The party leadership today met more than 100 business representatives behind closed doors.
Fairfax News
Meanwhile in other news:
Two flax roots Glen Innes housing activists organising against the National Government’s eviction of state tenants and the removal and demolition of state homes in Glen Innes. Have had the invitation extended to them to attend the Labour Party conference, crudely canceled at the last minute.
Why?
Are the neo liberals behind the withdrawal of the housing activist’s invitation to conference?
Will David Shearer’s highly hyped Sunday speech on housing be advancing market solutions to homelessness?
Will GI state tenant Evonne Sainty’s message of protecting state provision of secure long term government tenancies, which build secure communities,* conflict with David Shearer’s views on state provision of housing?
*(Sainty’s vision is in direct conflict with National’s view of state housing as a short term band aid for for homelessness, extended only for a limited period before you are shifted out to find a home in the private sector.)
So almost first thing we see them disappearing behind closed doors with business leaders. What does that tell us? Can this action be”corrected” by a fancy speech tomorrow? Remember, Shearer has stated his intention to focus on the economy and not social issues (like poverty, I imagine).
According to Congressional hearings on illegal lobbying activities ’46 was the year that Milton Friedman and his U Chicago cohort George Stigler arranged an under-the-table deal with a Washington lobbying executive to pump out covert propaganda for the national real estate lobby in exchange for a hefty payout, the terms of which were never meant to be released to the public.
Which goes along quite well with my idea that the free-market is just justification for capitalism rather than a viable economic theory.
Who were the attendees on the “Labour leadership” side?
Were they fully representative of the Labour leadership, or just a section?\
What did the “business representatives” want?
And who were they?
Where they fully representative of the business community, or just a section?
What assurances, if any, were they given?
Why was the meeting held behind closed doors?
Why have all the identities of those involved not been revealed?
Was monetary donations from business for Labour’s election campaign one of the things discussed?
What else was discussed?
Will any of the subjects discussed behind closed doors between anonymous Labour Party leaders and anonymous business leaders be revealed to the membership?
Secret discussions being held prior to conference between unnamed senior Labour Party and Business leaders behind “closed doors” surely is not a good look, does this sort of behaviour by the Labour leadership risk undermining the public’s confidence that the Labour Party conference is the supreme democratic policy making body of the party?
PS. Interesting how Rogue Trooper tried to divert the thread. Someone feeling a little bit sensitive about this issue being raised?
If this is what we can expect from Labour in opposition, what can we expect from them in government? More secret “closed door” meetings with business interests, while social activists are locked out and ignored?
No wonder the non-vote is on its way to becoming the majority.
Today is the day for all members and delegates who want to change how the Labour Party selects its leader. The 40:40:20 remit looks likely to pass. But remember that’s not the critical vote. The trigger within the caucus to start the leadership selection process is your most important vote today. The current remits are focused on 2/3rds, 55%, 51%. You need to understand 51% is the status quo, the current caucus trigger. The trigger needs to be lower if members are going to have real involvement in selecting their leader. In the UK it’s 20%.
If, for example, you want to have the opportunity to choose between Shearer and alternatives such as Cunliffe, that can only happen with a 40% caucus trigger.
Mallard and King have a lock on too many MP’s and if the trigger remains at 51% (or is increased) only they will hold the power to begin a leadership selection process. They can stick with Shearer until they are ready to install Robertson (probably far too close to an election). And where’s the membership involvement there! If you think Cunliffe should just suck it up and wait, think again. If 40% fails today, it’s time for four years of white anting by Mallard and King to stop. Cunliffe’s talents should be used more productively outside the Labour Party. That’s what Mallard and King want. What do you members want today?!
Sorry Ianmac, it was shorthand for Remit 297(d). This is the remit that could finally give members some say on who our leader is. Presently only the caucus decides. The split most likely to be passed is that the vote for the leader will be weighted 40% for caucus, 40% for members, and 20% for affiliated unions.
Goff got pretty good during the election campaign. The problem was the brain-dead policies they were running with – extending “working” for families to people that don’t work and borrowing money to invest in the superannuation fund. CGT was good but people didn’t seem to understand it and seemed to have a lot of exclusions.
I ended up voting Labour, but was seriously tempted to just vote Green.
Imagine the filth that King/Mallards controllers have on them to still be propping them up the way they are, Labour supporters need to have a good hard look in the mirror!
To be honest Cunliffe has no chance of saving NZ unless be fancies a car accident, or getting “sick”, as he has been around long enough to understand the consequences of becoming a genuine “saviour” of NZ.
So all you Cunliffe fans out there, time to get some reality in ya, and accept that he is just another part of the establishment, nothing more!
Tactic: While moving the “left to the center”, all the while moving the center to the right, you in fact succeed in deleting even faded memories of what “left” ever looked or sounded like!
Hence why those still supporting Labour have to be some of the most blinkered, read blindly ignorant people in the country, either that or they’re actually National voters in drag!
Well when Labour go down in a screaming heap in 2014. Coming in 2 nd after the greens with Mallard and co given the well deserved boot. If they’re trying to get back in on the List, then I pity Labour, If dinosaurs like them get back in.
And back on planet earth, one third of kiwi voters still prefer Labour. More after today, I imagine. And even more after the 13th of February.
Still, I wouldn’t be overly concerned if Labour did come second to the Greens, as you suggest. In that fantasy scenario, I’d guess National come third. Fine by me!
well, J T was carrying on like an abandoned ” little Boy” not allowed another piece of cake on the MSM last night; the character of the politically aspirant: I despair. J T and Maggie Barry would make a lovely photogenic couple.
First part – does OK, deals with Smalley (TV’s best interviewer?) well, not too defensive about the economy, he’s comfortable on that turf. Would eat Shearer alive.
Second part – on education, has to defend Parata and Foss, which nobody could, so he struggles. Parata is “outstanding” … hmmm. Gets tetchy on Kim Dotcom. Smalley attacks.
Overall, Key shows that he can still deflect easily with his prepared lines, but gets riled when he comes under sustained pressure.
But let’s not kid ourselves. He’s streets ahead of Shearer as an interviewee.
The United Nations needs to reform to resolve global problems such as conflict in Syria and climate change, former Prime Minister Helen Clark says
“Around the world, people are exposed to media reporting of the human toll of the Syrian crisis, and are asking why the UN cannot act to protect innocent civilians,” Miss Clark said.
She said it was a good time to consider reform of the council, in particular the veto power held by its five permanent members.
Miss Clark also spoke about the risks in failing to co-ordinate a global response to climate change.
“It would be a tragedy for future generations if today’s leaders and decision-makers prove incapable of taking the bold decisions which are necessary to stop catastrophic and irreversible change to the world’s climate (good to see helen has picked up the new buzzword catastrophic, and is repeating if for the start struck auther to quote on!)
She said there was limited accountability for the agreements that had been reached on carbon emissions, and no meaningful consequences for failing to reach reduction targets.
You would like meangingful consequences, and full accountability for those “agreements” though wouldn’t you Stalin, woops I mean Helen!
MOST SHAMELESS LIES OF THE WEEK
Week ending Saturday 17/11/2012
Lie No. 1…. “Israel takes every measure to avoid civilian casualties.” Binyamin Netanyahu, Thursday, 15/11/2012
Lie No. 2….
Reporter: What mark out of ten would you give David Shearer for his performance so far? David Parker: Ahhhhhhhmmmm… ten.
Radio New Zealand National, Focus on Politics, 16/11/2012
Lie No. 3….
“Hekia Parata has done an OUTSTANDING job as minister.” John Key, on The Nation, TV3, 17/11/2012
Lie No. 4….
“Nick Smith has an enormous brain. Sure, he made a few mistakes on the margin…” John Key, on The Nation, TV3, 17/11/2012
Back in the old days when I used to talk to “Directors”, the one thing they all said was they couldn’t delegate, always have too oversee people.
John Keys rhetoric is identical to all those directors’ responses to systemic failure.
The one difference obviously being that the Gnats’ are running our country not a business whos “reputation” may be damged by calling the person responsible an ignoramus.
What business would tolerate someone as substandard as John Banks? Or Hekia Parata?
All right, all right, all right, I know what you’re going to say: there’s the Herald, NewstalkZB, Television New Zealand, the New Zealand Rugby Union, Radio Live….
Temporary employment entry for skilled workers under the New Zealand – China Free Trade Agreement (FTA)
The FTA includes commitments for skilled workers from China to enter New Zealand for temporary employment, without labour market testing (but subject to specified qualifications and work experience requirements, registration if required, and the requirement for a bona fide job offer), if they work in one of the following occupations:
Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners
Chinese chefs
Mandarin teachers’ aides
Wushu martial arts (including tai chi) coaches
Chinese tour guides.
For more information, see China Special Work Category.
In addition, a maximum of 1000 skilled Chinese workers at any one time may be granted temporary employment for up to three years, in specified occupations where New Zealand has a skills shortage. Entry is limited to no more than 100 workers in each occupation at any one time.
The list of occupations (which all have specific qualification and experience requirements) is as follows:
Auditor
Automotive Electrician
Boatbuilder
Computer Application Engineer
Design Engineer – Electronics / Product Engineer
Diesel Mechanic
Early Childhood Teacher
Electrician
Electronics Technician
Film Animator
Fitter and Turner
Fitter / Welder
Medical Diagnostic Radiographer / Medical Radiation Therapist
Motor Mechanic
Plumber
Registered Nurse
Senior Test Analyst
Structural Engineer
University or Higher Education Lecturer/Tutor
Veterinarian.
For more information, see China Skilled Workers Category.
This is the solution offered to appease the Chinese and plug the hole that the abysmal education has left over the last 15 years. I suppose that this ought to help getting NZ on a similar productive level as its pacific rim neighbors. Problem is the cultural divide in terms of employment conditions. NZ had enjoyed a rather civilized arrangement with the British influence but this is going to slowly lean towards modern slavery under the new dogma. The ones that will leave and can do so will and others will just have to endure.
Of cause there are alternative solutions which fit with the current economic and social make up of NZ (as it still is) that makes far more sense and has the same outcome with none of the social reconstruction. But maybe this is not what is wanted.
Heard some excerpts of the PM debating the other day on radio.Thought, ‘who does he sound like?’
Then it hit me.He sounds remarkably like Paul Henry when excited. Listen next time.
Remit #121: End the process of union affiliation and return control of the party to the party members and return transparency of the party direction to the voters.
While thinking about how many ways this story could have “innocently” gone wrong, and consdiering the many ideological laws it broke, the deciding vote – for me – went in favour of writing errors.
James/Jamie, listen, there are more perspectives than just your own in this world, you know that. You hold a priviledged place in our society, yet you’re ignoring the impact a singular perspective can do to groups within that society when the overall message of your words – the theme – is ignored, by you, the writer. Let’s skip past the ins and outs of readily available protection myths that you obviously don’t or can’t know about and concentrate on sources. No one’s asking you to become a feminist ideologue, just approach it from a perspective of good writing.
When this story was formed, did you consider the environment and attitude of the people offering the information and how, if it remained unchecked, it would alter the central message? Did you agree with the basic ideas of the people you met? Do you admire and defer to authority? Do you know your place? Do you believe you are essentially a good person, a team player? Do you believe you can write well without examining these influences? Did you have no choice but to generalise, because the raw information covered such a large group of individuals? Did it not matter, because you wanted to do good? Did you sincerely try for balance by talking to representatives of an alternate viewpoint?
Imagine how the story would have read if it was just about one person – what questions would you have asked in order to explain the whole picture? How far back would you have gone, how far below the surface would you have scratched, which side-tracks would you have trimmed out? Would you investigate the influence of intoxication separately or in parallel? How would that make a difference to the overall message? How many issues are contained in this story, James/Jamie? Would you be able to see everything and not have an opinion about what you saw? Where would you choose to cast the final vote – on the side of the victim, the aggressor, to uphold societal beliefs or attempt a reflection?
Best of luck to you Jamie/James. Take care with the power you have been awarded.
