This (leaving aside all the horrors inflicted since) is why all the plans that have Assad’s regime staying in power will simply not work. It would be like trying to restore the Baathists in Iraq.
It is really up to the people of Syria to decide who they want as leader of their country ( not USA or Israel) ….and the people of Syria voted for Assad overwhelmingly…
So that’s as far as that mandate extends, such as it’s worth.
But you may have noticed that a sizable number of Syrians don’t want him as leader; to the extent they have taken up arms and shit. You may have also noticed that he has completely failed to put their revolt down; to the extent that he has had to invite the Russians, hezbollah, Iraqi shia militia, and the Iranians in to assist. You may have even noticed that millions have fled.
I’m actually delighted that business woman Victoria Crone is standing in the 2016 Auckland Mayoralty.
That takes the pro-Supercity / pro-corporate 2016 Auckland Mayoral candidates to four:
Stephen Berry
Mark Thomas
Phil Goff
Victoria Crone
Surely all those highly-paid corporate spin-doctors haven’t forgotten ‘Electoral Politics 101’?
DON’T SPLIT THE VOTE?
How DUMB is that?
Hate to remind you – but in 2013 – only 36% of Auckland voters bothered?
So – here’s the thing.
Nearly two thirds of Auckland voters didn’t in 2013 – which is a rather large number of potential voters?
What if significant numbers of previous non-voters feel inspired to vote for a Mayoral candidate – who clearly doesn’t represent corporate interests?
And the third of Auckland voters who did vote in 2013, are now ‘spoiled for choice’ with the ever-growing numbers of pro- corporate / pro- ‘Supercity’ candidates – ie: the vote is potentially significantly split.
Actually – I think you will find increasing numbers of Auckland voters are starting to realise that a Mayoral candidate who is campaigning for Auckland Council and CCOs to be held accountable to the ‘rule of law’ regarding citizens and ratepayers’ LAWFUL rights to ‘open, transparent and democratically accountable’ local government – is an increasingly attractive proposition.
(That’s what I’ve been finding out in the Eastern suburbs ….:)
My ‘vision’ Tracey, is to ensure that Auckland Council and Auckland Council Controlled Organisations (CCOs) are held accountable to the ‘Rule of Law’ regarding citizens LAWFUL rights to ‘open, transparent and democratically accountable’ local government.
The Auckland Mayor has a dedicated budget to help ensure the implementation of the Mayoral vision.
(In the 2014 – 2015 financial year, the Auckland Mayoral Office budget was $4.15 million.)
So – in order to achieve this – I shall employ a small team of professional, highly competent forensic accountants / auditors, who will ‘go through the books with a fine tooth comb’, in order to find out exactly where public monies in the Auckland region are being spent, invested and borrowed.
I shall then make that information available for public scrutiny.
How can you carry out ‘cost benefit’ analyses for ‘cost-effectiveness’ in the spending of public monies, if you don’t know exactly where the costs fall?
How can you exercise ‘prudent stewardship’ / ‘fiscal responsibility’ – if you don’t know exactly where the ‘costs’ fall?
When I am elected Mayor of Auckland, and the Public Records Act 2005 (in particular), is implemented and enforced in a proper, lawful way, transparency, in my view, will be transformed.
My vision is also that the public majority of Auckland citizens, not a private corporate minority, should benefit from public monies.
That Auckland ‘local government’ – should focus on being citizen and local community ‘friendly’ – not multi-national ‘business friendly’.
My vision is that unless rigorous ‘cost-benefit’ analysis supports the contracting out (privatisation) of Auckland Council services and regulatory functions, then they should be brought back ‘in house’, under the public service model.
My vision includes replacing the CCO model for infrastructure and trading functions, and bringing these back under direct Council control.
The corporate ‘Rogernomics’ vision has been ‘commercialise, corporatise – PRIVATISE’.
First CCOs (Council ‘CORPORATE’ Controlled Organisations) – then PPPs (Public Private Partnerships).
Beware the ‘weasel words’!
Does Phil Goff support or oppose CCOs?
Does Phil Goff support or oppose PPPs?
Yes, as has been explained to madame candidate many times now. If someone wants to change the supercity structure then they need to be in government, not in council.
“My vision includes replacing the CCO model for infrastructure and trading functions, and bringing these back under direct Council control.”
Hi Penny,
I am interested in your vision. If you were elected would you not be hamstrung by the legislation – The Local Government Auckland Council Act of 2010?
Are you campaigning on an issue that you would have no control over, after you became Mayor?
I think Rodney Hide stitched the Auckland Council up tightly, in his corporate/privatization reforms, and the Mayor does not have any power to change that.
Eastern suburbs consult with Auckland Transport on new bus network
11 December 2015
Concerned bus users in Auckland’s eastern suburbs were pleased with the outcome of a recent public meeting.
Activist Penny Bright facilitated a meeting between residents and Auckland Transport officials as they discussed the new bus network proposal.
St Heliers-Glendowie Residents Association member Robert Johnston was pleased with AT’s willingness to listen to suggestions.
“With public transport, if you’re going to make it work you’ve got to make it attractive to people to use,” he says.
He says that one of the main concerns the residents had was AT’s intention to direct some bus routes to the Orakei and Meadowbank train stations.
Resident John Coutts agrees that some of the routes need improvement over what was initially suggested.
“We want to maintain a direct link to the city and not feed the trains,” he says.
Coutts says that the Orakei area in particular is so close to the city that it would make more sense to have Britomart as their “hub” station, instead of extending their journey by 20 to 30 minutes by forcing a transfer at Orakei Station.
Public consultation on the new network was extended to December 14.
Public transport network manager Anthony Cross says that AT will take all of the feedback into consideration as they refine the new network design.
They do have a point about Orakei, but they are otherwise bucking the overall regional integrated network design by opposing short bus spokes to train hubs. That is how AT propose to get twice as many passenger trips from the same number of buses and drivers, all over the region. It’s also why the CRL is crucial, to double the rail network’s capacity so it can handle all those extra tranferring passengers. In short, sorry Easties but you are not special.
“The potential for school closure is a strength, not a weakness, of the Partnership Schools model.” – These bastards forget that these are kids lives we are talking about, so what if they spend a year or 2 at a substandard fucked up experimental school, no worries, try again next year. These are the parents making “poor choices” IMO.
Other OECD countries – we tend to be in the middle of most measures (taxes, spread of wealth, social spending, etc)
Social agenda – New Zealand has gay marriage, no smacking – the PM voted for both.
