common human failing. And it is only the distance of history that can shed light on current situations for some people.
Mutu was otherwise very good and openly expressed the unstoppable brilliance that Maori and Pakeha working together alongside each other to their maximum potential could bring these islands. But sheesh, this continuing idea that Maori are different and special is as bad as the old idea that the English were different and special. Spectacular fail. And until it is recognised as incorrect by Maori the country will continue to stumble in its race relatonships.
There is something infinitely sad in being “special” or “chosen” because of some accident of birth, or equally sad about being disadvantaged because of the same accident of birth. I cringe at my English fathers attitude that represents his generations views on races / cultures other than his own. And I cringe at being asked to be responsible for historic wrongs, or at being deemed “inferior” because of my fore fathers.
We in NZ have a bigger issue than just Maori Euro relationships, we are now becoming a Pasifika Asian mix as well. Fortunately our children will lead the way as Ranganui Walker says “between the bed sheets”. In a few generations most NZ children might have a whakapapa including Chinese, Tongan and European ancestories.
“I have had this argument many times but I have never seen any decent argument in support of Mutu’s “we’re different” idea.”
The simple answer is that whether a person is a street sweeper, university professor or sportsperson, from time to time they engage in politics. Examine the context. In this country that means drawing lines between people: dark/ light, rich/poor, locals/immigrants, law abiding/criminal. That’s what Mutu was doing. Engaging in politics NZ style. What she said doesn’t have to make sense, she doesn’t even have to believe it, it just has to appeal to her target audience. When asked one way or the other, she’ll open a can of spaghetti reasoning for you to untangle. Welcome to politics 101.
Interesting that the police has issued a warning to TV3 not to publish the cuppatea recordings. I cannot recall the Police ever doing this before and there more than a slight stench of police interference in the political system.
If people are interested the section the police are referring to is section 216C of the Crimes Act 1961. The Act does require the interception to be unlawful, which requires the interception to be intentional.
Let’s see if the media have the guts to have the police opinion tested in court.
Not holding my breath for that to happen, bock bock bock……
The PM doesn’t like the content of his public conversations revealed. Wonder why?
Can New Zealand now watch this in a different light and still believe what he is saying about the cup-of-tea moment?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GwcCNdTYyQ
Some might say they wouldn’t trust him with the steam off their own …
And what was really printed on that piece of paper when he tried to defend his position on the S and P issue.
And of course there is this little beauty
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrPgK3bf9_4
We all remember Gordon Brown’s tragic accident with a microphone – that was aired. Surely there are grounds to have the tapes released in the name of public interest?
True, certainly a worthwhile comparison. And key is very good at foot in mouth behaviour
What about Bill English and the Kiwibank gone by lunchtime secret tape.
vto,
There is a huge body of knowledge including from the academic community on indigenous thinking, ideology and ways of being. Indigeneity is different in the sense that its arguments, philosophies, dogma derive from the relationships it has to the natural world from which it emerges.
That specialness that comes from being indigenous is not simply a Māori thing, 144 countries world-wide signed the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (only recently did New Zealand sign albeit with the proviso that it will have no material effect on NZ legislation or policy) which articulates the rights inherent in being indigenous.
What is plainly an un-real expectation on behalf of people like yourself and the majority of Pākehā benefiting from colonial expansion is that we should be ‘all the same.’ In other words Māori, Pasifikan, Asian, should give away any notion of being Māori, Pasifikan or Asian and to, at the very least, parody a life of whiteness – to assimilate the values and aspirations of the western tradition.
Aotearoa New Zealand is the largest Polynesian island in the world – a mini-England, Ireland or Scotland it should not be. If there is to be oneness than at the very least let it have a brown skin and a Polynesian tongue. The relentless pursuit of the assimilation of diverse peoples into a homogenous soup of blotchy whiteness is the crime – not what Margaret Mutu articulates. .
Kotahitanga is unity of purpose – which recognises diverse interests pursuing a common purpose – a far better ideology in my opinion.
