The problem is still there people but what a brilliant bit of diversion by the government.
Campbell Live highlights that there is a “hunger” problem in schools.
Government response, after much public pressure, make an announcement that
they will provide funding for lower decile schools to provide food…
Yeah, well guess what? The emphasis is on “will” and unsurprisingly not
“now”. So the issue gets removed from the headlines but is still as real today
as it was yesterday. Probably tired, hungry, listless children in classrooms.
Bar patrons are being scanned and photographed as managers seek to keep out the rabble and take note of the regulars.
A new technology that scans and records photo IDs – as well as taking additional photos of revellers – is being trialled throughout the lower North Island.
There are three ID scanning machines in the country, with two in Auckland and the third being moved around from Wellington to Hawke’s Bay.
Any just who will listen to this, concern!
The expansion continues, and the environments will continue to contract, as they digital grid envelops all aspects of life!
Thanks for this, muzza. More worrying extensions of the surveillance society. Surveillance precedes, and enables, control, regulation and/or manipulation of reality.
Notice how the city is “not considered” part of Korea, which is an important aspect of removing sovereignty, or divorcing people from the concept of it.
Cities are already home to half of the world’s 7billion population and that figure will rise to 70 per cent by 2050, according to the United Nations.
Every inch of the city has been wired up by Cisco with fibre optic broadband keeping people connected and sending a constant data stream to computer processors that keep Songdo operating.
TelePresence screens are being installed in all homes, offices, hospitals and shopping centres so people can make video calls whenever they want.
In addition, sensors embedded in streets and buildings monitor everything from temperature to road conditions to help the city run efficiently and react to problems at lightning speed. For example, street lights can be switched off in deserted streets to save energy or brightened in busy ones
See my post on agenda 21 higher up – The UN is driving the globalist agenda, and part of that is forcing people into the cities…
The technology and legislative roadmaps, ensure that the figures quoted by the UN are +/- achieveable, because they’re in control, even now!
Wondering Aloud http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0W7rgo3IDI
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude (well, maybe a little cheeky). it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs (that’s a challenge 🙂 ) .Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
(Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. For anyone who speaks in tongues does not speak to men but to God. Indeed!, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit. But everyone who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort.)
Now we see but a poor reflection, as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.
So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. (wonder what the moon is getting round to) 🙂
According to one of Rachels’ topical interviewees, Synthetic and Legal Pharmaceuticals are
“the Drug problem of the 21st Century” (ya don’t say! pass me another couple of aspire in)
Sanitarium is using our Court system to fight its corporate interests but doesn’t contribute tax to NZ to fund this. Sanitarium has a waiver on tax because it is a church-charity-owned business. And the business is hand-to-mouth because they are selling food, not because they are a charity that funds itself from cake stalls, op shops, and grants from community trusts.
They spend the tax they would otherwise pay to government and the country, on their own chosen interests. But not even necessarily in NZ. And they are a major player in the food market. Another way for NZ government to be fleeced by big business.
Sanitarium – the maker of Kiwi staples Weet-Bix and Skippy Cornflakes – has evolved into a giant of the local food manufacturing sector over the last century.
The Royal Oak-based firm says its share of the New Zealand cereal market sits at about 35 per cent, while Kellogg’s, its nearest rival, holds roughly 23 per cent….
Wholly owned by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Sanitarium’s arms on both sides of the Tasman are exempt from paying company tax on their earnings because their profits help fund the church’s charitable and religious activities.
But that tax break doesn’t mean all of the income generated by the church’s local businesses is required to stay in this country.
Following enquiries by the Business Herald, the church confirmed that its New Zealand-based companies have invested roughly $13 million into three ventures in the United States since 2007.
My understanding is that commercial operations such as Sanitarium are now subject to New Zealand Income tax. Presumably an effect of the removal of limits on charitable donations now enables such businesses to make sufficient donations to a registered charity so as to make no taxable profits, but they will be subject to GST and rates for example. I am not a tax expert though..
Ed 7.2
The public, the consumers, pay the GST. Rates cover the use of property for offices, manufacturing or warehousing and are a local council matter, don’t know how they act to charities that are major income earning businesses. I think schools pay rates, there was consternation about being charged individual pan tax for instance, because of the number of toilets required to service all the children. So not too many exemptions.
Ad vertisement:
Life without industry is guilt, and industry without art is brutality.
(approximations at irony, sarcasm, ironic sarcasm, do not convey precisely)
ya’ can’t please all the people all the time, but ya sure can please some of the people some of the time
(and some children in the play ground just choose not to play with you)
Good Jackal – A good look at the possibilities. And the interesting parrying that comes up against any ‘new’ idea in NZ accompanied by some fudged ‘facts’. As far as decision making goes we in this country are about as clear thinking as witch hunters blaming cow deaths on the nearest hapless outlier.
Darien Fenton’s bill to protect library services didn’t make it into the house last night, even though it was supposed to. Disappointing, as I think that this is an issue that needs to be brought out of the shadows.
Fat German computer nerds, sky-high dollars, youth rates and bennie bashing are more sexier topics than a valuble community resource falling victim to local authority cost cutting.
Labour and the Greens would have defintely voted for it, and there was a good chance NZ First and the Maori Party would have voted for it, and who knows, Peter Dunne might have backed it as well. I think ACT and National would have voted against, on the grounds of not wanting to interfere with the activites of local bodies, even though there is a bill pending to limit spending by councils.
“The Local Government (Public Libraries) Amendment Bill is in line with UNESCO Guidelines on Libraries and responds to calls from groups such as the Library and Information Association of New Zealand Aotearoa (LIANZA) to have such free public library services enshrined in law.
Into the wilds – yahoo! Diving into genuineness, reality, clear and unambiguous honesty, credibility, a place of no lies or deception, rorts or other dastardly deeds. A place where lies and deception get turned on their head pretty much instantly with uncomfortable and situation-changing consequences.
vto
Don’t know about credibility at all times in the wilds. Kathryn Ryan did an extremely good and probing interview on the quality of outdoor leaders and their capabilities as used by schools particularly. The picture seemed to be that there was a fuzzy area about who was suitably trained and experienced and what controls on ratios of children, of mixed experience and strength, to leaders. Very interesting and troubling. Lies and deception could be how bereaved parents might see the situation.
Oh yes, you’re right about that. I was referring to the credibility and honesty of the actual environment, not the people who enter it. Trying to put one over nature will lead to nothing but consequences ……
The Alex business cartoon is usually very good. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/alex/
Also they invite emails with ideas for the cartoon and we could supply some wry comments I think – if it mirrored the way that Jokey Hen’s mind works.
And a why can’t a teacher sue Novopay for damages, loss of sleep (stress) etc etc Bills not paid. Because in this day and age of electronic credit checks, they don’t say why the payment was late, just that it was late, or not paid for X weeks. And tough shit on those who are affected.
