“The richest 10 per cent of New Zealanders are wealthier than the rest of the population combined, according to figures cited by Oxfam NZ.”
So there it is, in black and white. But Bill English is still peddling the tired old trickle-down lie: “The best contribution the Government can make to support lower income families is to support a growing economy that provides more jobs and higher incomes.”
So whats new amirite? That in the starkest terms is the core of the Left Right divide, the old old debate about who gets what and why? And the continuation of the 10%ers domination is the starkest reminder that the “Centre” so beloved of the major parties is so easily bribed by “crumbs from the rich mans table” so long as they get first cut of the aforesaid “crumbs”.
In a nut shell the above is why I despise “centrist” politics.
The Oxfam report is on the wealth gap. English is presumably talking about the income gap. The wealth gap is the major problem, with the housing bubble leading the way.
I do not object to the wealthy having their wealth … but wish they paid a fair share from the results of their ability to help those without the ability …. Thomas Piketty makes a good suggestion in his book IMO
Have you read Picketty’s book?
He says National Debt would be quickly piad back so there would then be plenty for your dole Dumrse and all the other support programmes we believe in ….DTB is so mindset on the current situation that he cannot envisage where while covering everybody there is opportunity for those to improve on that if they have the opportunity and energy.
We need to stop valuing peoples worth to society and community by the mere dollars they pull in, to what they actually contribute to the lives of others in terms of learning and caring.
As opposed to what? Direct transfers whereby say the work and wealth generated by 90% of the population is directly redistributed to the top 10% of the population, as it is now?
The entire wealth distribution structure in place at the moment is woeful and does not serve the needs of the New Zealand community. At all. It needs changing.
I doubt very much doubt if it was ‘designed into the system’ as it is a natural progression for those who are fortunate to have a bit to spare over their daily needs and wisely invest it and it naturally compounds if not spent on immediate luxuries whathaveyou.
If you have a well thought out progressive taxation system there is plenty to support the socialistic values of ensuiring everybody is looked after to a reasonable level … that is the modification to the capitalistic system that is needed.
Though I imagine that a lot here would like to see the capitalistic system go to the wall and people would be enslaved by the beaurocratic regulations ensuring that nobody can improve themselves … aa very dull world indeed.
That is the lessons of history and Piketty’s research. Taxation doesn’t pay for anything, it’s people actually working that pays for everything. This also applies to the rich – they don’t pay for anything either and they also don’t produce any wealth.
The capitalist system does need to go to the wall simply because it doesn’t work. Will this end up with a boring world? Nope. If anything, I figure it would be far more interesting.
A world where the focus is on relationships, on people and on culture in communities. Nothing more interesting than that. Nothing more fucking boring and lifeless than the latest Bugatti.
Though I imagine that a lot here would like to see the capitalistic system go to the wall and people would be enslaved by the beaurocratic regulations ensuring that nobody can improve themselves … aa very dull world indeed.
Oddly enough, standardisation is absolutely demanded and required by the corporate world. From logo colours to memo character spacing. To the way employees are dressed to how the phone is answered.
No one complains of that being bureaucratic or stifling. It’s just the way its done.
That’s the way we need to push back towards, to find the path of being fully human beings again, nice thing is that people tend towards that way anyways – when they aren’t being misled and distracted by endless commercial, economic (and dare I say it – political) crap.
That is truly depressing. For two reasons – one, it makes life unbearably difficult for the bulk of the population relative to their neighbours; and two, it leads to the destruction of society (French revolution anyone?).
People that support that sort of system are scum bastards.
and two, it leads to the destruction of society (French revolution anyone?).
Seems to me like the US authorities are on to it, anticipating the likely rise of civil unrest when the combination of austerity, climate change disasters and oligarchy become irresistable.
Hence surveillance of everyone all the time, militarisation of the police, enabling US military to be deployed on US streets against US citizens, etc.
Oh, and then there’s the Minerva Research Initiative as described by Zero Hedge:
Such war-games are consistent with a raft of Pentagon planning documents which suggest that National Security Agency (NSA) mass surveillance is partially motivated to prepare for the destabilising impact of coming environmental, energy and economic shocks.
But that is just more lunacy. What do the authorities think such repression of already repressed people will do? Make the population bow down to their guns and jackboots?
Lunacy. Gns and jackboots are not the solution – all they will do is exacerbate the problem.
And any Americans thinking they can just uplift their wealth and relocate to somewhere “safe” like NZ backblocks better think again. They would be, and are, entirely unwelcome…
What a vision. I suppose you could couple that with phil Ure’s desire to have grass distributed to all on a daily basis, and then we could all sit around in our pyjama’s all day passing the bong around. No chance of any civilian uprising then eh.
Great messaage for kids entering the work force, don’t be too successul in what you do as we will just take it all from you in 10 years. Stirling stuff eh. In fact dont even bother about qualifing in anything as its easy just to sit on your arse and get a pay out. By the way the burger and liquor shops are going great guns.
Great messaage for kids entering the work force, don’t be too successul in what you do as we will just take it all from you in 10 years.
And there’s the problem right there – success measured in monetary terms. Meaning that future generations are herded and goaded into a reality where the systems surrounding production and distribution (ie, the market) will ensure their continued relative impoverishment.
Way to go.
Ever reflected on why it is that so many kids are told not to pursue their passion? Y’know, the passions, valuable as they may be, that can’t be monetised?
You are correct Bill . I agree that success should not be measured in only monetary terms.
I am looking at it from a tax perspective & redistribution perspective. You would like the Govt to redistribute wealth to the segments that do not have much. That requires people to generate wealth. If there is no wealth being created then it is very difficult for anyone to distribute anything.
For some strange reason you seem to think that the rich create wealth. They don’t. The poor do but the rich take that wealth from them because our present system is set up to allow them to do that.
What I did say is that some wealth is required if you wish to redistribute it.
You only need redistribution if the wealth wasn’t correctly distributed in the first place and the only place that it could possibly be redistributed from would be the rich.
Pretty childish of me I suppose but I thought I’d get a bite from a ‘Rob’ or a ‘Gosman’ or a ‘Srylands’ etc with that little lure. An’ I wuz rite!
You hang the bait in the water and the frothing misanthropes like Rob can’t help themselves.
(Watch this…)
Hey Rob, beneficiaries should be paid the living wage ay?
That’s very biblical of you Hamish, but you’re a little off on your numbers as according to Leviticus 25, debt is to be reset, slaves freed and property returned to the original owners every 50 years.
It was really scary “shit” a friend told me yesterday, about his recent medical review by WINZ. They are hard as nails now, and want to get sick and disabled into work, no matter what conditions. So he had a horrible experience a few years back, got another 2 years “grace”, and now they though it is time to “check” on his PERMANENT conditions again, whether Jesus may have appeared in his third coming, to heal him from all ailments.
The case manager did at first refuse all other info and records apart from the person’s GP’s medical certificate, now UK style called “Work Capacity Medical Certificate”. And the GP did this time not present too clear and conclusive info. So the case manager tried to question every entitlement, and was preparing the poor soul, desperate and scared to hell, given mental health issues, to basically move him onto the “jobseeker” benefit.
It took my mate a hell of an effort, to present all kinds of records, also a trusted psychologist’s one, to finally convince the manager, albeit rather reluctantly, as it sounded. Hell, there are things going on that scare me, it is not right what WINZ are doing to sick, injured and disabled now. If you can lift your hand and arm, they think you are “fit” to work, no matter what other condition. It comes back to David Bratt, WINZ’s Principal Health Advisor, likening benefit dependence to “drug dependence”, and that “mad” UK professor Mansel Aylward, who actually claims, most sickness is just in people’s minds. He calls it “illness belief”, all being just “psychological” fantasy, so to say, and the best “medicine” is work in open employment, competing with the fit and healthy. Do we live in a humane and honest society, or am I living a bloody nightmare here? Who else had bad experiences with WINZ in this area, I really would like to know. Study the following for your own well being:
‘WORK ABILITY ASSESSMENTS DONE FOR WORK AND INCOME – PARTLY FOLLOWING ACC’s APPROACH: A REVEALING FACT STUDY’
You and others may be interested to know that it is perfectly (?) legal for the Medical Appeals Board not to look at notes in coming to their decision around whether or not a person qualifies for Jobseeker (sickness with reduced work assessment), Supported Living, or Child Disability Allowance.
And I trust you have been here writehanded.org
ACCforum has a higher level of nutters than the average forum, mainly due I suspect to the abusive system forum members are subjected to.
Yes, ACC Forum has issues, and went downhill a bit, because of some there not being that honest and also getting at each other’s collars. I know what is going on there, and I ignore the bad stuff and read what is worth reading.
As for MABs, they have always had their own “rules”, being appointed by an appeals coordinator employed by MSD and WINZ, and of course always making sure at least 2 on a panel are “designated doctors”, chosen by Bratt and WINZ, and being favourable to WINZ.
This is nothing new, the whole system stinks, and what makes me so bloody angry is, that so many just shrug things off, and put up with all the BS, while people, no matter how sick and disabled, should get together with their fitter compatriots, to fight the damned injustice.
I know someone who has now the Ombudsmen Office on the attack line, as even they refused to even look at totally blunt evidence, of what goes on. It seems this country is with the upper echelons of admin and “public offices” so damned corrupt, it is not funny!
And yes, writehanded.org raised a fair bit, and justifiably, so I support Sarah Wilson, as I think her name is, she is due to her challenges still too cautious about it all, we need a full blown challenge and attack of the WINZ approach we now have. Who is “ready” for it, I ask?
@ xtasy…this may sound naive ….but …maybe there needs to be a Bill brought before the House to protect the rights of those with chronic mental health and physical health issues NOT to be harassed by WINZ into work….and where such people have been pressurized illegitimately with adverse and sometimes dire effects …WINZ can be sued! ( legal fees paid for by a publicly funded forensic health watch dog)
for example a person with schizophenia … who once would have been in sheltered care, which the state has now disestablished…but is now on compulsory medication and forced onto the streets with a health disability benefit ….is then pressurized by WINZ to be taken off their compulsory medication ( pressure brought on psychiatrists and mental health workers to get people off their lists, who seem to be coping and hence certified as capable of work)…. and this person is then by WINZ taken off their disability benefit and forced to hunt for work
….this can lead to a personal and public crisis…it can set chronically ill people back years…it could lead to suicide …..and in some cases such people forced into stress and work which they are not capable of by WINZ …could be a danger to the public as well
imo WINZ and the State has to be held accountable for the consequences of pressurizing chronically ill people off their disability benefits and to hunt for work
Depends on how it was set up and whether it was tory-proofed into the future. Prejudice against people with disabilities who are perceived as being blugers is entrenched in parts of NZ culture, including civil servants and NGOs. A UBI is not going to solve that issue for people with illness and disability who are dependent on the state for income, unless maybe the UBI is set higher for them. If they have to apply to any agency for a topup, then there are still going to be criteria that need to be met, and those criteria will be set by govt departments that currently practice discrimination (health or welfare). Even if the UBI was higher, it would still require testing for eligibility.
While I think that the UBI is impertative, we need to be careful not to think it will be an automatic panacea for people with disabilities. The work of dismantling prejudice could be done within WINZ and the health system as it is now, and it’s not, so what guarantees are there that a UBI scheme would be done differently?
…however another angle is enough free half way housing/homes/shelters which would go a long way to alleviating the problem for people with long term chronic disabilities…this seems to be a crucial area of need that needs addressing
eg in Christchurch they have had to requisition an acute mental health patient ward at Hillmorton…just to cater for the homeless with long term chronic health disabilities…seems like the need for free or affordable housing for people with long term chronic diasabilites is huge
Chooky, for those able to live in the community, still having manageable mental health issues, one would think that Housing NZ should look after them.
But learning a couple of years back, how they treated another mate of mine, also having mental and physical health issues leading to disability, they were at first damned anti his application, meaning they did not “trust” he was a genuinely deserving case.
He stayed in a cockroach infested, overcrowded and damp boarding house, and they still tried to argue he was “suitably housed”!
As he was close to breaking point, I assisted where I could, and we went to their regional head office and took other action, which they were not happy about. Only when he finally had a NZ Herald journalist take up his story and write about it, then suddenly, Housing NZ obliged with an offer within a week.
That is what we are up against, there is NO honest appreciation of person’s circumstances, it is all treated with one brush for all, and you have to basically end up in the gutter in too many cases, until the system kicks in and takes action. Ask the cops, they are dealing with endless misery stories all the time, expected to pick up the pieces at the bottom of the cliff, when it is often too bloody late. This government has NO HEART and NO SPIRIT, it dishonest and uncaring, and since Key and Nats got into power, things really turned nasty, we only do not hear much about it, because the media are bought off also, and happy to work with keeping this government happy and protected from too much criticism.
What we have is a situation, where doctors get off most malpractice and wrong decisions, as the HDC (Health and Disability Commissioner) is so far the ONLY institution to go to and make any complaint about breaches of the Code they are supposed to enforce and monitor. But last year’s report showed they had over 1,600 complaints, of which only just about 60 were “formally” investigated, and of those 42 had valid complaints about breaches by medical and health practitioners established.
Most cases are never seriously investigated, are dealt with through “advocacy” and “consultation” and “training” and so forth. The offending practitioners get at worst a kind of slap on the wrist with a wet bus ticket “punishment”, and recommendations are made to “review” practice, and in some cases to “apologise” to the affected.
The ACC legislation does take away a lot of opportunities for affected to take action against doctors and other practitioners, as the right to sue was abolished. We have a situation where the Medical Council won’t usually act unless the rather useless HDC makes a referral to have a case investigated by them, and actions taken. Few cases ever go to the Director of Proceedings, and it is truly a disgrace what goes on.
What we need is to change the HDC Act to give the Commissioner some “teeth”, and to basically put in a requirement for investigations to be made, and certain sanctions being possible. As New Zealand has always struggled to maintain and afford a functioning health work force, the government is rather bending over backwards to not punish medicals too harshly. They need them, and they forgive too easily in too many cases.
As for assessors, like designated WINZ doctors, they are not strictly delivering treatment, so that gets them off the hook. They are not covered by the code for consumers of health and disability services that the HDC deal with. The same applies to persons like Principal Health Advisor for MSD Bratt, he is just an “advisor”, and thus does not even provide health services, so he gets away with comments and more, that are not what a usual doctor would get away with. The HDC also have a “memorandum of understanding” with ACC and probably MSD, so no serious actions will ever result in assessors making flawed assessments. It is indeed a gap in the law, so to say, why designated WINZ assessors and others get away with what they do.
It stinks, but even the opposition parties seem too damned inexperienced with medico legal matters, and too scared to take action in this area. So we have the status quo of “Gods” in white coats doing whatever they see fit, and one Mansel Aylward, the extreme UK professor, he even delivers them ideologically driven “science” to do what they wish to do, like tell sick and disabled, hey, you can still lift your arm, you can be a “signal giver” in roadworks then.
FFS I had enough of all this, but it seems at times it is a lost battle, as politicians are always just focused on the usual headline stuff, often trivial, and will do nothing to help people treated unfairly and disgustingly by WINZ and their “experts”!
“You and others may be interested to know that it is perfectly (?) legal for the Medical Appeals Board not to look at notes in coming to their decision around whether or not a person qualifies for Jobseeker (sickness with reduced work assessment), Supported Living, or Child Disability Allowance.”
So what are they basing their decision on?
Does anyone know if the review doctors and the appeal process are covered by the Health and Disability Act? I know WINZ itself isn’t, not being a health provider, but am curious how they’ve classified assessors.
Oh yeah, slightly off topic but there is a tender from an Australian insurance company for the ACC sensitive claims (% impairment) assessments. More oz crap contractors taking/attempting to take work from our specialised sexual abuse services.
Awww – yes, stuff to be worried about, and that is just the beginning, look at what they have done in the UK, and what they are planning there for the future, it is not getting easier or better.
If you do actually read the stuff on “work ability assessments”, that post on ACC Forum, also soon to be published (in bits) on nzsocialjusticeblog2013, you will see what is already happening here, how we get it all privatised, and it involves Australian players too.
People should take this bloody seriously, but sadly so many are not bothering to study and read stuff, they still rely their own GP, who is though, due to the AFOEM new policy on the “health benefits of work” (introduced by Mansel Aylward there, well received by former ATOS President of AFOEM, Dr David Beaumont, who also got a “reputation” with ACC claimants AND runs his own “rehab” outfit “Pathways to work”!) also being indoctrinated now.