Adele, you make a couple of points sure, but kinda missed the sinlge base point I was making re the notions of difference, superiority, specialness.
In addition, this point you make here …. “What is plainly an un-real expectation on behalf of people like yourself and the majority of Pākehā benefiting from colonial expansion is that we should be ‘all the same.’ ” is way off the mark and I cannot see how you can pull that assumption from my post. I say vive la difference, but not when it comes to the standing (legal, moral, etc) of separate peoples in one location (and in this regard I guess I am at odds with both the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigineous People and Te Tiriti. Both are/were no doubt appropriate for the existing circumstance, but both are limited by that same circumstance. They have an end-by date due to their failure to acknowledge the issue raised in my post).
Your waffle vto mirrors the denial too many people are in regarding the colonial and post colonial history of this country.
Until all citizens have roughly equal health and wealth stats (improved ones that is) more people had better start learning about Te Tiriti and acting, it holds us all back as a nation in the meantime.
Which particular waffle and denial is that Mr Mountain? My point was specific – about Mutu’s missing link in her otherwise robust outlook. (point in post at 6.37 above)
A couple more generations, as R Walker said, when we are all chocolate coloured, will sort this out without any intervention.
Going to the beach later to work on it!
It’s all cool, though – by the time we’re all chocolate-hued we’ll have discovered other reasons to argue.
“The relentless pursuit of the assimilation of diverse peoples into a homogenous soup of blotchy whiteness is the crime – not what Margaret Mutu articulates. . ”
You’re damn right is it, even if you’re white! I’d like it very much if as a nation of varied people, we all agreed that everyone should have – as unalienable right – enough to eat, a safe place to be, access to health free care and meaningful work.
I don’t care which language we speak or what colour we turn, but if it’s brown skin we need, can someone turn up the temperature? It’s November for godsakes and it’s not even warm!
See from this mornings Dom the Nats ( a branch of the Flat Earth Society ) are promoting roading again. At the same time Brent Crude flies high in prices and lwo in supply. Still infrastructural development follows the same mantra…roads roads roads….private transport.
When will these goons get that happy motoring is going to be a thing of the past sooner rather than later and in a post growth shrinking economy this represents a massive misallocation of precious resources and money?
There was once a PM who decided that oil was going to be (1) too expensive and (2) run out in the long run, who then built a synthetic fuel plant, electrified part of the rail network, built a dam on the Clyde, and a methanol plant. He is now roundly abhorred by the Left and castigated for these things. And oh, that’d be the Labour government that sold a good few of these projects off. Nice work.
Actually I’m Left and I think that some of the infrastructure Muldoon built was damn good, and has supported the NZ economy for decades.
Further, Goff admits that Labour made mistakes with asset sales and learnt from them.
National hasn’t.
yup, he’s admitted. He hasn’t bothered to flesh out what the mistakes were, and how he would have done anything differently, and which of his x-colleagues he is hanging out to dry. I suppose north of $9billion gives him the right to say he’s made a mistake though.
As I’ve constantly said though Colonial, go see the late Roger Kerrs stuff, it makes a mockery of labours anti-asset sales arguments.
I have read it several times over the decades. Very short term thinker. He always seemed to think of government as if he was an assets stripper who only ever lived in a bull market.
Of course most of the government procedures and assets are designed for hard times.
Sorry lprent, I was referring to his series on privatisation on his blog. Its very interesting reading and covers the selling of assets, obviously, but also the impact on dividends.
It’s a load of bollocks is what it is. But that’s true of everything the twerp said.
Kerr or IVV?
Draco, you have already shown in past posts that you couldnt differentiate a balance sheet from revenue statement, so calling the late Roger Kerr a twerp is a bit rich coming from you. I would respectfully suggest that his intellect would smother yours in a nano second.
IVV – you sound like a child boasting about how strong your dad is. You have a Kerr fetish – we get it – just don’t expect others to join in on the adulation.