Good article there Dave. I think the right-wing are doing their best to say inequality isn’t increasing more than blaming the public though. That’s what all the median wages are increasing malarky is about.
You’re probably right Jackal, in actual fact they will say anything to make sure that the finger isn’t pointed at them. In education they love raw data and quantitative research because they can create a narrative around the data to suit themselves. They hate qualitative research because it generally contains rational explanations and evidence for why their policies are wrong.
Yep, all true. There is ample raw data which confirms the Right’s “market power” belief system is fundamentally flawed yet, as you say, it can be framed by a duplicitous narrative which the largely apathetic public and indolent MSM swallow. Its incredibly frustrating because it is the battle for public opinion which is the primary arena if there is to be peaceful political change.
Your public, though well intentioned, is ignorant and more than a little obtuse, inclined to think of the lives of the poor (especially, perhaps, the distant or foreign poor) as not equally real. How do you write, if you want to inform their perceptions and inspire useful choices? . . . C. Daniel Batson’s magisterial work on empathy and altruism shows that a particularized narrative of suffering has unique power to produce motives for constructive action.
I think this sort of approach worked well with the watersiders in their (on-going) struggle for equitable treatment from POAL. The raw data was abundantly clear that the union and its members were being systematically shafted but it seemed (to me, anyway) that a modicom of public support was generated by the personal stories of the workers being subject to the pernicious machinations of the Right.
Telling first-hand and undeniable stories of brave people suffering at the hands of National Ltd™ policies might well be a way forward when it comes to exposing the brutal reality imposed on society’s weakest by John Key and his band of privateers. Thing is, finding those brave people because they will have to expose themselves to an already uncaring public scrutiny and the pradations of the likes of Slater et al.
I quite agree, Blip. The CTU/Maritime Union deliberately used human stories to meet the employers attempt to paint the workers as a union rabble, they were essentially fathers and family men being treated appallingly. It was very successful.
This Government does the same thing themselves, they will cite one or two dodgy teachers to justify a review of the Teachers Council and describe one or two beneficiaries to justify cutting benefits or services. I think Campbell Live is providing a useful service with his visual depiction of school lunches and his stories of suffering in Christchurch. We need print journalists to use more of this approach.
I agree with your concerns about people being prepared to stand up and be counted for this sort of thing because they will need to be well vetted and supported just incase National uses the Paula Bennett strategy to shut them up. I can see this next election becoming a very dirty one indeed.
Being Thursday, John Key -now Dunnokeyo – will not be in the House for Question Time. but the questions are not letting up.
Charles Chauvel is taking another approach in asking Finlayson who the other two Ministers were at the meeting with Key
4.CHARLES CHAUVEL to the Attorney-General: Who, other than himself and the Prime Minister, was present at the discussion on the Government Communications Security Bureau’s unlawful surveillance of Mr Dotcom?
A couple of questions are to the PM – wonder who the lucky Minister will be who will have to answer on his behalf?
6.Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Prime Minister: Does he think it is important that his Ministers, including himself, come to the House prepared to give honest answers?
9.Dr DAVID CLARK to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by his comment that Government computer systems “can’t actually support radical changes from Government”?
And another hilarious/frustrating session with Parata having to answer questions 1, 11 and 12. Parata’s performance yesterday was unbelievable.
1.Hon NANAIA MAHUTA to the Minister of Education: Is it still her strategy in education to “focus on teaching and learning quality” and “transparent accountabilities”?
11.CHRIS HIPKINS to the Minister of Education: How long will boards of trustees of the schools she proposes to close or merge in Christchurch have to consult with their local communities before they are required to provide feedback to her ahead of a final decision?
12.CATHERINE DELAHUNTY to the Minister of Education: Does she stand by her statement to schools, about their obligation under the Official Information Act 1982, that, “New Zealand is an open and transparent democracy. They [schools] are required to release this information. You are public entities.”?
Yes and Q 6 from Winston implies fireworks. Risky but it has passed through the checking stage this morning. Must watch.
Wonder if the Minister of Education will be too busy to attend Q Time today? Duck!
Q6 should have said ‘-prepared to deliver factually correct answers ? ‘
the ‘honest’ leaves far too much wriggle room based on the individual’s perception of what constitutes honesty, and who trusts the Nats’ interpretation of anything?
Yep the second tier of bullshit artist will be out on display today.
It’s bad enough that the politicians are only expected to do 3 days a week for 3 weeks and have a what? a month off, it’s just bull shit that Key is too fucking LAZY to attend question time for the 3 days a week that it’s on. Will someone pleasae tell this useless lazy prick that it’s customary to attend parliament if for nothing else but to face your detractors. Shows how Chicken shit Key really is..
Agreed Ianmac. Today’s questions were not put up on the Parliament website until about 30 -45 minutes later than usual, so possibly there has been something going on behind the scenes (my conspiracy theory for the day, lol).
and Charles Chauvell throws a sloppy pitch and watches helpless as Finlayson whacks it soaring away into the bleechers
How can the Opposition Parties allow this bungling of questions during this crucial juncture in New Zealand’s decline? Where was the precision, the detail? The most basic necessity of the current function of the Opposition Parties should be nothing but extracting clear facts from the Government and instead many are appearing complicit in the misdirection and obfuscation.
These games are getting tiresome and NZ Parliament is not a batting cage in which to hone the swing.
SINGLE PART QUESTIONS GET ANSWERS
perhaps next week will be better
I am off to the Hawkes Bay for a long weekend of playing with nephews,
at least they ask decent questions
That is a really good point for Labour and anyone to remember. If a questioner has a particular point, keep honed to that point. If you give the respondent a chance to go off on some fuzzy side issue, or even the hint of some emotional, or current folk issue, then chances are you won’t get into territory that needs toe to toe discussion.
Same with blogs or writing to the newspapers. Give people a chance and they will wander off on some hobby-horse. An example, bad, is the referendum on crime that is so well-known. A two part question and an unclear answer that politicians chose to follow with more punitive punishment all round. Costly and ineffective.
(I have been looking up the Christie Marceau tragedy – better, thoughtful policies for young men in difficulties, would likely have prevented this guy going off his head. Someone must have noticed his weird thinking and behaviour.)
Winston Peters is expressing sufficient levels of anger and disgust to reflect accurately the way I am feeling about the disgusting level of non-answers this Government has been deeming fit to supply the house (and thus all of us).
I’m unclear how parliament can function effectively without some level of adherence to answers with a fair level of honesty or integrity. This is simply a farce and has been going on last term as well as this term.
My view is that Winston Peters has lifted the quality and strength of opposition immensely by his return and I am grateful to those people who voted for him to be quite frank.
