S.S. Trust’s “Offender Database” still looking threadbare
I have yet to receive an acknowledgement from the people at the S.S. Trust, after having informed them yesterday of three major oversights in their “Offender Database”, viz., the absence of three notorious criminals: BRUCE EMERY, DAVID GARRETT and ALAN TITFORD.
Our good friend and colleague Murray Olsen also took the trouble to alert the S.S. Trust about Alan Titford—did you hear back from them, Murray?
On its site, the S.S. Trust features the statement: “The Sensible Sentencing Trust believes in an open and transparent Justice System.” I urge other Standardistas to help the S.S. Trust get its Offender Database in order. The form is very easy to fill in and can be found here…. http://www.sst.org.nz/offenders-database/
All you have to do is scroll to the bottom of that page and fill in the form “Submit Offender Information”. In the “Message” box, you can simply summarize the crimes of the offender you are naming. They will get back to you for more precise details—or so they told me. You may copy or adopt the following if you like….
BRUCE EMERY: In late 2008, he chased down a boy on a South Auckland street, then stabbed him repeatedly, killing him.
DAVID GARRETT: 1.) Convicted of assaulting a doctor in Tonga; 2.) convicted of Passport fraud (he assumed the identity of a dead baby in the commission of that crime); 3.) belongs to an extreme racist hate organization. Acts as “legal counsel” to an extreme racist hate organization.
ALAN TITFORD: Convicted arsonist, vandal, serial liar. Acts as “legal counsel” to an extreme racist hate organization.
UPDATE: I’ve just sent them information (at 7:18 a.m.) about David Garrett. I got back this reply: “Thanks for contacting us! We will get in touch with you shortly.”
[lprent: Be more careful. I have put in the changes from your comment below leaving your original screwup in place. ]
ERRATUM
To my horror, I see that I wrote above that ALAN TITFORD “acts as legal counsel to an extreme racist hate organization.” Titford merely BELONGS to that organization; it is DAVID GARRETT that acts as its legal counsel.
Here is the correct version of those summaries for the S.S. Trust Offender Database….
BRUCE EMERY: In late 2008, he chased down a boy on a South Auckland street, then stabbed him repeatedly, killing him.
DAVID GARRETT: 1.) Convicted of assaulting a doctor in Tonga; 2.) convicted of Passport fraud (he assumed the identity of a dead baby in the commission of that crime); 3.) Acts as “legal counsel” to an extreme racist hate organization.
ALAN TITFORD: Convicted arsonist, vandal, serial liar, member of an extreme racist hate organization.
14 charges of assault with a weapon, seven of assault, four of male assaults female, three of assault on a child, three of sexual violation, two of arson, and single charges of using a document with intention to defraud, threatening to kill, assault using a weapon, perjury, attempting to pervert the course of justice and discharging a firearm.
you’ve spelled his name wrongly, or they ahve accepted your information
Name Location Offences
Titford, Allan Prison Arson, Assault, Child Abuse, Rape, attempted rape, Threatening to Kill, Intimidation, or any Threatening Behaviour, Weapons or firearms charges
$100k to keep a shithead for a year is ridiculous, pack these scum in some old railway containers.
All the sex and drugs they want in motel like accommodation with all their mates. No great surprise that they keep going back for more.
They are not scum. You should be locked up too as your contempt for other human beings is extremist. Our own version of the Taliban can be found in “Nakiban.”
I disagree: Funi Man has the same freedom of speech as you or I. On the other hand I think the police and SIS should take a close interest in far-right racist hate groups, so I hope he’s caught in that net somewhere.
Fucknuckle
I am not racist or far right. You might be a apologist for pedo’s murderer’s and thieves. That’s what i don’t like, trust your type to try and play the racist card. My partner is not a kiwi. You fool
Of course you are racist. Of course you are hate filled. Of course you are sadistic. The more you hate the more that is what you become. Even a six year old understands see that.
Oh, sorry, I suppose xenophobic would be a better term. Many right-wingers exhibit these symptoms as a result of your “low levels of contact with out-groups” (Hodson & Busseri 2011).
It seems that in your case, you channel your hatred against prisoners. I further note that the hate-based policies you struggle to articulate (while supporting wholeheartedly) lead to New Zealand prisons having one of the highest recidivism rates in the world, therefore creating more crime in the process.
Now, let’s unpack your witless and baseless smear. I promote policies that will reduce recidivism (if we adopt best practice we could get it down to at least 25%) and therefore crime. You do the opposite. Which one of us is pro-crime?
Of course Naki Man, we understand that, a Jersey Friesian, by another name is still a Jersey Friesian. Up there in the back-blocks, I guess a man’s friend is well…………………
John Key would understand.
Yes I have read the article. If you don’t like prison then behave. We should get China, Thailand
and a few others to tender for locking up the worst offenders. They wont pander to these scum
I reckon naki man did the godwin first when he suggested throwing people into railway containers. I wonder why he went there immediately (rather than hard labour, for example)? It seems very Schindler’s List.
What I would like to know is why it costs $100,000 in the first place to house a single prisoner. I live on about $28,000 a year and I think my lifestyle is significantly better than a prison inmate. So why the gigantic costs?
Andrew Geddis over at the Pundit site,(link is over on the right of the page),gives a good ‘legal opinion’ on the criminal case presented to the Auckland District Court against Auckland Mayor Len Brown,
i fully agree with the analysis presented, it can be proved that SkyCity gave Len Brown free hotel accommodation, it can also be proved that Len Brown gave His support to the SkyCity convention center,
What has to be proved tho, and i like Geddis struggle to see how such ‘proof’ can be provided to the Court, is that one lead to the other, in other words there must be a proven link that clearly shows that Len Brown was given the free hotel accommodation as payment for His support of the convention center,
Now we all, Penny Bright and Graham Mac included, have the right to ‘think’ that the two actions, free hotel rooms and support for the convention center are glove in hand but the Court requires more than ”i thunk it therefore it is so” as proof in most matters,( i am sure most of us could provide an example to debunk what i have just written),
As Geddis says to Penny Bright over at Pundit when She insinuates ‘there’s more, lots more, you just wait and see’, Bring It, if there is ‘more’ in the way of FACT to be either put to the Court, or in the likely event the Court refuses to proceed with this prosecution, put into the Public arena, minds just well might be changed,
As it is tho, ‘i thunk it therefor it is’ and ‘i have attended a number of international conferences therefor I Know’ are in my opinion well below the test of proof that any Court would require as ‘proof’ of the contention that the free hotel rooms were payment for Brown’s support of the convention center…
Can any one confirm the papers filed are against Len Brown and not his wife Shan Inglis or both. As I just heard McCready on Radio Live saying he was filing against Inglis, not Brown and Inglis.
Yours
Confused Auckland Ratepayer
[Edit]
Today he announced he also plans to file the same two counts of bribery and corruption against Mr Brown’s wife, Shirley Anne Inglis, saying she was involved in a “laundering exercise” by accepting the upgrades on behalf of her husband.
Wow, that’s harsh. Not sure the court of public opinion will be behind filing against Len’s poor wife.
Yeah, McCready is drawing a long bow against Brown, never mind Inglis. So are you. incidentally, with your poison words about her. I am loath to explain this because politicians’ families and private lives are out of bounds, motherfucker, but one thing I know for sure is that you have no more knowledge of the internal dynamics of that family than I do.
Yeah, just up on the Herald on lines website is confirmation that McCready and i will make a assumption here and pre-apologize if i have it wrong, Penny Bright are now alleging that Brown’s wife was ‘laundering’ illicit proceeds gained by Brown by Her having booked most of the hotel rooms in question,
Now that to me is just Fucking Sick, if anyone is a victim in this whole sordid pile of s**t it is the Wife of Len Brown and to attempt to slur Her by alleging that She knew Brown was being paid off with free and upgraded accommodation that she was knowingly booking is to simply re-victimize Her all over again,
Penny Bright and Graham Mac, enjoy your five minutes of fame, hopefully with these two prosecutions the Courts note that you have become vexatious litigants and toss anything you may bring befor them in the future into the rubbish bin…
Ditto for the assumption that anyone is in a position to assign “victimhood”. Leave the personal family stuff out of it completely. You are playing Palino/Slater/Wewege’s game.
Bad12, I was responding to you. If we want family to be out of bounds in politics (and I believe we do) that extends to presuming to speak for politician’s family members, who are perfectly capable of speaking for themselves.
That is just spurious bullshit OAK, it is not i who have dragged Brown’s wife into the public spotlight with these threatened tawdry charges,
Now that McCready and Co have made this a public spectacle then the nature of family relationships has changed and i for one won’t be silenced by your puerile call for ‘vow of silence’ which in effect is a silent round of applause from you for what McCready and Co are about to attempt to inflict upon Brown’s Wife,
If you OAK wanted family to be kept out of politics then you also should be giving McCready and Co the same message i am, which is to proclaim loudly to these people that dragging brown’s Wife through the Courts on what appears to be even bigger spurious bullshit than you are capable of writing is totally fucking unacceptable,
i have never called for any form of ‘blanket’ leaving of families out of politics, in the ‘Brown affair’ i have simply taken the position that what Brown gets up to in His private life between mature consenting adults is a matter that should be left to him and his family, i am not the moral police,
Leaving ‘family out of politics’ is definitely a laudable aim, but, that depends entirely upon what is alleged when an attempt to drag family into politics is made by anyone and whether we have any slightest shred of fact to back up any such claims made against a politicians family,
As far as presuming to speak for Brown’s wife, i don’t, like many others here at the Standard i am of the opinion that Brown’s affair with Ms Chuang was His private life and that the only people Brown had to justify such actions to were his family,
In my opinion Brown’s wife was and is the major victim of His affair with Ms Chuang the latest actions of McCready and Co will simply lead to Her re-victimization as i have not the slightest belief that McCready has a shred of evidence that what He alleges occurred,
Lastly this is Open Mike a page specifically set aside for discussion of anything and everything, telling me or anyone else what they can or cannot comment on is likely to gain you the response of go eat s**t…
Oh I completely agree about McCready – I hope the courts reject his brief in no uncertain terms, and based on Andrew Geddis’ analysis it seems they will.
You can’t simultaneously want family out of politics and then use the alleged feelings of family members in your argument. That is simply another form of revictimising, thus, playing Palino/Slater/Wewege’s game. Or having your cake and eating it.
I prefer families be kept out of politics. Do as you will.
Wow! That’s some serious assholism going on right there folks. I mean attacking a public figure is all well and good, but attacking their partners or families is another thing entirely.
