ANZ in the news again. This time it looks like they failed to report suspicious behavior to the US authorities Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN).
Despite being US based FinCEN basically have global reach. Looks bad for ANZ.. not sure if that’s constitutes criminal action but from what I’ve read it’s possible.
“Suspicious activity reports” or SARs are required by the US from all banks regardless of location in the world. That’s why it has become difficult for US citizens to open foreign bank accounts – crazy compliance requirements
New Zealand is not rich, and that’s making the new Government constrained from the large spending that’s needed to go into areas like housing, health, the environment etc.
But there are many 'cheap ' legislative changes they could undertake to fix certain things, and possibly save or gain money at the same time.
i.e…. regarding our prohibition Cannabis laws, and the cult logic that flows from them, ,,,, 1Kg of Cannabis creates $47,000 of costs / harms in NZ
Personally I believe the numbers are hogwash …For instance in the Netherlands where
Given there are around 600 coffee shop establishments in the country, this means that an average turnover per shop should be between 1.4 and 2 million euros.
It seems 1 KG of cannabis is worth about 10,000 Euros direct revenue into their economy … calculated at 10 euros per gram.
Colorado also gains from its recent Cannabis regulations …
Researchers at Colorado State University – Pueblo’s Institute of Cannabis Research set out to answer that question when they studied the economic benefit of marijuana to Pueblo County, Colorado. The researchers found that the marijuana industry provides a net positive economic benefit to the county, reports the Denver Post.
How is the same Kilo of Cannabis benefiting the Netherlands and Colorado … yet apparently costing NZ tens of thousands in negative costs.
The only difference is Bad Law we can ill afford …
So the orange anusmouth wants to take the humanitarian aid money intended for Honduras and Guatemala and divert it to funding regime change in Venezuela. Meanwhile, desperate people fleeing the crises in Honduras and Guatemala are jumping out of the frying pan into the fire of gratuitously malicious mistreatment at the border. Anyone else see any connection? Or wanna take a guess at the likely result of regime change fuckery in Venezuela?
There's mixed messages from Democrats on how to respond to the crisis in Venezuela because it's a complex, nuanced situation. While there's little argument that Maduro is a nasty sack'o'shit, and if there's a significant home-grown movement of Venezuelans wanting to rid themselves of Maduro, then they are deserving of moral support at a minimum. But going in and stirring up trouble to try to create pretext for imposing regime change from the outside, as Bolton and Pompeo apparently want to do, is simply unacceptable, and there's very few Democrats in favour of that.
There's also significant local political implications particularly in states such as Florida. Actively trying to foment regime change in Venezuela is quite popular among some communities such as Cuban-Americans. That realpolitik tends to blunt any potential messaging critical of Bolton and Pompeo's fuckery.
While there's little argument that Maduro is a nasty sack'o'shit
???? Oh yes, that's what the Trump regime says, and it's what the Trump regime's parrots in the media say, so that's what you say, of course.
… and if there's a significant home-grown movement of Venezuelans wanting to rid themselves of Maduro
Key words: "if", "significant" and "home-grown". None of them actually applies to the situation.
as Bolton and Pompeo apparently want to do
Ha! He said "apparently."
trying to foment regime change in Venezuela is quite popular among some communities such as Cuban-Americans
Corrected for truthfulness, that reads "…. trying to foment regime change in Venezuela is quite popular among reactionary, right wing Cuban-Americans…"
There's mixed messages from Democrats on how to respond to the crisis in Venezuela
Bullshit ….. the only ones to speak out strongly against things like Eliot Abrahms ,,, or the sanctions / siege….. are the ones being dumped on by Trump … and yourself in regards to Tulsi Gabbard.
Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Amy Klobuchar, Kirsten Gillibrand, Richard Durbin, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and PBS commentators are among the leading liberal internationalist choristers chanting their support for Trump’s right to impose regime change on another people’s country.
Zayas wrote a U.N. report on Venezuela in late 2018 that was scathing in its assessment of U.S. policy toward Venezuela under both Obama and Trump.
Abundant natural resources,a temperate climate and more than enough to provide every NZ'er with a home to raise a family,adequate healthy food and all the basic needs of people.
The shackles of Friedman economics and pursuit of the delusional ,materialism of the 'American Dream' have lead to the shallow,unreal reality of today.
Is that the same Friedman who was one of the early advocates for a UBI? If so perhaps you could explain why you don't seem to approve of him given that he was an advocate of actually providing the basic needs of everyone.
Friedman was a supporter of the smashing of Chile's democracy in 1973. That's just one compelling reason to despise him. Another is his inability to cogently defend his outrageous positions….
Friedman worked with the U.S.-backed dictator to dismantle democracy in Chile. Because he himself never physically killed a teacher or student or nun or poet does not mean he was not involved in the bloodletting. Pinochet never personally dispatched a prisoner either. Nor did Kissinger.
Under Yeltsin, Russia’s economy collapsed some 60%, the male life expectancy plummeted from 68 years to 56, millions were reduced to living on subsistence farming for the first time since Stalin as wages went unpaid for years at a time. Russia was on its way to going extinct—but about 3-5% of the population (plus or minus 3%) was making out like bandits. Probably because they actually were bandits.
Milton fails because there is no ' level playing field ' …… ' The market decides' is the sort of crap that gave NZ Pike River …… which Alwyn tried to pin on Andrew Little.
Showing up Alwyn for having no concern for the truth …. or safety of any future mine workers.
He'd rather lie for political gain … repeatedly and on just about everything.
Roger Douglas gave the NZ economy its first dose of Miltons snake oil …. leading to the 1988 sharemarket crash … and the lost decade in the 1990's where our economy languished ….. as ruth richardson, jenny shiply and national doubled down.
The seeds to our housing crisis were planted then ….money spent on welfare to landlords via the 'Accommodation Allowance',… instead of state house building.
Student debt was introduced….
And did I say our economy hit the skids ,,,, Australia was the saving grace in stopping our unemployment rate going through the roof …. kiwi workers moved there.
Milton and trickle down were a fraud …. He grew oligarchs and inequality.
" he was an advocate of actually providing the basic needs of everyone." really? the the same people who promote the ideology of modern wage slavery ie. free market laissez-faire economics are interested in your well being, or anyone's well being,I don’t think so.
The only interest in humans those rodents have is in their ability to either produce or consume market driven goods…why you would trust people with that ideology to provide anything of intrinsic value to the human project in a positive or long term way is beyond me.
Unending growth and short term gain for the wealthy is Friedman's ideology, nothing more…now debunked too I might add.
he was an advocate of actually providing the basic needs of everyone.
Arse. Friedman's negative tax wasn't a way to supplement income, it was a way to eliminate social spending by the state and replace it with private charity.
You haven't the faintest idea what you are talking about. The only bit that is accurate is the comment that he (sometimes) called it a negative tax. The money was to be supplied, without strings, by the Government. There was no mention at all that is should be provided by private charity.