I thought the crux of the story was that if you get so pissed you don’t know what’s going on around you and you then get raped, society will say it’s your own fault (even if they try and say it more neutrally than they used to).
What the article should have done is introduce the policing issue and then focus on Kim McGregor’s statement about the need to look at the behaviour of rapists/offenders (see the pathetic amount of space given to her statement at the end vs the rest of the article). I’m sure she had lots more to say.
They could also have done a completely separate article on the Massey research, looking at all the issues around young women binge drinking, and when they got to the bit bit about rape, again focus on the behaviour of rapists towards drunk women and link to the other article.
In Auckland, Hamilton and other centres, police and other agencies are out in the streets at night, pushing campaigns designed to prevent sexual assault.
Hamilton police are giving the message, among others, that intoxicated or inebriated people who are slurring their words or stumbling around can’t properly consent to having sex.
Great, but who is the message being given to and how? Jamie and James, instead of telling us more about what that actually means, your whole article has just informed rapists and potential rapists that if they rape really drunk women they’re likely to get away with it.
Oh, and Jamie and James and editors of the Herald, rape is not sex, so don’t call it that. Wish I had time to redo the whole article, but here’s a rewrite of the headline
Please produce some evidence that the high levels of rape we have now have always been.
And if you think that the responsibility is on women to avoid rape, please tell me what undrunk women who are unable to give consent or protect themselves should do.
Then tell me what responsibility you think men have in this.
Yes, we all know rape is bad and it’s not the fault of the man/woman/child who gets raped and in a perfect society any one could walk the streets at any time of the day and night, in any state and not get raped or beaten up.
Unfortunately we don’t live in this perfect world and I doubt we ever will,so a bit of personal responsibility needs to happen if you want to stay safe and out of harms way.
BM, you were asked Please produce some evidence that the high levels of rape we have now have always been.
You responded with a Wiki article on rape during war.
Either you’re a disingenuous fuckhead with a vested interest in not confronting societal attitudes which allow rapists to go unpunished, or you’re just a kindly-hearted confused little dweeb who doesn’t understand the circumstances in which the majority of rapes occur.
Sadly for you, I am all out of Benefit Of The Doubt.
Oh, BM. So sad how you can’t even back up your assertions. First you try re-defining things (rape vs. rape during war) and then you claim to be a realist when I’m the one arguing from actual statistics! It’s fucking adorable, to be honest.
You might want to consider why you believe that high levels of rape in society is the norm (despite there being no evidence), and how that relates to what you think can be done about it.
How about you tell me how we could achieve this totally safe society where any woman could walk around at any time of the night without fear of being attacked and raped.
The smarter woman takes steps to reduce the chances of rape happening
I agree, BM. That’s why I live in an underground bunker and refuse to have contact with all men.
After all, the statistics tell us I’m most likely to be attacked by someone I know in my own home, so being a “smarter woman”, I’ve taken the necessary steps to reduce that risk.
The smarter society realises and supports the idea that people should be able to walk around anywhere and not be attacked rather defending the attackers and blaming the victims as you’re doing.
what I often ponder, considering my experiential knowledge of the field, is the neurological damage that this culture of binge-drinking among young people will have, which takes time to heal, and the proportion of these young people who, statistically speaking, will develop “alcohol abuse” and “alcohol dependence” health histories; the DSM IV covers these matters at length, along with narcissism.
People drink to fit in. People fear difference. Intelligent people are different, and can cause huge social angst when they put average citizens down (loss of status). So why is it hard to fathom, that young people fear coming off as intelligent, want to fit in, and so abuse their brains.
Fearful people join groups in order to maintain security.
so the question is why is there so much wealth created by fear mongering? Well simple,
greedy crony capitalism distorts to make money, and creating a society of inequity,
fear of inequity, fear of being isolated, fear of being thrown out of society, being
made a non-citizen, will inevitable lead to gangs, to drinking to fit in, to…
There’s an old saying, what comes around goes around, and I think it means, that if you push values of supremacy then inevitably you are enslaved by your own dealings. Take the recent ponsi collapse, the trusting investors did not appreciate the GFC, National were not explaining the GFC, saying growth is just around the corner, so of course it was easier for investors to think the above market returns were realistic. You see it, National spin turns into shit hitting the fan for National, as Key promised to clear up the investment industry!
As a nation we are peddling lies about the weak taking over, destroying the economy, but in fact the weak are the National party and all hangers on who cannot stand on their own feet but neew no tax on CGT, need the socialism for the wealthy to be successful, be economically drunk and in need of a bonus on the board of a company, because they joined a group out of fear, not for positive reasons.
The need for alcohol or for profit, its all the same, security. Whethe r it be drinking to fit in, or joining a gang, or even supporting the current clueless National fear mongers in the Beehive.
I mean seriously, the rich made vast amounts gaming the system to produce huge indebtedness, and people really think they deserve to avoid tax increases, but this meme is a regular appearance on the news. It was tax decreases that got us into this mess!!!
you often, coherently, make reasonable points, now.
somebody , Tane, from memory, the other day referred to post-structuralist deconstruction as the necessary tools. They are certainly useful tools; what social policy advice influences policy is political, it appears, however, this deconstructive stuff is being written and published everyday; we can but spread the Word.
It is encouraging that young-ish people are likely to read and / or comment here as that is who we who are older are here for, aren’t we?
Now, I been following Chinese politics lightly, (too much audio-visual may be desensitizing, it certainly blows me away when I haven’t seen the bleeding and limp-dead children for a couple of days)
anyway, one quote from a citizen, maybe from the village where the new Leader spent Seven years of his youth living in a cave, said the Party aim is to make every Chinese person wealthy; well I can see they have certainly made some progress towards that aim since The Cultural Revolution. Thing is, where is all that wealth / resource gonna come from in a “finite” system? Maybe from the West, I’m thinking.
And, the new Central Committee members are all very good at One thing; being in a Committee.
very helpful
The potential for this conflict to escalate even further is there, with the Israelis calling up 30,000 reservists and amassing troops and tanks near the Gaza border. Despite a warning from Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, Israeli rocket and airstrikes have continued unabated, entirely dwarfing the retaliatory strikes coming from Palestine for the assassination of Hamas military leader Ahmed al-Jabari…
And Israel sits in morbid fear of Iran because of it as well.
They really need to open their eyes to one simple fact “Torture results in Torture”.
If they keep the element white hot simply to justify the “Self Defence” stance then it’s simply an engineered excuse for a fear perspectived suppression.
(i.e Israel starts talking “Terrorists” again )
Thanks Rogue Trooper. It’s good to have some agreement and I think Israel and the United States need to know that not everybody in the west supports such an unjust war on the Palestinians. I think very few people would if they were made aware of the facts of the matter.
It will escalate as there is no solution to the fact that out of 70 odd water wells in Palestinian country more than 50% have been taped from the Israelis leaving the Palestinians – without water. Now you tell me, what solution is there? You can actually say that the Israelis deliberately undermine the survival of the Palestinians with these actions. So what solution would you offer? Albeit the information is accessible, not many report on it. Why? http://www.ifamericansknew.org/cur_sit/water.html
The solution is simple and easily achieved: the United States must cease funding and supporting Israel’s illegal aggression and settlement programs, just as it was eventually persuaded to cease funding and supporting Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, apartheid South Africa, and the Suharto dictatorship in Indonesia.
Overthrew a democratically elected Government.
Murdered between 700 thousand and a million of his own citizens to get into power.
Brutally squashed two independence movements. Now engaged in squashing a third.
Keeps about 2/3 of his country in poverty.
Allows foreign companies to repatriate almost 100% of their profits. Especially Western oil companies.
Has the worst environmental record in the Pacific..
Allows abuse of workers in virtual slave labour.
Sends troops in to kill unionists.
Country has unsustainable debt.
Streets of beggars and homeless.
This Dictator of an oil rich country.
Left his country with no external debt.
Gave interest free loans to citizens.
Had Western standards of living.
Increased literacy from 25% to 83%.
Had the Highest Standard of living in Africa.
A proportion of all oil sales was credited to every citizens bank account.
No beggars in the streets and no homeless.
Guess which one was helped into place by the US Government and is supported by other Western Governments, including ours”.
The United States exists in mortal fear of the large number of its rich and powerful Israeli-born citizens. No President will dare to defy Israel, being so beholden to the vicious politicians in that country.
DODGY JOHN BANKS ….GOING……….GOING………….???
What happens if Graham McCready is successful in his private prosecution of John Banks under s.134(1) of the Local Electoral Act? http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2001/0035/latest/DLM94799.html
134 False return
(1) Every candidate commits an offence who transmits a return of electoral expenses knowing that it is false in any material particular, and is liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or to a fine not exceeding $10,000.
_________________________________________________
If you want to read Judge Mill’s decision on the granting of a witness summons for John Banks – and not rumour and heresay – a full copy of her decision is available on http://www.dodgyjohnhasgone.com
Seen this folks?
17 November 2012
Media Release:
Protest against Israeli attacks on Gaza – today 2pm, Aotea Square.
As Israeli troops mass at the Gaza border Global Peace and Justice Auckland is organising a march this Saturday to protest Israel’s assassination of a Palestinian leader in the Gaza strip and the deadly rocket attacks in which many Palestinians have lost their lives.
We will be calling on Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully to speak out for New Zealand and urge Israel to stop the carnage it started.
With our silence New Zealand is part of the Israeli killing machine.
Around the world the mainstream media has given an appalling pro-Israeli version of how and why the latest violence started. (See postscript to this release)
We hope to begin to redress the misinformation with a live link to kiwi activist Roger Fowler who is in Gaza on a solidarity mission for the New Zealand group Kia Ora Gaza. Call me for Roger’s international phone if you want to talk to him – and we hope you do.
Todays’ protest will include a mass throwing of old shoes at the US consulate. Throwing shoes is a traditional way of showing disgust at US/Israeli policies in the Middle East following the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at the then US President George Bush in a 2008 media conference.
These latest Israeli attacks continue the brutal victimisation of the Palestinian people of Gaza who are effectively locked in the largest open air prison in the world and treated like animals through an inhuman Israeli blockade.
Israeli justifications for the attacks are hollow. It is Israel’s racist policies and vicious mistreatment of Palestinians which are at the heart of this conflict. Israel policies alone pose the greatest threat to peace in the Middle East and in the world.
As well and blockading Palestinians in Gaza Israel maintain a military occupation of the West Bank while destroying Palestinian homes and farms to make way for Jewish-only settlements. These vicious de-humanising apartheid policies against Palestinians are in defiance of international law and numerous UN resolutions.
yes. the war for the leadeship of the NZ Labour party may in Remembrance of Things Past, be overshadowed by the initiation of a much more significant War…
(go on “ask me ask me ask me..”)
The daily bombardment of Gaza is a “war”? Be careful of your terminology. This is a “war” in the sense the blockading of the Warsaw Ghetto was a war. One side has a massive and overwhelming advantage, the other side is almost entirely unarmed, penned in, and at the mercy of its tormentor.
Clearly the media statements National made following the release of the Pure Advantage Green growth: opportunities for New Zealand report (PDF) were entirely false. The contradictions between them and what Bill English said in parliament on Thursday couldn’t be more apparent…
well, while the “gangs” all here (speaking of scouts, and other conservative establishments, how much more of this sexual manipulation of children by “respectable” persons is gonna be revealed)
I have seen and experienced a lot in my life, and when I was younger and establishing relationships with the opposite gender, I was continuously disturbed by the revelations of “partners” of the sexual abuse that had been visited upon them; now, regretably, in some ways, I had a disproportionate amount of partners for the time, yet, I would estimate at least half had been taken advantage of for the sexual gratification of an older male.
