Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
It was 6 degrees in Auckland last night.
It was 6 degrees in Dunedin last night.
It was 1 degrees in Christchurch last night.
Not very warm to be sleeping in a car.
Not very warm to be sleeping in a container.
Not very warm to be sleeping in a garage.
Not very warm to be sleeping on the street.
The media may think Game of Thrones, the McCanns, Julian Savea , Cricket’s DRS system and a drunk being punched three times at Eden Park, but they are not.
The majority of the media is doing everything they can to support Paula Bannett and move homelessness off the headlines.
“Try walking in my shoes, it’s not actually that easy.”
This was the challenge TA set to Prime Minister John Key. But really it’s a challenge for us all.
Homelessness also seems to have bumped the following from view;
Tax havens
mcCullys dodgy dealings, pick one.
Asset sale proceeds, a full analysis of ins and outs stacked up against the BS about what they were going to do with it.
Tanking dairy sector.
That prominent NZer, why all the fuss Johnny.
TPPA
Where’s the promised surplus again Bill ? Where that tax cut John ?
State housing sales, a broken election promise in a housing crises.
More WINZ stuff ups
Charter schools plundering the taxpayer and not performing
Slaters diversion, another WTF moment courtesy of nationals police.
Sacked DHB’s, a creaking at the seams health system
ChCh still not rebuilt
Etc
Wasn’t Paula Bennett one of their ‘celebrities’ talking about cyber bullying.
Isn’t releasing the information about Hurimoana Dennis bullying?
Isn’t revealing information about beneficiaries cyber bullying?
She is not just a cyber bully, she is a real life one also.
The National Party ministers are all bullies when it comes to the poor or those that show them up for what they truly are.
John Key for instance, had a field day bulling that poor waitress and then had his pet MSM bully her even more for bringing the matter to the attention of the public.
The overall index is at its best level of the year but prices remain well below the break-even range for farmers, who need about $3000 a tonne.
Fonterra and market commentators expected only a gradual improvement in prices this year because of an oversupply on world markets.
I bought a kilo of whole milk powder not that long ago and it cost me $12. One tonne at that price would have cost $12,000. Perhaps Fonterra, and farmers in general, need to be looking at adding more value to their product and selling it retail rather than selling it wholesale and letting others grab all the profit.
It wasnt meant for us, it was for the National MPs, and future job prospects on Chinese company boards, or others, and getting very wealthy from corrupt deals like giving our water away for nothing.
While the government is spending billions of dollars to free up traffic, the managing director of Mainfreight, Don Braid, said more could be done to move people and freight using rail.
Even the trucking companies are starting to realise that rail is the better option.
They tried that before. The company (Toll) wasn’t paying the bill to use the rail and the government seemed powerless to force them to. It’s one of the reasons why the 5th Labour led government renationalised it.
It’s very difficult to get competition on rails when you only have one track. Not that I think competition is the answer that we need as it increases costs for no added benefit.
A tweet just on RNZ…”what a razor-edged heartless sounding woman Amy Adams is”.
Well said indeed. Why on earth did the Gnats not inflation adjust the payment to Pora as advised? They had a chance here to do the right thing and win some political points, but their nasty penny-pinching won the day as usual.
Nothing this government does seems to make sense any more. An out-of-touch third term government well past its sell-by date.
anybody who would like to see some semblance of a fair deal for a demonstrably innocent person.
OK, I can understand someone coming up with sophisticated arguments as to why the government shouldn’t spend another sum of cash that’s trivial compared to the government accounts. It’s dickish, but valid if one takes minimisation of expenditure as a categorical imperative.
But are you seriously claiming that you don’t understand why this largely symbolic gesture could be seen as a fair go by people across the political spectrum? Just in a general sense? As a generally positive and principled act?
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: your moral compass is broken.
The issue here is money, you think 2.5 million is not enough, I think it’ll mean he never has to work for the rest of his life and that’ll be easily double the time he spent locked up, for some its about right and for others its too much
You yourself said no amount of money will make up for what happened so should he get 2.5 million, 10 million, 100 million, a billion or because no amount makes up for it, nothing?
No matter what the government did it wouldn’t be enough for some and too much for others, I think they got it about right
See, here’s the thing, it’s not what they choose to offer him that’s the problem.
It’s that they chose to skimp on it by using an unadjusted thirty year old benchmark.
They took a late 70s benchmark and actively decided to not adjust for CPI. That’s the difference between “We’re very sorry, what’s a reasonable level of compensation established historically in NZ?” and “We’re very sorry, what’s the minimum we can pay to make you go away after a nice photo-op?”
And then shrugging and saying take it or leave it just fucks all over your previous “we’re very sorry”.
Oh Raybon. Your column will be axed and your typing fingers will be mashed for daring to challenge the words and action of such a nice girl who is our Paula. You are a naughty boy Raybon, (and North for highlighting it.)
. The Trio Performers
. Otherwise known as NZ’s Grand Duchesses Of INCOMPETENCY
I give you the Minister of Injustice Amy Adams. Her system has allowed the Police to frame a bewildered young man for evil crimes and incarcerate him unjustly for over 21 yrs. She paid the poor fellow out at currency rates deliberately based on 1998 earning capacity.
VERDICT: The Minister of Justice is a well fed, well paid Incompetent BASTARD.
I give you the Minister of Housing, Paula Bennett. Her bullying methods of revealing highly confidential material to humiliate and deem lifelong smut on her chosen victims, makes her a well fed, well paid incompentent BASTARD,
She claims she has more Bastardry up her sleazy sleeves. But a more incoherent Minister dragging her Folio (Housing) through failure after failure, through muckups and secrecy – is callous, and dishonest and unspeakable.
VERDICT: The Minster of Housing is a well fed, well paid incompentent BASTARD.
I give you The Minister of Police, Judith Collins. Her tricky little tentacles are sad. She seems to get out of control on a regular basis. She is not Competent. (telling the police to NOT enforce the Road Code recently being a total stupidity) but she is fun.
VERDICT: A well fed, well paid person fit for Pantomine Duties. But not for Ministries. A funny BASTARD.
Hekia makes the fourth person – but she is a special case to be dealt with later.
What I want to know, is how the diggins with so many fine honest and just women in this country, can the Tories choose nitwit bastard women for the important Ministries? Does anybody know?
I feel like the wheels are finally falling off this government.