I acknowledge that the level of opposition is improving from other parties however, I would like to see a whole lot more indignation/anger over the joke of the way DunnoKeyO ltd are treating the affairs of the State.
If this were persevered in I am confident that our sleepy MSM would eventually catch on, they appear to have to be spoon-fed a critical approach and now that they have checked out it is left up to sites such as The Standard and our opposition politicians to do that.
Crafar farms have passed into Chinese ownership with Landcorp Farming Ltd taking the position of sharemilker to the business. They are going to export to China. It would be expected that this would be high quality milk product. I was thinking of how to do more than slap a NZ label on it and hope for the best as far as keeping our milk standards up – from all NZ exporters.
How would an appellation system go? A tightly run system like the French and other European wine areas adopt? To be included in this a farm would have to do everything right about quality and have high standards as far as pollution and actual enhancing the environment not just repairing it. We don’t want Chinese or others quick to take advantage, selling any more product that is tainted and bringing down what standards and customer loyalty we have established.
A help would be if photogenic PM Jokey Hen didn’t provide a photographic endorsement for foreign dairy business. Other Prime Ministers have talents like singing etc. He should concentrate on connecting his image where it can do him and us some good.
“and have high standards as far as pollution and actual enhancing the environment not just repairing it.”
Industrial dairy farming is inherently polluting and damaging to the land, and inherently unsustainable. Even more so when the product is exported. We are literally pulling the fertility out of the land and selling it overseas. We cannot replace that fertility in the timeframes we are talking about. There is no way to farm sustainably under those conditions, because of the net loss of nutrients as well as the destruction of soil and soil biota from industrial farming practices.
there are many ways to commercially dairy farm, and it’s not really whether a dairy farm is “industrial” or “corporate” which is the issue, it’s how intensive the land is farmed.
Running out of phosphate and diesel is going to put a dampener on all of this anyhows.
The industrial model IS intensive. That’s the whole point – it’s why they clear paddocks of any trees, use artificial fertiliser, pack as many stock units in as possible, allow whatever runoff they can get away with, and steal water from aquifers. It’s all about stock units and profit margins.
I do know some organic dairy farmers who are doing really good things, far far better than conventional industrial dairying, but they’re not really sustainable either. And if they’re exporting their milk/fertility, it’s definitely not sustainable.
The ANZ bank job survey out today, says that job ads fell back almost 3% in september,
pointing to unemployment rising to 7%.
The survey also said there was a 5.9% fall in newspaper job ads in the month of september,
internet job ads dropped 2.4% in september.
A 7% unemployment rate is expected in 6 months.
TPP is a negotiation, an attempt in a structured process to find scope for consensus where none appears to exist. It’s not for nothing trade negotiations are called the art of the possible.
That’s also why this process needs to take place behind closed doors, at least until consensus is forged.
This is not the same as secrecy – it’s no secret TPP talks are taking place in Auckland in December. At that time any public stakeholders who register their interest will be able to meet with negotiators as they have done in every other negotiating round.
Those on all sides of the TPP debate will do so and they should, to ensure negotiators are aware of their concerns. New Zealand negotiators are extremely open to this and meet regularly with those for and against TPP.
translation? : Trust us, fear not, It’s all ok! No need to look back there, there is no curtain, that is simply a light diffusing tool that happens to be made of fabric and has multi-positional capabilities.
At that time any public stakeholders who register their interest will be able to meet with negotiators as they have done in every other negotiating round.
The implication of that sentence is that the public aren’t stakeholders in their own governance.
Dearest Ad / Uturn, Viper et al; 🙂
The Spirit moves among us, of that I am certain. Only yesterday I learned of the relationship between the parish and the Orthodox Greeks here. Then, this morning, another timely and topical homily delivered by a Theologian who made me feel very at home and directed over a cup of tea 😉 (man! now I am gonna have to go back to school, at least Otago can come to us, just continue being a rogue in the interim). Amongst other topics, we covered Heidegger’s ” Instrumental, Inter-personal and Revelational” (off the top of my head, William Tell) and now this
Propaganda http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propaganda:_The_Formation_of_Men%27s_Attitudes
and this
Jack http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellul,_Jacques
and the Industrial Workers of the World (and a whole lotta lovin people who suggest you are not alone) Wow! Thanks very much!
The Book of Ammon appears worth reading.
(I have always been meaning to read Barth on Romans)
There aint half been some clever ( wise) bastards; Another cornerstone for the AC (all sharing the plough)
Now, to all the atheists, if you let it happen, you will be amazed by the phenomenology of The Spirit; It just keeps on giving, Day after day after day.
-John (chips and fishes for lunch) Wow!
Rock On! 🙂
(oops, there is some un-referenced Ruskin behind me)
So apparently Tariana was on radio live yesterday, and apparently she said that the actions of the govt (of which she is a part) regarding the water rights issue constitute “confiscation” of water rights from maori.
Apparently it was pointed out to her that this is exactly what she left the Labour govt over, and was asked if she would be walking from the govt, and if not, why that threshold for her support no longer applied.
And apparently she said she intended to remain supporting National until such time as “my people” tell her to go.
I can only assume that the “my people” she refers to are John Key and Bill English.
Which New Zealand personalities are going to be caught up in this one? But then when you get to the third paragraph you discover that it isn’t good ol’ Nuzilnd – phew just another tacky story from that land that Key loves and admires.
The MSMs job is to deflect and dumb down to the point where people are no longer able to understand, let alone comprehend what is happening around, and to them. They are enveloped in a bubble of utter irrelevance, to the point where their instincts are dead, we see that the masses are most of the way to that stage of devolution.
Anyone who has even a modacum of understanding/awareness, is already, and will increasingly be seen even more so, as “a freak”!
The world is being twisted inside out, and for those who can see it happening, its hard to watch to be fair!
Why is STEPHEN FRANKS being interviewed about a knife-killing?
The Panel, National Radio, Thursday 18 October 2012
Jim Mora, Andrew Clay, Rosemary McLeod
First topic for the day: the killing of Christie Marceau by Akshay Chand. Who better to discuss this than a couple of lightweight Panelists and someone from the pro-knife-killing Sensible Sentencing Trust?…
JIM MORA: We’re going to talk to Wellington lawyer Stephen Franks about this “Not Guilty by reason of insanity” verdict.
ANDREW CLAY: [blithely] I’m a liberal left kind of guy but on this issue, I’m happy to say I’m quite right wing!
ROSEMARY McLEOD: [gravely] I’m surprised that you are having someone on who is an expert on the law rather than on human relations.
STEPHEN FRANKS: [disgustingly]REDACTED FOR REASONS OF MORALITY AND TASTE.