International deployments – NZ has trainers in Iraq , but no combat role, like about 50 other countries in the coalition.
Previous New Zealand governments – most commentators put National with Key a bit to the right of Labour under Helen Clark – but in both cases they are near to the centre. National has kept interest free loans for students, Working for Families, kept the ERA, not changed ACC. It even got Labour to vote for the latest RMA reforms.
To justify your claim you need to be able to substantiate it with actual examples. And TPP does not count, unless you think Canada, Chile and Vietnam are also extreme right wing countries.
hi wayne, i will bite.
“To justify your claim you need to be able to substantiate it with actual examples”
selling to us something we already own, our power companies.
getting a multi national corporation to run our prisons.
(without researching it i am picking sercos parent company has a bigger balance sheet than aoteroa)
bail out scf.
running a school experiment that doesnt work, cost heaps and and mucks up childrens education.
all of it hard right ideology
and this is just some of the stuff we know about.
what are the pandas hiding?
is it a court case for a high profile person?
Chile had its leftish government overthrown with publicly exposed USA intervention, and was under an awful regime of RW for many years, probably never has got over that. Vietnam another country that was attacked by the USA and has been left with a large amount of illness caused by Agent Orange.
These countries have had decades of trying to restabilise themselves after being broken by USA intervention.
Canada – has been sued by USA interests, and had its ability to handle its own resources and economy undermined by treating with the USA – now with a less RW leader who knows what will happen? A Chile right on the USA’s doorstep might be a bit smelly. But there are other ways of bringing them to heel. A country’s political orientation can be fairly easily subverted – look at our own.
Our very own esteemed Labour Party was taken over by subversives trained probably at Harvard as easily as a local community group can be overwhelmed and subsumed by a rigged membership voting for their own hostile, financially predatory candidates.
Cutting taxes for the rich and raising taxes for the poor and justifying it with “broader economic growth” that has 0 scientific rigour behind it, only to then be surprised when the economy doesn’t do as well as predicted.
Running up the largest debt this country has ever seen, after it was paid down to a net-0 position by the previous government. Largely this was a result of the tax cuts.
Refusing any sort of proper market intervention in the Auckland housing crisis, until eventually being forced to put in a weak version of CGT (2 year bright line test). Maintaining the existing “accommodation supplement” payments which just end up in the pockets of the landlords which only fuels the Auckland housing crisis, an extreme version of middle and upper-class welfare (far far worse than interest free student loans).
Economic policy is well to the right of what is reasonable – I know managed decline is your de facto strategy but a lot of kiwis want that growth and jobs you lied about. Cheap farm labourers is a false economy while there are out of work New Zealanders.
It’s the dishonesty and the incompetence we don’t like – if you actually had a working plan instead of a disinformation machine you’d get more respect – but you run up Grecian levels of debt and try to pretend you’re geniuses.
Iceland jailed a more honest and competent government than yours.
Extreme economic ideologues, Wayne. I’m not talking about social policies, but plain old neo-liberalism.
You have heard of the extreme philosophies of Ayn Rand and Milton Friedman, haven’t you? We have been guinea pigs for their ideology since 1984.
Canada, under Harper was an extreme right wing country,dedicated to tar sands, ultra support of Israel and attacks on civil rights. But you knew that, didn’t you?
And the TPP is an attempt by corporates to control the legislative powers of democratic countries.
Why are you so subservient to corporate interests? Do they pay you well?
Either you are being willfully ignorant on all of this or you are being duplicitous for your corporate masters.
Our disgusting PM makes jokes about rape in prison and pulls young girls pony tails.
And a contemptible number of middle class property owning New Zealanders like him because their house prices keep going up.
They deserve the consequences.
Unfortunately others don’t.
His ordinary Kiwi bloke image is exactly that. An image. And those that still believe that PR construct are either willfully ignorant or suckers for advertising. Others, including some of the RWNJs who troll this site, who repeat the statement that John is just like an average NZers, are part of the lie.
They know very well that he is far more comfortable playing golf with his buddies from Merrrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs on the golf courses of Hawaii than frequenting his local RSA.
People who vote for Key deserve the consequences of supporting his extreme neo-liberal government.
….but it seems USA politicians are a law unto themselves and dont listen to their own CIA and military intelligence advisers…and are dominated by short term electoral results and certain funding /lobby groups in USA
…ask yourself…who has most to benefit from the destabilisation of the Middle East?
Headline says, “Little now backs SAS in Isis war”
But of course there has to be provisos.
“Labour leader Andrew Little said Labour would support sending SAS troops to fight Isis if the right conditions were met.
Those conditions were having a clear and realistic objective, that it would have to be part of a multinational mission mandated by the United Nations and that the level of risk needed to be acceptable.”
Multilateralism and the UN have always been a core part of Labour policy, but I wonder if resolution 2249 would be construed as explicit UN authorisation which:
Calls upon Member States that have the capacity to do so to take all necessary measures, in compliance with international law, in particular with the United Nations Charter, as well as international human rights, refugee and
humanitarian law, on the territory under the control of ISIL also known as Da’esh, in Syria and Iraq, to redouble and coordinate their efforts to prevent and suppress terrorist acts committed specifically by ISIL also known as Da’esh as well as ANF, and all other individuals, groups, undertakings, and entities associated with
Al Qaeda…
‘John Key frequently over steps the mark and even embarrasses himself, like he did when he regularly pulled a waitress’ ponytail, clearly not intending to cause offence but apologising for overstepping the behavioural boundary.’
Yes. I shall repeat his words.
‘when he regularly pulled a waitress’ ponytail, clearly not intending to cause offence’….
What a disgraceful apology for journalism, Mr Soper. Are you expecting favour from the court of John Key?
I wonder what Heather du Plessis-Allan thinks of Key’s abuse of young women in this way?
These media lackeys, courtesans and courtiers need to be held to account.
Heather is saying nothing is important because whatever it is they’re saying there is more important stuff that trumps it. She would say that the 29 in Pike River is not important because hundreds died in Chineses mines. Or something.
This morning Morning Report discussed the latest Key singing and soap story. The verdict pointed out that Key avoids the harder interviews and concentrates on soft radio programs where listeners don’t care about the politics and want just the entertaining. So no harm done?
Put me in mind the lashing that Colin Craig got for being interviewed in a sauna. Disgraceful said the media. But the response to Key’s unbecoming behaviour? Michelle Boag gives it gentle approval. So that’s OK.
