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.
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
A factory reset restores your Gateway laptop to its original factory settings, erasing all data, apps, and personalizations. This can be necessary to resolve software issues, remove viruses, or prepare your laptop for sale or transfer. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to factory reset your Gateway laptop: Method 1: ...
“You talking about me?”The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
Roger Partridge writes – When the Coalition Government took office last October, it inherited a country on a precipice. With persistent inflation, decades of insipid productivity growth and crises in healthcare, education, housing and law and order, it is no exaggeration to suggest New Zealand’s first-world status was ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – In 2022, the Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education employed 308 staff, according to an Official Information Request. Earlier this week it was announced 202 of those staff were being cut. When you look up “The New Zealand Curriculum” on the Ministry of ...
Chris Bishop’s bill has stirred up a hornets nest of opposition. Photo: Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate from the last day included:A crescendo of opposition to the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill is ...
Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.State of humanity, 20242024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?Full story Share ...
Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
The allure of sport transcends age, culture, and geographical boundaries. It captivates hearts, ignites passions, and provides unparalleled entertainment. Behind the spectacle, however, lies a fascinating world of financial investment and expenditure. Among the vast array of competitive pursuits, one question looms large: which sport carries the hefty title of ...
Introduction Pickleball, a rapidly growing paddle sport, has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions around the world. Its blend of tennis, badminton, and table tennis elements has made it a favorite among players of all ages and skill levels. As the sport’s popularity continues to surge, the question on ...
Abstract: Soccer, the global phenomenon captivating millions worldwide, has a rich history that spans centuries. Its origins trace back to ancient civilizations, but the modern version we know and love emerged through a complex interplay of cultural influences and innovations. This article delves into the fascinating journey of soccer’s evolution, ...
Tinting car windows offers numerous benefits, including enhanced privacy, reduced glare, UV protection, and a more stylish look for your vehicle. However, the cost of window tinting can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article provides a comprehensive guide to help you understand how much you can expect to ...
The pungent smell of gasoline in your car can be an alarming and potentially dangerous problem. Not only is the odor unpleasant, but it can also indicate a serious issue with your vehicle’s fuel system. In this article, we will explore the various reasons why your car may smell like ...
Tree sap can be a sticky, unsightly mess on your car’s exterior. It can be difficult to remove, but with the right techniques and products, you can restore your car to its former glory. Understanding Tree Sap Tree sap is a thick, viscous liquid produced by trees to seal wounds ...
The amount of paint needed to paint a car depends on a number of factors, including the size of the car, the number of coats you plan to apply, and the type of paint you are using. In general, you will need between 1 and 2 gallons of paint for ...
Jump-starting a car is a common task that can be performed even in adverse weather conditions like rain. However, safety precautions and proper techniques are crucial to avoid potential hazards. This comprehensive guide will provide detailed instructions on how to safely jump a car in the rain, ensuring both your ...
Graham Adams writes about the $55m media fund — When Patrick Gower was asked by Mike Hosking last week what he would say to the many Newstalk ZB callers who allege the Labour government bribed media with $55 million of taxpayers’ money via the Public Interest Journalism Fund — and ...
Note: this blog post has been put together over the course of the week I followed the happenings at the conference virtually. Should recordings of the Great Debates and possibly Union Symposia mentioned below, be released sometime after the conference ends, I'll include links to the ones I participated in. ...
The following was my submission made on the “Fast Track Approvals Bill”. This potential law will give three Ministers unchecked powers, un-paralled since the days of Robert Muldoon’s “Think Big” projects.The submission is written a bit tongue-in-cheek. But it’s irreverent because the FTAB is in itself not worthy of respect. ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
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 ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
For a few months at the turn of the millennium, TrueBliss burned bright as the biggest pop stars in the country. Alex Casey chats to two superfans who still hold the flame. During a humble backyard wedding in Nelson, 1999, one of the cordially invited guests had to excuse themselves ...