All I have done Campbell, is direct readers to a series that analyses privatisations. And I don’t expect Kerr to be the recipient of adulation, and I certainly do not idolise the man. I respect him for his intellect, and I agree with his analysis since it is logical and hard to rebut. Perhaps if you read the series and debated it, your comments might have a wee bit more merit.
No it does not.
http://werewolf.co.nz/2011/09/ten-myths-about-asset-sales/
Any businessman knows that selling income earning assets to pay the grocery bill is idiocy.
Not to mention the need to have control of energy assets, for strategic reasons, in a world where energy supplies are going to be extremely valuable.
Kerr, Like Douglas and Brash is ether blinded by his religion or a venal thief.
Kerr died recently.
“No it does not” What does not KJT? Are you saying that Kerr’s series does not debunk the nonsense rhetoric from Labour surrounding asset sales and loss of dividends?
Kerr’s ideas are nonsense. As reality has thoroughly disproved his ideas.
All the countries who have followed Kerr’s religion are failing. Havn’t you noticed.
14 Billion dollars annually off New Zealand’s balance sheet since the last round of asset sales.
If you think Kerr was an intelligent man, it is just relative to yours.
KJT, I’d be interested where your 14 billion dollars comes from.
You clearly haven’t read the series since you claim “reality has disproved his ideas” and “countries that have followed Kerrs religion are failing”. Therefore you have no idea what his ideas were. If you are suggesting that capitalism is failing, at least it will pick itself up and come again. When socialism fails, there are not comebacks, since socialism is great, until it runs out of other peoples money.
What’s this other peoples money. It is ours, we earnt it.
We should be able to democratically decide where it goes.
Neo-Liberal unregulated capitalism is running out of our money at present.
In Greece and Italy they are coming back with their hands out for more money to waste.
http://kjt-kt.blogspot.com/2011/03/voodoo-economics.html
I have read the series. Along with many other economic and social commentators and experts.
Unlike RWNJ’s I read fast enough to have read more than Kerr in the last year.
14 billion dollars is the closest estimate I have seen of the loses to New Zealand’s annual current account, resulting from the last rounds of asset sales.
Greece has run out of other peoples money since it borrowed more than it could sustain. The Socialist governments did exactly what socialist governments always do, make promises that they have to borrow to pay for, to remain in government. They ran out of other peoples money to give the greek population a standard of living that they (1) could not sustain and (2) did not deserve.
Ahem IVV…
The right was in charge during the collapse – just like Italy….
14 billion a year says asset sales are a fail.
I actually had that conversation in 1982 with Muldoon at a social event….dont ask but he was not nearly as nasty as I had anticipated as a spotty belligerent twenty something. We agreed on the principle of energy sovereignty and the need to have internationally competitive and secure electricity supply etc. Might have argued details and costs but in principle he was on the right track.
I also had the privilege of chatting to him Bored, and would have been spotty and 20 something as well! He was a damned clever man and I found him entirely personable.
It is one of those strange secrets of politics that I’ve always noticed with talking to rather large numbers of politicians and wannabes. Politicians are usually personable, nice in person, and very good persuaders. It is part of the basic job description that they should be likable in person.
I tend to ignore what they say and concentrate on what they do. It is much more revealing
I also look at the people around them more than I look at the politician themselves. Do they retain staff? How fractional is the debate when they are involved. etc… What is their demeanor towards opponents inside their party. Inside other parties. What do they do with critics?
Quite so. And as a spotty 20 something, I doubt whether my questions would have been particularly taxing!
Said it before.
If oil prices had continued to rise at the same rate, which everyone thought at the time, Muldoon would have been a hero.
The problem with his Government was not the borrowing for infrastructure and assets.
Many of them are still making good returns, for their private owners, after the first ACT Government gave them away, now!
If Borrowing to make us less dependent on imported energy is necessary it is still a good idea.
The problem was that Muldoon, like National now, borrowed excessively for bribes to National party voters. Farmers welfare, Super, Tax cuts etc.