A new monthly newsleter has ‘hit the stands’ which promises ” a practical, dispassionate analysis of politics”. At $35 per month you too can read the premium analytical journal in the land. Danyl McLauchlan has kindly critiqued the first edition:
“Philip Zimbardo is the American psychologist whose 1971 study on prison mentality exposed the ease at which participants playing the role of guards, began psychologically torturing their prisoners.The Stanford Prison Experiment centred on a group of college students who were deemed prisoners or guards at the flip of a coin and showed that within 24 hours those with power, used it mercilessly – and the group who were prisoners succumbed to submission just as easily.
In recent years he has turned his attention to the disconnect between males and the real world because of online pornography, and a lack of role models and positive interactions. Professor Zimbardo is also behind a new initiative Heroic Imagination Project, which stems from his work on what makes people do bad things – and instead focuses on what qualities make people act in heroic ways.”
Echoes of that reaction were in the “Blue eyes v Brown eyes” experiment where those in a classroom with brown eyes were persecuted by the rest of the class to demonstrate just how cruel discrimination is. The “good” ones became so involved with their roles that they scared themselves.
I saw a programme on that experiment. Part of the process involved role reversal as the brown eyes got their time as being superior. The learnings by the students lasted for decades as their testimony showed. Great process and great teaching.
Here’s a news item from America where young non-Muslim female students have adopted wearing Muslim head scarves in solidarity with their Muslim fellows.
The article mentions what treatment they are likely to receive in Trumphant (sic, my words) America.- a real life experiment in walking in someone else’s shoes.
Yep. Know that one too CR. Some revelled in the shock giving. Most didn’t.
An historian said that in mortal combat most drafted soldiers would avoid killing anyone if they could. But in every unit were a few who went out of their way to kill others and laughed while doing so. Even killing those who were no longer a threat. Bit disturbing that amongst us there are such people. Me. I help insects to escape outside.
National has shown surprising contempt for schools in some of its most blue South Island electorates since it took office. It has closed the Prime Minister’s old school (about 400 metres down the road from me)and rezoned it for developers to build on. No rhyme or reason for it since Ilam electorate schools thanks to Labour, were already nearly full, having had roll expansions anywhere between 50-100%.
Recently Hekia Parata said she was going to close Redcliffs School and that she had been fair and given the school the opportunity to make a stand. Hekia was always going to close the school. She has ignored the fact that the school can be made nearly completely safe from rock fall, and that the small bit that could not be, the school was prepared to surrender. Not only that, but a contractor was prepared to do the remedial work for free.
Would love to see the back of this Government, but not wholly convinced Labour can deliver the goods.
Just gone off to read Kelvin’s site thanks rapateet. His report on the Ministry misdeeds to steal $18million off the Rangiora College community is breathtaking. The Ministry removed the BOT and the Principal so that they could use a Commissioner to strip the assets as had been for decades legally in the control of BOT and Principal on behalf of the Community. The grounds for sacking included “financial mismanagement” but the books have been audited and were always were totally clear. Ministry Mischief?
The Principal had gone to a course which the Ministry said was unauthorised and they removed her. The course was authorised by the BOT and correctly came out of the Principal’s Professional Development budget. Mischief?
Thank goodness someone is raising these issues like Phillipstown School forcefully merged and now the new site is overcrowded. Redcliff School forcefully closed with no justification. Parata and her Ministry are working against the interests of children.
As repateet wrote visit https://networkonnet.wordpress.com
Fomenting Happy Mischief since Monday;
My recent excursions on to David Farrar’s Kiwiblog.
Thursday 17 December 2015
It is an irrefutable fact that The Standard has far superior, more intelligent and liberal contributors than either Kiwiblog or Whaleoil. That’s why I spend most of my spare time here. Now and again, however, I like to stir things up in Dullsburgh and Stupidville, and pay our extreme right wing friends a visit.
Since being banned for life over on Whaleoil, I have had to turn to David Farrar’s Kiwiblog for my occasional fix of boor-baiting. I had made a couple of comments there over the years, but usually forgot to go back and check up on the responses. On Monday, however, I re-registered and sent my first little missive into the chickenhawks’ cage. Since then, I’ve earned myself close to one hundred down votes on a variety of posts….
Kiwiblog has a system whereby very popular posts are highlighted in yellow. Very unpopular posts, on the other hand, are highlighted in pink. Consider, for instance, this message that I posted there yesterday….
I also posted that message on this forum, where it attracted only approving comments. On Kiwiblog, however, it has so far attracted 29 down votes, as well as, encouragingly, 2 up votes. (Thank you, whoever you are!)
A couple of hours after that, someone called “kowtow” wrote, hilariously….
I see we have a new racist here called morrissey
“Simon Pound reminded us that Los Angeles children are under far more danger from white home-grown Christian terrorists than they are from any Islamic terrorists.”
I suspect Los Angeles children are in more danger from blacks and browns than from whites.
A bit later, “Longknives” delivered the following zinger….
Viz Magazine used to sell ‘Morrissey is a Twat’ T-Shirts.
Just thought that was timely..
(That garnered 11 up votes.)
Still, it’s gotta be said, despite the alarming complacency and the militant ignorance of so many of the commenters—imagine a board full of Gosmans—that Farrar’s blog, which does permit dissent and argument, is immensely more civilised and intelligent than Whaleoil’s boor-fest.
From Bewilderment Valley, this is Morrissey Breen reporting for Daisycutter Sports Television.
Thanks for the encouraging words, Sans Cle. Actually, there are quite a few dissenting voices on Kiwiblog, and a good level of debate there. It’s well worth a visit.
Although, as is almost immediately clear to anyone who spends some time there, the intellectual tone of Kiwiblog is far below that of the Standard.
Morrissey…I confess to wandering over there occasionally, and find myself only reading the comments that attract the most down votes.
And reading replies to the comments that attract the most down votes.
“Boor baiting”…spot on.
(I nearly, nearly signed up myself the other day, incensed by the post as well as some of the comments….(get your facts right for gods sakes!!!)…but I resisted…I would have to shower after, and we’re conserving water…
The whole “John Key is a really cool jokey blokey type” narrative…rips my undies….yuuuck.