In a housing market where few new houses are being built, I don't see how more small investors returning to the market is a good thing for anybody other than small investors. The signal no capital gains tax sends to the market is that property investors are to be encouraged because they are good for the economy. But as far as I can see, property investors simply soak up a lot of the available housing stock so it is not available for first home buyers. I don't see what added value they add to the economy.
We need property investors because our government can't afford to provide a rental home for everyone that needs or wants one.
Our govenment has been trying to meet the housing needs of our most needy for only a few generations. Other nations have been at it for centuries.
The government and local council ownership of homes in Sweden are at such a level that stock levels extend beyond housing the most needy and extends into teachers, office admin, bus driving folk etc.
Good things happen when numbers get to that level. In NZ, the NZ housing stock is a huge expense. People speak of the dividend Housing NZ returns to our govt, bulldust, before we even get to the ledger, when considering the lost opportunity with the billions tied up it's an immense money-pit.
When the govt is the dominant rental property owner, they set the 'Market Rent' levels, not by making rent level laws, by proxy, the market follows the dominant player. When salespeople and drivers rather than just beneficiaries are in the rentals we all own, they are in a position to pay rent at levels that could push Housing NZ close to being a profitable business.
All sorts of benefits filter down. In Sweden, people in govt owned houses aren't judged unfavourably, it's so common amongst people of all walks of life it's not really a thing.
I feel there is a point of critical mass with govt owned housing, in nations that have been at it a lot longer than us the benefits are plain to see. We're some way off owning enough houses to 'Own the market' but I feel we should be on that road. In the meantime we need small time investors and their type have the reins.
When Jacinda holds the majority of rental properties and sets the tone, the marketplace might stop pissing around with our homes like our lives are a game of Monopoly. That's what happened in Sweden, I met a few wealthy people, none of them owned rental houses.
“A teen was reduced to tears after her speech about a friend’s suicide during a Youth Parliament debate was interrupted by senior National MP Anne Tolley.”
Note – this is an edited version from one I put up earlier but deleted after getting the video to work.
Hi Cinny, I saw the little bit of that article much earlier this morning that I could read, but the video was not available so I was left wondering what had happened.
Having now watched the video, I am actually of two minds in this particular situation.
I was involved in helping with a couple of Youth Parliaments some years ago and instances such as that where young rep MPs are pulled up for reading speeches, cautioned that they are running out of time etc are quite usual. The purpose of the Youth Parliaments are to give young people an experience of what it is like to be a MP and how Parliament operates etc –warts and all.
Firstly, I never liked Tolley as a Minister etc in the last government, and agree that she did show a nasty side at times. On the other hand, as a regular watcher of Parliament (hard to break old work habits/requirements!) for the most part, I am actually quite impressed with her as a Deputy Speaker of the House.
In this particular situation I think Anne Tolley could have perhaps handled her interruption of Lily Dorrance’s speech a little better than she did considering the sensitive nature of Lily’s speech. On the other hand, Tolley was also bound to fulfill her role as Speaker to the Youth Parliament in the same way as she must do so as a Speaker in the 'normal' Parliament, in accord with all applicable rules, procedures, etc. I note that she also referred to things that had gone on previously in the Youth Parliament sittings that seemed to have provided context to her interruption on this occasion. Unfortunately we are not privy to what those earlier instances involved.
I have had a quick check of the Parliament site and note that some parts of the proceedings of this year's Youth Parliament (two days – Tuesday and Wednesday this week) were broadcast live on the usual Parliamentary TV channels, but unfortunately these broadcast sessions are not available On Demand on/through the Parliament website. So that does not help seeing what actually happened in the earlier sessions/speeches that Tolley referred to.
For anyone interested, here are links to the sections on the Parliamentary website re the 2019 Youth Parliament:
I note from the “Bio” page the young woman concerned, Lily Dorrance, is from Christchurch. Each young person attending the Youth Parliament is sponsored by and represents a sitting MP – in Lily's case, that was The Rt Hon David Carter (Nat).
I have also now looked at the link in the second link above to the Youth Parliament Media pages, but nothing there about this incident – but some other interesting stuff. Will keep my eyes out for any more information re this situation and report back if I find out more.
[Cinny, despite this ‘incident’, the Youth Parliaments are really great and the young people who attended these in the past have reported that they really enjoyed them and the experience has spurred quite a few to move down this road in their studies and later lives. You really should think about these for your girls if they are interested in politics etc. ;Happy to get further info for you but also lots of stuff there on the second link to give you and the girls a feel for what happens etc.]
Here's some background from the start of the General Debate. She's a bully who can't pronounce people's names and changes the rules when and if she feels like it.
Thanks so much, maui. I wondered whether all the Youth Parliament televised sessions were up on You Tube – and it seems they are. I don't have time right now to watch them in detail but will do so over the weekend.
Have now watched quite a bit of the one above and considered that Tolley laid out the rules in a fairly even manner at the very 'get go' and so far, yes there has been some querying etc her ruling that speeches are not just to be read from notes.
Actually, the whole intention of these debates is that it is a learning opportunity where these young people get real experience of how Parliament works – including being pulled up for not sticking to the rules, then debating the rules, disagreeing with one another etc. It is not intended as a soft fluffy ride – and they are well aware of that before they apply to be part of a Youth Parliament.
IMO having worked in this area, what Tolley achieved in those first few minutes is in fact exactly the above. Yes, she stirred the pot and got things moving, people disagreeing with her and one another, and debating what the rules are, whether they are acceptable or not, and what the rules are that they (the House) wished to work to.
Sorry – IMO that is not bullying That is 'Mission achieved'.
She made up a new rule that none of the students were aware of. There seemed to be an expectation that they could read from notes, otherwise all of them would have started off trying their best not to.
Pretty harsh thing to do to students who are at Parliament for the first time doing public speaking. Doing a speech is nerve wracking enough.. having a powerful person silence you and embarass you infront of your peers is definitely something else.
Cinny I agree that we see MPs reading aloud from their notes in the House often, and that the different Speakers (Mallard, Tolley, Potp Williams and Adrian Rauhine) have different tolerance levels in that regard – much like different moderators here.
One of the points I was trying to make earlier (badly) was that the amount of experience that the Youth Parliaments try to provide in an action-packed two days leads to it being a pressure cooker of 'tastes' rather than indepth experiences. In my experience, anyway, the emphasis in all the preliminary info etc about becoming a youth MP and during the two days is that it is not a platform to push issues but rather a chance to get a taste of how Parliament operates and why etc. That is in no way to criticise Lily for raising a very important issue – youth suicide -as the subject of her speech; but IMO Tolley was seeing things from that perspective and was pushing Lily to express her own views on what should be done in the short time she had left rather than continuing to describe the situation re youth suicide in NZ. As I said, I think Tolley could probably have handled the situation better.
I note that the Herald has now put up an amended non-payrolled version of their original article which provides more information about the Youth Parliament and includes comments/apologies from Tolley – plus an amended heading.
