Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step right up to the mike…
Meanwhile, the real news is that ShonKey doesnt see any conflict of interest in keeping Banks in Parliament for that crucial one vote on the SkyCity bill:
“The woman at the centre of the Len Brown sex scandal says she felt pressured to reveal the affair by a member of his right-wing rival John Palino’s election team – and is now sorry she went public.”
The way this has been manipulated by members of Palino’s group does not make this a good look for such low life who use people to benefit their own political position.
So John Palino’s henchman Luigi Wewege is revealed as a common, lowly coward and a dishonorable cad who doesn’t even have the guts to admit his relationship with Bevan Chuang.
It is funny how suddenly the two Johns – Slater and Palino – have no knowledge of the sex life of Bevan Chuang when it suits them. We’ve seen this sort of right wing selective memory just yesterday with another John – John Banks – in the Auckland High Court and we now know what the judicial system thinks of that.
I think we can take these examples of the cavalier wide-boy approach to the memory and the truth as symptomatic of the poisonous cess pit that is the political culture of the right in Auckland. The Slaters. John Banks. John Palino. Luigi Wewege. Cameron Brewer. Denise Krum. Sounds like Halloween has come early this year in Auckland. What a vile and appalling bunch!
But I am inclined to think that Auckland mayor Len Brown has a strong case if he wants to sue Cameron Slater, Stephen Cook, and perhaps even Bevan Chuang, for invasion of his privacy in their reporting about his affair with Chuang.
I’m not saying that he should sue, or that he’s likely to. Just that the elements of a claim are probably made out.
“Baby I have everything set up people are just waiting for you.”
People ?
Wonder whom ?
The Mad Right really are filth are they not ?
Particularly SlaterPorn. Whose facility to fuck around is a matter of public knowledge – judgment of Judge David Harvey in the Harrassment Act appplication made against Sperling – former connection of Mad Michael Laws.
Hey…….ShonKey Python…….sure love the “higher standards” in your Flying Circus.
Very disturbed. Lenny Boy runs Auckland very well for them, so I’m not surprised. What Brown basically does is keep a lid on the left, while actually helping them with the wharf and GI.
Len is the cad – he is the one who has had an affair. Do not forget that. If his political opponents seek to take advantage of that, they cannot be criticised for making the most of the ammunition that Len has given them. He knew before the election that his affair was about to be exposed. He knew that he could not be sure that people would vote for him if they were aware of his affair. He decision to say nothing was dishonourable and political suicide.
Len is the cad – he is the one who has had an affair. Do not forget that. If his political opponents seek to take advantage of that, they cannot be criticised for making the most of the ammunition that Len has given them.
Hey John.
Did you just say that we should hold Len publicly accountable for actions he took in his private life, but the people now attacking Len with sleazy political ammunition, we should give the attackers a complete pass, free of criticism?
1.Brown cheated on his wife
2.Brown instigated this affair
3.This woman is a total bunny boiler and Brown demonstrated that he thinks with his dick not his head.
4. Of course they’d want her to come out, Brown the good Christian man was rooting around behind his wifes back while trading on a happy family, good Christian morals platform.
If this had come out before the election, Brown would have been fucked.
Can we just park the usual tendency to misogyny at least on this site please?
It looks like she’s been ruthlessly exploited by the right, and her opinion of Len Brown according to Cameron Slater is a tissue of lies. Just when I thought my opinion of Cameron Slater could not possibly go lower, it does.
Now as Russell Brown says follow the money – who paid Stephen Cook to write the story?
Ruthlessly exploited, yeah right
Oh that poor simple woman, how could those mean men be so nasty.
She knew what she was doing, she’s only decided to flip flop around because she isn’t liking the way it’s all gone and has got cold feet.
Too late for that, she let all the gory details out in that signed affidavit, did she honestly think it was going to blow over in a day or two and then it’s back to normal, maybe even a job in the media trading on that new found fame.
Just when I thought my opinion of Cameron Slater could not possibly go lower, it does.
Why so surprised? Whale (to quote James Stewart in Shenandoah) “is the only person I know who started at the bottom and went downhill”.
follow the money – who paid Stephen Cook to write the story. True but who made the whole story possible? Why Len of course. If he was silly enough to hang his balls out on the block some passing cetacean was bound to cut the off. Silly prick (quite literally).
So to Len, a safe pair of hands for the “Left”? If he could keep his own hands around his own privates maybe.
Lolz, BM, and the involvement, proved in today’s Herald, of the Palino camp in the belated outing of this affair between Brown and Chuang, plus the ongoing pressure put on Chuang to out the affair befor the election will do what for any future Palino challenge,
Lover boy Luigi’s denial of ever having shared the bed with Chuang, ‘He hardly in His words knew the woman’, does what to Palino’s denial of knowing anything of what was being attempted to drop Len in His own mess right in the middle of the campaign,
For any damage done to Len Brown by the exposure of what is essentially His private life, you can expect, as the real story continues to unfold, an equal, if not greater amount of damage to be inflicted upon the Citizens and Ratpayers ticket….
As hard as you lefties try to shoot the messenger, Brown is fucked, once this term is over he’s gone.
And in the mean time, he’s a dead duck, he won’t achieve anything, all those great lefty dreams for Auckland, down the toilet where they belong.
Lolz BM, your latest is what i term dragging defeat out of the jaws of victory, it’s a long long road to the next Council elections and it will be my pleasure to read your whinging, whining and wailing about this issue for the next 3 years,
Hate to further burst your bubble, but, you seem to forget that we have a General Election next year, right now i would say it’s 60/40 that after that, unless Lolz, National can score 50% of the vote, David Cunliffe will be the next Prime Minister of the first Labour/Green Government,
While that little scenario obviously fills ‘wing-nuts’ like you with terror it simply adds laughter to what you say about Len Brown being unable to achieve ‘anything’ in His current term as Mayor,
i would say that the incoming Labour/Green Government will be only to happy to either fund Brown’s Auckland transport plans OR through Legislation, provide Browns Council with the tools necessary to gather the necessary capital to have such capital works well under way,
Suck it up BM, across the political spectrum ‘the right’ have lost all traction, Losers in other words, a descriptive, on the odd occasion i have cause to think about you, which is easily able to be fitted to your dog collar…
What the fuck is a bunny boiler? And what does it have to do with the price of fish?
Among the people who have a right to comment on Len’s peccadilloes are his family. Some of them have come out to support him, so you and the rest of the fake moralistic right should just get back to your porn and shut up.
What is happening at NBR. I have heard a rumour from an impeccable source that long time reporter Jock Anderson has been fired for writing a pro Len Brown editorial.
Hmm I was getting an access denied message and now I get a 404 page not found message. Someone must have hit the delete button. Wonder what they are trying to hide?
Come on Matthew. If this is true then an issue arises as to the independence of the fourth estate. Surely it is in the public interest for there to be disclosure of what has happened and discussion on this?
Do opinion writers with the NBR have a degree of freedom around the line they take, or is it quite locked down in your contracts to stick to the editorial lines of the publisher? Or are they freelance articles that the NBR can take or leave?
Auckland, like all cities around the globe is tightly controlled.
From time to time, we get to see into the filth that allows the criminal elements to control the resources, and in NZ we are really scraping the bottom levels.
Wewege and Chuang are from a “future leaders” style of group, which brings into question what exactly that group is designed for!
Cameron Brewer has slipped off rader for the time being, very quiet cameron – fill his inbox people, his council email is public record, do is the contact via his blog site.
Chuang, the Dragon Baby Mamma, is calculating and conniving, just like those she is involved with!
how sad and how terrible to think that just exposing someone to advance their own career is the right moved. Especially that person is your own girlfriend. let this be the lesson to him, and how sad, because this guy, Luigi Wewege will never learned and found true love. He was even regard as the future leader, serious, what the exposure and creating a future leader turn up to creating a future monster….disguising. By the way, you are still young, and one day when you have your own daughter, seriously……best luck….
Well, at least some good news today with the climate change skeptics bailing on their appeal against NIWA. Seems they don’t even understand their own court case.