Franks is such a repellent character that we are unable to physically transcribe his garbage. However, it is noteworthy that Franks, who, remember, is a shameless supporter of this kind of crime, used the word “wickedness” four times, including once in the phrase “mad wickedness”. He also mocked the “pious wishes” of what he called “liberals”. This prompted another McLeod outburst….
ROSEMARY McLEOD: [gravely]It’s these counsellors I am concerned about. Who exactly are these counsellors? Curious middle class women who enjoy interfering in other people’s lives.
ANDREW CLAY: A hur hur hur hur!
ROSEMARY McLEOD: Sniff. I find it all quite odd, really.
Appalled, I dashed off the following e-mail to Jim Mora….
Dear Jim,
Stephen Franks works for the Sensible Sentencing Trust, and is a close colleague of Garth McVicar. After the 2008 knife-killing of a boy in Manurewa, both Franks and McVicar, speaking as official representatives of the SST, expressed vehement support not for the victim, but for his killer. For weeks and months after the killing, they spoke out in support of the killer, and compounded this by pouring abuse and scorn on the memory of the dead boy and his grieving mother.
Could you explain to your listeners why you chose to interview Stephen Franks, of all people, about a knife murder?
Well noted Morrissey.
A question for RNZ.
Why do you use so many ex- ACT MPs as representative of NZ opinion when they have have less than 1% of the vote? Jim Moira in particular asks the right wing of Natioanl + ACT a lot onto his ‘panel’.
Its not Jim’s fault. He’s just the “talent” – the “Ted Knight” of “Afternoons”.
The weakness lies in the RNZ management system whereby idiots are employed to soothe funder concerns. This results in “shows” being filled-up with people who promote themselves and, thus, save staff having to do any work or otherwise think about who might be suitable and/or interesting. The problem is compounded by the Wellington social-circuit where “media darlings” are courted by apparently sincere people who can “help” with “access” to “opinion leaders”.
Its a shame, really. What’s missing from the public dialouge is that bitter truth derived from cynicism that used to exist in the media. Now its all about “networking”.
Really interesting Blip – especially the points about the RNZ management system and the Wellington social circuit.
Can I ask you, if you were the boss of RNZ for a week, which more varied opinions would you invite to challenge funder concerns?
Was Malcolom Bradbury removed from the Panel for these reasons?
Can I ask you, if you were the boss of RNZ for a week, which more varied opinions would you invite to challenge funder concerns?
If I were The Boss of RNZ for a week I wouldn’t worry about the details. First off, I would double the advertising rates for all the commercial channels and leave them intact. On the free-to-air channels I would devolve the network down to local channels, no more than, say, 10,000 listeners and involve community activists wishing to address that audience – plus play excellent music and re-run The Goon Show.
So far as the spread-sheet is concerned, I would sack anyone earning more than $100,000 and direct that savings into the provision of a more effective community and national news service.
But … yeah, the funder. I guess there has to be a slant towards patriotism and heritage and an abiding respect for parliament and the courts, our kaumatua and our children. There’s a need to “stay positive” and bouyant but also speak truth.
(Also, while The Boss, I would get my expense card out and thrash it every night of the week shouting the staff free drinks/meals/art/training and taxis home. When the media come to ask me about it I’ll say: “yeah, so what?”)
My Grandma was pretty self reliant and sensible. But like Rosemary, she had great difficulty understanding modern stuff like TV or jet travel or modern dress. But she was very tolerant in a trembling manner where Rosemary condemns as she confirms her ignorance and bigotry.
So score Nana @ 90+years 8/10. Rosemary sounds like 90+years 1/10.
Israel forced to release study on Gaza blockade
17 October 2012
An Israeli court has forced the release of government research detailing the number of calories Palestinians in Gaza need to consume to avoid malnutrition.
The study was commissioned after Israel tightened its blockade of the territory after Hamas came to power in June 2007.
The UN said if the research reflected a policy intended to cap food imports, it went against humanitarian principles.
If you have the stomach for it, you can read more here….
Am looking forward to Key’s explanation over the 18y vote. He will blame the Whip or whoever cast his proxy (maybe the Whip didn’t quite know what Key’s position was given his ambivalence?), or maybe it is David Shearer’s fault. or the Speaker or ummm TV3 asked him the wrong question.
His explanation beggars belief.
Tonight, his media interviews show him saying, “I should have been more specific, I actually should have added after I said 20, ‘that was offlicence sales’.”
Unfortunately the interviewers did not take him to task.
In yesterday’s Beehive precincts interview he was very specific.
He said, ” I voted for a split vote 18 and 20, but that one was defeated, and I then voted for 20.” Key lied there and then. An absolute liar on this one and he needs to be pulled on it. The voting record shows it.
Tonight his explanation at no time mentions that he voted 18 when the split vote (which he tries to use as the excuse) failed.
Now just perhaps NZ will take a closer look at his other occasions of being economical with the truth.
He seems to have decided to apologize on this ‘brain fade’ and try and move on – probably the best (and only) thing to do. What was interesting was that both networks had different stories tonight which cast him in a poor light. He ain’t having much fun anymore.
Except that he has admitted to only partial error. He has not accepted that his response yesterday was clear and precise. He has never admitted to voting for keeping it at 18 though that is what he clearly voted for. (Clear case of wanting to sound as though he voted according to his adoring people’s wishes in latest poll – but he didn’t).
This is 10 year old playground stuff. Think you are getting caught out and go into denial… teachers will tell you they witness it every day.
Every Senator in this chamber is partly responsible for sending 50,000 young Americans to an early grave. This chamber reeks of blood. Every Senator here is partly responsible for that human wreckage at Walter Reed and Bethesda Naval and all across our land—young men without legs, or arms, or genitals, or faces or hopes. There are not very many of these blasted and broken boys who think this war is a glorious adventure. Do not talk to them about bugging out, or national honor or courage. It does not take any courage at all for a congressman, or a senator, or a president to wrap himself in the flag and say we are staying in Vietnam, because it is not our blood that is being shed. But we are responsible for those young men and their lives and their hopes. And if we do not end this damnable war those young men will some day curse us for our pitiful willingness to let the Executive carry the burden that the Constitution places on us
Time to do a Pete George. Put a “more in sorrow than anger” ‘rant’ hidden where few people ever see it.
I guess Cameron Slater saw my addition to this post where I pointed out the obvious…
His response to criticism about his techniques – well that is as puerile as it is possible to get. I guess he doesn’t handle criticism well..
He left a trackback, so I guess he wanted me to see it.
But of course I don’t “hate” the wee man. So he can be rest assured on that as he does his usual pass through here looking for stories to put up. BTW: his posts never seem to get any significant numbers of comments – why is that?.
I just think he is an extreme example of having an oversized ego and very few (if any) observable talents. Certainly logical thinking isn’t one of them. His political abilities seem to mostly consist of blustering on others hitting them with that bloated ego. In short – a political dickhead.