Oops, realised too late that I had misspelled two names – should be Poto Williams and Adrian Rurawhe. I am actually wondering whether someone else will replace Poto now that she is bcoming a Minister. I have a lot of respect for both her and Adrian as Assistant Speakers.
Correa reponds to CNN's false allegations about Assange's "control centre"
"What CNN and other media are saying is rubbish, but we're used to it. They are prepping for the show. The reason is, when they extradite Assange to the US and sentence him to life, they want the honest backing of the public. They are setting the stage.
Correa compared CNN's assertions about Assange to its claims about "weapons of mass destruction" in the lead up to the Iraq war in 2003 — media manipulation which was used to make Americans "applaud a war,” he said.
Now, to "justify the assassination of Assange or to extradite him" they are constructing a new narrative about a fake "command center" for election meddling, he said."
Typically, whenever the new information contradicts the mainstream narrative, the MSM declines to report, thus contributing to a biased , incomplete coverage .
One thing the United States most certainly is not is a democracy. A democracy requires an informed electorate, and the United States most certainly does not have an informed electorate. The American media, indeed, the entirety of the Western print and TV media, functions as a Propaganda Ministry for Washington and the ruling oligarchies. The explanations are controlled to serve the agendas of the ruling elites. The persecution and torture of Julian Assange proves conclusively that the First Amendment is a dead-letter Amendment.
Without an honest Fourth Estate it is impossible to prevent a democracy from becoming a tyranny. In America tyranny is far advanced. Suppose that Americans somehow became aware of the truth about Julian Assange’s total innocence that has been disclosed by Nils Melzer, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture. What could they do about it short of violent revolution and complete elimination of the ruling elites?
Speaking of RT and the often stated claims that it is a Russian controlled media, it seems that that is not so much.
The following is an interview and transcript by journalist Ivan Golunov who spoke to RT about his arrest on false drug charges, alleged mistreatment in custody, huge public support that he didn’t expect, and plans for the future now that he is a minor celebrity in Russia.
The BBC is not just state-sponsored, it's a mouthpiece for the state. It was effectively brought to heel after Blair and Alastair Campbell went to war on it following the David Kelly revelations in 2004.
With the arrival of the Coalition Government there has been an explosion of thought and some valuable activity, particularly in looking towards the Future of New Zealand.
But at the Risk of being a Pain in the Butt – I wish to draw attention to the massive crisis in Housing. The whole Nation has let Poverty of Population waddle around in disgrace.
We must Immediatlely stop all Immigration
We must build 3 bedroom qualityApartments / Houses (that do not leak or fall apart or drop off from great heights)
We must Stop all other constructions until Housing is built.
The Apartments / Houses should be sold for $300 thousand Dollars to persons earning less than $50,000. Should be sold at $90, 000 for persons earning at $70, 000 Indicative only.
Rentals should be reduced to max of $170 per week. I
mmediately -Indicative.
The Houses may never be sold To the Free Market! Only to the Government of the Day.
"We must Stop all other constructions until Housing is built.".
I'm not sure that this would really be a good idea. Are we not to be allowed any new schools or classrooms as Chippie Hipkins announced recently?
And are you going to scrap the rebuild of the Dunedin Hospital that was announced by the National Government back prior to the last election and that the current lot seemed to be willing to carry out?
Is "Dr" Clark going to renege on this and go along with your proposal instead?
I suppose you can demand the provision of lots of conference centres if you are so much in favour of them. God knows what you would want them for but you are allowed to call for them if you must.
Personally I can't see why we should need any more but the idiot Labour Mayor in Wellington seem to be, like you, a fan. What is that makes you lot so keen to have them?
You will note that I didn't want to see useful things scrapped for a single minded push for standard sized houses. Do you really not favour schools and hospitals?
"The estimated costs of SkyCity's controversial international conference centre in Auckland have blown out by up to $128 million, with uncertainty as to who will pick up the tab.
The casino company lodged a resource consent application with the Auckland Council today, which covers the centre as well as a separate five-star 300-room hotel and pedestrian laneway.
However, design improvements and sensitive treatment of historic buildings have blown the cost estimates for the project out to a range of $470-$530m.
SkyCity is only contractually obligated to cover $402m, after agreeing to a deal with the Government allowing it to extend its casino licence to 2048, and add 230 poker machines and 40 gaming tables.
Chief executive Nigel Morrison said the company would "work constructively" with the Crown to identify options to address the funding of the extra costs.
SkyCity's shares dropped 2.8 per cent on the news to close at 3.83."
I notice that you second link was early in 2015. What ever happened in the end. Clearly the then Government weren't going to be as stupid as the current lot and cough up the money. Did they hold to that?
There was much hoopla and some political concessions made at the time – maybe the government aimed to make political capital out of it. ‘Bum deal’? Scam? A bit of both? Maybe one day the taxpayers will get the full story.
Don't know the real extent of public or private costs, although some major private companies got burned, going forward. There was a remarkable derth of good news stories about the project in 2016/17 – funny that.
"In 2015, Skycity announced Fletcher Construction would be building the new international convention centre in Auckland. Nobody then suspected it would lead to over $400m of losses to Fletcher Building."
Please don't feign dumb ignorance, alwyn. Gabby was obviously making a witty allusion to John Key's dodgy deal with Sky City to provide Auckland with a 'marvellous' (?) Conference Centre. You remember? About the time when he was refusing to admit that there was any kind of housing crisis?
You really must be joking. You are also showing signs of a failing memory of course. The thing at Sky City wasn't built by the taxpayer, was it?
It was built by Sky City themselves, or at least it was going to be. I don't live in Auckland or waste my time at Casinos so I really have no idea what happened to it. I am only too well aware of out idiot Labour Mayor in Wellington wanting to waste the ratepayer's money on building something like it here.
What I am very well aware of is that this current pack of fools, known as the CoL, have poured a fortune into a miserable few houses and then haven't even been able to sell many of them. I think it is total madness for the State to run a subsidy scheme for unsuccessful developers which is what KiwiBuild has turned out to be. What do you think the final cost of the farce is going to be? How many hundreds of millions of dollars has already been wasted and what will the final bill turn out to be?
You still fail to explain your selective memory about the previous Govt's strange priorities.
I disagree with you about the holy, sacred 'taxpayer' not being penalised by the Sky City Convention Centre deal.
Sky City got the right to increase the number of their gaming machines. (Are you going to pretend that there was no commercial gain? More importantly, no social cost in a low-wage country where so many of the poor are conned into seeing lotto and Casinos as a source of hope?)
I suspect that in the long term we will all be paying the social costs of that foul deal. Taxpayer or not.
Your criticism of Wellington's mayor because you personally do not want that casino is another feint, avoiding the valid point that Gabby raised: the Key Govt's obsession with the great value of Conference Centres.
Tokeroa, how do you propose we get the workers to build these houses?
Also, Tokeroa, You obviously haven't been to hospital lately. If you had you would notice that the health sector labour force is totally reliant on immigrants to operate it. Realise Tokeroa, that without immigration our health system would be in near collapse.