Such underhanded tactics make it appear that the whole exercise isn’t about moral outrage or justice and is instead simply about getting rid of Len Brown as Mayor. Considering the right wing Palino would likely become Mayor of Auckland in that case, why on earth are so called left wing activists like Penny Bright on the warpath?
It would be nice if the right wing could come up with something more original than a simple honey trap (you should have seen that one coming Len) and a few false allegations to try and take out their opposition. Besides, isn’t Brown’s affair a private matter between him and his wife?
Making a false allegation against Shirley Anne Inglis for simply accepting upgrades to their accommodation arrangements is entirely unacceptable! I’m with bad12 on this one, Graham McCready should be found to be a vexatious litigant and his case thrown out.
“Considering the right wing Palino would likely become Mayor of Auckland in that case, why on earth are so called left wing activists like Penny Bright on the warpath?”
Maybe some people aren’t hopelessly partisan and will go after anyone who is at fault, regardless of their affiliation?
I believed that is generally called “having principles”.
Lanth, while i somewhat agree with the point of your argument, the major point of all this is not ‘having principles’ it is ‘having proof’,
As i point out above, we all are entitled to ‘think’ what we want vis a vis Len Brown accepting free hotel rooms and upgrades measured against the fact that Len Brown supported the SkyCity convention center,
However, while the two facts above could be directly related any thinking person would, without actual proof, have to consider the possibility that both facts are not linked,
‘We thunk it therefor it is’ does not in a Court of Law constitute proof and Penny Bright in particular, seemingly up to Her armpits in these prosecutions is wont to drop grand screeds of text here at the Standard, i have yet to see Her production of such ‘proof’ appear here for some strange reason,
What the threatened charges against Browns wife look like to me is the two Ronnies after having filed charges against Brown Himself have come to the belated realization that it was Brown’s Wife who booked the majority of rooms which were subsequently upgraded or given for free,
Such a big OOOP’s moment has in my opinion then lead the two Ronnies into what i would call a recovering drunks hamfisted attempt to criminalize the person who was the actual ‘receiver’ of the upgrades and freebies and i have to wonder in a quiet moment whether at least one of the Two Ronnies has in fact fallen far far off of the hypothetical wagon,(while only hearing the soundtrack to the movie Fame i might add)…
McCready is a loose cannon who has so far managed a wounding shot on Banks. It doesn’t seem to matter to him whom he prosecutes. He’s the Tim Shadbolt of the courtrooms; it doesn’t matter, as long as he’s there. Penny Bright has made it her mission in life to be the conscience of the capitalist state. In my view, neither of them does much to advance left wing causes.
I’m sorry I must have missed something, but what happened to Cameron Brewer’s undeclared little junket? Why is he not being sued, if McCready wants to be consistent?
And for that matter, did John Key and Steven Joyce received and declared any gifts for their very friendly engagement with SkyCity biz?
I thought it had been revealed by the Council that Cameron Brewer did report his Australia trip, and that the Council had overlooked the fact, until it was brought to their attention. It was done in an em.from Brewer.
i heard cameron brewer on rnz say his situation was different regarding the freebies, because he was always upfront about acceding to sky cities wishes. in other words his principles were already bought.
(np dead moon – kicked out, kicked in “who sold out, & whos for sale”)
When I accept an upgrade I’m doing the Hotel or the Airplane a favor. Where there is an empty room and the Hotel has sold all its regular rooms, its good business to reward repeat visitors with upgrades and on sale the freed room.
So it astonished me when the NR Moro guests kept harping on about them. Its call basic business commonsense. Now if Brown were the only one getting them, and getting an envelope of cash left in the room, then yeah. But this practice is commonplace.
I am against deepsea oil exploration anyway, but even if I wasn’t; this new groups spokeswoman would have given me pause:
” Mrs Broughton said Pro Oil and Gas Otago was in ”regular” contact with the oil companies… The businessmen behind the new group did not yet want to be identified, preferring to work behind the scenes, but there was ”nothing sinister” in that, she said.”
Exactly Pasupial. Anonymous pro oil group made up of business people who want to keep their identity hidden? Seems that Robyn Broughton herself perceives it as sinister as she thought to use the word. Verging on a form of Freudian slip.
I hope these aren’t the same people that parrot “nothing to hide, nothing to fear” when they defend their mates in the National Govt over the GCSB and TICS Act’s.
I’m reasonably willing to hear what these residents and business people of Dunedin have to say in putting forward their case. In particular, I’m very eager to hear about assurances and guarantees regarding the specific economic benefits that Otago will receive as a region, from any gas or oil extraction.
IF any commercial extraction does go ahead, I personally think that 1% of the value of fossil fuels extracted should go into a Dunedin City economic investment fund, 1% into a wider Otago Region economic investment fund, and 1% held in escrow in a clean up contingency fund.
A group of Dunedin businesses is moving to construct castles as debate intensifies over the arrival of oil companies in Otago waters.
However, with A Dark Co’s drilling ship, the igNoble Doug Roberts, due by the end of the month, protest group Oil Free Otago has also warned the peasants are building barricades.
The warning came days after a group of four Dunedin businessmen created a new group; Prostituting Otago Oil, to spell out their support for gas exploration off Dunedin’s coast.
Spokeswoman Robem Blind, of Dunedin, said the group wanted to counter ”scaremongering” by opponents of oil and gas exploration, and said that; “listening to that kind of person” would infect you with a disease akin to syphillis.
Mrs Blind said Prostituting Otago Oil was in “regular contact with the forces of Satan”. The businessmen behind the new group did not yet want to be identified, preferring to work behind the scenes, but there was ”nothing sinister” in that, she said. “Nor should the issue of blood sacrifice be pertinent” to this discussion, added Mrs Blind as she dabbed her lips; with a torn scrap of children’s clothing printed with bunny rabbits.
A Dark Co., New Zealand, corporate affairs manager Acraven Shill said the company was ”a long way” from deciding whether to proceed to full extraction, and whether to use Dunedin or Invercargill as a supply base. All oil companies play this Shell Game of pitting local communities against one another for this dubious benefit ;“it’s better than having the drilling but getting nothing for it; so some one usually knuckles under”, he cackled.
However, it was ”wonderful” to see growing support for the group, which confirmed what the company already knew, he said.
“Similar groups have been very useful in the past and they should be worth every penny we pay them.”
“A key chapter allowed foreign companies to sue the government in an overseas tribunal if it raised environmental standards in a way that hurt foreign investor profits.
The risk of million-dollar lawsuits would discourage governments from addressing environmental problems, with “serious environmental consequences”, he said.
A spokeswoman for Trade Minister Tim Groser said the TPP environment chapter would “promote high standards of environmental protection, and enhance the capacity of TPP members to address trade-related environment issues”.
Asked if the section would be beneficial for the New Zealand environment, she said that “trade and environmental policies can be and should be mutually supportive”.”
The herald doesnt trust us to read it ourselves so no link given. Found it at huffington.
“Further, where private sector entities or non-governmental organizations develop
voluntary mechanisms for the promotion of products based on their environmental
qualities, each Party should encourage those entities and organizations to develop such
mechanisms that among other things:
(a)
are truthful, not misleading and take into account scientific and technical
information;
(b)
where applicable and available, are based on relevant international standards,
recommendations or guidelines, and best practices”
You see? As I keep saying, the TPP changes my vote and sovereignty by changing what laws can and can’t be made (by way of financial compensation / litigation). This means the government has no ability to enter into the TPP.
The TPP will be null and void.
Why can’t business simply accept the risk of doing business in another person’s house? Why can’t they accept that the house-dweller is supreme and that the risk of the rules of the house changing is part of business?
This is simply business pushing people out of the way to get its own way. Business needs to learn its place i.e. subject to the requirements of the house in which it operates. This is all a colossal historic anomaly.
“Mexico refused to deposit toxic waste from the US in her country. However, that was an infringement against the Trade Agreement with the United States and based on this mechanism the waste disposal company was ordered to get 70 million US Dollar in compensation.”
… Remember reading this somewhere – was difficult to find a link in the MSM, but could have been using the wrong key words.
responsibilities on corporates appear to be voluntary only. Speaks volumes that it has to be written down that if corporates DO engage in voluntary audits or promote themselves s environmentally friendly, the NZ govt should encourage them to do so truthfully…”Encourage”!!!
i have had nothing to add to the TPP debate until now, my thinking on this ‘free trade deal’ having been solidified by a couple of articles read from the Herald Onlines site,
Given what i have read there today it is in fact imperative that David Cunliffe again states clearly that an incoming Labour lead Government reserves the right to withdraw from this TPP as it is now obvious that this agreement will prohibit a sovereign government from making whatever laws and regulations it chooses,
While Cunliffe is at it and befor the damage Goff is doing to the Labour Party becomes irreversable, He should strip Goff of any ability to talk on trade issues at the least…
I agree. BUT unfortunately he will only say the public should see the drat… but appointed goff and dodged my question on that very apparent contradiction
From: Tracey
Sent: Wednesday, 25 September 2013 1:41 p.m.
To: Hon. David Cunliffe
Subject: TPPA
Can you confirm that the appointment of Goff to Trade wont see you water down
your promise on the TPPA draft to be made public before it would be signed?
Congrats on your recent election.
I used to vote labour but moved away in recent times despite being a fan of Clark.
I want a caring society where we help the vulnerable and dont turn them into punching bags. I will vote Green unless Mr Cunliffe can show me a turn away from cow towing to a few small big businesses
Tracey
———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Hon. Phil Goff
Date: Tue, Dec 17, 2013 at 4:31 PM
Subject: RE: TPPA
To: “redacted”
Thank you for your email to Hon David Cunliffe concerning the Trans Pacific Partnership trade negotiations. Apologies for the delay in my reply.
There is genuine concern about what might be included in the final outcome of the negotiations, which the Government has not adequately addressed by making clear where it stands on important issues in the negotiation.
Labour demands more openness and transparency from the Government. As Minister of Trade negotiating the China and Asean Free Trade Agreements in 2008, I involved a cross-section of groups in the process including the Council of Trade Unions and Greenpeace as well as businesses and exporters. That helped ensure we got good input and it also won trust and confidence in what we were doing.
Those trade agreements hugely helped economic growth and jobs in New Zealand with New Zealand exports to China increasing from $2 billion to over $7 billion dollars in five years and closing the trade deficit with that country. It helped save us from suffering as badly as the US and Europe from the Global Financial Crisis.
Labour has also set bottom lines for support for a TPP agreement. It must result in a clear and significant net benefit to our country. It must be a high quality agreement allowing New Zealand to gain access for our major exports to countries like the US, Japan, Canada and Mexico, removing barriers like the current exorbitant tariff rates on dairy (200-300 per cent), tight quotas and behind the borders barriers. For our services and manufacturing industries we would also want access to government procurement contracts, a market in the US alone worth $334 billion from which we are currently excluded.