The most disturbing example was a young women, who had become quite “experimental” for the time, sharing with me how her Father, a former school teacher and MoE School Inspector, before he became self-employed, had systematically formed and developed sexual relationships with all Four of his daughters from primary school through to their teens (he is dead now);consequently, they all had deep psycho-social “issues”
anyway
BBC News is in turmoil. Having last year dropped a report on claims of sexual abuse against the late DJ and television presenter Jimmy Savile, the flagship Newsnight programme this month wrongly implicated Tory peer Lord McAlpine in child abuse. As a result, after just 54 days in his job, the BBC director-general, George Entwistle, ‘stepped down’ on November 10. The BBC’s head of news, Helen Boaden, and her deputy, Stephen Mitchell, were then also ‘asked’ to ‘step aside’. Peter Rippon, the Newsnight editor responsible for the Savile decision, had already ‘stepped aside’.
The Lord Patten-led BBC Trust, which is supposed to ensure that the BBC is run in the public interest, has once again been revealed as a useless, dangling appendage.
Newsnight’s journalistic failures on child abuse are bad enough, rightly heaping pressure on the broadcaster. But there was no comparable pressure for senior staff to ‘step aside’ over the BBC’s truly catastrophic failure to challenge US-UK propaganda on Iraq’s non-existent weapons of mass destruction and the country’s supposed ‘threat’ to the West. This failure paved the way to war in Iraq and the subsequent brutal and bloody occupation at a cost of hundreds of thousands of lives. As Media Lens noted recently on Twitter: ‘If you think Newsnight failed badly now, compare with anchor Jeremy Paxman’s 2009 confession on Iraq’: namely, that he and his media colleagues were ‘hoodwinked’ by propaganda about Iraq. Paxman made these extraordinary comments….
Sounds like a lot of antisemitism rubbish to me. Not surprised though. Socialists hate success. The State of Israel is very successful in both defending itself and in making money. Therefore the nasty State of Israel should be kinder to the poor wee Palestinians.
Oh, do grow up, Monique. It’s not anti-semitic to oppose the bullying of the powerless by the powerful. It’s a sign of character. And us socialists love success, we just define it differently from righties. Socialists want success for the majority, your lot see success as entirely personal and something only the minority should enjoy.
The State of Israel shouldn’t exist as people, specifically the Palestinians, already occupied the territory that the Zionists wanted. It came into being as a declaration from the UN and terrorism by the Zionists.
BTW, Palestinians are Semitic as well so where’s the anti-Semitism?
Monique, I will not write what I am sorely tempted to, instead I will let this image illuminate your hate. Your vile sanctimonious wastrel of a comment shows that you seem oblivious to or proud of how ignorant you are, and I cannot decide which is the more pitiful. http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/converted_islam/35446474/13326/13326_original.jpg
I pity her ignorance the most, mainly because if Monique Yea or Nay [sic] Watson actually bothered to learn the truth about the Israeli Palestinian conflict, she wouldn’t have displayed such sanctimonious drivel.
I know nothing about political conferences and this post is probably loaded with naivety but here goes.
Somehow a lot of the remits seemed so last century – where is there anything about taking the fight to the opposition, using some of their tactics against them. It takes time to build up what the last labour government did, but no time to wreck it. Destroying it needs to be made a lot harder.
Take PPP, a left government could sign a contract with the teacher’s unions to provide services to state schools with the appropriate standards and some large break clauses, sort of Serco in reverse,
which would make it more difficult to divert funds to the private sector.
Asset sales. At the moment all the shares in the companies are held by the Minister of finance. Put a block of these shares into a trust for the employees and customers of the company. Most of the time it won’t matter but if something large comes up then the minority provisions of the Companies Act click in and the trustees are bound by their duties which should slow things down considerably.
Groups excluded by National. (Everybody but rich white males) Don’t let the framing be around a “more Interventionist” left but one of leveling a tilted playing field so that all citizens are able to contribute. Look at the benefits we will all gain from Maori stance on water , thanks from us all.
Lastly, I didn’t think David Shearer’s comments about bloggers were smart. If words didn’t matter then why the drive to control MSM by the right. Social media is a way for those not involved or incensed by the MSM to bring otherwise hidden opinions and actions to light. Of course the MSM hate and belittle this, because of the loss of control by them over the discourse but a wise political party should see the benefits.
People who take the time to blog are I suspect likely to be influencers and opinion formers out there in the real world. Just because I blog here doesn’t mean that I don’t try to influence opinions out there in real life on a case by case basis and sometimes I believe I suceed.
I personally, have no idea who the other bloggers on here are apart from some mental pictures and I never will unless Lprent throws a party…..
I can tolerate Shearer but I think he needs to use everything and everybody he has to the maximum capacity not sledge likely supporters.
I don’t think Shearer has “the fire in the belly” (I was going to say, balls, but QOT would then have mine) or the inclination, to lead Labour both into reversing the neo-liberal crap which has failed us to date, and deal with the third way advocates in Labour.
I agree to you both; When Shearer said on tele, a little red-faced, that he will be leader, and lead the party to win in 2014, I thought, hmmm, a little presumptious, but maybe he is a committee man 🙂
Should have expanded. What would it have cost Shearer to
1. Have a punt at the MSM ” Labour values all forms of discourse and social media has a big place in forming and voicing emerging opinion and preventing complacency and the status quo from ruling as the Nacts would like”
2. and keeping the heat off himself ” this may not mean that we agree with everything said but respect right to say it , and of course I’ve been voted in as the man for the job by the party” [small smile on face]
Yes, he could have shown good political judgement. Except – he hasn’t got any.
He is only listening to those he wants to hear, which is usually the kind of thing that happens when politicians have been in power for ages and have lost touch. But – incredibly – Shearer is showing the same disconnect from reality at the start of his leadership. And that’s why he’s doomed.
You know, from a purely tactical point of view, I would say of everything Shearer has been saying lately about his position, something like this:
Of course that’s what he has to say – to say otherwise would be to admit an error or to play into his opponents’ hands.
Really, he can’t say something like this:
Yes indeed, there is a serious threat to my so-called leadership.
Or:
All those bloggers and columnists are longtime Labour supporters and they have legitimate concerns that I really must address.
Let alone:
Yep, when Fran O’Sullivan with the piss-tinted spectacles, Matthew Hooton, Richard Long, David Farrar – AKA The Penguin – and all those other goons are supporting me and respected left-of-centre writers think I’m a pile of dingoes kidneys, I’ve got to admit that I’m probably not the man for the job after all.
He can’t say anything other than what he’s saying because he’s painted himself into a corner and it’s too late.
When the time comes, what he will not say is “Et tu, Brute,” because it will be a surprise to no-one – not even himself. You see, despite the strong resemblance, he’s just a wee, tiny, little bit (but not much) smarter than Dilbert’s pointy-haired boss.
Bye bye Dave. Maybe you should swap that guitar for a violin or maybe in your spare time you could paint your roof.
The present National Party that has been hijacked by banksters, money launderers, gamblers, Big Corporates, and the 1%, extract unfair advantage from the tilted playing field, and they continue to tilt the playing field even more in their own favour and interest.
I saw David Shearer on TV this morning and I while I’m sure he’s a very nice chap, I just wish he’d do the following:
A. Keep his mouth closed at all times except when speaking; and
B. Stop licking his lips all the time. The lizard-like tongue constantly darting out makes him look very nervous and besides that just looks a bit icky.
You cannot tell him because it is highly questionable that he is in fact “a very nice chap” (look how he regards critics from his own party; consider his openly expressed egotism). Regardless, I am rather suspicious of these “very nice chaps” (particularly of the Key variety!) This “very nice chap” phrase has by now become a well worn-out and meaningless cliche.
Yeah, I never got that “Key is a nice guy” thing at all. He always seemed revoltingly smarmy – and likewise, I don’t get the “Shearer is a nice guy” thing either. Sure, you can be a bumbling, incompetent nice guy who ultimately wins through in an Adam Sandler film, but in real life you can be a bumbling incompetent, vain, tin-eared, inarticulate, unsuitable, ignorant, cynical, spineless, focus group-driven, dull, passionless, visionless, unprincipled, egotistical and fundamentally stupid arsewipe of a puppet who’s a sad waste of space too.
People have their tells – Key has that hiss of indrawn breath to show that he knows he’s lying (yes, OK, lips moving and words coming out is a tell that he’s lying, but I mean deliberately since lying is a matter of reflex for him) and Shearer has the lip-licking to show that he’s scared.
With the 2013 elections just months away, Barak sees polls for his now rapidly vanishing party sending him to early retirement, and just like in Hanukkah 2008, Israel decided to break a ceasefire and assassin the Hamas senior military persona, Ahmad Jaberi. Hamas, as expected, responded with firing rockets on Israel’s southern regions, and to the great satisfaction of both Hamas and Israel, a full-scale war is being evolved.
I spoke with an expert on the Israeli military shortly after “Operation Cast Lead,” and when I told him that many argued that the operation was a reaction to Hamas rocket-fire, he laughed. He said that Hamas rocket-fire was deliberately provoked when Israel broke the cease-fire so that Israel could do a little “spring cleaning,” deplete Hamas’s arsenal of weapons. He told me that this happens every few years, and that I should expect it to happen in another few years. Israel will assassinate a Hamas leader, Hamas will have to respond (wouldn’t Israel, under those circumstances?) and Israel will perform a “clean up” operation. If Hamas is smart and doesn’t play into Israel’s hands, then Israel will also come out ahead, because it will be weakened in the eyes of the Palestinian public. It’s win-win for Israel. That’s what having control means.
The assassination of Jaabari was a pre-emptive strike against the possibility of a long term ceasefire. Netanyahu has acted with extreme irresponsibility. He has endangered the people of Israel and struck a real blow against the few important more pragmatic elements within Hamas. He has given another victory to those who seek our destruction, rather than strengthen those who are seeking to find a possibility to live side-by-side, not in peace, but in quiet.
I know not everyone here always thinks particularly highly of Messrs Trotter and Bradbury, but together with Wayne Hope they had a good discussion on Citizen A the other day.about where Labour is at, among other things.
Recent media coverage of The Standard comes up in the discussion.
Searching documentary about the anti-semitic question that I was fortunate to see recently.
Try watching the trailer. Very questioning, and shows some people are thinking seriously about Israel and Jewish attitudes. One thing comes across – how hypersensitive to negative feelings about them, no matter how fleeting or isolated, some Jews are. Doc is called Defamation. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1377278/
People just take a ganders at how the religious racial state was signed up for, and the powers behind making it happen, then take a look at the “peace” in the middle east since then to understand that the Israel story is nothing like what the media or recent history want to paint it as being about!
It is a sick joke on humanity, and like the political correctness movement, if one dares even questions Israel, one is labelled as anti-semetic, and any discusion shut down. What needs to be rememebed is that many Jewish people were sacrificed in odrer to create the State, so in some ways the Jewish people, mostly those who were poor, and hoping to return were those who were sacrificed.
Looking at it, to me the situation is entirely manufactured to serve the purpose, that has been the 64 years of ME war since, which has of course spilled out into Africa, and beyond, its all part of the same game. The planet is living with the pre and post formation of Israel every day, one just needs look at our shameless pro israel media to see the powers behind the story telling, and how will that change!
Only by people waking up and challenging what they believe to know about history, because we are not living in history, we are ALL living in the lies created by others, and passed of as history!
Kierkegaard’s work presents a viable contrast to the “Hegelian” historical determinism of particular peoples that is so often deferred to by the status quo
‘It has been said that figures rule the world. Maybe. I am quite sure that it is figures which show us whether it is being ruled well or badly.’ GoetheI was struck at a recent conference on equity for the elderly, how many presenters implicitly relied upon Statistics New Zealand. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveReporting on defence spending late last year, RNZ said the coalition government will have to make some tough calls this term to help the force address staff shortages and ageing infrastructure. “These are huge, huge amounts of government spending. It’s a significant proportion of the government’s ...
Peter Dunne writes – I am always wary when I hear that the Controller and Auditor-General has commented on or made recommendations to the government about an issue of public policy that does not relate strictly to public expenditure. According to the legislation, the role of the Controller ...
How Labour’s and National’s failure to move beyond neoliberalism has brought NZ to the brink of economic and cultural chaos Chris Trotter writes – TO START LOSING, so soon after you won, requires a special kind of political incompetence. At the heart of this Coalition ...