Also know this Tokeroa the massive state house building programme launched by the first Labour Government Minister of Housing, John A. Lee relied massively on immigrant labour. (Admittedly mostly from what we called at that time the 'Home Country')
Had a call from Curia last night ( for the first time). One little curiosity I thought – was asked to rank a group of politicians from 1 ( terrible ) -5 ( fantastic ). The group was Jacinda, James Shaw, Winston Peters, Simon Bridges and……Paula Bennett. I get the first four, but Bennett ? Any thoughts on what this could mean?
Shaw is going to get a turn as Prime Minister perhaps?
Given his disastrous performance in Statistics, his only real portfolio, he would be about as bad as the incumbent, wouldn't he?
Actually looking at the names, and the rating system to be used, I see why you have named them in that order. The first name would get a rating of 1. The second name gets a rating of 2 and so on. All is clear.
Pick out the top five and let them all have a go. National pollies don't take their job seriously even when they are the government and now is the perfect time for pilot apprentices to show their Gnashers.
Just in case anyone was wondering, "go back to where you came from" is explicitly cited by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission as an example of illegal discrimination.
Thankyou for drawing attention to your your stupid liitle nothings. You seem to have been caught up in a nasty little house in which hatred of the poor is the only thing that spoouts out of your twisted mind and Arse. You low achiever.
No rule, just consider what makes for good healthy debate. The more a comment or commenter detracts from that, the more likely it will attract the attention of moderators.
If it was can I suggest you look at the little "Reply" below comments? And that you use it? And, if you are really trying to get my attention that you both spell my name correctly and that you try and say something intelligible rather than just abuse me.
If you weren't referring to me please ignore this remark of mine. I will, in the meantime, simply ignore the meaningless dribble you are coming out with.
Boot camps have been running for 26 years! They are a good thing even if people don't go far after them, provided of course that they never degenerate into bullying and sexual foreplay and after, and treating people detrimentally – no old fashioned sarn't major like in the films with vituperation etc – You lazy worms etc., and there should be some mind work, just not keeping tidy clean, regular hours etc.
Some of the people are going into the Defence Force. What about other people going into the Community Work Force, and having decent work jobs that the young ones give a go, for a few weeks, and then decide if they could take on that job for a stint of six months on minimum wage for a few months, and then living wage. What an incentive!
What a lot of work there is waiting to do in NZ. They could after six months be helped into real apprenticeships. But no Cave Creek projects, only doing what is appropriate for young unskilled people.
Those who did not want to commit to a six months in the first job offered, could be part of a local group who worked every week part-time, doing a variety of jobs, and then could nominate what they would like to study at for six months, with some outcome, certification etc. they would have to show for their work. Then they would be found a job, or place where they could use that expertise and interest.
We have enough human drones in NZ whose brains are under loose control. They can extend their reach for misbehaviour and worse with drones. Spy ware on a large scale is what they are – and also unpleasantly clogging up the air as badly as the cyclists, mobile carts and others clog up the footpaths. Our footpaths, the air, we always took for granted having a good clear purpose – best to be aware of the invasive things in our lives and try to control them from the start. Limit drones now to certain proved users!
It's always the cover up which gets you. After lying by omission and using the a bit of family limo use as a decoy, John Key has failed in throwing investors and the media off the scent of his ANZ's corruption.
Remember the money the Hiscos saved from the undervaluation of this house went straight into John Key's pocket not six months later…
Sitting in Charles de Gaulle airport overhearing 2 couples discussing Brexit it and Trump! English couple bemoaning the probability of Boris as pm, comparing him with Trump.
Never felt more proud to have Jacinta as leader. She may not appeal to the redneck tunnel visioned Nat voters, and even to me the coalition government is not radical enough – but, hell, light years better than has and UK.
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Don't want to answer the point made, so dodge it with a pedantic diversion.
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Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Ngaio Marsh House is one of Christchurch’s best kept secrets – and contains more than a few mysteries of its own.Trust Ngaio Marsh to leave more than a few mysteries scattered through her house long after her departure. For a start, there’s the curious concrete portal in the garden, ...
Appointment viewing has been lost to the mists of time, but memories of Montana Sunday Theatre can still be conjured by hitting play on a particular piece of classical music. “You’re not going to be able to sell it.” Over 30 years on, Karen Bieleski still recalls how the task ...
Performance Review King Luxon sat behind His massive polished oak desk. It is Performance Review time. There is a knock on the door. “Enter!” says the King. In steps Minister of Disabilities and Carer Pedicures, Penny Simmonds. “I can explain everything …” she begins. “Fine,” says King Luxon, pressing the ...
The pair opened their first fully collaborative exhibition, Nina for Flowers, last Saturday. Gabi Lardies visited their studio to find out who Nina is and what working together was like.‘It didn’t start out like, ‘This is a show about Nina,’” says Josephine Jelicich, gripping a thermos of peppermint tea. ...
Thank you, Dr Maximilian Oskar Bircher-Benner, for your brilliant invention. I’m another mid-20s Kiwi who had an OE last year. I hopped on my bicycle where France meets the Atlantic and cycled east. I pedalled through the Loire Valley, down rivers lined with willows and ancient wisteria-draped chateaus. I relished ...
Asia Pacific Report From France to Australia, university pro-Palestine protests in the United States have now spread to several countries with students pitching on-campus camps. And students at Columbia and other US universities remain defiant as campuses have witnessed the biggest protests since the anti-Vietnam war and anti-apartheid eras in ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)New Zealand Government’s Fast Track legislation. Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government ...
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
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ANZ in the news again. This time it looks like they failed to report suspicious behavior to the US authorities Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN).
Despite being US based FinCEN basically have global reach. Looks bad for ANZ.. not sure if that’s constitutes criminal action but from what I’ve read it’s possible.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/114321074/300m-share-scam-saw-money-stashed-in-cook-islands-bank-account
“Suspicious activity reports” or SARs are required by the US from all banks regardless of location in the world. That’s why it has become difficult for US citizens to open foreign bank accounts – crazy compliance requirements
The banks ,notably the ANZ do not accept the RB directive re capital requirements.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12250454
Cook Islands ?? Nothing to do with NZ according to the Nacts
http://www.stuff.co.nz/good-reads/8515361/Money-trail-leads-home-to-New-Zealand
ANZ , BNZ (winebox) and other 'respectable' banks, are the funnel into these places …. they help stash hot loot.
Creatively
Informative article.
First the Winebox,then the Panama papers ,now this…nothing changes much.
Not surprised to see blogger 'Cactus Kate' get a mention!
'behind every big fortune ..lies a big crime'.
Oh the irony,for Mr Transparent Chairman of ANZ…
If they have nothing to hide, presumably they have nothing to worry about."''
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/114330734/simplicity-could-launch-legal-action-over-anz-mansion-valuation-secrecy
The Cost of Bad Laws
New Zealand is not rich, and that’s making the new Government constrained from the large spending that’s needed to go into areas like housing, health, the environment etc.