GPs are now being trained to follow the new agenda, and Bratt and Aylward made sure, the NZ College of General Practitioners and the Medical Schools all adopted the dogma, and we have it taught there now, believe it or not, and most do not even get any idea of what goes on!
Had an email from an Opposition M.P. regarding some queries I posed earlier, and he said a lot of the G.P.’s were also being driven by policy from the DHB’s, which comes straight from the Minister. We are truly being shafted. This Government is the most corrupt in the history of this nation.
10% are wealthier than the combined wealth of the rest of the country. Not a virtue to be proud of. And none of that was done by hard work, just pure speculation.
Yes, talk about GPs, they are ALL now pressured or “convinced” to tow the ideologically driven “new approach” to work ability. It comes now in this part of the world from the AFOEM (Australaisian Faculty of Occupational and Environmental Medicine), who are also part of the RACP (Royal Australasian College of Physicians), and they invite the top propagator of the ideology, about the “health benefits of work” (paid open employment!), Mr Mansel Aylward from the UK, in 2010 to give them the pseudo scientific justification for all cost saving.
If only more would open eyes, ears and braincells, and start reading stuff of relevance, publicly available:
And yes, the CTU themselves fell for this propaganda approach, about the “work will set you free” mantra, and even one Helen Kelly signed it!
As I kept on challenging her and the CTU on this, she had a comment by me deleted on one of her posts. Fair enough, it may have been a bit “off topic”, but she has never answered to any challenges.
This whole stuff is now being drummed into each GP’s brain, and hence the government can faithfully rely on the collaboration of medical professionals in all this. The DHBs are very concerned about costs, so they will embrace it just to have another justification to save costs. The sick and disabled are told to “toughen up”, as Dr Bratt, Principal Health Advisor at WINZ and MSD says, benefit dependence is like “drug dependence”, I presented plenty of info on that before.
NZ is indeed corrupt, as this stuff was also presented to the Health and Disability Commissioner and is before the Office of Ombudsmen now, but it seems they want nothing to do with it!?
What kind of society has this country become? Are there any daring to speak up and out, and challenge all this? Too many just think of “number one” and are too scared to rock the boat, I am afraid.
With such vested interests and his background, also having “advised” ACC and MSD before, no wonder he loved to have Aylward come here and sell the UNUM Provident paid “research” presented here!
Professor Norman Finkelstein’s analysis of latest developments in the John Kerry-sponsored Israeli-Palestinian “Peace Talks”.
“If Kerry succeeds or if Kerry fails – either way, it’s a disaster for the Palestinians, who are caught between U.S.-brokered capitulation and the miserable status quo.”
So you believe williamson called the cops cos of a donation, that collins went out of her way to promote oravida cos of a donation, you cant have it both ways.
But the Herald can reveal Liu, 53, also paid $15,000 at a Labour Party auction in 2007 for a book signed by Helen Clark, the Prime Minister at the time, according to a party source.
All we fought for in Iraq is on the cusp of vanishing.
That’s what Mitt Romney says.
We fought for. We fought for. We.
Oh, so it’s we now, is it, Mitt?
We.
I must have missed you over there, but it was a busy place. We. The guy who helped set up “pro-draft” rallies and yet somehow managed to avoid service in Vietnam is upset about losing what “we” fought for? We.
Yeah, fuck you, Mitt.
And you’re all welcome to quote me on that.
Somebody stepped into my office yesterday and asked how I felt about it. He wanted to know how I felt about “losing” Iraq.
The reality is that the whole of the Middle East and beyond is going through a huge, agonising and protracted transition. We have to liberate ourselves from the notion that ‘we’ have caused this. We haven’t. We can argue as to whether our policies at points have helped or not; and whether action or inaction is the best policy and there is a lot to be said on both sides. But the fundamental cause of the crisis lies within the region not outside it.
Why the media still give that talking head airtime is beyond me. In fact, I’m still slightly amazed he’s avoided being prosecuted for war crimes but nonetheless..
Minor event happening in Ukraine in the next few hours. The “junta” (I wont give them any credit for their legitimacy) are laying bare the vacuity of EU backing of their cause. They are demanding Russia sells gas to them at a discount of over 35% of what the EU buys for. If they don’t get it they are threatening to walk away from their massive debt to their suppliers.
The Russia Gazprom are saying that they will cut the supply and demand pre-payment, the “junta” are threatening to cut supplies to EU as they transit Ukraine. The Kremlin are keeping quiet, a bad sign…..my suspicion is that the “bear” may just wake up angry and walk on in.
Russia is playing this very gradually step by step. Given that they have essentially been supplying Ukraine with free natural gas for many many months now they are being very patient – why? Because they want to demonstrate to Germany and other key EU states that they are giving their ‘valued commercial partner’ Ukraine the benefit of the doubt and all the due process available – and then some.
Which completely stymies US provocations aiming for Putin to militarily act rashly and justify a NATO move into Ukraine.
Very true: one wonders how the EU would react to the “puppet” regime denying them gas? It would really lay bare the disparity in interests between the Whitehouse and European economies.A true hot potato. As you say Putin very likely will just sit, all the cards are falling his way.
This is a recent interview where French media grilled Putin, during his visit to the Normandy commemorations. Over half an hour long of tough questions non-stop. Covering many topics, on Syria, on Ukraine, on Crimea, on Russia itself.
You got to hand it to Putin, he plays a very straight, statesman-like line in public.
Interestingly it’s only the period of her time as Minister for oravida that Collins didnt register overseas trips and their funding, in previous years she did so quite happily.
10 Overseas travel costs
Australia – joint Cabinet meeting and bilateral meetings. Contributor to
accommodation: Australian Government.
Her colleagues also happily declared their Chinese government funded trips.
I guess she is just too busy with her new portfolio
I have thought for some time there is a conflict/hypocracy in the Ukraine situation where it seemed that a demonstration led to the current Ukraine regime in a simular manner to how the Crimea changed hands … all very puzzling.
Further south it seems the abitary by western power[s] setting up of Iraq is now going to split into its natural parts with any luck despite the anguish of the west.
”Vote to end ACT Party rort in Epsom”, so says, apparently a Labour Party election pamphlet delivered to letter-boxes in the Epsom electorate, according to the Herald’s Clare Trevett that’s ”code” that Labour voters should vote for the National Party candidate,
If it were, ”code” that is, and i have my doubts, it would be pretty lame don’t you think, a real waste of paper, Labour would better serve it’s voters in Epsom, the Party, and, the country by simply telling Labour voters that a electorate vote for the National Candidate will rid them and us of the ACT Party and have Labour halfway to the Treasury Benches,
Micheal Wood, the Labour Party candidate for Epsom seems to know what is required having been quoted in the Trevett piece in today’s Herald as saying He is ”not campaigning for the National Party candidate yet”,
My opinion says that He should be tho, and openly, the sooner the ”party strategists” give Him the nod to do so the better…
Never gonna happen, Bad. A nod and a wink is as good at will get because the NZLP is never going to publicly support a Tory candidate. And nor should we.
Good O Te Reo, stuff the head back in the sand and pretend you can win the election while National ”gifts” electorates here, there, and, everywhere,
Dense seems a mild epithet to attach to such ”thinking”, Labour will not publicly support tactical voting to (a) get rid of ACT, and (b) ensure that they are more likely to be the next Government,
Is Te Reo tho saying that not ”publicly supporting” a tactical vote in Epsom means that it will do so via ”coded statements”,
Dishonest i would suggest could be added to Dense if that were the case…
As usual, you haven’t got a clue. Still, no doubt you’ll be equally appalled at the other party’s failure to endorse Paul Goldsmith. Looking forward to reading your condemnation of Hone’s dishonest and dense silence on the matter.
Neither Mana or in its new guise InternetMana have a presence of any size in the electorate that could sway the outcome in any way, the same cannot tho be said of Labour,
Your dragging into the conversation InternetMana vis a vis Epsom is simply more of your personal dishonesty, and, an unkind person would suggest that such personal dishonesty as you display is exhibited on a Party wide basis vis a vis the Epsom electorate…
Ooooh, hypocrisy alert! It’s only dense and dishonest if you’re a big party? Really? Presumably you think the Greens are are half dense and half dishonest. Doofus.
Te Reo, you need a name change, i suggest ‘Te Tupeke Pine’ as your debate consists of leaping from pin-head to pin-head,
If Labour cannot convince it’s voters in the Epsom electorate to vote for the National candidate then it is odds on that come September they will still be the opposition,
Sit down, man. Take control. You have done something to your brain. You have made it high. If I lay ten mils of Diazepam on you, you will do something else to your brain, You will make it low. Why trust one drug and not the other?
Hey Phil, stop whining and get out there and campaign.
If you’re out to change the government rather than sitting on your couch inhaling, great. But if you’re trying to tell any party what to do without some skin in this game, at this point you’re wasting your breath.
Never gonna happen, Bad. A nod and a wink is as good at will get because the NZLP is never going to publicly support a Tory candidate. And nor should we.
Yeah but there was plenty of public support for Douglas, Caygill, Prebble, et al
one of the people living at our address got a letter from john key. The other two did not. I wonder how they decide who in the epsom electorate to send the mailout to?
“Labour would better serve it’s voters in Epsom, the Party, and, the country by simply telling Labour voters that a electorate vote for the National Candidate will rid them and us of the ACT Party and have Labour halfway to the Treasury Benches”
Nope. Labour is simultaneously sending a message:
a) to Labour voters to back Goldsmith in order to help Labour, and
b) to National voters to reject ACT
Your suggestion only achieves one of those objectives.
The bouncer who tackled the streaker at the Dunedin test should be charged with assault. It was outrageous. Bouncers routinely assault and even kill people in NZ. They are a pseudo-police force and are out of control. The police need to investigate and charge imo as this sort of behaviour by bouncers is not even remotely reasonable.
It was a vicious unnecessary tackle and the employer of that bouncer should also be sued for negligence resulting in physical harm.
Also looking at how the streaker was dragged away from the field – what was that about – the streaker did not appear to put up any resistance whatsoever but looked like he was getting roughed up any way.
“It was a vicious unnecessary tackle and the employer of that bouncer should also be sued for negligence resulting in physical harm”
What an ignorant comment. It was a vicious unnecessary tackle but to suggest that it was his employers fault is typical left thinking. You are assuming this thug was instructed to do a vicious tackle. It is common knowledge that if you do an unsafe act at work that it is serious misconduct and if there is an injury you can be fined as well as fired.
“It was a vicious unnecessary tackle but to suggest that it was his employers fault is typical left thinking”
Remind never to contract you to provide me any type of service. Apparently you believe that once you employ someone to provide the service to me on your behalf that you are no longer responsible for the work.
Oh nakiman, I think that you’re assuming that the employer correctly trained the bouncer in question and had a full set of proper policies in place governing the use of physical force.
But I’m going to guess that there are big gaps there and the employer has liability.
Further, if it comes out that the employer at any time stated to the bouncers that a hard line was to be taken against any pitch intrusion, then the legal fun really begins.
You seen the sad on-line poll results? 70+% reflecting pathetic ‘macho’ opinions. Doubt those numbers would stack up the same if a streaking woman had been similarly tackled by a female security guard. I don’t quite get it though seeing as how there’s no homophobia in NZ these days.
Yep. Simple boofheads who don’t even realise what they are advocating, namely vigilante justice and the establishment of anarchy. Boofheads who don’t think is what they are … I hope they don’t get a vote at the election – imagine the sort of idiotic damage they could do ….
With the exit of its former leader John Banks, the Act Party is currently in what might charitably be called a rebuilding phase. Mind you, it still appears to be preaching the old time religion of plucky self-reliance – which is pretty amusing, given that its own survival in Parliament has long been reliant on electorate handouts from the National Party, a form of welfare set to continue in Epsom this year. How on earth Act rationalizes its policy stance on welfare with its own modus operandi in Epsom is anyone’s guess.
borne out of former labour cabinet ministers, preaching personal responsibility, particularly for law breakers, they are the definition of contradiction.
I hear that there is a new party being set up to oppose the use of 1080. I think it would be a good idea to start one that bans the use of private cars. Every day there are hurtful accidents, injuries and even deaths through the use of cars. People using them run over little children and kill them. They spread pollution and result in the high use of imported oil which has to be paid for from our precious export returns. Almost every holiday results in deaths, sometimes of adults and children, even whole families. Cars should be limited in availability just for taxi use, with more buses available, more frequently and good train services. Then more room for bikes, giving safer use of them.
So what about starting a Facebook campaign and build up interest and support to ban cars as death-causing bad technology causing untold harm. There is as much a case for this than that for banning 1080.
national will try and run a non campaign.
rely on photo ops and pr bullshit + crosby textor tricks and ruses.
Its going to be very subtle but very powerful.
get ready for the ride!
amy adams has begun by blaming auckland council for aucklands housing problems.
When the supercity was being pimped, cos we didnt get to vote, it was that as a single behemouth we could make our own decisions. Of course the truth was the nacts wanted a single entity to impose its will on, rather than going through 8.
It is the councils fault, I heard Penny H say that Auckland house’s are expensive because its a great place to live and lots of people want to live here. These councillors want to become wealthy from a housing shortage and over priced housing that is why they don’t want to make more land available to build on.
The Internet Party has a petition up to:
“I agree that our Party Votes should have equal value. This means lowering the 5% threshold and removing the one-seat (coat-tails) threshold.”
This appeals to me regardless of Party loyalty. https://internet.org.nz/petition
New Zealand manufacturing activity fell for a second consecutive month in May to the lowest level in 17 months, with a decline in new orders and a rise in inventory suggesting demand is waning.
Yep, a ‘rockstar’ economy with no crisis in manufacturing | Tui.
Late yesterday there was a post up about the Kiwiassurance. I was sure it was on the NS??? There is now no sign of it. Am I going mad/senile?
Please someone release me from my doubt.
I must be senile Weka. I meant here on the The Standard. There was a post I am sure about Kiwiassure and a followup of DC giving speech. There is nothing in the comments or anywhere.
Would appreciate it if it could be confirmed that it had existed.
Coat-tailing should be removed.
*Threshold should be reduced to 3 % (or at most to 4%)
All the electoral commission recommendations should be implemented.
COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS
Abolishing the rule that allows MPs to bring in other members after winning one electorate seat.
Lowering the party vote threshold from five to four per cent.
That there be a statutory requirement for the commission to review four per cent threshold after three elections.
Abolishing the overhang provision.
The ratio of electorate seats be fixed at 60:40.
Political parties continue to have responsibility for the selection and ranking party lists.
List MPs should be able to contest by-elections.
Candidates should be able to stand on the list and in an electorate.
Political parties should have to give a statutory declaration that
they have complied with their rules in selecting and ranking their list
candidates.
The government should not allow the immediate political interests of any single party get in the way of changes that strengthen our electoral system in the long term.
In its report the commission said,
“Relatively few changes were needed to the electoral system. but those we recommend are important. They would enhance public
confidence in the fairness and operation of our MMP voting system and
parliamentary democracy.”
CV, prefer 1%=1 seat, thus the issues on the periphery would get a full airing in the Parliament, Phillips animal rights and dope decriminalization being two where i see most here would be in agreement with that have no specific voice,
i am sure when thought about there are quite a few issues that while parties might have specific policies that address these such are always ”on the slide” in terms of importance as the various Parties look at what their various coalition options are and what each component of such a coalition might react like in the face of the peripheral issues,
my view is stuff the present political parties, true MMP would consign them to the same fate as the Dinosaur…
Why even have a threshold? It’s just a way of keeping out parties that have enough support to warrant 1-6 seats in parliament – elections therefore less accurately represent voter choice with a threshold than without.
The coat-tailing clause at least mitigates that somewhat – but then makes first-past-the-post electorate contests have undue relevance to the outcome of the election. I would also advocate preferential voting in electorates to make those seats also a fairer representation of voter preference.
Funny when the power went out in Auckland for a day back in 2006 the Troy scum screamed blue bloody murder. Well some of us in West Auckland have either no power or no hot water for a week – the Tory press does bugger all. Yesterday finally something said in Herald but only on full outage – http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11274099
The problem with hot water not being available is still on going for many. Funny they just can’t get the hot water to work properly again. This is a major structural flaw. I have asked around and many tradesmen fell Auckland is a ticking time bomb, especially it’s power and sewage.
