Pete George causes a lot of discussion in comments. Moderators have been considering it, there’s no strong consensus on what to do.
There’s no doubt that Pete’s debating “tactics” (for want of a better word) are infuriating to many and generally disruptive. There’s no doubt that he uses The Standard for link whoring (sorry – never liked that phrase). But in most cases he stays on the right side of the Policy, so a permanent ban seems unwarranted.
At this point Pete we’ve decided on a week-long ban for your behaviour yesterday (the deliberate misrepresentation of another commenter was way out of line). As for the linking, lprent has his own ideas about that…
Thanks for that, R0b. I for one understand and respect the position and decisions of the moderators.
I notice that two links to PG’s own website have now appeared in the comments section in the right hand column. Are these in line with the moderators’ decision?
Those are comments that Pete has made today. Because he’s on the ban list the comments themselves go to the spam queue, but that link in the comments pane does still appear.
I’m wishing now I had not been so busy elsewhere and had come back to hose things down sooner.
To his credit PG has responded sensibly to my own response here.
I could add in my defense that my original statement … the one that started the whole shitstorm … is curiously enough, pretty much modelled on an very similar one that no-one other than Maanu Paul himself ran on me about 20 years ago.
IMO I don’t think you should in any way feel bad or regretful about your original comment or the resultant ‘dialogue’. Most of us read the original in the manner you intended. In fact, I believe that the situation has had a good side, in allowing people to express their views on what has been happening and to discuss ways of handling it in a ‘community’ type of way – in effect, a form of detoxing and community-building!
It may have also been a warning to others who seek to undermine here….
PS – I have been impressed with Maanu Paul and his forthrightness in the last few days – and can well imagine him running the line you mentioned.
For those of us who do not have the power of moderation there is an easy way to silence PG. Ignore him. It is very difficult for him to debate with silence.
You can almost guarantee that following every PG comment is a Savage ‘Petey’ response. And from there the game begins for him. In my mind the two of them are as bad as each other. Savage the rest of your comments are insightful but your Petey ones are infuriating.
Yep, that was pretty much the consensus toward the end of yesterday. Either just ignore the bore or post a patronising smiley face.
I think the whole debate has been excellent and it echoes the dilemma union members have when there is one hold out who won’t join and insists on the boss passing on the results of union bargaining to him. It’s best to simply ignore the bludger and let the silence be the rebuke.
DNFTT only works if everyone does it (or most people most of the time). I will be interested to see if those how are now on record as not replying to PG are able to manage that once he is back 😉
Quiz: What has Clare Curran, Jacinda Ardern, Grant Robertson and David Shearer have in common?
They work hard to make sure the Labour Party rank and file members do not upset the cosy little world they have come to enjoy in Parliament. They believe they know better than you, when it comes to selecting a leader for the whole party, your party.
You see, they put Shearer in power to maintain the status quo. Shearer is the new Goff. Jacinda, Clare and Grant are in the golden circle now and they are not going to let the great unwashed upset the apple-cart. And they have a great plan (ok, ok Pagani has). Just don’t irritate people who voted National last two times and watch them flock in droves to Labour in 2014!
Marvellous! Four geniuses! And the nice NZ Council did what they were told.
Crikey that’s harsh. I’m not even sure yet what is changing, or what is staying the same. I am guessing you have seen the remits. Would love to be enlightened.
Is there such a thing as a plan in Labour, I mean for things other than succession?
Probably I would care less about who was leader or even by what means if I could see a plan of where Labour and the Greens could go together (other than wait for National to fail).
As an ex LEC chair (we all walked because Roger stayed) I have long held the deepest suspicion of “party central”. As the song goes
“The peoples flags a shade of pink,
Its not as red as you might think”.
Hence we are burdened forever by the likes of Shearer and Parker. careerist, not boat rockers. Status quo, but capable of managing a broken system better, (it will remain broken however because they are all straight jacketed into the present paradigm).
An an ex LRC chair for three years, Policy Council and committee member, along with founding a youth branch (which was eventually destroyed by a party-central candidate’s actions), I would concur with those remarks.
The party desperately needs a circuit-breaker to cut off these elements of caucus.
Can’t see what would have brought that accusation on TRP. Is any comment on the currently insipid Labour Party a de-facto comment of a troll or a spin line?
I mean, that says a lot about any appetite (or lack thereof) for any discussion on the Labour Party, it’s pathetic presence or any (reasonable imo) suspicion that it’s decended to the level whereby internal dynamics that are akin to navel staring and cock comparing has consumed the party as the ‘old guard’ manouvere to hang on to, well…basically pay cheques that flow from ‘their turf’.
We’re in a bar at a regular drinks/bullshit session. Quite a few diverse folk around, lots of different opinions.
A guy comes in who nobody’s ever seen before. He loudly yells some unimaginative lines, thus causing a bar fight. He is never seen again.
A while later, the same thing happens with a different guy, but similar lines. And so on.
After a few iterations, the random folk start trying harder to cause a bar fight. Their expressions evolve, become more blunt, but all have the same objective. Some of them let slip that they are regulars or even staff at another bar, or are seen there by some of the regulars. It’s going around town that your own bar is rough and prone to fights.
After a while, it becomes pretty obvious that someone’s just trying to give your bar a bad reputation, and that randoms coming in and calling your mother a whore are usually part of that plan. And if they’re not, they sure as hell aren’t trying to make a serious comment or have a meaningful dicussion.
Do you know what has been decided in regard to party membership input?
I’d be interested to know, but I’m not convinced your comment is anything more than guesswork.
Apologies Olwyn. It was emailed to secretaries of constituent bodies rather than members. If you check with your branch secretary they should be able to let you have a copy.
John Key has admitted that the MRP share float may be delayed because of Maori’s legal challenge over water.
The Herald reports that Key acknowledged in 2009 that Maori had “specific rights and interests” in fresh water in a 2009 letter to iwi leaders.
And Manu Paul, co leader of the Maori Council has urged the Maori Party to walk away from the coalition while its mana is intact. On radio he used the word “kupapa” meaning collaborator, in describing those who continued to support the Government. He said if they had mana they would walk. Strong words …
Oddly I think the main party to worry about now is New Zealand First.
The intersecting media themes of “Maori” and “Treaty” and “Save our assets” is custom built for Winston Peters. I could easily see him sustaining sufficient base to be an alternative support partner to National in 2014. Nowhere near as strong as the Greens, but doesn’t yet have to be.
This theme intersection will be amplified as Key goes for the High Court, and then has to make a call to either go for Court of Appeal, and negotiating in parallel for a share allocation. Or alternatively put fresh legislation into the house stripping Maori of any water claim.
I think Key will go for negotiate with a High Court backup, because he will see it taking away much of the asset sale bogey and waking people up to how much this is just about everyone’s financial self-interest. He will then be ablet o complete the first listing.
That will largely strip Labour of its’ most important policy advantage: being anti-asset sales.
The public bitterness a pro-Maori share of the IPO engenders will again play into Winston’s hands. Maori without being Maori Party, pro-seniors, pro-assets, pro-talkback sympathy. And I think by December tracking to 8%.
ADd peters is anti asset sales so ditching that policy would leave him out in the cold again as a lot of his support came from disaffected labour supporters wanting him in parliament to give national a run for their money but alas Peters has lost his Mojo and can’t be found.
Not that I would try to fathom Peters’ murky mind but if I did I would join the Government, and negotiate that no further asset sales would occur. Key could say “I floated one, Maori are being settled with, and I no longer need further sales to achieve financial stability”.
The point is merely that we should not presume that Key has no options, and could still win in 2014. Even if it is harder.
Nobody could fathom Winston’s mind – not even himself.
Unless it is a publicity stunt to get into the media periodically (and the MSM love him – he would not have got back into Parliament without their help).
If the MSM love him, why do they only report on anything he says that might be framed as controversial, rather than, say, reporting on NZF policy?
NZF is anti asset-sales and it will be a cold day in hell before we go anywhere near National
Governments in NZ, from the point they could comprehend the rough idea, have been actively negligent in their response to the necessary elevation of indigenous identity here. It is necessary though, to point out one thing in this latest act of a cold war by our Prime Minister and his supporters. As much as I despise it’s modern popular form, Pakeha culture allows a point of contact, without conflict, for whatever other peoples it meets.
Put aside the question of racism and insult over John Key’s comments that he did not have to listen to a tribunal ruling, before it happened, and you find that he is not acting under Pakeha culture.
John Key does not have mandate, or right, to misrepresent Pakeha culture in such coarse, rude, ungracious, disrespectful to office, void of diplomatic, etiquette.
For a moment, place aside who he has insulted and realise he has also insulted the honor of Pakeha people and their culture. Who is this man? What cultural protocol is he using? He has insulted the people he represents, the office of the Prime Minister and since we are still part of the Commonwealth, the office of Governor General and by association, the Queen Herself. What he has done can only be matched in Pakeha culture, to the deeds of a victorious General during talks for unconditional surrender. No such conditions exist. Under Pakeha culture, under Commonwealth diplomatic etiquette, he should be replaced immediately. This will not happen, but that is not the point.
To those watching, with justifiable outrage at a rude and culture-less man: do not call your own people Kupapa over this. If your mainstream political party leaves government, it should be for the right reasons; not under pressure of shame, by associating with a corrupt system, the only official system of participation; in which there is a worthy history. The value of a certain kind of leader should be appreciated. How can anyone attempting to subdue the pigs stay clean while in the sty? It would be unfair to condemn them for doing their job.