The dispute centred on readings from the seven-station series – stations in Auckland, Masterton, Wellington, Nelson, Hokitika, Lincoln and Dunedin – used by Niwa for temperature records.
The trust claimed unscientific methods used created an unrealistic indication of climate warming.
But last year, High Court Justice Geoffrey Venning ruled against the group and ordered it to repay court costs. The group decided to challenge the ruling in the Court of Appeal, but this week withdrew the appeal.
Barry Brill, who acted as solicitor for the trust, said his clients could not see a way forward after coming upon a procedural issue. The judges had noted two scientists involved in the reports were not cross-examined – something his clients were unaware could be done during the earlier court process.
Congratulations to Eleanor Catton on her Man Booker win – must read the book, covering a topic of close personal interest, history and locale.
However, her comments on nat radio yesterday were a little disturbing in trying to use gold in pakeha society and pounamu in maori society as metaphors for their respective features. Seriously lacking imo. So many New Zealanders have lost a sense of their history and cultural and societal mores from pre-WWII. There is little understanding of many parts of society from before that time. Perhaps she should stick to writing. But then, maybe I should read the book first (which most certainly will) and then re-assess what she was trying to say yesterday.
Drones, the Media and Malala’s Message
by PETER HART, Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting, 15 October 2013
Pakistani teenager Malala Yousafzai’s visit to the United States was widely covered in the media, including interviews with ABC’s Diane Sawyer (10/11/13), CNN’s Christiane Amanpour (10/14/13) and Jon Stewart of the Daily Show (10/8/13). She was selected as ABC’s “Person of the Week” on October 11, and was considered a serious contender for the Nobel Peace Prize.
And for good reason; just one year ago, Malala was attacked by the Taliban for her outspoken advocacy on behalf of educational equality, surviving a an attack where she was shot in the head.
But one part of her message didn’t seem to penetrate the corporate media.
During her October 11 visit to the White House, Yousafzai told Barack Obama that his administration’s drone strikes were fueling terrorism. As McClatchy’s Lesley Clark (10/11/13) reported:
In a statement released after the meeting, Malala said she was honored to meet with Obama, but that she told him she’s worried about the effect of US drone strikes. (The White House statement didn’t mention that part.) “I thanked President Obama for the United States’ work in supporting education in Pakistan and Afghanistan and for Syrian refugees,” she said in the statement. “I also expressed my concerns that drone attacks are fueling terrorism. Innocent victims are killed in these acts, and they lead to resentment among the Pakistani people. If we refocus efforts on education, it will make a big impact.”
This exchange, for some reason, didn’t register ….
On another matter the all whites now face mexico home and away to reach WC 2014.
This will not be easy as mexico are going for 6 straight WC’s and have been hot/cold through their qualification so lets hope we get the cold ‘El Tri’ as the hot one is a class above us.
Yes CONCACAF is alot tougher than facing an asian team. This team boasts Rafael Marquez (ex barca centre half), Manyoo’s hernandez up front and technically gifted players that can do the unexpected
We may find out the hard way what an awesome on field leader and defender the retired Ryan Nelson was. Hope we don’t but 2 WC’s in a row is long odds for us now.
Qatar is getting interesting with the major clubs (via the leagues/associations) waking up to the fact they’ll be shipping their employees off to the oven for that summer.
Maggots, despite our current cultural view on them, play a vital role in the cycle of life. Can’t say the same about Slater. I think the cartoon is an insult to insects everywhere and is inherently accurate. The cartoonist implies that despite our abhorrence for Slater, we really need him. He’s wrong.
Interesting interview with local entrepreneur Selwyn Pellet on Nights on National Radio last night (Wednesday 16 Oct) – purportedly about “How curiosity helps to build better business” but in fact more interesting in the way Selwyn talks through experience about how well New Zealand IT businesses do under the present environment. Particularly interesting is how he says the IT industry has in the short term the ability to actually provide greater net wealth for New Zealand than the dairying industry, but our reliance on the commodity market (especially dairy) actually influences interest rates and the value of the New Zealand dollar to the detriment of our IT exports
Well I’m thinking they might have opened themselves up to questioning, which I sincerely hope they don’t. Keep the humour going with Two minute noodle Len as long as possible but the kids shouldn’t be involved…
Journalists can ask anyone questions. It’s what they do. Can’t see what questions his kids would have to answer, and I doubt any serious journalist would either.
Your sick boy mate whose lines you keep trotting out is having a crack at them, but that’s cause he’s a fuckwit, not cause he’s a journalist.
I guess thats why hes got a popular website, gets interviewed on radio and TV more then anyone else on here put together
But who cares about getting your message across to the widest audience eh 🙂
[lprent: Perhaps you should reread the about. We’re unconcerned with getting the widest audience. Basically we’re also not a narcissistic egotistical failures like Cameron Slater who appears to have failed at everything in his life apart from titillating the lowest common denominator on the net.
The reason that we don’t get interviewed is mostly because we don’t want to be talking heads. It isn’t what we do for a living. For instance I’m a c++ programmer working on our exporting bleeding edges. r0b is a professor at a major university. Mike Smith is semi-retired, but used to run the Labour party. The people under pseudonyms past and present are pretty damn successful at whatever they can do. This is one of the reasons why many of the authors here write using a pseudonym – we don’t want the shallowness of the media to interfere with what we really value.
Personally, I’ve turned down all except one or two of the dozens of interview requests I’ve had over the last six years including those from the left media like Bomber. Generally I only get a couple per year these days. You also can’t find images of me on the net.
Offhand I think that the only other person from here who has been on the media was Clinton Smith before he went to work for politicians, and Jenny has been on The Nation once when she was working on Cunliffe’s election team. Currently we have no-one volunteering to be a talking head.
Basically your comment reveals far more about your lack of knowledge about this site than it does about us. However if you wish to continue in this vein, then I will be happy handing out a long ban in accordance with our policies on people trying to tell us how we should run this site.
You have a weeks ban now so you have time to read these links. ]
His puppeteers (like Daddy, Lusk, Collins etc.) must have been successful in getting that Tea Party money to fund their backfiring engine, pity (judging by the abode he was filmed in on Tuesday) he’s not getting any ‘trickledown’.
But it’s great he’s happy floating around with turds.
Sam writes beautifully: I have been critical but she hit us right between the eyes with the “first stone”. Thanks Sam, over and out, no more comments. So some wisdom from Francis (abridged):
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be understood, as to understand;
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
New allegations are that Len Brown wrote references for Bevan Chaung for a job she was applying for.
How is that different from John Key giving a GCSB job to his mate? Who says they haven’t been having sex?
Chuang has also said brown was one of 5 referees on her CV for the job, and she didn’t think he got the job because of Brown. Although, I guess she wants to show she got the job fairly.
Just a reminder about a lecture on a topic close to our hearts- for Wednesday 30th.
2013 Bruce Jesson Lecture:
Sir Edmund Thomas –
Reducing Inequality: A Strategy for a Cause
The speaker, a Distinguished Fellow at the Law School at The University of Auckland, argues that the gross inequality in income and wealth which besets New Zealand is the outcome of the neo-liberal economic measures of the mid-1980s and early 1990s and the culture of liberal individualism and unfettered free market ideology which it spawned.
A breakdown in social cohesion and a sense of community is the result. Reforms to counter this inequality are widely mooted. But increasing focus and discussion on the topic is confronted by a plethora of mantras and myths purveyed by the rich and powerful. The stimulus for change is deadened.
The speaker advances a strategy designed to provide a coherent impetus to reduce the rank inequality that now prevails. The Rt Hon Sir Edmund Thomas will deliver the 2013 lecture on Wednesday 30 October, 6.30pm, at the Maidment Theatre (bar opens at 5.30pm).
I’ll try to remember to publicise it during the weekend by which time there may be some room left on the site for something other than scurrilous gossip.
To fix the issues facing New Zealand’s economy, the public sector needs to call on the expertise of the private financial sector, Finance Minister Bill English says.
The private financial sector caused the GFC, The Great Depression, increasing poverty and looks to be increasingly corrupt. About the only thing we should be doing is telling them to fuck off while jailing a large proportion of them.