That maggot sure can pack bigotry into a sentence can’t he M8.
(heh … He almost replied to this one…. save me LP!)
(*he-is-not-that-good*,*he-is-not-that-good*,*he-is-not-that-good*,*he-is-not-that-good*,….) 😀 @ u CS M8!
The headline on tvnz says that ‘Key in the dark over superanuation review’
A minister in key’s cabinet seems to be questioning key’s stance on national
superanuation and now one of key’s ministers wants the issue formally looked
at by retirement commissioner Diana Crossan.
Craig Foss gave the go ahead for Diana Crossan to look at the issue.
Key was on one news and looked suprised when asked about the issue.
Yes. Saw that on the late news. Craig Foss authorised the review which includes the age of entitlement which Key flatly opposes. So The Prime Minister is out of step with Minister Foss.
Plus the 18 year old vote. There can be no doubt as the absent Minister signs a piece of paper to authorise his proxy vote.
Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
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 is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
Peter Dunne writes – The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisitionNOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
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 ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
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 ...
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 ...
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
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The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
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The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
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The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
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Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 26 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...
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http://www.facebook.com/PaulaBennettHasToGo
AWW. Sure, Bennett has to go, BUT WHEN? In 20 years time? No National Minister “goes” whatever the circumstance!
Barriers to learning.
The problem is still there people but what a brilliant bit of diversion by the government.
Campbell Live highlights that there is a “hunger” problem in schools.
Government response, after much public pressure, make an announcement that
they will provide funding for lower decile schools to provide food…
Yeah, well guess what? The emphasis is on “will” and unsurprisingly not
“now”. So the issue gets removed from the headlines but is still as real today
as it was yesterday. Probably tired, hungry, listless children in classrooms.
Logie – Of course it is as real today as yesterday. Again, we must ask “when?” – 20 or more years time (with luck)?
Agenda 21 in NZ
Where does the formation of MoBIE fit into this ….
[lprent: Link fixed.. ]
Page not found.
remove the hyphen at the end of the link
I see I included ‘ when posting the link, just remove this from the cut an paste…
Mods, could someone please fix the link?
Cheers
[lprent: ok ]
OZ broadcaster Channel 9 now 100% owned by US hedge funds being mainly Oaktree Capital and Apollo Global Management.
Watch that space now uncle sam interests owns them and Rupert’s reasserted himself in his newpaper empire in OZ.
Bars’ use of ID scanners raises concern
Any just who will listen to this, concern!
The expansion continues, and the environments will continue to contract, as they digital grid envelops all aspects of life!
Thanks for this, muzza. More worrying extensions of the surveillance society. Surveillance precedes, and enables, control, regulation and/or manipulation of reality.
Hi Karol, yes its all being played out right in front of our faces…
This link from yesterday .
http://www.stuff.co.nz/motoring/7811216/Subaru-adds-EyeSight-for-safer-driving
Awesome!
Ha!.. But machines are always fallible – one step away from a “toaster”?!
Songdo in South Korea leading charge to become city of the future
Notice how the city is “not considered” part of Korea, which is an important aspect of removing sovereignty, or divorcing people from the concept of it.
See my post on agenda 21 higher up – The UN is driving the globalist agenda, and part of that is forcing people into the cities…
The technology and legislative roadmaps, ensure that the figures quoted by the UN are +/- achieveable, because they’re in control, even now!
And do you trust your Computer more than your Toaster?
Why?
Because it does not matter whether you paid 50g or 50c for it. When the circuit goes pop all you got left is E waste.
I was thinking of Battlestar Galactica Toasters.
http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/2012/10/simon-and-garfunkel-sing-the-sound-of-cylons/
Possibly NSFW
Ha! Brilliant!. Now there was a show! And one of those female toasters is into motorbikes (apropos of nothing, except it reminds me of my youth).
😎
😉 X 2
Wondering Aloud http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0W7rgo3IDI
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude (well, maybe a little cheeky). it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs (that’s a challenge 🙂 ) .Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
(Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. For anyone who speaks in tongues does not speak to men but to God. Indeed!, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit. But everyone who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort.)
Now we see but a poor reflection, as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.
So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. (wonder what the moon is getting round to) 🙂
-Homiletics 101; The Living Word
anyway,
Te Whare tapa Wha; Struggle without End
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10841293
Back Down on The Farm
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10841238
” standing on shakey ground…”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/christchurch-earthquake/news/article.cfm?c_id=1502981&objectid=10840853
According to one of Rachels’ topical interviewees, Synthetic and Legal Pharmaceuticals are
“the Drug problem of the 21st Century” (ya don’t say! pass me another couple of aspire in)
What’s The Matter Here?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m39DWVFK-Bw
Read: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7rikO0nsHA
(There was only a brief Summer of The Golden Weather; much time spent In our fathers / mothers den)
Great Art goes missing-Rothko
To when they allow the Philosopher Kings
-the madman crying in the wilderness
(Franken Steinway my Dear, I don’t give damn)
😉
Sanitarium is using our Court system to fight its corporate interests but doesn’t contribute tax to NZ to fund this. Sanitarium has a waiver on tax because it is a church-charity-owned business. And the business is hand-to-mouth because they are selling food, not because they are a charity that funds itself from cake stalls, op shops, and grants from community trusts.
They spend the tax they would otherwise pay to government and the country, on their own chosen interests. But not even necessarily in NZ. And they are a major player in the food market. Another way for NZ government to be fleeced by big business.
Christopher Adams at NZ Business Herald had a good piece in June 2012 on this. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10816412
Other – on their profit and accounts http://www.avalonsguide.com/anab/2012/09/sanitarium-by-the-numbers/
What Sanitarium say about themselves:
http://www.sanitarium.co.nz/about-us/our-promise/sanitarium-charitable-purposes
Kiwi kids, are Weet-Bix kids ( Daniel can probably eat a whole box)
My understanding is that commercial operations such as Sanitarium are now subject to New Zealand Income tax. Presumably an effect of the removal of limits on charitable donations now enables such businesses to make sufficient donations to a registered charity so as to make no taxable profits, but they will be subject to GST and rates for example. I am not a tax expert though..
Ed 7.2
The public, the consumers, pay the GST. Rates cover the use of property for offices, manufacturing or warehousing and are a local council matter, don’t know how they act to charities that are major income earning businesses. I think schools pay rates, there was consternation about being charged individual pan tax for instance, because of the number of toilets required to service all the children. So not too many exemptions.
As far as I know, schools dont pay rates, but they do pay council water charge, like the proposed pan tax.
Ad vertisement:
Life without industry is guilt, and industry without art is brutality.