Maori and Pakeha relationship will outlive – and lives outside – one particular individual or regime. Almost one million people did not vote in the last election. This also does not include people who are old enough to be forming the views that will shape the future, but who are still too young to vote. Realise that the acts of an economic theory, are not the rules of culture for Pakeha at large – however many of us have lost the ability to recognise the difference. We have no rule that allows insult to host or guest. We know that money does not make right. We know how, when and why to apologise. What you are seeing illustrated in this latest conflict is pure greed and hubris, and those are human traits. Consider that in calling your own people useless, traitors or collaborators, you are allowing the poison of greed to do its full damage.
Your last paragraph identifies the real culprit: the culture of greed that has its own theological justification (the words of St Ayn, Friedman etc). I fear that the likes of Key were brought up and educated in the narrow amorality of this thinking: worse I suspect that culture does not come into it. There are Maori. Pakeha, Chinese, Eskimos etc who are also afflicted with the same materialist malady. For example what will it take to make Turia walk from the baubles of office?
Excellent post, Uturn. In his approach to this whole issue, Key certainly does not represent me as a NZ pakeha, and IMO continues to exhibit a total lack of regard, respect and/or knowledge for NZ’s unique Treaty of Waitangi relationship.
I agree, CV, that Key exhibits a banker/dealer culture and is continuing to do so, despite the reactions to his approach over the last week, as evident in this Stuff article this morning:
Prime Minister John Key says negotiating directly with the Government is a ”much more logical and sensible way” for Maori to resolve water rights issues than through the Waitangi Tribunal.
Maori had achieved good outcomes over the Waikato River, Taniwha Springs in Rotorua and more recently at Tahuna, he said.
”The Government’s view is that is the right process, it’s been the most successful.” …
Key today said much of what had been raised at the Tribunal hearing had already been dealt with or was in the process of being dealt with by the Government.
”There is a much more logical and sensible way of dealing with that,” he told TV3’s Firstline programme.
”We don’t agree there is ownership rights in water and we never have.” …
The Maori Council only represented one group within Maoridom, Key said.
”It’s not necessarily the view shared by many other groups within Maoridom.”
In other words, divide to undermine the existing Treaty issue process, and I’ll cut you a deal if you deal with me directly.
And his attempts to discredit the Maori Council continue in an updated version of the above Stuff column (it still contains the above version in the second half of the column)
Seems to be digging hiis heels in terms of going ahead with the sale of MRP regardless of possible legal action – and possibly buying a fight with the judiciary?
Last night Annette Sykes suggested the same thing, re: baubles and the Maori Party. She has respect in her circles and I don’t challenge that, but I disagree. This particular conflict is not about Turia or anyone associated with maori parliamentarians. If there are maori issues with the Maori Party, that’s none of my business. The MP can vote as they see fit on any particular issue, with responsiblity to whoever voted for them, or whoever they claim to represent. That’s as fair as our system gets.
The self interest of certain people to see the Nats go down at any cost or the Maori Party go down at cost to maori justifiable by hastening the demise of the Nat government, is also an act against the partnership between maori and pakeha. What this means is that certain pakeha are willing, through the excuse of combatting the applied greed of John Key and friends, to have maori hacking off another historical limb of their own, while we look on and wait for the fall out to settle – fall out, we know, that will favour pakeha. Then our favorite pakeha system can get back to enforcing more destructive attitudes on maori through legislation and leave them not only with a mainstream link to control in their affairs in tatters, but further animosity between ranks within their own world.
This is unacceptable, and if done consciously, worse than John Key’s openly demonstrated efforts. Maori are proud of their attempts to engage the, so far, reluctant and unengageable. Young people being groomed for leadership positions in the maori world look up to the examples of several historic maori parliamentary leaders. Regardless of philosophical reasoning, to consciously attack that link, would be dishonorable and despicable by pakeha standards. It is not Pakeha’s place.
That is the evil of applied greed. The Maori Party, per see, is not the target. Maori claims supporting a maori world view are not the target. How can they be? They have remained unchanged since forever. It is Key and his aggressive bullying incompetent supporters who are the target – by their own acts. That is where the pakeha attention must go, not on (sometimes inadvertently) manipulating or profiting from the the damage they cause.
“…At this point Pete we’ve decided on a week-long ban…”
Hallelujah! I refuse to bother even engaging with him. It became very clear very quickly to me that he was an old man with to much time on his hands. Once upon a time he would have written endless tedious letters to the ODT on all manner of subjects but primarily about how right he is all the time. Unlike today, when such people can infest multiple blogs across the internet for only a modest outlay of money, the only victims of this habit would have been the long-suffering readers of Dunedin newspapers, until such time as the ODT letters editor would have finally banned him. Probably then some sort of endless litigation would have been embarked upon, as a substitute for letter writing.
Eventually such old fellows die, usually mid-court action, and after a few years every ones opinion softens and people start to fondly recall the eccentric old duffer who wrote incessant letters to the editor and had the temerity to sue the ODT.
+1 Sanctuary. If we all ignore him then we can get on with the real business of this Blog. That, in my view, is the pushing , teasing, challenging of policies and strategies that improve the lot of the people of new Zealand .
the only victims of this habit would have been the long-suffering readers of Dunedin newspapers, until such time as the ODT letters editor would have finally banned him.
Actually no, editors of newspapers are under no obligation to publish letters and regularly choose not to for all sorts of reasons. Someone writing letters to the editor all the time has no guarantee of them being published, and editors are not going to overload their letters space with someone spamming them.
There is no reason why TS couldn’t also exercise such discretion (except maybe it would be alot of work for TS admin/moderators).
“If gareth or anyone else thinks they’re hard enough they can meet me outside.”
Colonial Viper said “I’m really very dubious ”
So I’ll quote a response to my criticism (I am sickened) of that in full so it can be judged in it’s entirety:
Gareth, that is the most disgusting example of one way racism I have ever seen
I think there is growing concern about what appears to be one way reverse racism.
I’ve been confronting them at The Standard and seem to have initiated an uprising against me. They don’t like being challenged. They’ve been trying to hound any challenging out of there, and this time made a concerted effort.
I think we should reafirm to work positively a bit more and work together a bit more (rather than wallowing in bitch and moan) then things will work better.Here’s a challenge to step back and consider Positive Politics, what can be done better in political blogs and in parliament.
I won’t respond or comment in Open Mic today – that may be a positive for some. If there’s anything positive here today I’ll collate and summarise.
Suggestions, pledges, whatever – people here claim The Standard is much better than Kiwiblog, show that it is at least as good. Get positive.
And as information grows I will firm up a position – if it’s important enough for me to do that. But it is rarely a fixed position, new information or circumstances can adjust it, a major revelation or time can lead to a major change of position.
Nothing to worry about, Gareth, CV (and felix). Just a bit of humour that appears to have been misundertood. I rather enjoyed the exchange; it was the funniest extended satire I think I’ve ever seen here.
No offence or misunderstanding I enjoyed it as well, It’s hilarious searching back some of Petes posts everything above is pretty much word for word cut n paste, That last paragraph has to be my favourite Pete quote of all time. Pretty much sums up both Pete’s ( George & Dunne)beautifully….
Peak water
I-Pad in preschool-machine wedge
“little victorians” pursuing self-seeking bias
content?
North American APA stories, particularly machine analogy story
essential ideas being filed in machine
not
Connecting in brain
Apple-fruit machine
hope slave
Master act-not act
NAct intermittent reinforcement (generally effective for behav maintenance and shaping) fuels intoxication of people in plunge, Anticipation, of saviour.
but no fuhrer, fuhrer not necessary anymore
all people can “read” history
Occams razor
ratio of scientist/priest tribute spent on description and tradition?
It seems to me to be a description of society and how it works. The money go round that enriches the few while dis-empowering and impoverishing everyone else.
An actual money go-round wouldn’t be this bad. This is the money going around society briefly, then being trapped and hoarded by the elite who sit on it, or sit on assets bought with it.
So was interesting watching it all unfold yesterday, already todays open mic seems alot more informative. Last night I was sent a link to a NZ design company “String Theory” for an ad the did for Good Books international. Cool Hunter S Thompson styled ad, bnut while there I saw this ten minute video they have done for Cunliffe on the Economy. Can’t find it anywhere on youtube etc but it’s brilliant, just click the picture and it should play. I really wanted to share it with a few friends but it’s nowhere to be found besides here:
Just having a read of the proposed changes to the LP constitution, policy development, list selection and party leadership. Excellent stuff and it gives the lie to the C/T and leftist trolling that has been going on here for the last couple of days. Particularly the rubbish about caucus refusing to listen to the membership.
No, I’m not going to let the cat out of the bag, but, as Micky notes above, members should contact their branch sec’s in the first instance. Your next branch meeting is going to be an exercise in democracy and creative thinking! Members, branches and LEC’s are actively encouraged to have their say in this set of changes and have no doubt, this is a real step forward in the evolution of our great party.
Righto, the feline has exited the enclosure. The details of the review process and proposals are up on the LP website.
Highlights are a slimmer moderating committee, list rankings in bands (ie top 5, next 5 etc.), a move to have branches and LEC’s more closely linked (the Palmy model?) and an increased say from the rank and file in the selection of the Parliamentary leader. That is proposed to be 40% members, 20% affiliates, 40% caucus.
the funny thing is if you disagree with whalesh*t or fatboy farr*r then you are kicked off their blogs but here you can mostly say what you like.