IPCA says the cops can’t even investigate themselves properly
Party broken up, allegations of excessive force, complaints laid, a three year internal investigation that exonerates all officers involved, and – guess what? The IPCA says the investigation took too long, reached the wrong conclusions, and the only reason individual officers haven’t been charged is that the ones who swung the batons couldn’t be identified (gotta love the riot gear and tiny badge numbers – if they haven’t been removed).
Who knows, RT. For instance, the worst case scenario, a re-election, might actually favour the left now Palino’s and Brewer’s team have been shown to be somewhat murky as well.
personally, while this whole drama is regrettable, and sad, I’m not for pressuring the man out, however, he’s chosen a hard road to hoe, (and with a little benefit-of-hindsight, not an unexpected one). Some of these ‘powerful’ folks appear to get a little carried away with themselves, and foolishness follows.
ironically, this proverb, or one similar, was on WOBH one day (in the not-too-distant past)
“Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares;” 1:20
later, (in the same book)
“For the lips of an adulteress (-er) drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword…” 5:3, and plenty more follows in the same vein. Another day perhaps, anyway, the St Francis prayer that Ennui notes covers all the Remedy (Black Crows circling, yet they keep the Vultures at bay).
Whilst lesser “lites” like Len and Whale have been centre stage here on our biggest (and perhaps the worlds smallest) stage…other things of greater import have been happening out in the big wide world.
Tucked in the side columns of todays Dom……In Rome Pope Francis has dismissed Cardinal Bertone, the man who acted as Richelieu for Pope Benedict. During his watch the scandals involving children went unanswered, there were Papal bank fraud issues go unchallenged, and the appointment of a Holocaust denying British bishop. Vatileaks scandal followed.
The Pope thanked Bertone for confronting his setbacks with courage and patience. “There were so many,” he added, damning him with faint praise. Francis appears to be the real deal.
LOL at Blinglish in attempting to attack the Greens during the debate on Banks right now, claims Cunliffe is getting some of their support and doing better than his predecessor…. then changes tack realising he’s praising Labour too much for improving it’s support!
Another scoop from whale: he’s caught out some Herald staff blatantly colluding together in a plan to write a ‘series’ of ‘stories’ in their ‘newspaper’.
No uptick for Key either which you might have expected while he was gallivanting around on the world stage. That must be a concern for National. Dunne and UFP have dropped to 0%, Banks and ACT can’t be far behind.
Oh dear Labour and the Greens still going UP, this time the bump is in the Green Party vote, Better start composing my dear John note for Slippery,
In all honesty at the 2008 election i would have picked Slippery to lead National to 3 terms, hasn’t ‘the fall from grace’ been hard and fast tho, and, i wonder when Collins will make Her move, has to be soon, if She goes into the 2014 election not being the Prime Minister the best She can hope for is a couple of terms as Opposition Leader befor they rid themselves of Her,
Yes i am being mischievous, whichever way it’s looked at there’s another 9 in the sin bin coming for National, perhaps Collins sees a point in letting Bill from Dipton lead the team in the first 3 years of Opposition and then rolling Him a year out from the second term ending…
Watched a bit of the TICS committee stage 4. Government ministers not standing to defend it. Curran, Goff & Robertson say there’s not enough checks and balances to protect people’s rights, and the Human Rights Commission have criticisms that the government should heed.
Lucky for some, other families in NZ only have the green-fee figure to survive on every week. But he will fix that….one of these years…..just vote for him….and guarantee your seat on the brighter future train….
Not good timing for an article that shows the stark contrast between Key and the majority of NZ.
Mr Key said he avoided the new Nevis bungy jump… He said his political staff did not think an image of him “diving off a bridge screaming” would be great footage in case he ever had a big dip in the polls.
Queenstown and Omaha – full of average Kiwis, sure. Good places for him to be quarantined with his diplomatic protection squad and leave the rest of the country for the rest of us.
A senior National Business Review journalist has lost his job in the wake of the Len Brown sex scandal.
National Business Review publisher Todd Scott in a brief statement today said: “We do not comment on internal employment issues but I can confirm Mr Jock Anderson was dismissed yesterday for failing to comply with specific instructions to treat coverage of the Len Brown affair in an impartial and unbiased manner.”
Mr Anderson had filed copy on NBR ONLINE yesterday morning purporting to be the NBR’s stance on the controversy. His copy was headed “Editorial” and called for Mr Brown to stay on as mayor. His copy was removed shortly after it was posted.
Mr Scott said NBR’s news coverage of the ongoing scandal would remain strictly neutral. There would be no restriction on NBR’s regular columnists to analyse events as they unfolded.
Don’t the NBR do ‘warnings’ or was Jock Anderson’s filing of ‘copy on NBR ONLINE yesterday morning purporting to be the NBR’s stance on the controversy. (his copy was headed “Editorial” and called for Mr Brown to stay on as mayor)’ – SERIOUS MISCONDUCT?
Who remembers Dove Myer Robinson’s trysts – he was apparently quite legendary and it didn’t harm his mayoral job at all. Mostly heard it from my parents and their friends – I was a bit too young to really take it in, but my partner heard it resurface on the radio today.
I knew a bit about other mayors as well, but I’m not even going to name them. It had nothing to do with how they ran or misran the city.
I heard a lot of stories about Banks which had nothing to do with sex, but can’t produce evidence. I’m just ecstatic that he might finally be crashing and burning.
I made the mistake of watching Citizen A tonight with guests Colin Craig and Matthew Hooton. So Hoots reckons if we had a better police force, Helen Clark would have been prosecuted for her many criminal activities (election spending etc), and would never have lasted 3 terms.
David Cunliffe is further left than any social democrat country int he world (or is it Europe) – he’s gone VERY far left. People in the National Party thought Simon Brudges was excellent on Campbell Live and he’s a potential leader of Nats.
I watched Citizen A too and was commenting out loud how restrained Matthew Hooten was, but then he let fly at the end about the Police and their lack of prosecutions re Helen Clark and how terrible it will be if we elect a Mana/Green/Labour [his order], he then said Labour/Green/Mana. I also wanted to wreck our TV when he carried on about Simon Bridges on Campbell Live – sheesh a potential leader of the Nats, spare me. I suppose he was being serious, but he had that bloody smirk on his dial which tells me he’s just stirring. Oh, and for David Cunliffe and Labour espousing far left policies – yep he’s just stirring.
a switcheroo from the “once he’s in he’ll drag the party to the centre / right” narrative the tory scribes and talking heads ran with following his election as party leader; Yes , you, RW lurkers, are so transparent it’s a wonder you spend as much time grooming as you do.
The best thing about 3D printing in high density materials is that it’s going to be very cheap to set up which means that any country will be able to manufacture anything they choose and with that you can kiss goodbye to long distance trade.
We (NZ) really, really, really need to get on the R&D with this and that means government funding. We will not get it any other way.
The real inefficiency in foundries is energy, excluding materials the loss of other inputs is particularly high – casting sand losses were at 20% and more, being around half of total losses.
…everything is recycled and reused in any decent foundry.
Apart from a bit of skim with the burnt off refractories, oxides and the like. Even those are usually blocked and sent back to the scrap metal people..
I can’t find the reply button, but I feel terribly slighted*:
“r0b is a professor at a major university. Mike Smith is semi-retired, but used to run the Labour party. The people under pseudonyms past and present are pretty damn successful at whatever they can do. This is one of the reasons why many of the authors here write using a pseudonym – we don’t want the shallowness of the media to interfere with what we really value.”
I’m a senior research fellow at the university rated 90th in the world. I received an Outstanding Referee Award from the American Physical Society. I saw one metric that put me in the top 4% of active physicists in the world. I think that’s reasonably successful. I’m all over google. Not bad for someone who has been accused of not understanding Newton’s Laws 🙂
I don’t use a pseudonym because I’m terminally ill and don’t give a fuck. What can anyone do to me that I haven’t done to myself? I make no judgement either way about people who do.
“Offhand I think that the only other person from here who has been on the media was Clinton Smith before he went to work for politicians, and Jenny has been on The Nation once when she was working on Cunliffe’s election team. Currently we have no-one volunteering to be a talking head.”
