Hooton on q&a was crying as panel criticized neoliberalism, he was pushed to recant economic bibical belief in the coming of thatcherism how it changed everything, whine whone cry cry. How dare they all question his faith in markets.
Geez, like we dont all get it now, cheap energy not thatcherism built thirty years of profit driven by swapping paper debts. Promised clean environments, safe work places, free education all burnt to feed the debt driven economy, even high learning divorced from the enlightenment.
All Hooten does is eulogize neolibs in national and labour and poke irrational cheapshots at anyone else.
once he compared a bathroom accident with workplaces I just laughed. *I* control my bathroom. *I* do not control how well my employer maintains my workplace and when.
Agree. Good subjects and intelligent debate. Simon Dallow is a vast improvement on Susan Wood. And Deborah Russell is a vast improvement on Josie Pagani.
The only blight on the horizon was Hooton and his relentless campaign against Helen Clark, David Parker, David Cunliffe and Andrew Little. You can predict when their names are going to go ‘clunk’ into the middle of some damming indictment. Eg. he said at one point… ” I mean, Little’s a union leader” as if that was the most damming indictment one could make of a person. I even had the impression Jeremy Corbyn’s rise to the UK Labour leadership was somehow their fault – slight exaggeration but you know what I mean.
Hooton’s comment’s added to the debate and there was ample opportunity for Russell to respond and put an alternative which allowed balance.
Hooton’s view of the world was akin to rugby union becoming a professional sport in the late 80’s. There is no going back to the amateur game but he doesn’t accept that since becoming professional there are fewer players enjoying the benefits at the varying levels of participation.
Mr Hooton demonstrated his useby date is way past expiry…A Dinosaur pretending to have all answers for all occasions,his body language is open to interpretation.Why do the news networks continually use this man.He appears to be consumed by his tireless boring attacks on Labour,Clark etc,etc.The man lives in the past with no constructive criticism of the current dire position our once proud nation held.
The British Medical Journal has just published this meta study that looks at dietary fat and chronic health conditions such as heart disease, stroke and late onset diabetes. This is the latest in a series of studies that shows that the ‘fat is bad’ message is wrong.
Conclusions Saturated fats are not associated with all cause mortality, CVD, CHD, ischemic stroke, or type 2 diabetes, but the evidence is heterogeneous with methodological limitations. Trans fats are associated with all cause mortality, total CHD, and CHD mortality, probably because of higher levels of intake of industrial trans fats than ruminant trans fats. Dietary guidelines must carefully consider the health effects of recommendations for alternative macronutrients to replace trans fats and saturated fats.
There are two issues here. One is that the public health message of the past 30 years has been wrong and will need to change (and given the origin is US based, the lawsuits should be interesting too). Such change takes a long time, so I think we are going to be seeing a period of time where people don’t know what to do.
The other is that it demonstrates how science can still get things so terribly wrong, not because of flaws in the scientific method, but because of how science gets used. The author of that NYT article has written extensively about the political and social as well as scientific and medico reasons why we ended up with such bad advice from health authorities. We need to be holding science far more accountable than we are.
yep, that’s the one. I think another factor is fat phobia. At a non-rational level people were making connnections between dietary fat and body fat and their discomfit with body fat affected their thinking. It’s not like the actual science hasn’t been there, it’s that people chose which bits to use and which to ignore and it looks like fear of fat is part of that.
Here are the latest Cochrane reviews I can find on both statins and reducing saturated fat intake for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. If instead it makes you feel better about your own saturated fat intake or disregarding your doctor’s opinion regarding statins for you then by all means go ahead and just focus on those particular links and articles though.
It will be dragged out much further to a point where the alleged abusive activity becomes so distant that the public will have trouble caring.
Also, there is a cover up to cover up, namely John Key’s arrogant appointment of Sabin to the law and order select committee despite knowing of the abuse allegations.
It’s the 21st century – there’s no reason for any top public servant to live in Auckland or Wellington. Headquarter the Ministry of Health in Kerikeri, the Ministry of Forestry in Tokoroa, the Ministry of Fisheries in Napier, the Ministry of Agriculture in Lincoln, the Ministry of Social Welfare in Mosgiel and the Ministry of Mining in Nightcaps and save truckloads of taxpayer cash in the long term.
(no, I can’t be bothered looking up for the current names of the ministries; they change regularly at the whim of whichever corporate PR idiot has been brought in to pretty them up)
Ministerial Services staff work for politicians, who by their public reputation and visible performance are abusive, irrational, vindictive, quite happy to permanently damage your career, happy to throw you under the media bus, often bullying, disloyal, and completely unrewarding unless you are star-struck and doing a political apprenticeship.
$100k+ isn’t just danger money, it’s “get in get out” money. Central government politicians have one of the lowest reputations in the country for strong and very consistent reasons. And before everyone goes ‘wait, my one is as pure as the driven snow’, just try working for them.
Interesting snippet here – Baltimore USA has a light rail out to their BWI/Washington airport – the distance is 11ks (eleven kilometres) – the fare out is $1.60 US and the fare back is the same. I repeat that $1.60 US – us Aucklanders are being fleeced blind with their transport costs and my partner many times on business, went by cab to the airport and it was approx $70 one way (same distance 11 ks) – this was 4 years ago. The US are either subsidising their public transport to the hilt or NZ transport costs are right off the scale.
Homes over there are fantastic, we have a relative who owns in Baltimore and its a beautiful 3 storey town house in a lovely part of the city by a park (walking distance to work on their beautiful waterfront) – lovely fittings and finish, high stud, beautiful cornices, solid timber floors, a staircase of solid timber, granite benches, bar fridge you name it in the kitchen – a terraced roof garden – they paid $442,000US for it – it would have been 2 million plus here in Auckland so close to the city, even has a car pad down the breeze alley in the back. The park has free yoga classes on the lawns and free tennis courts to play on and regular concerts work days and weeekends, they walk down to the park with their wine and picnic rug, have their supper on the lawn and listen to the music – all for free. Only problem it is the US and Baltimore does have racial problems so I suppose there has to be a catch somewhere – I for one wouldn’t want to live there but they are happy as.
Beggars belief how we are being swindled over here. Restaurant meals are cheaper there and so are their supermarket costs. What’s going wrong over here??
I stand corrected – I am being advised the distance on the light rail is 11 miles (US measure in miles)- not 11 ks – so its terribly cheap at $1.60 a one way fare. The taxi ride to the airport in AK is correct but the distance for that price was 42 ks – not 11ks.
“Sources advise that Canada dropped numerous demands on key patent and copyright issues in Hawaii, likely in the mistaken belief that a concluded deal was imminent.
Indeed, after withholding agreement on critical issues such as anti-patent trolling rules, website blocking, restrictions on digital locks, trademark classification and border enforcement, Canadian negotiators caved to U.S. pressure but failed to garner agreement.
“For Canada, the deal on ISPs means that the government has agreed to induce providers to “remove or disable” access to content upon becoming aware of a decision of a court on a copyright infringement. The broadly worded provision could force Canadian ISPs to block content on websites after being notified of a foreign court order — without first having to assess whether the site is even legal under Canadian law.”
“There are still some unresolved issues in the Hawaii draft, particularly those involving the term of copyright (which the U.S. wants Canada, Japan, New Zealand and Malaysia to extend by an additional 20 years) and many pharmaceutical patent issues.
Yet Canadian negotiators appear to have badly blundered by prematurely making important concessions but failing to close the deal. As a result, it seems likely that Canada will be forced to concede on other key issues when countries next meet to finalize the TPP.”
@Ad
I think it is the corruption of the mind that regard some people as exceptional with
spurious measurements of successful achievement being awarded huge salaries while the basic income required for living is whittled down at the same time. One lot shooting up moneywise, and one lot shooting down, while perhaps losing rationality and shooting up with drugs.
And constantly opportunities being whittled away while our politicians make promises to do their jobs when forced to, with soothing, helpful tones and smiling faces relying on memories fractured and forgetful as bad events flood across our consciousness. Meantime the country shoots itself in the foot.
This is an entire corruption of the values, understanding and dreams that we older people had about the future of the country and all New Zealanders.
So. A public servant works for a Ministry, SOE, University, etc.
Ministerial Services staff are largely a professional class that serve politicians directly.
Remember, public servants are hired and fired by the Chief Executives or Secretaries of their Departments. Not Ministers. Ministers can certainly put a lot of pressure to bear, but the executive control of Ministries is from the Minister to the Chief Executive, or from the Minister to the Board, to the Chief Executive. Hence the State Sector Act from back in the late 1980s, in which Ministers are simply purchasers of services from those public service entities.
