As our security and police are already in lockstep agreement with the US in taking ‘over the top’ actions in partizan defence of corporate interests, even if it entails breaking the law. It can only be a matter of time.
When it comes to civil liberties, as the saying goes; “You will only know what you’ve got, when it is gone”
The civil liberties which we enjoy today have been hard fought for over centuries by previous generations, and are there for a reason.
Fight to keep New Zealand sovereignity and civil liberties inviolate.
Today Ira Bailey will be made a scape goat by MSD and the media, following Paula Bennett’s example of publicly outing anyone who speaks against them.
I call upon you my fellow commentators not to let this go undefended and to constantly retort that Ira was only doing what is industry standard – asking for a reward for uncovering vulnerabilities is normal practice, not blackmail as they will try to imply.
Bailey was arrested in October 2007 as part of the police raid against a suspected terror plot but charges against him were later dropped.
Key today said he had been advised Bailey phoned the ministry about a week ago indicating there was a security problem, but didn’t identify the kiosks.
Look at the framing, “he is a terrorist!” – So “blackmail” is no worries for Bailey then eh!
“[He was] just pointing to the system and wanting an incentive payment or wanting cash basically to tell us where the problem was,” he told TV3’s Firstline programme.
The ministry’s policy was not to give money for information, he said.
We have some truly evil people “running” this country, and the MSM are a utter disgarace!
But equally amazing is the statement that they checked the Kiosks after he rang in, and they could not find this simple breach? Who they using for IT security ? Daffy Duck?
And the biggest question of all that has not been answered is Why were they on the same network as the corporate system?
“But there was a design failure that we didn’t pick up or resolve when it came to the security breach. We should have done that but the people responsible for it, the IT department at the Ministry of Social Development, failed.”
No way would this have been missed in the design/security, its too fundamental – This looks like another way of telling people that internal resources are not good enough, we will have to use external i.e Google etc, who can keep yoru privacy secure…This is BS!
The independent inquiry would also look at why the ministry didn’t pick up the problem when it was raised a year ago by beneficiary advocate Kay Brereton.
So, it was raised, with who? and why was it not fixed….smells like more BS!
Correct Weka – Its all part of the plan, you can call it a conspiracy too, because that is exactly what it is!
Ill reitterate – The is NO WAY, that this security flaw was missed in the design/security assessments gates that are mandatory in the delivery! There are multiple vendors operating inside the public sector/govt space, who would have been involved in delivering this system. Notice that there is no mention of who was invovled, only reference is to “IT Department” ensuring that in the minds of the reader, this = Internal IT department = amateurs!
Sometimes the plan comes apart, like with K.D.C, and TPTB need to re-group, but otherwise what is read and published in the papers, and via policy is the agenda of others, being forced down our throats!
This government fails rape victims AGAIN. By constantly underfunding, changes to ACCSCU, and disregarding the law commissions recommendations I can only conclude they would like all of us to go away and die (providing they don’t have to pay for that). http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/7819530/Help-for-rape-victims-under-threat
What people need to understand is the darkness that is running all of the shows – Woman/Children/families, continually under attack, while men are left to rot not knowing what their role in life is, and the youth suicides of young boys and girls continues to climb, along with the poverty rates, and child abuse!
Its time for people to start learning, understanding and accepting what those who claim to represent them, actually represent!
Only when people understand what their enemy really is, can we collectively know how to respond!
The British arm of the “entertainment industry” exposed again, while the US head of the “entertainment industry” (hollywood) division is writing scripts, which “our govt” and others are following, and executing.
Think only movie/tv scripts are written by the “entertainment industry” – Better think a whole lot harder, cos its your kids!
Money = what people have been told they have to chase/have/get at all costs to survive/keep up with the jones’s/use to dominate industry and people/bribe corrupt etc – Money has corrupted by design. Now the people who control it are removing it from the financial system, in various ways.
Money = the illusion designed to create the society we have seen, and are seeing being created, by the above, and below!
Greed = The enevitable result of the “Its all about you”, and you only, must have money, policies which kill people, but being written by “money” and so society reaps what it sows. The great marketing/advertising lies, the political lies, the greed is the symptom of the absorbed messages!
There is so much more at play than money and greed!
A 24 hour service is a right and a person would rather not need to have to use a rape service. The government just do not get it how complicated being raped can be and that such a service is a big help.
I’ve decided that the Mixed Ownership Model is actually quite sensible. Today, I will be mainly lobbying my local Nat MP to extend the model to Telecom, TelstraClear, Vodafone and SkyTV. Tommorow, I’ll be moving on to convincing my MP to MOM the oil companies bobbing around the Taranaki coast and the gold companies in the Coromandel. Later in the week I hope to convince the MP to MOM all the housing stock in Parnell, because its important to lead from the top. Pip Pip!
And I’m all for extending PPP Public private partnerships. Now how about the govt signs a contract with the Teacher’s Union for the provision of teaching services in schools. Big penalty clauses if the schools are removed! I’m sure there are other groups that will sign up to run services.
Jeez, I just hope that the same people fixing the teachers pay database ain’t gonna have a go at fixing WINZ database. And apparently WINZ tell beneficaries and child support customers that their computer talks to IRD computer – should that make us all a little uneasy? And what about this ‘white paper’ doesn’t it advocate that health, welfare and other databases talk to each other – hey I know, lets just go back to the town cryer concept, much cheaper and just as effective apparently as all these big brother databases ‘communicating’ with each other?????
As a health worker I had to study the Privacy Act for 3 years, sometimes I wonder whether some of the politicians understand the laws and acts that they employ other people to govern or adhere to. I just heard John Keys say on TV3 to Rachel “we’ll have a LITTLE look at that” he was talking about checking out the apparent security breach. Now thats certainly ‘downplaying’ speak. I fear AsleepWhileWorking could be right.
WINZ also data match with Customs so that they can catch beneficiaries who go overseas and stay long than they are allowed. I think they just do random sampling as they don’t get everybody. Thinking about it now though, I wonder how they do that…
Matching up health, welfare and the records of children isn’t about addressing poverty. It’s about controlling poor people. I don’t know why they don’t just chip ’em and be done with it.
Interesting; now I do not mean to get all apocalyptic, it is just that a man I encourage study with asked about this, this morning; It is helpful to bear in Mind, considering it was a “vision” approximately 2000 years ago;
He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and Slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast, or the number of his name. (Revelation 3: 16- obviously)
Now, the study notes I had at the time identified the economic system; Interesting.
Now, the notes I have in front of me at present, speak of allegiance to the Imperial cult; Now, none of this is new, nothing new under the sun etc, However, there is certainly One spirit directing everything I seem to encounter; Careful what you wish for? I wish I did not see, as I am sure Millions of others do, not with standing the earth has been through these pains before, but It makes you wonder. This still may take decades or centuries to play out, nobody “Knows the Mind of God”,
Yet, still interesting, none-the-less.
Yes Key’s reaction to the whole thing seemed to be blase. You know the computer system is old Yeah right. Just lay the blame where ever. A classic Not Me. If I ever saw one.
Rogue Trooper…welcome mate!!! (Are you familiar with the AD2000 story? His battalion was massacred by traitors within their own central command, and he went rogue in order to find out the truth!)
now that is interesting Viper ( I did not know that), but it is clear for those who choose to see.
Been many years since I delved into comics (great strip Draco, by the way); Archetypes? Essences? Myself, I was a Ghost Rider “Fanboy” I suppose (well, you can see how that played out, but it takes a lot of Capital to make even a big-block-1450- haul ass like something from the Rising Sun; the euros have been onto it for the last couple of decades but they may have left their run too late).
🙂
On planeitKey you can say what you like about people
“Obviously it would’ve been better if the individual involved had actually told the government and not tried to charge the government some sort of fee. But he didn’t, and goodness knows what he did with the blogger, I don’t know if he gave it [the information] to him or sold it to him.”
Ira explains exactly that he was not charging a fee
“I called up on Monday 8th October to say there was a security leak and ask who to talk to. And I also asked was there an incentives scheme about security flaws, which is what Google and Facebook do.”