I remember some slimy opposition MP back in 06 ranting for weeks on the telly about how the power outage was a crime for all New Zealanders and a disaster for Auckland. It 2014 and these Tory slime are in power and the power is still fubar, and getting worse. Once again political advantage is, who can steal the most off the working folk of this country. Thanks Len and thanks National the party of sell and hope – I would say pray, but you are so self absorbed god would struggle to hear you through all that petty self congratulations.
Well,as well as it now happening under the Nats’ watch, the continuing outages seem to be a West Auckland problem. The central part of Auckland has been increasingly colonised by the well off, while parts of West Auckland, since 2010, are becoming increasingly ghettoised.
Folks in Parnell, Remmers, etc, probably don’t care much about the trials and struggles of Westies.
(b) National Party Values
We believe this will be achieved by building a society based on the
following values:
• Loyalty to our country, its democratic principles and our Sovereign as
Head of State
• National and personal security
• Equal citizenship and equal opportunity
• Individual freedom and choice
• Personal responsibility
• Competitive enterprise and rewards for achievement
• Limited government
• Strong families and caring communities
• Sustainable development of our environment
National = Equal opportunity Green/Labour/Internet Mana = Equal income
National = Rewards for achievement Green/Labour/Internet Mana = Tax for achievement
National = Sustainable development of our environment Green/Labour/Internet Mana = no development, industry closure and killing of cows
National = competitive enterprise Green/Labour/Internet Mana = nationalisation
Is it any wonder that National id polling so high?
I’m guessing because the last two Roy Morgan polls were good for National and bad for the left but don’t worry you’ll know if its good for the left if it gets its own thread:
If its still bad for the left it’ll get a mention in open mike 😉
[lprent: This has come up before. But usually in non-election year polls only get posts every 2-3 months because that is how long it takes before a trend becomes clear outside of the noise. Obviously the frequency increases in a election year. The probability that a poll is relatively good or bad for the left in a post seems to to unrelated. When I have time I often pull the graphs through in OpenMike.
However I really don’t like people attempting to say what we do and just lying about it. You know this. 2 week ban for stupidity. ]
So when national cabinet ministers signed off on novopay with at least one “mission critical” target unachieved (after renegotiating it twice and possibly with six other critical targets unachieved) and all are still in cabinet, how is that consistent with the value of “Personal responsibility”?
You are an idiot. Look at the history of the governments led by National and Labour. Every one of the great progressive achievements on economic and social issues were all instituted and delivered by Labour administrations because Labour represents the bulk of the society while National primarily represents the wealthy and the privileged. Fact! Open your eyes.
Labour does NOT represent the bulk of the nation and can barely hold over 31% support for the last couple of years, even as the economic situation gets grimmer and grimmer, and 300,000 kids live in poverty.
The polling figures and support may be low, but the policies and programmes of Labour help the bulk of the country, the workers, the families and ordinary people. That is the point.
Former National Business Review owner Barry Colman recently gave over $50,000 to the National Party in what is the wealthy publisher’s first contribution to the party that’s required to be disclosed.
Mr Colman paid $50,000 to the party earlier this month, on top of previous donations of $600 and $1520 in recent months according to recent filings of party donations over $30,000 on the Electoral Commission’s website.
Mr Colman’s previous donations to National were revealed in journalist Nicky Hager’s book the Hollow Men but were done in a way that didn’t require disclosure at the time.
The website also shows Conservative Party Leader Colin Craig sank a further $100,000 into his party earlier this month taking his total donations since the last election to $876,000.
He has said he intends funding the bulk of his party’s projected $1.5 million campaign costs.
A donation of just under $1.7 million shortly after the last election was the write-off of loans he made to the party during its 2011 election campaign.
NEWSFLASH! Barry Corbett is now OPPOSED to knife attacks The Panel, Radio NZ National, Monday 16 June 2014
Jim Mora, Barry Corbett, Finlay Macdonald
One night in January 2008, a Manurewa resident called Bruce Emery took a knife in his hand and chased 15-year-old Pihema Cameron down a street. Pihema Cameron, a Māori, had been tagging the fence of Emery, a Pākehā. When Emery caught the boy, he stabbed him repeatedly. The killing was shocking, and was regarded with horror and condemned by all decent people. But a significant and shameless minority took the opportunity to praise the killer. The leading cheerleaders for this exercise in depravity were most—not all, but most—of the hosts on the notorious right wing radio station NewstalkZB, who ran a campaign of denigration, night after night after night, for months on end, against the dead boy and his family. They took their lines almost verbatim from the demonic partnership of Emery’s lawyer Chris Comesky and the Sensible Sentencing Trust’s Imperial Wizard Garth “The Knife” McVicar, who insisted truculently that the killer was a “decent citizen” who had been pushed over the brink by the low-life scum that infested his neighbourhood.
The brutal campaign even made it onto National Radio for a short time. The day after the killing of Pihema Cameron, Christchurch city councillor Barry Corbett expressed his concern and sympathy—not for the victim, but for the killer. A chorus of outrage led to Corbett making a vapid apology, and a mealy-mouthed “clarification” of his statement.
But no disciplinary action of any kind was taken against him by Radio New Zealand. Bomber Bradbury was permanently banned after committing the monumental crime of criticizing the behaviour of the Prime Minister—but Corbett, who actually spoke out in favour of a knife-killer, faced no such sanctions, and indeed has continued to regularly appear on The Panel.
As anyone who listened to today’s show will have noted, Corbett is as vacuous and reactionary as ever, and judging by his unstinting support for the thuggish behaviour by a security guard at the football in Dunedin on Saturday night, he still supports extremely violent behaviour. But he seems to have somewhat lost his enthusiasm for knife attacks.
Just to show him that some of us haven’t forgotten what Corbett said six years ago, I sent Jim Mora the following….
Barry Corbett’s dishonesty and hypocrisy
Dear Jim,
Barry Corbett predictably came out in support of that brutal hit on the streaker. But he claimed that the violence happened because the victim “stopped suddenly”. In fact, the victim was standing still for some time before the security guard hit him. Corbett’s words were entirely misleading; whether or not they were deliberately misleading is not clear.
It’s perfectly acceptable for Corbett to voice his endorsement of a high-velocity assault on an unsighted man—but he is not entitled to his own facts.
It was also intriguing to hear Barry Corbett try to bolster his argument by invoking the stabbing of Monica Seles by a crazed spectator. What a difference to Corbett’s attitude in 2008, when he loudly spoke out in FAVOUR of the frenzied knife-killing of a teenage boy in Auckland.
Yours in concern at the quality of your guests, Morrissey Breen
Northcote Point
At 5:07 p.m. I received the following reply:
Thank you Morrissey; when Barry mentioned that the streaker had been on the move I wished I’d looked at the video again. Jim
Moz, while Corbett was clearly lying when he claimed to have watched the video several times and that he was convinced the security guard couldn’t have pulled out of the ‘tackle’, you don’t don’t do yourself any favours by referring to the Emery stabbing as frenzied or repeated. It was a single stab wound, and did not penetrate the full length of the blade. That fact is probably what saved Emery from an otherwise deserved murder conviction.
Moz, …you don’t don’t do yourself any favours by referring to the Emery stabbing as frenzied or repeated. It was a single stab wound, and did not penetrate the full length of the blade. That fact is probably what saved Emery from an otherwise deserved murder conviction.
Thanks for that, Te Reo. I guess I’ve just gotten into the pattern of describing it as a frenzied killing because no one has bothered to correct me before, and it’s become a pat formula by now. As you point out, it does no good to anyone to exaggerate like I have done here.
Anyway, it’s not Emery that disgusts me about this whole sordid business. Certainly, he committed a violent act, but he was remorseful and there seems to be little or no likelihood he will do it again. His vicious and cynical cheerleaders on the other hand, like Corbett, McVicar, Larry “Lackwit” Williams, Bruce Russell, “Whaleoil” and the rest of them, are beneath contempt.
It gives me a slight degree of pleasure to note that Emery’s rotten lawyer, Chris Comeskey, was eventually struck off for corrupt practices, and is now selling false teeth in the Australian outback.
Watch the tide turning on the “dietary fat is bad” mantra of the past handful of decades. Time magazine has front paged that the scientists were wrong, but appears to lay correct blame on the politicians and media who manufactured the mantra in the first place in the actual article (which is behind a paywall).
Sarcasm aside, your statement is still wrong. Medical science has its own set of flaws, both in terms of bias/corruption, and the mere fact that it can’t study everything. It also lacks the capacity to study things that fall outside its current models of understanding. There is evidence of many things that have never been studied. To say that the only valid medicine is that which has been through an RCT is daft beyond belief.
On the other hand, you are right, it’s all medicine, which is why there are such things as herbal medicine, or medicine wo/men ;-p
CV, you do medicine a disservice. It’s not just iatrogenesis that makes McFlock wrong, it’s that many alternatives models work better than mainstream ones 😉
Get your facts right. Increasing lifespan coincides with raised standards of living (better shelter, less over-crowding, better hygiene, better diet etc). Obviously medical science has helped on some areas, but much of the improvement is down to coal, gas and oil.
The irony of course is that had we combined alternative and mainstream approaches (the smart thing to do) we would have much better outcomes and would haven’t major fuckups like MRSA within half a century of the discovery of penicillin.
Get your facts right. Increasing lifespan coincides with raised standards of living (better shelter, less over-crowding, better hygiene, better diet etc).
Also, income levels as an independent factor separate from better access to healthcare or nutrition, is also a noted factor in improving longevity.
As you have so aptly described, it’s nothing to do with the myth (i.e. conceit) that modern scientific medicine has been the major demographic explanation to living longer.
But as income levels fall across the world, we can expect this to reverse as well.
Of course for individuals or very specific populations, modern medicine is indeed a life saver. But on a population basis, taking into account benefits as well as iatrogenesis and adverse effects, it doesn’t work out wholly positively.
Perhaps marginally so, except burning sage doesn’t screw you over with a limb losing hospital acquired infection (that’s the fat tail downside I’ve been mentioning).
The move from cut-throats to safety razors are what has prevented the most infections from shaving cuts since 1900. That’s health benefits due to industrial design and product technology improvement, in other words. Not medical care or antibiotics.
Just another little example of how medical care may have had some minor positive impact, but much less than other often overlooked non-medical factors.
Have to agree with CV on the statins McFlock. There should be some very red faces and big bloody lawsuits over the whole dietary fat = high cholestorol = heart diseases/diabetes thing. Anyone that values science should be appalled at what has been done with both the advice on diet, and the prescribing of statins.
Start with the link above, or Gary Taubes’ NYT article ‘What if it’s all been a big fat lie?’ and follow the trail.
My point is that I don’t particularly give a shit that science progresses and maybe changes direction in some cases. That’s how it works. And corporate involvement is a major kick in the nuts to scientific advancement.
But the fact remains that more evidence eventually overrules corporate influence. Asbestos, lead in fuel, CFCs, car safety – all evidence overcoming corporate influence.
So on balance, I won’t be suddenly giving medical-doctor-grade credibility to a certified pyramid therapiser who thinks tying a cat to my head will cure my cancer.
Calling modern primary care medicine “merely passable to crap” is just a fucking lie. It’s a lot better, as I said, than the alternatives that had us rebalancing humours or praying.
You obviously haven’t read. This isn’t about science progresseing and perhaps changing direction, unless you call an about turn progress. When Ancel Keys pushed the fat hypothesis, scientists at the time said he was wrong. Politicians followed the Keys’ line and then subsequent science fucked up. For decades. We now have 30 or 40 years of people having been given the wrong advice and this having led to a public health epidemic. You can downplay it all you like, but it just makes you look like a fundamentalist when the evidence is there to see. I’m kind of gobsmacked at your dismissal of the fat hypothesis issue given your involvement in public health promotion.
As for your criticism of alternative health, if you think this is about a certified pyramid therapiser, then you’re either incredibly ignorant, or extremely disingenuous. I’d actually go for the former because you come across as generally balanced in your understanding of information. The same fundy arguments you use were previously used against things like acupuncture that are now routinely available in the mainstream. It’s ok though, because thankfully people are still free to choose alternatives and don’t have to wait for the sanctioning from medical science when other bodies of knowledge are already leading the way.
Much of what medical researchers conclude in their studies is misleading, exaggerated, or flat-out wrong. So why are doctors—to a striking extent—still drawing upon misinformation in their everyday practice?
Studies which were preceded by practitioners practicing competently within their own body of knowledge and patients going to acupuncturists and medical doctors seeing that their patients were getting better and eventually studies being done. Which kind of proves my point: medical science drags the chain on this, alternative medicine leads the way. If medical science wasn’t so full of itself, we would be a lot further along.
But until those studies were done, acupuncture was indistinguishable from whatever therapy steve jobs chose to delay actual treatment for.
Consider this analogy:
in front of me is a plate of small granules. There are slight differences in colour, shape and texture. Some granule types are a wonder food that will cure my ills and make me an Adonis. Other granule types don’t do a damned thing. A third type might actually slowly kill me. A variety of folk with varying degrees of eye-glaze insist that different granules are the wonder food.
Calling modern primary care medicine “merely passable to crap” is just a fucking lie. It’s a lot better, as I said, than the alternatives that had us rebalancing humours or praying.
Oh FFS McFlock, what % of primary care medicine procedures are evidenced based on RCTs on meta-analyses?
25%? If you are lucky?
By your own standards you should be calling for 75% of primary care medicine to be ditched, right here, right now.
Do your own research. Like try and find out how much proven benefit an annual medical check provides (clue: next to none) vs how many doctors keep doing them.
But I suppose that suggesting an assertion without evidence means I should just believe you is good enough for someone who thinks medicine doesn’t need evidence.
Anybody esss wotchin Kemble Loive tunoite?
Re chasing Crims and the devasshun on ear mota ways?
Tork abeart stupudityt fuck!
We shud be fankful thet the only thung thet saves us from devastayshun is thet the crims (crumbs) are a wee bit fucker than the Police! )Or Please es Greffie calls ’em)
( Ans of course they’ve got the likes of Jude, en Greg, en an “Indy” Please Kwoiry Thority ta bek em all up.
mmmm – that 3rd whurl bolt hole is looking more trektuv by the day goan forwid (especially knowing Key and Co hav it nex on their genda to cum grovling for FTA’s and the like loik.
[loik loik hoik hoik)
I really should be thinking farts and funnies – except that it’s ekshully quite serious (goan forwid).
20 – 30 years ago when I used to have to attend the dad-in-laws Saturfay morning Gardeninf Sess in the local – listening him reminisce about Al Alamein and various other campaigns – and the individuals barious legacies in the Nu Zull Please, I never expected I’d have to be laughing like fuck about their 21st legacy of cowardice, lying, woosiness, – you frikken name it.
Gref Fuckn O’Connor eh? (I mean JUST for starters!)
Pardon the fuk fingers
‘g’s ken pear es ‘f’s en the loik – but you get the idea.
I’ve not changed the channel (3), and I’m now witnessing another round of stupid.
I feel really sorry for Joe Average policeman! Really I do. Their own worst enema is their supposed representative and foreskin of their welfare (Greg).
fisianis said he was going and not coming back.
did hooton get an order from crosby textor to keep sending this machine manufacted crap down the line.
national only believes in one thing and that is ling their own pockets.
I can here the shredders buzzing, the hard drive being nuked on the 9th floor from here
Conspiring to defeat justice
Every one is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7 years who conspires to obstruct, prevent, pervert, or defeat the course of justice in New Zealand or the course of justice in an overseas jurisdiction.
Compare: 1908 No 32 s 137
Section 116: amended, on 18 June 2002, by section 6(1) of the Crimes Amendment Act 2002 (2002 No 20).
‘It has been said that figures rule the world. Maybe. I am quite sure that it is figures which show us whether it is being ruled well or badly.’ GoetheI was struck at a recent conference on equity for the elderly, how many presenters implicitly relied upon Statistics New Zealand. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveReporting on defence spending late last year, RNZ said the coalition government will have to make some tough calls this term to help the force address staff shortages and ageing infrastructure. “These are huge, huge amounts of government spending. It’s a significant proportion of the government’s ...