But there are many 'cheap ' legislative changes they could undertake to fix certain things, and possibly save or gain money at the same time.
i.e…. regarding our prohibition Cannabis laws, and the cult logic that flows from them, ,,,, 1Kg of Cannabis creates $47,000 of costs / harms in NZ
Big flaky numbers I’ve quoted from the budget justifying (for drug squads / customs ) nz drug harm index ,,, page 38 https://www.health.govt.nz/system/files/documents/publications/nz-drug-harm-index-2016-2nd-ed-jul16.pdf
Personally I believe the numbers are hogwash …For instance in the Netherlands where
It seems 1 KG of cannabis is worth about 10,000 Euros direct revenue into their economy … calculated at 10 euros per gram.
https://www.clear-uk.org/the-economic-benefits-of-the-dutch-coffee-shops/
Colorado also gains from its recent Cannabis regulations …
How is the same Kilo of Cannabis benefiting the Netherlands and Colorado … yet apparently costing NZ tens of thousands in negative costs.
The only difference is Bad Law we can ill afford …
https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2018/05/the-netherlands-is-richer-than-thought-thanks-to-the-marijuana-industry/
So the orange anusmouth wants to take the humanitarian aid money intended for Honduras and Guatemala and divert it to funding regime change in Venezuela. Meanwhile, desperate people fleeing the crises in Honduras and Guatemala are jumping out of the frying pan into the fire of gratuitously malicious mistreatment at the border. Anyone else see any connection? Or wanna take a guess at the likely result of regime change fuckery in Venezuela?
https://thinkprogress.org/regime-overthrow-venezuela-trump-diverted-humanitarian-aid-b6cc01a43fd5/
So the Dems are largely united with tRump.
With some notable … and targeted exceptions ….
targeted by you too Andre … TG ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAUYwTYnTaI
There's mixed messages from Democrats on how to respond to the crisis in Venezuela because it's a complex, nuanced situation. While there's little argument that Maduro is a nasty sack'o'shit, and if there's a significant home-grown movement of Venezuelans wanting to rid themselves of Maduro, then they are deserving of moral support at a minimum. But going in and stirring up trouble to try to create pretext for imposing regime change from the outside, as Bolton and Pompeo apparently want to do, is simply unacceptable, and there's very few Democrats in favour of that.
There's also significant local political implications particularly in states such as Florida. Actively trying to foment regime change in Venezuela is quite popular among some communities such as Cuban-Americans. That realpolitik tends to blunt any potential messaging critical of Bolton and Pompeo's fuckery.
While there's little argument that Maduro is a nasty sack'o'shit
???? Oh yes, that's what the Trump regime says, and it's what the Trump regime's parrots in the media say, so that's what you say, of course.
… and if there's a significant home-grown movement of Venezuelans wanting to rid themselves of Maduro
Key words: "if", "significant" and "home-grown". None of them actually applies to the situation.
as Bolton and Pompeo apparently want to do
Ha! He said "apparently."
trying to foment regime change in Venezuela is quite popular among some communities such as Cuban-Americans
Corrected for truthfulness, that reads "…. trying to foment regime change in Venezuela is quite popular among reactionary, right wing Cuban-Americans…"
Bullshit ….. the only ones to speak out strongly against things like Eliot Abrahms ,,, or the sanctions / siege….. are the ones being dumped on by Trump … and yourself in regards to Tulsi Gabbard.
https://www.thenation.com/article/venezuela-democrats-trump-sanctions/
And which party thought " the price was worth it " …. when western siege / sanctions killed half a million Iraq children.
Face it …. both the democrats and repugs are exceptional … when it comes to war and killing.
Finally Which party turned on Martin Luther King …. in the year or two before he was murdered.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogfctc3wx-M&t=212s
I think NZ is rich.
Abundant natural resources,a temperate climate and more than enough to provide every NZ'er with a home to raise a family,adequate healthy food and all the basic needs of people.
The shackles of Friedman economics and pursuit of the delusional ,materialism of the 'American Dream' have lead to the shallow,unreal reality of today.
Is that the same Friedman who was one of the early advocates for a UBI? If so perhaps you could explain why you don't seem to approve of him given that he was an advocate of actually providing the basic needs of everyone.
Friedman was a supporter of the smashing of Chile's democracy in 1973. That's just one compelling reason to despise him. Another is his inability to cogently defend his outrageous positions….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUtM2kOF7RU
I must confess, having watched this clip, that I think Milton Friedman was a great deal clearer than the person with that amazing head of hair.
You seem to be ascribing views, and actions regarding Chile, to Milton that he didn't appear to hold.
Friedman worked with the U.S.-backed dictator to dismantle democracy in Chile. Because he himself never physically killed a teacher or student or nun or poet does not mean he was not involved in the bloodletting. Pinochet never personally dispatched a prisoner either. Nor did Kissinger.
Milton Friedman …. Shock Doctrine
His medicine was on show under boris yelstin
Milton fails because there is no ' level playing field ' …… ' The market decides' is the sort of crap that gave NZ Pike River …… which Alwyn tried to pin on Andrew Little.
Showing up Alwyn for having no concern for the truth …. or safety of any future mine workers.
He'd rather lie for political gain … repeatedly and on just about everything.
Roger Douglas gave the NZ economy its first dose of Miltons snake oil …. leading to the 1988 sharemarket crash … and the lost decade in the 1990's where our economy languished ….. as ruth richardson, jenny shiply and national doubled down.
The seeds to our housing crisis were planted then ….money spent on welfare to landlords via the 'Accommodation Allowance',… instead of state house building.
Student debt was introduced….
And did I say our economy hit the skids ,,,, Australia was the saving grace in stopping our unemployment rate going through the roof …. kiwi workers moved there.
Milton and trickle down were a fraud …. He grew oligarchs and inequality.
Russia 39 mins
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6yceBTf_Vs
This has some funny moments…
Let's Ridicule Thomas Friedman With Matt Taibbi..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LNUapxMlRE
Is that how you interpret 'trickle down theory'?
Chicago style economics embraced the doctrine of privatisation and austerity when crisis situations developed domestically and internationally.
The mess you see today is a direct result of this flawed ideology.
Their handiwork in US interventions is appalling.
" he was an advocate of actually providing the basic needs of everyone." really? the the same people who promote the ideology of modern wage slavery ie. free market laissez-faire economics are interested in your well being, or anyone's well being,I don’t think so.
The only interest in humans those rodents have is in their ability to either produce or consume market driven goods…why you would trust people with that ideology to provide anything of intrinsic value to the human project in a positive or long term way is beyond me.
Unending growth and short term gain for the wealthy is Friedman's ideology, nothing more…now debunked too I might add.
Rubbish. Why don't you simply look up what he really did say on the subject?
Arse. Friedman's negative tax wasn't a way to supplement income, it was a way to eliminate social spending by the state and replace it with private charity.