And why did the Crown not challenge the Tribunal’s jurisdiction? Gary Judd writes – Retired District Court Judge, David Harvey, has posted on his A Halflings View Substack an excellent summary of Justice Isacs’ judgment declining to uphold the witness summons issued by the Waitangi Tribunal ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Do you believe New Zealand runs its general elections fairly and competently? As a voter, can you be confident that the votes on your ballot will be counted towards the final result?As a political scientist, I’ve been asked these questions many times and ...
Macklemore isn’t someone I’d usually think about. Sure I liked his big hit from a few years back, everybody did it was catchy and cool with some memorable lines. But if I was going to think of artists who might speak out on political matters or world events, he wouldn’t ...
Another week goes by in the Luxon government’s efforts to roll back the past 70 years of social progress. The school lunches programme is to be downgraded by $107 million, and women need bother their heads no longer about pay equity, let alone expect ACC to provide adequate sexual violence ...
Brrr, the first cold snap of the year. Hope you’re rugged up nice and warm. Here are some stories that caught our eye this week… This Week on Greater Auckland On Monday, we had a post from a new contributor, Connor Sharp, who dug into the public feedback ...
Almost all of the Wellington City Council’s recommended zoning changes to allow many more apartments and townhouses in its inner-suburbs have been approved.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guest on geopolitics, ...
Open access notablesA Global Increase in Nearshore Tropical Cyclone Intensification, Balaguru et al., Earth's Future:Tropical Cyclones (TCs) inflict substantial coastal damages, making it pertinent to understand changing storm characteristics in the important nearshore region. Past work examined several aspects of TCs relevant for impacts in coastal regions. However, ...
Do you believe New Zealand runs its general elections fairly and competently? As a voter, can you be confident that the votes on your ballot will be counted towards the final result? As a political scientist, I’ve been asked these questions many times and always answered “yes”, with very few ...
Thus far May has followed on from a quiet April in the blogging department, but in fairness, it has been another case of doing what I am supposed to be doing, namely writing original fiction. Plus reading. So don’t worry – I have been productive. But in order to reassure ...
Buzz from the Beehive A new government agency will open for business on July 1 – the Social Investment Agency. As a new standalone central agency effective from 1 July, it will lead the development of social investment across Government, helping ministers understand who they need to invest in, what ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The ...
Alwyn Poole writes – After being elected to Parliament in 2008 the maiden speech of Hipkins was substantially around education policy. He was Labour’s spokesperson for education 2011 – 2017. He was Minister for Education from 2017 until February 2023. This is approximately 88% of the time Labour ...
Eric Crampton writes – A fashion industry group is lobbying for protections. They make the usual arguments and a newer one. None of it makes sense. An industry group says it pumped $7.8 billion into the economy last year – that’s 1.9 percent of New Zealand’s GDP. ...
In December 2006, Fiji's military leader Voreqe Bainimarama overthrew the elected government in a coup. He ruled Fiji for the next 16 years, first as dictator, then as "elected" Prime Minister. But now, he's finally been sent to jail where he belongs. Sadly, this isn't for his real crime of ...
Don't like National's corrupt Muldoonist "fast-track" law? Aotearoa's environmental NGO's - Greenpeace, Forest & Bird, WWF, Coromandel Watchdog, Coal Action Network Aotearoa, Kiwis Against Seabed Mining, and others - have announced a joint march against it in Auckland in June: When: 13:00, 8 June, 2024 Where: Aotea Square, Auckland You ...
Seymour describes sushi as too woke for school meals. There are no fish sushi meals recommended by the School Lunches programme. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: The Government will swap out hot meals for packaged sandwiches to save $107 million on school lunches for poor kids. MSD has pulled ...
I don't mind stealin' bread from the mouths of decadenceBut I can't feed on the powerless when my cup's already overfilled, yeahBut it's on the table, the fire's cookin'And they're farmin' babies, while slaves are workin'The blood is on the table and the mouths are chokin'But I'm goin' hungry, yeahSome ...
The Ardern Government’s chickens came home to roost yesterday with the news that the country is short of natural gas. In 2018, Labour banned offshore petroleum exploration, and industry executives say that the attendant loss of confidence by the industry impacted overall investment in onshore gas fields. Energy Resources Minister ...
Hi,If you’ve been digging through the newly launched Webworm store (orders are being dispatched worldwide as I type!) you’ll have noticed the best model we had was Calvin.This is Calvin.Calvin.Calvin is 7, and is the son of my producer over on Flightless Bird, Rob — aka “Wobby Wob”. Rob also ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Climate change is everywhere. And when something's everywhere it can feel like it's nowhere. So how do we get our heads ...
Its a law like gravity: whenever a right-wing government is elected, they start attacking democracy. And now, after talking to their Republican and Tory and Fidesz chums at the International Democracy Union forum in Wellington, National is doing it here, announcing plans to remove election-day enrolment. Or, to put it ...
Yesterday Winston Peters focussed his attention on the important matter at hand. Tweeting. Like the former, and quite possibly next, orange POTUS, from whom he takes much of his political strategy, Winston is an avid X’er.His message didn’t resemble an historic address this time. In fact it was more reminiscent ...
Buzz from the Beehive A significant decline in natural gas production has given Resources Minister Shane Jones an opportunity to reiterate his enthusiasm for the mining and burning of coal. For good measure, he has praised an announcement from Genesis Energy that it will resume importing coal. He and Energy ...
“Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The political parties are legally obliged to make ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Here is my subjective ranking on a “most-left” to “most-right” scale of most of our major NZ Universities, with some anecdotal (and at times amusing) evidence to back up the claim.Extreme Left Auckland University of TechnologyEvidenceThe ...
Eric Crampton writes – I hadn’t thought about this one until a helpful email showed up in my inbox.It’s pretty obvious that income tax thresholds should automatically index with inflation – whether to anchor the thresholds in percentiles of the income distribution, or to anchor against a real ...
Jacqui Van Der Kaay writes – Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National ...
Gary Judd writes – The Dean of the law school at the Auckland University of Technology is someone called Khylee Quince. I have been sent her social media posting in which she has, over the LawNews headline “Senior King’s Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Maori studies for ...
Cleo Paskal writes – WASHINGTON, D.C.: ‘Many of us have received phone calls from [the opposing camp] telling them if they join the camp they will be given projects for their wards and $300,000 [around US$35,000] each’, says former Malaita Premier Daniel Suidani. The elections in Solomon Islands aren’t ...
With hindsight, it was inevitable that (a) Hamas would agree to the ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar and that ( b) Israel would then immediately launch attacks on Rafah, regardless. We might have hoped the concessions made by Hamas would cause Israel to desist from slaughtering thousands more ...
Placards and mourners outside the Kilbirnie Mosque following the Christchurch terror attack: MSD has terminated the Kaiwhakaoranga service, which has been used by 415 families since the attacks. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The Government’s pledge to only cut ‘back office’ staff rather than ‘frontline’ services is on increasingly shaky ground, with ...
There’s been a few smaller public transport announcements over the last week or so that I thought I’d cover in a single post. Fareshare I’ve long called for Auckland Transport to offer a way to enable employer-subsidised public transport options. The need for this took on even more importance ...
Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National Minister Matt Doocey, reflects poorly on Genter and ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Who likes being sneered at? Nobody. Worse yet, when the sneerer has their facts all wrong, and might well be an idiot.The sneer in question is The adults are in charge now, and it is a sneer offered in retort to criticism of this new Government, no matter how well ...
When in government, Labour pushed to extend the Parliamentary term to four years, to reduce accountability and our ability to vote out a bad government. And now, they're trying to do it through the member's ballot, with a Four-Year Parliamentary Term Legislation Bill. The bill at least requires a referendum ...
A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill (Hūhana Lyndon) The bill would prevent the government from stealing Māori land in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It ...
Simeon Brown, alongside Wayne Brown, is favouring a political figleaf now in exchange for loading up tens of millions in extra interest costs on Auckland ratepayers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is pushing back hard at suggestions from Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown ...
Buzz from the Beehive One headline-grabber from the Beehive yesterday was the OECD’s advice that the government must bring the Budget deficit under control or face higher interest rates. Another was the announcement of a $1.9 billion “investment” in Corrections over the next four years. In the best interests of ...
Chris Trotter writes – Had Zheng He’s fleet sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks of the Ming Dynasty, among the largest and most sophisticated sailing vessels ever constructed, would have failed ...
David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
The tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and applied…Gary Judd KC writes – I have made a complaint to Parliament’s Regulation ...
The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
The OECD’s chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changes—introducing a ...
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect women’s spaces. The ‘Fair Access to Bathrooms Bill’ will require, primarily in the interest and safety of women and girls, that all new non-domestic publicly accessible buildings provide separate, clearly demarcated, unisex and single sex bathrooms. This Bill ...
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Introduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Pacific Media Watch Television New Zealand Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver has been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to investigative journalism and Pacific communities in a ceremony at Government House, reports 1News. She has been the Pacific correspondent for 1News since 2002, breaking many ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Tuesday’s budget will respond to the deepening public agitation over Australia’s housing shortages by pouring new money into crisis accommodation for women and children, social housing and infrastructure. A specially-convened national cabinet late Friday ticked ...
By Kaneta Naimatu in Suva Journalists in the Pacific region play an important role as the “eyes and ears on the ground” when it comes to reporting the climate crisis, says the European Union’s Pacific Ambassador Barbara Plinkert. Speaking at The University of the South Pacific (USP) on World Press ...
Aldora Itunu is back in the Black Ferns squad after a three-year absence. The last of her 24 internationals was an underwhelming loss to France (7-29) in Castres to conclude the disastrous 2021 Northern Tour. The powerhouse prop won a Rugby World Cup in 2017 and thought she was done. ...
The fight to control major transport policy and projects in Auckland has burst into the open again, with councillors rejecting Mayor Wayne Brown’s latest attempt to steer things more under his influence. Councillors from the left and right broke ranks on the mayor’s bid to control Auckland Transport more directly ...
Exhausted by the general election campaign, horrified by the twilight zone of coalition negotiations, distracted by the silly season and waiting for the honeymoon to begin, Raw Politics has been in hibernation since October. From today, we’re back. Our weekly political video show and podcast returns for ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk Authorities in the small town of Boulouparis have commemorated Armistice Day on May 8 with a new memorial honouring New Zealand soldiers who were stationed in New Caledonia during World War II. The ceremony took place in the township on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Dehm, Senior lecturer, international migration and refugee law, University of Technology Sydney The High Court unanimously ruled today that the Australian government can keep asylum seekers in immigration detention indefinitely in cases where they do not “voluntarily” cooperate with their own ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Munro, Lecturer, Creative Industries and Digital Media, University of South Australia Twenty-four hours after the release of Macklemore’s pro-Palestine protest song Hind’s Hall on social media on May 7, the video had already notched up over 24 million views. In ...
Failing to anticipate the complexity of the consenting system is being cited as the the current builder's shortcomings, an Infrastructure Commission review says. ...
350 Aotearoa is calling the Environment Select Committee’s decision to allow oral submissions from just 40% of individual, unique submitters who asked to speak to the committee ‘a disgraceful blight to democracy’. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Helal, Assistant Dean (Sustainability), The University of Melbourne Dubai skylineAleksandarPasaric/Pexels Since ancient times, people have built structures that reach for the skies – from the steep spires of medieval towers to the grand domes of ancient cathedrals and mosques. Today ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Edward Musole, PhD Law Student, University of New England Girts Ragelis/ShutterstockRecent trends show Australians are increasingly buying wearables such as smartwatches and fitness trackers. These electronics track our body movements or vital signs to provide data throughout the day, with ...
Papua New Guinea experienced a significant earthquake on 24 March in East Sepik and there has also been recent flooding there and in surrounding provinces. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yousuf Mohammed, Dermatology researcher, The University of Queensland Maridav/Shutterstock You wake up, stagger to the bathroom and gaze into the mirror. No, you’re not imagining it. You’ve developed face wrinkles overnight. They’re sleep wrinkles. Sleep wrinkles are temporary. But as your ...