Live chat with Stephen Jacobi at 12.00 today go ask him some questions on the TPP and other underhanded American practices, lets make him feel right at home lol.
The start and Question Time in Parliament is Must View time for me, at least. Could be very interesting with everything going on at present.
First, presumably, Key will ask to make a personal statement to “correct” his previous answers on KDC and the GCSB.
Then questions cover:
Questions to Ministers
1.DAVID SHEARER to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his statements in relation to Kim Dotcom and the inquiry into the actions of the Government Communications Security Bureau?
2.METIRIA TUREI to the Minister for Social Development: Does she have confidence that the Ministry of Social Development can keep private information it holds confidential?
4.JACINDA ARDERN to the Minister for Social Development: Has the Ministry of Social Development competently managed the private information in its charge?
6.CHRIS HIPKINS to the Minister of Education: What specific criteria were used to determine whether a school in Christchurch was identified for restoration, consolidation or rejuvenation?
7.Dr RUSSEL NORMAN to the Minister responsible for the GCSB: What were the dates of the three cases that the Government Communications Security Bureau audit highlighted, because they could not assure him “that the legal position is totally clear”, as referred to in his statement of 3 October 2012?
8.Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by his answer to my Question for Written Answer 3326 (2012)?
11.GRANT ROBERTSON to the Prime Minister: Does he have confidence in Hon John Banks; if so, why?
Re Q8, Peters’ written question 3326 (2012) and the response are:
3326 (2012). Rt Hon Winston Peters to the Prime Minister (07 May 2012): Did he have any meetings, in his capacity as Prime Minister, with either Hon Maurice Williamson or Hon Simon Power during the period 7 April-23 July; if so, on what date or dates and what was the nature of the discussion or discussions?
Rt Hon John Key (Prime Minister) replied: Yes. I met with Hon Maurice Williamson on 7 June 2011 to talk about statistics and progress with the census in lights of its postponement following the Christchurch earthquake. I met with Hon Simon Power on 13 June 2011. There is no record of what was discussed at that meeting and I have no recollection of the discussion. I also met with him, Hons English, Joyce and Ryall and the external appointees regarding the Better Public Services Advisory & Governance Group on 6 July 2011.
From memory (may be wrong), this period covers the aboutface on KDC’s application to purchase the Crisco Mansion in Coatsville – and Key’s trip to Washington DC via Warner Bros in LA.
“There is no record of what was discussed at that meeting and I have no recollection of the discussion.”
On Planet Key, we need to understand and sympathise with John Key that truth, competence and accountability are “in a dynamic environment”.*
Convenient memory loss, selective self-characterised ignorance, resistance to reading reports, heaping blame on others, and lack of documentation/record are noble virtues and ethical practices to be instilled in asspirants 🙂
*Guyon Espiner: Is it okay for politicians to bend the truth?
John Key: Well, we live in a dynamic environment, so of course things change.
Big whinge in the Dompost this morning because David Shearer called tod niall (what sort of name is todd) and larry williams by their surnames.
boo bloody hoo.
who do they think they are?
Todd Niall – good (PSA) union member and delegate, and thoroughly good bloke. Also wrote a book about the homegrown NZ car, the Trekka. One of the best guys in the MSM.
Parliament has been in session 2 minutes and someone has already shouted something about God from the public section and Winston and Trevor Mallard (Pretty sure it was him) have been asked to leave the chamber.
Before question time there were a lot of points of order around Peters’ letters to the Speaker regard the PM’s breach of parliamentary privilege. There were objections to the letters being tabled.
i believe they were finally tabled during a later point of order, was it on the third attempt?
The Speaker said the answer from the PM was received yesterday and was to be considered today and it was after this i believe the next request for tabling the letters was not objected to
I’m not sure what happened, but several members of opposition parties defied the Speaker and kept standing to raise a point of order, as the PM was trying to make a statement correcting his previous answers to oral questions. Parker was ejected from the House – Peters also I think.
The story of Venice’s rise and fall is told by the scholars Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson, in their book “Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty,” as an illustration of their thesis that what separates successful states from failed ones is whether their governing institutions are inclusive or extractive. Extractive states are controlled by ruling elites whose objective is to extract as much wealth as they can from the rest of society. Inclusive states give everyone access to economic opportunity; often, greater inclusiveness creates more prosperity, which creates an incentive for ever greater inclusiveness.
That’s a kind of strange piece. Essentially then, there is no systemic problem with capitalism/markets. All that’s wrong (and therefore fixable) is a selfish short sightedness on the part of a tiny ruling elite.
I mean, you gotta laugh at some of the claims
The history of the United States can be read as one such virtuous (inclusiveness creates more prosperity) circle.
Yup. Unless you were and/or are indigenous, black, female, Irish, Latino…..and so on right on down or up to the point where you hit the white male protestant where the borders of the virtuous circle of inclusiveness were historically set.
And as an aside I don’t get the reference to Venice and its shrinking population being made (as though that’sa mark of decline) with absolutely no reference to the Black Death or, with refernce to later centuries, the city’s unique character/location. But hey.
edit. That comment was a response to Joe90’s comment and link….but the entire comment be gone now. Oh well.
Yeah, it’s all Capitalism is great until the capitalists take over and then it’s fucked but it’s still great. Certainly made a hell of a lot of assumptions that bear no resemblance to reality.
HONE HARAWIRA AUCKLAND DISTRICT COURT (ALBERT ST) APPEARANCE WEDNESDAY 17 OCTOBER 2012 9AM (?)
“Supporters meet outside Auckland District Court at at 8.45am Hone Harawira and others with serious injuries from the protest will be there. Get there if you can…” message from John Minto)
Hone Harawira gets arrested by Police for a purported minor traffic offence – but Police do NOTHING against the Leader of the ACT Party – MP for Epsom John Banks for alleged electoral fraud and ‘white collar’ crime? I’ll be there! Join us if you believe in ONE LAW FOR ALL? And if you oppose ‘ECONOMIC APARTHEID’ and ‘WAR ON THE POOR’?
WEDNESDAY 17 OCTOBER 2012 – AUCKLAND DISTRICT COURT
ALBERT ST AUCKLAND CITY:
Police could have charged former fellow Directors of Huljich Wealth Management (NZ) Ltd John Banks (and Don Brash) under s.58(3) of the Securities Act for signing Huljich Kiwisaver Scheme registered prospectuses dated 22 August 2008 and 18 September 2009 which contained untrue statements.
I assumed you meant the the recent donations scandals which the police couldn’t prosecute.
I’d be more than happy to review any evidence you have of Banks wrong doing in the Huljich Kiwisaver Scheme. I don’t know enough about it to make any call of wrong doing so if you could provide me with some evidence of impropriety I would like to see it.
You could always try reading the above-mentioned Huljich Kiwisaver Scheme registered prospectuses dated 22 August 2008 and 18 September 2009 – which I’ve taken the trouble to make available for public perusal?
But all my reading has uncovered so far is that there is not enough evidence to proceed with charges against either Brash or Banks. This is no way a testament to their character on my part, I am merely trying to establish what evidence you have that charges should have been forthcoming and/or the police/judiciary somehow acted with impropriety.
“I don’t like them” or “They were obviously guilty” aren’t good enough, I’m afraid. Only evidence will work. This is in no way a defence of Banks mind you, I dislike him quite strongly.
But all my reading has uncovered so far is that there is not enough evidence to proceed with charges against either Brash or Banks.
That’s meant to be a joke… Right? The relevant law that you have obviously not bothered to read states:
58 Criminal liability for misstatement in advertisement or registered prospectus
(1)Subject to subsection (2), where an advertisement that includes any untrue statement is distributed,—
(a)the issuer of the securities referred to in the advertisement, if an individual; or
(b)if the issuer of the securities is a body, every director thereof at the time the advertisement is distributed – commits an offence.
I hope that wasn’t too much reading for your delicate sensibilities TC. We wouldn’t want you to strain yourself and do an injury. You wouldn’t be such an effective apologist for old corrupt bastards then eh!
Apparently he can now remember the presence of a video camera, but he cannot remember the, more important, contents of a presentation.