Sound familiar.
The Herald is once again showing it’s increasing irrelevance –
Less than two weeks till the election and their front page lead story is about the apology of some kid who plays rugby for getting pissed and making a dick of himself on holiday.
I agree Campbell L. I am so sick of hearing about this every time I put the radio on. And everyone is so caring and worried about the poor young drunk (I think he is just 21), the hypocrites. If those who were truly worried worked for tougher liquor laws they would be acting rightly. If we as a society showed determination to improve the situation and gave people the right to decide on the number of and placement of drinking outlets , that would be a plus in turning round this necrotising culture.
Also change the attitude in society that finds excuses for the people who fall foul of the ferment (beautiful alliteration prism). Slam drunks in jail, fine them, put a set charge on everyone who uses the A & E and refuse to treat the violent and abusive.
We all get stopped and breath tested as part of the pretence of doing something about drunkeness. So we are under surveillance in a semi-police state because the government and local authorities won’t or can’t make the changes to reduce alcohol addiction, because they won’t squeeze out the clubs and liquor outlets, reducing their numbers and making them bring in earlier closing times.
MANA MEDIA RELEASE
14 November 2011
MANA SAYS LANDLINE POLLS MUST GO
MANA leader Hone Harawira urges voters not to be fooled by phoney landline polls that create a false impression about which candidate is in front and which one is behind.
He says today’s poll released by Te Karere proves polls that rely on landlines are a thing of the past.
“It has long been known that mobile phones outstripped landlines as a method of communication five years ago for Maori. It’s about time polling companies caught up with modern day reality instead of rehashing flawed methodologies that do not reflect accurately what is happening on the ground.
“Polling companies and media networks need to be held to account. Instead of having minor margins of error, they should tell the truth when it comes to the Maori seats where the margin of error is give or take 20%?.
“We know that Annette Sykes has done remarkably well to narrow the margin between herself and Te Ururoa Flavell. People should remember she began at 0% and iPredict, the country’s most reliable forecaster of election results, has seen Annette’s vote grow by 10% each week.
“At present she trails Te Ururoa by the small margin of 10%. That means, based on the current trend, that she will win the election by 10%. That’s what we are hearing on the streets.
“Her remaining vote will come from a collapsing Labour vote. The national trend with the party vote is that Labour is in a downhill spiral from 30% to a possible 20%.
“Voters are awakening to the ability of MANA candidates, including Annette Sykes, to vehemently oppose National and the Maori Party plans to introduce policies that will hurt the poor. Left voters are being faced with two choices; put their faith with an imploding Labour Party or back MANA whose candidates have a long history of opposing right wing agendas?”
“Cyclone Sykes is gaining pace heading into the election. The momentum is with her and I ask Maori from Waiariki to think about who will be best at stopping National in Parliament.
HONE HARAWIRA
Media Liaison Peter Verschaffelt
media@mana.net.nz http://mana.net.nz
The Waiariki electorate will be very interesting, especially as Tuhoe will be well behind Annette, as Te Ururoa was complicit in Hone’s removal.
Children are not people too
according to the welfare system.
everyone on welfare is allowed
$80 of income before being taxed at
70 cents in the dollar, except
of course the children (who are
not people). Every child a
mum on a dpb, or other benefit,
should increase the threshold
(before abatement starts) by $80.
Routinely governments ignores
Human rights, and we lack a culture
of human rights thanks t the existence
of the Human rights Commission
shuffling human rights under the
carpet or hiding human rights thinking
in plain sight behind ‘Plain english’.
Why are Children not considered people?
Why can a grandparent open a trust
for their kid that pays their kid
$80 of income a week, that their
parent cannot touch and so would
be considered parential income.
But a grandparent less well off
who cannot afford lawyers cannot
provide extra for their grandchild?
Just imagine the nighmare, your
kid gets a credit card given to them
by your ex-partners parents, and they
can spend like happy little tightwads.