The Environment Select Committee has just announced that 60 percent of individuals who asked to speak at the hearings will not be heard. This equates to almost 700 people who made individual submissions and more than 1000 more who made a form submission. ...
The Royal New Zealand Ballet is performing Swan Lake around the country. What kind of dream does the ballet sell?Before going to see the Royal New Zealand Ballet perform Swan Lake, I had about as much familiarity with the plot of this ballet as could be expected from having ...
A new poem by Auckland poet Eamonn Tee. High Tide at Local Maxima It is only going to get worse. The streams will be narrow and fickle. The week will bend and buckle like a pot-bellied waist. You will make it to the weekend with one ...
The New Zealand entrepreneur behind beauty business Ethique is gearing up to launch a new eco-venture. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Our thirst for a tasty bevvy is insatiable, but it comes with a hefty plastic price for the planet: 580 billion ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 James by Percival Everett (Mantle, $38) A retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from ...
By Kamna Kumar in Suva Pacific Islands Forum Secretary-General Henry Puna stressed the importance of media freedom and its link to the climate and environmental crisis at the 2024 World Press Freedom Day event organised by the University of the South Pacific’s journalism programme. Under the theme “A Planet for ...
Tara Ward previews a new local TV series offering alternative visions of motherhood. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. A woman is clambering up the side of her two-story house, clinging desperately to a drainpipe. Nearby, her child is perched on the ...
Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) is supportive of the cross-party approach to climate adaptation announced by the Minister of Climate Change today. ...
The Sustainable Business Council (SBC) and Climate Leaders Coalition (CLC) welcome today’s announcement from Government around a bipartisan inquiry into an enduring climate adaptation framework for New Zealand. ...
The Free Speech Union welcomes the decision by the Department of Internal Affairs, and Minister Brooke Van Velden, to abandon proposals to further regulate online speech. ...
Its new building in Wellington will not be nearly big enough for all its records, and it has also run out of money to build its new storage facility in Levin. ...
BusinessNZ is congratulating the Minister of Climate Change for his work in achieving cross-party consensus for a way forward on climate adaptation. ...
Recent research reveals the repeal of smokefree measures is not only bad for our health, but also the economy. The Government has repealed various smokefree measures to ensure it keeps collecting $1.2 billion a year in tobacco taxes, in order to pay for tax cuts already being delivered to ...
The club’s surprisingly good season is built on the desire to prove a random A-League YouTuber wrong… and a few other factors.“There’s no way that Wellington Phoenix play finals this year. I can’t see it happening at all.” Those are the words of Lachlan Raeside, an Australian football content ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By César Albarrán-Torres, Senior Lecturer, Department of Media and Communication, Swinburne University of Technology Apple TV+ As one of billions of bilingual individuals in the world, it disappoints me when a film or TV show with characters of a non-English-speaking background is ...
The under-utilised course is a waste of space, and with a little political will, it could be turned into something better. For the duration of her stay in Wellington, my long-suffering cousin listened to me rant about golf courses. They’re bad for the environment: water intensive and pesticide heavy. They ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leah Ruppanner, Professor of Sociology and Founding Director of The Future of Work Lab, Podcast at MissPerceived, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock A recent report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows US fertility rates dropped 2% in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amy Corderoy, Medical doctor and PhD candidate studying involuntary psychiatric treatment, School of Psychiatry, UNSW Sydney shop_py/Shutterstock Picture two people, both suffering from a serious mental illness requiring hospital admission. One was born in Australia, the other in Asia. Hopefully, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Treby, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, RMIT University P.j.Hickox, Shutterstock Peatlands store more carbon per square metre than any other ecosystem on Earth. These waterlogged, mossy bogs beat even dense rainforests for their ability to act as carbon reservoirs. Under the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Goss, Adjunct Associate Professor, Health Research Institute, University of Canberra Government spending on health has been growing so rapidly that a decade ago the then health minister Peter Dutton called it “unmanageable” and “unsustainable”. Health spending grew in real terms by ...
New Zealand's largest electricity distributor is warning the country to hurry up with controls around charging electric vehicles or face unnecessary bills running into the billions. ...
New Zealanders have been asked to conserve energy this morning to combat a possible electricity shortfall, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. A call to conserve power New Zealand is facing a possible electricity shortfall, with people up ...
Writer Rebecca K Reilly breaks down the national book awards. What are the Ockhams?The Ockham New Zealand Book Awards are our annual national awards for books published for adults, and have existed in this form since 2016. There are four categories: Fiction, Poetry, General Non-fiction and Illustrated Non-fiction. There ...
Wellington City Council should keep its 34% ownership share in Wellington International Airport, argue Unions Wellington spokespeople Finn Cordwell and Ashok Jacob. Insanity, as the saying goes, is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Wellington City Council (WCC) is yet again proposing to dispose ...
New Zealand’s largest book publisher has undergone drastic changes this week, leaving its future role in local publishing uncertain. Two of the most recognisable local publishers in New Zealand are among those restructured out of Penguin Random House, it was announced this week. Head of publishing Claire Murdoch will leave ...
In 2021 the Public Interest Journalism Fund launched the Te Rito Journalism project, a $2.4 million initiative to boost diversity in New Zealand’s newsrooms. The initiative was in response to the decades-long shortage of Māori and Pacific journalists in the media industry. It was billed as New Zealand’s ...
The Black Ferns Sevens appeared to be a mile behind Australia at the halfway point of the 2023-24 SVNS international circuit. Winless in three tournaments, a cup quarter-final exit in Perth was one of their worst results. To add insult to injury, talismanic skipper Sarah Hirini had been ruled out ...
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Successive governments have tried, and failed, to count Māori. But with the return of social investment, it’s more important than ever to get good data. The post Government looks for a better way to count Māori appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Experts in financing social investment initiatives say New Zealand is in a prime position to tackle social issues via a social investment approach The post What will Willis’ social investment fund look like? appeared first on Newsroom. ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist A former Tuvalu prime minister says while the New Zealand government’s oil and gas plans show it is concerned about its economy, he is more concerned about the livelihoods and survival of the Tuvalu people. Enele Sopoaga — who still serves as an MP ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Many people who follow federal budgets know about the magnificent “budget tree” in a parliamentary courtyard, which turns a glorious red in time for the May event. This week Treasurer Jim Chalmers posed by ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samantha Bennett, Professor of Music, Australian National University Richard P J Lambert/flickr, CC BY The future belongs to the analogue loyalists. Fuck digital. As a tsunami of CDs, DAT tapes and samplers swept the recording industry in the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine Strong, Associate professor, Music Industry, RMIT University This week American rapper Macklemore released a new track, Hind’s Hall, which has gained a lot of attention because of its explicitly political nature. The track is unapologetically pro-Palestine. It declares the artist’s ...
Explainer - The government from 2025 is mandating how state schools teach children to read. But what is structured literacy and how does it compare to other teaching methods? ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Danica Jenkins, Lecturer in European Studies, University of Sydney On a freezing spring night in March, Georgia’s national soccer team beat Greece in a nail-biter penalty shootout to qualify for the Euro 2024 championships. The atmosphere on the streets of the capital ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam G. Arian, Lecturer (Accounting & Finance), Australian Catholic University Loic Manegarium/Pexels Imagine every ton of carbon dioxide a company emits is slowly inflating its costs — not just in terms of potential fines or fees but in the capital it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Somwrita Sarkar, Senior Lecturer in Design and Computation, University of Sydney The “latte line” is the infamous, invisible boundary that divides Sydney between the more affluent north-east and the south-west. Historically, people north of the line enjoy better access to jobs and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dowdy, Principal Research Scientist in Extreme Weather, The University of Melbourne Nomad_Soul/Shutterstock In media articles about unprecedented flooding, you’ll often come across the statement that for every 1°C of warming, the atmosphere can hold about 7% more moisture. This ...
Neo liberals in ascension?
Labour leaders meet business leaders in private and state housing activists nowhere.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7962380/Shearer-to-lead-Labour-into-election
Meanwhile in other news:
Two flax roots Glen Innes housing activists organising against the National Government’s eviction of state tenants and the removal and demolition of state homes in Glen Innes. Have had the invitation extended to them to attend the Labour Party conference, crudely canceled at the last minute.
Why?
Are the neo liberals behind the withdrawal of the housing activist’s invitation to conference?
Will David Shearer’s highly hyped Sunday speech on housing be advancing market solutions to homelessness?
Will GI state tenant Evonne Sainty’s message of protecting state provision of secure long term government tenancies, which build secure communities,* conflict with David Shearer’s views on state provision of housing?
*(Sainty’s vision is in direct conflict with National’s view of state housing as a short term band aid for for homelessness, extended only for a limited period before you are shifted out to find a home in the private sector.)
The Return to Egypt; the role of The Islamic Brotherhood for Hamas
meanwhile, back in the Bat/ $hit cave, China have the Formula to rule the world.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10848015
(Flash…ahhh ahhh, he’ll save every one of us…)
So almost first thing we see them disappearing behind closed doors with business leaders. What does that tell us? Can this action be”corrected” by a fancy speech tomorrow? Remember, Shearer has stated his intention to focus on the economy and not social issues (like poverty, I imagine).
I meant to return to dear old Shakespeare with regard to the coming SPEECH:
And ’tis a kind of good deed to say well:
And yet words are no deeds.
hah, this is perhaps more topical than I thought:
Which goes along quite well with my idea that the free-market is just justification for capitalism rather than a viable economic theory.
That’s really depresssing Jenny, but thanks for the information.
Some questions need to be asked.
Who were the attendees on the “Labour leadership” side?
Were they fully representative of the Labour leadership, or just a section?\
What did the “business representatives” want?
And who were they?
Where they fully representative of the business community, or just a section?
What assurances, if any, were they given?
Why was the meeting held behind closed doors?
Why have all the identities of those involved not been revealed?
Was monetary donations from business for Labour’s election campaign one of the things discussed?
What else was discussed?
Will any of the subjects discussed behind closed doors between anonymous Labour Party leaders and anonymous business leaders be revealed to the membership?
Secret discussions being held prior to conference between unnamed senior Labour Party and Business leaders behind “closed doors” surely is not a good look, does this sort of behaviour by the Labour leadership risk undermining the public’s confidence that the Labour Party conference is the supreme democratic policy making body of the party?
PS. Interesting how Rogue Trooper tried to divert the thread. Someone feeling a little bit sensitive about this issue being raised?
If this is what we can expect from Labour in opposition, what can we expect from them in government? More secret “closed door” meetings with business interests, while social activists are locked out and ignored?
No wonder the non-vote is on its way to becoming the majority.
Today is the day for all members and delegates who want to change how the Labour Party selects its leader. The 40:40:20 remit looks likely to pass. But remember that’s not the critical vote. The trigger within the caucus to start the leadership selection process is your most important vote today. The current remits are focused on 2/3rds, 55%, 51%. You need to understand 51% is the status quo, the current caucus trigger. The trigger needs to be lower if members are going to have real involvement in selecting their leader. In the UK it’s 20%.
If, for example, you want to have the opportunity to choose between Shearer and alternatives such as Cunliffe, that can only happen with a 40% caucus trigger.
Mallard and King have a lock on too many MP’s and if the trigger remains at 51% (or is increased) only they will hold the power to begin a leadership selection process. They can stick with Shearer until they are ready to install Robertson (probably far too close to an election). And where’s the membership involvement there! If you think Cunliffe should just suck it up and wait, think again. If 40% fails today, it’s time for four years of white anting by Mallard and King to stop. Cunliffe’s talents should be used more productively outside the Labour Party. That’s what Mallard and King want. What do you members want today?!
“The 40:40:20 remit looks likely to pass. ”
What does that mean Benghazi?
Sorry Ianmac, it was shorthand for Remit 297(d). This is the remit that could finally give members some say on who our leader is. Presently only the caucus decides. The split most likely to be passed is that the vote for the leader will be weighted 40% for caucus, 40% for members, and 20% for affiliated unions.