(approximations at irony, sarcasm, ironic sarcasm, do not convey precisely)
ya’ can’t please all the people all the time, but ya sure can please some of the people some of the time
(and some children in the play ground just choose not to play with you)
🙂 🙂 🙂
Time for a maximum wage
Clearly a maximum wage has many benefits for the government and New Zealand in general…
Good Jackal – A good look at the possibilities. And the interesting parrying that comes up against any ‘new’ idea in NZ accompanied by some fudged ‘facts’. As far as decision making goes we in this country are about as clear thinking as witch hunters blaming cow deaths on the nearest hapless outlier.
Darien Fenton’s bill to protect library services didn’t make it into the house last night, even though it was supposed to. Disappointing, as I think that this is an issue that needs to be brought out of the shadows.
Fat German computer nerds, sky-high dollars, youth rates and bennie bashing are more sexier topics than a valuble community resource falling victim to local authority cost cutting.
Labour and the Greens would have defintely voted for it, and there was a good chance NZ First and the Maori Party would have voted for it, and who knows, Peter Dunne might have backed it as well. I think ACT and National would have voted against, on the grounds of not wanting to interfere with the activites of local bodies, even though there is a bill pending to limit spending by councils.
Oh well, next week I guess.
Agreed, millsy, and I’m keeping a watch on it.
Fuck all this, I’m off.
Into the wilds – yahoo! Diving into genuineness, reality, clear and unambiguous honesty, credibility, a place of no lies or deception, rorts or other dastardly deeds. A place where lies and deception get turned on their head pretty much instantly with uncomfortable and situation-changing consequences.
Imagine if the real world was like that…
vto
Don’t know about credibility at all times in the wilds. Kathryn Ryan did an extremely good and probing interview on the quality of outdoor leaders and their capabilities as used by schools particularly. The picture seemed to be that there was a fuzzy area about who was suitably trained and experienced and what controls on ratios of children, of mixed experience and strength, to leaders. Very interesting and troubling. Lies and deception could be how bereaved parents might see the situation.
Oh yes, you’re right about that. I was referring to the credibility and honesty of the actual environment, not the people who enter it. Trying to put one over nature will lead to nothing but consequences ……
vto
It is uncompromising all right. Go well and safely.
The Alex business cartoon is usually very good.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/alex/
Also they invite emails with ideas for the cartoon and we could supply some wry comments I think – if it mirrored the way that Jokey Hen’s mind works.
Quick, pass it on…
http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2012/10/pass-responsibility-latest-party-game.html
Like!
Good one! And see
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/7833277/Pay-system-leaves-teacher-with-just-4
Talk about a series of fiascos this month…and still 2 weeks to go!
And a why can’t a teacher sue Novopay for damages, loss of sleep (stress) etc etc Bills not paid. Because in this day and age of electronic credit checks, they don’t say why the payment was late, just that it was late, or not paid for X weeks. And tough shit on those who are affected.
Good article there Dave. I think the right-wing are doing their best to say inequality isn’t increasing more than blaming the public though. That’s what all the median wages are increasing malarky is about.
You’re probably right Jackal, in actual fact they will say anything to make sure that the finger isn’t pointed at them. In education they love raw data and quantitative research because they can create a narrative around the data to suit themselves. They hate qualitative research because it generally contains rational explanations and evidence for why their policies are wrong.
.
Yep, all true. There is ample raw data which confirms the Right’s “market power” belief system is fundamentally flawed yet, as you say, it can be framed by a duplicitous narrative which the largely apathetic public and indolent MSM swallow. Its incredibly frustrating because it is the battle for public opinion which is the primary arena if there is to be peaceful political change.
The TLS has an interesting piece about how to get the message across:
I think this sort of approach worked well with the watersiders in their (on-going) struggle for equitable treatment from POAL. The raw data was abundantly clear that the union and its members were being systematically shafted but it seemed (to me, anyway) that a modicom of public support was generated by the personal stories of the workers being subject to the pernicious machinations of the Right.
Telling first-hand and undeniable stories of brave people suffering at the hands of National Ltd™ policies might well be a way forward when it comes to exposing the brutal reality imposed on society’s weakest by John Key and his band of privateers. Thing is, finding those brave people because they will have to expose themselves to an already uncaring public scrutiny and the pradations of the likes of Slater et al.
I quite agree, Blip. The CTU/Maritime Union deliberately used human stories to meet the employers attempt to paint the workers as a union rabble, they were essentially fathers and family men being treated appallingly. It was very successful.
This Government does the same thing themselves, they will cite one or two dodgy teachers to justify a review of the Teachers Council and describe one or two beneficiaries to justify cutting benefits or services. I think Campbell Live is providing a useful service with his visual depiction of school lunches and his stories of suffering in Christchurch. We need print journalists to use more of this approach.
I agree with your concerns about people being prepared to stand up and be counted for this sort of thing because they will need to be well vetted and supported just incase National uses the Paula Bennett strategy to shut them up. I can see this next election becoming a very dirty one indeed.
Being Thursday, John Key -now Dunnokeyo – will not be in the House for Question Time. but the questions are not letting up.
Charles Chauvel is taking another approach in asking Finlayson who the other two Ministers were at the meeting with Key
4.CHARLES CHAUVEL to the Attorney-General: Who, other than himself and the Prime Minister, was present at the discussion on the Government Communications Security Bureau’s unlawful surveillance of Mr Dotcom?
A couple of questions are to the PM – wonder who the lucky Minister will be who will have to answer on his behalf?
6.Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Prime Minister: Does he think it is important that his Ministers, including himself, come to the House prepared to give honest answers?
9.Dr DAVID CLARK to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by his comment that Government computer systems “can’t actually support radical changes from Government”?
And another hilarious/frustrating session with Parata having to answer questions 1, 11 and 12. Parata’s performance yesterday was unbelievable.
1.Hon NANAIA MAHUTA to the Minister of Education: Is it still her strategy in education to “focus on teaching and learning quality” and “transparent accountabilities”?
11.CHRIS HIPKINS to the Minister of Education: How long will boards of trustees of the schools she proposes to close or merge in Christchurch have to consult with their local communities before they are required to provide feedback to her ahead of a final decision?
12.CATHERINE DELAHUNTY to the Minister of Education: Does she stand by her statement to schools, about their obligation under the Official Information Act 1982, that, “New Zealand is an open and transparent democracy. They [schools] are required to release this information. You are public entities.”?
Why are questions not being asked to Tolley?
Police told the GCSB on 16 February 2012 at a debrief that the spying may have been illegal.
Are the Police not answerable to Tolley?
Yes and Q 6 from Winston implies fireworks. Risky but it has passed through the checking stage this morning. Must watch.
Wonder if the Minister of Education will be too busy to attend Q Time today? Duck!