They’ve made a series of mis-steps in the last few weeks that the public are finally starting to respond to:
1. On-going shambles with housing and homelessness; John Key appearing to be very out of touch / lying
2. Increasing the refugee quota by only 250 from 2018 onwards
3. Underpaying Teina Pora for 21 years in jail
There’s also the backdrop of cuts (in real terms) to health and education budgets that are being widely felt through the public.
Me too. And things like Bennett leaking personal information, when she did that to beneficiaries a few years ago it felt like she won. This time she seriously misjudged the situation and people will be looking at her for what she really is, and it’s normal to call for her resignation.
I’m a little more ambivalent on the leaking thing.
It seems her excuse has largely been repeated by the media, rather than challenged in any way. But also it’s just a “so what” moment.
The incident over which the marae head was put under investigation for doesn’t seem all that scandalous, and isn’t really related to the housing situation at all.
It’s not really the same as beneficiaries who were asking for more money, and their private details showing that they had already received a pretty good level of support from the government.
Rather than coming off as some sort of clever calculated attack on the marae, it sort of just comes off as “a really weird thing that happened”.
Why would Bennett do that or does the staffer have a grudge against Bennett…like maybe Bennett told her to leak to a journalist and the staffer deliberately chose her…
Maybe they just leaked to the first journo who came along? Who knows?
I still can’t work out if the staffer was present when the information was given to the Minister or if Bennett subsequently relayed the info to her staff?
As far as I can ascertain the staffer (press secretary) was present at the meeting with Hurimoana Dennis last Friday. Bear in mind this press secretary, Lucy Bennett (not related to Paula Bennett) only took up the position earlier this year so she probably didn’t know of the past bad blood between Paula Bennett and Rebecca Wright.
Anyone with any clues knows how ‘dirty politics’ works. Staff are aware what is expected of them, but they proceed to act without providing the minister with any of the details. It’s called “plausible deniability”. So, when the shit hits the fan the minister can act all innocent-like and deny it had anything to do with them.
It’s never been said that the staffer was present at the meeting between Bennett and Dennis, only that it was a private meeting. As I recall Bennett said that after the meeting she briefed her staff. As reported in the Herald today by Trev’ – “John Gillespie, TVNZ’s Head of News and Current Affairs, said TVNZ had already confirmed a One News journalist was approached with information.”
“……..was approached…….”. Meaning presumably that it wasn’t just chit chat in a chance meeting in Lambton Quay. The journalist was “approached”
Why possibly would a senior staffer play such a dangerous game without the express approval of her principal ? It’d be job-losing serious misconduct if it turned bad. Which it has. Nah, Bully Bennett’s in it up to her ample jowls. If only by nudge nudge wink wink hooped eyebrows. She’s a rum thing that one, with form.
Hi North. There was a staffer present at the ‘private’ meeting with Hurimoana Dennis last Friday. It was one of the first questions asked of Bennett (Mon. or Tues.) and she volunteered the information. She wouldn’t reveal who it was but the consensus of opinion seemed to be it was press secretary, Lucy Bennett. The meeting with other staff members was an office debriefing which occurred later.
What I find so disgusting about this whole affair is the fact Dennis is not being investigated by his police peers for any criminal wrong doing. The question seems to be whether he handled the case involving a 16 year old boy, and (the boy’s) relationship with a 15 yr old girl, correctly or not. No wonder Madam refused to talk about it because she and her staff enabler were effectively inferring he was being investigated for suspected criminal behaviour.
I disagree, to a certain degree, the housing issue is something the government is very weak on but as for increasing the quota by only 250 and “underpaying” Teina Pora, that won’t hurt the government at all in fact it might even see a wee bump
I think that if you can get a new house, a new car and have over 52 grand a year to play with for the rest of your life (and that’s being conservative) then that’s not a bad pay out at all and I’d suggest there’ll be more then a few people that agree with me
Its the housing that will hurt National, its not looking good and Bennett is fast becoming a liability
Yes, the housing is undeniably the bedrock of the whole thing.
It’s just the refugees and Teina Pora have come at a bad time, and appear to be “more of the same”.
If the refugees and Teina Pora stuff had come up 4 months ago, then I think they’d just be a minor blip. But coming up when they have, it’s more fuel for the fire.
How many people think that a new house, a new car and over 52 grand a year (conservatively) for the rest of your life is fair recompense
Hes 38 so could easily live another 40 years without ever having to work again, nothing can give his years back but now he can do anything he likes without having to worry about housing or work
That doesn’t mean that any random amount should be paid.
“Priceless” does not mean “without value”.
Basically, the money is a token amount based on previous cases. Only the government has penny-pinched on the token amount so the actualy “token” is as much a token of small-mindedness as it is indicative of an apology and desire to lessen as much as possible the impact of what was done to him.
McFlock: yep. As I mentioned the NATs lost a cheap and easy chance to take the moral high ground on a news story this week. Silly, bad political management from them.
$2.5 is a shit load of money , and as someone pointed out he originally ended up their because he confessed .
And CV the nats core voter will think its to much so it won’t harm them.
Page 9 of the report by the judge states that “consideration should be given to adjusting compensation payable to Mr Pora for loss of liberty to reflect the decline in the value of money”.
It also states “The rate at which claimants in Mr Port’s position will be compensated, will decline the longer they remain in prison. That appears to be anomalous an unjust”.
So for anyone upset by the payment, the government could simply say “we took up the recommendations of the judge in this case, in that it would be unjust to not adjust for inflation”.
Why would “a large group of their voters” think 2.5 million is a decent payout?
What might their reasoning be? What measure might they apply in order to come to their conclusion, do you think, Puck?
Saw our Minor Key being interviewed a morning or so ago, I forget by who/whom to do with the super large drug haul found in the North. Found by a local, who in the process of trying to help drug smugglers with their boat ,unaware of what they were, became concerned enough to get himself out of there and report them to local police. All purely accidental. BUT Mr key said that this large drug haul, tripped over by a local, shows that National’s injection of increased resources and improved policies to the police force are working. This whole scenario had nothing at all to do with policing from what I could see. If it hadn’t been for that local man this haul would never have been found.
“Working people everywhere have had enough,” Morello said in a statement. “The TPP is nothing short of a corporate takeover of our democracy. That’s why people are rising up to stop it. Corporate lobbyists want to sneak the TPP through Congress quietly; that means it’s time for us to get loud.”