Somewhere in the mix he has stated he remembered being advised that the presentation would not be recorded, yet those same charges have done a “full” review of the period in question (having said previously that it wouldn’t be recorded???) Confused Mmmmm – selective memory.
To this end, we have used a similar approach to look at two questions:
Can New Zealand maintain its current per capita energy consumption without fossil fuels and, in particular, can we live on renewable energy sources alone?
How can we achieve a BIG reduction in our personal and national energy consumption, in order to reduce our power requirements?
Well, at least somebody is asking the right questions. Pity it’s not the government.
They’re called “Brownouts”and “Power Flicker”.
They’ll take care of the consumption problem nicely M8.
The stove and the water heater will keep working … digital stuff i’ll be toast, and flicker will kill the TV as well.
Heaps of recycled electronic goods as well, worth thinking about 🙂
Pride b4 fall, or bloated explosion with apology?
Vacuum far outweighs everything else in this Universe.
No one else is gonna call it yet, I’m going with Landslide Labour/Greens/Mana/NZFirst myself.
Not me. Don’t know. It is Shearer’s fault. It is Ira’s fault. Not my job to oversee Spy agencies. Don’t know what Projection means and don’t want to know.
Lies within lies, on top of lies. Lies flanked and protected by lies. Lies about lying, lies about spying.
John Banks publicly stated that he had “nothing to fear, nothing to hide,” over the donations scandal.
Nothing to fear?
Nothing to hide?
As it turns out, John Banks did fear something, and in contrast to his public assertion that he had nothing to hide, asked the police to keep their investigation into his Mayoral donations hidden from the public.
ACT leader John Banks did ask police not to publicly release his statement on the Kim Dotcom donations and opposed the publication of the entire file, documents reveal.
John Key said he would have no confidence in John Banks as Minister if he found he had lied to him.
Now that solid proof has come out that Banks lied in claiming that he didn’t ask the police to suppress evidence arising from the police investigation into his mayoral campaign donations.
Will John Key act on his promise in relation to John Banks as a Minister?
Or was that a lie?
Is John Banks lying about donations from Dotcom?
Is John Key lying about everything to do with Kim Dotcom, relating to the GCSB illegal spying?
Without a doubt John Banks is a proven liar.
But is the Prime Minister a liar?
Time will tell. If after this latest revelation John Key keeps John Banks as a Minister in his government.
Is John Banks lying about donations from Dotcom? Yes!
Is John Key lying about everything to do with Kim Dotcom, relating to the GCSB illegal spying? Yes!
And the reason they’re both lying through their teeth is because both have so much more to hide.
Apart from the fact Key still needs Banks’ vote etc., he will keep Banks as a Minister in his government because Banksie knows where the bodies are buried.
‘What the hell was that’ ‘I want to see all you children in my office next school day’
Supposedly intelligent,articulate,bright (debateable) set of parliament ministers,pm and
the speaker launch into what could be described as a ‘free for all ‘ forget the fists,
words will do,a scene of total disobediance.
But hey, shonkey did admit he talked dotcom at the feb 29th meeting,phew, now
we wait and see if there are any dates earlier than 29th feb……….
Anyone know what the fracas at the beginning of Question Time was all about. Two ordered out of House. Trevor chose to walk out.Something about the PM- letter about PM sent by Winston to the Leader- issue before the Parliamentary or Privileges Committee- Key’s response received yesterday. What the!!!!
Anyone?
Wasn’t is something to do with some letters??
I don’t know either, but it was obviously something of some importance.as Winston was prepared to lose his question for it.
The letter to the Speaker was sent on the 5 October(?) and again 15 October(?) and concerned John Key and maybe the Privileges Committee. If my half heard version is so, then the irony is obvious. Key having Peters in front of Priv Committee in 08. What if Peters now has Key up before the Priv Committee???? Forgive me. Probably got it wrong.
It was something to do with Key’s personal statement. It seems he got up to make it without first asking for a ‘point of order’. God knows why Winnie et al got their knickers in a twist. Some nuance of which I’m not familiar.
I think Winston Peters has sent a letter to the Speaker accusing John Key of a breach of parliamentary privilege. Lockwood Smith has yet to rule on whether there is a case to be answered. We all know what the answer will probably be.
I think that there are rules to be followed. Can’t be a majority decision of the House otherwise no charge could ever be laid against the Government. Watch this space!
They wanted to raise a point of order and Key wanted to make a personal information. Points of order trump everything else and should have been considered first.
Thanks for that felix. I think I see what happened now. After the House stood and clapped for the Cook Island Speaker, everyone sat down with the exception of John Key who remained standing and started to launch into his personal statement without going through established protocol as set down by the House rules (Standing Orders) and without so much as a bat of an eyelid from the Speaker.
Pre-arranged? I expect so. Disgraceful and totally underhand!
@micky, Isn’t it usual for the politicians to ask for leave of the house to make a personal
statement, in such circumstances and lockwood does protects the right too often.
There should be an independant speaker,outside of any political party,perhaps
a retired judge etc.
@ianmac, It was bleedin hard to tell really,it wasn’t what i got my coffee and a chocky biky for,key said he talked kim on the 29th feb,it all happened so quick even the mic couldn’t keep up.
When was the PM approached by the US authorities (channels of US administration) to request /advise him that an operation was desirable in New Zealand? At what level and at which meeting in the year(s) prior to the raid in February 2012 did the US departments approach the PM of New Zealand?
If nothing else, it beggars belief that the leader of a friendly sovereign state would not be approached by a very high level delegation prior to their operatives working in that foreign state.
Just trying to imagine similar circumstances in other “friendly” nations of the world?
Australia, Canada, Great Britain, France, South Africa, Germany … Sweden, mmmmmmm, nah.
Ah, yes … it was during the heady days of the appearance on the Letterman Show. No wonder he forgot.
It was no doubt a standard request under the extradition treaty NZ has with the US. The PM would not need to be involved although he may have been advised as a matter of courtesy.
Is this a treaty we should ignore? Are there other treaties we can ignore?
Whilst it’s true a standard request would have been investigated and dismissed once residency was attained, they arrested him anyway …… why would they do that buddy???
The goal was reached when Megaupload was closed down. The US are not interested in side show Key, keystone cops and are probably laughing at the GCSB/SIS for being so gullible.
They obviously have a “Debt Recovery” mentality/agenda.
For some reason they think a “Difference Caching” engine is grounds for “Informed copyright Infringement”
Which ultimately means because Megaupload cranked the time to live on those files upto 100 years, (Which most ISP’s will do to save backbone data), has made them a target of the US law enforcement trying to recover “Missing Transactions” for “Projected” film sales.
What? dotCom having residency has nothing to do with whether he is able to be extradited or not. Otherwise it would already all be over. But DotCom does still have to go and argue his case as to why he shouldn’t be extradited. And he might not win.
Yeah, but these were US officers operating in a friendly state. Not just NZ officers executing an arrest and extradition. That would surely involve keeping the PM informed.
So, Southland anti-choicers have decided to “name and shame” abortion providers. I had a little play with the idea of naming and shaming other medical providers, and came up with #namethedentists.
That would only work if there were widespread societal stigma against being moralising wankers who try to endanger people’s health so they can feed their superiority complexes.
Extreme example there, but thats ok, I’m not against abortion in certain situations. Just not interested in that gender bigot feminist extremism that wants abortion on demand.
At the time Mr Banks claimed it was the Police who had made that decision.
Mr Banks said it was the police who decided keep his statement under wraps. Press secretary Shelley Mackey said: “Mr Banks is not responsible for what the police have released.”
We asked for all the correspondence between Mr Banks and the Police on the release of the report, and lo and behold we found a letter from Mr Banks’ lawyer that said
Accordingly, disclosure of any material relating to Mr Banks, or indeed any part of the investigation file, is opposed.
More lies, half-truths and obfuscations from John Banks. He has gone to great lengths to ensure that New Zealanders can not read what he told the Police about the donations to his Mayoral campaign.
So, will Key hold Banks to account? Na, of course not.
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Thus far May has followed on from a quiet April in the blogging department, but in fairness, it has been another case of doing what I am supposed to be doing, namely writing original fiction. Plus reading. So don’t worry – I have been productive. But in order to reassure ...