Q6 should have said ‘-prepared to deliver factually correct answers ? ‘
the ‘honest’ leaves far too much wriggle room based on the individual’s perception of what constitutes honesty, and who trusts the Nats’ interpretation of anything?
Yep the second tier of bullshit artist will be out on display today.
It’s bad enough that the politicians are only expected to do 3 days a week for 3 weeks and have a what? a month off, it’s just bull shit that Key is too fucking LAZY to attend question time for the 3 days a week that it’s on. Will someone pleasae tell this useless lazy prick that it’s customary to attend parliament if for nothing else but to face your detractors. Shows how Chicken shit Key really is..
Agreed Ianmac. Today’s questions were not put up on the Parliament website until about 30 -45 minutes later than usual, so possibly there has been something going on behind the scenes (my conspiracy theory for the day, lol).
That is a big surprise. The Minister of Education is absent. Never mind Ex Minister Tolley is there to help.
Surprise, surprise after Parata’s unbelievable performance yesterday. I note that the Associate Minister of Education is in the House – Banks.
and Charles Chauvell throws a sloppy pitch and watches helpless as Finlayson whacks it soaring away into the bleechers
How can the Opposition Parties allow this bungling of questions during this crucial juncture in New Zealand’s decline? Where was the precision, the detail? The most basic necessity of the current function of the Opposition Parties should be nothing but extracting clear facts from the Government and instead many are appearing complicit in the misdirection and obfuscation.
These games are getting tiresome and NZ Parliament is not a batting cage in which to hone the swing.
SINGLE PART QUESTIONS GET ANSWERS
perhaps next week will be better
I am off to the Hawkes Bay for a long weekend of playing with nephews,
at least they ask decent questions
p.s.
Why was the Associate Minister of Education not answering the questions put to the Minsiter of Education?
freedom 15.3 et al
That is a really good point for Labour and anyone to remember. If a questioner has a particular point, keep honed to that point. If you give the respondent a chance to go off on some fuzzy side issue, or even the hint of some emotional, or current folk issue, then chances are you won’t get into territory that needs toe to toe discussion.
Same with blogs or writing to the newspapers. Give people a chance and they will wander off on some hobby-horse. An example, bad, is the referendum on crime that is so well-known. A two part question and an unclear answer that politicians chose to follow with more punitive punishment all round. Costly and ineffective.
(I have been looking up the Christie Marceau tragedy – better, thoughtful policies for young men in difficulties, would likely have prevented this guy going off his head. Someone must have noticed his weird thinking and behaviour.)
St Matthew’s bearing own cross
Winston Peters is expressing sufficient levels of anger and disgust to reflect accurately the way I am feeling about the disgusting level of non-answers this Government has been deeming fit to supply the house (and thus all of us).
I’m unclear how parliament can function effectively without some level of adherence to answers with a fair level of honesty or integrity. This is simply a farce and has been going on last term as well as this term.
My view is that Winston Peters has lifted the quality and strength of opposition immensely by his return and I am grateful to those people who voted for him to be quite frank.
I acknowledge that the level of opposition is improving from other parties however, I would like to see a whole lot more indignation/anger over the joke of the way DunnoKeyO ltd are treating the affairs of the State.
If this were persevered in I am confident that our sleepy MSM would eventually catch on, they appear to have to be spoon-fed a critical approach and now that they have checked out it is left up to sites such as The Standard and our opposition politicians to do that.
Crafar farms have passed into Chinese ownership with Landcorp Farming Ltd taking the position of sharemilker to the business. They are going to export to China. It would be expected that this would be high quality milk product. I was thinking of how to do more than slap a NZ label on it and hope for the best as far as keeping our milk standards up – from all NZ exporters.
How would an appellation system go? A tightly run system like the French and other European wine areas adopt? To be included in this a farm would have to do everything right about quality and have high standards as far as pollution and actual enhancing the environment not just repairing it. We don’t want Chinese or others quick to take advantage, selling any more product that is tainted and bringing down what standards and customer loyalty we have established.
A help would be if photogenic PM Jokey Hen didn’t provide a photographic endorsement for foreign dairy business. Other Prime Ministers have talents like singing etc. He should concentrate on connecting his image where it can do him and us some good.
“He should concentrate on connecting his image where it can do him and us some good.”
The International Depature Gates might be a good start
“and have high standards as far as pollution and actual enhancing the environment not just repairing it.”
Industrial dairy farming is inherently polluting and damaging to the land, and inherently unsustainable. Even more so when the product is exported. We are literally pulling the fertility out of the land and selling it overseas. We cannot replace that fertility in the timeframes we are talking about. There is no way to farm sustainably under those conditions, because of the net loss of nutrients as well as the destruction of soil and soil biota from industrial farming practices.
there are many ways to commercially dairy farm, and it’s not really whether a dairy farm is “industrial” or “corporate” which is the issue, it’s how intensive the land is farmed.
Running out of phosphate and diesel is going to put a dampener on all of this anyhows.
The industrial model IS intensive. That’s the whole point – it’s why they clear paddocks of any trees, use artificial fertiliser, pack as many stock units in as possible, allow whatever runoff they can get away with, and steal water from aquifers. It’s all about stock units and profit margins.
I do know some organic dairy farmers who are doing really good things, far far better than conventional industrial dairying, but they’re not really sustainable either. And if they’re exporting their milk/fertility, it’s definitely not sustainable.
The ANZ bank job survey out today, says that job ads fell back almost 3% in september,
pointing to unemployment rising to 7%.
The survey also said there was a 5.9% fall in newspaper job ads in the month of september,
internet job ads dropped 2.4% in september.
A 7% unemployment rate is expected in 6 months.
Has brownlee mistaken the anz figures? i just heard him saying in parliament that
there had been a 5.9% increase in newspaper jobs in chch.
In Christchurch. Talk about cherry picking your data …
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10841205
translation? : Trust us, fear not, It’s all ok! No need to look back there, there is no curtain, that is simply a light diffusing tool that happens to be made of fabric and has multi-positional capabilities.
Jacobi used the word conspiracy in the the title, so the automatic position MUST be that there is something(s) to be hidden…
Stephen Jacobi is executive director of the NZ US Council and the NZ International Business Forum – Makes him a neutral then doen’t it!
The implication of that sentence is that the public aren’t stakeholders in their own governance.
Yes I read that, and as I did so, I just shook my head at the implication!
For-gone-con-clu-sion
Great video on the TPP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SOokUdKYcM
CAMERON BREWER CLAIMS JOHN BANKS HAS BEEN GREAT FOR AUCKLAND!
(You have GOT to be joking ? )
http://cameronbrewer.co.nz/2012/10/john-banks-has-been-great-for-auckland/
Birds of a feather flock together?