“This fight against the TPP is not about right and left, it’s about right and wrong,” Lilly said. “Whatever you’re passionate about, whether it’s human rights, internet freedom, climate change or food safety, the TPP is a bad deal for humanity, and a threat to the future of democracy. The more people learn about the TPP, the less they like it. It’s our responsibility to sound the alarm, before it’s too late.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3dvbM6Pias
I find it weird that, in a story about smears, a journalist appears to be smearing a fellow journalist by seemingly implying that what she did was simply for payback. Why do you find it weird?
Why would Bennett leak to a journalist she doesn’t get on with? Wouldn’t it make more sense to leak to someone you know and trust (at least as much as you can)
So basically TVNZ would not confirm who the journalist was, RNZ refuse to give up their source, presumably the journalist didn’t out herself, so that leaves Bennetts office as Trevetts source? Maybe Bennett just shot herself in the foot.
No, the ‘non gallery journalist’ is the person Trevett & Kiwiblog have named (because TVNZ & RNZ didn’t name her), some are saying the name was out already but I can’t find it other than in Trevetts piece & someone just pointed me to Kiwiblog too. So I was wondering how her name was released if not by RNZ/TVNZ.
“In addition to the powerful structural forces that are reducing global inflation, our economy has been hit by several important supply-side shocks. These include falling oil and dairy prices, strong net migration flows and rising labour force participation. Some, such as the changes in oil prices, net migration and participation, are positive for growth, but all of the supply shocks are exerting downward pressure on inflation in New Zealand.”
From Brian Easton, economist, March 2016:
The effect of low interest rates should encourage investment in productive activities. … That is not happening. It is possible that there is insufficient demand. But over recent years many measures have been taken to increase investment-inducing demand and they have had little effect. Six years is a long time – longer than from the beginning to the bottom of the Great Depression; you have to go back to the 1880s for a longer period of international stagnation.
From Kerry McDonald, June 2016:
“Auckland and the Regions
The regions are critical in the economy, and for our living standards. They produce a high proportion of exports and are the main tourist destinations. But, they are struggling because the NZD is too strong, they are less valued politically and their competitiveness and quality of life is being undermined, mainly by poor policy which doesn’t recognise their paramount role in the economy.
Auckland is increasingly a millstone around New Zealand’s neck: “its economy is inwardly focussed, driven by consumption, real estate and domestic services”; “measured internationally it’s performance is poor – ranked 69 of 85 OECD metros”; and “ it must shift from import to export-led, but is not a centre of export excellence or innovation” (source: The Auckland Council Plan).
The tax free wealth gains on Auckland property is a major opportunity lost in terms of national benefit. In a rational world the gains would be taxed to fund important national programs, such as: a rejuvenated regional development program; or a major blitz on the adverse environment consequences of agriculture; or a major program to reduce the vulnerability and decline of the conservation estate; or a major program to develop future jobs and a more effective transition to a more innovative economy. The tax would also partly compensate the Regions for their export based subsidy to Auckland!
From Bill Rosenberg, CTU, June 2016
“Sustainable increases in our incomes depends on more being produced for every person in New Zealand and from every hour worked, but increases are weak according to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) statistics out today,” says Bill Rosenberg, CTU Economist.
“Per person, production (GDP) increases were only 0.1 percent in the three months to March and 0.5 percent over the year. Per hour worked, production went backwards – over the three months to March it fell 0.2 percent, and rose only 0.5 percent over the same period last year. These are a poor basis for wage improvements,” says Rosenberg.
“We are also seeing weak exports, production from manufacturing shrinking in three of the last four sectors and increasing only weakly over the year (1.4 percent), and overall increases dependent on construction and care for our aging population. Household spending is increasing more slowly than the rest of the economy.
“We need a more balanced economy if we want sustainable and increased incomes,” Rosenberg says.
From Minister of Finance Bill English, May 2016, Budget Speech:
“Mr Speaker, New Zealand’s economic outlook is positive. Treasury is forecasting real GDP growth of around 2.9 per cent over the coming year, and 2.8 per cent on average over the five years to June 2020. Over 200,000 more people are in work now than three years ago, and another 170,000 new jobs are expected by 2020.
Over that period, the unemployment rate is expected to drop to 4.6 per cent and the average wage is forecast to rise to $63,000 a year.”
Wow, Blinglish has confirmed his veto of Sue Moroney’s 26 weeks for babies bill. She had the numbers for the bill to pass at the next reading but Uncle Scrooge says NO. This is unbelievably mean spirited and tells parents that their baby’s well being doesn’t matter. We simply don’t care about the health and future of your family. We don’t care about our society is shaped.
Sue Moroney’s bill would have given parents another 8 weeks paid leave at home with bubba, on top of the current 18. If I were a parent or planning being on one I’d be gutted.
Technically, yes of course the govt can proceed with a financial veto but are you really ok with your govt blocking a majority vote for ideologically driven purposes, dressed up with the handy excuse of “we haven’t budgeted for it”?
If we had a law which allowed us to vote in an Emperor, does that mean that the decrees issued by that Emperor going forwards can be considered to be both democratic and democratically enabled?
“Dear Andrew,
I have just read that the Paid Parental Leave Bill has been cancelled by VETO enacted by the National Government.
I understand that there is probably little that can be done to reverse this veto but could I ask that you seriously consider taking steps to ensure that this draconian piece of law is removed from the statutes of New Zealand as soon as is possible. Not modified , removed for ever.
Thank you
John Shears.
Well, this is an argument that goes back in part to the English Civil War.
But the thing is there’s not much point planning a budget if parliament decides to fuck it a month later, and then you end up with the appropriations debacle that the US has.
But my suspicion is that in this instance the financial veto is more a cloak for ideological opposition. Like the Cabinet Manual, leaving shit up to this government’s discretion just gives them carte blanche to abuse it in fringe cases the original legislators probably never thought any government would be corrupt enough to exploit.
My preference would be to enable the option of a veto if the projected cost was a specific percentage of the immediately preceding budget’s total expenditure, say 1%. Or kick back the veto to a single conscience vote in the House.
The Ministers’ spin was that agriculture is still up because the rest of agriculture is going fine.
But look at that weighting of dairy on New Zealand’s exports. We can all see Fonterra’s reliance on low value-add whole milk powder has been our economy’s biggest-ever exporting trap. And it’s continuing to go south. With the weighting towards dairy so big and forecast to be even greater, our regional towns and cities are going to get hit harder and harder by its sustained downturn.