Peter Dunne writes – I am always wary when I hear that the Controller and Auditor-General has commented on or made recommendations to the government about an issue of public policy that does not relate strictly to public expenditure. According to the legislation, the role of the Controller ...
How Labour’s and National’s failure to move beyond neoliberalism has brought NZ to the brink of economic and cultural chaos Chris Trotter writes – TO START LOSING, so soon after you won, requires a special kind of political incompetence. At the heart of this Coalition ...
And why did the Crown not challenge the Tribunal’s jurisdiction? Gary Judd writes – Retired District Court Judge, David Harvey, has posted on his A Halflings View Substack an excellent summary of Justice Isacs’ judgment declining to uphold the witness summons issued by the Waitangi Tribunal ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Do you believe New Zealand runs its general elections fairly and competently? As a voter, can you be confident that the votes on your ballot will be counted towards the final result?As a political scientist, I’ve been asked these questions many times and ...
Macklemore isn’t someone I’d usually think about. Sure I liked his big hit from a few years back, everybody did it was catchy and cool with some memorable lines. But if I was going to think of artists who might speak out on political matters or world events, he wouldn’t ...
Another week goes by in the Luxon government’s efforts to roll back the past 70 years of social progress. The school lunches programme is to be downgraded by $107 million, and women need bother their heads no longer about pay equity, let alone expect ACC to provide adequate sexual violence ...
Brrr, the first cold snap of the year. Hope you’re rugged up nice and warm. Here are some stories that caught our eye this week… This Week on Greater Auckland On Monday, we had a post from a new contributor, Connor Sharp, who dug into the public feedback ...
Almost all of the Wellington City Council’s recommended zoning changes to allow many more apartments and townhouses in its inner-suburbs have been approved.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guest on geopolitics, ...
Open access notablesA Global Increase in Nearshore Tropical Cyclone Intensification, Balaguru et al., Earth's Future:Tropical Cyclones (TCs) inflict substantial coastal damages, making it pertinent to understand changing storm characteristics in the important nearshore region. Past work examined several aspects of TCs relevant for impacts in coastal regions. However, ...
Do you believe New Zealand runs its general elections fairly and competently? As a voter, can you be confident that the votes on your ballot will be counted towards the final result? As a political scientist, I’ve been asked these questions many times and always answered “yes”, with very few ...
Thus far May has followed on from a quiet April in the blogging department, but in fairness, it has been another case of doing what I am supposed to be doing, namely writing original fiction. Plus reading. So don’t worry – I have been productive. But in order to reassure ...
Buzz from the Beehive A new government agency will open for business on July 1 – the Social Investment Agency. As a new standalone central agency effective from 1 July, it will lead the development of social investment across Government, helping ministers understand who they need to invest in, what ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The ...
Alwyn Poole writes – After being elected to Parliament in 2008 the maiden speech of Hipkins was substantially around education policy. He was Labour’s spokesperson for education 2011 – 2017. He was Minister for Education from 2017 until February 2023. This is approximately 88% of the time Labour ...
Eric Crampton writes – A fashion industry group is lobbying for protections. They make the usual arguments and a newer one. None of it makes sense. An industry group says it pumped $7.8 billion into the economy last year – that’s 1.9 percent of New Zealand’s GDP. ...
In December 2006, Fiji's military leader Voreqe Bainimarama overthrew the elected government in a coup. He ruled Fiji for the next 16 years, first as dictator, then as "elected" Prime Minister. But now, he's finally been sent to jail where he belongs. Sadly, this isn't for his real crime of ...
Don't like National's corrupt Muldoonist "fast-track" law? Aotearoa's environmental NGO's - Greenpeace, Forest & Bird, WWF, Coromandel Watchdog, Coal Action Network Aotearoa, Kiwis Against Seabed Mining, and others - have announced a joint march against it in Auckland in June: When: 13:00, 8 June, 2024 Where: Aotea Square, Auckland You ...
Seymour describes sushi as too woke for school meals. There are no fish sushi meals recommended by the School Lunches programme. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: The Government will swap out hot meals for packaged sandwiches to save $107 million on school lunches for poor kids. MSD has pulled ...
I don't mind stealin' bread from the mouths of decadenceBut I can't feed on the powerless when my cup's already overfilled, yeahBut it's on the table, the fire's cookin'And they're farmin' babies, while slaves are workin'The blood is on the table and the mouths are chokin'But I'm goin' hungry, yeahSome ...
The Ardern Government’s chickens came home to roost yesterday with the news that the country is short of natural gas. In 2018, Labour banned offshore petroleum exploration, and industry executives say that the attendant loss of confidence by the industry impacted overall investment in onshore gas fields. Energy Resources Minister ...
Hi,If you’ve been digging through the newly launched Webworm store (orders are being dispatched worldwide as I type!) you’ll have noticed the best model we had was Calvin.This is Calvin.Calvin.Calvin is 7, and is the son of my producer over on Flightless Bird, Rob — aka “Wobby Wob”. Rob also ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Climate change is everywhere. And when something's everywhere it can feel like it's nowhere. So how do we get our heads ...
Its a law like gravity: whenever a right-wing government is elected, they start attacking democracy. And now, after talking to their Republican and Tory and Fidesz chums at the International Democracy Union forum in Wellington, National is doing it here, announcing plans to remove election-day enrolment. Or, to put it ...
Yesterday Winston Peters focussed his attention on the important matter at hand. Tweeting. Like the former, and quite possibly next, orange POTUS, from whom he takes much of his political strategy, Winston is an avid X’er.His message didn’t resemble an historic address this time. In fact it was more reminiscent ...
Buzz from the Beehive A significant decline in natural gas production has given Resources Minister Shane Jones an opportunity to reiterate his enthusiasm for the mining and burning of coal. For good measure, he has praised an announcement from Genesis Energy that it will resume importing coal. He and Energy ...
“Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The political parties are legally obliged to make ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Here is my subjective ranking on a “most-left” to “most-right” scale of most of our major NZ Universities, with some anecdotal (and at times amusing) evidence to back up the claim.Extreme Left Auckland University of TechnologyEvidenceThe ...
Eric Crampton writes – I hadn’t thought about this one until a helpful email showed up in my inbox.It’s pretty obvious that income tax thresholds should automatically index with inflation – whether to anchor the thresholds in percentiles of the income distribution, or to anchor against a real ...
Jacqui Van Der Kaay writes – Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National ...
Gary Judd writes – The Dean of the law school at the Auckland University of Technology is someone called Khylee Quince. I have been sent her social media posting in which she has, over the LawNews headline “Senior King’s Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Maori studies for ...
Cleo Paskal writes – WASHINGTON, D.C.: ‘Many of us have received phone calls from [the opposing camp] telling them if they join the camp they will be given projects for their wards and $300,000 [around US$35,000] each’, says former Malaita Premier Daniel Suidani. The elections in Solomon Islands aren’t ...
With hindsight, it was inevitable that (a) Hamas would agree to the ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar and that ( b) Israel would then immediately launch attacks on Rafah, regardless. We might have hoped the concessions made by Hamas would cause Israel to desist from slaughtering thousands more ...
Placards and mourners outside the Kilbirnie Mosque following the Christchurch terror attack: MSD has terminated the Kaiwhakaoranga service, which has been used by 415 families since the attacks. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The Government’s pledge to only cut ‘back office’ staff rather than ‘frontline’ services is on increasingly shaky ground, with ...
There’s been a few smaller public transport announcements over the last week or so that I thought I’d cover in a single post. Fareshare I’ve long called for Auckland Transport to offer a way to enable employer-subsidised public transport options. The need for this took on even more importance ...
Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National Minister Matt Doocey, reflects poorly on Genter and ...
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 ...
Who likes being sneered at? Nobody. Worse yet, when the sneerer has their facts all wrong, and might well be an idiot.The sneer in question is The adults are in charge now, and it is a sneer offered in retort to criticism of this new Government, no matter how well ...
When in government, Labour pushed to extend the Parliamentary term to four years, to reduce accountability and our ability to vote out a bad government. And now, they're trying to do it through the member's ballot, with a Four-Year Parliamentary Term Legislation Bill. The bill at least requires a referendum ...
A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill (Hūhana Lyndon) The bill would prevent the government from stealing Māori land in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It ...
Simeon Brown, alongside Wayne Brown, is favouring a political figleaf now in exchange for loading up tens of millions in extra interest costs on Auckland ratepayers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is pushing back hard at suggestions from Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown ...
Buzz from the Beehive One headline-grabber from the Beehive yesterday was the OECD’s advice that the government must bring the Budget deficit under control or face higher interest rates. Another was the announcement of a $1.9 billion “investment” in Corrections over the next four years. In the best interests of ...
Chris Trotter writes – Had Zheng He’s fleet sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks of the Ming Dynasty, among the largest and most sophisticated sailing vessels ever constructed, would have failed ...
David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
The tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and applied…Gary Judd KC writes – I have made a complaint to Parliament’s Regulation ...
The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
The OECD’s chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changes—introducing a ...
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect women’s spaces. The ‘Fair Access to Bathrooms Bill’ will require, primarily in the interest and safety of women and girls, that all new non-domestic publicly accessible buildings provide separate, clearly demarcated, unisex and single sex bathrooms. This Bill ...
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Introduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Pacific Media Watch Television New Zealand Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver has been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to investigative journalism and Pacific communities in a ceremony at Government House, reports 1News. She has been the Pacific correspondent for 1News since 2002, breaking many ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Tuesday’s budget will respond to the deepening public agitation over Australia’s housing shortages by pouring new money into crisis accommodation for women and children, social housing and infrastructure. A specially-convened national cabinet late Friday ticked ...
By Kaneta Naimatu in Suva Journalists in the Pacific region play an important role as the “eyes and ears on the ground” when it comes to reporting the climate crisis, says the European Union’s Pacific Ambassador Barbara Plinkert. Speaking at The University of the South Pacific (USP) on World Press ...
Aldora Itunu is back in the Black Ferns squad after a three-year absence. The last of her 24 internationals was an underwhelming loss to France (7-29) in Castres to conclude the disastrous 2021 Northern Tour. The powerhouse prop won a Rugby World Cup in 2017 and thought she was done. ...
The fight to control major transport policy and projects in Auckland has burst into the open again, with councillors rejecting Mayor Wayne Brown’s latest attempt to steer things more under his influence. Councillors from the left and right broke ranks on the mayor’s bid to control Auckland Transport more directly ...
Exhausted by the general election campaign, horrified by the twilight zone of coalition negotiations, distracted by the silly season and waiting for the honeymoon to begin, Raw Politics has been in hibernation since October. From today, we’re back. Our weekly political video show and podcast returns for ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk Authorities in the small town of Boulouparis have commemorated Armistice Day on May 8 with a new memorial honouring New Zealand soldiers who were stationed in New Caledonia during World War II. The ceremony took place in the township on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Dehm, Senior lecturer, international migration and refugee law, University of Technology Sydney The High Court unanimously ruled today that the Australian government can keep asylum seekers in immigration detention indefinitely in cases where they do not “voluntarily” cooperate with their own ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Munro, Lecturer, Creative Industries and Digital Media, University of South Australia Twenty-four hours after the release of Macklemore’s pro-Palestine protest song Hind’s Hall on social media on May 7, the video had already notched up over 24 million views. In ...
Failing to anticipate the complexity of the consenting system is being cited as the the current builder's shortcomings, an Infrastructure Commission review says. ...
350 Aotearoa is calling the Environment Select Committee’s decision to allow oral submissions from just 40% of individual, unique submitters who asked to speak to the committee ‘a disgraceful blight to democracy’. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Helal, Assistant Dean (Sustainability), The University of Melbourne Dubai skylineAleksandarPasaric/Pexels Since ancient times, people have built structures that reach for the skies – from the steep spires of medieval towers to the grand domes of ancient cathedrals and mosques. Today ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Edward Musole, PhD Law Student, University of New England Girts Ragelis/ShutterstockRecent trends show Australians are increasingly buying wearables such as smartwatches and fitness trackers. These electronics track our body movements or vital signs to provide data throughout the day, with ...
Papua New Guinea experienced a significant earthquake on 24 March in East Sepik and there has also been recent flooding there and in surrounding provinces. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yousuf Mohammed, Dermatology researcher, The University of Queensland Maridav/Shutterstock You wake up, stagger to the bathroom and gaze into the mirror. No, you’re not imagining it. You’ve developed face wrinkles overnight. They’re sleep wrinkles. Sleep wrinkles are temporary. But as your ...
The Environment Select Committee has just announced that 60 percent of individuals who asked to speak at the hearings will not be heard. This equates to almost 700 people who made individual submissions and more than 1000 more who made a form submission. ...
The Royal New Zealand Ballet is performing Swan Lake around the country. What kind of dream does the ballet sell?Before going to see the Royal New Zealand Ballet perform Swan Lake, I had about as much familiarity with the plot of this ballet as could be expected from having ...
A new poem by Auckland poet Eamonn Tee. High Tide at Local Maxima It is only going to get worse. The streams will be narrow and fickle. The week will bend and buckle like a pot-bellied waist. You will make it to the weekend with one ...
The New Zealand entrepreneur behind beauty business Ethique is gearing up to launch a new eco-venture. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Our thirst for a tasty bevvy is insatiable, but it comes with a hefty plastic price for the planet: 580 billion ...
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 James by Percival Everett (Mantle, $38) A retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from ...
By Kamna Kumar in Suva Pacific Islands Forum Secretary-General Henry Puna stressed the importance of media freedom and its link to the climate and environmental crisis at the 2024 World Press Freedom Day event organised by the University of the South Pacific’s journalism programme. Under the theme “A Planet for ...
Tara Ward previews a new local TV series offering alternative visions of motherhood. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. A woman is clambering up the side of her two-story house, clinging desperately to a drainpipe. Nearby, her child is perched on the ...
Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) is supportive of the cross-party approach to climate adaptation announced by the Minister of Climate Change today. ...
The Sustainable Business Council (SBC) and Climate Leaders Coalition (CLC) welcome today’s announcement from Government around a bipartisan inquiry into an enduring climate adaptation framework for New Zealand. ...
The Free Speech Union welcomes the decision by the Department of Internal Affairs, and Minister Brooke Van Velden, to abandon proposals to further regulate online speech. ...
Its new building in Wellington will not be nearly big enough for all its records, and it has also run out of money to build its new storage facility in Levin. ...
BusinessNZ is congratulating the Minister of Climate Change for his work in achieving cross-party consensus for a way forward on climate adaptation. ...
Recent research reveals the repeal of smokefree measures is not only bad for our health, but also the economy. The Government has repealed various smokefree measures to ensure it keeps collecting $1.2 billion a year in tobacco taxes, in order to pay for tax cuts already being delivered to ...
The club’s surprisingly good season is built on the desire to prove a random A-League YouTuber wrong… and a few other factors.“There’s no way that Wellington Phoenix play finals this year. I can’t see it happening at all.” Those are the words of Lachlan Raeside, an Australian football content ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By César Albarrán-Torres, Senior Lecturer, Department of Media and Communication, Swinburne University of Technology Apple TV+ As one of billions of bilingual individuals in the world, it disappoints me when a film or TV show with characters of a non-English-speaking background is ...
The under-utilised course is a waste of space, and with a little political will, it could be turned into something better. For the duration of her stay in Wellington, my long-suffering cousin listened to me rant about golf courses. They’re bad for the environment: water intensive and pesticide heavy. They ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leah Ruppanner, Professor of Sociology and Founding Director of The Future of Work Lab, Podcast at MissPerceived, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock A recent report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows US fertility rates dropped 2% in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amy Corderoy, Medical doctor and PhD candidate studying involuntary psychiatric treatment, School of Psychiatry, UNSW Sydney shop_py/Shutterstock Picture two people, both suffering from a serious mental illness requiring hospital admission. One was born in Australia, the other in Asia. Hopefully, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Treby, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, RMIT University P.j.Hickox, Shutterstock Peatlands store more carbon per square metre than any other ecosystem on Earth. These waterlogged, mossy bogs beat even dense rainforests for their ability to act as carbon reservoirs. Under the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Goss, Adjunct Associate Professor, Health Research Institute, University of Canberra Government spending on health has been growing so rapidly that a decade ago the then health minister Peter Dutton called it “unmanageable” and “unsustainable”. Health spending grew in real terms by ...