Labour recognises that the TPP is not just a trade agreement but deals with behind the borders issues and could impact on domestic policy settings. New Zealand must not sacrifice Pharmac or give up our sovereign right to regulate and legislate such areas as health, the environment and economic policy or in areas like gambling, tobacco and alcohol. The policy protections must be tight enough to prevent multinational companies from winning law suits against us when we regulate in these areas to their commercial disadvantage. We support intellectual property protection but not where it goes to extremes which would hinder innovation and create excess profits at the expense of the consumer. The Government needs to heed the concerns of smaller companies in New Zealand including those in the IT sector.
Labour supports trade deals which genuinely benefit our country. We need growth in exports so we can close the gap between the value of what we export and import. A trade deficit which has persisted over 40 years has meant New Zealand having to borrow to pay the difference. Growing debt has resulted in us increasingly losing ownership of our own country.
We need growth for jobs and higher incomes. We need growth to increase government revenue to pay for higher quality services in areas like health and education.
The Petri study from Brandeis University shows that a TPP would likely lead to export growth to New Zealand of over $5 billion a year. The Parliamentary Library, based on the Brandeis study, states that could lead to job growth of up to 22,000 jobs.
Half of our trade goes to the TPP countries. If we did not participate in a successful agreement our exporters would be disadvantaged by facing barriers in the key TPP markets that our competitors do not.
We continue to insist that the Government better inform parliament and civil society as to its negotiating objectives and its position on issues of concern. Only then can the public be involved in an informed and mature debate. Labour will support a deal only if it is genuinely in the interests of New Zealand.
Thanks for the reminder Tracey, i remember this from the first time you posted it here, it just begs the question where then is Cunliffe’s RED Labour doesn’t it,
It’s definitely saddening that to get rid of Slippery’s abysmal shower of you know what we have to have the same old Neo-liberal bullshit rammed down our throats by the leader of this RED Labour Party and the business as usual brigade masquerading in the wings,
The only real hope of avoiding this disaster would seem to be that the talks collapse completely or the US Congress and Senate refuse to ratify the TPP…
yup. You know i wonder if the talks are now irrelevant because the 400 corp reps with the us delegation have already got a huge insight into their trading competitors govt policy?
Thanks for sharing Goff’s reply.
Btw, Tracey, are you really ok with making your email address publicly available? My gut feeling tells me that should not be quite necessary and can be left out to minimise potential misuses of your email address as well as unsolicited or unwelcome contact with you??
Well, she’s safe from me.
I was actually doing a public service by letting her know, google’s the ultimate stalking tool and it’s very easy to find out lots of information very quickly especially if you have a web presence.
But how do you think you did me a favour by warning me about having my email online and then searching it? If you can’t see that contradiction I pity you more than ever for your reasoning deficiencies….
In simple language BM
YOU didn’t warn me, Jim did, you know this because you replied to his warning post not to mine.
you could have warned me and NOT searched my email. My question was why you searched it. Because it was there is a ridiculous answer, think a bit deeper, tell the truth, it won’t hurt you.
I was making an observation. Such an observation and emailing lprent are not mutually exclusive.
Interesting I have received two emails so far. Nothing wierd, or evil, just people making contact who don’t usually post here but do read. Bm, of course beat the guiness world record for copying and pasting an email address and googling it.
I will feel creeped out when I receive emails from places I have never before and so forth. For now I remain just saddened at how national, pull the wool so easily over the eyes of the unthinking, such as BM… no critical thinking ability, at all.
God that’s such a fucking shambles. Nothing screams “really want to connect with supporters” like responding to a simple yes/no question with 11 paragraphs of boilerplate.
I know it wouldn’t be satisfactory in terms of answering-the-fucking-question, but how much better would this have been:
“Hi Tracey,
Thanks for your email to Hon David Cunliffe. It’s been forwarded to me as the Labour spokesperson on the TPPA.
Unfortunately David and I haven’t discussed an official position on releasing a draft since he’s become leader.
I can assure you that Labour will only support a deal if it is genuinely in the interests of New Zealand and New Zealanders.
Yours sincerely etc”
Yes, still a bunch of waffle, but at least you’d know someone in his office read the damn thing and didn’t just scan for the words “TPPA” then copypaste in the generic response.
So, apart from Goff praising previous FTAs (which, given that he’s a neo-lib can’t be any surprise), it would appear that Labour has put the kibosh on the TPPA, given this passage…
New Zealand must not sacrifice Pharmac or give up our sovereign right to regulate and legislate such areas as health, the environment and economic policy or in areas like gambling, tobacco and alcohol. The policy protections must be tight enough to prevent multinational companies from winning law suits against us when we regulate in these areas to their commercial disadvantage.
Correct me I’m wrong, but ceding the right to regulate and legislate is normally central to FTAs.
“We need growth for jobs and higher incomes. We need growth to increase government revenue to pay for higher quality services in areas like health and education”.
“The Petri study from Brandeis University shows that a TPP would likely lead to export growth to New Zealand of over $5 billion a year. The Parliamentary Library, based on the Brandeis study, states that could lead to job growth of up to 22,000 jobs”.
22,000 jobs “could” be created still leaves 130,000 to 230,000 people unemployed so where are they all meant to go? And are those potential 22,000 jobs part time, full time, casual, temporary??? How much will those jobs actually pay? Minimum wage perhaps? It’s all guesswork cos Goff really has no real information. It sounds like only Dairy farmers get more money and everyone else has to accept this as the new global neo-liberal norm (orthodoxy).
On the one hand globalisation favours the strong. On the other hand it connects the weak. The exchange of ideas that comes with it is a genuine force for global improvement (naive as that sounds).
The National Party’s ability to pretend things depends on when the MSM decides it’s “time for a change”.
This ferry contract could have gone to an NZ firm, and I’m sure its owners have taken notice of the fact that the National Party is happy to help roading contractors and casinos, but boat builders, not so much.
What to do? Find out the bank account number of the Waitemata Trust? Encourage the workforce to register to vote? Decisions, decisions 🙂
“We need growth for jobs and higher incomes. We need growth to increase government revenue to pay for higher quality services in areas like health and education”.
That is something only a person who has NFI WTF the economy is would say.
Growth doesn’t provide those things, increased productivity and diversity within the economy does. The exact opposite of what you get from free-trade.
““I hear from sole parents every week who say they’re really grateful for the support from Work and Income case managers; who are often the first to ask them what they want to do with their lives and then help them find work,” Bennett said. ”
hmm – she wouldn’t be extrapolating from the results of WINZ phone surveys by any chance? After my last visit I got the ‘just to check our services are up to speed’ bullshit phone call. Of course, the questions were weighted, far too general and open to massive interpretation.
So if I said I was happy enough with the service i received on that particular occasion…does that equate in someones mind with ‘grateful’? And since WINZ staff are now meant to quiz about work stuff on every contact…does that equate to ‘helping find work’ in someones mind? And so it goes…
I just wonder whether “hear” can possibly mean verbal. Does she even expose herself to the possibility of meeting sole parents thrust back into the workplace on low wages because the training subsidy has been cut?
The Main Stream Media has come out in election year with the full artillerary in a desperate assault on the minds of the electorate with the aim of restoring this incompetent government to power.
International Dairy prices are high which means farmers are able to pay loans back to foreign bankers.
Other than that the real economny is in further retreat with unemploment more than triple what a ‘rock star economy’ should be.
While our kids starve, the bankers buy another bach at Pauanui.
That is why every political party has a policy of feeding the starving kids at school.
Yes that’s right, even Key has acknowledged it. He caused it and his tory charity policy is goood for fuck all. But it shows your statement to be full of shit.
We love good news. You watch the mood of the nation rise on election night when Key and English are kicked out of office.
The only thing which would make us smile more is if the next government had the balls to put them both on trial for corruption and selling our country to their rich mates.
Just heard a news flash that yet another Forestry worker has been killed on the job in the Wairau Valley Marlborough
When will the National Far Right Government concede that we do need something to be done about the number of accidents occurring in the workplace especially in Forestry.
We do need Health & Safety laws to be beefed up and their vindictive cancelling of payments to CTU for H&S training needs urgent revisiting
When will the National Far Right Government concede that we do need something to be done about the number of accidents occurring in the workplace especially in Forestry.
They won’t. People being killed in service to their masters is fine with National.
by cancelling, people think they will use the money a different way to make workplaces safe, but notice there was no announcement of what will replace it?
national are at war… maybe some folks are just starting to wake up to that?
with less than 25% of the workforce in unions (not including the non members who join when they are dismissed to get free representation) why the almost pathological dislike of uinions?
funni man is just another shill for the tories repeating their lies and expecting people to believe them.
he should stay on tr*deme opinions with all the other creeps where he belongs.
A man has been killed in a forestry accident in Marlborough’s Wairau Valley and another worker has been seriously injured near Whakatane.
Last year forestry-related accidents claimed 10 lives.
WorkSafe NZ said it had sent expert forestry health and safety inspectors to investigate both of today’s incidents.
Ambulance officers pronounced the Marlborough forestry worker dead about 10.30am. The incident was reported to emergency services about 10am.
WorkSafe NZ general manager health and safety operations Ona de Rooy said that to have a death just 16 days into the new year, following an appalling safety record in 2013, showed how much the forestry sector needed to change its behaviour.
“We have identified an alarming rate of safety non-compliance amongst cable logging operators – nearly half of the 162 we’ve visited weren’t operating in compliance with the industry code and we had to take 203 enforcement actions to force those operators to comply. We had to shut 15 of them down they were so dangerous.
“We are so concerned at this level of unsafe practice that we have sought meetings with individual forest owners to make very clear to them that they have significant responsibilities,” de Rooy said.
“We will want to see their safety plans for the contractor crews demonstrate active management of safety standards. If they are deficient, we will be holding them to account.
Council of Trade Unions (CTU) president Helen Kelly has made many calls for immediate interim regulation for the industry.
Lol. Oh dear, never mind. People can still have a party and pay for their own drinks on the day. Bomber might want to shout – although possibly he’s already got an unexpected headache. Wouldn’t this be better posted in the Internet Party thread?
” A senior Italian IOC member criticised the United States for including openly gay athletes in its official delegation for next month’s Sochi Olympics.
“It’s absurd that a country like that sends four lesbians to Russia just to demonstrate that in their country gay rights have (been established),” Mario Pescante said at an Italian Olympic Committee meeting in Milan, in comments widely reported by Italian media.
“The games should not be an occasion and a stage to promote rights that sports supports daily.”