The agricultural sector broadly is doing its best to diversify, and doing us all good. But the dairy industry’s pursuit of high production is making us more and more vulnerable, and we are paying for that hard.
There used to be money in doing more and bigger dairy conversions. So that’s where the market went. And neither National nor Labour felt liked intervention was required.
I’m not knocking dairy entirely, or even it’s dominance really – only it’s reliance on low-value commodities and their impact on us all. We’re well overdue for a review of Fonterra and it’s legislation.
I support the Greens’ call for a suspension of dairy conversions – it’s what responsible regional councils would have done years ago. Only a few of them get it.
The point would be to review the governing legislation to require value-added production on one side, and limit mass production via RMA and water price changes on the other.
Geeezus. Replace the Fonterra board, and force the sell up of the bottom 30% of uneconomic dairy farms in the country to Landcorp. Done in 12 months.
Your way will take 10 years before any effect is visible anywhere. Pressuring corporate boards to adopt different business strategies by statute is uselessly unenforceable.
Nationalising won’t do anything except rise the entire industry up against you unnecessarily.
My way aims for the higher value side of the business without needlessly wrecking it. We have never had enough capital locally to do that – it’s going to take time and both local and foreign capital to do. Allies, not enemies.
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Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
.“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
“It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet – is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
Bob Edlin writes – And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ HeraldThomas CoughlanSimeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
The government’s attack on Māori health this week is committing tangata-whenua to a premature death, says Te Pāti Māori. “The government have begun their onslaught on Māori health with the abolishment of the Māori Health Authority and smokefree laws in the same day” said health spokesperson and co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. ...
"The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Lupton, SHARP Professor, Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Centre, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, UNSW Sydney kitzcorner/Shutterstock The assertion from Queensland’s chief health officer John Gerrard that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock Why are musicians so keen to get played on the radio? It can’t be because of the money. In Australia they are paid at rates so low they ...
"Farmers make a point not to tell our urban cousins how to live, yet Chlöe from central Auckland is hell-bent on having her say about farmers," says ACT Rural Communities spokesman Mark Cameron. “On her first day in the House as Green ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Curran, Associate Professor of Ecology, Lincoln University, New Zealand Getty Images/Gerald Corsi In the latest move to reform environmental laws in New Zealand, the coalition government has introduced a bill to fast-track consenting processes for projects deemed to ...
Uber has argued it does not have as much control over drivers as the unions suggest, and wants a judgment ruling that drivers are employees and not contractors set aside and sent back to the Employment Court. The 2022 ruling followed a three-week hearing in which four drivers sought to ...
What can and can’t be purchased by disabled people or their carers has been slashed in an effort by the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha to save money. The purchasing guidelines, a set of rules that sets out what can be purchased using the various streams of Government disability funding, ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Cory Davis, Boston Hart and Benjamin Stubbing, Household cost-of-living impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme and using transfers to mitigate regressive outcomes . This Analytical Note ...
A coalition of public transport and climate organisations, united as ‘Transport for All’, is actively opposing the government’s transport proposals. The draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) includes plans for higher fares for public transport, ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Council’s various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
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For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
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By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University This article is part of The Conversation’s series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series here. Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ...
The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
Kāinga Ora tenants abused by their neighbours are doubting the government's crackdown on disruptive tenants will make a difference on their behaviour. ...
Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
Why does this myth persist, and what’s the real reason our skin is suffering?It’s one of the biggest international grievances New Zealanders hold, up there with the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and 1981’s underarm incident. We’re quick to tell international travellers that the world’s pollution led to the ...
Bob’s relationship with certain members of Lincoln’s academic staff continued to deteriorate in the 1990s. Others supported him publicly, though articles such as Roland Clark’s 1993 piece in Growing Today cannot have pleased the university management. Clark wrote that Bob was selling onions from the Biological Husbandry Unit to a ...
SailGP’s races feature in-your-face action, with agile, hydro-foiling catamarans tacking and jibing for the title over several days. However, public comments ahead of the global series’ return to New Zealand have left this past year’s controversy in the shadows, as a key appointment attracts criticism from dolphin advocates. A year ...
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Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 19 March appeared first on Newsroom. ...
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Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
It was 6 degrees in Auckland last night.
It was 6 degrees in Dunedin last night.
It was 1 degrees in Christchurch last night.
Not very warm to be sleeping in a car.
Not very warm to be sleeping in a container.
Not very warm to be sleeping in a garage.
Not very warm to be sleeping on the street.
The media may think Game of Thrones, the McCanns, Julian Savea , Cricket’s DRS system and a drunk being punched three times at Eden Park, but they are not.
The majority of the media is doing everything they can to support Paula Bannett and move homelessness off the headlines.
“Try walking in my shoes, it’s not actually that easy.”
This was the challenge TA set to Prime Minister John Key. But really it’s a challenge for us all.
Homelessness also seems to have bumped the following from view;
Tax havens
mcCullys dodgy dealings, pick one.
Asset sale proceeds, a full analysis of ins and outs stacked up against the BS about what they were going to do with it.
Tanking dairy sector.
That prominent NZer, why all the fuss Johnny.
TPPA
Where’s the promised surplus again Bill ? Where that tax cut John ?
State housing sales, a broken election promise in a housing crises.
More WINZ stuff ups
Charter schools plundering the taxpayer and not performing
Slaters diversion, another WTF moment courtesy of nationals police.
Sacked DHB’s, a creaking at the seams health system
ChCh still not rebuilt
Etc
But there’s far more important issues to report…….
Man films mystery objects in night sky
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/81042630/man-films-mystery-objects-in-night-sky
Of course and positioning their cyber bullying meme for more distraction value.
Wasn’t Paula Bennett one of their ‘celebrities’ talking about cyber bullying.
Isn’t releasing the information about Hurimoana Dennis bullying?
Isn’t revealing information about beneficiaries cyber bullying?
She is not just a cyber bully, she is a real life one also.
The National Party ministers are all bullies when it comes to the poor or those that show them up for what they truly are.
John Key for instance, had a field day bulling that poor waitress and then had his pet MSM bully her even more for bringing the matter to the attention of the public.
@ Paul (1.1.1) … thanks again for your thought provoking posts. Always a good read, even though disturbing.
And in NZH today, a news item is about number one son’s release of his new song! Can you believe it?
And so on it goes yet again … more sickening subterfuge and diversion by msm, to protect the corrupt high and mighty!