New Zealand's largest electricity distributor is warning the country to hurry up with controls around charging electric vehicles or face unnecessary bills running into the billions. ...
New Zealanders have been asked to conserve energy this morning to combat a possible electricity shortfall, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. A call to conserve power New Zealand is facing a possible electricity shortfall, with people up ...
Writer Rebecca K Reilly breaks down the national book awards. What are the Ockhams?The Ockham New Zealand Book Awards are our annual national awards for books published for adults, and have existed in this form since 2016. There are four categories: Fiction, Poetry, General Non-fiction and Illustrated Non-fiction. There ...
Wellington City Council should keep its 34% ownership share in Wellington International Airport, argue Unions Wellington spokespeople Finn Cordwell and Ashok Jacob. Insanity, as the saying goes, is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Wellington City Council (WCC) is yet again proposing to dispose ...
New Zealand’s largest book publisher has undergone drastic changes this week, leaving its future role in local publishing uncertain. Two of the most recognisable local publishers in New Zealand are among those restructured out of Penguin Random House, it was announced this week. Head of publishing Claire Murdoch will leave ...
Successive governments have tried, and failed, to count Māori. But with the return of social investment, it’s more important than ever to get good data. The post Government looks for a better way to count Māori appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Experts in financing social investment initiatives say New Zealand is in a prime position to tackle social issues via a social investment approach The post What will Willis’ social investment fund look like? appeared first on Newsroom. ...
In 2021 the Public Interest Journalism Fund launched the Te Rito Journalism project, a $2.4 million initiative to boost diversity in New Zealand’s newsrooms. The initiative was in response to the decades-long shortage of Māori and Pacific journalists in the media industry. It was billed as New Zealand’s ...
The Black Ferns Sevens appeared to be a mile behind Australia at the halfway point of the 2023-24 SVNS international circuit. Winless in three tournaments, a cup quarter-final exit in Perth was one of their worst results. To add insult to injury, talismanic skipper Sarah Hirini had been ruled out ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 10 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist A former Tuvalu prime minister says while the New Zealand government’s oil and gas plans show it is concerned about its economy, he is more concerned about the livelihoods and survival of the Tuvalu people. Enele Sopoaga — who still serves as an MP ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Many people who follow federal budgets know about the magnificent “budget tree” in a parliamentary courtyard, which turns a glorious red in time for the May event. This week Treasurer Jim Chalmers posed by ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samantha Bennett, Professor of Music, Australian National University Richard P J Lambert/flickr, CC BY The future belongs to the analogue loyalists. Fuck digital. As a tsunami of CDs, DAT tapes and samplers swept the recording industry in the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine Strong, Associate professor, Music Industry, RMIT University This week American rapper Macklemore released a new track, Hind’s Hall, which has gained a lot of attention because of its explicitly political nature. The track is unapologetically pro-Palestine. It declares the artist’s ...
Explainer - The government from 2025 is mandating how state schools teach children to read. But what is structured literacy and how does it compare to other teaching methods? ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Danica Jenkins, Lecturer in European Studies, University of Sydney On a freezing spring night in March, Georgia’s national soccer team beat Greece in a nail-biter penalty shootout to qualify for the Euro 2024 championships. The atmosphere on the streets of the capital ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam G. Arian, Lecturer (Accounting & Finance), Australian Catholic University Loic Manegarium/Pexels Imagine every ton of carbon dioxide a company emits is slowly inflating its costs — not just in terms of potential fines or fees but in the capital it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Somwrita Sarkar, Senior Lecturer in Design and Computation, University of Sydney The “latte line” is the infamous, invisible boundary that divides Sydney between the more affluent north-east and the south-west. Historically, people north of the line enjoy better access to jobs and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dowdy, Principal Research Scientist in Extreme Weather, The University of Melbourne Nomad_Soul/Shutterstock In media articles about unprecedented flooding, you’ll often come across the statement that for every 1°C of warming, the atmosphere can hold about 7% more moisture. This ...
“The richest 10 per cent of New Zealanders are wealthier than the rest of the population combined, according to figures cited by Oxfam NZ.”
So there it is, in black and white. But Bill English is still peddling the tired old trickle-down lie: “The best contribution the Government can make to support lower income families is to support a growing economy that provides more jobs and higher incomes.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11274603
So whats new amirite? That in the starkest terms is the core of the Left Right divide, the old old debate about who gets what and why? And the continuation of the 10%ers domination is the starkest reminder that the “Centre” so beloved of the major parties is so easily bribed by “crumbs from the rich mans table” so long as they get first cut of the aforesaid “crumbs”.
In a nut shell the above is why I despise “centrist” politics.
Out of the top 10% it’s the 0.1% who run and own the nation
the other 9.9% are simply the paid professional lackeys, servants and careerists who enable that.
The Oxfam report is on the wealth gap. English is presumably talking about the income gap. The wealth gap is the major problem, with the housing bubble leading the way.
I do not object to the wealthy having their wealth … but wish they paid a fair share from the results of their ability to help those without the ability …. Thomas Piketty makes a good suggestion in his book IMO
I do as we can’t afford the rich.
So, let’s get rid of all of the nett tax payers? Who will fund my dole ?
You won’t need the dole, the government will provide you with a living wage job instead, building wind farms and railways.
I suspect that we’d get more taxes if we didn’t have the rich – about $5b dollars more in fact. And that’s without even changing the tax laws.
Have you read Picketty’s book?
He says National Debt would be quickly piad back so there would then be plenty for your dole Dumrse and all the other support programmes we believe in ….DTB is so mindset on the current situation that he cannot envisage where while covering everybody there is opportunity for those to improve on that if they have the opportunity and energy.
That fails to make any sense.
We need to stop valuing peoples worth to society and community by the mere dollars they pull in, to what they actually contribute to the lives of others in terms of learning and caring.
Radical concept, I know.
As opposed to what? Direct transfers whereby say 5 percent of the wealth of the top 10 percent is directly redistributed to the other 90 percent?
Not 5% of their wealth but 7% of their annual income with those at the bottom paying 0.5%
No, those ten percent shouldn’t have the level of wealth that they have in the first place as it’s detrimental for society.
It’s also very concentrated at the top, 1% having more than the bottom 70%.
As opposed to what? Direct transfers whereby say the work and wealth generated by 90% of the population is directly redistributed to the top 10% of the population, as it is now?
The entire wealth distribution structure in place at the moment is woeful and does not serve the needs of the New Zealand community. At all. It needs changing.
+1
A flaw in the monetary system
There’s no way that you can say that that channeling of the wealth to the few hasn’t been designed into the system.
I doubt very much doubt if it was ‘designed into the system’ as it is a natural progression for those who are fortunate to have a bit to spare over their daily needs and wisely invest it and it naturally compounds if not spent on immediate luxuries whathaveyou.
If you have a well thought out progressive taxation system there is plenty to support the socialistic values of ensuiring everybody is looked after to a reasonable level … that is the modification to the capitalistic system that is needed.
Though I imagine that a lot here would like to see the capitalistic system go to the wall and people would be enslaved by the beaurocratic regulations ensuring that nobody can improve themselves … aa very dull world indeed.
Hmmm
Wouldn’t beaurocratic regulations dictate how everyone will look beautiful?
btw, the “capitalism or 100% planned economy/communism” dichotomy is false. There are different flavours of anarchism and communitarianism, too
The capitalist system:
That is the lessons of history and Piketty’s research. Taxation doesn’t pay for anything, it’s people actually working that pays for everything. This also applies to the rich – they don’t pay for anything either and they also don’t produce any wealth.
The capitalist system does need to go to the wall simply because it doesn’t work. Will this end up with a boring world? Nope. If anything, I figure it would be far more interesting.
A world where the focus is on relationships, on people and on culture in communities. Nothing more interesting than that. Nothing more fucking boring and lifeless than the latest Bugatti.
Oddly enough, standardisation is absolutely demanded and required by the corporate world. From logo colours to memo character spacing. To the way employees are dressed to how the phone is answered.
No one complains of that being bureaucratic or stifling. It’s just the way its done.
+111
Uniformity has become the new norm. I remember when life was so much more interesting, diverse and people tended to help others.
That’s the way we need to push back towards, to find the path of being fully human beings again, nice thing is that people tend towards that way anyways – when they aren’t being misled and distracted by endless commercial, economic (and dare I say it – political) crap.
Also gosman, this line here “the wealth of the top 10 percent ” ….
is total bullshit. It is not the wealth of the top 10%, it is the wealth of the nation that the top 10% have managed to grab for themselves.
You are coming up short on the thinking stakes again. Quelle surprise…
What percentage would be acceptable?
In a survey of 5000 Americans, 9 out of 10 had this preference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vttbhl_kDoo
But who cares about the opinions of people who don’t have any money?
That is truly depressing. For two reasons – one, it makes life unbearably difficult for the bulk of the population relative to their neighbours; and two, it leads to the destruction of society (French revolution anyone?).
People that support that sort of system are scum bastards.
yep
Seems to me like the US authorities are on to it, anticipating the likely rise of civil unrest when the combination of austerity, climate change disasters and oligarchy become irresistable.
Hence surveillance of everyone all the time, militarisation of the police, enabling US military to be deployed on US streets against US citizens, etc.
Oh, and then there’s the Minerva Research Initiative as described by Zero Hedge:
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-06-14/meet-minerva-research-initiative-pentagons-preparation-mass-civil-breakdown
But that is just more lunacy. What do the authorities think such repression of already repressed people will do? Make the population bow down to their guns and jackboots?
Lunacy. Gns and jackboots are not the solution – all they will do is exacerbate the problem.
And any Americans thinking they can just uplift their wealth and relocate to somewhere “safe” like NZ backblocks better think again. They would be, and are, entirely unwelcome…
The situation will eventually descend into insanity IMO.
Have a look at what they were willing to do with peaceful, young Occupy protestors.
http://www.theblaze.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Davis.jpg
then think about what the authorities would be willing to do if a real and substantial challenge to their position came up.
Hint – the USA were quite happy to do it to their own Japanese citizens in WWII
http://robledo.fromthefog.com/upstanders/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/related6.jpg
Every 10 years there should be a reset.
All wealth distributed evenly amongst everyone and then let people go for it for another ten years.
Reset all debt too.
What a vision. I suppose you could couple that with phil Ure’s desire to have grass distributed to all on a daily basis, and then we could all sit around in our pyjama’s all day passing the bong around. No chance of any civilian uprising then eh.
Great messaage for kids entering the work force, don’t be too successul in what you do as we will just take it all from you in 10 years. Stirling stuff eh. In fact dont even bother about qualifing in anything as its easy just to sit on your arse and get a pay out. By the way the burger and liquor shops are going great guns.
And there’s the problem right there – success measured in monetary terms. Meaning that future generations are herded and goaded into a reality where the systems surrounding production and distribution (ie, the market) will ensure their continued relative impoverishment.
Way to go.
Ever reflected on why it is that so many kids are told not to pursue their passion? Y’know, the passions, valuable as they may be, that can’t be monetised?
You are correct Bill . I agree that success should not be measured in only monetary terms.
I am looking at it from a tax perspective & redistribution perspective. You would like the Govt to redistribute wealth to the segments that do not have much. That requires people to generate wealth. If there is no wealth being created then it is very difficult for anyone to distribute anything.
For some strange reason you seem to think that the rich create wealth. They don’t. The poor do but the rich take that wealth from them because our present system is set up to allow them to do that.
Ragged Trousered Philanthropists all.
🙂
Draco , I did not say that rich create wealth at all. What I did say is that some wealth is required if you wish to redistribute it.
There is plenty of great entrepreneurial endeavours of great acheivers and great givers in society.
Its pretty bleak for everyone if there is no wealth anywhere.
You only need redistribution if the wealth wasn’t correctly distributed in the first place and the only place that it could possibly be redistributed from would be the rich.
Pretty childish of me I suppose but I thought I’d get a bite from a ‘Rob’ or a ‘Gosman’ or a ‘Srylands’ etc with that little lure. An’ I wuz rite!
You hang the bait in the water and the frothing misanthropes like Rob can’t help themselves.
(Watch this…)
Hey Rob, beneficiaries should be paid the living wage ay?
That’s very biblical of you Hamish, but you’re a little off on your numbers as according to Leviticus 25, debt is to be reset, slaves freed and property returned to the original owners every 50 years.
Every 7 years or 49 years are the classical interpretations.
It was really scary “shit” a friend told me yesterday, about his recent medical review by WINZ. They are hard as nails now, and want to get sick and disabled into work, no matter what conditions. So he had a horrible experience a few years back, got another 2 years “grace”, and now they though it is time to “check” on his PERMANENT conditions again, whether Jesus may have appeared in his third coming, to heal him from all ailments.
The case manager did at first refuse all other info and records apart from the person’s GP’s medical certificate, now UK style called “Work Capacity Medical Certificate”. And the GP did this time not present too clear and conclusive info. So the case manager tried to question every entitlement, and was preparing the poor soul, desperate and scared to hell, given mental health issues, to basically move him onto the “jobseeker” benefit.
It took my mate a hell of an effort, to present all kinds of records, also a trusted psychologist’s one, to finally convince the manager, albeit rather reluctantly, as it sounded. Hell, there are things going on that scare me, it is not right what WINZ are doing to sick, injured and disabled now. If you can lift your hand and arm, they think you are “fit” to work, no matter what other condition. It comes back to David Bratt, WINZ’s Principal Health Advisor, likening benefit dependence to “drug dependence”, and that “mad” UK professor Mansel Aylward, who actually claims, most sickness is just in people’s minds. He calls it “illness belief”, all being just “psychological” fantasy, so to say, and the best “medicine” is work in open employment, competing with the fit and healthy. Do we live in a humane and honest society, or am I living a bloody nightmare here? Who else had bad experiences with WINZ in this area, I really would like to know. Study the following for your own well being:
‘WORK ABILITY ASSESSMENTS DONE FOR WORK AND INCOME – PARTLY FOLLOWING ACC’s APPROACH: A REVEALING FACT STUDY’
http://accforum.org/forums/index.php?/topic/16092-work-ability-assessments-done-for-work-and-income-%E2%80%93-partly-following-acc%E2%80%99s-approach-a-revealing-fact-study/
Also essential material to study is found here:
http://accforum.org/forums/index.php?/topic/15463-designated-doctors-%e2%80%93-used-by-work-and-income-some-also-used-by-acc/
http://accforum.org/forums/index.php?/topic/15188-medical-and-work-capability-assessments-based-on-the-bps-model-aimed-at-disentiteling-affected-from-welfare-benefits-and-acc-compo/
http://accforum.org/forums/index.php?/topic/15264-welfare-reform-the-health-and-disability-panel-msd-the-truth-behind-the-agenda/
And also try a newer website, a forum with lots of similar info, search:
‘nzsocialjusticeblog2013’!
Link: http://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.wordpress.com/
You and others may be interested to know that it is perfectly (?) legal for the Medical Appeals Board not to look at notes in coming to their decision around whether or not a person qualifies for Jobseeker (sickness with reduced work assessment), Supported Living, or Child Disability Allowance.
And I trust you have been here writehanded.org
ACCforum has a higher level of nutters than the average forum, mainly due I suspect to the abusive system forum members are subjected to.
Yes, ACC Forum has issues, and went downhill a bit, because of some there not being that honest and also getting at each other’s collars. I know what is going on there, and I ignore the bad stuff and read what is worth reading.
As for MABs, they have always had their own “rules”, being appointed by an appeals coordinator employed by MSD and WINZ, and of course always making sure at least 2 on a panel are “designated doctors”, chosen by Bratt and WINZ, and being favourable to WINZ.
This is nothing new, the whole system stinks, and what makes me so bloody angry is, that so many just shrug things off, and put up with all the BS, while people, no matter how sick and disabled, should get together with their fitter compatriots, to fight the damned injustice.
I know someone who has now the Ombudsmen Office on the attack line, as even they refused to even look at totally blunt evidence, of what goes on. It seems this country is with the upper echelons of admin and “public offices” so damned corrupt, it is not funny!
And yes, writehanded.org raised a fair bit, and justifiably, so I support Sarah Wilson, as I think her name is, she is due to her challenges still too cautious about it all, we need a full blown challenge and attack of the WINZ approach we now have. Who is “ready” for it, I ask?