Thanks Ben.
Stick with Shearer just as they did Goff before him. Great! I almost wish Goff would return, nothing much worse could happen.
Goff got pretty good during the election campaign. The problem was the brain-dead policies they were running with – extending “working” for families to people that don’t work and borrowing money to invest in the superannuation fund. CGT was good but people didn’t seem to understand it and seemed to have a lot of exclusions.
I ended up voting Labour, but was seriously tempted to just vote Green.
Imagine the filth that King/Mallards controllers have on them to still be propping them up the way they are, Labour supporters need to have a good hard look in the mirror!
To be honest Cunliffe has no chance of saving NZ unless be fancies a car accident, or getting “sick”, as he has been around long enough to understand the consequences of becoming a genuine “saviour” of NZ.
So all you Cunliffe fans out there, time to get some reality in ya, and accept that he is just another part of the establishment, nothing more!
Tactic: While moving the “left to the center”, all the while moving the center to the right, you in fact succeed in deleting even faded memories of what “left” ever looked or sounded like!
Hence why those still supporting Labour have to be some of the most blinkered, read blindly ignorant people in the country, either that or they’re actually National voters in drag!
Well when Labour go down in a screaming heap in 2014. Coming in 2 nd after the greens with Mallard and co given the well deserved boot. If they’re trying to get back in on the List, then I pity Labour, If dinosaurs like them get back in.
And back on planet earth, one third of kiwi voters still prefer Labour. More after today, I imagine. And even more after the 13th of February.
Still, I wouldn’t be overly concerned if Labour did come second to the Greens, as you suggest. In that fantasy scenario, I’d guess National come third. Fine by me!
well, J T was carrying on like an abandoned ” little Boy” not allowed another piece of cake on the MSM last night; the character of the politically aspirant: I despair. J T and Maggie Barry would make a lovely photogenic couple.
educated, articulate, compassionate school principal mentors charming young male teacher up North
male teacher’s girlfriend advises principal teacher sleeping and showering with boy students
principal notifies local “bobby”
local “bobby” roughs up teacher and unsettles him
teacher informs fellow staff, and parents, principal informed on him
principal is ostracised and targeted
teacher is transferred; parents take around 40 children out of current school to follow teacher to new position
teacher is found some years later to have interferred sexually with over 40 children
principal now teaches in Nigeria amidst civil conflict and other African realities
Principal concludes; “Children are safer in Nigeria than they are in New Zealand”
(these parents may be the “electorate” the “centrist”- appealing pollies are trying to appeal to)
-the cynical prosecution rests it’s case.
Key on the Nation (Tv3):
First part – does OK, deals with Smalley (TV’s best interviewer?) well, not too defensive about the economy, he’s comfortable on that turf. Would eat Shearer alive.
Second part – on education, has to defend Parata and Foss, which nobody could, so he struggles. Parata is “outstanding” … hmmm. Gets tetchy on Kim Dotcom. Smalley attacks.
Overall, Key shows that he can still deflect easily with his prepared lines, but gets riled when he comes under sustained pressure.
But let’s not kid ourselves. He’s streets ahead of Shearer as an interviewee.
Re Paratas outstanding job.
That is probably fair in terms of Keys standards.
And Key probably can’t understand what she says anyway.
Fancy that, Comrade Helen talking about global government via the UN
You would like meangingful consequences, and full accountability for those “agreements” though wouldn’t you Stalin, woops I mean Helen!
MOST SHAMELESS LIES OF THE WEEK
Week ending Saturday 17/11/2012
Lie No. 1….
“Israel takes every measure to avoid civilian casualties.”
Binyamin Netanyahu, Thursday, 15/11/2012
Lie No. 2….
Reporter: What mark out of ten would you give David Shearer for his performance so far?
David Parker: Ahhhhhhhmmmm… ten.
Radio New Zealand National, Focus on Politics, 16/11/2012
Lie No. 3….
“Hekia Parata has done an OUTSTANDING job as minister.”
John Key, on The Nation, TV3, 17/11/2012
Lie No. 4….
“Nick Smith has an enormous brain. Sure, he made a few mistakes on the margin…”
John Key, on The Nation, TV3, 17/11/2012
“enormous brain”? Key really is an ignoramus.
Yup,
Back in the old days when I used to talk to “Directors”, the one thing they all said was they couldn’t delegate, always have too oversee people.
John Keys rhetoric is identical to all those directors’ responses to systemic failure.
The one difference obviously being that the Gnats’ are running our country not a business whos “reputation” may be damged by calling the person responsible an ignoramus.
Well said Lanthanide (-:
What business would tolerate someone as substandard as John Banks? Or Hekia Parata?
All right, all right, all right, I know what you’re going to say: there’s the Herald, NewstalkZB, Television New Zealand, the New Zealand Rugby Union, Radio Live….
Ae Morissey, It’s a really big problem, these “Underlings” that climb to positions of incompetence.
They “Believe M8!” 😈
POAL!
Temporary employment entry for skilled workers under the New Zealand – China Free Trade Agreement (FTA)
The FTA includes commitments for skilled workers from China to enter New Zealand for temporary employment, without labour market testing (but subject to specified qualifications and work experience requirements, registration if required, and the requirement for a bona fide job offer), if they work in one of the following occupations:
Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners
Chinese chefs
Mandarin teachers’ aides
Wushu martial arts (including tai chi) coaches
Chinese tour guides.
For more information, see China Special Work Category.
In addition, a maximum of 1000 skilled Chinese workers at any one time may be granted temporary employment for up to three years, in specified occupations where New Zealand has a skills shortage. Entry is limited to no more than 100 workers in each occupation at any one time.
The list of occupations (which all have specific qualification and experience requirements) is as follows:
Auditor
Automotive Electrician
Boatbuilder
Computer Application Engineer
Design Engineer – Electronics / Product Engineer
Diesel Mechanic
Early Childhood Teacher
Electrician
Electronics Technician
Film Animator
Fitter and Turner
Fitter / Welder
Medical Diagnostic Radiographer / Medical Radiation Therapist
Motor Mechanic
Plumber
Registered Nurse
Senior Test Analyst
Structural Engineer
University or Higher Education Lecturer/Tutor
Veterinarian.
For more information, see China Skilled Workers Category.
For more information about the FTA, visit http://www.ChinaFTA.govt.nz.
been saying Welcome The Chinese all year; they are coming and politicians will be handing over the keys.
And what’s he gonna do (Keys’) …. Put on the money blinkers ….. Deal Deal Deal …. wins another $50 ….. Onya DunnoKeyo!
😀
This is the solution offered to appease the Chinese and plug the hole that the abysmal education has left over the last 15 years. I suppose that this ought to help getting NZ on a similar productive level as its pacific rim neighbors. Problem is the cultural divide in terms of employment conditions. NZ had enjoyed a rather civilized arrangement with the British influence but this is going to slowly lean towards modern slavery under the new dogma. The ones that will leave and can do so will and others will just have to endure.
Of cause there are alternative solutions which fit with the current economic and social make up of NZ (as it still is) that makes far more sense and has the same outcome with none of the social reconstruction. But maybe this is not what is wanted.
Heard some excerpts of the PM debating the other day on radio.Thought, ‘who does he sound like?’
Then it hit me.He sounds remarkably like Paul Henry when excited. Listen next time.
Remit #121: End the process of union affiliation and return control of the party to the party members and return transparency of the party direction to the voters.
Amendment to Remit #121
Agree to do the above, as soon as National and their proxies embrace complete “transparency” in their funding.
Never ever envisaged saying it, but reckon John Armstrong pretty well nails it this morning…..
Link: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10847973
If women didn’t get so drunk, police would be able to catch the people who attack them.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/james-ihaka/news/article.cfm?a_id=315&objectid=10848010
While thinking about how many ways this story could have “innocently” gone wrong, and consdiering the many ideological laws it broke, the deciding vote – for me – went in favour of writing errors.
James/Jamie, listen, there are more perspectives than just your own in this world, you know that. You hold a priviledged place in our society, yet you’re ignoring the impact a singular perspective can do to groups within that society when the overall message of your words – the theme – is ignored, by you, the writer. Let’s skip past the ins and outs of readily available protection myths that you obviously don’t or can’t know about and concentrate on sources. No one’s asking you to become a feminist ideologue, just approach it from a perspective of good writing.
When this story was formed, did you consider the environment and attitude of the people offering the information and how, if it remained unchecked, it would alter the central message? Did you agree with the basic ideas of the people you met? Do you admire and defer to authority? Do you know your place? Do you believe you are essentially a good person, a team player? Do you believe you can write well without examining these influences? Did you have no choice but to generalise, because the raw information covered such a large group of individuals? Did it not matter, because you wanted to do good? Did you sincerely try for balance by talking to representatives of an alternate viewpoint?
Imagine how the story would have read if it was just about one person – what questions would you have asked in order to explain the whole picture? How far back would you have gone, how far below the surface would you have scratched, which side-tracks would you have trimmed out? Would you investigate the influence of intoxication separately or in parallel? How would that make a difference to the overall message? How many issues are contained in this story, James/Jamie? Would you be able to see everything and not have an opinion about what you saw? Where would you choose to cast the final vote – on the side of the victim, the aggressor, to uphold societal beliefs or attempt a reflection?
Best of luck to you Jamie/James. Take care with the power you have been awarded.
The crux of the story is,
If your going to get so pissed that you have no idea what’s going on around you, the police can’t help you.
I thought the crux of the story was that if you get so pissed you don’t know what’s going on around you and you then get raped, society will say it’s your own fault (even if they try and say it more neutrally than they used to).
What the article should have done is introduce the policing issue and then focus on Kim McGregor’s statement about the need to look at the behaviour of rapists/offenders (see the pathetic amount of space given to her statement at the end vs the rest of the article). I’m sure she had lots more to say.
They could also have done a completely separate article on the Massey research, looking at all the issues around young women binge drinking, and when they got to the bit bit about rape, again focus on the behaviour of rapists towards drunk women and link to the other article.
Great, but who is the message being given to and how? Jamie and James, instead of telling us more about what that actually means, your whole article has just informed rapists and potential rapists that if they rape really drunk women they’re likely to get away with it.
Oh, and Jamie and James and editors of the Herald, rape is not sex, so don’t call it that. Wish I had time to redo the whole article, but here’s a rewrite of the headline
Out-of-it victims stymie sex cases
should be
Men raping women who are unable to give consent
Facts are, rape has been around since human beings got up and walked, It’s not going away.
The smarter woman takes steps to reduce the chances of rape happening, getting so trolleyed you have no idea of what’s going on is not one of them.
Please produce some evidence that the high levels of rape we have now have always been.
And if you think that the responsibility is on women to avoid rape, please tell me what undrunk women who are unable to give consent or protect themselves should do.
Then tell me what responsibility you think men have in this.
Rape and pillage
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_rape#Antiquity
Yes, we all know rape is bad and it’s not the fault of the man/woman/child who gets raped and in a perfect society any one could walk the streets at any time of the day and night, in any state and not get raped or beaten up.
Unfortunately we don’t live in this perfect world and I doubt we ever will,so a bit of personal responsibility needs to happen if you want to stay safe and out of harms way.
BM, you were asked Please produce some evidence that the high levels of rape we have now have always been.
You responded with a Wiki article on rape during war.
Either you’re a disingenuous fuckhead with a vested interest in not confronting societal attitudes which allow rapists to go unpunished, or you’re just a kindly-hearted confused little dweeb who doesn’t understand the circumstances in which the majority of rapes occur.
Sadly for you, I am all out of Benefit Of The Doubt.
I’m just a realist, unlike yourself.
Oh, BM. So sad how you can’t even back up your assertions. First you try re-defining things (rape vs. rape during war) and then you claim to be a realist when I’m the one arguing from actual statistics! It’s fucking adorable, to be honest.
You might want to consider why you believe that high levels of rape in society is the norm (despite there being no evidence), and how that relates to what you think can be done about it.
You haven’t answered my other questions.