Give me strength!
I’m sure the luxury guests are snug and warm in Nuie as they structure their tax affairs to avoid tax with our 7.5 million development grant.
Maybe Paula can offer a $5000 ticket to Nuie for our homeless?
Unconvincing lies.
http://norightturn.blogspot.co.nz/2016/06/unconvincing-lies.html?m=1
‘Rock star economy.’
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/rural/306494/dairy-prices-flat,-but-whole-milk-powder-falls
I bought a kilo of whole milk powder not that long ago and it cost me $12. One tonne at that price would have cost $12,000. Perhaps Fonterra, and farmers in general, need to be looking at adding more value to their product and selling it retail rather than selling it wholesale and letting others grab all the profit.
One tonne of whole milk powder on Fonterra’s wholesale trading site is just under NZ$3000/MT i.e. 3 bucks a kg
‘Building a brighter future.’
Given the housing crisis, does anyone find this slogan just a little ironic?
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/business/304608/big-govt-house-build-'needed'-for-auckland
It wasnt meant for us, it was for the National MPs, and future job prospects on Chinese company boards, or others, and getting very wealthy from corrupt deals like giving our water away for nothing.
Even the trucking companies are starting to realise that rail is the better option.
Let the likes mainfreigt own the rolling stock and the government looks after the rail infrastructure. Its a no brainer,
They tried that before. The company (Toll) wasn’t paying the bill to use the rail and the government seemed powerless to force them to. It’s one of the reasons why the 5th Labour led government renationalised it.
Yes that was one company with no competition, run by mongrels governed by idiots.
It’s very difficult to get competition on rails when you only have one track. Not that I think competition is the answer that we need as it increases costs for no added benefit.
The government’s skills haven’t yet deserted them; launching the Pora compensation yesterday has given Bennett breathing space and recovery.
Still, it’s one media cycle. And it’s a long winter.
A tweet just on RNZ…”what a razor-edged heartless sounding woman Amy Adams is”.
Well said indeed. Why on earth did the Gnats not inflation adjust the payment to Pora as advised? They had a chance here to do the right thing and win some political points, but their nasty penny-pinching won the day as usual.
Nothing this government does seems to make sense any more. An out-of-touch third term government well past its sell-by date.
Yep, Adams reasons for not inflation adjusting were pathetic,…
… though wrapped in that cold blooded crisp firm voice to try sounding correct
…..
I might adjust my tax payment back to inflation-reversed 1979 too
…..
fuck the Crown (the british crown that is, dont forget). They fuck over everyone they deal with – that is the british crowns history
Political points with whom exactly?
anybody who would like to see some semblance of a fair deal for a demonstrably innocent person.
OK, I can understand someone coming up with sophisticated arguments as to why the government shouldn’t spend another sum of cash that’s trivial compared to the government accounts. It’s dickish, but valid if one takes minimisation of expenditure as a categorical imperative.
But are you seriously claiming that you don’t understand why this largely symbolic gesture could be seen as a fair go by people across the political spectrum? Just in a general sense? As a generally positive and principled act?
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: your moral compass is broken.
The issue here is money, you think 2.5 million is not enough, I think it’ll mean he never has to work for the rest of his life and that’ll be easily double the time he spent locked up, for some its about right and for others its too much
You yourself said no amount of money will make up for what happened so should he get 2.5 million, 10 million, 100 million, a billion or because no amount makes up for it, nothing?
No matter what the government did it wouldn’t be enough for some and too much for others, I think they got it about right
Busy today, Puck!
Of course you think the Government got it about right, you’re a supporter.
See, here’s the thing, it’s not what they choose to offer him that’s the problem.
It’s that they chose to skimp on it by using an unadjusted thirty year old benchmark.
They took a late 70s benchmark and actively decided to not adjust for CPI. That’s the difference between “We’re very sorry, what’s a reasonable level of compensation established historically in NZ?” and “We’re very sorry, what’s the minimum we can pay to make you go away after a nice photo-op?”
And then shrugging and saying take it or leave it just fucks all over your previous “we’re very sorry”.
Echo chamber.
Raybon’s gonna get Kan-ned if he’s not careful. You’re just not allowed to explain Bully Bennett’s totality by reference to junk food.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11657226
Raybon… Brilliant and accurate
North – “Raybon’s gonna get Kan-ned if he’s not careful. ”
I prefer ‘Campbellized”.
Oh Raybon. Your column will be axed and your typing fingers will be mashed for daring to challenge the words and action of such a nice girl who is our Paula. You are a naughty boy Raybon, (and North for highlighting it.)
So good that article – thanks
. The Trio Performers
. Otherwise known as NZ’s Grand Duchesses Of INCOMPETENCY
I give you the Minister of Injustice Amy Adams. Her system has allowed the Police to frame a bewildered young man for evil crimes and incarcerate him unjustly for over 21 yrs. She paid the poor fellow out at currency rates deliberately based on 1998 earning capacity.
VERDICT: The Minister of Justice is a well fed, well paid Incompetent BASTARD.
I give you the Minister of Housing, Paula Bennett. Her bullying methods of revealing highly confidential material to humiliate and deem lifelong smut on her chosen victims, makes her a well fed, well paid incompentent BASTARD,
She claims she has more Bastardry up her sleazy sleeves. But a more incoherent Minister dragging her Folio (Housing) through failure after failure, through muckups and secrecy – is callous, and dishonest and unspeakable.
VERDICT: The Minster of Housing is a well fed, well paid incompentent BASTARD.
I give you The Minister of Police, Judith Collins. Her tricky little tentacles are sad. She seems to get out of control on a regular basis. She is not Competent. (telling the police to NOT enforce the Road Code recently being a total stupidity) but she is fun.
VERDICT: A well fed, well paid person fit for Pantomine Duties. But not for Ministries. A funny BASTARD.
Hekia makes the fourth person – but she is a special case to be dealt with later.
What I want to know, is how the diggins with so many fine honest and just women in this country, can the Tories choose nitwit bastard women for the important Ministries? Does anybody know?
In case you missed “The New New Zealand” by Tourettes. Sums it ALLLL up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EDeNFoEqRs
Where is Palestine these days? :
‘Tens of thousands of Palestinians left without water as Israeli firm cuts supplies – report’
https://www.rt.com/news/346811-israel-water-west-bank/
‘Non-Jews should not be allowed to live in Israel – Israel’s Chief Rabbi’
https://www.rt.com/news/337676-israel-for-jews-rabbi/
Israel should not be recreating a Warsaw Ghetto for Palestinians in its own neighbourhood.