@ xtasy…this may sound naive ….but …maybe there needs to be a Bill brought before the House to protect the rights of those with chronic mental health and physical health issues NOT to be harassed by WINZ into work….and where such people have been pressurized illegitimately with adverse and sometimes dire effects …WINZ can be sued! ( legal fees paid for by a publicly funded forensic health watch dog)
for example a person with schizophenia … who once would have been in sheltered care, which the state has now disestablished…but is now on compulsory medication and forced onto the streets with a health disability benefit ….is then pressurized by WINZ to be taken off their compulsory medication ( pressure brought on psychiatrists and mental health workers to get people off their lists, who seem to be coping and hence certified as capable of work)…. and this person is then by WINZ taken off their disability benefit and forced to hunt for work
….this can lead to a personal and public crisis…it can set chronically ill people back years…it could lead to suicide …..and in some cases such people forced into stress and work which they are not capable of by WINZ …could be a danger to the public as well
imo WINZ and the State has to be held accountable for the consequences of pressurizing chronically ill people off their disability benefits and to hunt for work
a UBI would solve this problem as well
“a UBI would solve this problem as well”
Depends on how it was set up and whether it was tory-proofed into the future. Prejudice against people with disabilities who are perceived as being blugers is entrenched in parts of NZ culture, including civil servants and NGOs. A UBI is not going to solve that issue for people with illness and disability who are dependent on the state for income, unless maybe the UBI is set higher for them. If they have to apply to any agency for a topup, then there are still going to be criteria that need to be met, and those criteria will be set by govt departments that currently practice discrimination (health or welfare). Even if the UBI was higher, it would still require testing for eligibility.
While I think that the UBI is impertative, we need to be careful not to think it will be an automatic panacea for people with disabilities. The work of dismantling prejudice could be done within WINZ and the health system as it is now, and it’s not, so what guarantees are there that a UBI scheme would be done differently?
Ok agreed about the UBI
…however another angle is enough free half way housing/homes/shelters which would go a long way to alleviating the problem for people with long term chronic disabilities…this seems to be a crucial area of need that needs addressing
eg in Christchurch they have had to requisition an acute mental health patient ward at Hillmorton…just to cater for the homeless with long term chronic health disabilities…seems like the need for free or affordable housing for people with long term chronic diasabilites is huge
Chooky, for those able to live in the community, still having manageable mental health issues, one would think that Housing NZ should look after them.
But learning a couple of years back, how they treated another mate of mine, also having mental and physical health issues leading to disability, they were at first damned anti his application, meaning they did not “trust” he was a genuinely deserving case.
He stayed in a cockroach infested, overcrowded and damp boarding house, and they still tried to argue he was “suitably housed”!
As he was close to breaking point, I assisted where I could, and we went to their regional head office and took other action, which they were not happy about. Only when he finally had a NZ Herald journalist take up his story and write about it, then suddenly, Housing NZ obliged with an offer within a week.
That is what we are up against, there is NO honest appreciation of person’s circumstances, it is all treated with one brush for all, and you have to basically end up in the gutter in too many cases, until the system kicks in and takes action. Ask the cops, they are dealing with endless misery stories all the time, expected to pick up the pieces at the bottom of the cliff, when it is often too bloody late. This government has NO HEART and NO SPIRIT, it dishonest and uncaring, and since Key and Nats got into power, things really turned nasty, we only do not hear much about it, because the media are bought off also, and happy to work with keeping this government happy and protected from too much criticism.
Too many vacant paper pushers on $45K pa and too many vacuous target setting line managers on $55K pa.
Anyone on staff who shows too much empathy or caring, they organisationally beat it out of you until you conform.
Chooky – if you ever have time, read some stuff under this link:
http://accforum.org/forums/index.php?/topic/14923-health-and-disability-commissioner/
What we have is a situation, where doctors get off most malpractice and wrong decisions, as the HDC (Health and Disability Commissioner) is so far the ONLY institution to go to and make any complaint about breaches of the Code they are supposed to enforce and monitor. But last year’s report showed they had over 1,600 complaints, of which only just about 60 were “formally” investigated, and of those 42 had valid complaints about breaches by medical and health practitioners established.
Most cases are never seriously investigated, are dealt with through “advocacy” and “consultation” and “training” and so forth. The offending practitioners get at worst a kind of slap on the wrist with a wet bus ticket “punishment”, and recommendations are made to “review” practice, and in some cases to “apologise” to the affected.
The ACC legislation does take away a lot of opportunities for affected to take action against doctors and other practitioners, as the right to sue was abolished. We have a situation where the Medical Council won’t usually act unless the rather useless HDC makes a referral to have a case investigated by them, and actions taken. Few cases ever go to the Director of Proceedings, and it is truly a disgrace what goes on.
What we need is to change the HDC Act to give the Commissioner some “teeth”, and to basically put in a requirement for investigations to be made, and certain sanctions being possible. As New Zealand has always struggled to maintain and afford a functioning health work force, the government is rather bending over backwards to not punish medicals too harshly. They need them, and they forgive too easily in too many cases.
As for assessors, like designated WINZ doctors, they are not strictly delivering treatment, so that gets them off the hook. They are not covered by the code for consumers of health and disability services that the HDC deal with. The same applies to persons like Principal Health Advisor for MSD Bratt, he is just an “advisor”, and thus does not even provide health services, so he gets away with comments and more, that are not what a usual doctor would get away with. The HDC also have a “memorandum of understanding” with ACC and probably MSD, so no serious actions will ever result in assessors making flawed assessments. It is indeed a gap in the law, so to say, why designated WINZ assessors and others get away with what they do.
It stinks, but even the opposition parties seem too damned inexperienced with medico legal matters, and too scared to take action in this area. So we have the status quo of “Gods” in white coats doing whatever they see fit, and one Mansel Aylward, the extreme UK professor, he even delivers them ideologically driven “science” to do what they wish to do, like tell sick and disabled, hey, you can still lift your arm, you can be a “signal giver” in roadworks then.
FFS I had enough of all this, but it seems at times it is a lost battle, as politicians are always just focused on the usual headline stuff, often trivial, and will do nothing to help people treated unfairly and disgustingly by WINZ and their “experts”!
“You and others may be interested to know that it is perfectly (?) legal for the Medical Appeals Board not to look at notes in coming to their decision around whether or not a person qualifies for Jobseeker (sickness with reduced work assessment), Supported Living, or Child Disability Allowance.”
So what are they basing their decision on?
Does anyone know if the review doctors and the appeal process are covered by the Health and Disability Act? I know WINZ itself isn’t, not being a health provider, but am curious how they’ve classified assessors.
Oh yeah, slightly off topic but there is a tender from an Australian insurance company for the ACC sensitive claims (% impairment) assessments. More oz crap contractors taking/attempting to take work from our specialised sexual abuse services.
It’s high time we looked after our own.
Awww – yes, stuff to be worried about, and that is just the beginning, look at what they have done in the UK, and what they are planning there for the future, it is not getting easier or better.
If you do actually read the stuff on “work ability assessments”, that post on ACC Forum, also soon to be published (in bits) on nzsocialjusticeblog2013, you will see what is already happening here, how we get it all privatised, and it involves Australian players too.
People should take this bloody seriously, but sadly so many are not bothering to study and read stuff, they still rely their own GP, who is though, due to the AFOEM new policy on the “health benefits of work” (introduced by Mansel Aylward there, well received by former ATOS President of AFOEM, Dr David Beaumont, who also got a “reputation” with ACC claimants AND runs his own “rehab” outfit “Pathways to work”!) also being indoctrinated now.
GPs are now being trained to follow the new agenda, and Bratt and Aylward made sure, the NZ College of General Practitioners and the Medical Schools all adopted the dogma, and we have it taught there now, believe it or not, and most do not even get any idea of what goes on!
Had an email from an Opposition M.P. regarding some queries I posed earlier, and he said a lot of the G.P.’s were also being driven by policy from the DHB’s, which comes straight from the Minister. We are truly being shafted. This Government is the most corrupt in the history of this nation.
10% are wealthier than the combined wealth of the rest of the country. Not a virtue to be proud of. And none of that was done by hard work, just pure speculation.
Yes, talk about GPs, they are ALL now pressured or “convinced” to tow the ideologically driven “new approach” to work ability. It comes now in this part of the world from the AFOEM (Australaisian Faculty of Occupational and Environmental Medicine), who are also part of the RACP (Royal Australasian College of Physicians), and they invite the top propagator of the ideology, about the “health benefits of work” (paid open employment!), Mr Mansel Aylward from the UK, in 2010 to give them the pseudo scientific justification for all cost saving.
If only more would open eyes, ears and braincells, and start reading stuff of relevance, publicly available:
http://www.racp.org.nz/page/afoem-health-benefits-of-work
http://www.racp.org.nz/page/racp-faculties/australasian-faculty-of-occupational-and-environmental-medicine/realising-the-health-benefits-of-work/may-2010-video-presentation-professor-sir-mansel-aylward/
http://www.racp.org.nz/page/racp-faculties/australasian-faculty-of-occupational-and-environmental-medicine/realising-the-health-benefits-of-work/october-2010-stakeholder-meeting-professor-dame-carol-black/
Their “President Elect” is a former ATOS man, a convinced one, who has with some others facilitated to get all this introduced “Down Under”:
http://www.racp.org.nz/page/racp-faculties/australasian-faculty-of-occupational-and-environmental-medicine/realising-the-health-benefits-of-work/latest-news/
Their idea of the role of GPs:
http://www.racp.org.nz/index.cfm?objectid=E1D5428F-B1BF-2C2F-7A247F80DC4F363C
The Position Statement on the Health Benefit of Work:
http://www.racp.org.nz/index.cfm?objectid=F07790EC-0F2D-D1EB-4298E5D44500162A
The Consensus Statement:
http://www.racp.org.nz/index.cfm?objectid=57063EA7-0A13-1AB6-E0CA75D0CB353BA8
And yes, the CTU themselves fell for this propaganda approach, about the “work will set you free” mantra, and even one Helen Kelly signed it!
As I kept on challenging her and the CTU on this, she had a comment by me deleted on one of her posts. Fair enough, it may have been a bit “off topic”, but she has never answered to any challenges.
This whole stuff is now being drummed into each GP’s brain, and hence the government can faithfully rely on the collaboration of medical professionals in all this. The DHBs are very concerned about costs, so they will embrace it just to have another justification to save costs. The sick and disabled are told to “toughen up”, as Dr Bratt, Principal Health Advisor at WINZ and MSD says, benefit dependence is like “drug dependence”, I presented plenty of info on that before.
NZ is indeed corrupt, as this stuff was also presented to the Health and Disability Commissioner and is before the Office of Ombudsmen now, but it seems they want nothing to do with it!?
What kind of society has this country become? Are there any daring to speak up and out, and challenge all this? Too many just think of “number one” and are too scared to rock the boat, I am afraid.
Dr David Beaumont, from the UK, another bought “expert”, formerly working for ATOS and thus serving the DWP and so there:
His LinkedIn profile:
http://nz.linkedin.com/pub/david-beaumont/2a/780/943
His business Pathways to Work:
http://www.pathwaystowork.co.nz/category/general-news
His ‘Fit for Work’ involvement:
http://www.fitforwork.co.nz/team
With such vested interests and his background, also having “advised” ACC and MSD before, no wonder he loved to have Aylward come here and sell the UNUM Provident paid “research” presented here!
NaziYahoo accuses Hamas……..80 Palestinians arrested……..remind me again how many Palestinian kids rot in IDF detention……..average stay etc etc. For throwing stones.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/15/israel-raids-hamas-kipdnapping-netanyahu
Love your work NaziYahoo……..against throwing stones.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.592352
All’s well……..Zionist ‘exceptionalism’ makes it so……..and the US Congress agrees……..so yeah, all’s well.
http://www.pri.org/stories/2014-04-22/west-bank-israeli-and-palestinian-kids-who-throw-stones-face-unequal-justice
Professor Norman Finkelstein’s analysis of latest developments in the John Kerry-sponsored Israeli-Palestinian “Peace Talks”.
“If Kerry succeeds or if Kerry fails – either way, it’s a disaster for the Palestinians, who are caught between U.S.-brokered capitulation and the miserable status quo.”
http://www.newleftproject.org/index.php/site/article_comments/the_kerry_initiative_the_next_round
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11274606
“Mr Cunliffe doubted there was any connection between Liu’s residency bid and his donation two years later.”
Actually, it sounds like the truth, Chris. However, I can understand why you might not be familiar with that concept.
Sounds like National’s ‘Research Unit’ has been furiously trying to dig up some dirt.
How many Labour MPs interfered with a police investigation?
So you believe williamson called the cops cos of a donation, that collins went out of her way to promote oravida cos of a donation, you cant have it both ways.
Jesus chris, talk about burying the lede:
..a book she DIDN’T EVEN WRITE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
lol felix
chuckle
Is that sort of like the painting she didn’t paint?
And surprise surprise, chris73 was spreading bullshit. According to Checkpoint, Labour has no record of any donation from Mr Liu.
Some people never learn !
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11274748
A mighty fine fuck you by Jim Wright.
.
All we fought for in Iraq.
All we fought for in Iraq is on the cusp of vanishing.
That’s what Mitt Romney says.
We fought for. We fought for. We.
Oh, so it’s we now, is it, Mitt?
We.
I must have missed you over there, but it was a busy place. We. The guy who helped set up “pro-draft” rallies and yet somehow managed to avoid service in Vietnam is upset about losing what “we” fought for? We.
Yeah, fuck you, Mitt.
And you’re all welcome to quote me on that.
Somebody stepped into my office yesterday and asked how I felt about it. He wanted to know how I felt about “losing” Iraq.
How do I feel about losing all we fought for?
I don’t know.
http://www.stonekettle.com/2014/06/absolutely-nothing.html
.
And Blair’s weaseling.
The reality is that the whole of the Middle East and beyond is going through a huge, agonising and protracted transition. We have to liberate ourselves from the notion that ‘we’ have caused this. We haven’t. We can argue as to whether our policies at points have helped or not; and whether action or inaction is the best policy and there is a lot to be said on both sides. But the fundamental cause of the crisis lies within the region not outside it.
http://www.tonyblairoffice.org/news/entry/iraq-syria-and-the-middle-east-an-essay-by-tony-blair/
He’s learned fine – he took the UK into an illegal war and has been richly rewarded for doing so.
Why the media still give that talking head airtime is beyond me. In fact, I’m still slightly amazed he’s avoided being prosecuted for war crimes but nonetheless..
A crisis is Iraq, John Key visits Obama, and a new NATO treaty signed in June 2012. What could go wrong?
Minor event happening in Ukraine in the next few hours. The “junta” (I wont give them any credit for their legitimacy) are laying bare the vacuity of EU backing of their cause. They are demanding Russia sells gas to them at a discount of over 35% of what the EU buys for. If they don’t get it they are threatening to walk away from their massive debt to their suppliers.
The Russia Gazprom are saying that they will cut the supply and demand pre-payment, the “junta” are threatening to cut supplies to EU as they transit Ukraine. The Kremlin are keeping quiet, a bad sign…..my suspicion is that the “bear” may just wake up angry and walk on in.
Russia is playing this very gradually step by step. Given that they have essentially been supplying Ukraine with free natural gas for many many months now they are being very patient – why? Because they want to demonstrate to Germany and other key EU states that they are giving their ‘valued commercial partner’ Ukraine the benefit of the doubt and all the due process available – and then some.
Which completely stymies US provocations aiming for Putin to militarily act rashly and justify a NATO move into Ukraine.
Very true: one wonders how the EU would react to the “puppet” regime denying them gas? It would really lay bare the disparity in interests between the Whitehouse and European economies.A true hot potato. As you say Putin very likely will just sit, all the cards are falling his way.
This is a recent interview where French media grilled Putin, during his visit to the Normandy commemorations. Over half an hour long of tough questions non-stop. Covering many topics, on Syria, on Ukraine, on Crimea, on Russia itself.
You got to hand it to Putin, he plays a very straight, statesman-like line in public.
So did Rick Barker declare the trip to Chongqing in the pecuniary interests register. I assume he just went to Chongqing on the way to the airport.
Is Barker’s partner on the board of Liu’s cement company?
I believe so.
He was on holiday, so, no, he wouldn’t have put it on the register. Does Key put the rounds of golf the American taxpayer shouts him on the register?
Yes he does.