Respectfully Ad you are not wrong. But neither is Greywarshark (I’m quite attracted to ‘Greywarship actually), on account of this from him/her –
“This is an entire corruption of the values, understanding and dreams that we older people had about the future of the country and all New Zealanders.”
Seems to me your looking glass is principally focused whereas Greywarshark takes an overview. And in that overview sees a reflection of what you talk about in the principally focused view.
That is (more) corruption. So pervasive as to be corruption of our broad psyche. The words (and Greywarship’s lament) – “and all New Zealanders.” – well that quite does it for me.
Particularly when I regard the E! Channel odour of the Parnell-centred, wannabe “New Camelot”, and “Spy”, and the intrusion of this ‘nouveau riche’ frippery into our political life.
“It’s time Auckland Council showed ratepayers some damn respect,” centre-right mayoral candidate Stephen Berry said ahead of the protest.
Damn right they should. They should immediately publish all the cities finances and ask people where things should be cut, where spending should be increased and what they’re going to get for the amount spent. This would then be automatically totalled so that people know how much they’re spending.
After that they can then suggest how it’s going to be funded with estimates of how much each funding option will raise.
And, no, I’m not joking about this. This, really, is how government finances should be done. Openness and transparency should rule and it would get rid of the RWNJs attacks on society.
As an aside, I wonder how many people are actually going to turn up. Most RWNJ protests don’t seem to get a lot of traction.
I heard that mayoral candidate with his refrain about waste of taxpayers money and thought that he sounded the usual slow witted male dork looking for an easy way to insert himself into people’s minds. Oh save us from Council waste of funds. Cut everything that is at the base of supporting the city. (Leave it to private enterprise to decide which rort is the best profit-maker.)
He wanted money spent on art festivals to be stopped. Art festivals are the industrial display wonders of the 21st century. With nothing much being made in the industrial field, the creatives of the country step forward and design and make things that people are interested to travel from afar to look at and to spend money while doing so. It is called keeping enterprise bubbling with new ideas and excitement. Something that people who may have lost consciousness on the rugby field a few times tend to lack, as to them new is someone devising a different game plan always within the same parameters.
I wonder which entity, wilfully neglectful government or private, was ultimately responsible for controlling storage of chemicals that have just blasted over much of that Chinese city. 70 tons I think was the maximum allowed but it was 700 tons of highly dangerous chemical. (If not it was 7 and 70, but A LOT whichever.) And stored near the port which if in Auckland would be at the bottom of the CBD and right near the entrance to the thin link to North Shore and Far North, the Harbour Bridge. That is just an example of why we need local government that takes an interest in everything, and does its job of planning and monitoring and enforcing, not concentrating on costing less.
Of course the first thing to do, is to start reducing salaries of incumbents, and set new lower levels for new entrants. So both councillors and the management would get less on a formula connected to how much debt the Council was carrying. The more debt, the more prudent the top managers should be including their salaries being capped to a formula of no more than 10 times the minimum wage. That would bite them in the bum! The workers should have regular inflation-proofing top ups and Christmas bonuses. Let them eat Christmas cake once a year, and receive a living wage for 40 hours, with extra for anti-social hours before 7.30 and after 5.30 pm. And then there would be better outcomes for both ratepayers, and the city’s servants.
Only local government publishes all its finances in detail, consults on them, and changes them as a result.
Auckland Council’s consultation was larger than the Auckland Plan or Unitary Plan submissions. Over 25% of the budget was changed as a result of the consultation.
They did indeed ask the public where things should be cut. The draft budget proposed huge cuts to transport operating costs. It was changed due to overwhelming support for greater transport expenditure.
Frank Macskasy mentioned on the TPP post that he was doing a post on the TPP protest in Wellington yesterday. Here it is. Now I couldn’t be there yesterday unfortunately but the sight of this:
Who else around the country saw cops with tasers? I don’t recall seeing cops with tasers at other rallies I’ve attended. Why are the cops escalating their level of intimidation in a non violent setting? It’s not like they are at a scene where a meth head is beating the crap out of someone and Police can’t restrain the hyper violent person in any other way.
Do they think they can frighten us into submission? Is that the plan?
How many incidences of uncontrollable violence have occurred at political rallies around the country in recent years that would justify the wearing of tasers?
Cheers b. I was aware of that. I’m questioning their need to bring them along to a peaceful demonstration. I think it’s provocative as well as intimidating.
I find it very chilling, Rosie, thinking back to the Springbok Tour protests and imagining what the Red Squad in particular would have done with tasers. It was brutal enough with long batons.
I am beginning to wonder whether the bringing in of tasers as standard police equipment is as much to intimidate protestors as control violent criminals. The behaviour of some members of the police force, the lack of accountability and the political bias that has been evident over the last few years is cause for concern.
“I am beginning to wonder whether the bringing in of tasers as standard police equipment is as much to intimidate protestors as control violent criminals.”
Thats exactly what I’m thinking too Karen.
I can understand their rationale for being armed with tasers when going in to a very violent situation, whilst not necessarily supporting it, but there is no rationale for bringing them to a peaceful demo, unless it is to intimidate and or provoke.
“I am beginning to wonder whether the bringing in of tasers as standard police equipment is as much to intimidate protestors as control violent criminals.”
Me too. I was one of the ‘peaceful’ protestors outside Eden Park during 1981test match. The images I carried away will never leave me. One of them was spotting the police Red Squad lined up ready to go into battle along the railway lines close to the Kingsland Station. It was like something out of WW2. Only those who were there can comprehend what it was like. There we were peacefully walking towards Eden Park – having a little chant along the way – and the next minute all hell broke loose. We began running for our lives and we’d done nothing wrong. And that was without tasers.
Anne and Karen. I hold a permanent sense of respect for the 1981 Springbok tour protesters. I was 10 at the time but as an adult, got to speak to those who were there and listen to their stories.
To me, they, which would mean you too, are true ordinary heroes and I think what courage it must have taken to carry on, given the Police violence directed at the protesters at the time.
I often wonder if some individuals were psychologically damaged by it. Those I spoke to weren’t, but I think the scale of the fear, anxiety, shock and actual physical assault and abuse must have had an impact on some.
Unfortunately Rosie like all protest marches there are always a group of people who are out to cause violence and trouble. But the Red Squad in particular seemed to lose it completely and before long they were batoning people who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. I was not one of those, but I did see a couple of instances where the police launched attacks on some young people who were doing nothing. It was crazy stuff yet as far as I know none of the police involved were prosecuted for their violent behaviour.
There were some humorous moments though… like a group of young police officers who were sent to keep an eye on us protesters as we wandered away from the crime scene. They must have been directly below one of the flour bombs that were being dropped from the circling plane and they were covered from head to toe in flour. It was hard not to burst out laughing as we passed them.
Re the flag 40. Trevor Mallard was adamant that Key/English would select the final 4 flags. The expensive panel of 12 were really an expensive farce. Probably already decided on Key’s favourite four.
Yep. John Key is choosing the flag. Make no mistake about that. He’s made a clip on his Facebook page, which David Farrar has just whacked one out over, begging for Kiwis to see it his way.
Yeah, he’s said what he wants and the full weight of the National Party machine will be brought to bear to make this realisation true, no matter how gimicky, ill thought out, and awful John Key’s final choice is.
So the one with the fern on it then is it BM – after all that’s what John says it going to be and – well he knows. You do realize that ferns grow all over the world? No I thought not.
Why would I want to do away with a flag to which I stood to attention and saluted every morning at 0800 for 15 years and replace it with an abomination? Why would any one who has served this country in war want to do away with a flag under which many have fought and died – simply for the vanity of a one man who doesn’t have any feelings for the people who really matter in this country?
Attention, citizens who have private health insurance.
Expect your Private Health Insurance fees to rise if the TPPA is signed with clauses which extend the patent lives of drugs.
If this isn’t to your liking, then please talk to Mr Groser and Mr Key or any Cabinet Minister as these are the people who will be committing NZ to this agreement.
Right, a listicle in Cracked is your source? Are you kidding or do you honestly have no concept of how to assess the reliability of sources?
A quick scan showed no reference to peer review, reproducibility – the starting definition of methodology is untrue and the cherry-picked links that follows are an object demonstration of confirmation bias. Oh, and there was a quote from Jurassic Park to lend some sort of authority because it was read by an celebrity using a script.
I suppose with journalism being in such a parlous state today, the gullible who read that crap wouldn’t know good journalism if they saw it.
I always get amused by these kinds of lists. You will note that this one was on science right?
Only about 15 percent of journals have relevant instructions, and enforcement is often more lax than anti-media-piracy laws after the apocalypse.