I hope the sleuths here are having fun figuring this one out
http://www.whokilledjohnkey.com/
Know nothing of the guy apart from this little stunt. Mahon presents as a self promoting dick and immature provacateur at best. A team blue provocateur at worst. The artists job description involves button and boundary pushing but they should not expect to be liked for it. Two weeks out from the election? you tell us freedom what his timing is all about.
Political assassinations are no joke whatsoever in my view. We have had two politically linked murders in this country-FG Evans Waihi miner and unionist and Ernie Abbot Wellington Trades Hall cleaner.
It’s art for crissake ! Like most decent art, it is about perception. If you only see a crime, well that says a great deal about your socially programmed response when confronted with a reality that simply calls into question the morally and ethically ambiguous la-la land of modern politics. The work of the artist is not an assassination attempt nor suggesting there should be one. It is not condoning a crime nor is it commissioning one. It is not a crime to attempt to provoke thought in this country, yet.
Based on the views expressed against this piece i suspect a large number of brain dead idiots will be lining up for an RFID chip when the reality of the rapidly approaching Police State is finally made public.
The current media push on Tap’n’Go credit cards shows how the incremental plan is progressing nicely.
I do wish some of the vitriolic statements made against free speech were focused on matters such as the Search and Surveillance Bill, or The Customs’ Integrated Targeting and Operations Centre or the untested Backscatter Radiation Scanners now in operation in NZ, but no, let’s just bleat about creative attempts to get NZ people thinking about the future that is beng stolen from their children.
A number of commenters here and on other blogs have commented long and hard about the SSB in particular (and done stuff in the real world too). Kiwis do tend to suck it up, take photo drivers licenses, there were queues at the malls to bloody get one. Mate of mine held out for two years, could not afford the fines any longer.
My main point with Mahon’s Key work is the timing. Self censorship? that is why I asked your opinion on the timing. Art gets no exemption sticker from politics in the middle of an election.
I am happy for cows to be sectioned and mounted in formaldehyde filled glass cases, for small squares of semi gloss white paint to be slapped on matt white walls, for artists taking a dump to be videoed in close up, for artists to walk down K-road in crotchless chaps with no underwear; but I am not happy for an assassination image of the NZ Prime Minister to be launched in a tight election campaign that if National win will indeed be about “drill it, mine it, sell it”.
so you don’t mind being asked to think, you just don’t want that pressure during an election. got it! 😉
Who’s liable for Pike River?
Then in 2008 National ignored a Labour Department recommendation that check inspectors be restored in underground mines. This undoubtedly ensured a lack of mine safety at Pike River with disastrous results…
Green party link to billboard attacks.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/campaign-trail/5967550/Green-party-link-to-billboard-attacks
Dr Norman’s EA’s partner in fact.
O dear, how sad, all of the nice caring image gone up in smoke.
O dear, how true what the stickers said!
Some removable sign enhancement is small change compared to the vandalism the National Party has performed on this country.
Russell Norman isn’t so flippant about it, it’s a major kick in the guts for him, from his own people.
Russell just needs to do the obvious Pete with those involved and he should be forgiven by supporters.
What a wallace that guy was appearing on RNZ though. Some people do lose the plot during election campaigns as even the Prime Minister has demonstrated.
Nah Pete it was sticky on words that were then removed.
Russell has to be seen to say the right thing, but like many of us know National is lying all over the place. A half page ad in my local paper today, full colour, building a brighter future, claiming they have reduced debt – lies
Column from Phil Heatley in the local rag. Taking credit for things he said they have done while in Government.
All, but one, were started/approved while Labour was in.
TV3 has a golden opportunity to question him and instead gives him a golden opportunity to totally deflect the focus – He has had hours to prepare himself for this interview and unfortunately the interviewer is a lightweight. She does however give him several chances to endorse Brash and ACT leadership and he cannot answer that directly either.