So who is the real standard bearer of freedom and truth?
obviously not the wing nuts of the right who only want obedience and slavish adherence to their desires to beat down the people who actually do the real work in this society.
send it anywhere you want in the universe, maybe “right” maybe “wrong”
but new boss not same as old boss
learning Revolution
or
the resurrection
(on forgiveness, memory and forgetting)
dedicated and in memoriam to people who Chose to love.
Master of Being
slave to fate
Master of destiny
slave to His-tory
Master of faith
slave to priest
Master of wisdom
slave to truth
Master of Comedy
slave to Tragedy
Master of emotion
slave to thoughts
Master of thoughts
slave to stories
Master of stories
slave to telling
Master of fear
slave to guilt
Master of happiness
slave to content
Master of sadness
slave to loss
Master of awareness
slave to denial
Master of surprise
slave to excitement
Master of anger
slave to outrage
Master of interest
slave to boredom
Master of disgust
slave to contempt
Master of anticipation
slave to obsession
Master of security
slave to exchange
Master of shelter
slave to lender
Master of wealth
slave to debt
Master of diet
slave to process sugar,fat
Master of warmth
slave to generator
Master of apparel
slave to sweatshop
Master of gold
slave to mine
Master of activity
slave to compulsion
Master of aggression
slave to hostility
Master of curiosity
slave to addiction
Master of achievement
slave to recognition
Master of affiliation
slave to status
Master of autonomy
slave to loneliness
Master of solitude
slave to crowd
Master of nurturance
slave to control
Master of exhibition
slave to fame
Master of order
slave to geometry
Master of Dominance
slave to Authority
Master of play
slave to rule
Master of universe
slave to electron
Master of nature
slave to extinction
Master of energy
slave to entropy
Master of growth
slave to decay
Master of water
slave to thirst
Master of breath
slave to lungs
Master of land
slave to fence
Master of home
slave to ancestors
Master of time
slave to clock
Master of cycle
slave to routine
Master of motion
slave to road
Master of road
slave to car
Master of car
slave to oil
Master of learning
slave to book
Master of exploration
slave to teacher
Master of labour
slave to contract
Master of contract
slave to government
Master of creativity
slave to medium
Master of medium
slave to media
Master of Profession
slave to form
Master of role
slave to economy
Master of economy
slave to wind
Master of sex-tant
slave to galley
Master of consumption
slave to market
Master of chance
slave to dice
Master of insight
slave to drug
Master of innovation
slave to tradition
Master of tool
slave to machine
Master of machine
slave to ghost
slave pick crop
slave built road
slave carry water
slave chop wood
slave mine rock
slave built monument
slave shepherd flock
slave built temple
slave guard altar
slave bear tribute
slave rear children
slave ferry old
John with respect, after the fourth or fifth line I started to get bored and I thought, what the fuck is he on about. Is this generation X or Y speak, so us down to earth “oldies” cannot comprehend it? It looks very academic and very intelligent to me. but frankly whatever the point you are trying to make has gone completely over my head and I suspect quite a few others as well. Do me a favour pal, in future if you have an opinion to tell, do it in simple terms so a thicky like me may comprehend what the fuck you are on about.
HCM – Here is a thought to help get out of the hole you have fallen into , as others here seem to also.
Let people post how they want, or like to, if you don’t or can’t comprehend it, then try asking for clarification, as opposed to asking for the writer to change his/her style…
On Marae Investigates on Sunday, Hone said that whanau Ora has received 13.4 million and that the Maori Party asked for 134 million. The Maori Party looks as though they usually end up with one tenth of what they ask for.
I am finding that the biggest diversion from the day to day running of the country is the issue over water:
Who owns it?
Who manages it?
What Maori interest is?
The Glenn Family Foundation has announced a 80 million dollar package to stem family violence and abuse, with children at the top of the pyramid. 8 million dollars was pledged today with a pilot programme in Otara. I expect that demand is going to exceed supply. I am going to watch the gains which the Glenn Family Foundation make in regard to child poverty, child abuse and violence in the home.
I also read today that ACC is dragging the ball and chain when it comes to 11 recommendations concerning sensitive claims. The other recommendation 16 counselling sessions has strings attached.
This has got to be the WORSE government on record for child poverty, child abuse, violence in the home and not supporting ACC sensitive claimants.
“National embrassment” according to Glenn re child abuse and that he will pay 10 – 15 million for a commission into child abuse; highlighted is child fatality if the government will not.
Over 200 million for consultants to build roads and nothing for a commission into the death and serious injury of children, I regard this as a national embrassment.
Thank you for supplying the links, I was not aware of the Child & Youth Mortality Review Committee and I will read up on them. I am interested in the funding they get.
14.1 paragraph 4.
“Nothing” is a broad word, inadequate funding to deal with the issue, (death and serious injury of children involved in abuse and violence in the home) is not seen as a priority compared to road consultants.
I saw on stuff.co.nz today that adults who have a sensitive claim pertaining to childhood are really being let down by ACC. This is the consequence of children being sexually and physically harmed and EVERYTHING possible has to be done to prevent the criminal damage done to vulnerable children.
I got a letter from John Key in the mail today (actually addressed to my wife and myself) asking me what I thought was important about the budget. Anyone else get one?
You were lucky we received one from our local nondescript MP (problem when you live in a protected rotten borough) as he was canvassing to what we thought the local area issues were, nothing asked re macro issues, I am now receiving emails !!!. It was extremely difficult to write anything of substance or constructive criticism, just enough space for 1 medium sized word or 2-3 small words !!!!
Still better to be asked and have some input.
I never got my letter.
If they send one they better include some return postage so I can tell them exactly what is wrong with their excuse for a government.
The unanimous decision of the “Dateline London panel last Sunday was that Private/Public ownership in the UK was a complete failure . Somebody should tell Key . It certainly would not be his doppelganger in the British Parliament who is slowly but surely destroying what is left of the Uk
This will interest some people. It’s a study into the collapse of present society.
It is argued that in order to understand systemic risk in the globalised economy, account must betaken of how growing complexity (interconnectedness, interdependence and the speed of processes), the de-localisation of production and concentration within key pillars of the globalised economy have magnified global vulnerability and opened up the possibility of a rapid and large-scale collapse. ‘Collapse’ in this sense means the irreversible loss of socio-economic complexity which fundamentally transforms the nature of the economy. These crucial issues have not beenrecognised by policy-makers nor are they reflected in economic thinking or modelling.
Two items on 3 News that I wish to comment on – the ‘body-snatching’ case where James Takamore was taken from his Pakeha widow and children before he could be buried. Is this okay? Definitely not. Is the refusal of iwi to obey court rulings against them okay? IMO, definitely not.
Iraena Asher. She was the victim of sexism, and a refusal to take seriously the fears of a woman with bipolar disorder. Why has it taken until now, for the authorities to investigate? That’s definitely not okay.
Note to Captain Panic Pants Re: getting the Slippery shyster to talk tough over asset sales, it’s a total FAILURE when the tough talking is via a Lithp…
Would filling out and sending back a response to the personally-addressed propaganda (sorry, survey) I received from John Key today use up some of their PS-funded-budget that they wouldn’t be able to use for other purposes, or has the money already been spent regardless of whether the response actually gets sent back? Can I put something heavy into the Freepost envelope to increase how much it costs them to ‘hear my views’?
Once upon a time I believe that a letter sent to an MP at parliament did not have to have a stamp.Democracy was free but I don’t know if that is still the case so maybe don’t muck around with that
The best route back might be to your local branch of the Nat party or to the Nats party Headquarters address. This means it will go right to the heart of the organisation -stamps optional. When I receive unsolicited mail, stuff off public registers like MV licensing gets to me but rather than stew I go for a positive approach.
I return the offending material with a typed note thanking them profusely for the supply of reading matter and say that I would like to return the compliment by supplying them with some reading matter that I find interesting. Of course I have lots of this weighing a ton so it needs a very large envelope and inevitably someone has given the cat it’s dinner on a really important piece that I had meant to save… so I send that too.
Commercial stuff is usually best sent to a director – address courtesy of the coy’s office site …
How Britain’s top spy is beating the drums for war on Iran
by Michael Higgs, Stop the War Coalition, 15 July 2012
SIR JOHN Sawers has reared his head in public for the second time since being appointed head of MI6 in 2009. Last time it was to claim that Britain has “nothing whatsoever” to do with torture.
We know this to be untrue following the revelations over MI6’s role in ‘renditioning’ Libyan dissidents to Tripoli to be tortured, as a favour to the intelligence services there. One might hope that, having learnt from his previous mistake, this latest speech would be rather more honest.
It was not to be.
In an article appearing in the the Daily Telegraph, the head of Britain’s overseas spy service is quoted at length from a speech recently given to senior civil servants. In it, he discussed Iran and its nuclear programme, claiming that covert operations by MI6 had prevented Iran from developing nuclear weapons by 2008, but that the Islamic Republic is now likely to become (and we are assured it is their goal) a “nuclear weapons state” by 2014.
Coming shortly after a fresh round of sanctions, almost every line in the Telegraph article beats the drum for war. The screws are being tightened on Tehran and propaganda for an attack is in full swing.
In keeping with Sawers’ previous public appearance as head of MI6, he boasts of the agency’s relevance and effectiveness in the field, perhaps still smarting from the humiliating episode in Libya where SAS and MI6 officers were captured by rebels.
The grim reality of covert operations in Iran is acknowledged by the Telegraph, however, in what they refer to as the ‘apparent assassinations’ of multiple Iranian scientists. A reality check is in order here.