You haven't the faintest idea what you are talking about. The only bit that is accurate is the comment that he (sometimes) called it a negative tax. The money was to be supplied, without strings, by the Government. There was no mention at all that is should be provided by private charity.
In a housing market where few new houses are being built, I don't see how more small investors returning to the market is a good thing for anybody other than small investors. The signal no capital gains tax sends to the market is that property investors are to be encouraged because they are good for the economy. But as far as I can see, property investors simply soak up a lot of the available housing stock so it is not available for first home buyers. I don't see what added value they add to the economy.
https://www.qv.co.nz/property-insights-blog/smaller-investors-appear-more-confident-after-capital-gains-tax-scrapping/457
We need property investors because our government can't afford to provide a rental home for everyone that needs or wants one.
Our govenment has been trying to meet the housing needs of our most needy for only a few generations. Other nations have been at it for centuries.
The government and local council ownership of homes in Sweden are at such a level that stock levels extend beyond housing the most needy and extends into teachers, office admin, bus driving folk etc.
Good things happen when numbers get to that level. In NZ, the NZ housing stock is a huge expense. People speak of the dividend Housing NZ returns to our govt, bulldust, before we even get to the ledger, when considering the lost opportunity with the billions tied up it's an immense money-pit.
When the govt is the dominant rental property owner, they set the 'Market Rent' levels, not by making rent level laws, by proxy, the market follows the dominant player. When salespeople and drivers rather than just beneficiaries are in the rentals we all own, they are in a position to pay rent at levels that could push Housing NZ close to being a profitable business.
All sorts of benefits filter down. In Sweden, people in govt owned houses aren't judged unfavourably, it's so common amongst people of all walks of life it's not really a thing.
I feel there is a point of critical mass with govt owned housing, in nations that have been at it a lot longer than us the benefits are plain to see. We're some way off owning enough houses to 'Own the market' but I feel we should be on that road. In the meantime we need small time investors and their type have the reins.
When Jacinda holds the majority of rental properties and sets the tone, the marketplace might stop pissing around with our homes like our lives are a game of Monopoly. That's what happened in Sweden, I met a few wealthy people, none of them owned rental houses.
anne tolley is nasty piece of work.
“A teen was reduced to tears after her speech about a friend’s suicide during a Youth Parliament debate was interrupted by senior National MP Anne Tolley.”
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12250413
Let's see the trolls defend that!
An 11 year old girl committed suicide at my kids school a few months back, bloody sad.
She's an extremely nasty piece of work.
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2019/03/ann-tolleys-vicious-ramblings-about.html
Note – this is an edited version from one I put up earlier but deleted after getting the video to work.
Hi Cinny, I saw the little bit of that article much earlier this morning that I could read, but the video was not available so I was left wondering what had happened.
Having now watched the video, I am actually of two minds in this particular situation.
I was involved in helping with a couple of Youth Parliaments some years ago and instances such as that where young rep MPs are pulled up for reading speeches, cautioned that they are running out of time etc are quite usual. The purpose of the Youth Parliaments are to give young people an experience of what it is like to be a MP and how Parliament operates etc –warts and all.
Firstly, I never liked Tolley as a Minister etc in the last government, and agree that she did show a nasty side at times. On the other hand, as a regular watcher of Parliament (hard to break old work habits/requirements!) for the most part, I am actually quite impressed with her as a Deputy Speaker of the House.
In this particular situation I think Anne Tolley could have perhaps handled her interruption of Lily Dorrance’s speech a little better than she did considering the sensitive nature of Lily’s speech. On the other hand, Tolley was also bound to fulfill her role as Speaker to the Youth Parliament in the same way as she must do so as a Speaker in the 'normal' Parliament, in accord with all applicable rules, procedures, etc. I note that she also referred to things that had gone on previously in the Youth Parliament sittings that seemed to have provided context to her interruption on this occasion. Unfortunately we are not privy to what those earlier instances involved.
I have had a quick check of the Parliament site and note that some parts of the proceedings of this year's Youth Parliament (two days – Tuesday and Wednesday this week) were broadcast live on the usual Parliamentary TV channels, but unfortunately these broadcast sessions are not available On Demand on/through the Parliament website. So that does not help seeing what actually happened in the earlier sessions/speeches that Tolley referred to.
For anyone interested, here are links to the sections on the Parliamentary website re the 2019 Youth Parliament:
Programme PDF (LB = live broadcast sessions)
https://www.parliament.nz/media/5837/youth-parliament-2019-programme-for-website.pdf
Parliament website main page with further links to detailed information
https://www.parliament.nz/en/get-involved/youth-parliament/
I note from the “Bio” page the young woman concerned, Lily Dorrance, is from Christchurch. Each young person attending the Youth Parliament is sponsored by and represents a sitting MP – in Lily's case, that was The Rt Hon David Carter (Nat).
I have also now looked at the link in the second link above to the Youth Parliament Media pages, but nothing there about this incident – but some other interesting stuff. Will keep my eyes out for any more information re this situation and report back if I find out more.
[Cinny, despite this ‘incident’, the Youth Parliaments are really great and the young people who attended these in the past have reported that they really enjoyed them and the experience has spurred quite a few to move down this road in their studies and later lives. You really should think about these for your girls if they are interested in politics etc. ;Happy to get further info for you but also lots of stuff there on the second link to give you and the girls a feel for what happens etc.]
Here's some background from the start of the General Debate. She's a bully who can't pronounce people's names and changes the rules when and if she feels like it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YBXRoxCyRo
Thanks so much, maui. I wondered whether all the Youth Parliament televised sessions were up on You Tube – and it seems they are. I don't have time right now to watch them in detail but will do so over the weekend.
Have now watched quite a bit of the one above and considered that Tolley laid out the rules in a fairly even manner at the very 'get go' and so far, yes there has been some querying etc her ruling that speeches are not just to be read from notes.
Actually, the whole intention of these debates is that it is a learning opportunity where these young people get real experience of how Parliament works – including being pulled up for not sticking to the rules, then debating the rules, disagreeing with one another etc. It is not intended as a soft fluffy ride – and they are well aware of that before they apply to be part of a Youth Parliament.
IMO having worked in this area, what Tolley achieved in those first few minutes is in fact exactly the above. Yes, she stirred the pot and got things moving, people disagreeing with her and one another, and debating what the rules are, whether they are acceptable or not, and what the rules are that they (the House) wished to work to.
Sorry – IMO that is not bullying That is 'Mission achieved'.
She made up a new rule that none of the students were aware of. There seemed to be an expectation that they could read from notes, otherwise all of them would have started off trying their best not to.
Pretty harsh thing to do to students who are at Parliament for the first time doing public speaking. Doing a speech is nerve wracking enough.. having a powerful person silence you and embarass you infront of your peers is definitely something else.
Thanks for the links VV, much appreciated. I guess my issue is that we see MP's reading aloud from their notes in the house often.