I’ve been interviewed by New Scientist Magazine, newspapers in Australia, and radio stations on both sides of the Tasman. I am not volunteering to be a talking head.
*Not actually slighted at all, just saying this to ram down the illiterate right wingers’ throats that there’s more talent to be found around here than in all the RWNJ hate blogs of the world combined.
[lprent: The reply button disappears when the comments are indented 10.
I was just confining it to some of the outed authors. Even then I forgot a lawyer (hi Mickey!), Jenny – PR, and probably many others..
Don’t get me started on the commenters who seem to range over everything… ]
Watching Joyce speak in the house reminds me of the penguin in Batman movies. Left hand thrusting up and down like an energy charged banker..or something rhyming. They are so ridiculous. I despair at where my taxes are going.
So Eleanor Catton, Man Booker prize winner (well done), says on the one hand …” I don’t see that my age has anything to do with what is between the covers of my book, any more than the fact that I am right-handed. It’s a fact of my biography, but it’s uninteresting.”
And then with a straight face and the other hand claims some of her reviewers are themselves driven by factors of gender and age…
“People whose negative reaction has been most vehement have all been men over about 45.”
.
Sheesh, some people.
Will have to hunt down a few more of her gems for daytime giggles (like the one she punched out yesterday about gold and pounamu, maori and pakeha).
It seems age is a major determinant in her verbal ravings, given the level of naivety shown.
“People whose negative reaction has been most vehement have all been men over about 45” is a fact about their biographies. It’s uninteresting. Where does she say they’re driven by factors of gender and age?
no defence whatsoever weka, you can do better than that.
Not having a dig at her talents or good works, merely highlighting a common trait in some highly talented and well know people who think their talents extend beyond what they are recognised for. Other examples include Sam Neil and Bono.
Seems strange that National don’t want to drug-test the police, nor does the police association despite often calling for a gun on every hip. They should have tested the overly angry officer who broke the neck of Jakob Christie with a batton in 2009, and be thankful he wasn’t carrying the much lauded gun on every hip.
Police and poaka are both words that start with P. Funny that, because it drives people into uncontrollable rages as well. In São Paulo, a lot of the police sell and/or use cocaine, especially right in the centre of the city. It does wonders for their emotional stability and they are heavily armed. People die.
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There are now only a few days left to give feedback on the Draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport 2024-34 (see our earlier post this week on GPS submission guides). As we’ve reported, the GPS is a disaster for Local Government, so we were particularly interested to hear ...
Willis has pledged to go ahead with the debt-funded tax cuts, despite growing opposition from her own supporters worried about appearing fiscally irresponsible. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for ...
Open access notables A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North, van Wijngaarden et al., Climatic Change:The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased ...
Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On ...
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...
New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
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Well well well, the plot thickens:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11141316
Meanwhile, the real news is that ShonKey doesnt see any conflict of interest in keeping Banks in Parliament for that crucial one vote on the SkyCity bill:
http://www.3news.co.nz/Key-sure-of-numbers-despite-Banks-blow/tabid/1607/articleID/317532/Default.aspx
Which bring us to a conclusion that it is absolutely vital to vote the fuckers out.
The Plot Stews
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11141735
(looking further into the Onion, the Gristle, Peas and Q’s)
From the Herald today
“The woman at the centre of the Len Brown sex scandal says she felt pressured to reveal the affair by a member of his right-wing rival John Palino’s election team – and is now sorry she went public.”
The way this has been manipulated by members of Palino’s group does not make this a good look for such low life who use people to benefit their own political position.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11141316
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11141316
So John Palino’s henchman Luigi Wewege is revealed as a common, lowly coward and a dishonorable cad who doesn’t even have the guts to admit his relationship with Bevan Chuang.
It is funny how suddenly the two Johns – Slater and Palino – have no knowledge of the sex life of Bevan Chuang when it suits them. We’ve seen this sort of right wing selective memory just yesterday with another John – John Banks – in the Auckland High Court and we now know what the judicial system thinks of that.
I think we can take these examples of the cavalier wide-boy approach to the memory and the truth as symptomatic of the poisonous cess pit that is the political culture of the right in Auckland. The Slaters. John Banks. John Palino. Luigi Wewege. Cameron Brewer. Denise Krum. Sounds like Halloween has come early this year in Auckland. What a vile and appalling bunch!
Yep.
Whale is a piece of shit who will say or do anything, and the fact that people work with him is a scandal in and of itself.
Can Len Brown sue for invasion of privacy?
I’m of the opinion that he should.
Probably won;t for the same reasons you don’t sue Wishart. It’s expensive, very public, and there’s little to gain.
Probably but I think it’s important as it would help set boundaries.
Oh I know, isn’t it exciting! Wonder what the next plot twist will be…like cheap john grisham knock-off 🙂
Who says local body politics is boring 🙂
Text message Wewege to Chuang 31/8/13 –
“Baby I have everything set up people are just waiting for you.”
People ?
Wonder whom ?
The Mad Right really are filth are they not ?
Particularly SlaterPorn. Whose facility to fuck around is a matter of public knowledge – judgment of Judge David Harvey in the Harrassment Act appplication made against Sperling – former connection of Mad Michael Laws.
Hey…….ShonKey Python…….sure love the “higher standards” in your Flying Circus.
is anyone else mildly disturbed how the likes of key/lee-ross have so swung in behind their ‘len’..?
..just saying..!
phillip ure..
Very disturbed. Lenny Boy runs Auckland very well for them, so I’m not surprised. What Brown basically does is keep a lid on the left, while actually helping them with the wharf and GI.
Len is the cad – he is the one who has had an affair. Do not forget that. If his political opponents seek to take advantage of that, they cannot be criticised for making the most of the ammunition that Len has given them. He knew before the election that his affair was about to be exposed. He knew that he could not be sure that people would vote for him if they were aware of his affair. He decision to say nothing was dishonourable and political suicide.
I reckon they can be criticised for apparently bullying someone into revealing intimate details which were then pasted all over the internet.
Especially when one of them should know better, having already lost one job over similar behaviour..
Hey John.
Did you just say that we should hold Len publicly accountable for actions he took in his private life, but the people now attacking Len with sleazy political ammunition, we should give the attackers a complete pass, free of criticism?
The facts of the matter are still.
1.Brown cheated on his wife
2.Brown instigated this affair
3.This woman is a total bunny boiler and Brown demonstrated that he thinks with his dick not his head.
4. Of course they’d want her to come out, Brown the good Christian man was rooting around behind his wifes back while trading on a happy family, good Christian morals platform.
If this had come out before the election, Brown would have been fucked.
“…This woman is a total bunny boiler…”
Can we just park the usual tendency to misogyny at least on this site please?
It looks like she’s been ruthlessly exploited by the right, and her opinion of Len Brown according to Cameron Slater is a tissue of lies. Just when I thought my opinion of Cameron Slater could not possibly go lower, it does.
Now as Russell Brown says follow the money – who paid Stephen Cook to write the story?
Ruthlessly exploited, yeah right
Oh that poor simple woman, how could those mean men be so nasty.
She knew what she was doing, she’s only decided to flip flop around because she isn’t liking the way it’s all gone and has got cold feet.
Too late for that, she let all the gory details out in that signed affidavit, did she honestly think it was going to blow over in a day or two and then it’s back to normal, maybe even a job in the media trading on that new found fame.
Just when I thought my opinion of Cameron Slater could not possibly go lower, it does.
Why so surprised? Whale (to quote James Stewart in Shenandoah) “is the only person I know who started at the bottom and went downhill”.
follow the money – who paid Stephen Cook to write the story. True but who made the whole story possible? Why Len of course. If he was silly enough to hang his balls out on the block some passing cetacean was bound to cut the off. Silly prick (quite literally).
So to Len, a safe pair of hands for the “Left”? If he could keep his own hands around his own privates maybe.