The Italian Olympic Committee would not confirm or deny Pescante’s comments, but his speech was reported by the Gazzetta dello Sport and the ANSA news agency.
Asked for clarification later, Pescante said he is not anti-gay.
“Of course not,” the 75-year-old Pescante he said. “I just wanted to make the point not to let politics interfere with the Olympics.” “
David Farrar gets told to criticise the Dom Post when it forgets to act as a mouthpiece for the government.
“Good boy, David,” said his Tory masters. ” You’ll get your overseas holidays if you keep this .”
I have nothing contempt for that paid Tory propagandist.
Yet you use him as a source!
As someone who once knew Boscawen, I baulk at the “safe pair of hands and a positive outcome for ACT” meme pushed by the politically ignorant blonde reporter who fronts the item.
He was regarded by those who knew him (including me) as an old woman. He’s obsessive and completely lacking in even a modicum of vision. He’s an ideologically based Climate Change denier who has close links to the NZ Climate Science Education Trust – that’s the outfit that took NIWA to court and lost. They were ordered to pay costs to the tune of around $80,000 plus (if I remember correctly) but have never paid them. He’s an accountant by profession. Need I say more.
In short, a one eyed pratt who thinks because he has a few bob in the bank that makes him an important person.
gareth Morgan is a trick. Gareth became rich through capital gains.Untaxed capital gains. He is a hihpocritical fraud, Got to go and feed the cats.
[lprent: Back again? Lift your game up a bit. I looked at this comment, decide that it was by someone mindless repeating crap that they hadn’t bothered to think about, and started the “stupid troll parrot” scan. It won’t take too many of those before I decide to boot you again as wasting too much of my time moderating a stupid simpleton.
BTW: While I have very limited respect for him. As I remember it, Gareth Morgan made most of his money in ventures that were and are taxable. This includes such things as the sale of trademe shares. Perhaps you should read the wikipedia entry and point to untaxed capital gains in OpenMike. Because at this point I rather consider that you are a really idiotic and foolish liar.
Adding you to moderation so that you don’t divert on this post. And moving this comment to OpenMike. ]
Tesla and GM have both issued fire-related recalls, but Tesla’s fix doesn’t require owners to bring their cars in.
Tesla Motors is using over-the-air software updates to quickly fix the sort of problems that often arise when bringing a new car to market. This forward-looking approach is an important part of the company’s success.
Then, you might care to have a good, hard look at section 8 – which deals with ‘Compliance’, particularly:
____________________________________________________________________________
8.5. Conduct Review Independent Panel
The governing body shall constitute a Conduct Review Independent Panel.
The members of the Panel will be selected from a list of persons with appropriate skills and knowledge, to be recommended by the Chief Executive.
The Independent Panel is not a Committee of the governing body and its sole function is to investigate those matters referred to it and to make recommendations on those matters to the governing body/local board.
Up to three members on the list will be deemed to be ‘convenors’ who will be the Council’s primary contact in relation to convening a panel when required. ‘Convening’ a panel includes
chairing that panel. A convenor may appoint other convenors to a panel.
8.6. Procedures of the Conduct Review Independent Panel
The Independent Panel will establish and notify standard procedures, fair to both
complainants and respondents, which it will apply to the investigation and consideration of
all complaints referred to it. ”
__________________________________________________________________________
Why was this process not followed with this ‘inquiry’ into Mayor Len Brown?
Upon what lawful basis did (former) CEO Doug McKay, apparently chose a ‘process’ which he just made up – then appointed his own people (Ernst and Young) to carry out this ‘inquiry’?
In my considered opinion, the purpose of so doing was to attempt to protect Mayor Len Brown from prosecution for arguable statutory breaches of the LAWS which cover the role and conduct of elected representatives, as outlined in the above-mentioned APPENDIX 2.
Other ‘conflicts of interest’?
Anybody else noticed how (former) Auckland Council CEO Doug McKay, Ernst and Young and Sky City are all members of the unelected private sector lobby group Committee for Auckland?
Oh yes – who did Auckland Mayor Len Brown commission to write a (favourable) report on Public-Private-Partnerships (PPPs) – none other than – Ernst and Young:
Buzz from the Beehive Transport Minister Simeon Brown dutifully issued advice to all road users to keep safe on our roads during the Easter weekend. He encouraged them to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. ...
Oliver Hartwich writes – New Zealanders recently learned about a new feature film. It will be about former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern – and taxpayers will subsidise it to the tune of NZ$800,000. Ardern had nothing personally to do with either the film or the subsidy. But her government’s ...
TL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above that was recorded yesterday afternoon above between and The Kākā’s climate correspondent : An independent review panel into the emergency response to Cyclone Gabrielle in Hawkes Bayconcluded “that ...
There are now only a few days left to give feedback on the Draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport 2024-34 (see our earlier post this week on GPS submission guides). As we’ve reported, the GPS is a disaster for Local Government, so we were particularly interested to hear ...
Willis has pledged to go ahead with the debt-funded tax cuts, despite growing opposition from her own supporters worried about appearing fiscally irresponsible. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for ...
Open access notables A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North, van Wijngaarden et al., Climatic Change:The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased ...
Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On ...
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...
New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
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The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
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The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
Analysis - Nicola Willis is holding firm on tax cuts despite the economic outlook being worse than forecast and critics urging her to wait, writes Peter Wilson for The Week In Politics. ...
Opposition MPs and unions are criticising a proposal by New Zealand’s Ministry of Pacific Peoples to cut staff by 40 percent. The country’s largest trade union — The Public Service Association — says the ministry has informed staff that it is looking to shed 63 of 156 positions. Opposition MPs ...
A poem by Poetry Aotearoa Yearbook 2024 featured poet Carin Smeaton. Daughtr of the 90s when she gets promoted to usherette a baby blu eel carries her all the way up to mothership she’s hovering high she lets the underaged in to see keanu reeves she lets the only lonely ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand. My earlier article – Can ‘Good’ be the Greater Evil? – looked at the issue of how wars should end, and how Good versus Evil ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 AMMA by Saraid de Silva (Moa Press, $38)A stunning debut novel reviewed by Brannavan ...
From Steve Martin to Ricky Stanicky, a pick’n’mix of things worth watching and listening to this long weekend. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. If you’re at a loss for something to occupy yourself with this Easter, don’t panic: The Spinoff’s got ...
Jesus had dinner with his 12 disciples right before he died. Noted historian Madeleine Chapman finds out who really deserved to be there.First published in 2018 but let’s be honest, the subject is timeless. As you sit on your couch this Easter Sunday, eating a chocolate egg you know ...
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Comment: Every year on February 2, a dozen men in tuxedos and top hats approach the burrow of a groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania and entice the beaver-like rodent to emerge and predict the weather. If the groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, sees its own shadow when it is summoned, legend ...
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By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
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The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
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S.S. Trust’s “Offender Database” still looking threadbare
I have yet to receive an acknowledgement from the people at the S.S. Trust, after having informed them yesterday of three major oversights in their “Offender Database”, viz., the absence of three notorious criminals: BRUCE EMERY, DAVID GARRETT and ALAN TITFORD.
Our good friend and colleague Murray Olsen also took the trouble to alert the S.S. Trust about Alan Titford—did you hear back from them, Murray?
On its site, the S.S. Trust features the statement: “The Sensible Sentencing Trust believes in an open and transparent Justice System.” I urge other Standardistas to help the S.S. Trust get its Offender Database in order. The form is very easy to fill in and can be found here….
http://www.sst.org.nz/offenders-database/
All you have to do is scroll to the bottom of that page and fill in the form “Submit Offender Information”. In the “Message” box, you can simply summarize the crimes of the offender you are naming. They will get back to you for more precise details—or so they told me. You may copy or adopt the following if you like….
BRUCE EMERY: In late 2008, he chased down a boy on a South Auckland street, then stabbed him repeatedly, killing him.
DAVID GARRETT: 1.) Convicted of assaulting a doctor in Tonga; 2.) convicted of Passport fraud (he assumed the identity of a dead baby in the commission of that crime); 3.)
belongs to an extreme racist hate organization.Acts as “legal counsel” to an extreme racist hate organization.ALAN TITFORD: Convicted arsonist, vandal, serial liar.
Acts as “legal counsel” to an extreme racist hate organization.UPDATE: I’ve just sent them information (at 7:18 a.m.) about David Garrett. I got back this reply: “Thanks for contacting us! We will get in touch with you shortly.”
[lprent: Be more careful. I have put in the changes from your comment below leaving your original screwup in place. ]
ERRATUM
To my horror, I see that I wrote above that ALAN TITFORD “acts as legal counsel to an extreme racist hate organization.” Titford merely BELONGS to that organization; it is DAVID GARRETT that acts as its legal counsel.
Here is the correct version of those summaries for the S.S. Trust Offender Database….
BRUCE EMERY: In late 2008, he chased down a boy on a South Auckland street, then stabbed him repeatedly, killing him.
DAVID GARRETT: 1.) Convicted of assaulting a doctor in Tonga; 2.) convicted of Passport fraud (he assumed the identity of a dead baby in the commission of that crime); 3.) Acts as “legal counsel” to an extreme racist hate organization.
ALAN TITFORD: Convicted arsonist, vandal, serial liar, member of an extreme racist hate organization.
Good work!
I see they exclude white collar crimes
i thought titforsd was convicted of
14 charges of assault with a weapon, seven of assault, four of male assaults female, three of assault on a child, three of sexual violation, two of arson, and single charges of using a document with intention to defraud, threatening to kill, assault using a weapon, perjury, attempting to pervert the course of justice and discharging a firearm.
you’ve spelled his name wrongly, or they ahve accepted your information
Name Location Offences
Titford, Allan Prison Arson, Assault, Child Abuse, Rape, attempted rape, Threatening to Kill, Intimidation, or any Threatening Behaviour, Weapons or firearms charges
Haven’t heard back. You’d think they’d want to thank me for helping to keep the country safe.
Foreigners are stealing your tax dollars!
Stuff’s latest dog-whistle to
racist authoritariansThe National Party base.$100k to keep a shithead for a year is ridiculous, pack these scum in some old railway containers.
All the sex and drugs they want in motel like accommodation with all their mates. No great surprise that they keep going back for more.
Naki Man
They are not scum. You should be locked up too as your contempt for other human beings is extremist. Our own version of the Taliban can be found in “Nakiban.”
I disagree: Funi Man has the same freedom of speech as you or I. On the other hand I think the police and SIS should take a close interest in far-right racist hate groups, so I hope he’s caught in that net somewhere.
Intolerant hateful speech should not be given the same voice or space as other speech.