And great advice re my girls and youth parliament, that's well worth looking into
Cinny I agree that we see MPs reading aloud from their notes in the House often, and that the different Speakers (Mallard, Tolley, Potp Williams and Adrian Rauhine) have different tolerance levels in that regard – much like different moderators here.
One of the points I was trying to make earlier (badly) was that the amount of experience that the Youth Parliaments try to provide in an action-packed two days leads to it being a pressure cooker of 'tastes' rather than indepth experiences. In my experience, anyway, the emphasis in all the preliminary info etc about becoming a youth MP and during the two days is that it is not a platform to push issues but rather a chance to get a taste of how Parliament operates and why etc. That is in no way to criticise Lily for raising a very important issue – youth suicide -as the subject of her speech; but IMO Tolley was seeing things from that perspective and was pushing Lily to express her own views on what should be done in the short time she had left rather than continuing to describe the situation re youth suicide in NZ. As I said, I think Tolley could probably have handled the situation better.
I note that the Herald has now put up an amended non-payrolled version of their original article which provides more information about the Youth Parliament and includes comments/apologies from Tolley – plus an amended heading.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12250519
I also note that mickysavage has also now put up a post, but not sure whether he has read the discussion here …
Oops, realised too late that I had misspelled two names – should be Poto Williams and Adrian Rurawhe. I am actually wondering whether someone else will replace Poto now that she is bcoming a Minister. I have a lot of respect for both her and Adrian as Assistant Speakers.
Yes, Ruth Dyson.
I think it proves National party people have no soul and aren't fit to be parents.
What did she say? Assuming the hibbledibble bothered giving details.
Correa reponds to CNN's false allegations about Assange's "control centre"
Correa compared CNN's assertions about Assange to its claims about "weapons of mass destruction" in the lead up to the Iraq war in 2003 — media manipulation which was used to make Americans "applaud a war,” he said.
Now, to "justify the assassination of Assange or to extradite him" they are constructing a new narrative about a fake "command center" for election meddling, he said."
Typically, whenever the new information contradicts the mainstream narrative, the MSM declines to report, thus contributing to a biased , incomplete coverage .
RT guys, but straight from the horse's mouth
https://www.rt.com/news/464409-correa-cnn-assange-embassy/
One thing the United States most certainly is not is a democracy. A democracy requires an informed electorate, and the United States most certainly does not have an informed electorate. The American media, indeed, the entirety of the Western print and TV media, functions as a Propaganda Ministry for Washington and the ruling oligarchies. The explanations are controlled to serve the agendas of the ruling elites. The persecution and torture of Julian Assange proves conclusively that the First Amendment is a dead-letter Amendment.
https://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2019/07/01/the-torture-of-julian-assange/
Without an honest Fourth Estate it is impossible to prevent a democracy from becoming a tyranny. In America tyranny is far advanced. Suppose that Americans somehow became aware of the truth about Julian Assange’s total innocence that has been disclosed by Nils Melzer, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture. What could they do about it short of violent revolution and complete elimination of the ruling elites?
CNN interviewed Julian Assange—several times!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yntLTi1KWEk
Speaking of RT and the often stated claims that it is a Russian controlled media, it seems that that is not so much.
The following is an interview and transcript by journalist Ivan Golunov who spoke to RT about his arrest on false drug charges, alleged mistreatment in custody, huge public support that he didn’t expect, and plans for the future now that he is a minor celebrity in Russia.
https://www.rt.com/russia/462048-golunov-full-interview-transcript/
BBC of course, is state sponsored
CNN/Fox and other US networks are state apararti…Federal agencies and employees are part of the organisations…
Finger pointing at RT for example, is the purest hypocrisy.
The BBC is not just state-sponsored, it's a mouthpiece for the state. It was effectively brought to heel after Blair and Alastair Campbell went to war on it following the David Kelly revelations in 2004.
The Weasel goes Pop
With the arrival of the Coalition Government there has been an explosion of thought and some valuable activity, particularly in looking towards the Future of New Zealand.
But at the Risk of being a Pain in the Butt – I wish to draw attention to the massive crisis in Housing. The whole Nation has let Poverty of Population waddle around in disgrace.
We must Immediatlely stop all Immigration
We must build 3 bedroom qualityApartments / Houses (that do not leak or fall apart or drop off from great heights)
We must Stop all other constructions until Housing is built.
The Apartments / Houses should be sold for $300 thousand Dollars to persons earning less than $50,000. Should be sold at $90, 000 for persons earning at $70, 000 Indicative only.
Rentals should be reduced to max of $170 per week. I
mmediately -Indicative.
The Houses may never be sold To the Free Market! Only to the Government of the Day.
"We must Stop all other constructions until Housing is built.".
I'm not sure that this would really be a good idea. Are we not to be allowed any new schools or classrooms as Chippie Hipkins announced recently?
And are you going to scrap the rebuild of the Dunedin Hospital that was announced by the National Government back prior to the last election and that the current lot seemed to be willing to carry out?
Is "Dr" Clark going to renege on this and go along with your proposal instead?
Not to mention international conference centres wally. They should always get priority.
I suppose you can demand the provision of lots of conference centres if you are so much in favour of them. God knows what you would want them for but you are allowed to call for them if you must.
Personally I can't see why we should need any more but the idiot Labour Mayor in Wellington seem to be, like you, a fan. What is that makes you lot so keen to have them?
You will note that I didn't want to see useful things scrapped for a single minded push for standard sized houses. Do you really not favour schools and hospitals?
Agreed. The planet can do without the carbon footprint associated with holding large international conferences in NZ – hold 'em online.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/266186/back-to-the-drawing-board
I notice that you second link was early in 2015. What ever happened in the end. Clearly the then Government weren't going to be as stupid as the current lot and cough up the money. Did they hold to that?
There was much hoopla and some political concessions made at the time – maybe the government aimed to make political capital out of it. ‘Bum deal’? Scam? A bit of both? Maybe one day the taxpayers will get the full story.
Don't know the real extent of public or private costs, although some major private companies got burned, going forward. There was a remarkable derth of good news stories about the project in 2016/17 – funny that.
A case of 'Big Smoke' and mirrors? Better that than 'all up in smoke'.
"SkyCity to remove aluminium cladding from International Convention Centre"
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/110551367/sky-city-expects-395-million-from-fletchers-in-compensation-for-building-delays
Please don't feign dumb ignorance, alwyn. Gabby was obviously making a witty allusion to John Key's dodgy deal with Sky City to provide Auckland with a 'marvellous' (?) Conference Centre. You remember? About the time when he was refusing to admit that there was any kind of housing crisis?
Is your memory truly as selective as you pretend?
Gabby? Witty??
You really must be joking. You are also showing signs of a failing memory of course. The thing at Sky City wasn't built by the taxpayer, was it?
It was built by Sky City themselves, or at least it was going to be. I don't live in Auckland or waste my time at Casinos so I really have no idea what happened to it. I am only too well aware of out idiot Labour Mayor in Wellington wanting to waste the ratepayer's money on building something like it here.