1. None of your business.
2. None of your business.
3. Oh look, right-wing mysogynist scum are turning on their own.
4. And yet you chose to release the info after the election.
1. She used him as a reference
2. He hasn’t ruled out other affairs
3. Theres still the issue of the threatening text
4. I can’t wait for the next bombshell
5. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAS4CSLAiyY
5. See Felix’s 3.
Take it back to the sewer, will you?
Hi Chris.
My bullet points were each a direct response to BM’s bullet points. I have no idea what yours are.
(except an attempt to discredit this site by spreading sexist, misogynist shit all over it)
ps you mean the “threatening texts” that Slater sent from a burner phone?
re: 4: pull your pants up, your tumescent anticipation wouldn’t intimidate a gnat.
There is no way known to science to tell if a right winger is stricken by priapism.
Kiaora Murray
There is no way known to science to tell if a right winger is stricken by priapism.
Science may not provide an answer but common sense says ‘they leak to the right’
Lolz, BM, and the involvement, proved in today’s Herald, of the Palino camp in the belated outing of this affair between Brown and Chuang, plus the ongoing pressure put on Chuang to out the affair befor the election will do what for any future Palino challenge,
Lover boy Luigi’s denial of ever having shared the bed with Chuang, ‘He hardly in His words knew the woman’, does what to Palino’s denial of knowing anything of what was being attempted to drop Len in His own mess right in the middle of the campaign,
For any damage done to Len Brown by the exposure of what is essentially His private life, you can expect, as the real story continues to unfold, an equal, if not greater amount of damage to be inflicted upon the Citizens and Ratpayers ticket….
Not a chance.
As hard as you lefties try to shoot the messenger, Brown is fucked, once this term is over he’s gone.
And in the mean time, he’s a dead duck, he won’t achieve anything, all those great lefty dreams for Auckland, down the toilet where they belong.
😈 😈 😈
Weird, I thought your concerns were for the sanctity of marriage and public office.
Quelle surprise.
whenever a tory expresses concern or moral outrage, always do a quick check to see if there’s a tent in their pants
Lolz BM, your latest is what i term dragging defeat out of the jaws of victory, it’s a long long road to the next Council elections and it will be my pleasure to read your whinging, whining and wailing about this issue for the next 3 years,
Hate to further burst your bubble, but, you seem to forget that we have a General Election next year, right now i would say it’s 60/40 that after that, unless Lolz, National can score 50% of the vote, David Cunliffe will be the next Prime Minister of the first Labour/Green Government,
While that little scenario obviously fills ‘wing-nuts’ like you with terror it simply adds laughter to what you say about Len Brown being unable to achieve ‘anything’ in His current term as Mayor,
i would say that the incoming Labour/Green Government will be only to happy to either fund Brown’s Auckland transport plans OR through Legislation, provide Browns Council with the tools necessary to gather the necessary capital to have such capital works well under way,
Suck it up BM, across the political spectrum ‘the right’ have lost all traction, Losers in other words, a descriptive, on the odd occasion i have cause to think about you, which is easily able to be fitted to your dog collar…
Lolz, after the latest Roy Morgan out today i wish to change my odds of the next Government being a Labour/Green one to 70/30 in favor…
Palino doesn’t look set to have much of a future, nor does anyone who WO supports.
WO should be made to wear a sign around his neck that says, “Trust me at your Peril!”
What the fuck is a bunny boiler? And what does it have to do with the price of fish?
Among the people who have a right to comment on Len’s peccadilloes are his family. Some of them have come out to support him, so you and the rest of the fake moralistic right should just get back to your porn and shut up.
A Close Up Fatal
Attraction
Wewege, palino, chuang.
Welcome to nz, thanks for your contribution to making it better for everyone!
To say nothing of the local handlers!
Who are all these people, really!
You forgot Norman 😉
exactly what are you trying to say?
im sure its some moronic barb about him being an commie or something, but do please put in the extra effort to actually make sense
Not so much the commie bit (not that it helps) but being another foreigner coming over and making the country all the worse for it
What is happening at NBR. I have heard a rumour from an impeccable source that long time reporter Jock Anderson has been fired for writing a pro Len Brown editorial.
The page is still there at http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/editorial-len-brown-needs-stay-job-ja-p-147196 but access has been denied. Someone with greater skill with Google Cache may be able to retrieve it.
Can this be true? And if so what happened to freedom of the press? Perhaps regular contributor Matthew Hooton would like to comment.
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache%3Awww.nbr.co.nz%2Farticle%2Feditorial-len-brown-needs-stay-job-ja-p-147196
Behind the paywall.
Not sure what the point is of inviting Hooten to lie about it though.
Hmm I was getting an access denied message and now I get a 404 page not found message. Someone must have hit the delete button. Wonder what they are trying to hide?
Not anymore it isn’t, anyone got a cached version they can publish here? Ah! Thanks!
Where Sanctuary?
No comment.
Come on Matthew. If this is true then an issue arises as to the independence of the fourth estate. Surely it is in the public interest for there to be disclosure of what has happened and discussion on this?
No comment.
Can you confirm Matthew that the editorial was initially hidden but then deleted?
No comment.
The man with an opinion on everything suddenly has nothing to say.
NZ Power didn’t crash the share-market, it’s sHootons voice-box that’s crashed…
Do opinion writers with the NBR have a degree of freedom around the line they take, or is it quite locked down in your contracts to stick to the editorial lines of the publisher? Or are they freelance articles that the NBR can take or leave?
Nobody at NBR or Metro has ever told me what to write, or what angle to take.
As if they’d ever have to.
What about telling Jock Anderson what to write or disciplining him for something he wrote?
From Martyn Bradbury:
And that’s the Right Wing control of the MSM and all its journos in action, as a warning to all.
Time for the CEO to explain the NBRs anti-journalistic practices.
Herald 4:33 apparently confirms it …
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11141779
Question is whether we’ll hear his ramblings on “The Panel” – what say you now Gentleman Jim?
Distant Drums calling, He’ll Have To Go
eww fat slug Slater is on breakfast….
Hell I heaved my brekkie n then some
fat slug is rattling on about morals
Are they asking him about his own affairs?
Nope
Not a word
Rawdumb was nearly salivating..
Slater Seniors actual nickname – “Slug”.
Auckland, like all cities around the globe is tightly controlled.
From time to time, we get to see into the filth that allows the criminal elements to control the resources, and in NZ we are really scraping the bottom levels.
Wewege and Chuang are from a “future leaders” style of group, which brings into question what exactly that group is designed for!
Cameron Brewer has slipped off rader for the time being, very quiet cameron – fill his inbox people, his council email is public record, do is the contact via his blog site.
Chuang, the Dragon Baby Mamma, is calculating and conniving, just like those she is involved with!
Future leaders, piffle!
(can i just note that/how questiontime has become a total farce/abrogation of democracy..)
http://whoar.co.nz/2013/john-armstrong-a-question-of-when-an-answer-is-really-an-answer-comment-as-one-who-does-commentaries-on-questiontime-i-totally-agree-with-the-concerns-voiced-by-armstrong-essentially/
phillip ure..
how sad and how terrible to think that just exposing someone to advance their own career is the right moved. Especially that person is your own girlfriend. let this be the lesson to him, and how sad, because this guy, Luigi Wewege will never learned and found true love. He was even regard as the future leader, serious, what the exposure and creating a future leader turn up to creating a future monster….disguising. By the way, you are still young, and one day when you have your own daughter, seriously……best luck….
Well, at least some good news today with the climate change skeptics bailing on their appeal against NIWA. Seems they don’t even understand their own court case.
They were always going to lose this one.
Isn’t that something their solicitor should have told them about at the time?
Maybe they just decided “withdrawing on a technicality” is better for their snake oil sales than “arses handed to them on a plate”
Yep
Congratulations to Eleanor Catton on her Man Booker win – must read the book, covering a topic of close personal interest, history and locale.
However, her comments on nat radio yesterday were a little disturbing in trying to use gold in pakeha society and pounamu in maori society as metaphors for their respective features. Seriously lacking imo. So many New Zealanders have lost a sense of their history and cultural and societal mores from pre-WWII. There is little understanding of many parts of society from before that time. Perhaps she should stick to writing. But then, maybe I should read the book first (which most certainly will) and then re-assess what she was trying to say yesterday.