Chocolate fish to you Sir, for boldly going and all that…
I used to comment on Kiwiblog before world+dog went there and it became a haven for the worst rednecks racists and violent idiots. Anyone with a semblance of sanity gets voted down hard. It does make one sad about the state of kiwi blokedom (it’s 99% dudes commenting there) and the ability of my fellow humans to think logically or have any charity
The action relates to the way the agencies dealt with changes to property advertising on the Trade Me website, the commission said.
It has filed proceedings in the Auckland High Court for alleged price fixing and anti-competitive behaviour by 13 national and regional real estate agencies, three individuals, as well as a company owned by a number of national real estate agencies.
Adam Smith said:
We rarely hear, it has been said, of the combinations of masters, though frequently of those of the workman. But whoever imagines, upon this account, that masters rarely combine, is as ignorant of the world as of the subject.
I’ve had a bit of a read of this one and I’m struggling a bit. As far as I can see real estate agencys decided they didn’t want to absorb/consume Trade me’s offering at the increased prices.
One reaction was for clients to have the trade me cost charged through to them (which is done with a number of other marketing techniques).
The other was to drive more business the way of the real estate industry’s dedicated site.
These reactions were discussed between agencies.
Clients of agencies could presumably still negotiate their marketing package & costs with any agents they wished to use and there is no evidence as far as I can see that this did not happen.
So effectively agencies decided to boycott(or pass on increased costs) to some extent the Trade me costs.
So my question is that if a group of people decide not to consume or use a service,
is that not their right ?
If the neighbourhood got together and decided to boycott the local supermarkets in favour of getting their own veggie truck from Pukekohe isn’t that similar?
I’ve had a bit of a read of this one and I’m struggling a bit. As far as I can see real estate agencys decided they didn’t want to absorb/consume Trademe’s offering at the increased prices.
One reaction was for clients to have the trade me cost charged through to them which is done with a number of other marketing techniques).
The other was to drive more business the way of the real estate industry’s dedicated site. These reactions were discussed between agencies.
The discussion between agencies would be the problem – it’s cartel behaviour.
So my question is that if a group of people decide not to consume or use a service, is that not their right ?
That is their right but that doesn’t bring about charges of price fixing and High Court cases.
If the neighbourhood got together and decided to boycott the local supermarkets in favour of getting their own veggie truck from Pukekohe isn’t that similar?
That would be dependent upon if people in the neighbourhood were free to go elsewhere.
She is pleased that her mates in Serco are making a few million $$$ more out of the taxpayer due to increased rates of incarceration. She is also pleased that the cops are skewing their crime reporting stats to make NatCorp™ look good.
Nobody gives a f*ck about actual crime rates or victims thereof, in fact their ACC is being cut off
Police did though find a .22 rifle and some other items that could be related to drug use, though this was yet to be confirmed.
Can’t say that I’ve ever used a rifle in my drug use. I’m pretty sure that the oils on it would give the whiskey a funny flavour and it would also be incredibly difficult to drink out of.
It was earlier reported two CYF social workers had visited the property earlier in the day and became ill later in the afternoon.
CYF released a statement saying the workers were treated for “possible exposure to dangerous chemicals”.
Yes, but were they actually tested for “possible exposure to dangerous chemicals” which I think would probably be a better idea before applying the wrong treatment and assuming that the right one was applied. Also, was the house itself tested for the dangerous chemicals?
Detective Senior Sergeant Dave de Lange said police got information from “various sources” that led them to believe there was a meth lab inside the Elliot St, Taradale house.
Residents of houses on the quiet street said the family living in the house had been renting it for about a year and they tended to keep to themselves.
Why do I get the feeling that the ‘various sources’ are the neighbours who are simply suspicious of people who keep to themselves?
Wellington High Court judge Justice Clifford issued his judgement today on the legality of the police search of Nicky Hager’s home on 2 October 2014.
The judge found that the search was illegal. He said that the Police had failed to disclose relevant information to the Judge who issued the warrant. As a result, he formally declared that the warrant was “fundamentally unlawful”. He also found that the search was therefore unlawful. Justice Clifford also expressed concerns about other aspects of the Police’s actions.
More to go but I’m not expecting any real difference in the court findings.
Now we need for the people who conducted this illegal search to be held accountable. Unfortunately, we can probably expect urgent legislation from this government making it legal.
Great result for Nicky and his team. A true Kiwi standing up against a sick establishment. I hope he wins some kind of compensation after this saga. Were the cops attempting to stifle his next book about Police malfeasance?
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Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
Photo by Alvan Nee on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...
Buzz from the Beehive One minister is talking tough while a colleague – whose ministry had acted tough and drawn a barrage of flak – has shown an official softening. Some ministers are doing what Labour was good at, which is distributing public funds to causes regarded as worthy or ...
A ballot for 4 Member's Bills was held today, and the following bills were drawn: Insurance Contracts Bill (Duncan Webb) Income Tax (Clean Transport FBT Exclusion) Amendment Bill (Julie Anne Genter) Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill (Greg Fleming) Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) ...
One of the strongest narratives about "our" spy agencies is that they are basically institutional traitors, working for foreign powers (or just themselves), without any control or oversight by the elected government. And today, we have yet another report from the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security which explicitly confirms this. ...
“It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April to meet the Prime Minister’s ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
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http://www.buzzfeed.com/franciswhittaker/syrian-prisoners-executed-and-tortured?utm_term=.ldQXZyQwQ#.grK80N6b6
This (leaving aside all the horrors inflicted since) is why all the plans that have Assad’s regime staying in power will simply not work. It would be like trying to restore the Baathists in Iraq.
It is really up to the people of Syria to decide who they want as leader of their country ( not USA or Israel) ….and the people of Syria voted for Assad overwhelmingly…
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/04/bashar-al-assad-winds-reelection-in-landslide-victory
https://www.rt.com/news/163696-assad-win-president-syria/
“polling only held in government-held areas ”
So that’s as far as that mandate extends, such as it’s worth.
But you may have noticed that a sizable number of Syrians don’t want him as leader; to the extent they have taken up arms and shit. You may have also noticed that he has completely failed to put their revolt down; to the extent that he has had to invite the Russians, hezbollah, Iraqi shia militia, and the Iranians in to assist. You may have even noticed that millions have fled.
But sure, he had a shitty little ballot.
I’m actually delighted that business woman Victoria Crone is standing in the 2016 Auckland Mayoralty.
That takes the pro-Supercity / pro-corporate 2016 Auckland Mayoral candidates to four:
Stephen Berry
Mark Thomas
Phil Goff
Victoria Crone
Surely all those highly-paid corporate spin-doctors haven’t forgotten ‘Electoral Politics 101’?