I feel like the wheels are finally falling off this government.
They’ve made a series of mis-steps in the last few weeks that the public are finally starting to respond to:
1. On-going shambles with housing and homelessness; John Key appearing to be very out of touch / lying
2. Increasing the refugee quota by only 250 from 2018 onwards
3. Underpaying Teina Pora for 21 years in jail
There’s also the backdrop of cuts (in real terms) to health and education budgets that are being widely felt through the public.
Me too. And things like Bennett leaking personal information, when she did that to beneficiaries a few years ago it felt like she won. This time she seriously misjudged the situation and people will be looking at her for what she really is, and it’s normal to call for her resignation.
I’m a little more ambivalent on the leaking thing.
It seems her excuse has largely been repeated by the media, rather than challenged in any way. But also it’s just a “so what” moment.
The incident over which the marae head was put under investigation for doesn’t seem all that scandalous, and isn’t really related to the housing situation at all.
It’s not really the same as beneficiaries who were asking for more money, and their private details showing that they had already received a pretty good level of support from the government.
Rather than coming off as some sort of clever calculated attack on the marae, it sort of just comes off as “a really weird thing that happened”.
And it’s got weirder today with the news that the staffer leaked to Rebecca Wright a journalist who’s been at odds with Paula Bennett before.
Why would Bennett do that or does the staffer have a grudge against Bennett…like maybe Bennett told her to leak to a journalist and the staffer deliberately chose her…
Maybe they just leaked to the first journo who came along? Who knows?
I still can’t work out if the staffer was present when the information was given to the Minister or if Bennett subsequently relayed the info to her staff?
As far as I can ascertain the staffer (press secretary) was present at the meeting with Hurimoana Dennis last Friday. Bear in mind this press secretary, Lucy Bennett (not related to Paula Bennett) only took up the position earlier this year so she probably didn’t know of the past bad blood between Paula Bennett and Rebecca Wright.
Anyone with any clues knows how ‘dirty politics’ works. Staff are aware what is expected of them, but they proceed to act without providing the minister with any of the details. It’s called “plausible deniability”. So, when the shit hits the fan the minister can act all innocent-like and deny it had anything to do with them.
It’s never been said that the staffer was present at the meeting between Bennett and Dennis, only that it was a private meeting. As I recall Bennett said that after the meeting she briefed her staff. As reported in the Herald today by Trev’ – “John Gillespie, TVNZ’s Head of News and Current Affairs, said TVNZ had already confirmed a One News journalist was approached with information.”
“……..was approached…….”. Meaning presumably that it wasn’t just chit chat in a chance meeting in Lambton Quay. The journalist was “approached”
Why possibly would a senior staffer play such a dangerous game without the express approval of her principal ? It’d be job-losing serious misconduct if it turned bad. Which it has. Nah, Bully Bennett’s in it up to her ample jowls. If only by nudge nudge wink wink hooped eyebrows. She’s a rum thing that one, with form.
Hi North. There was a staffer present at the ‘private’ meeting with Hurimoana Dennis last Friday. It was one of the first questions asked of Bennett (Mon. or Tues.) and she volunteered the information. She wouldn’t reveal who it was but the consensus of opinion seemed to be it was press secretary, Lucy Bennett. The meeting with other staff members was an office debriefing which occurred later.
What I find so disgusting about this whole affair is the fact Dennis is not being investigated by his police peers for any criminal wrong doing. The question seems to be whether he handled the case involving a 16 year old boy, and (the boy’s) relationship with a 15 yr old girl, correctly or not. No wonder Madam refused to talk about it because she and her staff enabler were effectively inferring he was being investigated for suspected criminal behaviour.
Let’s hope so, but how many times have people said this will be the end of this government…
If damage is being done, I think the housing crisis is doing most of it. National supporters are possibly too self absorbed to think about refugees.
I disagree, to a certain degree, the housing issue is something the government is very weak on but as for increasing the quota by only 250 and “underpaying” Teina Pora, that won’t hurt the government at all in fact it might even see a wee bump
Feedback on Morning Report this morning was almost entirely against the government’s position on Teina Pora.
You might say that RNZ is lefty radio, but very seldom has feedback been one-sided to that extent.
I think that if you can get a new house, a new car and have over 52 grand a year to play with for the rest of your life (and that’s being conservative) then that’s not a bad pay out at all and I’d suggest there’ll be more then a few people that agree with me
Its the housing that will hurt National, its not looking good and Bennett is fast becoming a liability
Yes, the housing is undeniably the bedrock of the whole thing.
It’s just the refugees and Teina Pora have come at a bad time, and appear to be “more of the same”.
If the refugees and Teina Pora stuff had come up 4 months ago, then I think they’d just be a minor blip. But coming up when they have, it’s more fuel for the fire.
Well yes that’s a good point as well
National missed out on a silly and cheap way to own the moral high ground in the media with the Teina Pora payout.
Or they set a precedent for future cases as well as getting off side with a large group of their voters who think 2.5 million is a decent payout
How many of those voters would agree to give up 21 years of their life for $2.5M
How many people think that a new house, a new car and over 52 grand a year (conservatively) for the rest of your life is fair recompense
Hes 38 so could easily live another 40 years without ever having to work again, nothing can give his years back but now he can do anything he likes without having to worry about housing or work
That’s not bad
How many of those people would give up 21 years of their life for $2.5M, given its such a ‘good deal’?
I know what you are saying, but I am saying that none of those people would swap places, what the government did to this guy was so shite.
How many superannuitants would accept their NZ super not being inflation adjusted for 21 years?
“You’re getting it for free, don’t complain or we will take it away from you.”
To CV
Agreed, he got screwed over but would half a million, a million or whatever amount make it right?
Does there need to be a set formula, laid down by law, that should be used in cases of compensation?
Beats me
No amount will make it right.
That doesn’t mean that any random amount should be paid.
“Priceless” does not mean “without value”.
Basically, the money is a token amount based on previous cases. Only the government has penny-pinched on the token amount so the actualy “token” is as much a token of small-mindedness as it is indicative of an apology and desire to lessen as much as possible the impact of what was done to him.
McFlock: yep. As I mentioned the NATs lost a cheap and easy chance to take the moral high ground on a news story this week. Silly, bad political management from them.