Well exactly, which is why it warrants the close attention of the security services.
Fucknuckle
I am not racist or far right. You might be a apologist for pedo’s murderer’s and thieves. That’s what i don’t like, trust your type to try and play the racist card. My partner is not a kiwi. You fool
Of course you are racist. Of course you are hate filled. Of course you are sadistic. The more you hate the more that is what you become. Even a six year old understands see that.
Oh, sorry, I suppose xenophobic would be a better term. Many right-wingers exhibit these symptoms as a result of your “low levels of contact with out-groups” (Hodson & Busseri 2011).
It seems that in your case, you channel your hatred against prisoners. I further note that the hate-based policies you struggle to articulate (while supporting wholeheartedly) lead to New Zealand prisons having one of the highest recidivism rates in the world, therefore creating more crime in the process.
Now, let’s unpack your witless and baseless smear. I promote policies that will reduce recidivism (if we adopt best practice we could get it down to at least 25%) and therefore crime. You do the opposite. Which one of us is pro-crime?
Of course Naki Man, we understand that, a Jersey Friesian, by another name is still a Jersey Friesian. Up there in the back-blocks, I guess a man’s friend is well…………………
John Key would understand.
Many racists have mail order brides. You often see it among the aging ACT types, who don’t really see women or foreigners as equal.
That’s what you get when you privatise prisons for corporate profit.
You liked that idea so I’m afraid you’ll have to shut up and swallow this one whole.
Naki Man, once a brainless wanker, always so, we all know this and wonder why you daily keep providing the proof that you were once…
Right on cue, here comes a typical National Party member to make my point for me.
Thanks, Funi Man.
Have you actually read the article and not just formed an opinion based on the headline ?
Most people don’t get past the headline: roughly 66%.
Of those that start reading the article, by the third paragraph, ~66% of them have gone too. A tiny minority make it to the end.
So if you’re dog whistling it makes sense to do so in the headline and the first three paragraphs.
Oh, and the very nature of a dog whistle is that it isn’t overt, but I note the article makes much of the nationality and ethnicity of its subjects.
The answers to your questions are yes and no.
Yes I have read the article. If you don’t like prison then behave. We should get China, Thailand
and a few others to tender for locking up the worst offenders. They wont pander to these scum
That was a political message from The National Party.
From the National Socialist Party, more like.
Paging Dr. Godwin 🙂
Lol 🙂
I reckon naki man did the godwin first when he suggested throwing people into railway containers. I wonder why he went there immediately (rather than hard labour, for example)? It seems very Schindler’s List.
What I would like to know is why it costs $100,000 in the first place to house a single prisoner. I live on about $28,000 a year and I think my lifestyle is significantly better than a prison inmate. So why the gigantic costs?
You don’t require 24hr surveillance and a multi-layered containment system.
Hopefully 🙂
falloon and bruce springsteen do a number on chris christie..
..(and springsteen does a fine parody of himself..)
http://www.alternet.org/culture/must-watch-fallon-and-springsteens-brilliant-born-run-parody-takes-down-chris-christie
phillip ure..
and this is just very very funny..
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/14/devil-baby-attacks-nyc-thinkmodo_n_4596931.html?a_dgi=gravity
phillip ure..
‘hate’ is a strong word..
..but does anyone else hate ‘hulu’ as much as i do..?
..they have now put the daily show and the colbert report behind their pissy..
..’cos of where you live..you cannot watch this video..’
..fuck hulu..!
phillip ure..
Andrew Geddis over at the Pundit site,(link is over on the right of the page),gives a good ‘legal opinion’ on the criminal case presented to the Auckland District Court against Auckland Mayor Len Brown,
i fully agree with the analysis presented, it can be proved that SkyCity gave Len Brown free hotel accommodation, it can also be proved that Len Brown gave His support to the SkyCity convention center,
What has to be proved tho, and i like Geddis struggle to see how such ‘proof’ can be provided to the Court, is that one lead to the other, in other words there must be a proven link that clearly shows that Len Brown was given the free hotel accommodation as payment for His support of the convention center,
Now we all, Penny Bright and Graham Mac included, have the right to ‘think’ that the two actions, free hotel rooms and support for the convention center are glove in hand but the Court requires more than ”i thunk it therefore it is so” as proof in most matters,( i am sure most of us could provide an example to debunk what i have just written),
As Geddis says to Penny Bright over at Pundit when She insinuates ‘there’s more, lots more, you just wait and see’, Bring It, if there is ‘more’ in the way of FACT to be either put to the Court, or in the likely event the Court refuses to proceed with this prosecution, put into the Public arena, minds just well might be changed,
As it is tho, ‘i thunk it therefor it is’ and ‘i have attended a number of international conferences therefor I Know’ are in my opinion well below the test of proof that any Court would require as ‘proof’ of the contention that the free hotel rooms were payment for Brown’s support of the convention center…
penny and her groiup are sometimes right but their scattergun approah to accusing people leaves some innocent victims in their wake.
AAm not saying Brown is an innocent victim.
Yes. That’s Penny’s problem, she always champions any little thing that comes her way, which makes her look silly and petty most of the time.
And her refusal to pay Council Rates, while benefiting from council services, paid for by everyone else, rubs most people the wrong way.
Unlike a refusal to listen to the ratepayer while benefitting from the ratepayers payments you mean?
Lolz i said it a week or so ago as every week a ‘new’ target for a Graham Mac private prosecution was announced,
Each subsequent announcement triggered in my mind the soundtrack to ‘Fame’…
lol
Can any one confirm the papers filed are against Len Brown and not his wife Shan Inglis or both. As I just heard McCready on Radio Live saying he was filing against Inglis, not Brown and Inglis.
Yours
Confused Auckland Ratepayer
[Edit]
Today he announced he also plans to file the same two counts of bribery and corruption against Mr Brown’s wife, Shirley Anne Inglis, saying she was involved in a “laundering exercise” by accepting the upgrades on behalf of her husband.
Wow, that’s harsh. Not sure the court of public opinion will be behind filing against Len’s poor wife.
Read more: http://www.3news.co.nz/Court-action-possible-for-Len-Browns-wife/tabid/1607/articleID/328611/Default.aspx#ixzz2qV5WUbud
Nothing like kicking a woman in the guts when she is down and making her re-live her husbands hotel room proclivities in court.
Seems a little cruel and unusual.
Yeah, McCready is drawing a long bow against Brown, never mind Inglis. So are you. incidentally, with your poison words about her. I am loath to explain this because politicians’ families and private lives are out of bounds, motherfucker, but one thing I know for sure is that you have no more knowledge of the internal dynamics of that family than I do.
yes, cos our system of justice is all about public opinion.
Pretty sure there has to be intent to accept the rooms in return for a vote or knowing that was why they were offered.
Yeah, just up on the Herald on lines website is confirmation that McCready and i will make a assumption here and pre-apologize if i have it wrong, Penny Bright are now alleging that Brown’s wife was ‘laundering’ illicit proceeds gained by Brown by Her having booked most of the hotel rooms in question,
Now that to me is just Fucking Sick, if anyone is a victim in this whole sordid pile of s**t it is the Wife of Len Brown and to attempt to slur Her by alleging that She knew Brown was being paid off with free and upgraded accommodation that she was knowingly booking is to simply re-victimize Her all over again,
Penny Bright and Graham Mac, enjoy your five minutes of fame, hopefully with these two prosecutions the Courts note that you have become vexatious litigants and toss anything you may bring befor them in the future into the rubbish bin…
Ditto for the assumption that anyone is in a position to assign “victimhood”. Leave the personal family stuff out of it completely. You are playing Palino/Slater/Wewege’s game.
OAK, can you repeat that in English that can be understood and perhaps add who exactly you are responding too…
Bad12, I was responding to you. If we want family to be out of bounds in politics (and I believe we do) that extends to presuming to speak for politician’s family members, who are perfectly capable of speaking for themselves.
That is just spurious bullshit OAK, it is not i who have dragged Brown’s wife into the public spotlight with these threatened tawdry charges,
Now that McCready and Co have made this a public spectacle then the nature of family relationships has changed and i for one won’t be silenced by your puerile call for ‘vow of silence’ which in effect is a silent round of applause from you for what McCready and Co are about to attempt to inflict upon Brown’s Wife,
If you OAK wanted family to be kept out of politics then you also should be giving McCready and Co the same message i am, which is to proclaim loudly to these people that dragging brown’s Wife through the Courts on what appears to be even bigger spurious bullshit than you are capable of writing is totally fucking unacceptable,
i have never called for any form of ‘blanket’ leaving of families out of politics, in the ‘Brown affair’ i have simply taken the position that what Brown gets up to in His private life between mature consenting adults is a matter that should be left to him and his family, i am not the moral police,
Leaving ‘family out of politics’ is definitely a laudable aim, but, that depends entirely upon what is alleged when an attempt to drag family into politics is made by anyone and whether we have any slightest shred of fact to back up any such claims made against a politicians family,
As far as presuming to speak for Brown’s wife, i don’t, like many others here at the Standard i am of the opinion that Brown’s affair with Ms Chuang was His private life and that the only people Brown had to justify such actions to were his family,
In my opinion Brown’s wife was and is the major victim of His affair with Ms Chuang the latest actions of McCready and Co will simply lead to Her re-victimization as i have not the slightest belief that McCready has a shred of evidence that what He alleges occurred,
Lastly this is Open Mike a page specifically set aside for discussion of anything and everything, telling me or anyone else what they can or cannot comment on is likely to gain you the response of go eat s**t…
Oh I completely agree about McCready – I hope the courts reject his brief in no uncertain terms, and based on Andrew Geddis’ analysis it seems they will.
You can’t simultaneously want family out of politics and then use the alleged feelings of family members in your argument. That is simply another form of revictimising, thus, playing Palino/Slater/Wewege’s game. Or having your cake and eating it.
I prefer families be kept out of politics. Do as you will.
Interestingly Key was happy to have his son filmed playing golf with he and Obama…
Wee Wegee Winky?
plus 1
(re macready suing sian inglis..my fiv cents worth..)
(ed:..macready has stepped over the line here..
..he is basically further victimising/humiliating a victim in this whole sorry saga..
..if there is an innocent in this..
..it is shan inglis..
..and macready is turning a citizens’ fight for justice..
..into a tawdry witch-hunt..
..and he should withdraw those charges..
..right now..
..(n.b..were macready to after..say..the spouse of one of those rip-off scumbag finance company douchebags..
..who is still living high on the hog..
..on those ill-gotten gains..
..i would say..
..’good on him..!’
..but this is just tawdry..
..and creating an injustice all of its’ own..)
phillip ure..