The 15% claim…. They link to a paper about storing data that was published in the early 1990s, the first citation is 1995. You know 20 years ago – before the internet became ubiquitous. It was at the point when data sets got enormous and far too big for paper, but there were few public datastores. To quote this paper where the previous link is from 2014 would have to indicate that the author is a complete fuckwit more interested in spinning a story than providing anything relevant.
One particularly damaging error occurred in 2010 with the publication of an influential paper that concluded that countries with large debts experience lower economic growth.
FFS: Does the dickhead author realise that this is an economic paper? One that was published in a non-peer reviewed journal? What in the hell does that have to do with science?
These were on the second of SEVEN points in the post he linked to. The first point was arguable. But by the time the second point came around, I’d concluded that it was written by a numbskull who knew nothing about science, and was instead just looking around for links that supported their insane thesis. They weren’t concerned about checking or validating those, just so long has they could make a one-liner fit over it.
About that point I concluded that Kevin is most likely a card carrying member of stupid moron propeller head society. Because no-one else would have wasted my time reading such idiotic twaddle by linking to it. I’d say that because he didn’t pick up these blindingly obvious fuckups, that he was also completely incapable of understanding ANY actual scientific work. Like that on climate change for instance.
Conjecture. There’s nothing to say that Private health companies won’t absorb any increases themselves, depending of course on how much the increases are.
So Heki Pirau (Rotten Egg [as lustily known in Moerewa]) Parata has failed miserably in her “asprayshuns”. While she is a not (on a naked IQ scale) an unintelligent person (pity no application)……she is a fake. An impostor.
There the lady ensconces as an unwittingly hilarious actor in ShonKey Python’s Flying Circus. “OMG!” as they say !
Its ten years since the fates took David Lange from us. He is still remembered with love. Russell Brown unearthed this wee gem which features 95bFM Breakfast Host Graeme Hill interviewing David Lange about his book, “Broadsides”. Talk about prescient . . .
“In 2012, he tried to defund government research centers in the High Arctic, and placed Canadian environmental scientists under gag orders. That year, National Research Council members were barred from discussing their work on snowfall with the media.
Scientists for the governmental agency Environment Canada, under threat of losing their jobs, have been banned from discussing their research without political approval. Mentions of federal climate change research in the Canadian press have dropped 80 percent. The union that represents federal scientists and other professionals has, for the first time in its history, abandoned neutrality to campaign against Mr. Harper.
His active promotion of ignorance extends into the functions of government itself. Most shockingly, he ended the mandatory long-form census, a decision protested by nearly 500 organizations in Canada, including the Canadian Medical Association, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the Canadian Catholic Council of Bishops. In the age of information, he has stripped Canada of its capacity to gather information about itself. The Harper years have seen a subtle darkening of Canadian life.
The darkness has resulted, organically, in one of the most scandal-plagued administrations in Canadian history. Mr. Harper’s tenure coincided with the scandal of Rob Ford, the mayor of Toronto who admitted to smoking crack while in office and whose secret life came to light only when Gawker, an American website, broke the story. In a famous video at a Ford family barbecue, Mr. Harper praised the Fords as a “Conservative political dynasty.”
Mr. Harper’s appointments to the Senate — which in Canada is a mercifully impotent body employed strictly for political payoffs — have proved greedier than the norm. Mr. Harper’s chief of staff was forced out for paying off a senator who fudged his expenses. The Mounties have pressed criminal charges.”
Australia is ending teen smoking — and Big Tobacco is furious.
So furious, it is suing Australia in a secret tribunal that will cost $50 million of public money just to defend ourselves. Cabinet ministers have been hauled in front of the clandestine courts. Domestic laws could be overturned — at an even higher cost — because they benefit Australian people instead of tobacco corporations’ bottom lines.
This is what signing the TPPA will lead to for NZ. Corporate control of our laws with millions, and probably billions, wasted to cater to these psychopaths desires for more wealth.
Welcome to reality. In case you hadn’t noticed, NZ is already subject to exactly the same potential claims without the TPPA in exactly the same way as Australia is with PMI via a free trade agreement with HK. NZ has exactly the same clause in agreements with many of the TPPA countries (but not HK) already, and we could be facing exactly the same claim from PMI without the TPPA. If you have a free trade agreement, in principle the ISDS provisions are a good thing as they are the only real legal mechanism an exporter has to ensure equal treatment under the FTA.
Already companies from countries listed in the link below could sue NZ on the same grounds as PMI is suing Australia. The Philip Morris case is a Hong Kong company suing the Australian Government.
Of course we don’t really know, but I would hope the TPPA doesn’t allow these types of claims on public health policy grounds – limitations on sale of tobacco, alcohol etc.
It’s not reality but delusion but that’s just capitalism in general.
The Philip Morris case is a Hong Kong company suing the Australian Government.
You missed this bit didn’t you?
Philip Morris moved its regional headquarters from Australia to Hong Kong just so it could sue us.
So, no, Phillip Morris isn’t a Hong Kong company.
If you have a free trade agreement, in principle the ISDS provisions are a good thing as they are the only real legal mechanism an exporter has to ensure equal treatment under the FTA.
And that’s a load of bollocks as well. ISDS came about because of investment in countries that didn’t have good legal systems in place and pretty much all of them do now thus ISDS isn’t needed. It’s arguable that it ever was.
Also, no country has ever needed foreign ‘investment’. Why would any country need foreign money to utilise their own resources?
i’m not defending them, and no I didn’t miss that bit about the change of abode, given that Australia’s first line of defence is to protest exactly that fact.
The point I was making is that everyone is getting excited that ISDS provisions are coming with the TPPA. All I am saying is that we already have them. And that with only a modest amount of legal chicanery any corporate from anywhere in the world could already use those provisions, as PMI have shown in Aus.
You’re anti free trade and anti global trade – that’s fine and a validly held opinion to have, but if you do have a free trade agreement then its is perfectly sensible to have ISDS provisions in it.
Personally I think we (and all other countries) would be better off not signing the TPPA, but rather settling bilateral trade agreements with all the countries in the region. Then each agreement specifically addresses only the needs of those two countries. I dont think the TPPA is the coming of the anti-christ, but it is more a deal about protection of intellectual property and dispute resolution (not necessarily a good thing) rather than a classic free trade agreement (generally a good thing).
Actually, I’m not. I just happen to think that trade is the exchange of goods and preferably completed goods ready to on retail shelves. I don’t think it includes foreign investment and catering to mega-corporations as the FTAs invariably do.
Personally I think we (and all other countries) would be better off not signing the TPPA, but rather settling bilateral trade agreements with all the countries in the region.
We shouldn’t even be doing that as it locks us in to trade that may be disadvantageous to us. I think it would be better to set some standards that other countries have to reach to be able to freely trade with us (see my above concept of trade). Much simpler and more open.
Why the distinction between services and goods? Why in your world can I not export a service?
Why would a bilateral agreement negotiated by NZ “lock us in to trade that may be disadvantageous to us.” Why would we agree to that? Trade agreements also have mechanisms for renegotiating and updating as economies change.
Trade agreements are mostly about access to other markets on terms that are not disadvantageous – i.e the removal or alignment of tariff and other barriers to entry. Setting minimum standards is exactly what trade agreements do, but it formalises them so that one party cant back track or put in other barriers. In a non-documented world you run the risk of capricious change by a government for spurious reasons (ie lobbying by special interest groups, populism, corruption etc). And with a “minimum standards approach” (presumably minimum standards around employment law, consumer safety etc) how would you deal with dumping or trans-national point of origination issues for instance?
To me that’s more a question of why would anyone want to import it?
Why would a bilateral agreement negotiated by NZ “lock us in to trade that may be disadvantageous to us.” Why would we agree to that?
Good question. Why did Labour/National lock us into selling our houses/land/businesses to foreigners and thus disadvantaging our own people with no way to stop it?
Setting minimum standards is exactly what trade agreements do, but it formalises them so that one party cant back track or put in other barriers.
As I said – locks us in. And it doesn’t set minimum standards at all – if they did we wouldn’t be trading with China as they simply don’t meet our standards.
In a non-documented world you run the risk of capricious change by a government for spurious reasons (ie lobbying by special interest groups, populism, corruption etc).
Whatever gave you an idea that a set of standards wouldn’t be documented?
And with a “minimum standards approach” (presumably minimum standards around employment law, consumer safety etc) how would you deal with dumping or trans-national point of origination issues for instance?
As a longtime member of the Friends of Tibet NZ group, I am deeply concerned at the article listed in the Standard’s feeds column from Redline: From the Vaults.