Opening question:
Q. “Do you have a clear conscience about what’s on the tape?”
Key: “I have a totally clear conscience about what I’ve done, I think it’s the Herald on Sunday…” followed by 7 minutes of rehearsed diatribe.
http://www.3news.co.nz/VIDEO-John-Key-discusses-the-teapot-tapes/tabid/370/articleID/232760/Default.aspx
There is one interesting moment where he talks about confidentiality being breached – “If we let this go then today me, next … could be you. We cannot allow this principle to be breached.”
Go for it John Boy. We can’t wait for your public castigation of Paula Bennett over her breaching confidentiality in her totally inappropriate use of a beneficiary’s information to protect her own and your political hides.
Surely all this is deeply ironic?
Key was quite happy to “allow this principle to be breached”, when it was Maori who were being illegally taped. Passing legislation to retrospectively ‘legalise’, illegal and intrusive electronic snooping on Tuhoe.
Inadvertently condemning himself with his own words, “If we let this go then today me,…”
Cry me a river Key you hypocrite.
the whole thng was rehearsed from start to finish.
the tories know how to waste time inparliament and how to deliver red herrings to the juvenile infants at present infesting the media.
dumb and dumber.
The Greens have admitted going dirty in their campaigning, things are getting bad when they stoop into the mire.
Most voters are turned off politics and politicians because of dirt, smear and negativeness.
Time to clean up the campaign.
No idiot, learn to read before you embarrass yourself again, and again and again.
The Leader of the Greens has taken the front foot and outed the person responsible. A person who is in a relationship to someone who works for the Greens. Certainly it is a close link and yes if the party roles were different and it was a NACT worker’s partner i would say the same thing. Who do you think does the regular vandalism to all Party billboards if not those supporters linked to the workers and the volunteers of political parties? Do you honestly think all that damage is from people not interested in Politics?
Based on your regularly discredited comments, it is little wonder you won’t even vote for yourself.
?? Are you trying to claim that calling for a cleanup of how we do politics is discredited?
Yes, Norman has dealt with it very well, but it is still highly embarrassing to him and the Greens.
Greens being involved in widespread planned illegal activity – which was totally unnecessary by the way the polls were looking – it illustrates how pervasive dirty politics is, if not directly in party leadership at least amongst party operatives.
Back biting, defacing hoardings, sneering and doing your best to smear the opposition is a tradition Pete.
Some proper dirty politics for ya.
It’s a tradition that in this day and age surely we could leave in the past.
It’s usually counter-productive and counter to good leadership. We should demand better.
Good leadership?
To me that means intellect, ability, passion, a well articulated vision of where my country is headed and the political nous to be able to get there.
I’ve voted in every election since 1975 and the only politician that exhibited everything I wanted in a leader was Clark and the current offering, across all parties, leaves me cold.
But good luck with that wee pipe dream Pete.
The only way to achieve something is to try. I’m starting small and working my way up.
We’d all be better off if your leader was edged out of Wellington.
“exhibited everything I wanted in a leader was Clark”
And that would include the lazy $800K of tax payers funds inappropriately and illegally taken?
keep playing with those venn diagrams, ivv. You’ll figure them out.
You mean the funds that were decided, after 14 years of them being appropriately and legally taken, to be inappropriate and illegal?
Draco, as always you are willing to put your spin on past history – check out the Chief Electoral Officer’s take on it “inappropriate and illegal” were his words. Doesnt matter how you cut it Draco, Labour were caught with their hand in the till as it were.
The same till that ate national’s GST invoice?
You do realise that every party did the same thing don’t you? And had been doing it for 14 years? And if the AG went back further than three months Nationals bill would have been quite bit higher?
Not putting spin on past history – just relating how it was.
http://keepingstock.blogspot.com/2011/11/russel-norman-apologises.html
Oh dear – so it looks like any possible Green / National ‘coalition talks’ are probably now right off the table?
How sad 🙁
Not sure how telling the voting public the TRUTH is ‘defacing’ billboards?
If the mainstream media isn’t going to provide accurate information in order to better enable the voting public to ‘cast an informed’ vote – then this ‘piggy-backing’ technique seems fair to me.