Wow! That’s some serious assholism going on right there folks. I mean attacking a public figure is all well and good, but attacking their partners or families is another thing entirely.
Such underhanded tactics make it appear that the whole exercise isn’t about moral outrage or justice and is instead simply about getting rid of Len Brown as Mayor. Considering the right wing Palino would likely become Mayor of Auckland in that case, why on earth are so called left wing activists like Penny Bright on the warpath?
It would be nice if the right wing could come up with something more original than a simple honey trap (you should have seen that one coming Len) and a few false allegations to try and take out their opposition. Besides, isn’t Brown’s affair a private matter between him and his wife?
Making a false allegation against Shirley Anne Inglis for simply accepting upgrades to their accommodation arrangements is entirely unacceptable! I’m with bad12 on this one, Graham McCready should be found to be a vexatious litigant and his case thrown out.
“Considering the right wing Palino would likely become Mayor of Auckland in that case, why on earth are so called left wing activists like Penny Bright on the warpath?”
Maybe some people aren’t hopelessly partisan and will go after anyone who is at fault, regardless of their affiliation?
I believed that is generally called “having principles”.
Lanth, while i somewhat agree with the point of your argument, the major point of all this is not ‘having principles’ it is ‘having proof’,
As i point out above, we all are entitled to ‘think’ what we want vis a vis Len Brown accepting free hotel rooms and upgrades measured against the fact that Len Brown supported the SkyCity convention center,
However, while the two facts above could be directly related any thinking person would, without actual proof, have to consider the possibility that both facts are not linked,
‘We thunk it therefor it is’ does not in a Court of Law constitute proof and Penny Bright in particular, seemingly up to Her armpits in these prosecutions is wont to drop grand screeds of text here at the Standard, i have yet to see Her production of such ‘proof’ appear here for some strange reason,
What the threatened charges against Browns wife look like to me is the two Ronnies after having filed charges against Brown Himself have come to the belated realization that it was Brown’s Wife who booked the majority of rooms which were subsequently upgraded or given for free,
Such a big OOOP’s moment has in my opinion then lead the two Ronnies into what i would call a recovering drunks hamfisted attempt to criminalize the person who was the actual ‘receiver’ of the upgrades and freebies and i have to wonder in a quiet moment whether at least one of the Two Ronnies has in fact fallen far far off of the hypothetical wagon,(while only hearing the soundtrack to the movie Fame i might add)…
The Two Ronnies, heh! Except they are two very humourless people in public.
McCready is a convicted blackmailer, kinda makes his case against Inglis a bit creepier.
They are more like Dr Bunsen Honeydew & Beacker (Bright being Beaker, the perpetual victim of others ‘experiments’).
http://youtu.be/Mggl7cC8iys
“Considering the right wing Palino would likely become Mayor of Auckland in that case,”
What makes you think Palino would win the election??? He certainly wouldnt get in without an election simply by being runner-up?
McCready is a loose cannon who has so far managed a wounding shot on Banks. It doesn’t seem to matter to him whom he prosecutes. He’s the Tim Shadbolt of the courtrooms; it doesn’t matter, as long as he’s there. Penny Bright has made it her mission in life to be the conscience of the capitalist state. In my view, neither of them does much to advance left wing causes.
I’m sorry I must have missed something, but what happened to Cameron Brewer’s undeclared little junket? Why is he not being sued, if McCready wants to be consistent?
And for that matter, did John Key and Steven Joyce received and declared any gifts for their very friendly engagement with SkyCity biz?
I thought it had been revealed by the Council that Cameron Brewer did report his Australia trip, and that the Council had overlooked the fact, until it was brought to their attention. It was done in an em.from Brewer.
i heard cameron brewer on rnz say his situation was different regarding the freebies, because he was always upfront about acceding to sky cities wishes. in other words his principles were already bought.
(np dead moon – kicked out, kicked in “who sold out, & whos for sale”)
When I accept an upgrade I’m doing the Hotel or the Airplane a favor. Where there is an empty room and the Hotel has sold all its regular rooms, its good business to reward repeat visitors with upgrades and on sale the freed room.
So it astonished me when the NR Moro guests kept harping on about them. Its call basic business commonsense. Now if Brown were the only one getting them, and getting an envelope of cash left in the room, then yeah. But this practice is commonplace.
Can I up-size that burger for free?
I am against deepsea oil exploration anyway, but even if I wasn’t; this new groups spokeswoman would have given me pause:
” Mrs Broughton said Pro Oil and Gas Otago was in ”regular” contact with the oil companies… The businessmen behind the new group did not yet want to be identified, preferring to work behind the scenes, but there was ”nothing sinister” in that, she said.”
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/288328/new-group-formed-support-drilling
When you have to come out and say that your group is not sinister in your very first press release, then you may have PR problems.
Exactly Pasupial. Anonymous pro oil group made up of business people who want to keep their identity hidden? Seems that Robyn Broughton herself perceives it as sinister as she thought to use the word. Verging on a form of Freudian slip.
I hope these aren’t the same people that parrot “nothing to hide, nothing to fear” when they defend their mates in the National Govt over the GCSB and TICS Act’s.
I’m reasonably willing to hear what these residents and business people of Dunedin have to say in putting forward their case. In particular, I’m very eager to hear about assurances and guarantees regarding the specific economic benefits that Otago will receive as a region, from any gas or oil extraction.
IF any commercial extraction does go ahead, I personally think that 1% of the value of fossil fuels extracted should go into a Dunedin City economic investment fund, 1% into a wider Otago Region economic investment fund, and 1% held in escrow in a clean up contingency fund.
That’s fairly reasonable, I think.
A group of Dunedin businesses is moving to construct castles as debate intensifies over the arrival of oil companies in Otago waters.
However, with A Dark Co’s drilling ship, the igNoble Doug Roberts, due by the end of the month, protest group Oil Free Otago has also warned the peasants are building barricades.
The warning came days after a group of four Dunedin businessmen created a new group; Prostituting Otago Oil, to spell out their support for gas exploration off Dunedin’s coast.
Spokeswoman Robem Blind, of Dunedin, said the group wanted to counter ”scaremongering” by opponents of oil and gas exploration, and said that; “listening to that kind of person” would infect you with a disease akin to syphillis.
Mrs Blind said Prostituting Otago Oil was in “regular contact with the forces of Satan”. The businessmen behind the new group did not yet want to be identified, preferring to work behind the scenes, but there was ”nothing sinister” in that, she said. “Nor should the issue of blood sacrifice be pertinent” to this discussion, added Mrs Blind as she dabbed her lips; with a torn scrap of children’s clothing printed with bunny rabbits.
A Dark Co., New Zealand, corporate affairs manager Acraven Shill said the company was ”a long way” from deciding whether to proceed to full extraction, and whether to use Dunedin or Invercargill as a supply base. All oil companies play this Shell Game of pitting local communities against one another for this dubious benefit ;“it’s better than having the drilling but getting nothing for it; so some one usually knuckles under”, he cackled.
However, it was ”wonderful” to see growing support for the group, which confirmed what the company already knew, he said.
“Similar groups have been very useful in the past and they should be worth every penny we pay them.”
Excellent
Shades of Aramoana aluminium smelter 1982 there.
More TPP leaks
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11187155
“A key chapter allowed foreign companies to sue the government in an overseas tribunal if it raised environmental standards in a way that hurt foreign investor profits.
The risk of million-dollar lawsuits would discourage governments from addressing environmental problems, with “serious environmental consequences”, he said.
A spokeswoman for Trade Minister Tim Groser said the TPP environment chapter would “promote high standards of environmental protection, and enhance the capacity of TPP members to address trade-related environment issues”.
Asked if the section would be beneficial for the New Zealand environment, she said that “trade and environmental policies can be and should be mutually supportive”.”
The herald doesnt trust us to read it ourselves so no link given. Found it at huffington.
https://wikileaks.org/tpp2/static/pdf/tpp-treaty-environment-chapter.pdf
“Further, where private sector entities or non-governmental organizations develop
voluntary mechanisms for the promotion of products based on their environmental
qualities, each Party should encourage those entities and organizations to develop such
mechanisms that among other things:
(a)
are truthful, not misleading and take into account scientific and technical
information;
(b)
where applicable and available, are based on relevant international standards,
recommendations or guidelines, and best practices”
You see? As I keep saying, the TPP changes my vote and sovereignty by changing what laws can and can’t be made (by way of financial compensation / litigation). This means the government has no ability to enter into the TPP.
The TPP will be null and void.
Why can’t business simply accept the risk of doing business in another person’s house? Why can’t they accept that the house-dweller is supreme and that the risk of the rules of the house changing is part of business?
This is simply business pushing people out of the way to get its own way. Business needs to learn its place i.e. subject to the requirements of the house in which it operates. This is all a colossal historic anomaly.
Always think of the situation Mexico found itself in when it refused to accept toxic waste from the US.
“Mexico refused to deposit toxic waste from the US in her country. However, that was an infringement against the Trade Agreement with the United States and based on this mechanism the waste disposal company was ordered to get 70 million US Dollar in compensation.”
… Remember reading this somewhere – was difficult to find a link in the MSM, but could have been using the wrong key words.
YUP.
responsibilities on corporates appear to be voluntary only. Speaks volumes that it has to be written down that if corporates DO engage in voluntary audits or promote themselves s environmentally friendly, the NZ govt should encourage them to do so truthfully…”Encourage”!!!
Try this link or this one.
i have had nothing to add to the TPP debate until now, my thinking on this ‘free trade deal’ having been solidified by a couple of articles read from the Herald Onlines site,
Given what i have read there today it is in fact imperative that David Cunliffe again states clearly that an incoming Labour lead Government reserves the right to withdraw from this TPP as it is now obvious that this agreement will prohibit a sovereign government from making whatever laws and regulations it chooses,
While Cunliffe is at it and befor the damage Goff is doing to the Labour Party becomes irreversable, He should strip Goff of any ability to talk on trade issues at the least…
I agree. BUT unfortunately he will only say the public should see the drat… but appointed goff and dodged my question on that very apparent contradiction
From: Tracey
Sent: Wednesday, 25 September 2013 1:41 p.m.
To: Hon. David Cunliffe
Subject: TPPA
Can you confirm that the appointment of Goff to Trade wont see you water down
your promise on the TPPA draft to be made public before it would be signed?
Congrats on your recent election.
I used to vote labour but moved away in recent times despite being a fan of Clark.