How will the recent wave of job cuts impact ethnic diversity in the media? In November last year, I was working a very busy day in the newsroom of a large online news site, interviewing whānau about their concerns over the imminent closure of one of the few puna reo ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ruth Knight, Researcher, Queensland University of Technology Have you ever felt sick at work? Perhaps you had food poisoning or the flu. Your belly hurt, or you felt tired, making it hard to concentrate and be productive. How likely would you be ...
Despite heavy criticism and an ongoing select committee process, the Police Minister says the Government will forge ahead with a ban on gang patches. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sam Whiting, Lecturer – Creative Industries, University of South Australia Shutterstock Everyone has a favourite band, or a favourite composer, or a favourite song. There is some music which speaks to you, deeply; and other music which might be the current ...
A new survey says ‘outlook not great’ for those charged with building infrastructure, while RMA changes delight farmers and depress environmentalists, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. First RMA changes announced ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olli Hellmann, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Waikato Getty Images When New Zealanders commemorate Anzac Day on April 25, it’s not only to honour the soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and subsequent conflicts, but also ...
A leaked document shows the Canterbury/Waitaha arm of health agency Te Whatu Ora is scurrying to save $13.3 million by July. The “financial sustainability target”, which was “allocated” to Waitaha, is consistent with what’s happening in other districts, says Sarah Dalton, executive director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists. ...
A look at the state of the previous government’s affordable housing scheme, and what could come next.Remind me: What’s KiwiBuild again?First announced in 2012, KiwiBuild was a flagship policy of the Labour Party heading into both its 2014 and 2017 election campaigns. With Jacinda Ardern as prime minister, ...
Labour in opposition will be shocked to learn which party had six years in power but squandered any chance to make real change. Grant Robertson’s valedictory speech was a predictably entertaining trip down memory lane. The acid-tongued incoming Otago University chancellor administered a sick burn to the coalition government. He ...
Taiwan’s semiconductor industry is seen some as its ‘silicon shield’ against invasion – but how will overseas expansion affect that protection? The post The state of Taiwan’s silicon shield appeared first on Newsroom. ...
There’s relief for building owners bending under the weight of earthquake strengthening rules – and costs – that came into force seven years ago. Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk has announced a scheduled 2027 review of the earthquake-prone building regulations will now start this year. Owners will also get ...
Opinion: It has been announced that nine percent of roles at Oranga Tamariki will be disestablished, presumably to help fund the tax cuts promised by the coalition Government. I am reminded of the graphics used to illustrate pandemic events, where five thousand people are standing in a field and then ...
After more than two sleepless days, running through savage terrain, Greig Hamilton didn’t know if he was going to finish one of the most gruelling psychological assaults in sport. He was metres away from the finish line, a yellow gate made famous in a Netflix documentary; a race he’d dreamed ...
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, Wednesday 24 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...
The following interview with former Green Party MP Sue Kedgley came about because she features in the new memoir Hine Toa by activist Ngāhuia te Awekōtuku; the two knew each other at the University of Auckland in the early 70s, when they were both took on leadership roles in the ...
COMMENTARY:By Murray Horton New Zealand needs to get tough with Israel. It’s not as if we haven’t done so before. When NZ authorities busted a Mossad operation in Auckland 20 years ago, the government didn’t say: “Oh well, Israel has the right to defend itself.” No, it arrested, prosecuted, ...
NEWSMAKERS:By Vijay Narayan, news director of FijiVillage Blessed to be part of the University of Fiji (UniFiji) faculty to continue to teach and mentor those who want to join our noble profession, and to stand for truth and justice for the people of the country. I was privileged to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Three weeks from now, some of us will be presented with a mountain of budget papers, and just about all of us will get to hear about them on radio, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dan Lowry, Ice Sheet & Climate Modeller, GNS Science Hugh Chittock/Antarctica New Zealand, CC BY-SA As the climate warms and Antarctica’s glaciers and ice sheets melt, the resulting rise in sea level has the potential to displace hundreds of millions of ...