Five nuclear scientists have been murdered in as many years in a campaign of state terror directed against Iran. One, Darioush Rezaeinejad, was shot dead outside his daughter’s nursery. Israel is the most likely suspect, possibly with the support of Britain or America. Certainly neither country has condemned the killings. Imagine for a moment the outrage if Iran had, in broad daylight, executed the director of a nuclear plant in the UK.
John Sawers is a liar. We know he lied about MI6’s complicity in torture and we should be skeptical, to say the least, about his denial of complicity in the murder of Iranian civilians, particularly given the nod just made to the existence of covert action by MI6 in Iran.
Whatever the details of the covert operations Sawers has run in Iran, his claim that they prevented the development of a “nuclear weapons state” there by 2008 is a revelation to say the least.
If Iran was on the brink of possessing nuclear weapons in 2008, then I hope someone told the Americans. Because in 2007, a report by the CIA — surely the world’s largest and most well-connected spy network (no offense, Sir John) — stated “with high confidence” that “in fall 2003, Tehran halted its nuclear weapons program” and that “Tehran had not restarted its nuclear weapons program as of mid-2007”.
There is no convincing evidence it has since been restarted.
The IAEA has confirmed in all of its reports that nuclear material has not been diverted from use in energy and medical research, where inspectors keep a close watch.
Nonetheless, Sawers’ claims that Iran will be a “nuclear weapons state” in just two years time. Based on what? We are expected to take his word for it.
Sawers’ phrase of choice, “nuclear weapons state” is perhaps of interest given America’s recent re-definition of its ‘red line’ with regard to Iran. The red line is the situation that America is categorically unwilling to tolerate, that is, they will go to war to prevent it. Until May this year….
Thanks for kind words Standardistas. A short break, a visit with my grandchild in Christchurch and some weeding will leave me with overdue jobs done and happy memories. So I’ll concentrate on such things for a while and return a better person, with a tidier section, I hope.
We’ve all heard about “piracy” and how it’s theft from the music and film industries but…
Five years ago a composer created music for use in a one-off anti-piracy video. However, without his permission it was used time and again on dozens of commercial DVDs such as Harry Potter. Even in the wake of a huge controversy over “corrupt” and “mafia-like” practices, the local music rights group that got involved in the case failed to pay him the money he was owed. The case went to court and this week the music rights group lost.
…apparently these groups don’t think that those same standards apply to them.
No apparently about it mate. One set of rules and enforcement for the creatives and the workers. Another completely different set for the elite and the corporates (and they get to write both sets).
“elite and the corporates (and they get to write both sets)”
Yeah nah. This is a case of a slack collection agency.
Gotta watch those torrentfreak headlines, they have a habit of conflating quite separate things. In this example they’re making it appear as if the anti-piracy group were the ones not paying up.
Which is, you know, impressively hypocritical-sounding to a 13 year old on Digg.com
Any particular reason you decided not to deem that private sector collection agency (which appears to cover deals totalling many millions of euros) a “corporate”?
You know, since they are supposed to collect monies from the huge entertainment companies they have relationships with and consequently pass them on to artists, but whoops, appears not to.
But you wouldn’t be too surprised if the senior management of that collection agency happen to be former employees of Time Warner, Sony Pictures, Viacom, etc. right?
Because as you know, that’s how the elite and the corporates do their dirty work.
Its not a “collection society”. Its a for-profit private sector corporate.
It also happens to be the same private organisation which took Kazaa to court for copyright infringement against the major media companies. Nice that they’re such good friends of the big studios.
Collection societies are always private sector organisations, designed to turn profits which are in most cases entirely distributed to their members.
Their role is to collect money payable to composers and authors of musical works, and in my experience they generally do a pretty good job of it considering the logistics.
Sounds like this particular society was a pretty slack in this instance, but I’m not going to spend time looking into it because it’s a fricking torrentfreak story which are generally either deliberately misleading (as this one seems to be) or entirely bullshit.
Couldn’t give a fuck about Kazzaa but I’m sorry for your loss.
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The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
I was initially resistant to the idea often suggested to me that the Government should deliver an arts strategy. The whole point of the arts and creativity is that people should do whatever the hell they want, unbound by the dictates of politicians in Wellington. Peter Jackson, Kiri Te Kanawa, Eleanor ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...
Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julien Cooper, Honorary Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Julien Cooper The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new ...
The sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign ...
The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
Rock The Vote NZ, known for its advocacy for minor party unity and its role within the Freedoms NZ Coalition during the 2023 General Election, celebrates this merger as a strategic enhancement of its operational strength and outreach. ...
Nearly everyone has experienced the frustration of something you use breaking and being difficult or expensive to fix. Proposed legislation could change that. It’s been raining on and off all Sunday afternoon but people are lining up outside a building in a corner of Gribblehirst Park in Sandringham, Auckland. In ...
What does a forever relationship look like when you don’t believe in marriage? And how do you celebrate it? This essay is part of our Sunday Essay series, made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.I’m going to do it, right now. I’m going to say ...
You can’t have missed the Gallipoli story as the movies, documentaries, essays and books capture what it was like for New Zealand troops in their eight-month campaign on the Peninsula. But this Anzac Day the Auckland War Memorial Museum has published a book that sheds light on a little-known aspect of the ...
The Prime Minister has committed to resuming direct flights to Thailand. But it’s not a promise he will be able to deliver on anytime soon. The post Prime Minister jumps the gun in Thailand appeared first on Newsroom. ...
It’s not that long ago Eliza McCartney was seriously wondering if the Paris Olympics would be her pole vaulting swansong. After years of being hounded by injury after injury, the Rio Olympics bronze medallist was still confident she would compete at her second Olympics in Paris in July, unless something ...
FICTION 1 Take Two by Danielle Hawkins (Allen & Unwin, $36.99) There’s commercial fiction, like this book, and then there’s quality fiction, quality writers, quality literature; the forthcoming Auckland Writers Festival is full of quality, and ReadingRoom has two tickets to give away to the following events: Paul Lynch (Dublin ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 26 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Musk’s vociferous opposition to ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Pacific Media Watch Journalists who report on environmental issues are encountering growing difficulties in many parts of the world, reports Reporters Without Borders. According to the tally kept by RSF, 200 journalists have been subjected to threats and physical violence, including murder, in the past 10 years because they were ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in ...
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ACT's Rural Communities and Veterans spokesman Mark Cameron responds to cancellations and protests of ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington. He says, "These pitiful attempts to detract from ANZAC Day are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Pōneke based peace activists staged a silent protest at the ANZAC day service to highlight New Zealand’s complicity in war and genocide, and urge the government to take concrete steps to stop the genocide in Palestine. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena M.E. Bunbury, Postdoctoral Researcher, James Cook University Burial with a horse at the Rákóczifalva site, Hungary (8th century AD).Sándor Hegedűs, Hungarian National Museum, CC BY How do we understand past societies? For centuries, our main sources of information have been ...
Amanda Thompson doesn’t really do Anzac Day. But what she does do is remember the people she knew who had a lifetime to remember stuff they didn’t really want to, because of a war they didn’t ask for. And she does make Anzac biscuits.First published in 2021.All my ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Willis, Postdoctoral Researcher, CSIRO Xavier Boulenger/Shutterstock In the two decades to 2019, global plastic production doubled. By 2040, plastic manufacturing and processing could consume as much as 20% of global oil production and use up 15% of the annual carbon ...
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Principal reasons for the opposition is the loss of the public’s democratic right to have “a fair say” and the vital need for a government free from corruption, said Casey Cravens of Dunedin, president of the New Zealand Federation of Freshwater ...
Never mind the scoreboard – in the 2000 Bledisloe Cup decider, the real trans-Tasman battle was won before kickoff.First published in 2016. The dawn of the new millennium was a dark time for the All Blacks. Their final game pre-Y2K was a 22-18 loss to South Africa in the ...
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Pete George causes a lot of discussion in comments. Moderators have been considering it, there’s no strong consensus on what to do.
There’s no doubt that Pete’s debating “tactics” (for want of a better word) are infuriating to many and generally disruptive. There’s no doubt that he uses The Standard for link whoring (sorry – never liked that phrase). But in most cases he stays on the right side of the Policy, so a permanent ban seems unwarranted.
At this point Pete we’ve decided on a week-long ban for your behaviour yesterday (the deliberate misrepresentation of another commenter was way out of line). As for the linking, lprent has his own ideas about that…
Thanks for that, R0b. I for one understand and respect the position and decisions of the moderators.
I notice that two links to PG’s own website have now appeared in the comments section in the right hand column. Are these in line with the moderators’ decision?
Those are comments that Pete has made today. Because he’s on the ban list the comments themselves go to the spam queue, but that link in the comments pane does still appear.
I’m wishing now I had not been so busy elsewhere and had come back to hose things down sooner.
To his credit PG has responded sensibly to my own response here.
I could add in my defense that my original statement … the one that started the whole shitstorm … is curiously enough, pretty much modelled on an very similar one that no-one other than Maanu Paul himself ran on me about 20 years ago.
IMO I don’t think you should in any way feel bad or regretful about your original comment or the resultant ‘dialogue’. Most of us read the original in the manner you intended. In fact, I believe that the situation has had a good side, in allowing people to express their views on what has been happening and to discuss ways of handling it in a ‘community’ type of way – in effect, a form of detoxing and community-building!
It may have also been a warning to others who seek to undermine here….
PS – I have been impressed with Maanu Paul and his forthrightness in the last few days – and can well imagine him running the line you mentioned.
I have found this interesting video of a typical argument involving Standarnistas and Pete George. Hint, he is the one sitting …
For those of us who do not have the power of moderation there is an easy way to silence PG. Ignore him. It is very difficult for him to debate with silence.