I want a caring society where we help the vulnerable and dont turn them into punching bags. I will vote Green unless Mr Cunliffe can show me a turn away from cow towing to a few small big businesses
Tracey
———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Hon. Phil Goff
Date: Tue, Dec 17, 2013 at 4:31 PM
Subject: RE: TPPA
To: “redacted”
Thank you for your email to Hon David Cunliffe concerning the Trans Pacific Partnership trade negotiations. Apologies for the delay in my reply.
There is genuine concern about what might be included in the final outcome of the negotiations, which the Government has not adequately addressed by making clear where it stands on important issues in the negotiation.
Labour demands more openness and transparency from the Government. As Minister of Trade negotiating the China and Asean Free Trade Agreements in 2008, I involved a cross-section of groups in the process including the Council of Trade Unions and Greenpeace as well as businesses and exporters. That helped ensure we got good input and it also won trust and confidence in what we were doing.
Those trade agreements hugely helped economic growth and jobs in New Zealand with New Zealand exports to China increasing from $2 billion to over $7 billion dollars in five years and closing the trade deficit with that country. It helped save us from suffering as badly as the US and Europe from the Global Financial Crisis.
Labour has also set bottom lines for support for a TPP agreement. It must result in a clear and significant net benefit to our country. It must be a high quality agreement allowing New Zealand to gain access for our major exports to countries like the US, Japan, Canada and Mexico, removing barriers like the current exorbitant tariff rates on dairy (200-300 per cent), tight quotas and behind the borders barriers. For our services and manufacturing industries we would also want access to government procurement contracts, a market in the US alone worth $334 billion from which we are currently excluded.
Labour recognises that the TPP is not just a trade agreement but deals with behind the borders issues and could impact on domestic policy settings. New Zealand must not sacrifice Pharmac or give up our sovereign right to regulate and legislate such areas as health, the environment and economic policy or in areas like gambling, tobacco and alcohol. The policy protections must be tight enough to prevent multinational companies from winning law suits against us when we regulate in these areas to their commercial disadvantage. We support intellectual property protection but not where it goes to extremes which would hinder innovation and create excess profits at the expense of the consumer. The Government needs to heed the concerns of smaller companies in New Zealand including those in the IT sector.
Labour supports trade deals which genuinely benefit our country. We need growth in exports so we can close the gap between the value of what we export and import. A trade deficit which has persisted over 40 years has meant New Zealand having to borrow to pay the difference. Growing debt has resulted in us increasingly losing ownership of our own country.
We need growth for jobs and higher incomes. We need growth to increase government revenue to pay for higher quality services in areas like health and education.
The Petri study from Brandeis University shows that a TPP would likely lead to export growth to New Zealand of over $5 billion a year. The Parliamentary Library, based on the Brandeis study, states that could lead to job growth of up to 22,000 jobs.
Half of our trade goes to the TPP countries. If we did not participate in a successful agreement our exporters would be disadvantaged by facing barriers in the key TPP markets that our competitors do not.
We continue to insist that the Government better inform parliament and civil society as to its negotiating objectives and its position on issues of concern. Only then can the public be involved in an informed and mature debate. Labour will support a deal only if it is genuinely in the interests of New Zealand.
Yours sincerely
Phil Goff
Hon Phil Goff
MP for Mt Roskill
Labour Spokesman on Defence
Trade, Ethnic Affairs, Veterans’ Affairs
Associate Foreign Affairs
Private Bag 18 888, Parliament Buildings
Wellington 6160, New Zealand
T: + 64 4 817 6775 | F: + 64 4 817 6461
Thanks for the reminder Tracey, i remember this from the first time you posted it here, it just begs the question where then is Cunliffe’s RED Labour doesn’t it,
It’s definitely saddening that to get rid of Slippery’s abysmal shower of you know what we have to have the same old Neo-liberal bullshit rammed down our throats by the leader of this RED Labour Party and the business as usual brigade masquerading in the wings,
The only real hope of avoiding this disaster would seem to be that the talks collapse completely or the US Congress and Senate refuse to ratify the TPP…
yup. You know i wonder if the talks are now irrelevant because the 400 corp reps with the us delegation have already got a huge insight into their trading competitors govt policy?
Thanks for sharing Goff’s reply.
Btw, Tracey, are you really ok with making your email address publicly available? My gut feeling tells me that should not be quite necessary and can be left out to minimise potential misuses of your email address as well as unsolicited or unwelcome contact with you??
You may want to get lprent to remove your email address.
If you stick it into google it goes straight to your work website.
That’s only if you don’t want people to know who you are though.
It will be a test of wingnut ethics, and if Tracey does get harassed by typical National Party members, won’t that be a good look in an election year?
Well, she’s safe from me.
I was actually doing a public service by letting her know, google’s the ultimate stalking tool and it’s very easy to find out lots of information very quickly especially if you have a web presence.
“I would never release this information, but I have given copies of it to all my lawyers”.
you mean after you copied and pasted it into your google BM?
Everyone has the same google, Tracey.
why did you google my email BM?
Ummm, because it was there?.
Tracey, I was actually doing you a favor by letting you know.
I wouldn’t have even noticed it, if Jim hadn’t have pointed it out, therefore it’s Jims fault.
But how do you think you did me a favour by warning me about having my email online and then searching it? If you can’t see that contradiction I pity you more than ever for your reasoning deficiencies….
In simple language BM
YOU didn’t warn me, Jim did, you know this because you replied to his warning post not to mine.
you could have warned me and NOT searched my email. My question was why you searched it. Because it was there is a ridiculous answer, think a bit deeper, tell the truth, it won’t hurt you.
Interestingly you searched it before warning me.
You really are a sad little man/woman BM.
i thought I had editted it out…
I imagine by now any damage would be done?
[Bill: just read the comments and have removed your email]
Pretty sure Lprent (or any other editor) would do something for you; perhaps damage has been done, so why run the risk of it magnifying?
I was making an observation. Such an observation and emailing lprent are not mutually exclusive.
Interesting I have received two emails so far. Nothing wierd, or evil, just people making contact who don’t usually post here but do read. Bm, of course beat the guiness world record for copying and pasting an email address and googling it.
I guess that means BM failed the ethics test.
Have to say it would creep me out a bit, I think.
I will feel creeped out when I receive emails from places I have never before and so forth. For now I remain just saddened at how national, pull the wool so easily over the eyes of the unthinking, such as BM… no critical thinking ability, at all.
Thanks Bill
God that’s such a fucking shambles. Nothing screams “really want to connect with supporters” like responding to a simple yes/no question with 11 paragraphs of boilerplate.
I know it wouldn’t be satisfactory in terms of answering-the-fucking-question, but how much better would this have been:
“Hi Tracey,
Thanks for your email to Hon David Cunliffe. It’s been forwarded to me as the Labour spokesperson on the TPPA.
Unfortunately David and I haven’t discussed an official position on releasing a draft since he’s become leader.
I can assure you that Labour will only support a deal if it is genuinely in the interests of New Zealand and New Zealanders.
Yours sincerely etc”
Yes, still a bunch of waffle, but at least you’d know someone in his office read the damn thing and didn’t just scan for the words “TPPA” then copypaste in the generic response.
or better still, an answer from the leader to whom I addressed it.
So, apart from Goff praising previous FTAs (which, given that he’s a neo-lib can’t be any surprise), it would appear that Labour has put the kibosh on the TPPA, given this passage…
New Zealand must not sacrifice Pharmac or give up our sovereign right to regulate and legislate such areas as health, the environment and economic policy or in areas like gambling, tobacco and alcohol. The policy protections must be tight enough to prevent multinational companies from winning law suits against us when we regulate in these areas to their commercial disadvantage.
Correct me I’m wrong, but ceding the right to regulate and legislate is normally central to FTAs.
Bill, it depends on whether the subjective nature of the following statement early in his reply takes precedence
” It must result in a clear and significant net benefit to our country.”
my emphasis
Goff has contradicted himself here:
“We need growth for jobs and higher incomes. We need growth to increase government revenue to pay for higher quality services in areas like health and education”.
“The Petri study from Brandeis University shows that a TPP would likely lead to export growth to New Zealand of over $5 billion a year. The Parliamentary Library, based on the Brandeis study, states that could lead to job growth of up to 22,000 jobs”.
22,000 jobs “could” be created still leaves 130,000 to 230,000 people unemployed so where are they all meant to go? And are those potential 22,000 jobs part time, full time, casual, temporary??? How much will those jobs actually pay? Minimum wage perhaps? It’s all guesswork cos Goff really has no real information. It sounds like only Dairy farmers get more money and everyone else has to accept this as the new global neo-liberal norm (orthodoxy).
It’s a double-edged sword.
On the one hand globalisation favours the strong. On the other hand it connects the weak. The exchange of ideas that comes with it is a genuine force for global improvement (naive as that sounds).
yup. it means Bangladesh get to build a ferry for NZ while National pretends to be creating an environment for jobs
The National Party’s ability to pretend things depends on when the MSM decides it’s “time for a change”.
This ferry contract could have gone to an NZ firm, and I’m sure its owners have taken notice of the fact that the National Party is happy to help roading contractors and casinos, but boat builders, not so much.
What to do? Find out the bank account number of the Waitemata Trust? Encourage the workforce to register to vote? Decisions, decisions 🙂
That is something only a person who has NFI WTF the economy is would say.
Growth doesn’t provide those things, increased productivity and diversity within the economy does. The exact opposite of what you get from free-trade.
““I hear from sole parents every week who say they’re really grateful for the support from Work and Income case managers; who are often the first to ask them what they want to do with their lives and then help them find work,” Bennett said. ”
Shame it’s not in writing then I could do an OIA.
hmm – she wouldn’t be extrapolating from the results of WINZ phone surveys by any chance? After my last visit I got the ‘just to check our services are up to speed’ bullshit phone call. Of course, the questions were weighted, far too general and open to massive interpretation.
So if I said I was happy enough with the service i received on that particular occasion…does that equate in someones mind with ‘grateful’? And since WINZ staff are now meant to quiz about work stuff on every contact…does that equate to ‘helping find work’ in someones mind? And so it goes…
I just wonder whether “hear” can possibly mean verbal. Does she even expose herself to the possibility of meeting sole parents thrust back into the workplace on low wages because the training subsidy has been cut?
And for everyone that she hears from there’s 10,000+ just wishing that WINZ would get out of the fucking way.
Rock Star Economy pfftttt.
The Main Stream Media has come out in election year with the full artillerary in a desperate assault on the minds of the electorate with the aim of restoring this incompetent government to power.
International Dairy prices are high which means farmers are able to pay loans back to foreign bankers.
Other than that the real economny is in further retreat with unemploment more than triple what a ‘rock star economy’ should be.
While our kids starve, the bankers buy another bach at Pauanui.
And we are told the country is doing well.