DON’T SPLIT THE VOTE?
How DUMB is that?
Hate to remind you – but in 2013 – only 36% of Auckland voters bothered?
So – here’s the thing.
Nearly two thirds of Auckland voters didn’t in 2013 – which is a rather large number of potential voters?
What if significant numbers of previous non-voters feel inspired to vote for a Mayoral candidate – who clearly doesn’t represent corporate interests?
And the third of Auckland voters who did vote in 2013, are now ‘spoiled for choice’ with the ever-growing numbers of pro- corporate / pro- ‘Supercity’ candidates – ie: the vote is potentially significantly split.
Actually – I think you will find increasing numbers of Auckland voters are starting to realise that a Mayoral candidate who is campaigning for Auckland Council and CCOs to be held accountable to the ‘rule of law’ regarding citizens and ratepayers’ LAWFUL rights to ‘open, transparent and democratically accountable’ local government – is an increasingly attractive proposition.
(That’s what I’ve been finding out in the Eastern suburbs ….:)
Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
Can you outline your top 5 priorities once elected?
My ‘vision’ Tracey, is to ensure that Auckland Council and Auckland Council Controlled Organisations (CCOs) are held accountable to the ‘Rule of Law’ regarding citizens LAWFUL rights to ‘open, transparent and democratically accountable’ local government.
The Auckland Mayor has a dedicated budget to help ensure the implementation of the Mayoral vision.
(In the 2014 – 2015 financial year, the Auckland Mayoral Office budget was $4.15 million.)
So – in order to achieve this – I shall employ a small team of professional, highly competent forensic accountants / auditors, who will ‘go through the books with a fine tooth comb’, in order to find out exactly where public monies in the Auckland region are being spent, invested and borrowed.
I shall then make that information available for public scrutiny.
How can you carry out ‘cost benefit’ analyses for ‘cost-effectiveness’ in the spending of public monies, if you don’t know exactly where the costs fall?
How can you exercise ‘prudent stewardship’ / ‘fiscal responsibility’ – if you don’t know exactly where the ‘costs’ fall?
When I am elected Mayor of Auckland, and the Public Records Act 2005 (in particular), is implemented and enforced in a proper, lawful way, transparency, in my view, will be transformed.
My vision is also that the public majority of Auckland citizens, not a private corporate minority, should benefit from public monies.
That Auckland ‘local government’ – should focus on being citizen and local community ‘friendly’ – not multi-national ‘business friendly’.
My vision is that unless rigorous ‘cost-benefit’ analysis supports the contracting out (privatisation) of Auckland Council services and regulatory functions, then they should be brought back ‘in house’, under the public service model.
My vision includes replacing the CCO model for infrastructure and trading functions, and bringing these back under direct Council control.
The corporate ‘Rogernomics’ vision has been ‘commercialise, corporatise – PRIVATISE’.
First CCOs (Council ‘CORPORATE’ Controlled Organisations) – then PPPs (Public Private Partnerships).
Beware the ‘weasel words’!
Does Phil Goff support or oppose CCOs?
Does Phil Goff support or oppose PPPs?
Hope this helps.
Kind regards
Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
“replacing the CCO model for infrastructure and trading functions, and bringing these back under direct Council control…”
Would that require Legislative change?
Yes, as has been explained to madame candidate many times now. If someone wants to change the supercity structure then they need to be in government, not in council.
“My vision includes replacing the CCO model for infrastructure and trading functions, and bringing these back under direct Council control.”
Hi Penny,
I am interested in your vision. If you were elected would you not be hamstrung by the legislation – The Local Government Auckland Council Act of 2010?
Are you campaigning on an issue that you would have no control over, after you became Mayor?
I think Rodney Hide stitched the Auckland Council up tightly, in his corporate/privatization reforms, and the Mayor does not have any power to change that.
Once elected as Mayor, she’ll picket outside the Beehive until they change the law as she demands.
That is the flaw in Pennys “vision” as laid out. She needs to address that.
She’ll hold her breath, that’ll learn those big meanies in the beehive.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11562015
I note that the Herald and Phil Quin do not reveal his prior ties to Labour in hus by-line.
See folks – despite the often bad press – ‘Activists’ get things done.
Seen this?
______________________________________________________________________________________
http://i.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/east-bays-courier/75003039/Eastern-suburbs-consult-with-Auckland-Transport-on-new-bus-network
Eastern suburbs consult with Auckland Transport on new bus network
11 December 2015
Concerned bus users in Auckland’s eastern suburbs were pleased with the outcome of a recent public meeting.
Activist Penny Bright facilitated a meeting between residents and Auckland Transport officials as they discussed the new bus network proposal.
St Heliers-Glendowie Residents Association member Robert Johnston was pleased with AT’s willingness to listen to suggestions.
“With public transport, if you’re going to make it work you’ve got to make it attractive to people to use,” he says.
He says that one of the main concerns the residents had was AT’s intention to direct some bus routes to the Orakei and Meadowbank train stations.
Resident John Coutts agrees that some of the routes need improvement over what was initially suggested.
“We want to maintain a direct link to the city and not feed the trains,” he says.
Coutts says that the Orakei area in particular is so close to the city that it would make more sense to have Britomart as their “hub” station, instead of extending their journey by 20 to 30 minutes by forcing a transfer at Orakei Station.
Public consultation on the new network was extended to December 14.
Public transport network manager Anthony Cross says that AT will take all of the feedback into consideration as they refine the new network design.
– Stuff
______________________________________________________________________________________
Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate
This sounds precisely like Auckland Transport reforming, listening and doing a good job, and the NZHerald noticing exactly that.
BTW, since he’s named, Anthony Cross is an outstanding public servant.
Ah, so the residents complained about AT making public transport more efficient.
They do have a point about Orakei, but they are otherwise bucking the overall regional integrated network design by opposing short bus spokes to train hubs. That is how AT propose to get twice as many passenger trips from the same number of buses and drivers, all over the region. It’s also why the CRL is crucial, to double the rail network’s capacity so it can handle all those extra tranferring passengers. In short, sorry Easties but you are not special.
A direct link to the city – so more traffic on the Tamaki Drive.
https://youtu.be/R6KDoBSOXaA
Thoughts?
On a side note, this guy (above) reminds me of Russel Norman.
You source some interesting interviews.