The article wrongly states that the Dalai Lama is wanting to return Tibet to a feudal state. Some fact checking turns up the following information from this link: http://tibet.net/about-cta/legislature/
“The Tibetan Parliament in Exile
The Tibetan Parliament in Exile (TPiE) is the unicameral and highest legislative organ of the Central Tibetan Administration. Established and based in Dharamsala, India. The creation of this democratically elected body has been one of the major changes that His Holiness the Dalai Lama has brought about in his efforts to introduce a democratic system of administration. Today, the Parliament consists of 44 members. Ten members each from U-Tsang, Do-tod and Do-med, the three traditional provinces of Tibet, while the four schools of Tibetan Buddhism and the traditional Bon faith elect two members each. Four members are elected by Tibetans in the west: two from Europe, one from North America and one from Canada. The Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile is headed by a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker, who are elected by the members amongst themselves. Any Tibetan who has reached the age of 25 has the right to contest elections to the Parliament.
The elections are held every five years and any Tibetan who has reached the age of 18 is entitled to vote.Sessions of the Parliament are held twice every year, with an interval of six months between the sessions. When the Parliament is not in session, there is a standing committee of eleven members: two members from each province, one member from each religious denomination. The members of the Parliament undertake periodic tours to Tibetan settlements to make an assessment of people’s overall conditions. On their return, they bring to the notice of the administration about all the grievances and matters which need attention.The Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile keeps in touch with people also through Local Parliaments established in 38 major Tibetan communities. The Charter provides for the establishment of a Local Parliament in a community having a population of not less than 160.
The Local Parliaments are scaled-down replicas of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile. They keep an eye on the activities of their respective settlement/welfare officers. They also make laws for their respective communities according to the latter’s felt-needs. The laws passed by the Local Parliament must be implemented by the respective settlement/welfare officer.”
The article posted by Redline needs to be returned to the vaults never to be exhumed.
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Willis has pledged to go ahead with the debt-funded tax cuts, despite growing opposition from her own supporters worried about appearing fiscally irresponsible. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for ...
Open access notables A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North, van Wijngaarden et al., Climatic Change:The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased ...
Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On ...
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...
New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
Opposition MPs and unions are criticising a proposal by New Zealand’s Ministry of Pacific Peoples to cut staff by 40 percent. The country’s largest trade union — The Public Service Association — says the ministry has informed staff that it is looking to shed 63 of 156 positions. Opposition MPs ...
A poem by Poetry Aotearoa Yearbook 2024 featured poet Carin Smeaton. Daughtr of the 90s when she gets promoted to usherette a baby blu eel carries her all the way up to mothership she’s hovering high she lets the underaged in to see keanu reeves she lets the only lonely ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand. My earlier article – Can ‘Good’ be the Greater Evil? – looked at the issue of how wars should end, and how Good versus Evil ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 AMMA by Saraid de Silva (Moa Press, $38)A stunning debut novel reviewed by Brannavan ...
From Steve Martin to Ricky Stanicky, a pick’n’mix of things worth watching and listening to this long weekend. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. If you’re at a loss for something to occupy yourself with this Easter, don’t panic: The Spinoff’s got ...
Jesus had dinner with his 12 disciples right before he died. Noted historian Madeleine Chapman finds out who really deserved to be there.First published in 2018 but let’s be honest, the subject is timeless. As you sit on your couch this Easter Sunday, eating a chocolate egg you know ...
The newly-promoted Northern League club is on a mission to return to the National League for the first time in two decades. Plenty about domestic football in New Zealand has changed in that time – but the sense that this amateur competition is not an entirely level playing field remains. ...
Comment: Every year on February 2, a dozen men in tuxedos and top hats approach the burrow of a groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania and entice the beaver-like rodent to emerge and predict the weather. If the groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, sees its own shadow when it is summoned, legend ...
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Auckland Council has put a deadline on new weather-impacted property owners applying for categorisation as government funding looks set to run out. Councillors have voted to support a deadline of September 30 for property owners who haven’t accessed support to come forward and engage with the council’s recovery office. It ...
NONFICTION 1 BBQ Economics by Liam Dann (Penguin Random House, $40) “It’s official,” wrote Dann nine days ago in the Herald, where he works as business editor at large, “we’re in recession.” Yeah, great. He delivered the bad stats: “GDP fell 0.1 percent in the December 2023 quarter, compared with ...
By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
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 A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Miller-Jones, Professor, Curtin University Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets. Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, CC BY-SA How fast can a neutron star drive powerful jets into space? The answer, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The federal government has bowed to pressure from the car industry, announcing it will relax proposed emissions rules for utes and vans and delay enforcement of the new standards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney In his latest book, Jewish Life in Medieval Spain, Jonathan Ray focuses on the tumult of the 14th century in Spain – a time of the plague, civil strife and war between the two largest ...
While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata Māori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is “far-off sight”. In the contemporary and living language of te reo Māori, “whakaata” as a ...
Yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. This significant step and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza prompted an urgent debate in the New Zealand Parliament. Leader ...
The Government’s decision to reduce access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) not only threatens the lives of children with type 1 diabetes and increases the potential for ‘Dead in Bed’ syndrome, but also threatens the health of their parents an ...
Apples are available year-round, but the wide variety on offer involves intensive scientific research – and large-scale commercialisation. What’s beautiful, red, sweet and crunchy? Tony Martin’s favourite kind of apple: Sassy. The CEO of apple and pear breeding organisation Prevar, Martin’s fondness for Sassy represents professional success as well as ...
Family violence specialist service Shine is calling on employers to stop asking for proof of domestic violence in order for employees to access domestic violence leave. The call comes five years after the introduction of the Domestic Violence ...
The Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for public submissions on the Budget Policy Statement 2024. The Budget Policy Statement 2024 (BPS) sets out the Government's priorities for the 2024 Budget. It explains the approach ...
Brutal government spending cuts that will see the size of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples slashed by 40% will hit Pasifika communities hard, the PSA says. The Ministry has told staff that it is seeking voluntary redundancies, and to redeploy and reassign ...
I live with five people I mostly love, but our different ideas about generosity are starting to really irk me.Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,This is a bit of a random one but here goes. I’m 22 and work an OK job (OK meaning I get paid ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Nicholas, Senior Lecturer in Language and Literacy Education, Deakin University Earlier this month, the New South Wales government announced it would roll out programs for gifted students in every public school in the state. This comes amid concerns gifted school ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney Massachusetts General Hospital In a world first, we heard last week that US surgeons had transplanted a kidney from a gene-edited pig into a living human. News reports said the procedure was a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tombs, Howard Paterson Chair of Theology and Public Issues, University of Otago The 5th-century Maskell panel showing Jesus in a loincloth.British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA When Jesus is shown on the cross, he is almost always depicted wearing a loincloth around ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock When you think about a red object, you might picture a red carpet, or the massive ruby in the Queen’s crown. Indeed, Western monarchies and marketing from brands such ...
COMMENTARY:Jewish Voice for Peace The UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Monday — and for the first time since the beginning of the Israeli military’s genocide of Palestinians, the United States abstained rather than vetoing it. Security Council resolutions are legally binding, ...
Asia Pacific Report A New Zealand investigative journalist and author says the US spy system hosted by the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) appears to be a controversial intelligence system used in global capture-kill operations. Writing a commentary for RNZ News today, Nicky Hager, author of Secret Power, a 1996 ...
While Nicola Willis wouldn’t give any details on its size, she said a package of tax cuts is definitely still coming in this year’s budget, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the investigation into the Department of Internal Affairs after it was revealed that the Department’s Chief Executive personally reached out to expedite a DJs passport application. Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns ...
Finance minister Nicola Willis delivers her first budget statement, and unwittingly helps Joel MacManus save his relationship. Nicola Willis strode into the Beehive Theatrette. Around me, on the green foldout seats, were the country’s top business and political journalists. They were all here to see her announce the Budget Policy ...
Twenty years ago today, Māori Television launched after much controversy. Jamie Tahana looks back on its survival and impact across two decades. Chad Chambers stepped onto the stage, the brim of his cap casting a shadow across his face. His smile beamed as bright as his white freezing works gumboots, ...
Tauranga, Rotorua, Wellsford, Onehunga, Westhaven marina – Gavin Strawhan walks the meanish streets of New Zealand in his entertaining debut novel The Call, almost sure to roar into the number 1 position on the Nielsen bestseller chart, its front cover bearing a rave from somebody: “A really good and genuinely ...