You can almost guarantee that following every PG comment is a Savage ‘Petey’ response. And from there the game begins for him. In my mind the two of them are as bad as each other. Savage the rest of your comments are insightful but your Petey ones are infuriating.
Don’t feed the Troll
Apart from the second to last sentence you’re spot on.
Yep, that was pretty much the consensus toward the end of yesterday. Either just ignore the bore or post a patronising smiley face.
I think the whole debate has been excellent and it echoes the dilemma union members have when there is one hold out who won’t join and insists on the boss passing on the results of union bargaining to him. It’s best to simply ignore the bludger and let the silence be the rebuke.
Your metaphor is retarded.
How so, HS? PG uses this site to pimp his own, so he is very much like the worker bludging off his unionised workmates.
And up steps another troll to fill the void 🙄
DNFTT only works if everyone does it (or most people most of the time). I will be interested to see if those how are now on record as not replying to PG are able to manage that once he is back 😉
Armed with smileys and ready to ignore 😀
:-roll Just testing to see if I’ve got that ‘eye rolling’ smiley code. more expressive of indulgence, resignation and dismissal.
edit nope. Anyone?
🙄
😛
colon to finish the roll as well as start it 🙂
:-:roll: Ah! Cheers McFlock…cept it ain’t working 🙂
Lose the dash. 🙄 😛
test
‘:shock:’ => ‘icon_eek.gif’
‘:roll:’ => ‘icon_rolleyes.gif’
oops
‘icon_eek.gif’
‘icon_rolleyes.gif’
oops
🙄
😮
nice – final edit worked – yay
sheesh 🙄 cheers
No angry smileys though I reckon. That’d just encourage him. 😉
There’s always this
@:-)
or maybe
$:-)
Haha are those the Peter Dunne smileys? (“Dunnies”)
They are!
‘Dunnies’ rofl
Quiz: What has Clare Curran, Jacinda Ardern, Grant Robertson and David Shearer have in common?
They work hard to make sure the Labour Party rank and file members do not upset the cosy little world they have come to enjoy in Parliament. They believe they know better than you, when it comes to selecting a leader for the whole party, your party.
You see, they put Shearer in power to maintain the status quo. Shearer is the new Goff. Jacinda, Clare and Grant are in the golden circle now and they are not going to let the great unwashed upset the apple-cart. And they have a great plan (ok, ok Pagani has). Just don’t irritate people who voted National last two times and watch them flock in droves to Labour in 2014!
Marvellous! Four geniuses! And the nice NZ Council did what they were told.
Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.
Crikey that’s harsh. I’m not even sure yet what is changing, or what is staying the same. I am guessing you have seen the remits. Would love to be enlightened.
Is there such a thing as a plan in Labour, I mean for things other than succession?
Probably I would care less about who was leader or even by what means if I could see a plan of where Labour and the Greens could go together (other than wait for National to fail).
As an ex LEC chair (we all walked because Roger stayed) I have long held the deepest suspicion of “party central”. As the song goes
“The peoples flags a shade of pink,
Its not as red as you might think”.
Hence we are burdened forever by the likes of Shearer and Parker. careerist, not boat rockers. Status quo, but capable of managing a broken system better, (it will remain broken however because they are all straight jacketed into the present paradigm).
An an ex LRC chair for three years, Policy Council and committee member, along with founding a youth branch (which was eventually destroyed by a party-central candidate’s actions), I would concur with those remarks.
The party desperately needs a circuit-breaker to cut off these elements of caucus.
L’Heure, I don’t think you’ve posted here before. Where are you getting your evidence from?
Are you a Labour Party member?
…curious use of “your” rather than “our” ne c’est pas?
A member of the C/T branch of the party, Carol. Sames as yesterday’s visitors. National must be fair crapping themselves if they’ve sunk this low.
CT as in Concern Troll, or Crosby Textor?
Both!
Can’t see what would have brought that accusation on TRP. Is any comment on the currently insipid Labour Party a de-facto comment of a troll or a spin line?
I mean, that says a lot about any appetite (or lack thereof) for any discussion on the Labour Party, it’s pathetic presence or any (reasonable imo) suspicion that it’s decended to the level whereby internal dynamics that are akin to navel staring and cock comparing has consumed the party as the ‘old guard’ manouvere to hang on to, well…basically pay cheques that flow from ‘their turf’.
the ‘old guard’ manouvere to hang on to, well…basically pay cheques that flow from ‘their turf’. so true Bill, sort of “DunneLites”.
I think of it like this:
We’re in a bar at a regular drinks/bullshit session. Quite a few diverse folk around, lots of different opinions.
A guy comes in who nobody’s ever seen before. He loudly yells some unimaginative lines, thus causing a bar fight. He is never seen again.
A while later, the same thing happens with a different guy, but similar lines. And so on.
After a few iterations, the random folk start trying harder to cause a bar fight. Their expressions evolve, become more blunt, but all have the same objective. Some of them let slip that they are regulars or even staff at another bar, or are seen there by some of the regulars. It’s going around town that your own bar is rough and prone to fights.
After a while, it becomes pretty obvious that someone’s just trying to give your bar a bad reputation, and that randoms coming in and calling your mother a whore are usually part of that plan. And if they’re not, they sure as hell aren’t trying to make a serious comment or have a meaningful dicussion.
…And the nice NZ Council did what they were told…
Do you know what has been decided in regard to party membership input?
I’d be interested to know, but I’m not convinced your comment is anything more than guesswork.
Papers were emailed to members last night. There are proposed constitutional changes which are to be considered at the Conference in November.
EDIT: I have this feeling of deja vu …
I am a member, but have not yet received an email about it.
Apologies Olwyn. It was emailed to secretaries of constituent bodies rather than members. If you check with your branch secretary they should be able to let you have a copy.
Thanks Mickey. I dare say it will be forwarded in due course. If not I will get in touch with the branch.
Papers were emailed to members last night. There are proposed constitutional changes which are to be considered at the Conference in November.
National – Maori Party relations are teetering.
John Key has admitted that the MRP share float may be delayed because of Maori’s legal challenge over water.
The Herald reports that Key acknowledged in 2009 that Maori had “specific rights and interests” in fresh water in a 2009 letter to iwi leaders.
And Manu Paul, co leader of the Maori Council has urged the Maori Party to walk away from the coalition while its mana is intact. On radio he used the word “kupapa” meaning collaborator, in describing those who continued to support the Government. He said if they had mana they would walk. Strong words …
Oddly I think the main party to worry about now is New Zealand First.
The intersecting media themes of “Maori” and “Treaty” and “Save our assets” is custom built for Winston Peters. I could easily see him sustaining sufficient base to be an alternative support partner to National in 2014. Nowhere near as strong as the Greens, but doesn’t yet have to be.
This theme intersection will be amplified as Key goes for the High Court, and then has to make a call to either go for Court of Appeal, and negotiating in parallel for a share allocation. Or alternatively put fresh legislation into the house stripping Maori of any water claim.
I think Key will go for negotiate with a High Court backup, because he will see it taking away much of the asset sale bogey and waking people up to how much this is just about everyone’s financial self-interest. He will then be ablet o complete the first listing.
That will largely strip Labour of its’ most important policy advantage: being anti-asset sales.
The public bitterness a pro-Maori share of the IPO engenders will again play into Winston’s hands. Maori without being Maori Party, pro-seniors, pro-assets, pro-talkback sympathy. And I think by December tracking to 8%.
ADd peters is anti asset sales so ditching that policy would leave him out in the cold again as a lot of his support came from disaffected labour supporters wanting him in parliament to give national a run for their money but alas Peters has lost his Mojo and can’t be found.
Not that I would try to fathom Peters’ murky mind but if I did I would join the Government, and negotiate that no further asset sales would occur. Key could say “I floated one, Maori are being settled with, and I no longer need further sales to achieve financial stability”.
The point is merely that we should not presume that Key has no options, and could still win in 2014. Even if it is harder.
ad
Nobody could fathom Winston’s mind – not even himself.
Unless it is a publicity stunt to get into the media periodically (and the MSM love him – he would not have got back into Parliament without their help).
If the MSM love him, why do they only report on anything he says that might be framed as controversial, rather than, say, reporting on NZF policy?
NZF is anti asset-sales and it will be a cold day in hell before we go anywhere near National
Governments in NZ, from the point they could comprehend the rough idea, have been actively negligent in their response to the necessary elevation of indigenous identity here. It is necessary though, to point out one thing in this latest act of a cold war by our Prime Minister and his supporters. As much as I despise it’s modern popular form, Pakeha culture allows a point of contact, without conflict, for whatever other peoples it meets.
Put aside the question of racism and insult over John Key’s comments that he did not have to listen to a tribunal ruling, before it happened, and you find that he is not acting under Pakeha culture.
John Key does not have mandate, or right, to misrepresent Pakeha culture in such coarse, rude, ungracious, disrespectful to office, void of diplomatic, etiquette.
For a moment, place aside who he has insulted and realise he has also insulted the honor of Pakeha people and their culture. Who is this man? What cultural protocol is he using? He has insulted the people he represents, the office of the Prime Minister and since we are still part of the Commonwealth, the office of Governor General and by association, the Queen Herself. What he has done can only be matched in Pakeha culture, to the deeds of a victorious General during talks for unconditional surrender. No such conditions exist. Under Pakeha culture, under Commonwealth diplomatic etiquette, he should be replaced immediately. This will not happen, but that is not the point.