Barker was at the time not traveling as a Government Minister, He was traveling as a private citizen…
so was Collins….oh wait a minute
Interestingly it’s only the period of her time as Minister for oravida that Collins didnt register overseas trips and their funding, in previous years she did so quite happily.
10 Overseas travel costs
Australia – joint Cabinet meeting and bilateral meetings. Contributor to
accommodation: Australian Government.
Her colleagues also happily declared their Chinese government funded trips.
I guess she is just too busy with her new portfolio
I have thought for some time there is a conflict/hypocracy in the Ukraine situation where it seemed that a demonstration led to the current Ukraine regime in a simular manner to how the Crimea changed hands … all very puzzling.
Further south it seems the abitary by western power[s] setting up of Iraq is now going to split into its natural parts with any luck despite the anguish of the west.
”Vote to end ACT Party rort in Epsom”, so says, apparently a Labour Party election pamphlet delivered to letter-boxes in the Epsom electorate, according to the Herald’s Clare Trevett that’s ”code” that Labour voters should vote for the National Party candidate,
If it were, ”code” that is, and i have my doubts, it would be pretty lame don’t you think, a real waste of paper, Labour would better serve it’s voters in Epsom, the Party, and, the country by simply telling Labour voters that a electorate vote for the National Candidate will rid them and us of the ACT Party and have Labour halfway to the Treasury Benches,
Micheal Wood, the Labour Party candidate for Epsom seems to know what is required having been quoted in the Trevett piece in today’s Herald as saying He is ”not campaigning for the National Party candidate yet”,
My opinion says that He should be tho, and openly, the sooner the ”party strategists” give Him the nod to do so the better…
Never gonna happen, Bad. A nod and a wink is as good at will get because the NZLP is never going to publicly support a Tory candidate. And nor should we.
Good O Te Reo, stuff the head back in the sand and pretend you can win the election while National ”gifts” electorates here, there, and, everywhere,
Dense seems a mild epithet to attach to such ”thinking”, Labour will not publicly support tactical voting to (a) get rid of ACT, and (b) ensure that they are more likely to be the next Government,
Is Te Reo tho saying that not ”publicly supporting” a tactical vote in Epsom means that it will do so via ”coded statements”,
Dishonest i would suggest could be added to Dense if that were the case…
As usual, you haven’t got a clue. Still, no doubt you’ll be equally appalled at the other party’s failure to endorse Paul Goldsmith. Looking forward to reading your condemnation of Hone’s dishonest and dense silence on the matter.
Neither Mana or in its new guise InternetMana have a presence of any size in the electorate that could sway the outcome in any way, the same cannot tho be said of Labour,
Your dragging into the conversation InternetMana vis a vis Epsom is simply more of your personal dishonesty, and, an unkind person would suggest that such personal dishonesty as you display is exhibited on a Party wide basis vis a vis the Epsom electorate…
Ooooh, hypocrisy alert! It’s only dense and dishonest if you’re a big party? Really? Presumably you think the Greens are are half dense and half dishonest. Doofus.
Te Reo, you need a name change, i suggest ‘Te Tupeke Pine’ as your debate consists of leaping from pin-head to pin-head,
If Labour cannot convince it’s voters in the Epsom electorate to vote for the National candidate then it is odds on that come September they will still be the opposition,
Take some responsibility wont you…
it horrifies me that u may be ‘somebody’ in labour..t.r.p..
..and that you could somehow be indicative of their mindset..
..dumb as..!
Have you got the fear, Phil?
Sit down, man. Take control. You have done something to your brain. You have made it high. If I lay ten mils of Diazepam on you, you will do something else to your brain, You will make it low. Why trust one drug and not the other?
That’s politics, isn’t it?
Hey Phil, stop whining and get out there and campaign.
If you’re out to change the government rather than sitting on your couch inhaling, great. But if you’re trying to tell any party what to do without some skin in this game, at this point you’re wasting your breath.
Yeah but there was plenty of public support for Douglas, Caygill, Prebble, et al
Yeah, good call, CV 🙂 Though technically, Actoids aren’t tories.
one of the people living at our address got a letter from john key. The other two did not. I wonder how they decide who in the epsom electorate to send the mailout to?
“Labour would better serve it’s voters in Epsom, the Party, and, the country by simply telling Labour voters that a electorate vote for the National Candidate will rid them and us of the ACT Party and have Labour halfway to the Treasury Benches”
Nope. Labour is simultaneously sending a message:
a) to Labour voters to back Goldsmith in order to help Labour, and
b) to National voters to reject ACT
Your suggestion only achieves one of those objectives.
Iceland’s President on capitalism vs democracy (short video)
The bouncer who tackled the streaker at the Dunedin test should be charged with assault. It was outrageous. Bouncers routinely assault and even kill people in NZ. They are a pseudo-police force and are out of control. The police need to investigate and charge imo as this sort of behaviour by bouncers is not even remotely reasonable.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/10160784/Streaker-tackle-out-of-character-for-moonlighting-No-8
It was a vicious unnecessary tackle and the employer of that bouncer should also be sued for negligence resulting in physical harm.
Also looking at how the streaker was dragged away from the field – what was that about – the streaker did not appear to put up any resistance whatsoever but looked like he was getting roughed up any way.
“It was a vicious unnecessary tackle and the employer of that bouncer should also be sued for negligence resulting in physical harm”
What an ignorant comment. It was a vicious unnecessary tackle but to suggest that it was his employers fault is typical left thinking. You are assuming this thug was instructed to do a vicious tackle. It is common knowledge that if you do an unsafe act at work that it is serious misconduct and if there is an injury you can be fined as well as fired.
“It was a vicious unnecessary tackle but to suggest that it was his employers fault is typical left thinking”
Remind never to contract you to provide me any type of service. Apparently you believe that once you employ someone to provide the service to me on your behalf that you are no longer responsible for the work.
Oh nakiman, I think that you’re assuming that the employer correctly trained the bouncer in question and had a full set of proper policies in place governing the use of physical force.
But I’m going to guess that there are big gaps there and the employer has liability.
Further, if it comes out that the employer at any time stated to the bouncers that a hard line was to be taken against any pitch intrusion, then the legal fun really begins.
Wow………Naki’ launches furious attack on ‘vicarious liability’.
Unwittingly mind. He not having a fucking clue what it is……..obviously.
Well done Naki’ you poor thick bastard !
You seen the sad on-line poll results? 70+% reflecting pathetic ‘macho’ opinions. Doubt those numbers would stack up the same if a streaking woman had been similarly tackled by a female security guard. I don’t quite get it though seeing as how there’s no homophobia in NZ these days.
Yep. Simple boofheads who don’t even realise what they are advocating, namely vigilante justice and the establishment of anarchy. Boofheads who don’t think is what they are … I hope they don’t get a vote at the election – imagine the sort of idiotic damage they could do ….
Superb lines from Gordon Campbell:
With the exit of its former leader John Banks, the Act Party is currently in what might charitably be called a rebuilding phase. Mind you, it still appears to be preaching the old time religion of plucky self-reliance – which is pretty amusing, given that its own survival in Parliament has long been reliant on electorate handouts from the National Party, a form of welfare set to continue in Epsom this year. How on earth Act rationalizes its policy stance on welfare with its own modus operandi in Epsom is anyone’s guess.
http://gordoncampbell.scoop.co.nz/2014/06/16/gordon-campbell-on-obamas-need-to-engage-with-iran-and-acts-need-to-engage-with-reality/
borne out of former labour cabinet ministers, preaching personal responsibility, particularly for law breakers, they are the definition of contradiction.
Heh, stalker economy.
http://pando.com/2014/06/11/al-gore-says-silicon-valley-is-a-stalker-economy/
I hear that there is a new party being set up to oppose the use of 1080. I think it would be a good idea to start one that bans the use of private cars. Every day there are hurtful accidents, injuries and even deaths through the use of cars. People using them run over little children and kill them. They spread pollution and result in the high use of imported oil which has to be paid for from our precious export returns. Almost every holiday results in deaths, sometimes of adults and children, even whole families. Cars should be limited in availability just for taxi use, with more buses available, more frequently and good train services. Then more room for bikes, giving safer use of them.
So what about starting a Facebook campaign and build up interest and support to ban cars as death-causing bad technology causing untold harm. There is as much a case for this than that for banning 1080.
national will try and run a non campaign.
rely on photo ops and pr bullshit + crosby textor tricks and ruses.
Its going to be very subtle but very powerful.
get ready for the ride!
amy adams has begun by blaming auckland council for aucklands housing problems.
When the supercity was being pimped, cos we didnt get to vote, it was that as a single behemouth we could make our own decisions. Of course the truth was the nacts wanted a single entity to impose its will on, rather than going through 8.
It is the councils fault, I heard Penny H say that Auckland house’s are expensive because its a great place to live and lots of people want to live here. These councillors want to become wealthy from a housing shortage and over priced housing that is why they don’t want to make more land available to build on.
What did you think of the unitary plan?
amy adams is a prune.
aye..!..if you had politicians as fruit/veges….she wd be a prune..
..whereas brownlee wd be the prize-winning giant pumpkin @ the country fete…
..bennett an over-boiled beetroot…
..and key a stick of rancid celery…
Spoken like a true veggie 🙂
Collins would be a lemon…
craig a limp stick of rhubarb..
..finlayson is a martini olive..
.and joyce wd b something sour..
..ryall is one of those strange pomegranete things..
..that everyone looks at..but no-one wants to eat…
..and of course english..as some form of lumpen-turnip…
..(only good for (slow-cooked) veggie-stews..)
Collins would be a sweet, juicy peach…
way past its’ eat/use-by date..
The Internet Party has a petition up to:
“I agree that our Party Votes should have equal value. This means lowering the 5% threshold and removing the one-seat (coat-tails) threshold.”
This appeals to me regardless of Party loyalty.
https://internet.org.nz/petition
despite being a likely beneficiary they want it gone. Cf ACT UF and national
the threshold should be lowered to 3%…
..i’ll start the animal-rights party then..
..neither left nor right..
..just there for the animals..
..people from right across the spectrum welcomed..
..they just have to want to end animal-slavery..
..it’s time to get cracking on that one..i reckon..
start it now. John banks is looking for a job in public service
heh..!
..first target:..
..the vivisectors..
NZ manufacturing falls for second month as new orders decline
Yep, a ‘rockstar’ economy with no crisis in manufacturing | Tui.
Late yesterday there was a post up about the Kiwiassurance. I was sure it was on the NS??? There is now no sign of it. Am I going mad/senile?
Please someone release me from my doubt.
What’s the NS?
I must be senile Weka. I meant here on the The Standard. There was a post I am sure about Kiwiassure and a followup of DC giving speech. There is nothing in the comments or anywhere.
Would appreciate it if it could be confirmed that it had existed.
Lower threshold to 3 percent – Harre
http://www.3news.co.nz/Lower-threshold-to-3-percent—Harre/tabid/1607/articleID/348719/Default.aspx#disqus_thread
In my opinion, the
*Threshold should be reduced to 3 % (or at most to 4%)
COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS
they have complied with their rules in selecting and ranking their list
candidates.
The government should not allow the immediate political interests of any single party get in the way of changes that strengthen our electoral system in the long term.
In its report the commission said,
“Relatively few changes were needed to the electoral system. but those we recommend are important. They would enhance public
confidence in the fairness and operation of our MMP voting system and
parliamentary democracy.”
The threshold should be dropped to the equivalent of 1 seat in Parliament. Someone has posted that figure on TS before but I can’t find it.
From memory it was around 25,000 votes which would be the equivalent of 1 seat in Parliament, although I could be wrong.
A 3 to 4 seat caucus = 2.5% of the vote is a practical, productive grouping of MPs in Parliament.
That should be what the threshold is set at.
Multiple 1 MP caucuses will fragment Parliament too much.
CV, prefer 1%=1 seat, thus the issues on the periphery would get a full airing in the Parliament, Phillips animal rights and dope decriminalization being two where i see most here would be in agreement with that have no specific voice,
i am sure when thought about there are quite a few issues that while parties might have specific policies that address these such are always ”on the slide” in terms of importance as the various Parties look at what their various coalition options are and what each component of such a coalition might react like in the face of the peripheral issues,
my view is stuff the present political parties, true MMP would consign them to the same fate as the Dinosaur…
“..true MMP would consign them to the same fate as the Dinosaur…..”
..+ 1..
One other comment – a 3-4 seat caucus would prevent “single issue” parties from gaining Parliamentary traction.
If a political party wants into Parliament, it will have to stand for a broad range of policies, and not just a single issue.
as harre pointed out..3% is preferable for giving more a voice in parliament..
..and she noted the 4% in germany was only put in just after ww2..’cos of a fear of a resurgance of the far-right/nazis..
..there would be no more need for coat-tailing..
.and all ideas wd go out and argue/stand on their merits..
..and a 3% threshold would be a major strengthening of democracy..
..and would give us a much more representitive-parliament..
.and yes..the likes of craig wd likely b there.
..but if 3% of the population doubt the moon-landings happened..fear chem-trails..and think the earth is 10,000 yrs old..
..well i guess democracy dictates they too get a voice..
Why even have a threshold? It’s just a way of keeping out parties that have enough support to warrant 1-6 seats in parliament – elections therefore less accurately represent voter choice with a threshold than without.
The coat-tailing clause at least mitigates that somewhat – but then makes first-past-the-post electorate contests have undue relevance to the outcome of the election. I would also advocate preferential voting in electorates to make those seats also a fairer representation of voter preference.
Funny when the power went out in Auckland for a day back in 2006 the Troy scum screamed blue bloody murder. Well some of us in West Auckland have either no power or no hot water for a week – the Tory press does bugger all. Yesterday finally something said in Herald but only on full outage – http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11274099
The problem with hot water not being available is still on going for many. Funny they just can’t get the hot water to work properly again. This is a major structural flaw. I have asked around and many tradesmen fell Auckland is a ticking time bomb, especially it’s power and sewage.
I remember some slimy opposition MP back in 06 ranting for weeks on the telly about how the power outage was a crime for all New Zealanders and a disaster for Auckland. It 2014 and these Tory slime are in power and the power is still fubar, and getting worse. Once again political advantage is, who can steal the most off the working folk of this country. Thanks Len and thanks National the party of sell and hope – I would say pray, but you are so self absorbed god would struggle to hear you through all that petty self congratulations.
paula used to care but she isnt a westie anymore she is an Upper T now.
You also have fewer judder bars than remuera epsom or mt eden. Your children and pets just arent as valuable
Well,as well as it now happening under the Nats’ watch, the continuing outages seem to be a West Auckland problem. The central part of Auckland has been increasingly colonised by the well off, while parts of West Auckland, since 2010, are becoming increasingly ghettoised.
Folks in Parnell, Remmers, etc, probably don’t care much about the trials and struggles of Westies.
oh they LOVE paula, even more now they know she was never a real Westie 😉
West of Auckland meet the East of Christchurch. Entitled to be ignored by those in power.
(b) National Party Values
We believe this will be achieved by building a society based on the
following values:
• Loyalty to our country, its democratic principles and our Sovereign as
Head of State
• National and personal security
• Equal citizenship and equal opportunity
• Individual freedom and choice
• Personal responsibility
• Competitive enterprise and rewards for achievement
• Limited government
• Strong families and caring communities
• Sustainable development of our environment
National = Equal opportunity Green/Labour/Internet Mana = Equal income
National = Rewards for achievement Green/Labour/Internet Mana = Tax for achievement
National = Sustainable development of our environment Green/Labour/Internet Mana = no development, industry closure and killing of cows
National = competitive enterprise Green/Labour/Internet Mana = nationalisation
Is it any wonder that National id polling so high?
how do you know roy morgan poll results in advance
I’m guessing because the last two Roy Morgan polls were good for National and bad for the left but don’t worry you’ll know if its good for the left if it gets its own thread:
http://thestandard.org.nz/latest-roy-morgan/
If its still bad for the left it’ll get a mention in open mike 😉
[lprent: This has come up before. But usually in non-election year polls only get posts every 2-3 months because that is how long it takes before a trend becomes clear outside of the noise. Obviously the frequency increases in a election year. The probability that a poll is relatively good or bad for the left in a post seems to to unrelated. When I have time I often pull the graphs through in OpenMike.
However I really don’t like people attempting to say what we do and just lying about it. You know this. 2 week ban for stupidity. ]
i didnt realise you and fisiani were the same person.