Buzz from the Beehive A new government agency will open for business on July 1 – the Social Investment Agency. As a new standalone central agency effective from 1 July, it will lead the development of social investment across Government, helping ministers understand who they need to invest in, what ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The ...
Alwyn Poole writes – After being elected to Parliament in 2008 the maiden speech of Hipkins was substantially around education policy. He was Labour’s spokesperson for education 2011 – 2017. He was Minister for Education from 2017 until February 2023. This is approximately 88% of the time Labour ...
Eric Crampton writes – A fashion industry group is lobbying for protections. They make the usual arguments and a newer one. None of it makes sense. An industry group says it pumped $7.8 billion into the economy last year – that’s 1.9 percent of New Zealand’s GDP. ...
In December 2006, Fiji's military leader Voreqe Bainimarama overthrew the elected government in a coup. He ruled Fiji for the next 16 years, first as dictator, then as "elected" Prime Minister. But now, he's finally been sent to jail where he belongs. Sadly, this isn't for his real crime of ...
Don't like National's corrupt Muldoonist "fast-track" law? Aotearoa's environmental NGO's - Greenpeace, Forest & Bird, WWF, Coromandel Watchdog, Coal Action Network Aotearoa, Kiwis Against Seabed Mining, and others - have announced a joint march against it in Auckland in June: When: 13:00, 8 June, 2024 Where: Aotea Square, Auckland You ...
Seymour describes sushi as too woke for school meals. There are no fish sushi meals recommended by the School Lunches programme. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: The Government will swap out hot meals for packaged sandwiches to save $107 million on school lunches for poor kids. MSD has pulled ...
I don't mind stealin' bread from the mouths of decadenceBut I can't feed on the powerless when my cup's already overfilled, yeahBut it's on the table, the fire's cookin'And they're farmin' babies, while slaves are workin'The blood is on the table and the mouths are chokin'But I'm goin' hungry, yeahSome ...
The Ardern Government’s chickens came home to roost yesterday with the news that the country is short of natural gas. In 2018, Labour banned offshore petroleum exploration, and industry executives say that the attendant loss of confidence by the industry impacted overall investment in onshore gas fields. Energy Resources Minister ...
Hi,If you’ve been digging through the newly launched Webworm store (orders are being dispatched worldwide as I type!) you’ll have noticed the best model we had was Calvin.This is Calvin.Calvin.Calvin is 7, and is the son of my producer over on Flightless Bird, Rob — aka “Wobby Wob”. Rob also ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Climate change is everywhere. And when something's everywhere it can feel like it's nowhere. So how do we get our heads ...
Its a law like gravity: whenever a right-wing government is elected, they start attacking democracy. And now, after talking to their Republican and Tory and Fidesz chums at the International Democracy Union forum in Wellington, National is doing it here, announcing plans to remove election-day enrolment. Or, to put it ...
Yesterday Winston Peters focussed his attention on the important matter at hand. Tweeting. Like the former, and quite possibly next, orange POTUS, from whom he takes much of his political strategy, Winston is an avid X’er.His message didn’t resemble an historic address this time. In fact it was more reminiscent ...
Buzz from the Beehive A significant decline in natural gas production has given Resources Minister Shane Jones an opportunity to reiterate his enthusiasm for the mining and burning of coal. For good measure, he has praised an announcement from Genesis Energy that it will resume importing coal. He and Energy ...
“Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The political parties are legally obliged to make ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Here is my subjective ranking on a “most-left” to “most-right” scale of most of our major NZ Universities, with some anecdotal (and at times amusing) evidence to back up the claim.Extreme Left Auckland University of TechnologyEvidenceThe ...
Eric Crampton writes – I hadn’t thought about this one until a helpful email showed up in my inbox.It’s pretty obvious that income tax thresholds should automatically index with inflation – whether to anchor the thresholds in percentiles of the income distribution, or to anchor against a real ...
Jacqui Van Der Kaay writes – Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National ...
Gary Judd writes – The Dean of the law school at the Auckland University of Technology is someone called Khylee Quince. I have been sent her social media posting in which she has, over the LawNews headline “Senior King’s Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Maori studies for ...
Cleo Paskal writes – WASHINGTON, D.C.: ‘Many of us have received phone calls from [the opposing camp] telling them if they join the camp they will be given projects for their wards and $300,000 [around US$35,000] each’, says former Malaita Premier Daniel Suidani. The elections in Solomon Islands aren’t ...
With hindsight, it was inevitable that (a) Hamas would agree to the ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar and that ( b) Israel would then immediately launch attacks on Rafah, regardless. We might have hoped the concessions made by Hamas would cause Israel to desist from slaughtering thousands more ...
Placards and mourners outside the Kilbirnie Mosque following the Christchurch terror attack: MSD has terminated the Kaiwhakaoranga service, which has been used by 415 families since the attacks. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The Government’s pledge to only cut ‘back office’ staff rather than ‘frontline’ services is on increasingly shaky ground, with ...
There’s been a few smaller public transport announcements over the last week or so that I thought I’d cover in a single post. Fareshare I’ve long called for Auckland Transport to offer a way to enable employer-subsidised public transport options. The need for this took on even more importance ...
Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National Minister Matt Doocey, reflects poorly on Genter and ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Who likes being sneered at? Nobody. Worse yet, when the sneerer has their facts all wrong, and might well be an idiot.The sneer in question is The adults are in charge now, and it is a sneer offered in retort to criticism of this new Government, no matter how well ...
When in government, Labour pushed to extend the Parliamentary term to four years, to reduce accountability and our ability to vote out a bad government. And now, they're trying to do it through the member's ballot, with a Four-Year Parliamentary Term Legislation Bill. The bill at least requires a referendum ...
A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill (Hūhana Lyndon) The bill would prevent the government from stealing Māori land in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It ...
Simeon Brown, alongside Wayne Brown, is favouring a political figleaf now in exchange for loading up tens of millions in extra interest costs on Auckland ratepayers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is pushing back hard at suggestions from Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown ...
Buzz from the Beehive One headline-grabber from the Beehive yesterday was the OECD’s advice that the government must bring the Budget deficit under control or face higher interest rates. Another was the announcement of a $1.9 billion “investment” in Corrections over the next four years. In the best interests of ...
Chris Trotter writes – Had Zheng He’s fleet sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks of the Ming Dynasty, among the largest and most sophisticated sailing vessels ever constructed, would have failed ...
David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
The tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and applied…Gary Judd KC writes – I have made a complaint to Parliament’s Regulation ...
The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
The OECD’s chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changes—introducing a ...
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect women’s spaces. The ‘Fair Access to Bathrooms Bill’ will require, primarily in the interest and safety of women and girls, that all new non-domestic publicly accessible buildings provide separate, clearly demarcated, unisex and single sex bathrooms. This Bill ...
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
New Zealand voted in favour of a resolution broadening Palestine’s participation at the United Nations General Assembly overnight, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The resolution enhances the rights of Palestine to participate in the work of the UN General Assembly while stopping short of admitting Palestine as a full ...
Introduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
Asia Pacific Report Barangay New Zealand’s Rene Molina has interviewed the country’s first Filipino Green MP Francisco Hernandez who was sworn into Parliament yesterday as the party’s latest member. This is the first interview with Hernandez who replaces former Green Party co-leader James Shaw after his retirement from politics to ...
An Australian Strategic Policy Institute report says Pillar Two could raise the industry to state of the art capability - or "crush" it "under the weight of the globe's biggest player". ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marlene Longbottom, Associate Professor, Indigenous Education & Research Centre, James Cook University ShutterstockThis article contains information on deaths in custody and the violence experienced by First Nations people in encounters with the Australian carceral system. It also contains references to ...
“Instead of following along countries that are investing in death and better ways of killing people faster, we need to invest in life and in making Aotearoa a fair, just and equitable place where everyone has what they need for a dignified life.” ...
MARIAMENO KAPA-KINGI, TPM MP FOR TAI TOKERAU This Government will not waver in its mission to exterminate Māori. CHRISTOPHER LUXON Oh well look you know I don’t think that hard-working Kiwis want to hear language like that. It’s just really unhelpful rhetoric. My Government is genuinely committed to advancing outcomes ...