To those watching, with justifiable outrage at a rude and culture-less man: do not call your own people Kupapa over this. If your mainstream political party leaves government, it should be for the right reasons; not under pressure of shame, by associating with a corrupt system, the only official system of participation; in which there is a worthy history. The value of a certain kind of leader should be appreciated. How can anyone attempting to subdue the pigs stay clean while in the sty? It would be unfair to condemn them for doing their job.
Maori and Pakeha relationship will outlive – and lives outside – one particular individual or regime. Almost one million people did not vote in the last election. This also does not include people who are old enough to be forming the views that will shape the future, but who are still too young to vote. Realise that the acts of an economic theory, are not the rules of culture for Pakeha at large – however many of us have lost the ability to recognise the difference. We have no rule that allows insult to host or guest. We know that money does not make right. We know how, when and why to apologise. What you are seeing illustrated in this latest conflict is pure greed and hubris, and those are human traits. Consider that in calling your own people useless, traitors or collaborators, you are allowing the poison of greed to do its full damage.
Your last paragraph identifies the real culprit: the culture of greed that has its own theological justification (the words of St Ayn, Friedman etc). I fear that the likes of Key were brought up and educated in the narrow amorality of this thinking: worse I suspect that culture does not come into it. There are Maori. Pakeha, Chinese, Eskimos etc who are also afflicted with the same materialist malady. For example what will it take to make Turia walk from the baubles of office?
Key’s culture is the bankster culture. Manipulative, presumptive and parasitic.
Notice how over the last few years, hundreds of billions of dollars worth of banking scandals and fraud keep getting announced?
These aren’t exceptional instances in this vampire squid industry. Its the norm.
Excellent post, Uturn. In his approach to this whole issue, Key certainly does not represent me as a NZ pakeha, and IMO continues to exhibit a total lack of regard, respect and/or knowledge for NZ’s unique Treaty of Waitangi relationship.
I agree, CV, that Key exhibits a banker/dealer culture and is continuing to do so, despite the reactions to his approach over the last week, as evident in this Stuff article this morning:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7290658/Key-Maori-should-negotiate-with-Government
Prime Minister John Key says negotiating directly with the Government is a ”much more logical and sensible way” for Maori to resolve water rights issues than through the Waitangi Tribunal.
Maori had achieved good outcomes over the Waikato River, Taniwha Springs in Rotorua and more recently at Tahuna, he said.
”The Government’s view is that is the right process, it’s been the most successful.” …
Key today said much of what had been raised at the Tribunal hearing had already been dealt with or was in the process of being dealt with by the Government.
”There is a much more logical and sensible way of dealing with that,” he told TV3’s Firstline programme.
”We don’t agree there is ownership rights in water and we never have.” …
The Maori Council only represented one group within Maoridom, Key said.
”It’s not necessarily the view shared by many other groups within Maoridom.”
In other words, divide to undermine the existing Treaty issue process, and I’ll cut you a deal if you deal with me directly.
He certainly does not know when to stop digging.
And his attempts to discredit the Maori Council continue in an updated version of the above Stuff column (it still contains the above version in the second half of the column)
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7290658/Key-Maori-should-negotiate-with-Government
Seems to be digging hiis heels in terms of going ahead with the sale of MRP regardless of possible legal action – and possibly buying a fight with the judiciary?
Last night Annette Sykes suggested the same thing, re: baubles and the Maori Party. She has respect in her circles and I don’t challenge that, but I disagree. This particular conflict is not about Turia or anyone associated with maori parliamentarians. If there are maori issues with the Maori Party, that’s none of my business. The MP can vote as they see fit on any particular issue, with responsiblity to whoever voted for them, or whoever they claim to represent. That’s as fair as our system gets.
The self interest of certain people to see the Nats go down at any cost or the Maori Party go down at cost to maori justifiable by hastening the demise of the Nat government, is also an act against the partnership between maori and pakeha. What this means is that certain pakeha are willing, through the excuse of combatting the applied greed of John Key and friends, to have maori hacking off another historical limb of their own, while we look on and wait for the fall out to settle – fall out, we know, that will favour pakeha. Then our favorite pakeha system can get back to enforcing more destructive attitudes on maori through legislation and leave them not only with a mainstream link to control in their affairs in tatters, but further animosity between ranks within their own world.
This is unacceptable, and if done consciously, worse than John Key’s openly demonstrated efforts. Maori are proud of their attempts to engage the, so far, reluctant and unengageable. Young people being groomed for leadership positions in the maori world look up to the examples of several historic maori parliamentary leaders. Regardless of philosophical reasoning, to consciously attack that link, would be dishonorable and despicable by pakeha standards. It is not Pakeha’s place.
That is the evil of applied greed. The Maori Party, per see, is not the target. Maori claims supporting a maori world view are not the target. How can they be? They have remained unchanged since forever. It is Key and his aggressive bullying incompetent supporters who are the target – by their own acts. That is where the pakeha attention must go, not on (sometimes inadvertently) manipulating or profiting from the the damage they cause.
“…At this point Pete we’ve decided on a week-long ban…”
Hallelujah! I refuse to bother even engaging with him. It became very clear very quickly to me that he was an old man with to much time on his hands. Once upon a time he would have written endless tedious letters to the ODT on all manner of subjects but primarily about how right he is all the time. Unlike today, when such people can infest multiple blogs across the internet for only a modest outlay of money, the only victims of this habit would have been the long-suffering readers of Dunedin newspapers, until such time as the ODT letters editor would have finally banned him. Probably then some sort of endless litigation would have been embarked upon, as a substitute for letter writing.
Eventually such old fellows die, usually mid-court action, and after a few years every ones opinion softens and people start to fondly recall the eccentric old duffer who wrote incessant letters to the editor and had the temerity to sue the ODT.
+1 Sanctuary. If we all ignore him then we can get on with the real business of this Blog. That, in my view, is the pushing , teasing, challenging of policies and strategies that improve the lot of the people of new Zealand .
Actually no, editors of newspapers are under no obligation to publish letters and regularly choose not to for all sorts of reasons. Someone writing letters to the editor all the time has no guarantee of them being published, and editors are not going to overload their letters space with someone spamming them.
There is no reason why TS couldn’t also exercise such discretion (except maybe it would be alot of work for TS admin/moderators).
Just programme the system to accept posts from PG on even numbered dates of the month.
Or give him an automated curfew. None after midday until 8am the next day.
None before midday would be better. Give others a chance to set the debate for the day.
yeah that works better.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKdsArZ2Nes
The only other time I have heard this song was as a theme to a saturday morning children’s programme of the same vintage.
I’ve been accused of taking this out of context:
“If gareth or anyone else thinks they’re hard enough they can meet me outside.”
Colonial Viper said “I’m really very dubious ”
So I’ll quote a response to my criticism (I am sickened) of that in full so it can be judged in it’s entirety:
Gareth, that is the most disgusting example of one way racism I have ever seen
I think there is growing concern about what appears to be one way reverse racism.
I’ve been confronting them at The Standard and seem to have initiated an uprising against me. They don’t like being challenged. They’ve been trying to hound any challenging out of there, and this time made a concerted effort.
I think we should reafirm to work positively a bit more and work together a bit more (rather than wallowing in bitch and moan) then things will work better.Here’s a challenge to step back and consider Positive Politics, what can be done better in political blogs and in parliament.
I won’t respond or comment in Open Mic today – that may be a positive for some. If there’s anything positive here today I’ll collate and summarise.
Suggestions, pledges, whatever – people here claim The Standard is much better than Kiwiblog, show that it is at least as good. Get positive.
And as information grows I will firm up a position – if it’s important enough for me to do that. But it is rarely a fixed position, new information or circumstances can adjust it, a major revelation or time can lead to a major change of position.
Nothing to worry about, Gareth, CV (and felix). Just a bit of humour that appears to have been misundertood. I rather enjoyed the exchange; it was the funniest extended satire I think I’ve ever seen here.
No offence or misunderstanding I enjoyed it as well, It’s hilarious searching back some of Petes posts everything above is pretty much word for word cut n paste, That last paragraph has to be my favourite Pete quote of all time. Pretty much sums up both Pete’s ( George & Dunne)beautifully….
yeah I like a bit of satay too every now and again.
Peak water
I-Pad in preschool-machine wedge
“little victorians” pursuing self-seeking bias
content?
North American APA stories, particularly machine analogy story
essential ideas being filed in machine
not
Connecting in brain
Apple-fruit machine
hope slave
Master act-not act
NAct intermittent reinforcement (generally effective for behav maintenance and shaping) fuels intoxication of people in plunge, Anticipation, of saviour.
but no fuhrer, fuhrer not necessary anymore
all people can “read” history
Occams razor
ratio of scientist/priest tribute spent on description and tradition?
E.O Wilson
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._O._Wilson#God_and_religion
“bottle-neck of time”
“Big Economics always trumps big POLITICS
-Wolfson
fly capital, fly
RT white Russian in information war. LIGHT
Auckland not “understandable” yet
meaning?
rosetta stone?
lifestyle creep
lifestyle settle
joyce built house on sand
liqui-faction
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Growth_Fetish
Master of growth
slave to decay
Adapt as
remainder
of Dinosaurs shed golden scales
Cerebral cortex evolved effectively to CHEAT and detect CHEATING
DETECTION superior to deception
Art
( )
Troll seeks Master
What is reclaimed from machine
Telegram via machine
round sphere
machine connected
bot to gather money
Telegram to disperse money
good faith ala Jean-Paul
not
taught to commerce
-“good Bargain”
badfaithbadfaithbadfaithbadfaithbadfaith
participatory distant
listening close
shelter, warmth, medicine
people might see 100 years
not take madicine
cell Home Hive COLLECTive
In bad faith I buy what is necessary;
Using that which no one can afford;
To hide in plain view,
From those who are dangerous.