$2.5 is a shit load of money , and as someone pointed out he originally ended up their because he confessed .
And CV the nats core voter will think its to much so it won’t harm them.
Page 9 of the report by the judge states that “consideration should be given to adjusting compensation payable to Mr Pora for loss of liberty to reflect the decline in the value of money”.
It also states “The rate at which claimants in Mr Port’s position will be compensated, will decline the longer they remain in prison. That appears to be anomalous an unjust”.
So for anyone upset by the payment, the government could simply say “we took up the recommendations of the judge in this case, in that it would be unjust to not adjust for inflation”.
“we took up the recommendations of the judge in this case” – which Amy Adams has said she has done. But of course she’s just telling a half truth.
Why would “a large group of their voters” think 2.5 million is a decent payout?
What might their reasoning be? What measure might they apply in order to come to their conclusion, do you think, Puck?
” a silly and cheap way to own the moral high ground in the media with the Teina Pora payout”
What does that mean?
In general it’s difficult to ‘buy’ good news coverage.
Here is one case where the government could have, by choosing to pay Pora more.
thanks
Saw our Minor Key being interviewed a morning or so ago, I forget by who/whom to do with the super large drug haul found in the North. Found by a local, who in the process of trying to help drug smugglers with their boat ,unaware of what they were, became concerned enough to get himself out of there and report them to local police. All purely accidental. BUT Mr key said that this large drug haul, tripped over by a local, shows that National’s injection of increased resources and improved policies to the police force are working. This whole scenario had nothing at all to do with policing from what I could see. If it hadn’t been for that local man this haul would never have been found.
.
> I am not sure how you can be ambivalent about confidential information relating to Police charges.
Could you explain it for me?
Releasing information can cause a lot of hassle and even mistrial.
Thanks Lanthanide
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/tom-morello-to-headline-tour-protesting-trans-pacific-partnership-20160615
“Working people everywhere have had enough,” Morello said in a statement. “The TPP is nothing short of a corporate takeover of our democracy. That’s why people are rising up to stop it. Corporate lobbyists want to sneak the TPP through Congress quietly; that means it’s time for us to get loud.”
“This fight against the TPP is not about right and left, it’s about right and wrong,” Lilly said. “Whatever you’re passionate about, whether it’s human rights, internet freedom, climate change or food safety, the TPP is a bad deal for humanity, and a threat to the future of democracy. The more people learn about the TPP, the less they like it. It’s our responsibility to sound the alarm, before it’s too late.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3dvbM6Pias
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11657606
Ok so that’s a bit weird
I find it weird that, in a story about smears, a journalist appears to be smearing a fellow journalist by seemingly implying that what she did was simply for payback. Why do you find it weird?
Very weird, dirty politics journalism style, swipe at RNZ too, how about Claire Trevett reveal HER sources.
CT and her keyboard
Why would Bennett leak to a journalist she doesn’t get on with? Wouldn’t it make more sense to leak to someone you know and trust (at least as much as you can)
Incompetence?
So basically TVNZ would not confirm who the journalist was, RNZ refuse to give up their source, presumably the journalist didn’t out herself, so that leaves Bennetts office as Trevetts source? Maybe Bennett just shot herself in the foot.
The journalist is described as a ‘non gallery’ Wellington journalist. So thats not Trevett
No, the ‘non gallery journalist’ is the person Trevett & Kiwiblog have named (because TVNZ & RNZ didn’t name her), some are saying the name was out already but I can’t find it other than in Trevetts piece & someone just pointed me to Kiwiblog too. So I was wondering how her name was released if not by RNZ/TVNZ.
Ooooh, burn!
Nice political info from an insider going back to Johnson/Kennedy era.
Remembers the Clintons fondly 😀
http://financialsurvivalnetwork.com/2016/06/exclusive-interview-with-roger-stone-telling-it-like-it-is-elite-deviance/
That’s nice of you to spread the wingnut’s delusions.
/
Roger Stone
@RogerJStoneJr
@KennettDems @RTED2016 Soviet Agent Bernie Saunders, Should be arrested for treason and shot.
https://twitter.com/RogerJStoneJr/status/457025868917776384
http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/trumps-dirty-trickster-staggeringly-shady-dealings-political-operative-roger-stone
You sign a petition to get rid of Mike Hosking from TVNZ here – https://www.change.org/p/tvnz-get-rid-of-hosking-1347aa6d-8044-4a33-ba59-7fe0a5dba42b?recruiter=14044606&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=autopublish&utm_term=des-lg-no_src-no_msg&fb_ref=Default
What Happens to a Small Country Without Direction
From the Reserve Bank, February 2016:
“In addition to the powerful structural forces that are reducing global inflation, our economy has been hit by several important supply-side shocks. These include falling oil and dairy prices, strong net migration flows and rising labour force participation. Some, such as the changes in oil prices, net migration and participation, are positive for growth, but all of the supply shocks are exerting downward pressure on inflation in New Zealand.”
From Brian Easton, economist, March 2016:
The effect of low interest rates should encourage investment in productive activities. … That is not happening. It is possible that there is insufficient demand. But over recent years many measures have been taken to increase investment-inducing demand and they have had little effect. Six years is a long time – longer than from the beginning to the bottom of the Great Depression; you have to go back to the 1880s for a longer period of international stagnation.
From Kerry McDonald, June 2016:
“Auckland and the Regions
The regions are critical in the economy, and for our living standards. They produce a high proportion of exports and are the main tourist destinations. But, they are struggling because the NZD is too strong, they are less valued politically and their competitiveness and quality of life is being undermined, mainly by poor policy which doesn’t recognise their paramount role in the economy.
Auckland is increasingly a millstone around New Zealand’s neck: “its economy is inwardly focussed, driven by consumption, real estate and domestic services”; “measured internationally it’s performance is poor – ranked 69 of 85 OECD metros”; and “ it must shift from import to export-led, but is not a centre of export excellence or innovation” (source: The Auckland Council Plan).
The tax free wealth gains on Auckland property is a major opportunity lost in terms of national benefit. In a rational world the gains would be taxed to fund important national programs, such as: a rejuvenated regional development program; or a major blitz on the adverse environment consequences of agriculture; or a major program to reduce the vulnerability and decline of the conservation estate; or a major program to develop future jobs and a more effective transition to a more innovative economy. The tax would also partly compensate the Regions for their export based subsidy to Auckland!