I mean – it’s not like the National billboards have been physically damaged / knocked down?
hmmmm……….. maybe it’s just that the TRUTH hurts?
I predict that National’s apparently total reliance on fomer Wall St Bank$ter, ex-foreign exchange advisor for the (privately-owned) New York Federal Reserve, former Head of Derivatives for Merrill Lynch, current Bank of America shareholder – NZ Prime Minister John Key – is going to be their downfall in this 2011 election.
As one of my banners (yet to be published by mainstream media), but which has been publicly-displayed in the wilds of the Epsom electorate, states rather succintly –
“The KEY thing in life is sincerity.
(Same election hoarding photo of arguably ‘shonky’ John Key)
Once you can fake that – you’ve got it made.”
A week is a VERY long time in politics.
Eleven days to go…………..
🙂
Penny Bright
Independent Candidate for Epsom
Campaigning against ‘white collar’ CRIME, CORRUPTION (and its root cause – PRIVATISATION) and CORPORATE WELFARE.
If there was any justice National would be in court for their bill boards.
They should be required to tell the truth.
Vote National. We will steal your wealth and assets and leave you to pay our debts..
Ignoring arts and culture
National aren’t the only party putting arts and culture on the to do list though. An overall lack of any substantial policy creation has been highlighted in a current issue of the Listener.
Naomi Klein: Capitalism vs. the Climate.
Claiming that climate change is a plot to steal American freedom is rather tame by Heartland standards. Over the course of this two-day conference, I will learn that Obama’s campaign promise to support locally owned biofuels refineries was really about “green communitarianism,” akin to the “Maoist” scheme to put “a pig iron furnace in everybody’s backyard” (the Cato Institute’s Patrick Michaels). That climate change is “a stalking horse for National Socialism” (former Republican senator and retired astronaut Harrison Schmitt). And that environmentalists are like Aztec priests, sacrificing countless people to appease the gods and change the weather (Marc Morano, editor of the denialists’ go-to website, ClimateDepot.com).
Single page
Did I hear – “Sorry Russel, I had a brain storm and encouraged the vandalisation of about 700 National billboards”? Just the sort of activist the Green Party doesn’t need. Someone who outsources their brain work obviously.
Radiation release unaccounted for
The radiation is apparently not from Fukushima and the Czech Republic is adamant that none of their reactors have released radiation that would account for the higher levels of Iodine 131 in the atmosphere. So where the hell did the radiation come from?
Why NZ can never compete in the modern world economy. Rakon a NZ business has had a 14 per cent rise in revenue but its profits cut by a rise in the exchange rate to 81 cents when it was 10 cents lower last year. Then it made a $5 million profit, this year on more revenue, a measly $569,000.
Listen to the Radionz business report and get the details, and then you will understand why we are forever falling behind. Films occasionally show a person being dragged on the ground behind a horse. If we think of our country like this, being dragged along by a mendacious and vicious financial system we can get a true and instant image of our position.
Why should, how can businesses stay in this country that pays lip service to wanting a thriving, innovative country but then allows the profit to be siphoned off through whimsical runs or drops in the exchange rate as a result of playing with our currency by the the financial masses, leaving us an uncertain amount that no planning can define.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/5968560/Rakon-returns-to-the-red-shares-slump
I think the statement that we can never compete in a modern world economy is false but educated. If we really looked into this we would see that economies of scale and trade terms have a very distorting impact. Contrary to popular belief “free trade” deals rarely do anything fair for the smaller nations, in fact they merely open them up to anti competitive practices.
One of the biggest problems we have is the differential of “slave” wage levels, for example we could never compete with Chinese wages because they are so low. Consequently we should in an ideal world create equal opportunity by tariffing them. It wont happen….but what will is that energy scarcity will level the playing field to a high degree in the near future. Those with adequate energy resources to leverage versus raw manpower will come out ahead.