Thank you.
Cool, thank you.
Another goodie. Thans TC
Exceptional pertinent point made by Loewenstein approx. 4mins. in:
“Media coverage of wars, disasters often ignores corporations profiting from them”
Thanks for interesting clip Chairman. Yes Loewenstein reminds me of Russel too.
“The potential for school closure is a strength, not a weakness, of the Partnership Schools model.” – These bastards forget that these are kids lives we are talking about, so what if they spend a year or 2 at a substandard fucked up experimental school, no worries, try again next year. These are the parents making “poor choices” IMO.
http://m.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11562044
Extreme ideologues are running the country.
‘Centre right.’
Just another media lie.
“Extreme ideologues are running the country”
Compared to what?
Other OECD countries – we tend to be in the middle of most measures (taxes, spread of wealth, social spending, etc)
Social agenda – New Zealand has gay marriage, no smacking – the PM voted for both.
International deployments – NZ has trainers in Iraq , but no combat role, like about 50 other countries in the coalition.
Previous New Zealand governments – most commentators put National with Key a bit to the right of Labour under Helen Clark – but in both cases they are near to the centre. National has kept interest free loans for students, Working for Families, kept the ERA, not changed ACC. It even got Labour to vote for the latest RMA reforms.
To justify your claim you need to be able to substantiate it with actual examples. And TPP does not count, unless you think Canada, Chile and Vietnam are also extreme right wing countries.
Reality.
hi wayne, i will bite.
“To justify your claim you need to be able to substantiate it with actual examples”
selling to us something we already own, our power companies.
getting a multi national corporation to run our prisons.
(without researching it i am picking sercos parent company has a bigger balance sheet than aoteroa)
bail out scf.
running a school experiment that doesnt work, cost heaps and and mucks up childrens education.
all of it hard right ideology
and this is just some of the stuff we know about.
what are the pandas hiding?
is it a court case for a high profile person?
“And TPP does not count, unless you think Canada, Chile and Vietnam are also extreme right wing countries.”
none which have ratified it….and one of which that just threw out the government that supported it.
Chile had its leftish government overthrown with publicly exposed USA intervention, and was under an awful regime of RW for many years, probably never has got over that. Vietnam another country that was attacked by the USA and has been left with a large amount of illness caused by Agent Orange.
These countries have had decades of trying to restabilise themselves after being broken by USA intervention.
Canada – has been sued by USA interests, and had its ability to handle its own resources and economy undermined by treating with the USA – now with a less RW leader who knows what will happen? A Chile right on the USA’s doorstep might be a bit smelly. But there are other ways of bringing them to heel. A country’s political orientation can be fairly easily subverted – look at our own.
Our very own esteemed Labour Party was taken over by subversives trained probably at Harvard as easily as a local community group can be overwhelmed and subsumed by a rigged membership voting for their own hostile, financially predatory candidates.
Cutting taxes for the rich and raising taxes for the poor and justifying it with “broader economic growth” that has 0 scientific rigour behind it, only to then be surprised when the economy doesn’t do as well as predicted.
Running up the largest debt this country has ever seen, after it was paid down to a net-0 position by the previous government. Largely this was a result of the tax cuts.
Refusing any sort of proper market intervention in the Auckland housing crisis, until eventually being forced to put in a weak version of CGT (2 year bright line test). Maintaining the existing “accommodation supplement” payments which just end up in the pockets of the landlords which only fuels the Auckland housing crisis, an extreme version of middle and upper-class welfare (far far worse than interest free student loans).
Applause
+1 BIG_FOOT
Bloody oath mate
Economic policy is well to the right of what is reasonable – I know managed decline is your de facto strategy but a lot of kiwis want that growth and jobs you lied about. Cheap farm labourers is a false economy while there are out of work New Zealanders.
It’s the dishonesty and the incompetence we don’t like – if you actually had a working plan instead of a disinformation machine you’d get more respect – but you run up Grecian levels of debt and try to pretend you’re geniuses.
Iceland jailed a more honest and competent government than yours.
Extreme economic ideologues, Wayne. I’m not talking about social policies, but plain old neo-liberalism.
You have heard of the extreme philosophies of Ayn Rand and Milton Friedman, haven’t you? We have been guinea pigs for their ideology since 1984.
Canada, under Harper was an extreme right wing country,dedicated to tar sands, ultra support of Israel and attacks on civil rights. But you knew that, didn’t you?
And the TPP is an attempt by corporates to control the legislative powers of democratic countries.
Why are you so subservient to corporate interests? Do they pay you well?
Either you are being willfully ignorant on all of this or you are being duplicitous for your corporate masters.
Our disgusting PM makes jokes about rape in prison and pulls young girls pony tails.
And a contemptible number of middle class property owning New Zealanders like him because their house prices keep going up.
They deserve the consequences.
Unfortunately others don’t.
His ordinary Kiwi bloke image is exactly that. An image. And those that still believe that PR construct are either willfully ignorant or suckers for advertising. Others, including some of the RWNJs who troll this site, who repeat the statement that John is just like an average NZers, are part of the lie.
They know very well that he is far more comfortable playing golf with his buddies from Merrrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs on the golf courses of Hawaii than frequenting his local RSA.
People who vote for Key deserve the consequences of supporting his extreme neo-liberal government.
Unfortunately others don’t.
This is a good one.
https://youtu.be/odR37GoXlaw
Thoughts?
thanks…interesting…scary…he always makes a lot of sense..he is warning of creeping fascism…and control of Europe by USA and friends
even the CIA is concerned about what is happening in Europe
https://www.rt.com/shows/sophieco/325829-syria-isis-us-allies/
https://www.rt.com/shows/sophieco/325569-strategy-isis-terrorism-attacks/
….but it seems USA politicians are a law unto themselves and dont listen to their own CIA and military intelligence advisers…and are dominated by short term electoral results and certain funding /lobby groups in USA
…ask yourself…who has most to benefit from the destabilisation of the Middle East?
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/03/world/middleeast/syria-civil-war-israel-golan-heights.html?_r=0
A Trump fan with a Reagan as masthead.
Fuck off.
???
What is the relationship of your comment to the RT piece on the Paris terrorist attacks?
+100 CV…doesn’t make sense as part of this thread …
Nothing*.
(Poster has form posting dishonest anti-choice propaganda so link to the source rather than an account containing RWNJ propaganda or fuck right off.)