The government's plan to reintroduce a three strikes regime is being strongly opposed by lawyers, who argue there is no evidence it reduces crime or helps people rehabilitate. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dan Jerker B. Svantesson, Professor specialising in Internet law, Bond University Do Australian courts have the right to decide what foreign citizens, located overseas, view online on a foreign-owned platform? Anyone inclined to answer “yes” to this question should perhaps also ask ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Giovanni E Ferreira, NHMRC Emerging Leader Research Fellow, Institute of Musculoskeletal Health, University of Sydney Last week in a post on X, owner of the platform Elon Musk recommended people look into disc replacement if they’re experiencing severe neck or back pain. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Hayward, Emeritus Professor of Public Policy, RMIT University anek.soowannaphoom/Shutterstock NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey caught the headlines yesterday, courtesy of a blistering speech condemning the latest GST carve-up. New South Wales, he claimed, would be A$11.9 billion worse off over the ...
While police are "broadly in favour", the government's proposed anti-gang laws are facing pushback from lawyers, rights groups and former gang members. ...
While police are "broadly in favour", the government's proposed anti-gang laws are facing pushback from lawyers, rights groups and former gang members. ...
By Miriam Zarriga in Port Moresby Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has arrived at Kokoda Station, Northern province, at the start of his state visit to Papua New Guinea. Both Albanese and Prime Minister James Marape will meet with the locals and the Northern Provincial government before they begin their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Wallace, Professor, School of Politics Economics & Society, Faculty of Business Government & Law, University of Canberra Shutterstock An important principle was invoked by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last week in defence of the government’s Future Made in Australia industry ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk Security forces reinforcements were sent from France ahead of two rival marches in the capital Nouméa today, at the same time and only two streets away one from the other. One march, called by Union Calédonienne party (a component of the ...
A poll last August found that just 16% of New Zealanders oppose bringing back the ‘Three Strikes’ law. The nationwide poll of 1,000 New Zealanders was commissioned by Family First NZ and carried out by Curia Market Research. ...
The solo show from Ana Scotney is both sprawling and intimate, and a must-see, writes Mad Chapman. In the opening moments of Scattergun: After the Death of Rūaumoko, writer and performer Ana Scotney lays out the groundwork, literally. Silently moving around the square stage, Scotney is not so much dancing ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Burridge, Professor of Linguistics, Monash University Who makes the words? Why are trees called trees and why are shoes called shoes and who makes the names? – Elliot, age 5, Eltham, Victoria Good question Elliot! Let’s start with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne at amRawpixel.com/Shutterstock Roles of health professionals are still unfortunately often stuck in the past. That is, before the ...
COMMENTARY:By Malcolm Evans Last week’s leaked New York Times staff directive, as to what words can and cannot be used to describe the carnage Israel is raining on Palestinians, is proof positive, since those reports are published verbatim here in New Zealand, that our understanding of the conflict is ...
In the case of New Zealand, the results confirm that there is no popular support for the vicious austerity program being imposed by the National Party-led government, which is backed in all fundamental respects by the opposition Labour Party. ...
The ‘Vampire’ singer has never visited our part of the world, but that might all be about to change. We assess the evidence.Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts World Tour is pulling in massive crowds as it whips around the US and Europe, even helping to catapult regular supporting act Chappell Roan ...
Testing of drinking water in rural Canterbury over the weekend by Greenpeace revealed that several public town supplies were reaching levels of nitrate above 5 mg/L - the threshold which a growing body of scientific evidence has linked to increased ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rohan Fisher, Information Technology for Development Researcher, Charles Darwin University It may come as a surprise to hear 2023 was Australia’s biggest bushfire season in more than a decade. Fires burned across an area eight times as big as the 2019–20 Black ...
Responding to the Government’s announcement of changes to resource management laws, Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, said: “These changes are a step in the right direction in terms of removing ideological and unworkable ...
More than two years after the Human Rights Council called for the establishment of a national human rights commission, such a body has yet to be formed. ...