How about you tell me how we could achieve this totally safe society where any woman could walk around at any time of the night without fear of being attacked and raped.
What steps should be taken, what’s your ideas?
Mmm, your attempted deflection from backing up your own statements is delicious. May I have some more?
“What steps should be taken, what’s your ideas?”
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-17112012/comment-page-1/#comment-548925
thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-17112012/comment-page-1/#comment-548927
Start with those.
The smarter woman takes steps to reduce the chances of rape happening
I agree, BM. That’s why I live in an underground bunker and refuse to have contact with all men.
After all, the statistics tell us I’m most likely to be attacked by someone I know in my own home, so being a “smarter woman”, I’ve taken the necessary steps to reduce that risk.
The smarter society realises and supports the idea that people should be able to walk around anywhere and not be attacked rather defending the attackers and blaming the victims as you’re doing.
+1 Draco T Bastard
What a load of misogynistic crap BM.
what I often ponder, considering my experiential knowledge of the field, is the neurological damage that this culture of binge-drinking among young people will have, which takes time to heal, and the proportion of these young people who, statistically speaking, will develop “alcohol abuse” and “alcohol dependence” health histories; the DSM IV covers these matters at length, along with narcissism.
People drink to fit in. People fear difference. Intelligent people are different, and can cause huge social angst when they put average citizens down (loss of status). So why is it hard to fathom, that young people fear coming off as intelligent, want to fit in, and so abuse their brains.
Fearful people join groups in order to maintain security.
so the question is why is there so much wealth created by fear mongering? Well simple,
greedy crony capitalism distorts to make money, and creating a society of inequity,
fear of inequity, fear of being isolated, fear of being thrown out of society, being
made a non-citizen, will inevitable lead to gangs, to drinking to fit in, to…
There’s an old saying, what comes around goes around, and I think it means, that if you push values of supremacy then inevitably you are enslaved by your own dealings. Take the recent ponsi collapse, the trusting investors did not appreciate the GFC, National were not explaining the GFC, saying growth is just around the corner, so of course it was easier for investors to think the above market returns were realistic. You see it, National spin turns into shit hitting the fan for National, as Key promised to clear up the investment industry!
As a nation we are peddling lies about the weak taking over, destroying the economy, but in fact the weak are the National party and all hangers on who cannot stand on their own feet but neew no tax on CGT, need the socialism for the wealthy to be successful, be economically drunk and in need of a bonus on the board of a company, because they joined a group out of fear, not for positive reasons.
The need for alcohol or for profit, its all the same, security. Whethe r it be drinking to fit in, or joining a gang, or even supporting the current clueless National fear mongers in the Beehive.
I mean seriously, the rich made vast amounts gaming the system to produce huge indebtedness, and people really think they deserve to avoid tax increases, but this meme is a regular appearance on the news. It was tax decreases that got us into this mess!!!
you often, coherently, make reasonable points, now.
somebody , Tane, from memory, the other day referred to post-structuralist deconstruction as the necessary tools. They are certainly useful tools; what social policy advice influences policy is political, it appears, however, this deconstructive stuff is being written and published everyday; we can but spread the Word.
It is encouraging that young-ish people are likely to read and / or comment here as that is who we who are older are here for, aren’t we?
Now, I been following Chinese politics lightly, (too much audio-visual may be desensitizing, it certainly blows me away when I haven’t seen the bleeding and limp-dead children for a couple of days)
anyway, one quote from a citizen, maybe from the village where the new Leader spent Seven years of his youth living in a cave, said the Party aim is to make every Chinese person wealthy; well I can see they have certainly made some progress towards that aim since The Cultural Revolution. Thing is, where is all that wealth / resource gonna come from in a “finite” system? Maybe from the West, I’m thinking.
And, the new Central Committee members are all very good at One thing; being in a Committee.
very helpful
People who drink first have to acknowledge that it is THEM who has the problem – not the rest of society.
AA has personal acknowledgement as part of their Oath.
Addicts don’t abide by laws and regulations so it is then rather pointless to increase ‘barriers’ to alcohol.
Thou shalt not kill
The potential for this conflict to escalate even further is there, with the Israelis calling up 30,000 reservists and amassing troops and tanks near the Gaza border. Despite a warning from Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, Israeli rocket and airstrikes have continued unabated, entirely dwarfing the retaliatory strikes coming from Palestine for the assassination of Hamas military leader Ahmed al-Jabari…
And Israel sits in morbid fear of Iran because of it as well.
They really need to open their eyes to one simple fact “Torture results in Torture”.
If they keep the element white hot simply to justify the “Self Defence” stance then it’s simply an engineered excuse for a fear perspectived suppression.
(i.e Israel starts talking “Terrorists” again )
On-To-It
many of your writings are very succinct and timely and timely Jackal
Thanks Rogue Trooper. It’s good to have some agreement and I think Israel and the United States need to know that not everybody in the west supports such an unjust war on the Palestinians. I think very few people would if they were made aware of the facts of the matter.
It will escalate as there is no solution to the fact that out of 70 odd water wells in Palestinian country more than 50% have been taped from the Israelis leaving the Palestinians – without water. Now you tell me, what solution is there? You can actually say that the Israelis deliberately undermine the survival of the Palestinians with these actions. So what solution would you offer? Albeit the information is accessible, not many report on it. Why?
http://www.ifamericansknew.org/cur_sit/water.html
Pure freakin evil, probably defines the entire problem from Day 1 of the Zionists.
Now you tell me, what solution is there?
The solution is simple and easily achieved: the United States must cease funding and supporting Israel’s illegal aggression and settlement programs, just as it was eventually persuaded to cease funding and supporting Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, apartheid South Africa, and the Suharto dictatorship in Indonesia.
Stopped supporting the dictatorship in Indonesia. When?
They are still selling them arms. training their military and helping with repressive police tactics.
In fact, so is New Zealand.
http://kjt-kt.blogspot.co.nz/2011/10/kia-ora-this-dictator-of-oil-rich.html
“This Dictator of an oil rich country.
Overthrew a democratically elected Government.
Murdered between 700 thousand and a million of his own citizens to get into power.
Brutally squashed two independence movements. Now engaged in squashing a third.
Keeps about 2/3 of his country in poverty.
Allows foreign companies to repatriate almost 100% of their profits. Especially Western oil companies.
Has the worst environmental record in the Pacific..
Allows abuse of workers in virtual slave labour.
Sends troops in to kill unionists.
Country has unsustainable debt.
Streets of beggars and homeless.
This Dictator of an oil rich country.
Left his country with no external debt.
Gave interest free loans to citizens.
Had Western standards of living.
Increased literacy from 25% to 83%.
Had the Highest Standard of living in Africa.
A proportion of all oil sales was credited to every citizens bank account.
No beggars in the streets and no homeless.
Guess which one was helped into place by the US Government and is supported by other Western Governments, including ours”.
The United States exists in mortal fear of the large number of its rich and powerful Israeli-born citizens. No President will dare to defy Israel, being so beholden to the vicious politicians in that country.
Actual Link
DODGY JOHN BANKS ….GOING……….GOING………….???
What happens if Graham McCready is successful in his private prosecution of John Banks under s.134(1) of the Local Electoral Act?
http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2001/0035/latest/DLM94799.html
134 False return
(1) Every candidate commits an offence who transmits a return of electoral expenses knowing that it is false in any material particular, and is liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or to a fine not exceeding $10,000.
_________________________________________________
If you want to read Judge Mill’s decision on the granting of a witness summons for John Banks – and not rumour and heresay – a full copy of her decision is available on http://www.dodgyjohnhasgone.com
‘Anti-corruption campaigner’.
Thanks 4 the update Penny 🙂
When is Banks going to get charged with false finance company statements?
I see they charged some housewife who was probably not aware of what her husband was doing.
What about Banks.
Seen this folks?
17 November 2012
Media Release:
Protest against Israeli attacks on Gaza – today 2pm, Aotea Square.
As Israeli troops mass at the Gaza border Global Peace and Justice Auckland is organising a march this Saturday to protest Israel’s assassination of a Palestinian leader in the Gaza strip and the deadly rocket attacks in which many Palestinians have lost their lives.
We will be calling on Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully to speak out for New Zealand and urge Israel to stop the carnage it started.
With our silence New Zealand is part of the Israeli killing machine.
Around the world the mainstream media has given an appalling pro-Israeli version of how and why the latest violence started. (See postscript to this release)
We hope to begin to redress the misinformation with a live link to kiwi activist Roger Fowler who is in Gaza on a solidarity mission for the New Zealand group Kia Ora Gaza. Call me for Roger’s international phone if you want to talk to him – and we hope you do.
Todays’ protest will include a mass throwing of old shoes at the US consulate. Throwing shoes is a traditional way of showing disgust at US/Israeli policies in the Middle East following the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at the then US President George Bush in a 2008 media conference.
These latest Israeli attacks continue the brutal victimisation of the Palestinian people of Gaza who are effectively locked in the largest open air prison in the world and treated like animals through an inhuman Israeli blockade.
Israeli justifications for the attacks are hollow. It is Israel’s racist policies and vicious mistreatment of Palestinians which are at the heart of this conflict. Israel policies alone pose the greatest threat to peace in the Middle East and in the world.
As well and blockading Palestinians in Gaza Israel maintain a military occupation of the West Bank while destroying Palestinian homes and farms to make way for Jewish-only settlements. These vicious de-humanising apartheid policies against Palestinians are in defiance of international law and numerous UN resolutions.
John Minto
Mike Treen
So you think nothing and nobody can revolt you?
You haven’t seen ALEX SELSKY in action….
Go to YouTube and type in the following:
“Gaza War Spiral: RT talks to Israeli PM spokesman”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8VbtRk5ufo&feature=player_embedded
If you are not disgusted by Mr Alex Selsky, there is something wrong with you.
yes. the war for the leadeship of the NZ Labour party may in Remembrance of Things Past, be overshadowed by the initiation of a much more significant War…
(go on “ask me ask me ask me..”)
The daily bombardment of Gaza is a “war”? Be careful of your terminology. This is a “war” in the sense the blockading of the Warsaw Ghetto was a war. One side has a massive and overwhelming advantage, the other side is almost entirely unarmed, penned in, and at the mercy of its tormentor.
National fails the environmental test
Clearly the media statements National made following the release of the Pure Advantage Green growth: opportunities for New Zealand report (PDF) were entirely false. The contradictions between them and what Bill English said in parliament on Thursday couldn’t be more apparent…
well, while the “gangs” all here (speaking of scouts, and other conservative establishments, how much more of this sexual manipulation of children by “respectable” persons is gonna be revealed)
I have seen and experienced a lot in my life, and when I was younger and establishing relationships with the opposite gender, I was continuously disturbed by the revelations of “partners” of the sexual abuse that had been visited upon them; now, regretably, in some ways, I had a disproportionate amount of partners for the time, yet, I would estimate at least half had been taken advantage of for the sexual gratification of an older male.
The most disturbing example was a young women, who had become quite “experimental” for the time, sharing with me how her Father, a former school teacher and MoE School Inspector, before he became self-employed, had systematically formed and developed sexual relationships with all Four of his daughters from primary school through to their teens (he is dead now);consequently, they all had deep psycho-social “issues”
anyway
Big Fat Lies
http://sweetpoison.com.au/?page_id=458
Fetish
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Growth_Fetish
now, I better do the garden to reimburse for my time wasted, on the internet that is
🙂
November 16, 2012
Gaza Blitz – Turmoil And Tragicomedy At The BBC
by David Cromwell and David Edwards
http://www.medialens.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=706:gaza-blitz-turmoil-and-tragicomedy-at-the-bbc&catid=25:alerts-2012&Itemid=69
BBC News is in turmoil. Having last year dropped a report on claims of sexual abuse against the late DJ and television presenter Jimmy Savile, the flagship Newsnight programme this month wrongly implicated Tory peer Lord McAlpine in child abuse. As a result, after just 54 days in his job, the BBC director-general, George Entwistle, ‘stepped down’ on November 10. The BBC’s head of news, Helen Boaden, and her deputy, Stephen Mitchell, were then also ‘asked’ to ‘step aside’. Peter Rippon, the Newsnight editor responsible for the Savile decision, had already ‘stepped aside’.