On a Thursday in February, at Wellington’s Conservation House, the Conservation Authority, a statutory body advising the eponymous department and minister, Tama Potaka, opened its 195th meeting. Under consideration that afternoon was an agenda item written by Tim Bamford, chief advisor in the Department of Conservation’s biodiversity, heritage and visitors ...
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A lengthy response to the recently released draft Government policy statement on transport will soon be delivered from Auckland Council to Minister of Transport Simeon Brown. A submission raising concerns about funding distribution and the plan’s treatment of Auckland passed through the council’s transport committee on Wednesday, despite some councillors ...
Can anyone explain this extraordinary piece?http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/71151447/good-government-neednt-be-a-punchline-tony-abbott
Thought I must have woken up in a parallel universe this morning!
Key is good and knows what he’s doing.
Abbot is hopeless.
According to a SMH journalist, in Sydney.
I found English’s line “adjust expectation” particularly sinister.
Key is a lying schmuck but it’s good to know that you support such immoral people. It shows that you have no morals either.
Slogans are all we’ve got from this government. They sure as hell haven’t told us what they’re doing until after they’ve done it.
http://shop.countdown.co.nz/#url=/Shop/SearchProducts%3Fsearch%3DCheese%2B1kg
Local pak’n’save cheese non discounted was $11/ kg
Why is cheese still well over $10/kg.
The farmers have to cover their loss from somewhere and we’re it.
But then, it’s not really the farmers who set the supermarket prices but the supermarkets who are probably raking in the super-profits ATM.
I see Jamie Whyte still banging on in the SST about the free market providing for safe work environments …………..
yet no mention in his opinion of the best live example of this in action – Pike River
the man just shat on his own head
dangerous fuckwit
Hooton on q&a was crying as panel criticized neoliberalism, he was pushed to recant economic bibical belief in the coming of thatcherism how it changed everything, whine whone cry cry. How dare they all question his faith in markets.
Geez, like we dont all get it now, cheap energy not thatcherism built thirty years of profit driven by swapping paper debts. Promised clean environments, safe work places, free education all burnt to feed the debt driven economy, even high learning divorced from the enlightenment.
All Hooten does is eulogize neolibs in national and labour and poke irrational cheapshots at anyone else.
once he compared a bathroom accident with workplaces I just laughed. *I* control my bathroom. *I* do not control how well my employer maintains my workplace and when.
TV Ones Q&A this morning was the best I have viewed. Replays again late this evening.
Agree. Good subjects and intelligent debate. Simon Dallow is a vast improvement on Susan Wood. And Deborah Russell is a vast improvement on Josie Pagani.
The only blight on the horizon was Hooton and his relentless campaign against Helen Clark, David Parker, David Cunliffe and Andrew Little. You can predict when their names are going to go ‘clunk’ into the middle of some damming indictment. Eg. he said at one point… ” I mean, Little’s a union leader” as if that was the most damming indictment one could make of a person. I even had the impression Jeremy Corbyn’s rise to the UK Labour leadership was somehow their fault – slight exaggeration but you know what I mean.
Hooton’s comment’s added to the debate and there was ample opportunity for Russell to respond and put an alternative which allowed balance.
Hooton’s view of the world was akin to rugby union becoming a professional sport in the late 80’s. There is no going back to the amateur game but he doesn’t accept that since becoming professional there are fewer players enjoying the benefits at the varying levels of participation.
This guy?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3191679/Jeremy-Corbyn-caught-video-calling-Muslim-hate-preacher-honoured-citizen-inviting-tea-terrace-House-Commons.html
Ahhhh yes, the establishment smear fear campaign against true left wing anti-war Labour Party leader candidate Jeremy Corbyn, continues.
You think the Daily Mail is a reliable source of news.
OK……………
Mr Hooton demonstrated his useby date is way past expiry…A Dinosaur pretending to have all answers for all occasions,his body language is open to interpretation.Why do the news networks continually use this man.He appears to be consumed by his tireless boring attacks on Labour,Clark etc,etc.The man lives in the past with no constructive criticism of the current dire position our once proud nation held.
the police made tasers standard issue for all officers weeks ago.
Tasers to replace guns, oops. When they are misused, gun rollout
Remind me what his expertise is? What he produces for a living?
The British Medical Journal has just published this meta study that looks at dietary fat and chronic health conditions such as heart disease, stroke and late onset diabetes. This is the latest in a series of studies that shows that the ‘fat is bad’ message is wrong.
http://www.bmj.com/content/351/bmj.h3978
If you want an award winning science journalist’s take on this written for the general public, see the following link. Note the date. This isn’t new.
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/07/magazine/what-if-it-s-all-been-a-big-fat-lie.html?pagewanted=all
There are two issues here. One is that the public health message of the past 30 years has been wrong and will need to change (and given the origin is US based, the lawsuits should be interesting too). Such change takes a long time, so I think we are going to be seeing a period of time where people don’t know what to do.
The other is that it demonstrates how science can still get things so terribly wrong, not because of flaws in the scientific method, but because of how science gets used. The author of that NYT article has written extensively about the political and social as well as scientific and medico reasons why we ended up with such bad advice from health authorities. We need to be holding science far more accountable than we are.
Cheers Weka, good links
The narrative around ‘fats’ ties in with the mistruth around cholesterol, as it relates to the pushing of statin drugs
yep, that’s the one. I think another factor is fat phobia. At a non-rational level people were making connnections between dietary fat and body fat and their discomfit with body fat affected their thinking. It’s not like the actual science hasn’t been there, it’s that people chose which bits to use and which to ignore and it looks like fear of fat is part of that.
Here are the latest Cochrane reviews I can find on both statins and reducing saturated fat intake for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. If instead it makes you feel better about your own saturated fat intake or disregarding your doctor’s opinion regarding statins for you then by all means go ahead and just focus on those particular links and articles though.
http://www.cochrane.org/CD011737/VASC_effect-of-cutting-down-on-the-saturated-fat-we-eat-on-our-risk-of-heart-disease
http://www.cochrane.org/CD004816/VASC_statins-for-the-primary-prevention-of-cardiovascular-disease
Thanks for this. And the key is “how the science was used.
Here is another example, This time involving Nike’s deliberate Chinese Whisperising of a study
http://physicalactivitypolitics.com/2015/08/14/a-great-fallacy-in-physical-activity-promotion/
Crikey. Buying Nike increases test scores 😉
Whats happening with the Sabin issues?I hope all will be revealed.The nats clearly have a lot to hide.
It will be dragged out much further to a point where the alleged abusive activity becomes so distant that the public will have trouble caring.
Also, there is a cover up to cover up, namely John Key’s arrogant appointment of Sabin to the law and order select committee despite knowing of the abuse allegations.
I heard the court case was put off till some time in 2016.
Can’t recall the source for that.
National has been very effective at making it go away … they need to be careful it doesn’t reappear closer to 2017.
In the meantime the whole process has been drawn out for his alleged victims. But who in government cares about them?
From the do as I say, not as I do files…
The number of Ministerial Services staff employed in Ministers’ offices earning $100,000 or more has increased over 300% since National took office.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/71148223/more-than-a-third-of-officials-in-the-beehive-now-take-home-six-figure-salaries
Time to fix public servants to no more than $100, 000 and that would go to the PM. Everyone else’s income would be indexed to that.
$100k p.a. is too low a top rate.
Why?
You can live on it quite comfortably.
you can live on that quite comfortably in Levin, yes.
You could live ob it quite comfortably pretty much anywhere – as long as house prices weren’t bubbling.
Nice for Levin, then.
It’s the 21st century – there’s no reason for any top public servant to live in Auckland or Wellington. Headquarter the Ministry of Health in Kerikeri, the Ministry of Forestry in Tokoroa, the Ministry of Fisheries in Napier, the Ministry of Agriculture in Lincoln, the Ministry of Social Welfare in Mosgiel and the Ministry of Mining in Nightcaps and save truckloads of taxpayer cash in the long term.
(no, I can’t be bothered looking up for the current names of the ministries; they change regularly at the whim of whichever corporate PR idiot has been brought in to pretty them up)
As a single person, not as a family. If you had a family to support you would know this.
My brother does quite well supporting his family on less than $100k. So, yes, $100k is enough to raise a family.
You may have a point about those on less than $100k but then I’d set a minimum of $50k per year for those new to public service.
Ministerial Services staff work for politicians, who by their public reputation and visible performance are abusive, irrational, vindictive, quite happy to permanently damage your career, happy to throw you under the media bus, often bullying, disloyal, and completely unrewarding unless you are star-struck and doing a political apprenticeship.