Outside myself, I meet the authentic
Who accepts cowardice.
DEMOTIC
Pop culture
As Greece falls.
Incapable of objectivity,
grasping only my beliefs, I’m two parts blind.
Mistaking the past for hope.
The only moment of worth, in the error.
Erm…. Huh?
It seems to me to be a description of society and how it works. The money go round that enriches the few while dis-empowering and impoverishing everyone else.
An actual money go-round wouldn’t be this bad. This is the money going around society briefly, then being trapped and hoarded by the elite who sit on it, or sit on assets bought with it.
So was interesting watching it all unfold yesterday, already todays open mic seems alot more informative. Last night I was sent a link to a NZ design company “String Theory” for an ad the did for Good Books international. Cool Hunter S Thompson styled ad, bnut while there I saw this ten minute video they have done for Cunliffe on the Economy. Can’t find it anywhere on youtube etc but it’s brilliant, just click the picture and it should play. I really wanted to share it with a few friends but it’s nowhere to be found besides here:
http://www.stringtheory.me/index.html#/another-dimension
Maybe it’s something coming out soon and I got a sneak peak… But none the less I thought that it would be popular with some of you.
Looks like something form the 2008 election that was never used – he’s got a beard now.
This is pretty good stuff though, and well found.
Been up on youtube for months and, yes, it was popular.
I figured it was from the election, couldn’t find it on Youtube though.
I wish they ran these styled and informative ads on policy more often.
Just having a read of the proposed changes to the LP constitution, policy development, list selection and party leadership. Excellent stuff and it gives the lie to the C/T and leftist trolling that has been going on here for the last couple of days. Particularly the rubbish about caucus refusing to listen to the membership.
No, I’m not going to let the cat out of the bag, but, as Micky notes above, members should contact their branch sec’s in the first instance. Your next branch meeting is going to be an exercise in democracy and creative thinking! Members, branches and LEC’s are actively encouraged to have their say in this set of changes and have no doubt, this is a real step forward in the evolution of our great party.
Righto, the feline has exited the enclosure. The details of the review process and proposals are up on the LP website.
Highlights are a slimmer moderating committee, list rankings in bands (ie top 5, next 5 etc.), a move to have branches and LEC’s more closely linked (the Palmy model?) and an increased say from the rank and file in the selection of the Parliamentary leader. That is proposed to be 40% members, 20% affiliates, 40% caucus.
Background
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJTURFcBuB8
Free money
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSHf1svbQrA
calmer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OVnNePQPsQ
waiting..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0kypyGSKsE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvhAxP-lhpU
know self know other
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ee0Czl3370Y
these days
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNLhxlEU52c
return of the chisel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TN17DKU7IHI
Tull
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxiHgm5UEsA
Alive
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM0zINtulhM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wrs5DjHNUOE
the funny thing is if you disagree with whalesh*t or fatboy farr*r then you are kicked off their blogs but here you can mostly say what you like.
So who is the real standard bearer of freedom and truth?
obviously not the wing nuts of the right who only want obedience and slavish adherence to their desires to beat down the people who actually do the real work in this society.
parley-a-ment today
not kicked off, Left
redaction Complete
send it anywhere you want in the universe, maybe “right” maybe “wrong”
but new boss not same as old boss
learning Revolution
or
the resurrection
(on forgiveness, memory and forgetting)
dedicated and in memoriam to people who Chose to love.
Master of Being
slave to fate
Master of destiny
slave to His-tory
Master of faith
slave to priest
Master of wisdom
slave to truth
Master of Comedy
slave to Tragedy
Master of emotion
slave to thoughts
Master of thoughts
slave to stories
Master of stories
slave to telling
Master of fear
slave to guilt
Master of happiness
slave to content
Master of sadness
slave to loss
Master of awareness
slave to denial
Master of surprise
slave to excitement
Master of anger
slave to outrage
Master of interest
slave to boredom
Master of disgust
slave to contempt
Master of anticipation
slave to obsession
Master of security
slave to exchange
Master of shelter
slave to lender
Master of wealth
slave to debt
Master of diet
slave to process sugar,fat
Master of warmth
slave to generator
Master of apparel
slave to sweatshop
Master of gold
slave to mine
Master of activity
slave to compulsion
Master of aggression
slave to hostility
Master of curiosity
slave to addiction
Master of achievement
slave to recognition
Master of affiliation
slave to status
Master of autonomy
slave to loneliness
Master of solitude
slave to crowd
Master of nurturance
slave to control
Master of exhibition
slave to fame
Master of order
slave to geometry
Master of Dominance
slave to Authority
Master of play
slave to rule
Master of universe
slave to electron
Master of nature
slave to extinction
Master of energy
slave to entropy
Master of growth
slave to decay
Master of water
slave to thirst
Master of breath
slave to lungs
Master of land
slave to fence
Master of home
slave to ancestors
Master of time
slave to clock
Master of cycle
slave to routine
Master of motion
slave to road
Master of road
slave to car
Master of car
slave to oil
Master of learning
slave to book
Master of exploration
slave to teacher
Master of labour
slave to contract
Master of contract
slave to government
Master of creativity
slave to medium
Master of medium
slave to media
Master of Profession
slave to form
Master of role
slave to economy
Master of economy
slave to wind
Master of sex-tant
slave to galley
Master of consumption
slave to market
Master of chance
slave to dice
Master of insight
slave to drug
Master of innovation
slave to tradition
Master of tool
slave to machine
Master of machine
slave to ghost
slave pick crop
slave built road
slave carry water
slave chop wood
slave mine rock
slave built monument
slave shepherd flock
slave built temple
slave guard altar
slave bear tribute
slave rear children
slave ferry old
slave write programme
slave connect globe
slave attack enemy
slave of future
slave of present
slave of past
slave elect master
slave buried beneath master
Master of looking
slave to belief
Master of power
slave to power
Master of mask
slave to deception
Master of instinct
slave to drive
Master of game
slave to run
Master of Ego
Slave to Self
Master of death
slave to life
Master of change
slave to despair
Master of prophecy
slave to before
slave to darkness
master sage
slave to art
amor fati
Be well
John
(master of compassion, slave to charity: master of moderation, slave to excess: master of humility,
Slave to hubris)
thankyou to Peter Exeter and David Sharp
TEACHERS
John with respect, after the fourth or fifth line I started to get bored and I thought, what the fuck is he on about. Is this generation X or Y speak, so us down to earth “oldies” cannot comprehend it? It looks very academic and very intelligent to me. but frankly whatever the point you are trying to make has gone completely over my head and I suspect quite a few others as well. Do me a favour pal, in future if you have an opinion to tell, do it in simple terms so a thicky like me may comprehend what the fuck you are on about.
HCM – Here is a thought to help get out of the hole you have fallen into , as others here seem to also.
Let people post how they want, or like to, if you don’t or can’t comprehend it, then try asking for clarification, as opposed to asking for the writer to change his/her style…
On Marae Investigates on Sunday, Hone said that whanau Ora has received 13.4 million and that the Maori Party asked for 134 million. The Maori Party looks as though they usually end up with one tenth of what they ask for.
I am finding that the biggest diversion from the day to day running of the country is the issue over water:
Who owns it?
Who manages it?
What Maori interest is?
The Glenn Family Foundation has announced a 80 million dollar package to stem family violence and abuse, with children at the top of the pyramid. 8 million dollars was pledged today with a pilot programme in Otara. I expect that demand is going to exceed supply. I am going to watch the gains which the Glenn Family Foundation make in regard to child poverty, child abuse and violence in the home.
I also read today that ACC is dragging the ball and chain when it comes to 11 recommendations concerning sensitive claims. The other recommendation 16 counselling sessions has strings attached.
This has got to be the WORSE government on record for child poverty, child abuse, violence in the home and not supporting ACC sensitive claimants.
ACC making little progress on sensitive claims – report
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10820174
80 million to tackle family violence
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/owen-glenn-commits-80-million-tackle-family-violence-4973756
“National embrassment” according to Glenn re child abuse and that he will pay 10 – 15 million for a commission into child abuse; highlighted is child fatality if the government will not.
Over 200 million for consultants to build roads and nothing for a commission into the death and serious injury of children, I regard this as a national embrassment.
embarrassment is the correct spelling
Um – govt already has the Child & Youth Mortality Review Committee, as well as the Childrens’ Commissioner, and a couple of others as I vaguely recall. Not sure about “serious injury” as such, offhand. In addition to the coronial process, of course.
I mean, I agree with the sentiment, but it’s not like ‘nothing’ is being done at the moment.
Thank you for supplying the links, I was not aware of the Child & Youth Mortality Review Committee and I will read up on them. I am interested in the funding they get.
14.1 paragraph 4.
“Nothing” is a broad word, inadequate funding to deal with the issue, (death and serious injury of children involved in abuse and violence in the home) is not seen as a priority compared to road consultants.
I saw on stuff.co.nz today that adults who have a sensitive claim pertaining to childhood are really being let down by ACC. This is the consequence of children being sexually and physically harmed and EVERYTHING possible has to be done to prevent the criminal damage done to vulnerable children.
I got a letter from John Key in the mail today (actually addressed to my wife and myself) asking me what I thought was important about the budget. Anyone else get one?