The body positivity movement started with women confronting the unrealistic expectations and unrepresentative portrayals of them in media and advertising. Men weren’t part of it … their bodies hadn’t been sexualised to the same extremes and they didn’t really need it. But now that’s changed. And in a warped sort ...
The New Zealand comedy legend takes us through her life in television, including the time she hugged Elton John and the unshakeable legacy of a girl named Lyn. In 1981, Ginette McDonald stood on the stage of Auckland’s St James Theatre and directly addressed Queen Elizabeth II. It was a ...
An essay by Lily Duval from the just-released anthology Otherhood: Essays on being childless, childfree and child adjacent.I was 22 when my friend Alice gave birth in the living room of our pokey Addington flat. She laboured in the blow-up pool for hours. Garish fish swam along the inflated ...
Ella Borrie on the best books about motherhood she’s come across so far. Over the past few years I’ve been drawn to books about motherhood. I’m fascinated by the joys and horrors of becoming a parent. The question of children also feels more pressing than it used to. It’s like ...
Out of gift ideas for mum? You can’t go wrong with a bottle of toilet cleaner and a new squeegee. Emily Writes is the writer and editor of Emily Writes Weekly. This week marks five years since I published a post on The Spinoff about Mother’s Day marketing titled ‘A ...
My husband is posted overseas for 12 months and I’m armed with an expensive, newfangled vibrator. Will I miss him? The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.A few days after my husband leaves, a new sex toy arrives at the front door. Nestled ...
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‘
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/7819005/Trust-in-police-hits-new-low-survey-shows
Arresting an MP for bad parking and beating housing protesters to help the government steal and vandalise state houses.
Illegal links with foreign spies and agents.
Toadying to Hollywood business interests
Refusing to investigate perjury by themselves
Spying
Law breaking
Is it any wonder?
Indeed!
With the demand for tighter links with the US….
Will this be the new, New Zealand police force look?
http://www.buzzfeed.com/jtes/walmart-workers-strike-for-safe-warehouse-conditio
As our security and police are already in lockstep agreement with the US in taking ‘over the top’ actions in partizan defence of corporate interests, even if it entails breaking the law. It can only be a matter of time.
When it comes to civil liberties, as the saying goes; “You will only know what you’ve got, when it is gone”
The civil liberties which we enjoy today have been hard fought for over centuries by previous generations, and are there for a reason.
Fight to keep New Zealand sovereignity and civil liberties inviolate.
Demand:
NO illegal spying!
NO soft touch for police perjury!
NO extradition with out a hearing!
NO hearings without evidence being presented!
Today Ira Bailey will be made a scape goat by MSD and the media, following Paula Bennett’s example of publicly outing anyone who speaks against them.
I call upon you my fellow commentators not to let this go undefended and to constantly retort that Ira was only doing what is industry standard – asking for a reward for uncovering vulnerabilities is normal practice, not blackmail as they will try to imply.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7821061/Key-critical-of-Winz-security-breach-finder
Look at the framing, “he is a terrorist!” – So “blackmail” is no worries for Bailey then eh!
We have some truly evil people “running” this country, and the MSM are a utter disgarace!
muzza – evil people running the country only get away with it, surely, only because they are supported by voters who compromise with evil.
Dr T, see my comment at 4.2.3.1..
You are correct in that evil doers can only exist when the populace are complacent, or disenfranchised etc, which allows badness to happen.
Perhaps if people understood that they were part of the whole, instead of operating in silo, then we might not be in such a mess.
The corrupting/breaking of the human spirit, is the major feature of what we see these days!
But equally amazing is the statement that they checked the Kiosks after he rang in, and they could not find this simple breach? Who they using for IT security ? Daffy Duck?
And the biggest question of all that has not been answered is Why were they on the same network as the corporate system?
And that the flaw was there for up to a year!
http://www.itnews.com.au/News/319250,nz-government-needs-to-start-over-on-security.aspx
No way would this have been missed in the design/security, its too fundamental – This looks like another way of telling people that internal resources are not good enough, we will have to use external i.e Google etc, who can keep yoru privacy secure…This is BS!
So, it was raised, with who? and why was it not fixed….smells like more BS!
Every fuck up by MSD/WINZ that makes it to the MSM is fodder for the eventual push to privatise welfare.
Correct Weka – Its all part of the plan, you can call it a conspiracy too, because that is exactly what it is!
Ill reitterate – The is NO WAY, that this security flaw was missed in the design/security assessments gates that are mandatory in the delivery! There are multiple vendors operating inside the public sector/govt space, who would have been involved in delivering this system. Notice that there is no mention of who was invovled, only reference is to “IT Department” ensuring that in the minds of the reader, this = Internal IT department = amateurs!
Sometimes the plan comes apart, like with K.D.C, and TPTB need to re-group, but otherwise what is read and published in the papers, and via policy is the agenda of others, being forced down our throats!
https://twitter.com/Min_Reyes/status/258055300727308288/photo/1
This government fails rape victims AGAIN. By constantly underfunding, changes to ACCSCU, and disregarding the law commissions recommendations I can only conclude they would like all of us to go away and die (providing they don’t have to pay for that). http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/7819530/Help-for-rape-victims-under-threat
I really wish someone on the left would organise around women’s votes before the next election.
What people need to understand is the darkness that is running all of the shows – Woman/Children/families, continually under attack, while men are left to rot not knowing what their role in life is, and the youth suicides of young boys and girls continues to climb, along with the poverty rates, and child abuse!
Its time for people to start learning, understanding and accepting what those who claim to represent them, actually represent!
Only when people understand what their enemy really is, can we collectively know how to respond!
and the Twain shall never meet
https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/10582_487699991263452_1173247088_n.jpg
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/tv-star-is-third-accused-of-sexually-assaulting-girl-in-saviles-dressing-room-8198500.html
The British arm of the “entertainment industry” exposed again, while the US head of the “entertainment industry” (hollywood) division is writing scripts, which “our govt” and others are following, and executing.
Think only movie/tv scripts are written by the “entertainment industry” – Better think a whole lot harder, cos its your kids!
Money (and greed) are today’s priorities. Humanitarian causes simply do not count.
Dr T,
Money = what people have been told they have to chase/have/get at all costs to survive/keep up with the jones’s/use to dominate industry and people/bribe corrupt etc – Money has corrupted by design. Now the people who control it are removing it from the financial system, in various ways.
Money = the illusion designed to create the society we have seen, and are seeing being created, by the above, and below!
Greed = The enevitable result of the “Its all about you”, and you only, must have money, policies which kill people, but being written by “money” and so society reaps what it sows. The great marketing/advertising lies, the political lies, the greed is the symptom of the absorbed messages!
There is so much more at play than money and greed!
Should be getting used to that by now as it seems that one year is how long this government expects people to forget what they said.
A 24 hour service is a right and a person would rather not need to have to use a rape service. The government just do not get it how complicated being raped can be and that such a service is a big help.
I’ve decided that the Mixed Ownership Model is actually quite sensible. Today, I will be mainly lobbying my local Nat MP to extend the model to Telecom, TelstraClear, Vodafone and SkyTV. Tommorow, I’ll be moving on to convincing my MP to MOM the oil companies bobbing around the Taranaki coast and the gold companies in the Coromandel. Later in the week I hope to convince the MP to MOM all the housing stock in Parnell, because its important to lead from the top. Pip Pip!
And I’m all for extending PPP Public private partnerships. Now how about the govt signs a contract with the Teacher’s Union for the provision of teaching services in schools. Big penalty clauses if the schools are removed! I’m sure there are other groups that will sign up to run services.
Jeez, I just hope that the same people fixing the teachers pay database ain’t gonna have a go at fixing WINZ database. And apparently WINZ tell beneficaries and child support customers that their computer talks to IRD computer – should that make us all a little uneasy? And what about this ‘white paper’ doesn’t it advocate that health, welfare and other databases talk to each other – hey I know, lets just go back to the town cryer concept, much cheaper and just as effective apparently as all these big brother databases ‘communicating’ with each other?????