*
China vows to aggressively falsify air pollution numbers
http://www.theonion.com/article/china-vows-to-begin-aggressively-falsifying-air-po-37429
They can get some software from VW
Headline says, “Little now backs SAS in Isis war”
But of course there has to be provisos.
“Labour leader Andrew Little said Labour would support sending SAS troops to fight Isis if the right conditions were met.
Those conditions were having a clear and realistic objective, that it would have to be part of a multinational mission mandated by the United Nations and that the level of risk needed to be acceptable.”
So not quite the impression that Audrey likes to suggest.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11562158
Just another media distortion.
The msm are owned by massive corporations.
They are courtesans to them.
Multilateralism and the UN have always been a core part of Labour policy, but I wonder if resolution 2249 would be construed as explicit UN authorisation which:
Little should simply say – as it stands today, there is no way that NZ troops should be in Iraq or Syria.
And Labour shifts further to the RWNJ side.
I think it was a Herald gotcha story – Labour claim no policy change. Might’ve flown a kite though.
I 100% agree with Mr Little ,on the ground targeted forces are miles ahead of the current methods.
Back once again with the ill behaviour.
https://youtu.be/-izn1i5MlBI
Barry Soper excuses John Key’s pony tail pulling.
‘John Key frequently over steps the mark and even embarrasses himself, like he did when he regularly pulled a waitress’ ponytail, clearly not intending to cause offence but apologising for overstepping the behavioural boundary.’
Yes. I shall repeat his words.
‘when he regularly pulled a waitress’ ponytail, clearly not intending to cause offence’….
What a disgraceful apology for journalism, Mr Soper. Are you expecting favour from the court of John Key?
I wonder what Heather du Plessis-Allan thinks of Key’s abuse of young women in this way?
These media lackeys, courtesans and courtiers need to be held to account.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11562360
Heather du Plessis-Allan would probably giggle, shes kinda lightweight.
You could be right.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/Heather-du%20Plessis-Allan/news/article.cfm?a_id=976&objectid=11438679
Heather is saying nothing is important because whatever it is they’re saying there is more important stuff that trumps it. She would say that the 29 in Pike River is not important because hundreds died in Chineses mines. Or something.
This morning Morning Report discussed the latest Key singing and soap story. The verdict pointed out that Key avoids the harder interviews and concentrates on soft radio programs where listeners don’t care about the politics and want just the entertaining. So no harm done?
Put me in mind the lashing that Colin Craig got for being interviewed in a sauna. Disgraceful said the media. But the response to Key’s unbecoming behaviour? Michelle Boag gives it gentle approval. So that’s OK.
A new monthly newsleter has ‘hit the stands’ which promises ” a practical, dispassionate analysis of politics”. At $35 per month you too can read the premium analytical journal in the land. Danyl McLauchlan has kindly critiqued the first edition:
http://thespinoff.co.nz/16-12-2015/politics-why-you-need-incite-in-your-life-a-review-of-cameron-slaters-35-monthly-e-newsletter/
Enjoy…
Read that Anne. Funny. Are they for real or are they attempting satire, or is Danyl just being mean.
I imagine a bit of all three. Worthy of posting by an author – humorous and refreshing during this bustling, stressful time of the year.
This is interview by Kathryn Ryan is very interesting:
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/201783038/us-psychologist-philip-zimbardo
‘US psychologist Philip Zimbardo’
“Philip Zimbardo is the American psychologist whose 1971 study on prison mentality exposed the ease at which participants playing the role of guards, began psychologically torturing their prisoners.The Stanford Prison Experiment centred on a group of college students who were deemed prisoners or guards at the flip of a coin and showed that within 24 hours those with power, used it mercilessly – and the group who were prisoners succumbed to submission just as easily.
In recent years he has turned his attention to the disconnect between males and the real world because of online pornography, and a lack of role models and positive interactions. Professor Zimbardo is also behind a new initiative Heroic Imagination Project, which stems from his work on what makes people do bad things – and instead focuses on what qualities make people act in heroic ways.”
Echoes of that reaction were in the “Blue eyes v Brown eyes” experiment where those in a classroom with brown eyes were persecuted by the rest of the class to demonstrate just how cruel discrimination is. The “good” ones became so involved with their roles that they scared themselves.
I saw a programme on that experiment. Part of the process involved role reversal as the brown eyes got their time as being superior. The learnings by the students lasted for decades as their testimony showed. Great process and great teaching.
Here’s a news item from America where young non-Muslim female students have adopted wearing Muslim head scarves in solidarity with their Muslim fellows.
The article mentions what treatment they are likely to receive in Trumphant (sic, my words) America.- a real life experiment in walking in someone else’s shoes.
http://www.occupydemocrats.com/non-islamic-chicago-schoolgirls-don-headscarves-in-show-of-support-for-muslim-classmates/
Experiential learning.
+1
http://www.simplypsychology.org/milgram.html
another famous and thought-provoking experiment
Yep. Know that one too CR. Some revelled in the shock giving. Most didn’t.
An historian said that in mortal combat most drafted soldiers would avoid killing anyone if they could. But in every unit were a few who went out of their way to kill others and laughed while doing so. Even killing those who were no longer a threat. Bit disturbing that amongst us there are such people. Me. I help insects to escape outside.
http://willnewzealandberight.com/2015/12/17/nationals-education-policy-part-i-christchurch/
National has shown surprising contempt for schools in some of its most blue South Island electorates since it took office. It has closed the Prime Minister’s old school (about 400 metres down the road from me)and rezoned it for developers to build on. No rhyme or reason for it since Ilam electorate schools thanks to Labour, were already nearly full, having had roll expansions anywhere between 50-100%.
Recently Hekia Parata said she was going to close Redcliffs School and that she had been fair and given the school the opportunity to make a stand. Hekia was always going to close the school. She has ignored the fact that the school can be made nearly completely safe from rock fall, and that the small bit that could not be, the school was prepared to surrender. Not only that, but a contractor was prepared to do the remedial work for free.
Would love to see the back of this Government, but not wholly convinced Labour can deliver the goods.
The contempt they show probably runs way deeper than you had thought.
If you are not familiar with this site you should look through it.
https://networkonnet.wordpress.com
Just gone off to read Kelvin’s site thanks rapateet. His report on the Ministry misdeeds to steal $18million off the Rangiora College community is breathtaking. The Ministry removed the BOT and the Principal so that they could use a Commissioner to strip the assets as had been for decades legally in the control of BOT and Principal on behalf of the Community. The grounds for sacking included “financial mismanagement” but the books have been audited and were always were totally clear. Ministry Mischief?