What I am very well aware of is that this current pack of fools, known as the CoL, have poured a fortune into a miserable few houses and then haven't even been able to sell many of them. I think it is total madness for the State to run a subsidy scheme for unsuccessful developers which is what KiwiBuild has turned out to be. What do you think the final cost of the farce is going to be? How many hundreds of millions of dollars has already been wasted and what will the final bill turn out to be?
You still fail to explain your selective memory about the previous Govt's strange priorities.
I disagree with you about the holy, sacred 'taxpayer' not being penalised by the Sky City Convention Centre deal.
Sky City got the right to increase the number of their gaming machines. (Are you going to pretend that there was no commercial gain? More importantly, no social cost in a low-wage country where so many of the poor are conned into seeing lotto and Casinos as a source of hope?)
I suspect that in the long term we will all be paying the social costs of that foul deal. Taxpayer or not.
Your criticism of Wellington's mayor because you personally do not want that casino is another feint, avoiding the valid point that Gabby raised: the Key Govt's obsession with the great value of Conference Centres.
How to go all Trumpian on it, Eh Tokeroa?
Tokeroa, how do you propose we get the workers to build these houses?
Also, Tokeroa, You obviously haven't been to hospital lately. If you had you would notice that the health sector labour force is totally reliant on immigrants to operate it. Realise Tokeroa, that without immigration our health system would be in near collapse.
Also know this Tokeroa the massive state house building programme launched by the first Labour Government Minister of Housing, John A. Lee relied massively on immigrant labour. (Admittedly mostly from what we called at that time the 'Home Country')
Had a call from Curia last night ( for the first time). One little curiosity I thought – was asked to rank a group of politicians from 1 ( terrible ) -5 ( fantastic ). The group was Jacinda, James Shaw, Winston Peters, Simon Bridges and……Paula Bennett. I get the first four, but Bennett ? Any thoughts on what this could mean?
Shaw is going to get a turn as Prime Minister perhaps?
Given his disastrous performance in Statistics, his only real portfolio, he would be about as bad as the incumbent, wouldn't he?
Actually looking at the names, and the rating system to be used, I see why you have named them in that order. The first name would get a rating of 1. The second name gets a rating of 2 and so on. All is clear.
Why would Pullya get a 5 wally? Finger discount?
Shows how scared the gnats are. They are panicking now poor headless crooks lol
Nat party checking out swapping leaders?
Pick out the top five and let them all have a go. National pollies don't take their job seriously even when they are the government and now is the perfect time for pilot apprentices to show their Gnashers.
Ah, maybe a breakaway party? Though that seems less likely to be led by Bennett than others in their current caucus..
Just in case anyone was wondering, "go back to where you came from" is explicitly cited by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission as an example of illegal discrimination.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/federal-law-go-back-came-from-discrimination_n_5d2e815de4b085eda5a390cc
And since supercallousfragileracistsexistnaziPOTUS thinks it's a political win for him, expect a lot more of it.
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/07/17/politics/trump-squad-political-strategy/index.html
"Lock her up" just doesn't do it for the deplorables anymore. Now it's "send her back".
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/07/17/politics/donald-trump-race-america-democrats/index.html
Dear Mrs Alwind
Thankyou for drawing attention to your your stupid liitle nothings. You seem to have been caught up in a nasty little house in which hatred of the poor is the only thing that spoouts out of your twisted mind and Arse. You low achiever.
Creep back into Your House of Hatred now !
[Please tone it down a little – Incognito]
See my Moderation note @ 11:59 AM.
I will tone it down a bit as you request.
Is there a Rule which insists that serious topics get treated with real respect – sans abuse – san bias- and sans stupidity.
I appreciate your work and monitoring. Incognito !
Thank you.
No rule, just consider what makes for good healthy debate. The more a comment or commenter detracts from that, the more likely it will attract the attention of moderators.
Was this meant to have been addressed to me?
If it was can I suggest you look at the little "Reply" below comments? And that you use it? And, if you are really trying to get my attention that you both spell my name correctly and that you try and say something intelligible rather than just abuse me.
If you weren't referring to me please ignore this remark of mine. I will, in the meantime, simply ignore the meaningless dribble you are coming out with.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/394649/limited-service-volunteer-programme-boot-camps-for-the-unemployed-set-to-double-in-size
Boot camps have been running for 26 years! They are a good thing even if people don't go far after them, provided of course that they never degenerate into bullying and sexual foreplay and after, and treating people detrimentally – no old fashioned sarn't major like in the films with vituperation etc – You lazy worms etc., and there should be some mind work, just not keeping tidy clean, regular hours etc.
Some of the people are going into the Defence Force. What about other people going into the Community Work Force, and having decent work jobs that the young ones give a go, for a few weeks, and then decide if they could take on that job for a stint of six months on minimum wage for a few months, and then living wage. What an incentive!
What a lot of work there is waiting to do in NZ. They could after six months be helped into real apprenticeships. But no Cave Creek projects, only doing what is appropriate for young unskilled people.
Those who did not want to commit to a six months in the first job offered, could be part of a local group who worked every week part-time, doing a variety of jobs, and then could nominate what they would like to study at for six months, with some outcome, certification etc. they would have to show for their work. Then they would be found a job, or place where they could use that expertise and interest.
Powerful guns bought back – drones only sold under permit?
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/394564/government-looks-at-powers-to-seize-illegally-operated-drones
We have enough human drones in NZ whose brains are under loose control. They can extend their reach for misbehaviour and worse with drones. Spy ware on a large scale is what they are – and also unpleasantly clogging up the air as badly as the cyclists, mobile carts and others clog up the footpaths. Our footpaths, the air, we always took for granted having a good clear purpose – best to be aware of the invasive things in our lives and try to control them from the start. Limit drones now to certain proved users!
It's always the cover up which gets you. After lying by omission and using the a bit of family limo use as a decoy, John Key has failed in throwing investors and the media off the scent of his ANZ's corruption.
Remember the money the Hiscos saved from the undervaluation of this house went straight into John Key's pocket not six months later…
http://i.stuff.co.nz/business/money/114330734/simplicity-could-launch-legal-action-over-anz-mansion-valuation-secrecy
Sitting in Charles de Gaulle airport overhearing 2 couples discussing Brexit it and Trump! English couple bemoaning the probability of Boris as pm, comparing him with Trump.
Never felt more proud to have Jacinta as leader. She may not appeal to the redneck tunnel visioned Nat voters, and even to me the coalition government is not radical enough – but, hell, light years better than has and UK.
Who is "Jacinta"? I've never heard of her.
Another obvious, insincere feint.
I assume you know that a 'd' is merely a softened, vocalised 't'. In Olde English, the word 'Hundred' ended with a t, not a d. But you would still have understood it.
Don't want to answer the point made, so dodge it with a pedantic diversion.
Philosophy or Science Fiction the path forward. Let us forget about stone age Neolithic cannibal culture for a while.