As a health worker I had to study the Privacy Act for 3 years, sometimes I wonder whether some of the politicians understand the laws and acts that they employ other people to govern or adhere to. I just heard John Keys say on TV3 to Rachel “we’ll have a LITTLE look at that” he was talking about checking out the apparent security breach. Now thats certainly ‘downplaying’ speak. I fear AsleepWhileWorking could be right.
John Key is such a f*^#w*t
WINZ also data match with Customs so that they can catch beneficiaries who go overseas and stay long than they are allowed. I think they just do random sampling as they don’t get everybody. Thinking about it now though, I wonder how they do that…
Matching up health, welfare and the records of children isn’t about addressing poverty. It’s about controlling poor people. I don’t know why they don’t just chip ’em and be done with it.
Interesting; now I do not mean to get all apocalyptic, it is just that a man I encourage study with asked about this, this morning; It is helpful to bear in Mind, considering it was a “vision” approximately 2000 years ago;
He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and Slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast, or the number of his name. (Revelation 3: 16- obviously)
Now, the study notes I had at the time identified the economic system; Interesting.
Now, the notes I have in front of me at present, speak of allegiance to the Imperial cult; Now, none of this is new, nothing new under the sun etc, However, there is certainly One spirit directing everything I seem to encounter; Careful what you wish for? I wish I did not see, as I am sure Millions of others do, not with standing the earth has been through these pains before, but It makes you wonder. This still may take decades or centuries to play out, nobody “Knows the Mind of God”,
Yet, still interesting, none-the-less.
So, Concerning Light and Darkness, here is a Mazda Wonder Light,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zorastrian
Here, are some writings most churches hide,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnostic_Gospels
The Gospel of Thomas, is Liberating
http://gnosis.org/naghamm/nhl_thomas.htm
Why Sabbath are so appealing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUjUIP2ugG4
(only One Sabbath, all others, wannabees, imo)
The rest? Remains to be seen!
Prophecy is The Ultimate Weapon; Bring on The Prophetess
Yes Key’s reaction to the whole thing seemed to be blase. You know the computer system is old Yeah right. Just lay the blame where ever. A classic Not Me. If I ever saw one.
It does, every time you phone! (Beware, it says, if you earn and don’t tell us, we’ll get you!)
joining the Battle-fleet Captain
(I like It)
this is my body, I share for you
🙂
Rogue Trooper…welcome mate!!! (Are you familiar with the AD2000 story? His battalion was massacred by traitors within their own central command, and he went rogue in order to find out the truth!)
now that is interesting Viper ( I did not know that), but it is clear for those who choose to see.
Been many years since I delved into comics (great strip Draco, by the way); Archetypes? Essences? Myself, I was a Ghost Rider “Fanboy” I suppose (well, you can see how that played out, but it takes a lot of Capital to make even a big-block-1450- haul ass like something from the Rising Sun; the euros have been onto it for the last couple of decades but they may have left their run too late).
🙂
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/comics/2000adstrips/rogue/roguetrooper01.shtml
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v235/draco1337/Free%20Vue%20Renders/Taniwha.jpg
Backdrop courtesy of NASA
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap111011.html
damn yankees
http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090516234851/marvel_dc/images/a/a9/Jonah_Hex_Vol_2_35.jpg
stuck southerners
Good Thing we have some direction then Commander
😉
just imagine what is out there
I just Love It
Heads should roll
They’re so focused on downplaying the issue that it appears they think WINZ clients don’t have any rights to privacy at all…
Jeeze, that Herald article you link to is a nasty piece of work. Fuck the MSM and their apology of a profession.
+ 1 Good stuff Jackal.
from that NZH thingy you mentioned weka
On planeitKey you can say what you like about people
Ira explains exactly that he was not charging a fee
key knows all about fees – it’s the honey
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10840124
Live chat with Stephen Jacobi at 12.00 today go ask him some questions on the TPP and other underhanded American practices, lets make him feel right at home lol.
The start and Question Time in Parliament is Must View time for me, at least. Could be very interesting with everything going on at present.
First, presumably, Key will ask to make a personal statement to “correct” his previous answers on KDC and the GCSB.
Then questions cover:
Re Q8, Peters’ written question 3326 (2012) and the response are:
From memory (may be wrong), this period covers the aboutface on KDC’s application to purchase the Crisco Mansion in Coatsville – and Key’s trip to Washington DC via Warner Bros in LA.
“There is no record of what was discussed at that meeting and I have no recollection of the discussion.”
On Planet Key, we need to understand and sympathise with John Key that truth, competence and accountability are “in a dynamic environment”.*
Convenient memory loss, selective self-characterised ignorance, resistance to reading reports, heaping blame on others, and lack of documentation/record are noble virtues and ethical practices to be instilled in asspirants 🙂
*Guyon Espiner: Is it okay for politicians to bend the truth?
John Key: Well, we live in a dynamic environment, so of course things change.
Thanks Jim. An example of typical evasion. How are we meant to interpret that reply?!
A Political Cluster-Bomb should about do It
That was BRILLIANT.
Key was shown up to be so hopeless. His party wan’t even backing him up.
Big whinge in the Dompost this morning because David Shearer called tod niall (what sort of name is todd) and larry williams by their surnames.
boo bloody hoo.
who do they think they are?
Todd Niall – good (PSA) union member and delegate, and thoroughly good bloke. Also wrote a book about the homegrown NZ car, the Trekka. One of the best guys in the MSM.
Parliament has been in session 2 minutes and someone has already shouted something about God from the public section and Winston and Trevor Mallard (Pretty sure it was him) have been asked to leave the chamber.
Should be an interesting session
EDIT: Mallard left voluntarily left and is back.
Things always get volatile before the meltdown. In any setting.
There has already been someone try to jump from the public gallery.
Those with eyes open will see these as indicators, or ripples, of what is to come ….
Before question time there were a lot of points of order around Peters’ letters to the Speaker regard the PM’s breach of parliamentary privilege. There were objections to the letters being tabled.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7822519/House-uproar-as-Key-clarifies-Dotcom-record
i believe they were finally tabled during a later point of order, was it on the third attempt?
The Speaker said the answer from the PM was received yesterday and was to be considered today and it was after this i believe the next request for tabling the letters was not objected to
I’m not sure what happened, but several members of opposition parties defied the Speaker and kept standing to raise a point of order, as the PM was trying to make a statement correcting his previous answers to oral questions. Parker was ejected from the House – Peters also I think.
It is going to be a fun day.
Pity, Peters had the first question and I want to hear the discussion
EDIT: Sorry, it was Shearer on the first question, not Peters
Lock them all in, sprinkle them with hippo pheromones from the gallery and then release Billy the horny hippo into their midst.
Na, not hippo’s, fucking Walrus’s man. Walrus Rape
Ha, ‘rape as behavioural correction’ you guys are so edgy.
No no, walrus rape. It’s very…different.
Take Care (not for juvenile eyes)
No, I just want them all to to at least be seriously injured and humiliated and have it captured on film.
Hippos are great because when worked up they’ll crap all over everyone as well, it would be the best day in parliament ever seen in this country.
Elephant seals?
As long as they’re incontinent.
I certainly wouldn’t consider an elephant seal to be house trained.
New Material?
Time for Crucifixion for bnnt the sacrificial lamb
(play with the “big boys”? )
(“operational matter” this! )
Opinion from NYT: The Self-Destruction of the 1 Percent.
The story of Venice’s rise and fall is told by the scholars Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson, in their book “Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty,” as an illustration of their thesis that what separates successful states from failed ones is whether their governing institutions are inclusive or extractive. Extractive states are controlled by ruling elites whose objective is to extract as much wealth as they can from the rest of society. Inclusive states give everyone access to economic opportunity; often, greater inclusiveness creates more prosperity, which creates an incentive for ever greater inclusiveness.
That’s a kind of strange piece. Essentially then, there is no systemic problem with capitalism/markets. All that’s wrong (and therefore fixable) is a selfish short sightedness on the part of a tiny ruling elite.