Fuck off MSM. Stand up and tell the real story.
+1 Enough is Enough
No kids are starving in NZ, lots of them are obese, you fool
Pull your head out of your arse
.Our economy is growing faster than most.
Farmer’s paying their loans down is not a bad thing.
Leftards cant stand good news.
Finally real news from the MSM
Funi Man, you’re a liar as well as a racist, eh.
That comes with the territory, though.
No kids are starving in NZ….Yeah Right
That is why every political party has a policy of feeding the starving kids at school.
Yes that’s right, even Key has acknowledged it. He caused it and his tory charity policy is goood for fuck all. But it shows your statement to be full of shit.
We love good news. You watch the mood of the nation rise on election night when Key and English are kicked out of office.
The only thing which would make us smile more is if the next government had the balls to put them both on trial for corruption and selling our country to their rich mates.
Fuck me sideways. If there was any other proof needed what a dork you are, funni man, it’d have to be your comment “Finally, real news from the MSM”.
FTFY
It’s called Confirmation bias
Yes, or: “Finally MSM telling me what I want to believe is true“
Just heard a news flash that yet another Forestry worker has been killed on the job in the Wairau Valley Marlborough
When will the National Far Right Government concede that we do need something to be done about the number of accidents occurring in the workplace especially in Forestry.
We do need Health & Safety laws to be beefed up and their vindictive cancelling of payments to CTU for H&S training needs urgent revisiting
They won’t. People being killed in service to their masters is fine with National.
by cancelling, people think they will use the money a different way to make workplaces safe, but notice there was no announcement of what will replace it?
national are at war… maybe some folks are just starting to wake up to that?
with less than 25% of the workforce in unions (not including the non members who join when they are dismissed to get free representation) why the almost pathological dislike of uinions?
funni man is just another shill for the tories repeating their lies and expecting people to believe them.
he should stay on tr*deme opinions with all the other creeps where he belongs.
…. don’t mind the repeat from Helen Kelly’s thread ….
Another man has just been killed this morning while at work in the forests.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/9616939/Forestry-worker-killed-in-Marlborough
It is the fortnightly headline.
Collins, Farrar, Williams – hang your heads in shame.
Disgusting.
appalling
A man has been killed in a forestry accident in Marlborough’s Wairau Valley and another worker has been seriously injured near Whakatane.
Last year forestry-related accidents claimed 10 lives.
WorkSafe NZ said it had sent expert forestry health and safety inspectors to investigate both of today’s incidents.
Ambulance officers pronounced the Marlborough forestry worker dead about 10.30am. The incident was reported to emergency services about 10am.
WorkSafe NZ general manager health and safety operations Ona de Rooy said that to have a death just 16 days into the new year, following an appalling safety record in 2013, showed how much the forestry sector needed to change its behaviour.
“We have identified an alarming rate of safety non-compliance amongst cable logging operators – nearly half of the 162 we’ve visited weren’t operating in compliance with the industry code and we had to take 203 enforcement actions to force those operators to comply. We had to shut 15 of them down they were so dangerous.
“We are so concerned at this level of unsafe practice that we have sought meetings with individual forest owners to make very clear to them that they have significant responsibilities,” de Rooy said.
“We will want to see their safety plans for the contractor crews demonstrate active management of safety standards. If they are deficient, we will be holding them to account.
Council of Trade Unions (CTU) president Helen Kelly has made many calls for immediate interim regulation for the industry.
Slow but sure.
http://blog.norml.org/2014/01/15/after-lengthy-floor-debate-new-hampshire-general-assembly-approves-marijuana-legalization/
http://www.activistpost.com/2012/07/legal-weed-states-where-cannabis-is.html
Looks like the Party party is off…
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11187592
Lol. Oh dear, never mind. People can still have a party and pay for their own drinks on the day. Bomber might want to shout – although possibly he’s already got an unexpected headache. Wouldn’t this be better posted in the Internet Party thread?
Lol, what a numpty.
Shades of Weedle.
Nah he just lacks a bit of class, like you. 🙂
here’s a funny old yarn from the old days, while the big important story of the day is media outlets with owners who do politics and stuff
http://publicaddress.net/onpoint/gotcha/
” A senior Italian IOC member criticised the United States for including openly gay athletes in its official delegation for next month’s Sochi Olympics.
“It’s absurd that a country like that sends four lesbians to Russia just to demonstrate that in their country gay rights have (been established),” Mario Pescante said at an Italian Olympic Committee meeting in Milan, in comments widely reported by Italian media.
“The games should not be an occasion and a stage to promote rights that sports supports daily.”
The Italian Olympic Committee would not confirm or deny Pescante’s comments, but his speech was reported by the Gazzetta dello Sport and the ANSA news agency.
Asked for clarification later, Pescante said he is not anti-gay.
“Of course not,” the 75-year-old Pescante he said. “I just wanted to make the point not to let politics interfere with the Olympics.” “
http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2014/01/a_newspaper_that_pays_no_tax_complains_about_tax_avoidance.html
– and the msm wonder why people are turning away from newspapers…
David Farrar gets told to criticise the Dom Post when it forgets to act as a mouthpiece for the government.
“Good boy, David,” said his Tory masters. ” You’ll get your overseas holidays if you keep this .”
I have nothing contempt for that paid Tory propagandist.
Yet you use him as a source!
You should read it
Yeah, if only the NZH had as many readers as DPF. lol
John’s had his cheque book out, again.
http://www.3news.co.nz/Boscawen-puts-hand-up-for-ACT-leader/tabid/1607/articleID/328731/Default.aspx
http://norightturn.blogspot.co.nz/2010/08/good-investment.html
Joe 90 has beaten me to it.
TV1’s take on it
http://tvnz.co.nz/politics-news/john-boscawen-makes-bid-act-leadership-5801517?autoStart=true
As someone who once knew Boscawen, I baulk at the “safe pair of hands and a positive outcome for ACT” meme pushed by the politically ignorant blonde reporter who fronts the item.
He was regarded by those who knew him (including me) as an old woman. He’s obsessive and completely lacking in even a modicum of vision. He’s an ideologically based Climate Change denier who has close links to the NZ Climate Science Education Trust – that’s the outfit that took NIWA to court and lost. They were ordered to pay costs to the tune of around $80,000 plus (if I remember correctly) but have never paid them. He’s an accountant by profession. Need I say more.
In short, a one eyed pratt who thinks because he has a few bob in the bank that makes him an important person.
Lolz, i have trouble in what to refer to Boscowan as, the prez of ACT or the ‘new owner’…
gareth Morgan is a trick. Gareth became rich through capital gains.Untaxed capital gains. He is a hihpocritical fraud, Got to go and feed the cats.
[lprent: Back again? Lift your game up a bit. I looked at this comment, decide that it was by someone mindless repeating crap that they hadn’t bothered to think about, and started the “stupid troll parrot” scan. It won’t take too many of those before I decide to boot you again as wasting too much of my time moderating a stupid simpleton.
BTW: While I have very limited respect for him. As I remember it, Gareth Morgan made most of his money in ventures that were and are taxable. This includes such things as the sale of trademe shares. Perhaps you should read the wikipedia entry and point to untaxed capital gains in OpenMike. Because at this point I rather consider that you are a really idiotic and foolish liar.
Adding you to moderation so that you don’t divert on this post. And moving this comment to OpenMike. ]
I could get used to servicing like this.
Tesla and GM have both issued fire-related recalls, but Tesla’s fix doesn’t require owners to bring their cars in.
Tesla Motors is using over-the-air software updates to quickly fix the sort of problems that often arise when bringing a new car to market. This forward-looking approach is an important part of the company’s success.
http://www.technologyreview.com/view/523621/tesla-motors-over-the-air-repairs-are-the-way-forward/
SEEKING TRUTH – FROM FACTS?
I respectfully suggest that those who have yet to do so have a very good read of the following Auckland Council ‘Code of Conduct’ – particularly :
APPENDIX 1: CONFLICTS OF INTEREST POLICY FOR THE AUCKLAND COUNCIL and
APPENDIX 2: LEGISLATION BEARING ON THE ROLE AND CONDUCT OF ELECTED
MEMBERS
http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/SiteCollectionDocuments/aboutcouncil/governingbody/codeofconductelectedmembers.pdf
Then, you might care to have a good, hard look at section 8 – which deals with ‘Compliance’, particularly:
____________________________________________________________________________
8.5. Conduct Review Independent Panel
The governing body shall constitute a Conduct Review Independent Panel.
The members of the Panel will be selected from a list of persons with appropriate skills and knowledge, to be recommended by the Chief Executive.
The Independent Panel is not a Committee of the governing body and its sole function is to investigate those matters referred to it and to make recommendations on those matters to the governing body/local board.
Up to three members on the list will be deemed to be ‘convenors’ who will be the Council’s primary contact in relation to convening a panel when required. ‘Convening’ a panel includes
chairing that panel. A convenor may appoint other convenors to a panel.
8.6. Procedures of the Conduct Review Independent Panel
The Independent Panel will establish and notify standard procedures, fair to both
complainants and respondents, which it will apply to the investigation and consideration of
all complaints referred to it. ”
__________________________________________________________________________
Why was this process not followed with this ‘inquiry’ into Mayor Len Brown?
Upon what lawful basis did (former) CEO Doug McKay, apparently chose a ‘process’ which he just made up – then appointed his own people (Ernst and Young) to carry out this ‘inquiry’?
In my considered opinion, the purpose of so doing was to attempt to protect Mayor Len Brown from prosecution for arguable statutory breaches of the LAWS which cover the role and conduct of elected representatives, as outlined in the above-mentioned APPENDIX 2.
Other ‘conflicts of interest’?
Anybody else noticed how (former) Auckland Council CEO Doug McKay, Ernst and Young and Sky City are all members of the unelected private sector lobby group Committee for Auckland?
http://www.committeeforauckland.co.nz/membership/member-organisations
How many of you know that Mayor Len Brown has been reporting to ‘members only’ meetings of the Committee for Auckland on a regular quarterly basis, behind closed doors, with no media allowed?
http://www.committeeforauckland.co.nz/events/127-regular-bi-monthly-quarterly-events
Oh yes – who did Auckland Mayor Len Brown commission to write a (favourable) report on Public-Private-Partnerships (PPPs) – none other than – Ernst and Young:
http://media.nzherald.co.nz/webcontent/document/pdf/201348/PPPStudyForAttachmen1.pdf
(First CCOs – then PPPs?)
There is a LOT more to come…………….
Penny Bright
Steve Keen explains the Laws of Thermodynamics to economists and politicians.
+1 i.e. the physical reality of the economy, not the financialised paper account of the economy.