$100k+ isn’t just danger money, it’s “get in get out” money. Central government politicians have one of the lowest reputations in the country for strong and very consistent reasons. And before everyone goes ‘wait, my one is as pure as the driven snow’, just try working for them.
Ad, that first paragraph of yours is so, so evocative of how it is. A perfect reflection !
I commiserate with you, just in case what appears in your second paragraph, you have been close to.
Interesting snippet here – Baltimore USA has a light rail out to their BWI/Washington airport – the distance is 11ks (eleven kilometres) – the fare out is $1.60 US and the fare back is the same. I repeat that $1.60 US – us Aucklanders are being fleeced blind with their transport costs and my partner many times on business, went by cab to the airport and it was approx $70 one way (same distance 11 ks) – this was 4 years ago. The US are either subsidising their public transport to the hilt or NZ transport costs are right off the scale.
Homes over there are fantastic, we have a relative who owns in Baltimore and its a beautiful 3 storey town house in a lovely part of the city by a park (walking distance to work on their beautiful waterfront) – lovely fittings and finish, high stud, beautiful cornices, solid timber floors, a staircase of solid timber, granite benches, bar fridge you name it in the kitchen – a terraced roof garden – they paid $442,000US for it – it would have been 2 million plus here in Auckland so close to the city, even has a car pad down the breeze alley in the back. The park has free yoga classes on the lawns and free tennis courts to play on and regular concerts work days and weeekends, they walk down to the park with their wine and picnic rug, have their supper on the lawn and listen to the music – all for free. Only problem it is the US and Baltimore does have racial problems so I suppose there has to be a catch somewhere – I for one wouldn’t want to live there but they are happy as.
Beggars belief how we are being swindled over here. Restaurant meals are cheaper there and so are their supermarket costs. What’s going wrong over here??
I stand corrected – I am being advised the distance on the light rail is 11 miles (US measure in miles)- not 11 ks – so its terribly cheap at $1.60 a one way fare. The taxi ride to the airport in AK is correct but the distance for that price was 42 ks – not 11ks.
Will edit better next time.
if you would like rates raised further to subsidize transport even more, I am sure that can be arranged.
Meantime, central government expects lower and lower Public Transport subsidy per passenger every year.
Baltimore seems to deliver. Although it is an old city planned on old public principles.
Not many of those in New Zealand.
Although it does have its ugly side. ie recent Baltimore riots ….. not nice at all.
Baltimore’s mental health services are excellent too. The psychiatrists all have great suits and practise innovative techniques.
A few excerpts re TPPA and Canada
http://www.thestar.com/business/2015/08/14/how-canada-caved-during-pacific-trade-deal-talks-in-hawaii-geist.html
“Sources advise that Canada dropped numerous demands on key patent and copyright issues in Hawaii, likely in the mistaken belief that a concluded deal was imminent.
Indeed, after withholding agreement on critical issues such as anti-patent trolling rules, website blocking, restrictions on digital locks, trademark classification and border enforcement, Canadian negotiators caved to U.S. pressure but failed to garner agreement.
“For Canada, the deal on ISPs means that the government has agreed to induce providers to “remove or disable” access to content upon becoming aware of a decision of a court on a copyright infringement. The broadly worded provision could force Canadian ISPs to block content on websites after being notified of a foreign court order — without first having to assess whether the site is even legal under Canadian law.”
“There are still some unresolved issues in the Hawaii draft, particularly those involving the term of copyright (which the U.S. wants Canada, Japan, New Zealand and Malaysia to extend by an additional 20 years) and many pharmaceutical patent issues.
Yet Canadian negotiators appear to have badly blundered by prematurely making important concessions but failing to close the deal. As a result, it seems likely that Canada will be forced to concede on other key issues when countries next meet to finalize the TPP.”
Free Trade Agreement? Not even close.
The corruption of the civil service.
We are becoming a corrupt tinpot state under the cronyism of Key and his financier clique.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/71148223/more-than-a-third-of-officials-in-the-beehive-now-take-home-six-figure-salaries
Where is the corruption.
@Ad
I think it is the corruption of the mind that regard some people as exceptional with
spurious measurements of successful achievement being awarded huge salaries while the basic income required for living is whittled down at the same time. One lot shooting up moneywise, and one lot shooting down, while perhaps losing rationality and shooting up with drugs.
And constantly opportunities being whittled away while our politicians make promises to do their jobs when forced to, with soothing, helpful tones and smiling faces relying on memories fractured and forgetful as bad events flood across our consciousness. Meantime the country shoots itself in the foot.
This is an entire corruption of the values, understanding and dreams that we older people had about the future of the country and all New Zealanders.
That’s a bit of a conflation.
Ministerial Service staff are not by and large public servants.
Nor are they politicians.
They are employees who service political offices.
At 30% staff turnover, even $100k plus doesn’t appear worth it.
so what is a public servant? I am a lil confused.
So. A public servant works for a Ministry, SOE, University, etc.
Ministerial Services staff are largely a professional class that serve politicians directly.
Remember, public servants are hired and fired by the Chief Executives or Secretaries of their Departments. Not Ministers. Ministers can certainly put a lot of pressure to bear, but the executive control of Ministries is from the Minister to the Chief Executive, or from the Minister to the Board, to the Chief Executive. Hence the State Sector Act from back in the late 1980s, in which Ministers are simply purchasers of services from those public service entities.
Respectfully Ad you are not wrong. But neither is Greywarshark (I’m quite attracted to ‘Greywarship actually), on account of this from him/her –
“This is an entire corruption of the values, understanding and dreams that we older people had about the future of the country and all New Zealanders.”
Seems to me your looking glass is principally focused whereas Greywarshark takes an overview. And in that overview sees a reflection of what you talk about in the principally focused view.
That is (more) corruption. So pervasive as to be corruption of our broad psyche. The words (and Greywarship’s lament) – “and all New Zealanders.” – well that quite does it for me.
Particularly when I regard the E! Channel odour of the Parnell-centred, wannabe “New Camelot”, and “Spy”, and the intrusion of this ‘nouveau riche’ frippery into our political life.
“We are becoming a corrupt tinpot state under the cronyism of Key and his financier clique.”
Good line that
Aucklanders angered over rates rises holding protest march
Damn right they should. They should immediately publish all the cities finances and ask people where things should be cut, where spending should be increased and what they’re going to get for the amount spent. This would then be automatically totalled so that people know how much they’re spending.
After that they can then suggest how it’s going to be funded with estimates of how much each funding option will raise.
And, no, I’m not joking about this. This, really, is how government finances should be done. Openness and transparency should rule and it would get rid of the RWNJs attacks on society.
As an aside, I wonder how many people are actually going to turn up. Most RWNJ protests don’t seem to get a lot of traction.
I heard that mayoral candidate with his refrain about waste of taxpayers money and thought that he sounded the usual slow witted male dork looking for an easy way to insert himself into people’s minds. Oh save us from Council waste of funds. Cut everything that is at the base of supporting the city. (Leave it to private enterprise to decide which rort is the best profit-maker.)
He wanted money spent on art festivals to be stopped. Art festivals are the industrial display wonders of the 21st century. With nothing much being made in the industrial field, the creatives of the country step forward and design and make things that people are interested to travel from afar to look at and to spend money while doing so. It is called keeping enterprise bubbling with new ideas and excitement. Something that people who may have lost consciousness on the rugby field a few times tend to lack, as to them new is someone devising a different game plan always within the same parameters.
I wonder which entity, wilfully neglectful government or private, was ultimately responsible for controlling storage of chemicals that have just blasted over much of that Chinese city. 70 tons I think was the maximum allowed but it was 700 tons of highly dangerous chemical. (If not it was 7 and 70, but A LOT whichever.) And stored near the port which if in Auckland would be at the bottom of the CBD and right near the entrance to the thin link to North Shore and Far North, the Harbour Bridge. That is just an example of why we need local government that takes an interest in everything, and does its job of planning and monitoring and enforcing, not concentrating on costing less.
Of course the first thing to do, is to start reducing salaries of incumbents, and set new lower levels for new entrants. So both councillors and the management would get less on a formula connected to how much debt the Council was carrying. The more debt, the more prudent the top managers should be including their salaries being capped to a formula of no more than 10 times the minimum wage. That would bite them in the bum! The workers should have regular inflation-proofing top ups and Christmas bonuses. Let them eat Christmas cake once a year, and receive a living wage for 40 hours, with extra for anti-social hours before 7.30 and after 5.30 pm. And then there would be better outcomes for both ratepayers, and the city’s servants.
I guess he can afford to buy his own books, run his own car, and dispose of his own waste and so on…
Only local government publishes all its finances in detail, consults on them, and changes them as a result.