I mean, you gotta laugh at some of the claims
Yup. Unless you were and/or are indigenous, black, female, Irish, Latino…..and so on right on down or up to the point where you hit the white male protestant where the borders of the virtuous circle of inclusiveness were historically set.
And as an aside I don’t get the reference to Venice and its shrinking population being made (as though that’sa mark of decline) with absolutely no reference to the Black Death or, with refernce to later centuries, the city’s unique character/location. But hey.
edit. That comment was a response to Joe90’s comment and link….but the entire comment be gone now. Oh well.
I Like It
🙂 (open-minded)
those hispanics be giving the WASP’s a serve shortly though; that’s demographics for ya
No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs-John Lydon
(I could be wrong, …I could be right…may the road rise with you)
Next
Yeah, it’s all Capitalism is great until the capitalists take over and then it’s fucked but it’s still great. Certainly made a hell of a lot of assumptions that bear no resemblance to reality.
Scroll through this;
National appear worn and worried and no second Act
Bnnt admits, she needs to revisit her past
Betrayal (Williamson quoting Zeppelin, well I be f#ck$d) Remember Rohm?
no amount of pastel can soften the piranha
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impression_management
you don’t impress me
MIKE BEHRENS for SUPREME JUSTICE (God bless you Mike) now there is a discerning and merciful Judge.
Key; certainly lost his rag / doll
Go Metiria
http://www.parliament.nz/NR/rdonlyres/4E81D2D8-A12B-4C60-A5C2-D9FB8C5BD401/211281/IncomeTaxUniversalisationofInworkTaxCreditAmendmen.pdf
Yet Dunny wants to flush it??
Now this Open Adoption Movement, about freakin Time (read some developmental psychology)
Keys Jokes are just not funny anymore, if they ever were, to more than sycophants.
(now, Pinot Noir (wee anasthetic) and Mainland Tasty ARE something decent we produce)
HONE HARAWIRA AUCKLAND DISTRICT COURT (ALBERT ST) APPEARANCE WEDNESDAY 17 OCTOBER 2012 9AM (?)
“Supporters meet outside Auckland District Court at at 8.45am Hone Harawira and others with serious injuries from the protest will be there. Get there if you can…” message from John Minto)
Hone Harawira gets arrested by Police for a purported minor traffic offence – but Police do NOTHING against the Leader of the ACT Party – MP for Epsom John Banks for alleged electoral fraud and ‘white collar’ crime? I’ll be there! Join us if you believe in ONE LAW FOR ALL? And if you oppose ‘ECONOMIC APARTHEID’ and ‘WAR ON THE POOR’?
WEDNESDAY 17 OCTOBER 2012 – AUCKLAND DISTRICT COURT
ALBERT ST AUCKLAND CITY:
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption campaigner’
http://www.dodgyjohnhasgone.com
Well said Penny 🙂
“but Police do NOTHING against the Leader of the ACT Party”
They couldn’t (though I wish they could).
CRAP.
Police could have charged former fellow Directors of Huljich Wealth Management (NZ) Ltd John Banks (and Don Brash) under s.58(3) of the Securities Act for signing Huljich Kiwisaver Scheme registered prospectuses dated 22 August 2008 and 18 September 2009 which contained untrue statements.
http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1978/0103/latest/DLM29406.html
ONE LAW FOR ALL?
How come Peter Huljich was the only one of those 3 Directors who was charged for a STRICT LIABILITY offence?
Corrupt political protection?
For background details – check out http://www.pennybright4epsom.org.nz and http://www.dodgyjohnhasgone.com
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption campaigner’
I assumed you meant the the recent donations scandals which the police couldn’t prosecute.
I’d be more than happy to review any evidence you have of Banks wrong doing in the Huljich Kiwisaver Scheme. I don’t know enough about it to make any call of wrong doing so if you could provide me with some evidence of impropriety I would like to see it.
I’ve given you the links for this information.
However – it may require you to do a little work and READ this information?
Please bear in mind that it takes a LOT longer to research and write up this information than it does to read it?
Happy homework 🙂
For background details – check out http://www.pennybright4epsom.org.nz and http://www.dodgyjohnhasgone.com
Penny Bright
This is called ‘elephant hurling’, where in you direct the person asking the question to massive volumes of your own data.
Specifically I am wondering about the links you used to draw your conclusions, not links to your own conclusion.
Sure you’re not just being lazy?
🙂
You could always try reading the above-mentioned Huljich Kiwisaver Scheme registered prospectuses dated 22 August 2008 and 18 September 2009 – which I’ve taken the trouble to make available for public perusal?
Hardly ‘my’ data?
Kind regards,
Penny Bright
No it’s called elephant hurling.
But all my reading has uncovered so far is that there is not enough evidence to proceed with charges against either Brash or Banks. This is no way a testament to their character on my part, I am merely trying to establish what evidence you have that charges should have been forthcoming and/or the police/judiciary somehow acted with impropriety.
“I don’t like them” or “They were obviously guilty” aren’t good enough, I’m afraid. Only evidence will work. This is in no way a defence of Banks mind you, I dislike him quite strongly.
TheComedian
That’s meant to be a joke… Right? The relevant law that you have obviously not bothered to read states:
I hope that wasn’t too much reading for your delicate sensibilities TC. We wouldn’t want you to strain yourself and do an injury. You wouldn’t be such an effective apologist for old corrupt bastards then eh!
And Hullich was charged.
Apparently he can now remember the presence of a video camera, but he cannot remember the, more important, contents of a presentation.
Somewhere in the mix he has stated he remembered being advised that the presentation would not be recorded, yet those same charges have done a “full” review of the period in question (having said previously that it wouldn’t be recorded???) Confused Mmmmm – selective memory.
John Key ordered the investigation, he’s culpible no one else.
Late Edition last night RNZ, if any recording turns up of Key on February 29 2012 in the GCSB cafeteria it does not get destroyed, it gets archived.
I reckon the archives would be the first place to visit.
Is it permissible for Key to have any information destroyed held by the GCSB?
Not permissable no, not even in accordance with Information Tracking Procedures either.
They keep everything, that’s how it works.
I am sure anything prior to 19 January 2012 regarding Key discussing Dotcom will have a very secure archive.
When people like Sir Jeffery Palmer come out and say what the relationship between the PM and the GCSB is like, in a heart beat I am not fooled.
Can I prove it? No.
Does this make me wrong? No
When it comes to probability did Key know about Dotcom prior to 19 January 2012? Yes
Yes, it appears all very odd to set up a camera and not record…I believe they said there was a camera on a tripod set up….
A Sustainable Energy Future For NZ (without the hot air) – An Update
Well, at least somebody is asking the right questions. Pity it’s not the government.
Yes we can survive.
They’re called “Brownouts”and “Power Flicker”.
They’ll take care of the consumption problem nicely M8.
The stove and the water heater will keep working … digital stuff i’ll be toast, and flicker will kill the TV as well.
Heaps of recycled electronic goods as well, worth thinking about 🙂
Rolling black outs mate, easier on the electronics than brown outs.
Big market in surge protectors and UPS’s in the future I bet.
Related.
http://energybulletin.net/stories/2012-01-13/will-new-zealand-be-first-developed-country-evolve-steady-state-economy
Pop-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Projection_(psychology)
Next? (I am just being n0rty now)
🙂
(he’s not the messiah, he’s just a naughty boy)
🙂
Johny Sparkles defined by Wikipedia, Who’d a thought?
They always get a “Glow on” when Freud is mentioned
I propose a new Thesis ….
“The Power of Vacuum” a study of Johny Sparkles 🙂
Power fills a vacuum
🙂
(and not “personal power” either; collective power)
Pride b4 fall, or bloated explosion with apology?
Vacuum far outweighs everything else in this Universe.
No one else is gonna call it yet, I’m going with Landslide Labour/Greens/Mana/NZFirst myself.
Not me. Don’t know. It is Shearer’s fault. It is Ira’s fault. Not my job to oversee Spy agencies. Don’t know what Projection means and don’t want to know.
Lies within lies, on top of lies. Lies flanked and protected by lies. Lies about lying, lies about spying.
John Banks publicly stated that he had “nothing to fear, nothing to hide,” over the donations scandal.