From Bill Rosenberg, CTU, June 2016
“Sustainable increases in our incomes depends on more being produced for every person in New Zealand and from every hour worked, but increases are weak according to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) statistics out today,” says Bill Rosenberg, CTU Economist.
“Per person, production (GDP) increases were only 0.1 percent in the three months to March and 0.5 percent over the year. Per hour worked, production went backwards – over the three months to March it fell 0.2 percent, and rose only 0.5 percent over the same period last year. These are a poor basis for wage improvements,” says Rosenberg.
“We are also seeing weak exports, production from manufacturing shrinking in three of the last four sectors and increasing only weakly over the year (1.4 percent), and overall increases dependent on construction and care for our aging population. Household spending is increasing more slowly than the rest of the economy.
“We need a more balanced economy if we want sustainable and increased incomes,” Rosenberg says.
From Minister of Finance Bill English, May 2016, Budget Speech:
“Mr Speaker, New Zealand’s economic outlook is positive. Treasury is forecasting real GDP growth of around 2.9 per cent over the coming year, and 2.8 per cent on average over the five years to June 2020. Over 200,000 more people are in work now than three years ago, and another 170,000 new jobs are expected by 2020.
Over that period, the unemployment rate is expected to drop to 4.6 per cent and the average wage is forecast to rise to $63,000 a year.”
spot the odd man out
Wow, Blinglish has confirmed his veto of Sue Moroney’s 26 weeks for babies bill. She had the numbers for the bill to pass at the next reading but Uncle Scrooge says NO. This is unbelievably mean spirited and tells parents that their baby’s well being doesn’t matter. We simply don’t care about the health and future of your family. We don’t care about our society is shaped.
Sue Moroney’s bill would have given parents another 8 weeks paid leave at home with bubba, on top of the current 18. If I were a parent or planning being on one I’d be gutted.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/306549/govt-vetoes-paid-parental-leave-bill
Thanks for not saying it was undemocratic.
But it was undemocratic. New post…
Technically, yes of course the govt can proceed with a financial veto but are you really ok with your govt blocking a majority vote for ideologically driven purposes, dressed up with the handy excuse of “we haven’t budgeted for it”?
It’s smells shittier than nappy contents.
No, I’m not really ok with it.
But it’s their right to do it, hence why I am not calling it undemocratic.
If we had a law which allowed us to vote in an Emperor, does that mean that the decrees issued by that Emperor going forwards can be considered to be both democratic and democratically enabled?
I say no, but you may say yes.
Depends on the constitutional arrangements for this emperor, and what other bodies of power existed in this alternative universe.
I have just sent the following to Andrew Little.
“Dear Andrew,
I have just read that the Paid Parental Leave Bill has been cancelled by VETO enacted by the National Government.
I understand that there is probably little that can be done to reverse this veto but could I ask that you seriously consider taking steps to ensure that this draconian piece of law is removed from the statutes of New Zealand as soon as is possible. Not modified , removed for ever.
Thank you
John Shears.
Good thinking. However Labour won’t do that because Labour will want the power of VETO when it is in government itself.
CV can you actually support your statement about what Labour will want as far as the VETO is concerned or is just your opinion?
it’s the only logical choice for Labour. Decentralising control is not their thing. My opinion.
Well, this is an argument that goes back in part to the English Civil War.
But the thing is there’s not much point planning a budget if parliament decides to fuck it a month later, and then you end up with the appropriations debacle that the US has.
But my suspicion is that in this instance the financial veto is more a cloak for ideological opposition. Like the Cabinet Manual, leaving shit up to this government’s discretion just gives them carte blanche to abuse it in fringe cases the original legislators probably never thought any government would be corrupt enough to exploit.
My preference would be to enable the option of a veto if the projected cost was a specific percentage of the immediately preceding budget’s total expenditure, say 1%. Or kick back the veto to a single conscience vote in the House.
1% limit seems like a good measure.
This is the report our Minister of Agriculture trumpeted at the National Field Days today:
http://www.mpi.govt.nz/news-and-resources/media-releases/strong-growth-across-most-primary-sectors
But watch this:
2013 2020 Forecast
Dairy $13.1b $17.7b
Meat and Wool $ 7.8b $ 8.8b
Forestry $ 4.5b $ 6.3b
Horticulture $ 3.5b $ 5.7b
Other $ 1.6b $ 2.9b
(eg honey)
Seafood $ 1.5b $ 2.1b
TOTAL $32.4 $43.8
The Ministers’ spin was that agriculture is still up because the rest of agriculture is going fine.
But look at that weighting of dairy on New Zealand’s exports. We can all see Fonterra’s reliance on low value-add whole milk powder has been our economy’s biggest-ever exporting trap. And it’s continuing to go south. With the weighting towards dairy so big and forecast to be even greater, our regional towns and cities are going to get hit harder and harder by its sustained downturn.
The agricultural sector broadly is doing its best to diversify, and doing us all good. But the dairy industry’s pursuit of high production is making us more and more vulnerable, and we are paying for that hard.
There used to be money in doing more and bigger dairy conversions. So that’s where the market went. And neither National nor Labour felt liked intervention was required.
I’m not knocking dairy entirely, or even it’s dominance really – only it’s reliance on low-value commodities and their impact on us all. We’re well overdue for a review of Fonterra and it’s legislation.
I support the Greens’ call for a suspension of dairy conversions – it’s what responsible regional councils would have done years ago. Only a few of them get it.
So Labour and Greens are going to get in and re: dairy they are going to spend their first 12 months conducting a review? What’s the point?
The point would be to review the governing legislation to require value-added production on one side, and limit mass production via RMA and water price changes on the other.
Geeezus. Replace the Fonterra board, and force the sell up of the bottom 30% of uneconomic dairy farms in the country to Landcorp. Done in 12 months.
Your way will take 10 years before any effect is visible anywhere. Pressuring corporate boards to adopt different business strategies by statute is uselessly unenforceable.
Nationalising won’t do anything except rise the entire industry up against you unnecessarily.
My way aims for the higher value side of the business without needlessly wrecking it. We have never had enough capital locally to do that – it’s going to take time and both local and foreign capital to do. Allies, not enemies.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/europe/81162282/british-lawmaker-jo-cox-shot-in-attack-at-advice-surgery–reports
The attacker shouts ‘Britain First’ yet not reported as terrorism.