Auckland Council’s consultation was larger than the Auckland Plan or Unitary Plan submissions. Over 25% of the budget was changed as a result of the consultation.
They did indeed ask the public where things should be cut. The draft budget proposed huge cuts to transport operating costs. It was changed due to overwhelming support for greater transport expenditure.
40 people turn up.
Gets as much prominence on the Herald website as when 10 000 march against the TPPA.
What a corporate rag the Herald has become.
he is just a right wing activist with a rent a crowd, right Hooton???
Frank Macskasy mentioned on the TPP post that he was doing a post on the TPP protest in Wellington yesterday. Here it is. Now I couldn’t be there yesterday unfortunately but the sight of this:
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2015/08/16/citizens-face-police-armed-with-tasers-at-wellington-tppa-protest-march/
would have really given me the shits.
Who else around the country saw cops with tasers? I don’t recall seeing cops with tasers at other rallies I’ve attended. Why are the cops escalating their level of intimidation in a non violent setting? It’s not like they are at a scene where a meth head is beating the crap out of someone and Police can’t restrain the hyper violent person in any other way.
Do they think they can frighten us into submission? Is that the plan?
How many incidences of uncontrollable violence have occurred at political rallies around the country in recent years that would justify the wearing of tasers?
Standard procedure now
.http://m.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11489893
Cheers b. I was aware of that. I’m questioning their need to bring them along to a peaceful demonstration. I think it’s provocative as well as intimidating.
There isn’t any need same as there’s not need for them to carry permanently.
I find it very chilling, Rosie, thinking back to the Springbok Tour protests and imagining what the Red Squad in particular would have done with tasers. It was brutal enough with long batons.
I am beginning to wonder whether the bringing in of tasers as standard police equipment is as much to intimidate protestors as control violent criminals. The behaviour of some members of the police force, the lack of accountability and the political bias that has been evident over the last few years is cause for concern.
“I am beginning to wonder whether the bringing in of tasers as standard police equipment is as much to intimidate protestors as control violent criminals.”
Thats exactly what I’m thinking too Karen.
I can understand their rationale for being armed with tasers when going in to a very violent situation, whilst not necessarily supporting it, but there is no rationale for bringing them to a peaceful demo, unless it is to intimidate and or provoke.
Me too. I was one of the ‘peaceful’ protestors outside Eden Park during 1981test match. The images I carried away will never leave me. One of them was spotting the police Red Squad lined up ready to go into battle along the railway lines close to the Kingsland Station. It was like something out of WW2. Only those who were there can comprehend what it was like. There we were peacefully walking towards Eden Park – having a little chant along the way – and the next minute all hell broke loose. We began running for our lives and we’d done nothing wrong. And that was without tasers.
Anne and Karen. I hold a permanent sense of respect for the 1981 Springbok tour protesters. I was 10 at the time but as an adult, got to speak to those who were there and listen to their stories.
To me, they, which would mean you too, are true ordinary heroes and I think what courage it must have taken to carry on, given the Police violence directed at the protesters at the time.
I often wonder if some individuals were psychologically damaged by it. Those I spoke to weren’t, but I think the scale of the fear, anxiety, shock and actual physical assault and abuse must have had an impact on some.
Unfortunately Rosie like all protest marches there are always a group of people who are out to cause violence and trouble. But the Red Squad in particular seemed to lose it completely and before long they were batoning people who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. I was not one of those, but I did see a couple of instances where the police launched attacks on some young people who were doing nothing. It was crazy stuff yet as far as I know none of the police involved were prosecuted for their violent behaviour.
There were some humorous moments though… like a group of young police officers who were sent to keep an eye on us protesters as we wandered away from the crime scene. They must have been directly below one of the flour bombs that were being dropped from the circling plane and they were covered from head to toe in flour. It was hard not to burst out laughing as we passed them.
Re the flag 40. Trevor Mallard was adamant that Key/English would select the final 4 flags. The expensive panel of 12 were really an expensive farce. Probably already decided on Key’s favourite four.
Yep. John Key is choosing the flag. Make no mistake about that. He’s made a clip on his Facebook page, which David Farrar has just whacked one out over, begging for Kiwis to see it his way.
Not a designer in sight though…
Probably have 4 of the 5 Kyle Lockwood flags, just to be sure.
On second thoughts maybe they’ll throw a koru one in there so it looks fair.
You noticed too huh?
Yeah, he’s said what he wants and the full weight of the National Party machine will be brought to bear to make this realisation true, no matter how gimicky, ill thought out, and awful John Key’s final choice is.
Probably 4 of the 5 Kyle Lockwood flags, just to be sure.
On second thoughts maybe they’ll throw a koru one in there so it looks fair.
No doubt with a silver fern in each of them, ianmac.
I enjoyed this take on our flags from over the ditch:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/australia/71071730/new-zealand-has-40-ideas-for-a-new-flag–and-theyre-awful.
Have to agree with he writer – they are all awful!
And the reason we are going through this pain?
John’s pride….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz29_bFxBZA
So we spend millions just so Key can have the “pleasure” of sitting behind a “corporate logo” (flag) at an international conference that no one else would want to.
No they’re not.
There’s some really nice ones in there that I think would make great flags, far better than the colonialist drek we have currently.
Also, what the fuck would Australians know, biggest bunch of inbred, backward fuckwits you could ever come across.
The whole country is a joke, unfortunately they’re too stupid to realize it.
So the one with the fern on it then is it BM – after all that’s what John says it going to be and – well he knows. You do realize that ferns grow all over the world? No I thought not.
John Key is one man and he gets one vote.
My favorite is the one with Mahe Drysdale
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11497460
Have to ask, you’re not one of these pommie immigrants that can’t let go?.
Why would I want to do away with a flag to which I stood to attention and saluted every morning at 0800 for 15 years and replace it with an abomination? Why would any one who has served this country in war want to do away with a flag under which many have fought and died – simply for the vanity of a one man who doesn’t have any feelings for the people who really matter in this country?
Clinton, Trump and Sanders at the Iowa fair.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/71162768/when-donald-trump-stole-hillary-clintons-thunder-at-the-iowa-state-fair
Attention, citizens who have private health insurance.
Expect your Private Health Insurance fees to rise if the TPPA is signed with clauses which extend the patent lives of drugs.
If this isn’t to your liking, then please talk to Mr Groser and Mr Key or any Cabinet Minister as these are the people who will be committing NZ to this agreement.
Something of you AGW proponents to read.
http://www.cracked.com/article_22712_6-ways-modern-science-has-turned-into-giant-scam.html
I’m not arguing that AGW is wrong. Just saying you have to be critical of the evidence, on both sides.
Right, a listicle in Cracked is your source? Are you kidding or do you honestly have no concept of how to assess the reliability of sources?
A quick scan showed no reference to peer review, reproducibility – the starting definition of methodology is untrue and the cherry-picked links that follows are an object demonstration of confirmation bias. Oh, and there was a quote from Jurassic Park to lend some sort of authority because it was read by an celebrity using a script.
I suppose with journalism being in such a parlous state today, the gullible who read that crap wouldn’t know good journalism if they saw it.
I always get amused by these kinds of lists. You will note that this one was on science right?
The 15% claim…. They link to a paper about storing data that was published in the early 1990s, the first citation is 1995. You know 20 years ago – before the internet became ubiquitous. It was at the point when data sets got enormous and far too big for paper, but there were few public datastores. To quote this paper where the previous link is from 2014 would have to indicate that the author is a complete fuckwit more interested in spinning a story than providing anything relevant.
FFS: Does the dickhead author realise that this is an economic paper? One that was published in a non-peer reviewed journal? What in the hell does that have to do with science?
These were on the second of SEVEN points in the post he linked to. The first point was arguable. But by the time the second point came around, I’d concluded that it was written by a numbskull who knew nothing about science, and was instead just looking around for links that supported their insane thesis. They weren’t concerned about checking or validating those, just so long has they could make a one-liner fit over it.
In short it was written by an insane fuckwit hypocrite Matt J Michel who was guilty of doing at least half of the the things he was railing against.
About that point I concluded that Kevin is most likely a card carrying member of stupid moron propeller head society. Because no-one else would have wasted my time reading such idiotic twaddle by linking to it. I’d say that because he didn’t pick up these blindingly obvious fuckups, that he was also completely incapable of understanding ANY actual scientific work. Like that on climate change for instance.
Conjecture. There’s nothing to say that Private health companies won’t absorb any increases themselves, depending of course on how much the increases are.
Costs plus markup are always passed on to the customer. It’s how the rich keep bludging off of everyone else.
A few days old now.