Yep, went the same way as all political/council mailers – into the recycling bin.
I’ve been thinking about cutting a slot in my recycling bin and keeping it at the top of the driveway.
The idea certainly has merit.
I might scrawl weird prophecies concerning lizard people and Manta Ray’s all over mine and post it back.
We wrote back saying we were strong National supporters, but hated asset sales. Just to screw with them a little.
I am SO DOING THAT.
I’ve already done it, letter to the local MP and all. Even got a politely worded reply, that basically said “piss off, we’re doing it anyway”.
Write to the lowest ranked list MPs, I reckon. After all, they are first in line to look for a new job after the next election.
Write to the National MPs with the skinniest margins. Just make sure that your postmark is local and you have a local postal address.
Those will be Auckland Central, Christchurch Central, Waitakere and Waimakariri.
And Epsom and Ohariu.
why not return to sender i’m still waiting for my brighter future.
No, and if I did, it would go straight to the recycling bin.. 🙂
You were lucky we received one from our local nondescript MP (problem when you live in a protected rotten borough) as he was canvassing to what we thought the local area issues were, nothing asked re macro issues, I am now receiving emails !!!. It was extremely difficult to write anything of substance or constructive criticism, just enough space for 1 medium sized word or 2-3 small words !!!!
Still better to be asked and have some input.
I never got my letter.
If they send one they better include some return postage so I can tell them exactly what is wrong with their excuse for a government.
Jah, it comes with a return slip – its a survey of sorts.
The unanimous decision of the “Dateline London panel last Sunday was that Private/Public ownership in the UK was a complete failure . Somebody should tell Key . It certainly would not be his doppelganger in the British Parliament who is slowly but surely destroying what is left of the Uk
Sign the petition!
“We call on the actual Editors of New Zealand’s Newspapers to bring an end to unattributed/ anonymous Editorials.”
http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/An_end_to_unattributed_anonymous_Editorials_in_New_Zealands_Newspapers/?fWBudcb&pv=3
This will interest some people. It’s a study into the collapse of present society.
My emphasis.
Two items on 3 News that I wish to comment on – the ‘body-snatching’ case where James Takamore was taken from his Pakeha widow and children before he could be buried. Is this okay? Definitely not. Is the refusal of iwi to obey court rulings against them okay? IMO, definitely not.
Iraena Asher. She was the victim of sexism, and a refusal to take seriously the fears of a woman with bipolar disorder. Why has it taken until now, for the authorities to investigate? That’s definitely not okay.
Note to Captain Panic Pants Re: getting the Slippery shyster to talk tough over asset sales, it’s a total FAILURE when the tough talking is via a Lithp…
Would filling out and sending back a response to the personally-addressed propaganda (sorry, survey) I received from John Key today use up some of their PS-funded-budget that they wouldn’t be able to use for other purposes, or has the money already been spent regardless of whether the response actually gets sent back? Can I put something heavy into the Freepost envelope to increase how much it costs them to ‘hear my views’?
Once upon a time I believe that a letter sent to an MP at parliament did not have to have a stamp.Democracy was free but I don’t know if that is still the case so maybe don’t muck around with that
The best route back might be to your local branch of the Nat party or to the Nats party Headquarters address. This means it will go right to the heart of the organisation -stamps optional. When I receive unsolicited mail, stuff off public registers like MV licensing gets to me but rather than stew I go for a positive approach.
I return the offending material with a typed note thanking them profusely for the supply of reading matter and say that I would like to return the compliment by supplying them with some reading matter that I find interesting. Of course I have lots of this weighing a ton so it needs a very large envelope and inevitably someone has given the cat it’s dinner on a really important piece that I had meant to save… so I send that too.
Commercial stuff is usually best sent to a director – address courtesy of the coy’s office site …
Its still free.
I like that idea, I might start keeping some of the guff I get in the post just for JK. Thanks 🙂
http://stopwar.org.uk/index.php/iran/1683-how-britains-top-spy-is-beating-the-drums-for-war-on-iran
How Britain’s top spy is beating the drums for war on Iran
by Michael Higgs, Stop the War Coalition, 15 July 2012
SIR JOHN Sawers has reared his head in public for the second time since being appointed head of MI6 in 2009. Last time it was to claim that Britain has “nothing whatsoever” to do with torture.
We know this to be untrue following the revelations over MI6’s role in ‘renditioning’ Libyan dissidents to Tripoli to be tortured, as a favour to the intelligence services there. One might hope that, having learnt from his previous mistake, this latest speech would be rather more honest.
It was not to be.
In an article appearing in the the Daily Telegraph, the head of Britain’s overseas spy service is quoted at length from a speech recently given to senior civil servants. In it, he discussed Iran and its nuclear programme, claiming that covert operations by MI6 had prevented Iran from developing nuclear weapons by 2008, but that the Islamic Republic is now likely to become (and we are assured it is their goal) a “nuclear weapons state” by 2014.
Coming shortly after a fresh round of sanctions, almost every line in the Telegraph article beats the drum for war. The screws are being tightened on Tehran and propaganda for an attack is in full swing.
In keeping with Sawers’ previous public appearance as head of MI6, he boasts of the agency’s relevance and effectiveness in the field, perhaps still smarting from the humiliating episode in Libya where SAS and MI6 officers were captured by rebels.
The grim reality of covert operations in Iran is acknowledged by the Telegraph, however, in what they refer to as the ‘apparent assassinations’ of multiple Iranian scientists. A reality check is in order here.
Five nuclear scientists have been murdered in as many years in a campaign of state terror directed against Iran. One, Darioush Rezaeinejad, was shot dead outside his daughter’s nursery. Israel is the most likely suspect, possibly with the support of Britain or America. Certainly neither country has condemned the killings. Imagine for a moment the outrage if Iran had, in broad daylight, executed the director of a nuclear plant in the UK.
John Sawers is a liar. We know he lied about MI6’s complicity in torture and we should be skeptical, to say the least, about his denial of complicity in the murder of Iranian civilians, particularly given the nod just made to the existence of covert action by MI6 in Iran.
Whatever the details of the covert operations Sawers has run in Iran, his claim that they prevented the development of a “nuclear weapons state” there by 2008 is a revelation to say the least.
If Iran was on the brink of possessing nuclear weapons in 2008, then I hope someone told the Americans. Because in 2007, a report by the CIA — surely the world’s largest and most well-connected spy network (no offense, Sir John) — stated “with high confidence” that “in fall 2003, Tehran halted its nuclear weapons program” and that “Tehran had not restarted its nuclear weapons program as of mid-2007”.
There is no convincing evidence it has since been restarted.
The IAEA has confirmed in all of its reports that nuclear material has not been diverted from use in energy and medical research, where inspectors keep a close watch.
Nonetheless, Sawers’ claims that Iran will be a “nuclear weapons state” in just two years time. Based on what? We are expected to take his word for it.
Sawers’ phrase of choice, “nuclear weapons state” is perhaps of interest given America’s recent re-definition of its ‘red line’ with regard to Iran. The red line is the situation that America is categorically unwilling to tolerate, that is, they will go to war to prevent it. Until May this year….
Read more….
http://stopwar.org.uk/index.php/iran/1683-how-britains-top-spy-is-beating-the-drums-for-war-on-iran
Thanks for kind words Standardistas. A short break, a visit with my grandchild in Christchurch and some weeding will leave me with overdue jobs done and happy memories. So I’ll concentrate on such things for a while and return a better person, with a tidier section, I hope.
Go well prism. I look forward to you posting again.
Is the soap opera really necessary…
Maybe best to spend some time back in real life there prism, where the online ansgt is not a feature!
Enjoy, Prism…will read you soon, I hope.
+1
We’ve all heard about “piracy” and how it’s theft from the music and film industries but…
…apparently these groups don’t think that those same standards apply to them.
No apparently about it mate. One set of rules and enforcement for the creatives and the workers. Another completely different set for the elite and the corporates (and they get to write both sets).
“elite and the corporates (and they get to write both sets)”
Yeah nah. This is a case of a slack collection agency.
Gotta watch those torrentfreak headlines, they have a habit of conflating quite separate things. In this example they’re making it appear as if the anti-piracy group were the ones not paying up.
Which is, you know, impressively hypocritical-sounding to a 13 year old on Digg.com
Any particular reason you decided not to deem that private sector collection agency (which appears to cover deals totalling many millions of euros) a “corporate”?
You know, since they are supposed to collect monies from the huge entertainment companies they have relationships with and consequently pass them on to artists, but whoops, appears not to.
Yeah, it possibly has a corporate structure.
Not really the point though.
But you wouldn’t be too surprised if the senior management of that collection agency happen to be former employees of Time Warner, Sony Pictures, Viacom, etc. right?
Because as you know, that’s how the elite and the corporates do their dirty work.
I think you’re a bit confused about the role of a collection society.
Its not a “collection society”. Its a for-profit private sector corporate.
It also happens to be the same private organisation which took Kazaa to court for copyright infringement against the major media companies. Nice that they’re such good friends of the big studios.
They consequently had Kazaa shut down.
Dude, you’re confused.
Collection societies are always private sector organisations, designed to turn profits which are in most cases entirely distributed to their members.
Their role is to collect money payable to composers and authors of musical works, and in my experience they generally do a pretty good job of it considering the logistics.
Sounds like this particular society was a pretty slack in this instance, but I’m not going to spend time looking into it because it’s a fricking torrentfreak story which are generally either deliberately misleading (as this one seems to be) or entirely bullshit.
Couldn’t give a fuck about Kazzaa but I’m sorry for your loss.