Come 2020 my forecast is that we will have a very hungry world, the petro chems needed to fertilise and plow will be in short supply…and then there will be the effects of climate change. Ugly picture but we will still in NZ be doing that one thing we are really good at is growing grass all year round and turning it into protein for export. That’s a distinct competitive advantage.
Bored – I am blinded by tears from seeing our exchange rate swoop about like an out-of-control rocket. It’s seeing the carry trade et al buying and selling our money for short-term gains. We are quite small in the world economy yet I think we are 11th most traded, when there are over 100 countries.
It just makes me despair as we keep watching our balance and footing as we run on this treadmill no-one ever admitting that we will never get ahead. Relying on big splashes in our small pond from oil shocks and climate change is dangerous. We will have given away our ability to grow what we want to Monsanto by then. The cretins in charge of our economy, the idiot savants, won’t recognise a tipping point if they fall over it.
I hope the greens are going to compensate national.
Akshully. National should be prosecuted under the commerce act for false advertising on their bill boards. And thanking those who changed them, for helping them avoid prosecution..
😈
Is a coalition agreement what you had in mind for ‘compensation’?
I hear Key is relaxed about it.
So we have our very own kiwi curtain twitchers club–“Snitchline” over at blubbers blog. Disgusting, the ultimate neighbourhood watch. Not quite Stasi junior but given their political masters Search and Surveillence Bill who knows where such snooping will go.
http://www.whaleoil.co.nz/2011/11/information-please/#disqus_thread
Would expect anything less from the sickness beneficiary.
comment deleted
[sprout]
I missed what he said sprout – was it mildly insulting?
Not from that fine fellow, surely!
A humorous little story on stuff – Key’s bus crashes at the first corner .
Not so humorous is the fact that two apparently legally parked vehicles “were broken in to police and shifted to allow the bus to pass” (in Stuff’s unparalleled sub-editing paucity). Isn’t that unlawfully interfering with a motor vehicle? Shouldn’t they just have driven the bus out the same way they brought it in? Arrogant fucktards.
” The 1% are the very best destroyers of wealth the world has ever seen” George Monbiot, The Guardian.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/nov/07/one-per-cent-wealth-destroyers
The Green party is tested over National’s billboard revelations and it is interesting to contrast the way Russel Norman dealt with the situation compared to Key’s handling of the Standard and Poors debacle:
http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.com/2011/11/green-leadership-tested-over-billboards.html
History repeats itself on Wall street
.http://i.imgur.com/5zlio.jpg
National’s Election Hoarding’s 13
On September 2nd John Key opened the Customs’ Integrated Targeting and Operations Centre, saying: “Anyone who is innocent has nothing to fear.”
Quick, someone get me some tissues. (*sniff*)
I think it’s time we passed the hat around.
The National Government will organise that.
Closeup tonight is bringing in a lip reader.
“I’m not sure what he’s saying but he’s definitely drunk”
heh. Is it possible to lip read much by watching a face from side on?
Yeah! Key talks out the side of his mouth so should be easy.
And he sits on his brain (what little there is)
Its all a joke to the born-to-rule.
This does provide an explanation with why Key was reportedly injudicious with his comments, however.
What was Key’s prior engagement to turning up at the cafe? Why was he drinking at it?
http://www.livestream.com/globalrevolution
Incredible live stream from the police raid on Zuccotti Park and the Occupy Wall Street people
Just been to Meet the Candidates meeting for the Waitakere Electorate in Glen Eden this evening. I just wish someone had planted a recording device in the vicinity of Paula Bennett and Winston Peters – they were having a few intimate discussions with a few giggles along the way!
Paula and Winston being intimate
*shudder*
Please no more detail, have mercy.
Campbell, that was my original reaction too!
John Key announces brand new hoarding’s
After a large number of National’s election hoardings were vandalized, John Key decided he would have to commission some more appropriate artwork for his re-election campaign to be successful. His brief was to design a new set of hoardings that captures exactly what the National party really stands for…