But worth a look.
Nice balanced debate about drugs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GjXC5FCXuk
Don’t have the time today to check whether it’s been raised above but “OMG!” as they say……
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11498187
So Heki Pirau (Rotten Egg [as lustily known in Moerewa]) Parata has failed miserably in her “asprayshuns”. While she is a not (on a naked IQ scale) an unintelligent person (pity no application)……she is a fake. An impostor.
There the lady ensconces as an unwittingly hilarious actor in ShonKey Python’s Flying Circus. “OMG!” as they say !
‘
Its ten years since the fates took David Lange from us. He is still remembered with love. Russell Brown unearthed this wee gem which features 95bFM Breakfast Host Graeme Hill interviewing David Lange about his book, “Broadsides”. Talk about prescient . . .
http://95bfm.com/assets/sm/223124/3/IV_DavidLange_nana1992.mp3
Article on Canada becoming less transparent to totally opaque under Harper. This has been going on for 9 and half years (5 year elections). If elections are held every three years it does give an opportunity to change the beast. A serious situation and one to keep in mind,.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/16/opinion/sunday/the-closing-of-the-canadian-mind.html?src=recg&_r=0
“In 2012, he tried to defund government research centers in the High Arctic, and placed Canadian environmental scientists under gag orders. That year, National Research Council members were barred from discussing their work on snowfall with the media.
Scientists for the governmental agency Environment Canada, under threat of losing their jobs, have been banned from discussing their research without political approval. Mentions of federal climate change research in the Canadian press have dropped 80 percent. The union that represents federal scientists and other professionals has, for the first time in its history, abandoned neutrality to campaign against Mr. Harper.
His active promotion of ignorance extends into the functions of government itself. Most shockingly, he ended the mandatory long-form census, a decision protested by nearly 500 organizations in Canada, including the Canadian Medical Association, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the Canadian Catholic Council of Bishops. In the age of information, he has stripped Canada of its capacity to gather information about itself. The Harper years have seen a subtle darkening of Canadian life.
The darkness has resulted, organically, in one of the most scandal-plagued administrations in Canadian history. Mr. Harper’s tenure coincided with the scandal of Rob Ford, the mayor of Toronto who admitted to smoking crack while in office and whose secret life came to light only when Gawker, an American website, broke the story. In a famous video at a Ford family barbecue, Mr. Harper praised the Fords as a “Conservative political dynasty.”
Mr. Harper’s appointments to the Senate — which in Canada is a mercifully impotent body employed strictly for political payoffs — have proved greedier than the norm. Mr. Harper’s chief of staff was forced out for paying off a senator who fudged his expenses. The Mounties have pressed criminal charges.”
Philip Morris is suing Australia in an expensive, secret court for ending teen smoking.
This is what signing the TPPA will lead to for NZ. Corporate control of our laws with millions, and probably billions, wasted to cater to these psychopaths desires for more wealth.
Welcome to reality. In case you hadn’t noticed, NZ is already subject to exactly the same potential claims without the TPPA in exactly the same way as Australia is with PMI via a free trade agreement with HK. NZ has exactly the same clause in agreements with many of the TPPA countries (but not HK) already, and we could be facing exactly the same claim from PMI without the TPPA. If you have a free trade agreement, in principle the ISDS provisions are a good thing as they are the only real legal mechanism an exporter has to ensure equal treatment under the FTA.
Already companies from countries listed in the link below could sue NZ on the same grounds as PMI is suing Australia. The Philip Morris case is a Hong Kong company suing the Australian Government.
http://www.bellgully.co.nz/resources/resource.04037.asp
Of course we don’t really know, but I would hope the TPPA doesn’t allow these types of claims on public health policy grounds – limitations on sale of tobacco, alcohol etc.
It’s not reality but delusion but that’s just capitalism in general.
You missed this bit didn’t you?
So, no, Phillip Morris isn’t a Hong Kong company.
And that’s a load of bollocks as well. ISDS came about because of investment in countries that didn’t have good legal systems in place and pretty much all of them do now thus ISDS isn’t needed. It’s arguable that it ever was.
Also, no country has ever needed foreign ‘investment’. Why would any country need foreign money to utilise their own resources?
i’m not defending them, and no I didn’t miss that bit about the change of abode, given that Australia’s first line of defence is to protest exactly that fact.
The point I was making is that everyone is getting excited that ISDS provisions are coming with the TPPA. All I am saying is that we already have them. And that with only a modest amount of legal chicanery any corporate from anywhere in the world could already use those provisions, as PMI have shown in Aus.
You’re anti free trade and anti global trade – that’s fine and a validly held opinion to have, but if you do have a free trade agreement then its is perfectly sensible to have ISDS provisions in it.
Personally I think we (and all other countries) would be better off not signing the TPPA, but rather settling bilateral trade agreements with all the countries in the region. Then each agreement specifically addresses only the needs of those two countries. I dont think the TPPA is the coming of the anti-christ, but it is more a deal about protection of intellectual property and dispute resolution (not necessarily a good thing) rather than a classic free trade agreement (generally a good thing).
Actually, I’m not. I just happen to think that trade is the exchange of goods and preferably completed goods ready to on retail shelves. I don’t think it includes foreign investment and catering to mega-corporations as the FTAs invariably do.
We shouldn’t even be doing that as it locks us in to trade that may be disadvantageous to us. I think it would be better to set some standards that other countries have to reach to be able to freely trade with us (see my above concept of trade). Much simpler and more open.
Why the distinction between services and goods? Why in your world can I not export a service?
Why would a bilateral agreement negotiated by NZ “lock us in to trade that may be disadvantageous to us.” Why would we agree to that? Trade agreements also have mechanisms for renegotiating and updating as economies change.
Trade agreements are mostly about access to other markets on terms that are not disadvantageous – i.e the removal or alignment of tariff and other barriers to entry. Setting minimum standards is exactly what trade agreements do, but it formalises them so that one party cant back track or put in other barriers. In a non-documented world you run the risk of capricious change by a government for spurious reasons (ie lobbying by special interest groups, populism, corruption etc). And with a “minimum standards approach” (presumably minimum standards around employment law, consumer safety etc) how would you deal with dumping or trans-national point of origination issues for instance?
To me that’s more a question of why would anyone want to import it?
Good question. Why did Labour/National lock us into selling our houses/land/businesses to foreigners and thus disadvantaging our own people with no way to stop it?
As I said – locks us in. And it doesn’t set minimum standards at all – if they did we wouldn’t be trading with China as they simply don’t meet our standards.
Whatever gave you an idea that a set of standards wouldn’t be documented?
Obviously such practices wouldn’t meet standards.
As a longtime member of the Friends of Tibet NZ group, I am deeply concerned at the article listed in the Standard’s feeds column from Redline: From the Vaults.
The article wrongly states that the Dalai Lama is wanting to return Tibet to a feudal state. Some fact checking turns up the following information from this link:
http://tibet.net/about-cta/legislature/
“The Tibetan Parliament in Exile
The Tibetan Parliament in Exile (TPiE) is the unicameral and highest legislative organ of the Central Tibetan Administration. Established and based in Dharamsala, India. The creation of this democratically elected body has been one of the major changes that His Holiness the Dalai Lama has brought about in his efforts to introduce a democratic system of administration. Today, the Parliament consists of 44 members. Ten members each from U-Tsang, Do-tod and Do-med, the three traditional provinces of Tibet, while the four schools of Tibetan Buddhism and the traditional Bon faith elect two members each. Four members are elected by Tibetans in the west: two from Europe, one from North America and one from Canada. The Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile is headed by a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker, who are elected by the members amongst themselves. Any Tibetan who has reached the age of 25 has the right to contest elections to the Parliament.
The elections are held every five years and any Tibetan who has reached the age of 18 is entitled to vote.Sessions of the Parliament are held twice every year, with an interval of six months between the sessions. When the Parliament is not in session, there is a standing committee of eleven members: two members from each province, one member from each religious denomination. The members of the Parliament undertake periodic tours to Tibetan settlements to make an assessment of people’s overall conditions. On their return, they bring to the notice of the administration about all the grievances and matters which need attention.The Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile keeps in touch with people also through Local Parliaments established in 38 major Tibetan communities. The Charter provides for the establishment of a Local Parliament in a community having a population of not less than 160.
The Local Parliaments are scaled-down replicas of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile. They keep an eye on the activities of their respective settlement/welfare officers. They also make laws for their respective communities according to the latter’s felt-needs. The laws passed by the Local Parliament must be implemented by the respective settlement/welfare officer.”
The article posted by Redline needs to be returned to the vaults never to be exhumed.