Bit rich of Slater to be so moralistic is it not?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10813552
It’s absurd. Only the truly delusional can exist in such a position.
Drones, the Media and Malala’s Message
by PETER HART, Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting, 15 October 2013
Pakistani teenager Malala Yousafzai’s visit to the United States was widely covered in the media, including interviews with ABC’s Diane Sawyer (10/11/13), CNN’s Christiane Amanpour (10/14/13) and Jon Stewart of the Daily Show (10/8/13). She was selected as ABC’s “Person of the Week” on October 11, and was considered a serious contender for the Nobel Peace Prize.
And for good reason; just one year ago, Malala was attacked by the Taliban for her outspoken advocacy on behalf of educational equality, surviving a an attack where she was shot in the head.
But one part of her message didn’t seem to penetrate the corporate media.
During her October 11 visit to the White House, Yousafzai told Barack Obama that his administration’s drone strikes were fueling terrorism. As McClatchy’s Lesley Clark (10/11/13) reported:
In a statement released after the meeting, Malala said she was honored to meet with Obama, but that she told him she’s worried about the effect of US drone strikes. (The White House statement didn’t mention that part.) “I thanked President Obama for the United States’ work in supporting education in Pakistan and Afghanistan and for Syrian refugees,” she said in the statement. “I also expressed my concerns that drone attacks are fueling terrorism. Innocent victims are killed in these acts, and they lead to resentment among the Pakistani people. If we refocus efforts on education, it will make a big impact.”
This exchange, for some reason, didn’t register ….
http://www.fair.org/blog/2013/10/15/drones-the-media-and-malalas-message/
Are you really surprised? The US and it’s empire doesn’t allow criticism.
She’s probably a Taliban – Al’Qaeda – Iranian – Wahabi plant, you see.
On another matter the all whites now face mexico home and away to reach WC 2014.
This will not be easy as mexico are going for 6 straight WC’s and have been hot/cold through their qualification so lets hope we get the cold ‘El Tri’ as the hot one is a class above us.
New Zealand 4, Mexico 0.
Wednesday July 20, 1980.
We might as well not bother showing up now. Mexico will take us apart. Its like Argentina playing the All Blacks.
Yes CONCACAF is alot tougher than facing an asian team. This team boasts Rafael Marquez (ex barca centre half), Manyoo’s hernandez up front and technically gifted players that can do the unexpected
We may find out the hard way what an awesome on field leader and defender the retired Ryan Nelson was. Hope we don’t but 2 WC’s in a row is long odds for us now.
Mexico soccer commentator cheers for the usa, after they score the equalizer, thus keeping Mexico in the world cup.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz1XhaBT45I
For the good of the game here, NZ should follow Australia into the Asian confederation.
Can someone please tell Qatar to stop stadium workers from being over worked and dying.
And fifa from awarding competitions dependant on the size of the backhanders on offer.
Agree Allen on going through Asia.
Qatar is getting interesting with the major clubs (via the leagues/associations) waking up to the fact they’ll be shipping their employees off to the oven for that summer.
The bill payers V those who get their bills paid.
the allen
But if that happens though, our age groups teams would never qualify for their world cups.
Auckland mayor leading the way.
A bit harsh on Whaleoil don’t you think?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11141285
Ummmm…. thinking ….. No.
Maggots, despite our current cultural view on them, play a vital role in the cycle of life. Can’t say the same about Slater. I think the cartoon is an insult to insects everywhere and is inherently accurate. The cartoonist implies that despite our abhorrence for Slater, we really need him. He’s wrong.
Hell no!
Not harsh at all. Flattering in my opinion.
Interesting interview with local entrepreneur Selwyn Pellet on Nights on National Radio last night (Wednesday 16 Oct) – purportedly about “How curiosity helps to build better business” but in fact more interesting in the way Selwyn talks through experience about how well New Zealand IT businesses do under the present environment. Particularly interesting is how he says the IT industry has in the short term the ability to actually provide greater net wealth for New Zealand than the dairying industry, but our reliance on the commodity market (especially dairy) actually influences interest rates and the value of the New Zealand dollar to the detriment of our IT exports
http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/2573058
yey hey well all very groovy dude.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11141320
– I don’t think thats a good idea, they’ve brought themselves into the spotlight…but then 4/10 Len does need to keep up the family man image I suppose
Written on behalf of Sam, Olivia and Victoria
How nasty is that, did they even know about this article?
Dragging his family back into this turd heap to try and save his job, what a weasel.
Fuck. you’re dense, BM. It was written by Sam on behalf of all three. The words at the top of the article kinda give that away:
By Sam Brown, daughter of Auckland mayor Len Brown.
Well I’m thinking they might have opened themselves up to questioning, which I sincerely hope they don’t. Keep the humour going with Two minute noodle Len as long as possible but the kids shouldn’t be involved…
How does it “open them up to questioning”?
Is this more of the trade marked right wing personal responsibility theory that says whatever right wingers do, it’s the fault of those they do it to?
Naah more like they’ve stated some opinions so now some journalists could now ask them some questions…
Journalists can ask anyone questions. It’s what they do. Can’t see what questions his kids would have to answer, and I doubt any serious journalist would either.
Your sick boy mate whose lines you keep trotting out is having a crack at them, but that’s cause he’s a fuckwit, not cause he’s a journalist.
He never said hes a journalist
nor did I.
Fuck racism, PR. You can do better than that. Probably.
Hows thats racist?
I take back the ‘probably’. You obviously can’t do better than that.
LOL
Hey BM and Puckish Rogue….look at your leader!
No such thing as bad publicity 🙂
He’s got to be happy with that.
Go the Whale.
I’m sure aspiring National party candidates will be lining up around the block to pay for Lusk’s thoughts on how to run political campaigns yep.
Glad you are honest and don’t deny he’s your leader.
When the bad publicity can’t get any worse, beggars can’t be choosers eh 😀
I guess thats why hes got a popular website, gets interviewed on radio and TV more then anyone else on here put together
But who cares about getting your message across to the widest audience eh 🙂
[lprent: Perhaps you should reread the about. We’re unconcerned with getting the widest audience. Basically we’re also not a narcissistic egotistical failures like Cameron Slater who appears to have failed at everything in his life apart from titillating the lowest common denominator on the net.
The reason that we don’t get interviewed is mostly because we don’t want to be talking heads. It isn’t what we do for a living. For instance I’m a c++ programmer working on our exporting bleeding edges. r0b is a professor at a major university. Mike Smith is semi-retired, but used to run the Labour party. The people under pseudonyms past and present are pretty damn successful at whatever they can do. This is one of the reasons why many of the authors here write using a pseudonym – we don’t want the shallowness of the media to interfere with what we really value.
Personally, I’ve turned down all except one or two of the dozens of interview requests I’ve had over the last six years including those from the left media like Bomber. Generally I only get a couple per year these days. You also can’t find images of me on the net.
Offhand I think that the only other person from here who has been on the media was Clinton Smith before he went to work for politicians, and Jenny has been on The Nation once when she was working on Cunliffe’s election team. Currently we have no-one volunteering to be a talking head.
Basically your comment reveals far more about your lack of knowledge about this site than it does about us. However if you wish to continue in this vein, then I will be happy handing out a long ban in accordance with our policies on people trying to tell us how we should run this site.
You have a weeks ban now so you have time to read these links. ]
His puppeteers (like Daddy, Lusk, Collins etc.) must have been successful in getting that Tea Party money to fund their backfiring engine, pity (judging by the abode he was filmed in on Tuesday) he’s not getting any ‘trickledown’.
But it’s great he’s happy floating around with turds.
Sorry LPrent but you do have a ‘wise’ audience, but I know you meant ‘widest’ 😀
[lprent: typo fixed…. Thx. ]
Sam writes beautifully: I have been critical but she hit us right between the eyes with the “first stone”. Thanks Sam, over and out, no more comments. So some wisdom from Francis (abridged):
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be understood, as to understand;
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
LOOKING AT POLL RESULTS IT LOOKS LIKE NO ONE IS FOOLED BY FISH OILS PLOY:
http://www.seek.co.nz/job/25325726
You looking for a job?
the question is was she a good r**t or was it just a sporting f*ck?