The Principal had gone to a course which the Ministry said was unauthorised and they removed her. The course was authorised by the BOT and correctly came out of the Principal’s Professional Development budget. Mischief?
Thank goodness someone is raising these issues like Phillipstown School forcefully merged and now the new site is overcrowded. Redcliff School forcefully closed with no justification. Parata and her Ministry are working against the interests of children.
As repateet wrote visit https://networkonnet.wordpress.com
Fomenting Happy Mischief since Monday;
My recent excursions on to David Farrar’s Kiwiblog.
Thursday 17 December 2015
It is an irrefutable fact that The Standard has far superior, more intelligent and liberal contributors than either Kiwiblog or Whaleoil. That’s why I spend most of my spare time here. Now and again, however, I like to stir things up in Dullsburgh and Stupidville, and pay our extreme right wing friends a visit.
Since being banned for life over on Whaleoil, I have had to turn to David Farrar’s Kiwiblog for my occasional fix of boor-baiting. I had made a couple of comments there over the years, but usually forgot to go back and check up on the responses. On Monday, however, I re-registered and sent my first little missive into the chickenhawks’ cage. Since then, I’ve earned myself close to one hundred down votes on a variety of posts….
http://img04.deviantart.net/2e04/i/2012/248/7/e/who_da_man__by_therese_b-d5dq2vs.jpg
Kiwiblog has a system whereby very popular posts are highlighted in yellow. Very unpopular posts, on the other hand, are highlighted in pink. Consider, for instance, this message that I posted there yesterday….
http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2015/12/general_debate_16_december_2015.html#comment-1636210
I also posted that message on this forum, where it attracted only approving comments. On Kiwiblog, however, it has so far attracted 29 down votes, as well as, encouragingly, 2 up votes. (Thank you, whoever you are!)
A couple of hours after that, someone called “kowtow” wrote, hilariously….
A bit later, “Longknives” delivered the following zinger….
Thanks and good on you! You go where many of us fear to tread!
Thanks for the encouraging words, Sans Cle. Actually, there are quite a few dissenting voices on Kiwiblog, and a good level of debate there. It’s well worth a visit.
Although, as is almost immediately clear to anyone who spends some time there, the intellectual tone of Kiwiblog is far below that of the Standard.
Morrissey…I confess to wandering over there occasionally, and find myself only reading the comments that attract the most down votes.
And reading replies to the comments that attract the most down votes.
“Boor baiting”…spot on.
(I nearly, nearly signed up myself the other day, incensed by the post as well as some of the comments….(get your facts right for gods sakes!!!)…but I resisted…I would have to shower after, and we’re conserving water…
The whole “John Key is a really cool jokey blokey type” narrative…rips my undies….yuuuck.
Chocolate fish to you Sir, for boldly going and all that…
I used to comment on Kiwiblog before world+dog went there and it became a haven for the worst rednecks racists and violent idiots. Anyone with a semblance of sanity gets voted down hard. It does make one sad about the state of kiwi blokedom (it’s 99% dudes commenting there) and the ability of my fellow humans to think logically or have any charity
lol..very good!…so pleased you weren’t Boared to Death…just got a bit bored with the piggies
I think a few more down votes are coming my way….
http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2015/12/little_says_okay_for_sas_to_fight_in_syria.html#comment-1637204
maybe you could hurl a real fire- cracker conversation starter in…and see what the piggies do…i mean it looks a wee bit tame over there in the pigsty
eg John Pilger
http://johnpilger.com/
Real estate agencies accused of price fixing
Adam Smith said:
So much for competition.
I’ve had a bit of a read of this one and I’m struggling a bit. As far as I can see real estate agencys decided they didn’t want to absorb/consume Trade me’s offering at the increased prices.
One reaction was for clients to have the trade me cost charged through to them (which is done with a number of other marketing techniques).
The other was to drive more business the way of the real estate industry’s dedicated site.
These reactions were discussed between agencies.
Clients of agencies could presumably still negotiate their marketing package & costs with any agents they wished to use and there is no evidence as far as I can see that this did not happen.
So effectively agencies decided to boycott(or pass on increased costs) to some extent the Trade me costs.
So my question is that if a group of people decide not to consume or use a service,
is that not their right ?
If the neighbourhood got together and decided to boycott the local supermarkets in favour of getting their own veggie truck from Pukekohe isn’t that similar?
The discussion between agencies would be the problem – it’s cartel behaviour.
That is their right but that doesn’t bring about charges of price fixing and High Court cases.
That would be dependent upon if people in the neighbourhood were free to go elsewhere.
How can she say this with a straight face?
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/292386/$17m-poured-into-under-fire-corrections
1. She is simply too stupid to realise what she’s saying
2. She’s a practised liar
Confused it with….
She is pleased that her mates in Serco are making a few million $$$ more out of the taxpayer due to increased rates of incarceration. She is also pleased that the cops are skewing their crime reporting stats to make NatCorp™ look good.
Nobody gives a f*ck about actual crime rates or victims thereof, in fact their ACC is being cut off
Such a great headline.
Can’t say that I’ve ever used a rifle in my drug use. I’m pretty sure that the oils on it would give the whiskey a funny flavour and it would also be incredibly difficult to drink out of.
Yes, but were they actually tested for “possible exposure to dangerous chemicals” which I think would probably be a better idea before applying the wrong treatment and assuming that the right one was applied. Also, was the house itself tested for the dangerous chemicals?
Why do I get the feeling that the ‘various sources’ are the neighbours who are simply suspicious of people who keep to themselves?
High Court finds police raid on Nicky Hager was illegal
More to go but I’m not expecting any real difference in the court findings.
Now we need for the people who conducted this illegal search to be held accountable. Unfortunately, we can probably expect urgent legislation from this government making it legal.
Great result for Nicky and his team. A true Kiwi standing up against a sick establishment. I hope he wins some kind of compensation after this saga. Were the cops attempting to stifle his next book about Police malfeasance?
Hmm.
If the officer in charge knowingly withheld the relevant information, does that make the search a home invasion?
‘
Read it and weep – http://www.courtsofnz.govt.nz/cases/hager-v-attorney-general-1/at_download/fileDecision – just making my way through it now.
console yourself with the thought that the corruption doesn’t yet appear to have impacted the courts