I’ve never been shy about jumping into a thread
So bad it wont get a mention.
so good Stuff and the herald haven’t even mentioned it yet… /sarc
So when national cabinet ministers signed off on novopay with at least one “mission critical” target unachieved (after renegotiating it twice and possibly with six other critical targets unachieved) and all are still in cabinet, how is that consistent with the value of “Personal responsibility”?
Fisi haw-haw. Sounds catchy…
Apia Rose…
You are an idiot. Look at the history of the governments led by National and Labour. Every one of the great progressive achievements on economic and social issues were all instituted and delivered by Labour administrations because Labour represents the bulk of the society while National primarily represents the wealthy and the privileged. Fact! Open your eyes.
Labour does NOT represent the bulk of the nation and can barely hold over 31% support for the last couple of years, even as the economic situation gets grimmer and grimmer, and 300,000 kids live in poverty.
The polling figures and support may be low, but the policies and programmes of Labour help the bulk of the country, the workers, the families and ordinary people. That is the point.
(speaking to the lies from fisi.)
..the greens are going into the election promising tax cuts..
..but don’t let facts get in the way of yr steaming-bullshit-fantasies….eh..?
and ‘sustainable development’..eh..?..national admit their policies will see out emissions increase by 50% over the next decade..
..and drill-baby-drill..!..mine-baby-mine..!..eh..?
..so that’s more steaming-bullshit from you..isn’t it..?
..and for ‘competitive-enterprise’..read ‘corporate-welfare’..for ‘friends-of-national’..
..so that’s three for three…eh..?
..you really are fucken full of it..aren’t ya..?
Granny herald reports today…
Former National Business Review owner Barry Colman recently gave over $50,000 to the National Party in what is the wealthy publisher’s first contribution to the party that’s required to be disclosed.
Mr Colman paid $50,000 to the party earlier this month, on top of previous donations of $600 and $1520 in recent months according to recent filings of party donations over $30,000 on the Electoral Commission’s website.
Mr Colman’s previous donations to National were revealed in journalist Nicky Hager’s book the Hollow Men but were done in a way that didn’t require disclosure at the time.
The website also shows Conservative Party Leader Colin Craig sank a further $100,000 into his party earlier this month taking his total donations since the last election to $876,000.
He has said he intends funding the bulk of his party’s projected $1.5 million campaign costs.
A donation of just under $1.7 million shortly after the last election was the write-off of loans he made to the party during its 2011 election campaign.
NEWSFLASH! Barry Corbett is now OPPOSED to knife attacks
The Panel, Radio NZ National, Monday 16 June 2014
Jim Mora, Barry Corbett, Finlay Macdonald
One night in January 2008, a Manurewa resident called Bruce Emery took a knife in his hand and chased 15-year-old Pihema Cameron down a street. Pihema Cameron, a Māori, had been tagging the fence of Emery, a Pākehā. When Emery caught the boy, he stabbed him repeatedly. The killing was shocking, and was regarded with horror and condemned by all decent people. But a significant and shameless minority took the opportunity to praise the killer. The leading cheerleaders for this exercise in depravity were most—not all, but most—of the hosts on the notorious right wing radio station NewstalkZB, who ran a campaign of denigration, night after night after night, for months on end, against the dead boy and his family. They took their lines almost verbatim from the demonic partnership of Emery’s lawyer Chris Comesky and the Sensible Sentencing Trust’s Imperial Wizard Garth “The Knife” McVicar, who insisted truculently that the killer was a “decent citizen” who had been pushed over the brink by the low-life scum that infested his neighbourhood.
The brutal campaign even made it onto National Radio for a short time. The day after the killing of Pihema Cameron, Christchurch city councillor Barry Corbett expressed his concern and sympathy—not for the victim, but for the killer. A chorus of outrage led to Corbett making a vapid apology, and a mealy-mouthed “clarification” of his statement.
But no disciplinary action of any kind was taken against him by Radio New Zealand. Bomber Bradbury was permanently banned after committing the monumental crime of criticizing the behaviour of the Prime Minister—but Corbett, who actually spoke out in favour of a knife-killer, faced no such sanctions, and indeed has continued to regularly appear on The Panel.
As anyone who listened to today’s show will have noted, Corbett is as vacuous and reactionary as ever, and judging by his unstinting support for the thuggish behaviour by a security guard at the football in Dunedin on Saturday night, he still supports extremely violent behaviour. But he seems to have somewhat lost his enthusiasm for knife attacks.
Just to show him that some of us haven’t forgotten what Corbett said six years ago, I sent Jim Mora the following….
Barry Corbett’s dishonesty and hypocrisy
Dear Jim,
Barry Corbett predictably came out in support of that brutal hit on the streaker. But he claimed that the violence happened because the victim “stopped suddenly”. In fact, the victim was standing still for some time before the security guard hit him. Corbett’s words were entirely misleading; whether or not they were deliberately misleading is not clear.
It’s perfectly acceptable for Corbett to voice his endorsement of a high-velocity assault on an unsighted man—but he is not entitled to his own facts.
It was also intriguing to hear Barry Corbett try to bolster his argument by invoking the stabbing of Monica Seles by a crazed spectator. What a difference to Corbett’s attitude in 2008, when he loudly spoke out in FAVOUR of the frenzied knife-killing of a teenage boy in Auckland.
Yours in concern at the quality of your guests,
Morrissey Breen
Northcote Point
At 5:07 p.m. I received the following reply:
Thank you Morrissey; when Barry mentioned that the streaker had been on the move I wished I’d looked at the video again. Jim
Moz, while Corbett was clearly lying when he claimed to have watched the video several times and that he was convinced the security guard couldn’t have pulled out of the ‘tackle’, you don’t don’t do yourself any favours by referring to the Emery stabbing as frenzied or repeated. It was a single stab wound, and did not penetrate the full length of the blade. That fact is probably what saved Emery from an otherwise deserved murder conviction.
Moz, …you don’t don’t do yourself any favours by referring to the Emery stabbing as frenzied or repeated. It was a single stab wound, and did not penetrate the full length of the blade. That fact is probably what saved Emery from an otherwise deserved murder conviction.
Thanks for that, Te Reo. I guess I’ve just gotten into the pattern of describing it as a frenzied killing because no one has bothered to correct me before, and it’s become a pat formula by now. As you point out, it does no good to anyone to exaggerate like I have done here.
Anyway, it’s not Emery that disgusts me about this whole sordid business. Certainly, he committed a violent act, but he was remorseful and there seems to be little or no likelihood he will do it again. His vicious and cynical cheerleaders on the other hand, like Corbett, McVicar, Larry “Lackwit” Williams, Bruce Russell, “Whaleoil” and the rest of them, are beneath contempt.
It gives me a slight degree of pleasure to note that Emery’s rotten lawyer, Chris Comeskey, was eventually struck off for corrupt practices, and is now selling false teeth in the Australian outback.
Nicely put, mon ami. And good news about Comeskey; a laugh out loud bit of imagery that one!
Watch the tide turning on the “dietary fat is bad” mantra of the past handful of decades. Time magazine has front paged that the scientists were wrong, but appears to lay correct blame on the politicians and media who manufactured the mantra in the first place in the actual article (which is behind a paywall).
http://livinlavidalowcarb.com/blog/commentary-time-magazine-pushes-fat-myths-offers-mea-culpa-in-2014/22899
tl;dr dietary fat does not cause heart disease, obesity etc, refined carbohyrdates do. If you want to eat fat, eat it with veges not carbs.
And what about the bloody statins
Western conventional medicine, great when you are in a crisis, ranges from merely passable to crap every other instance.
still better than the alternatives.
Nah you’re wrong, and the reason that you are wrong is a fat probability tail of iatrogenics.
based on more evidence.
You know what they call alternative and complementary medicines that have evidence of efficacy? “Medicine”.
That would explain why Cam on Pubmed exists 🙄
Sarcasm aside, your statement is still wrong. Medical science has its own set of flaws, both in terms of bias/corruption, and the mere fact that it can’t study everything. It also lacks the capacity to study things that fall outside its current models of understanding. There is evidence of many things that have never been studied. To say that the only valid medicine is that which has been through an RCT is daft beyond belief.
On the other hand, you are right, it’s all medicine, which is why there are such things as herbal medicine, or medicine wo/men ;-p
CV, you do medicine a disservice. It’s not just iatrogenesis that makes McFlock wrong, it’s that many alternatives models work better than mainstream ones 😉
Yeah. That’s why lifespan has plummeted since scientific medical research started.
Get your facts right. Increasing lifespan coincides with raised standards of living (better shelter, less over-crowding, better hygiene, better diet etc). Obviously medical science has helped on some areas, but much of the improvement is down to coal, gas and oil.
The irony of course is that had we combined alternative and mainstream approaches (the smart thing to do) we would have much better outcomes and would haven’t major fuckups like MRSA within half a century of the discovery of penicillin.
Also, income levels as an independent factor separate from better access to healthcare or nutrition, is also a noted factor in improving longevity.
As you have so aptly described, it’s nothing to do with the myth (i.e. conceit) that modern scientific medicine has been the major demographic explanation to living longer.
But as income levels fall across the world, we can expect this to reverse as well.
Of course for individuals or very specific populations, modern medicine is indeed a life saver. But on a population basis, taking into account benefits as well as iatrogenesis and adverse effects, it doesn’t work out wholly positively.
who the fuck said “wholly positively”? It’s just a lot better than burning sage.
Perhaps marginally so, except burning sage doesn’t screw you over with a limb losing hospital acquired infection (that’s the fat tail downside I’ve been mentioning).
until you burn the house down 🙂
night night
“Some areas”.
Like everything from infant mortality to geriatric care.
MRSA? I’d rather cut myself shaving today than in 1900. Much less risky.
The move from cut-throats to safety razors are what has prevented the most infections from shaving cuts since 1900. That’s health benefits due to industrial design and product technology improvement, in other words. Not medical care or antibiotics.
Just another little example of how medical care may have had some minor positive impact, but much less than other often overlooked non-medical factors.
what bollocks.
Have to agree with CV on the statins McFlock. There should be some very red faces and big bloody lawsuits over the whole dietary fat = high cholestorol = heart diseases/diabetes thing. Anyone that values science should be appalled at what has been done with both the advice on diet, and the prescribing of statins.
Start with the link above, or Gary Taubes’ NYT article ‘What if it’s all been a big fat lie?’ and follow the trail.
read. Meh.
My point is that I don’t particularly give a shit that science progresses and maybe changes direction in some cases. That’s how it works. And corporate involvement is a major kick in the nuts to scientific advancement.
But the fact remains that more evidence eventually overrules corporate influence. Asbestos, lead in fuel, CFCs, car safety – all evidence overcoming corporate influence.
So on balance, I won’t be suddenly giving medical-doctor-grade credibility to a certified pyramid therapiser who thinks tying a cat to my head will cure my cancer.
Calling modern primary care medicine “merely passable to crap” is just a fucking lie. It’s a lot better, as I said, than the alternatives that had us rebalancing humours or praying.
You obviously haven’t read. This isn’t about science progresseing and perhaps changing direction, unless you call an about turn progress. When Ancel Keys pushed the fat hypothesis, scientists at the time said he was wrong. Politicians followed the Keys’ line and then subsequent science fucked up. For decades. We now have 30 or 40 years of people having been given the wrong advice and this having led to a public health epidemic. You can downplay it all you like, but it just makes you look like a fundamentalist when the evidence is there to see. I’m kind of gobsmacked at your dismissal of the fat hypothesis issue given your involvement in public health promotion.
As for your criticism of alternative health, if you think this is about a certified pyramid therapiser, then you’re either incredibly ignorant, or extremely disingenuous. I’d actually go for the former because you come across as generally balanced in your understanding of information. The same fundy arguments you use were previously used against things like acupuncture that are now routinely available in the mainstream. It’s ok though, because thankfully people are still free to choose alternatives and don’t have to wait for the sanctioning from medical science when other bodies of knowledge are already leading the way.
Something for you weka
Oct 4, 2010.
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/11/lies-damned-lies-and-medical-science/308269/
sort of proves my point.
What was the reason for why it’s now routinely available in the mainstream? I seem to recall something about studies on its effectiveness…
Studies which were preceded by practitioners practicing competently within their own body of knowledge and patients going to acupuncturists and medical doctors seeing that their patients were getting better and eventually studies being done. Which kind of proves my point: medical science drags the chain on this, alternative medicine leads the way. If medical science wasn’t so full of itself, we would be a lot further along.
But until those studies were done, acupuncture was indistinguishable from whatever therapy steve jobs chose to delay actual treatment for.
Consider this analogy:
in front of me is a plate of small granules. There are slight differences in colour, shape and texture. Some granule types are a wonder food that will cure my ills and make me an Adonis. Other granule types don’t do a damned thing. A third type might actually slowly kill me. A variety of folk with varying degrees of eye-glaze insist that different granules are the wonder food.
Fuck ’em all. I’ll wait for the evidence.
Oh FFS McFlock, what % of primary care medicine procedures are evidenced based on RCTs on meta-analyses?
25%? If you are lucky?
By your own standards you should be calling for 75% of primary care medicine to be ditched, right here, right now.
cite pls.
Do your own research. Like try and find out how much proven benefit an annual medical check provides (clue: next to none) vs how many doctors keep doing them.
whatever, dude. You made the assertion.
But I suppose that suggesting an assertion without evidence means I should just believe you is good enough for someone who thinks medicine doesn’t need evidence.
Edit: I’m off to bed.
Easy way out.
Well, yeah. I’m not going to support his assertions for him when I don’t have any basis to believe them in the first place.
Anybody esss wotchin Kemble Loive tunoite?
Re chasing Crims and the devasshun on ear mota ways?
Tork abeart stupudityt fuck!
We shud be fankful thet the only thung thet saves us from devastayshun is thet the crims (crumbs) are a wee bit fucker than the Police! )Or Please es Greffie calls ’em)
( Ans of course they’ve got the likes of Jude, en Greg, en an “Indy” Please Kwoiry Thority ta bek em all up.
mmmm – that 3rd whurl bolt hole is looking more trektuv by the day goan forwid (especially knowing Key and Co hav it nex on their genda to cum grovling for FTA’s and the like loik.
[loik loik hoik hoik)
I really should be thinking farts and funnies – except that it’s ekshully quite serious (goan forwid).
20 – 30 years ago when I used to have to attend the dad-in-laws Saturfay morning Gardeninf Sess in the local – listening him reminisce about Al Alamein and various other campaigns – and the individuals barious legacies in the Nu Zull Please, I never expected I’d have to be laughing like fuck about their 21st legacy of cowardice, lying, woosiness, – you frikken name it.
Gref Fuckn O’Connor eh? (I mean JUST for starters!)
Pardon the fuk fingers
‘g’s ken pear es ‘f’s en the loik – but you get the idea.
I’ve not changed the channel (3), and I’m now witnessing another round of stupid.
I feel really sorry for Joe Average policeman! Really I do. Their own worst enema is their supposed representative and foreskin of their welfare (Greg).
Oh well …. more fool ’em eh?
Good shit OWT – I couldn’t understand a lot of it but you know most of our communications are non-verbal so… and I enjoyed trying to understand it.
Minister officially a waste of time and space…says same minister. 🙂
“Ms Adams said her Government had said all it needed to and she did not believe talking in person would add any weight to their arguments.”
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/regional/247309/dismay-at-criticism-of-auckland-plan
fisianis said he was going and not coming back.
did hooton get an order from crosby textor to keep sending this machine manufacted crap down the line.
national only believes in one thing and that is ling their own pockets.
John Key charged at the Auckland District Court with Conspiring to defeat justice.
lol wow.
Anyone else I’d say they were overreaching. McCready though – he’s as unpredictable success-wise as Winston Peters 🙂
I can here the shredders buzzing, the hard drive being nuked on the 9th floor from here
Conspiring to defeat justice
Every one is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7 years who conspires to obstruct, prevent, pervert, or defeat the course of justice in New Zealand or the course of justice in an overseas jurisdiction.
Compare: 1908 No 32 s 137
Section 116: amended, on 18 June 2002, by section 6(1) of the Crimes Amendment Act 2002 (2002 No 20).
Enjoying the world cup ?
a lot of Brazilians certainly are not !
http://www.vice.com/en_uk/video