Comment:An emergency management system with wide variations in performance, significant capability gaps, funding shortfalls and above all a setup that is not meeting the needs of New Zealanders at times of crisis. The Government’s inquiry into the response to Cyclone Gabrielle and other severe weather events in the North ...
Welcome to the whirring wonders of one brain trying to align its actions with its beliefs within a system it thinks is evil. My brain has been spiralling in a woke conundrum ever since I found out a bookshop I’ve never been to was shutting down. Good Books, a bookshop ...
We repeat our call for criminal justice policy to be based on evidence, something the three strikes regime neglects to recognise – with no evidence that it either reduces crime or assists with rehabilitation. ...
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor in Honiara With only four more seats in the 50-member Parliament yet to be officially declared, there is no outright winner in the Solomon Islands elections. As of Monday, the two largest blocs in the winner’s circle, independents and the incumbent Prime Minister Manasseh ...
Two/fiftyseven is a multi-purpose space hidden in the heart of Wellington that is paving a way for sustainable building and responsible landlording in Aotearoa and beyond.By 2060 the world is predicted to double its entire building stock, which equates to building an entire New York City every 34 days, ...
Popstars wasn’t just a reality television revolution, it was also a huge moment for Y2K fashion.It’s 25 years since girl group TrueBliss was formed on New Zealand national television, breaking new ground for both the reality television industry and the shiny clothing industry. With the first episode on NZ ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Pepping, Associate Professor in Clinical Psychology, Griffith University Marvin / Shutterstock Are all single people insecure? When we think about people who have been single for a long time, we may assume it’s because single people have insecurities that make ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By William Geary, Lecturer in Quantitative Ecology & Biodiversity Conservation, The University of Melbourne Trismegist san, Shutterstock Landscapes that have escaped fire for decades or centuries tend to harbour vital structures for wildlife, such as tree hollows and large logs. But these ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Gladstone-Gallagher, Lecturer in Marine Science, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Shutterstock/S Curtis Why are we crossing ecological boundaries that affect Earth’s fundamental life-supporting capacity? Is it because we don’t have enough information about how ecosystems respond to change? Or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Crocker, PhD Student in Economics, Deakin University Here’s something for the board of the Reserve Bank of Australia to ponder as it meets next month to set interest rates. It has pushed up rates on 13 occasions since it began its ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a charity director outlines how she’s saving for retirement and buying secondhand. Want to be part of The Cost of Being? Fill out the questionnaire here.Gender: Female Age: 45 Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: Charity director, mum of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sophie Yates, Research Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Many Australians with disability feel on the edge of a precipice right now. Recommendations from the disability royal commission and the NDIS review were released late last year. Now a ...
It’s been called a failed experiment and a judicial straightjacket but the government says the revised three strikes law will be a more workable regime, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Three ...
New Zealand’s Palestinian community and Palestinian Youth Aotearoa are voicing alarm and disappointment with the lack of factual rigour present during the Israeli Ambassador’s appearance as a guest on TVNZ’s Q+A With Jack Tame Sunday (21/04). ...
Both ACT leader David Seymour, who played a key role in drawing up the assisted dying law, and hospice leaders say it's time the legislation was changed. ...
Public submissions on proposed gang control laws are being heard today. Rising gang membership has been cited as rationale for a crackdown – but what do we actually know about how many people belong to gangs in New Zealand?What’s all this then?A rise in the number of gang ...
Climate activists are setting their sights on an unpopular target, and hoping to bring lots of the public with them. It’s hard to miss the Majestic Princess: the enormous cruise ship, docked at Auckland’s Prince’s Wharf, looms over the nearby buildings. The ship, which can fit nearly 6,000 people, ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 23 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...
The following korero between Ngāhuia te Awekōtuku, author of the newly published memoir Hine Toa, one of the year’s most important books, and Dale Husband from e-tangata, was first published in October. It traverses her involvement with the activist group Ngā Tamatoa at Auckland University in the early 1970s, her ...
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.