The Lord Patten-led BBC Trust, which is supposed to ensure that the BBC is run in the public interest, has once again been revealed as a useless, dangling appendage.
Newsnight’s journalistic failures on child abuse are bad enough, rightly heaping pressure on the broadcaster. But there was no comparable pressure for senior staff to ‘step aside’ over the BBC’s truly catastrophic failure to challenge US-UK propaganda on Iraq’s non-existent weapons of mass destruction and the country’s supposed ‘threat’ to the West. This failure paved the way to war in Iraq and the subsequent brutal and bloody occupation at a cost of hundreds of thousands of lives. As Media Lens noted recently on Twitter: ‘If you think Newsnight failed badly now, compare with anchor Jeremy Paxman’s 2009 confession on Iraq’: namely, that he and his media colleagues were ‘hoodwinked’ by propaganda about Iraq. Paxman made these extraordinary comments….
Read more….
http://www.medialens.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=706:gaza-blitz-turmoil-and-tragicomedy-at-the-bbc&catid=25:alerts-2012&Itemid=69
Sounds like a lot of antisemitism rubbish to me. Not surprised though. Socialists hate success. The State of Israel is very successful in both defending itself and in making money. Therefore the nasty State of Israel should be kinder to the poor wee Palestinians.
Yeah, Syrkin, Ben-Gurion, Katznelson, and Meir, all success hating socialists.
Oh, do grow up, Monique. It’s not anti-semitic to oppose the bullying of the powerless by the powerful. It’s a sign of character. And us socialists love success, we just define it differently from righties. Socialists want success for the majority, your lot see success as entirely personal and something only the minority should enjoy.
Shooting 30 or more non-involved Palestinians for every Israeli killed seems to me to be too reminiscent of certain German methods in the 40’s.
Far from being anti Semitic, I know there is a large number of Jewish people who think that Israel should be better than that.
You’re utterly ignorant. You need to read the piece and then think. So far you’ve done neither.
The State of Israel shouldn’t exist as people, specifically the Palestinians, already occupied the territory that the Zionists wanted. It came into being as a declaration from the UN and terrorism by the Zionists.
BTW, Palestinians are Semitic as well so where’s the anti-Semitism?
Monique, I will not write what I am sorely tempted to, instead I will let this image illuminate your hate. Your vile sanctimonious wastrel of a comment shows that you seem oblivious to or proud of how ignorant you are, and I cannot decide which is the more pitiful.
http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/converted_islam/35446474/13326/13326_original.jpg
I pity her ignorance the most, mainly because if Monique Yea or Nay [sic] Watson actually bothered to learn the truth about the Israeli Palestinian conflict, she wouldn’t have displayed such sanctimonious drivel.
I know nothing about political conferences and this post is probably loaded with naivety but here goes.
Somehow a lot of the remits seemed so last century – where is there anything about taking the fight to the opposition, using some of their tactics against them. It takes time to build up what the last labour government did, but no time to wreck it. Destroying it needs to be made a lot harder.
Take PPP, a left government could sign a contract with the teacher’s unions to provide services to state schools with the appropriate standards and some large break clauses, sort of Serco in reverse,
which would make it more difficult to divert funds to the private sector.
Asset sales. At the moment all the shares in the companies are held by the Minister of finance. Put a block of these shares into a trust for the employees and customers of the company. Most of the time it won’t matter but if something large comes up then the minority provisions of the Companies Act click in and the trustees are bound by their duties which should slow things down considerably.
Groups excluded by National. (Everybody but rich white males) Don’t let the framing be around a “more Interventionist” left but one of leveling a tilted playing field so that all citizens are able to contribute. Look at the benefits we will all gain from Maori stance on water , thanks from us all.
Lastly, I didn’t think David Shearer’s comments about bloggers were smart. If words didn’t matter then why the drive to control MSM by the right. Social media is a way for those not involved or incensed by the MSM to bring otherwise hidden opinions and actions to light. Of course the MSM hate and belittle this, because of the loss of control by them over the discourse but a wise political party should see the benefits.
People who take the time to blog are I suspect likely to be influencers and opinion formers out there in the real world. Just because I blog here doesn’t mean that I don’t try to influence opinions out there in real life on a case by case basis and sometimes I believe I suceed.
I personally, have no idea who the other bloggers on here are apart from some mental pictures and I never will unless Lprent throws a party…..
I can tolerate Shearer but I think he needs to use everything and everybody he has to the maximum capacity not sledge likely supporters.
Here ends today’s rant.
+1
I don’t think Shearer has “the fire in the belly” (I was going to say, balls, but QOT would then have mine) or the inclination, to lead Labour both into reversing the neo-liberal crap which has failed us to date, and deal with the third way advocates in Labour.
I agree to you both; When Shearer said on tele, a little red-faced, that he will be leader, and lead the party to win in 2014, I thought, hmmm, a little presumptious, but maybe he is a committee man 🙂
in person
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personalist
Should have expanded. What would it have cost Shearer to
1. Have a punt at the MSM ” Labour values all forms of discourse and social media has a big place in forming and voicing emerging opinion and preventing complacency and the status quo from ruling as the Nacts would like”
2. and keeping the heat off himself ” this may not mean that we agree with everything said but respect right to say it , and of course I’ve been voted in as the man for the job by the party” [small smile on face]
Yes, he could have shown good political judgement. Except – he hasn’t got any.
He is only listening to those he wants to hear, which is usually the kind of thing that happens when politicians have been in power for ages and have lost touch. But – incredibly – Shearer is showing the same disconnect from reality at the start of his leadership. And that’s why he’s doomed.
You know, from a purely tactical point of view, I would say of everything Shearer has been saying lately about his position, something like this:
Of course that’s what he has to say – to say otherwise would be to admit an error or to play into his opponents’ hands.
Really, he can’t say something like this:
Yes indeed, there is a serious threat to my so-called leadership.
Or:
All those bloggers and columnists are longtime Labour supporters and they have legitimate concerns that I really must address.
Let alone:
Yep, when Fran O’Sullivan with the piss-tinted spectacles, Matthew Hooton, Richard Long, David Farrar – AKA The Penguin – and all those other goons are supporting me and respected left-of-centre writers think I’m a pile of dingoes kidneys, I’ve got to admit that I’m probably not the man for the job after all.
He can’t say anything other than what he’s saying because he’s painted himself into a corner and it’s too late.
When the time comes, what he will not say is “Et tu, Brute,” because it will be a surprise to no-one – not even himself. You see, despite the strong resemblance, he’s just a wee, tiny, little bit (but not much) smarter than Dilbert’s pointy-haired boss.
Bye bye Dave. Maybe you should swap that guitar for a violin or maybe in your spare time you could paint your roof.
“but one of leveling a tilted playing field”
– spot on.
The present National Party that has been hijacked by banksters, money launderers, gamblers, Big Corporates, and the 1%, extract unfair advantage from the tilted playing field, and they continue to tilt the playing field even more in their own favour and interest.
I saw David Shearer on TV this morning and I while I’m sure he’s a very nice chap, I just wish he’d do the following:
A. Keep his mouth closed at all times except when speaking; and
B. Stop licking his lips all the time. The lizard-like tongue constantly darting out makes him look very nervous and besides that just looks a bit icky.
Can’t someone just tell him?
The nervous fixed grin doesn’t help other.
You cannot tell him because it is highly questionable that he is in fact “a very nice chap” (look how he regards critics from his own party; consider his openly expressed egotism). Regardless, I am rather suspicious of these “very nice chaps” (particularly of the Key variety!) This “very nice chap” phrase has by now become a well worn-out and meaningless cliche.
Yeah, I never got that “Key is a nice guy” thing at all. He always seemed revoltingly smarmy – and likewise, I don’t get the “Shearer is a nice guy” thing either. Sure, you can be a bumbling, incompetent nice guy who ultimately wins through in an Adam Sandler film, but in real life you can be a bumbling incompetent, vain, tin-eared, inarticulate, unsuitable, ignorant, cynical, spineless, focus group-driven, dull, passionless, visionless, unprincipled, egotistical and fundamentally stupid arsewipe of a puppet who’s a sad waste of space too.
People have their tells – Key has that hiss of indrawn breath to show that he knows he’s lying (yes, OK, lips moving and words coming out is a tell that he’s lying, but I mean deliberately since lying is a matter of reflex for him) and Shearer has the lip-licking to show that he’s scared.
The reality.
http://www.juancole.com/2012/11/wagging-the-dog-in-gaza-netanyahus-skirmish-of-fear-sternfeld.html
With the 2013 elections just months away, Barak sees polls for his now rapidly vanishing party sending him to early retirement, and just like in Hanukkah 2008, Israel decided to break a ceasefire and assassin the Hamas senior military persona, Ahmad Jaberi. Hamas, as expected, responded with firing rockets on Israel’s southern regions, and to the great satisfaction of both Hamas and Israel, a full-scale war is being evolved.
http://www.jeremiahhaber.com/2012/11/israels-pre-election-war.html
I spoke with an expert on the Israeli military shortly after “Operation Cast Lead,” and when I told him that many argued that the operation was a reaction to Hamas rocket-fire, he laughed. He said that Hamas rocket-fire was deliberately provoked when Israel broke the cease-fire so that Israel could do a little “spring cleaning,” deplete Hamas’s arsenal of weapons. He told me that this happens every few years, and that I should expect it to happen in another few years. Israel will assassinate a Hamas leader, Hamas will have to respond (wouldn’t Israel, under those circumstances?) and Israel will perform a “clean up” operation. If Hamas is smart and doesn’t play into Israel’s hands, then Israel will also come out ahead, because it will be weakened in the eyes of the Palestinian public. It’s win-win for Israel. That’s what having control means.
edit: This too.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/11/15/assassinating-the-chance-for-calm.html
The assassination of Jaabari was a pre-emptive strike against the possibility of a long term ceasefire. Netanyahu has acted with extreme irresponsibility. He has endangered the people of Israel and struck a real blow against the few important more pragmatic elements within Hamas. He has given another victory to those who seek our destruction, rather than strengthen those who are seeking to find a possibility to live side-by-side, not in peace, but in quiet.
I know not everyone here always thinks particularly highly of Messrs Trotter and Bradbury, but together with Wayne Hope they had a good discussion on Citizen A the other day.about where Labour is at, among other things.
Recent media coverage of The Standard comes up in the discussion.
http://youtu.be/FcjopHGLnwU
Searching documentary about the anti-semitic question that I was fortunate to see recently.
Try watching the trailer. Very questioning, and shows some people are thinking seriously about Israel and Jewish attitudes. One thing comes across – how hypersensitive to negative feelings about them, no matter how fleeting or isolated, some Jews are. Doc is called Defamation.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1377278/
Hi Prism.
People just take a ganders at how the religious racial state was signed up for, and the powers behind making it happen, then take a look at the “peace” in the middle east since then to understand that the Israel story is nothing like what the media or recent history want to paint it as being about!
It is a sick joke on humanity, and like the political correctness movement, if one dares even questions Israel, one is labelled as anti-semetic, and any discusion shut down. What needs to be rememebed is that many Jewish people were sacrificed in odrer to create the State, so in some ways the Jewish people, mostly those who were poor, and hoping to return were those who were sacrificed.
Looking at it, to me the situation is entirely manufactured to serve the purpose, that has been the 64 years of ME war since, which has of course spilled out into Africa, and beyond, its all part of the same game. The planet is living with the pre and post formation of Israel every day, one just needs look at our shameless pro israel media to see the powers behind the story telling, and how will that change!
Only by people waking up and challenging what they believe to know about history, because we are not living in history, we are ALL living in the lies created by others, and passed of as history!
Kierkegaard’s work presents a viable contrast to the “Hegelian” historical determinism of particular peoples that is so often deferred to by the status quo