Stick to gardening or seafaring hook.
How would you know in 2 minutes?
New allegations are that Len Brown wrote references for Bevan Chaung for a job she was applying for.
How is that different from John Key giving a GCSB job to his mate? Who says they haven’t been having sex?
Of course, Brown was a referee and not the employer, which makes it rather less messy than Key giving his dinner buddy our top spy job…
amirite, it’s different because Len wasn’t in a position to appoint anyone and didn’t appoint anyone.
Are you being serial?
Chuang has also said brown was one of 5 referees on her CV for the job, and she didn’t think he got the job because of Brown. Although, I guess she wants to show she got the job fairly.
Having thought about this, I should add to what I wrote above that I agree that he shouldn’t have provided a reference for her.
It’s a far cry from what amirite compares it to, but it’s still wrong.
Please! I do not want to picture Key having sex. Brown is bad enough!
C’mon we had to endure the image of Rortney so you should be immune by now.
Even that immunity is challenged by the equivalent image of SlaterPorn. Yuk !
Just a reminder about a lecture on a topic close to our hearts- for Wednesday 30th.
2013 Bruce Jesson Lecture:
Sir Edmund Thomas –
Reducing Inequality: A Strategy for a Cause
The speaker, a Distinguished Fellow at the Law School at The University of Auckland, argues that the gross inequality in income and wealth which besets New Zealand is the outcome of the neo-liberal economic measures of the mid-1980s and early 1990s and the culture of liberal individualism and unfettered free market ideology which it spawned.
A breakdown in social cohesion and a sense of community is the result. Reforms to counter this inequality are widely mooted. But increasing focus and discussion on the topic is confronted by a plethora of mantras and myths purveyed by the rich and powerful. The stimulus for change is deadened.
The speaker advances a strategy designed to provide a coherent impetus to reduce the rank inequality that now prevails.
The Rt Hon Sir Edmund Thomas will deliver the 2013 lecture on Wednesday 30 October, 6.30pm, at the Maidment Theatre (bar opens at 5.30pm).
I’ll try to remember to publicise it during the weekend by which time there may be some room left on the site for something other than scurrilous gossip.
“We Need A Plan” from Dipshit
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/9294007/NZ-must-stick-to-economic-plan-English
FML
The private financial sector caused the GFC, The Great Depression, increasing poverty and looks to be increasingly corrupt. About the only thing we should be doing is telling them to fuck off while jailing a large proportion of them.
ha ha, exactly DtB. Fancy calling on the biggest leaches in our system as if they somehow know anything other than self-enrichment by any means.
English is a sick joke in suggesting this.
Amazing amount of good satire around at the moment.
IPCA says the cops can’t even investigate themselves properly
Party broken up, allegations of excessive force, complaints laid, a three year internal investigation that exonerates all officers involved, and – guess what? The IPCA says the investigation took too long, reached the wrong conclusions, and the only reason individual officers haven’t been charged is that the ones who swung the batons couldn’t be identified (gotta love the riot gear and tiny badge numbers – if they haven’t been removed).
What a crock.
Police are as scary as the military and not to be trusted in these types of common circumstances
oooh, Doug McKay to announce a Brown inquiry
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11141735
(still not ending well, breakin’ up is so hard to do). 😀
Who knows, RT. For instance, the worst case scenario, a re-election, might actually favour the left now Palino’s and Brewer’s team have been shown to be somewhat murky as well.
personally, while this whole drama is regrettable, and sad, I’m not for pressuring the man out, however, he’s chosen a hard road to hoe, (and with a little benefit-of-hindsight, not an unexpected one). Some of these ‘powerful’ folks appear to get a little carried away with themselves, and foolishness follows.
ironically, this proverb, or one similar, was on WOBH one day (in the not-too-distant past)
“Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares;” 1:20
later, (in the same book)
“For the lips of an adulteress (-er) drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword…” 5:3, and plenty more follows in the same vein. Another day perhaps, anyway, the St Francis prayer that Ennui notes covers all the Remedy (Black Crows circling, yet they keep the Vultures at bay).
First Campbell, then Rudman. Now for the heavy guns…..
Whilst lesser “lites” like Len and Whale have been centre stage here on our biggest (and perhaps the worlds smallest) stage…other things of greater import have been happening out in the big wide world.
Tucked in the side columns of todays Dom……In Rome Pope Francis has dismissed Cardinal Bertone, the man who acted as Richelieu for Pope Benedict. During his watch the scandals involving children went unanswered, there were Papal bank fraud issues go unchallenged, and the appointment of a Holocaust denying British bishop. Vatileaks scandal followed.
The Pope thanked Bertone for confronting his setbacks with courage and patience. “There were so many,” he added, damning him with faint praise. Francis appears to be the real deal.
“(Parata’s) faux consultation narrative and her inherent inability to listen to the community were always going to end in tears” (also)
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/christchurch-earthquake/news/article.cfm?c_id=1502981&objectid=11138222
Why are the Right getting ever nastier? What on earth could have caused this lurch to the desperate and dirty? Here’s a clue …
http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/5243-new-zealand-voting-intention-october-17-2013-201310170151
That’s half a dozen polls in over a month, all telling the same story.
Tick tock, tick tock …
They will start lashing out like cornered feral cats now, not caring who they damage in their fear and anger.
+1
They really don’t like it when they’re out of power or heading that way.
LOL at Blinglish in attempting to attack the Greens during the debate on Banks right now, claims Cunliffe is getting some of their support and doing better than his predecessor…. then changes tack realising he’s praising Labour too much for improving it’s support!
Spilt Milk (powder) cost Danone 500M
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11141683
-which they are seeking to recover
Suck On This!
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11141262
suggests the government’s NZ Trade and Enterprise
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11141262
Another scoop from whale: he’s caught out some Herald staff blatantly colluding together in a plan to write a ‘series’ of ‘stories’ in their ‘newspaper’.
as True as an Aesop Fable , Frogs Who Desire a King.
Morgan, all.
‘Piers to have faltered at the third hand-made rail.
+8
I quite like the headline in the latest Roy Morgan: A Labour/Green alliance would easily win election.
http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/5243-new-zealand-voting-intention-october-17-2013-201310170151
ps Confidence dropping like a stone.
No uptick for Key either which you might have expected while he was gallivanting around on the world stage. That must be a concern for National. Dunne and UFP have dropped to 0%, Banks and ACT can’t be far behind.
Oh dear Labour and the Greens still going UP, this time the bump is in the Green Party vote, Better start composing my dear John note for Slippery,
In all honesty at the 2008 election i would have picked Slippery to lead National to 3 terms, hasn’t ‘the fall from grace’ been hard and fast tho, and, i wonder when Collins will make Her move, has to be soon, if She goes into the 2014 election not being the Prime Minister the best She can hope for is a couple of terms as Opposition Leader befor they rid themselves of Her,
Yes i am being mischievous, whichever way it’s looked at there’s another 9 in the sin bin coming for National, perhaps Collins sees a point in letting Bill from Dipton lead the team in the first 3 years of Opposition and then rolling Him a year out from the second term ending…
Watched a bit of the TICS committee stage 4. Government ministers not standing to defend it. Curran, Goff & Robertson say there’s not enough checks and balances to protect people’s rights, and the Human Rights Commission have criticisms that the government should heed.
Slater has just been grilled by Mary Wilson on Checkpoint. She made him squirm. He tried to blame other people.
Apparently Jock Anderson has been fired from the NBR for publishing an editorial supporting Len Brown,.
Bizarre or what?
John key – just an average Kiwi guy – like one you’d meet at the local pub or BBQ.
Lucky for some, other families in NZ only have the green-fee figure to survive on every week. But he will fix that….one of these years…..just vote for him….and guarantee your seat on the brighter future train….
Not good timing for an article that shows the stark contrast between Key and the majority of NZ.
Queenstown and Omaha – full of average Kiwis, sure. Good places for him to be quarantined with his diplomatic protection squad and leave the rest of the country for the rest of us.