Nothing to fear?
Nothing to hide?
As it turns out, John Banks did fear something, and in contrast to his public assertion that he had nothing to hide, asked the police to keep their investigation into his Mayoral donations hidden from the public.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7822867/Banks-fought-Dotcom-file-release
John Key said he would have no confidence in John Banks as Minister if he found he had lied to him.
Now that solid proof has come out that Banks lied in claiming that he didn’t ask the police to suppress evidence arising from the police investigation into his mayoral campaign donations.
Will John Key act on his promise in relation to John Banks as a Minister?
Or was that a lie?
Is John Banks lying about donations from Dotcom?
Is John Key lying about everything to do with Kim Dotcom, relating to the GCSB illegal spying?
Without a doubt John Banks is a proven liar.
But is the Prime Minister a liar?
Time will tell. If after this latest revelation John Key keeps John Banks as a Minister in his government.
Is John Banks lying about donations from Dotcom? Yes!
Is John Key lying about everything to do with Kim Dotcom, relating to the GCSB illegal spying? Yes!
And the reason they’re both lying through their teeth is because both have so much more to hide.
Apart from the fact Key still needs Banks’ vote etc., he will keep Banks as a Minister in his government because Banksie knows where the bodies are buried.
India Inc.
http://india.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/16/in-india-gm-crops-come-at-a-high-price/?
and while ” we “are all being so popularly precious about Gender in the West
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2012/1015/breaking56.html?
(pray for the young girl shot in the head)
Why do you not take your “whine” some place else?
‘What the hell was that’ ‘I want to see all you children in my office next school day’
Supposedly intelligent,articulate,bright (debateable) set of parliament ministers,pm and
the speaker launch into what could be described as a ‘free for all ‘ forget the fists,
words will do,a scene of total disobediance.
But hey, shonkey did admit he talked dotcom at the feb 29th meeting,phew, now
we wait and see if there are any dates earlier than 29th feb……….
Maybe Shearer should stay leader: the ‘tape’ story is getting obliterated by the MSD story, which is then bleeding into a wider data-trust narrative.
Labour needs a leader who can fuck up, AND be lucky. Yes?
Stuff is running a poll asking ‘How is the Government doing?’
On this link
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7822867/Banks-fought-Dotcom-file-release
Presently
22.5% well
73 % not well
4.5 % don’t care
Feel free to add your vote…………
“Not well” is rather polite.
Landslide on the Net M8!
Anyone know what the fracas at the beginning of Question Time was all about. Two ordered out of House. Trevor chose to walk out.Something about the PM- letter about PM sent by Winston to the Leader- issue before the Parliamentary or Privileges Committee- Key’s response received yesterday. What the!!!!
Anyone?
Wasn’t is something to do with some letters??
I don’t know either, but it was obviously something of some importance.as Winston was prepared to lose his question for it.
The letter to the Speaker was sent on the 5 October(?) and again 15 October(?) and concerned John Key and maybe the Privileges Committee. If my half heard version is so, then the irony is obvious. Key having Peters in front of Priv Committee in 08. What if Peters now has Key up before the Priv Committee???? Forgive me. Probably got it wrong.
Here is the start of Question time:
http://inthehouse.co.nz/node/15472
It was something to do with Key’s personal statement. It seems he got up to make it without first asking for a ‘point of order’. God knows why Winnie et al got their knickers in a twist. Some nuance of which I’m not familiar.
I think Winston Peters has sent a letter to the Speaker accusing John Key of a breach of parliamentary privilege. Lockwood Smith has yet to rule on whether there is a case to be answered. We all know what the answer will probably be.
Key never spoke a word , the speaker spoke the words “point of order” for him.
Engineered denial …… Go Winston Peters and Others!
I think that there are rules to be followed. Can’t be a majority decision of the House otherwise no charge could ever be laid against the Government. Watch this space!
They wanted to raise a point of order and Key wanted to make a personal information. Points of order trump everything else and should have been considered first.
They were just playing stupid political games for no apparent reason. Most people grow out of that when they get to college.
Wrong. They were calling for points of order, and as micky says they should have been acknowledged immediately.
What Lockwood allowed Key to do there was disgraceful and a gross insult to the entire house, and by extension to all of New Zealand.
If you knew anything about parliament you wouldn’t need this explained to you. Lockwood knew he was wrong too, that’s why his voice was breaking.
Yes, disgraceful.
It is starting to feel like the government is close to breaking point.
Thanks for that felix. I think I see what happened now. After the House stood and clapped for the Cook Island Speaker, everyone sat down with the exception of John Key who remained standing and started to launch into his personal statement without going through established protocol as set down by the House rules (Standing Orders) and without so much as a bat of an eyelid from the Speaker.
Pre-arranged? I expect so. Disgraceful and totally underhand!
@micky, Isn’t it usual for the politicians to ask for leave of the house to make a personal
statement, in such circumstances and lockwood does protects the right too often.
There should be an independant speaker,outside of any political party,perhaps
a retired judge etc.
@ianmac, It was bleedin hard to tell really,it wasn’t what i got my coffee and a chocky biky for,key said he talked kim on the 29th feb,it all happened so quick even the mic couldn’t keep up.
this government just wants to make it up as it goes along.
they dont believe in government anyway.
Has anyone asked this question?
When was the PM approached by the US authorities (channels of US administration) to request /advise him that an operation was desirable in New Zealand? At what level and at which meeting in the year(s) prior to the raid in February 2012 did the US departments approach the PM of New Zealand?
If nothing else, it beggars belief that the leader of a friendly sovereign state would not be approached by a very high level delegation prior to their operatives working in that foreign state.
Just trying to imagine similar circumstances in other “friendly” nations of the world?
Australia, Canada, Great Britain, France, South Africa, Germany … Sweden, mmmmmmm, nah.
Ah, yes … it was during the heady days of the appearance on the Letterman Show. No wonder he forgot.
It was no doubt a standard request under the extradition treaty NZ has with the US. The PM would not need to be involved although he may have been advised as a matter of courtesy.
Is this a treaty we should ignore? Are there other treaties we can ignore?
Whilst it’s true a standard request would have been investigated and dismissed once residency was attained, they arrested him anyway …… why would they do that buddy???
The goal was reached when Megaupload was closed down. The US are not interested in side show Key, keystone cops and are probably laughing at the GCSB/SIS for being so gullible.
They obviously have a “Debt Recovery” mentality/agenda.
For some reason they think a “Difference Caching” engine is grounds for “Informed copyright Infringement”
Which ultimately means because Megaupload cranked the time to live on those files upto 100 years, (Which most ISP’s will do to save backbone data), has made them a target of the US law enforcement trying to recover “Missing Transactions” for “Projected” film sales.
They’ll lose bud, the above is “The Case”, they know it too, so why is Dotcom on bail again?
What? dotCom having residency has nothing to do with whether he is able to be extradited or not. Otherwise it would already all be over. But DotCom does still have to go and argue his case as to why he shouldn’t be extradited. And he might not win.
Yeah, but these were US officers operating in a friendly state. Not just NZ officers executing an arrest and extradition. That would surely involve keeping the PM informed.
So, Southland anti-choicers have decided to “name and shame” abortion providers. I had a little play with the idea of naming and shaming other medical providers, and came up with #namethedentists.
How about name and shame the anti-choicers?
That would only work if there were widespread societal stigma against being moralising wankers who try to endanger people’s health so they can feed their superiority complexes.
Actually, it would only work if the moralising wankers could be made to feel shame about being moralising wankers. I doubt that this is possible.
Funny how you shriek about Rights! Rights! Rights! for gay ‘marriage’. Wax lyrical about “My Love Rights!”
Then kill off an unborn child because it’s “inconvenient for my career”.
or because you were raped by your father.
Extreme example there, but thats ok, I’m not against abortion in certain situations. Just not interested in that gender bigot feminist extremism that wants abortion on demand.
So, just to be clear, there’s not actually a moral issue with “killing off an unborn child” as long as you, k_p, think the circumstances warrant it?
😉
And now Banks has been proven to be lying while a minister.
So, will Key hold Banks to account? Na, of course not.