Jock Anderson dismissed from NBR over ‘Lengate’!
http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/nbr-journalist-dismissed-147312
NBR journalist dismissed
NBR Staff | Thursday October 17, 2013
A senior National Business Review journalist has lost his job in the wake of the Len Brown sex scandal.
National Business Review publisher Todd Scott in a brief statement today said: “We do not comment on internal employment issues but I can confirm Mr Jock Anderson was dismissed yesterday for failing to comply with specific instructions to treat coverage of the Len Brown affair in an impartial and unbiased manner.”
Mr Anderson had filed copy on NBR ONLINE yesterday morning purporting to be the NBR’s stance on the controversy. His copy was headed “Editorial” and called for Mr Brown to stay on as mayor. His copy was removed shortly after it was posted.
Mr Scott said NBR’s news coverage of the ongoing scandal would remain strictly neutral. There would be no restriction on NBR’s regular columnists to analyse events as they unfolded.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Far out!
Sounds a bit harsh?
Don’t the NBR do ‘warnings’ or was Jock Anderson’s filing of ‘copy on NBR ONLINE yesterday morning purporting to be the NBR’s stance on the controversy. (his copy was headed “Editorial” and called for Mr Brown to stay on as mayor)’ – SERIOUS MISCONDUCT?
What do others think?
Kind regards,
Penny Bright
Who remembers Dove Myer Robinson’s trysts – he was apparently quite legendary and it didn’t harm his mayoral job at all. Mostly heard it from my parents and their friends – I was a bit too young to really take it in, but my partner heard it resurface on the radio today.
I knew a bit about other mayors as well, but I’m not even going to name them. It had nothing to do with how they ran or misran the city.
I heard a lot of stories about Banks which had nothing to do with sex, but can’t produce evidence. I’m just ecstatic that he might finally be crashing and burning.
I made the mistake of watching Citizen A tonight with guests Colin Craig and Matthew Hooton. So Hoots reckons if we had a better police force, Helen Clark would have been prosecuted for her many criminal activities (election spending etc), and would never have lasted 3 terms.
David Cunliffe is further left than any social democrat country int he world (or is it Europe) – he’s gone VERY far left. People in the National Party thought Simon Brudges was excellent on Campbell Live and he’s a potential leader of Nats.
Alternative universe really.
I watched Citizen A too and was commenting out loud how restrained Matthew Hooten was, but then he let fly at the end about the Police and their lack of prosecutions re Helen Clark and how terrible it will be if we elect a Mana/Green/Labour [his order], he then said Labour/Green/Mana. I also wanted to wreck our TV when he carried on about Simon Bridges on Campbell Live – sheesh a potential leader of the Nats, spare me. I suppose he was being serious, but he had that bloody smirk on his dial which tells me he’s just stirring. Oh, and for David Cunliffe and Labour espousing far left policies – yep he’s just stirring.
“David Cunliffe is further left than any social democrat country int he world (or is it Europe)”
No. He’s not.
In Hooten and Colin Craig’s little universe he is.
That’ll be where Planet Key is then
a switcheroo from the “once he’s in he’ll drag the party to the centre / right” narrative the tory scribes and talking heads ran with following his election as party leader; Yes , you, RW lurkers, are so transparent it’s a wonder you spend as much time grooming as you do.
it’s a Marvel universe karol
3D printophiles rejoice.
Amaze is a loose acronym for Additive Manufacturing Aiming Towards Zero Waste and Efficient Production of High-Tech Metal Products.
[…]
Amaze researchers have already begun printing metal jet engine parts and aeroplane wing sections up to 2m in size.
These high-strength components are typically built from expensive, exotic metals such as titanium, tantalum and vanadium.
Using traditional casting techniques often wastes precious source material.
Additive manufacturing – building parts up layer-on-layer from 3D digital data – produces almost “zero waste”.
“To produce one kilo of metal, you use one kilo of metal – not 20 kilos,” says Esa’s Franco Ongaro.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24528306
The best thing about 3D printing in high density materials is that it’s going to be very cheap to set up which means that any country will be able to manufacture anything they choose and with that you can kiss goodbye to long distance trade.
We (NZ) really, really, really need to get on the R&D with this and that means government funding. We will not get it any other way.
Which is BS of course – everything is recycled and reused in any decent foundry.
Not in the one I worked in CV where barring spills and mishaps a materials loss at 3.0% to 10% was tolerable because of the inefficiency of recovery.
Fair nuff
The real inefficiency in foundries is energy, excluding materials the loss of other inputs is particularly high – casting sand losses were at 20% and more, being around half of total losses.
Apart from a bit of skim with the burnt off refractories, oxides and the like. Even those are usually blocked and sent back to the scrap metal people..
I can’t find the reply button, but I feel terribly slighted*:
“r0b is a professor at a major university. Mike Smith is semi-retired, but used to run the Labour party. The people under pseudonyms past and present are pretty damn successful at whatever they can do. This is one of the reasons why many of the authors here write using a pseudonym – we don’t want the shallowness of the media to interfere with what we really value.”
I’m a senior research fellow at the university rated 90th in the world. I received an Outstanding Referee Award from the American Physical Society. I saw one metric that put me in the top 4% of active physicists in the world. I think that’s reasonably successful. I’m all over google. Not bad for someone who has been accused of not understanding Newton’s Laws 🙂
I don’t use a pseudonym because I’m terminally ill and don’t give a fuck. What can anyone do to me that I haven’t done to myself? I make no judgement either way about people who do.
“Offhand I think that the only other person from here who has been on the media was Clinton Smith before he went to work for politicians, and Jenny has been on The Nation once when she was working on Cunliffe’s election team. Currently we have no-one volunteering to be a talking head.”
I’ve been interviewed by New Scientist Magazine, newspapers in Australia, and radio stations on both sides of the Tasman. I am not volunteering to be a talking head.
*Not actually slighted at all, just saying this to ram down the illiterate right wingers’ throats that there’s more talent to be found around here than in all the RWNJ hate blogs of the world combined.
[lprent: The reply button disappears when the comments are indented 10.
I was just confining it to some of the outed authors. Even then I forgot a lawyer (hi Mickey!), Jenny – PR, and probably many others..
Don’t get me started on the commenters who seem to range over everything… ]
Wow, Murray, and it’s an honour to be engaging with your wit.
PR, you say Lynn…
Watching Joyce speak in the house reminds me of the penguin in Batman movies. Left hand thrusting up and down like an energy charged banker..or something rhyming. They are so ridiculous. I despair at where my taxes are going.
So Eleanor Catton, Man Booker prize winner (well done), says on the one hand …” I don’t see that my age has anything to do with what is between the covers of my book, any more than the fact that I am right-handed. It’s a fact of my biography, but it’s uninteresting.”
And then with a straight face and the other hand claims some of her reviewers are themselves driven by factors of gender and age…
“People whose negative reaction has been most vehement have all been men over about 45.”
.
Sheesh, some people.
Will have to hunt down a few more of her gems for daytime giggles (like the one she punched out yesterday about gold and pounamu, maori and pakeha).
It seems age is a major determinant in her verbal ravings, given the level of naivety shown.
“People whose negative reaction has been most vehement have all been men over about 45” is a fact about their biographies. It’s uninteresting. Where does she say they’re driven by factors of gender and age?
why mention gender or age?
Because everyone else was?
no defence whatsoever weka, you can do better than that.
Not having a dig at her talents or good works, merely highlighting a common trait in some highly talented and well know people who think their talents extend beyond what they are recognised for. Other examples include Sam Neil and Bono.
Seems strange that National don’t want to drug-test the police, nor does the police association despite often calling for a gun on every hip. They should have tested the overly angry officer who broke the neck of Jakob Christie with a batton in 2009, and be thankful he wasn’t carrying the much lauded gun on every hip.
Police and poaka are both words that start with P. Funny that, because it drives people into uncontrollable rages as well. In São Paulo, a lot of the police sell and/or use cocaine, especially right in the centre of the city. It does wonders for their emotional stability and they are heavily armed. People die.