NOT a good look Cameron Brewer- defending the indefensible ‘dodgy’ John Banks?
http://www.dodgyjohnhasgone.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/JOHN-BANKS-RAT-WITH-GOLD-TOOTH-MORPH-BANNER-ONLY-23-September-2012.jpg
http://www.dodgyjohnhasgone.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/HOWCOME.jpg
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption campaigner’
Dearest Ad / Uturn, Viper et al; 🙂
The Spirit moves among us, of that I am certain. Only yesterday I learned of the relationship between the parish and the Orthodox Greeks here. Then, this morning, another timely and topical homily delivered by a Theologian who made me feel very at home and directed over a cup of tea 😉 (man! now I am gonna have to go back to school, at least Otago can come to us, just continue being a rogue in the interim). Amongst other topics, we covered Heidegger’s ” Instrumental, Inter-personal and Revelational” (off the top of my head, William Tell) and now this
Propaganda http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propaganda:_The_Formation_of_Men%27s_Attitudes
and this
Jack http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellul,_Jacques
and the Industrial Workers of the World (and a whole lotta lovin people who suggest you are not alone) Wow! Thanks very much!
The Book of Ammon appears worth reading.
(I have always been meaning to read Barth on Romans)
There aint half been some clever ( wise) bastards; Another cornerstone for the AC (all sharing the plough)
Now, to all the atheists, if you let it happen, you will be amazed by the phenomenology of The Spirit; It just keeps on giving, Day after day after day.
-John (chips and fishes for lunch) Wow!
Rock On! 🙂
(oops, there is some un-referenced Ruskin behind me)
RT
I thought it was loaves and fishes.
🙂
Why ‘ONE LAW FOR ALL’ has not been applied to John Banks and Don Brash………
yep – smells like a corrupt form of political protection to me – in my considered opinion.
The Report of the Commerce Select Committee and new evidence provided by the Finance Markets Authority and the Serious Fraud Office .
http://www.dodgyjohnhasgone.com/corruption/commerce-select-committee-report-on-banks/
What do others think?
(After actually READING the information provided? 🙂
Kind regards,
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption campaigner’
Penny I agree with you.
It seems rather Odd that Banks and Brash sign a prospectus in which dodgy figures are used that Hullich got prosecuted for.
The other bit about this saga is Hullich toted his Kiwisaver round south auckland an Porirua in the malls (and door to door?).
So apparently Tariana was on radio live yesterday, and apparently she said that the actions of the govt (of which she is a part) regarding the water rights issue constitute “confiscation” of water rights from maori.
Apparently it was pointed out to her that this is exactly what she left the Labour govt over, and was asked if she would be walking from the govt, and if not, why that threshold for her support no longer applied.
And apparently she said she intended to remain supporting National until such time as “my people” tell her to go.
I can only assume that the “my people” she refers to are John Key and Bill English.
Distortion
https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/932_458407134198570_661795578_n.jpg
( I have heard ” the city is the supreme work of man” distorted by an architect referring to the Shard Tower of Babel )
Shock, horror, Stuff headline
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/7833748/Zumba-teaching-prostitute-shakes-up-town
Which New Zealand personalities are going to be caught up in this one? But then when you get to the third paragraph you discover that it isn’t good ol’ Nuzilnd – phew just another tacky story from that land that Key loves and admires.
Says a lot about the editors of our MSM though.
The MSMs job is to deflect and dumb down to the point where people are no longer able to understand, let alone comprehend what is happening around, and to them. They are enveloped in a bubble of utter irrelevance, to the point where their instincts are dead, we see that the masses are most of the way to that stage of devolution.
Anyone who has even a modacum of understanding/awareness, is already, and will increasingly be seen even more so, as “a freak”!
The world is being twisted inside out, and for those who can see it happening, its hard to watch to be fair!
Why is STEPHEN FRANKS being interviewed about a knife-killing?
The Panel, National Radio, Thursday 18 October 2012
Jim Mora, Andrew Clay, Rosemary McLeod
First topic for the day: the killing of Christie Marceau by Akshay Chand. Who better to discuss this than a couple of lightweight Panelists and someone from the pro-knife-killing Sensible Sentencing Trust?…
JIM MORA: We’re going to talk to Wellington lawyer Stephen Franks about this “Not Guilty by reason of insanity” verdict.
ANDREW CLAY: [blithely] I’m a liberal left kind of guy but on this issue, I’m happy to say I’m quite right wing!
ROSEMARY McLEOD: [gravely] I’m surprised that you are having someone on who is an expert on the law rather than on human relations.
STEPHEN FRANKS: [disgustingly] REDACTED FOR REASONS OF MORALITY AND TASTE.
Franks is such a repellent character that we are unable to physically transcribe his garbage. However, it is noteworthy that Franks, who, remember, is a shameless supporter of this kind of crime, used the word “wickedness” four times, including once in the phrase “mad wickedness”. He also mocked the “pious wishes” of what he called “liberals”. This prompted another McLeod outburst….
ROSEMARY McLEOD: [gravely]It’s these counsellors I am concerned about. Who exactly are these counsellors? Curious middle class women who enjoy interfering in other people’s lives.
ANDREW CLAY: A hur hur hur hur!
ROSEMARY McLEOD: Sniff. I find it all quite odd, really.
Appalled, I dashed off the following e-mail to Jim Mora….
Dear Jim,
Stephen Franks works for the Sensible Sentencing Trust, and is a close colleague of Garth McVicar. After the 2008 knife-killing of a boy in Manurewa, both Franks and McVicar, speaking as official representatives of the SST, expressed vehement support not for the victim, but for his killer. For weeks and months after the killing, they spoke out in support of the killer, and compounded this by pouring abuse and scorn on the memory of the dead boy and his grieving mother.
Could you explain to your listeners why you chose to interview Stephen Franks, of all people, about a knife murder?
Yours sincerely,
Morrissey Breen
Northcote Point
Well noted Morrissey.
A question for RNZ.
Why do you use so many ex- ACT MPs as representative of NZ opinion when they have have less than 1% of the vote? Jim Moira in particular asks the right wing of Natioanl + ACT a lot onto his ‘panel’.
deaf to RNZ for years
.
Its not Jim’s fault. He’s just the “talent” – the “Ted Knight” of “Afternoons”.
The weakness lies in the RNZ management system whereby idiots are employed to soothe funder concerns. This results in “shows” being filled-up with people who promote themselves and, thus, save staff having to do any work or otherwise think about who might be suitable and/or interesting. The problem is compounded by the Wellington social-circuit where “media darlings” are courted by apparently sincere people who can “help” with “access” to “opinion leaders”.
Its a shame, really. What’s missing from the public dialouge is that bitter truth derived from cynicism that used to exist in the media. Now its all about “networking”.
Really interesting Blip – especially the points about the RNZ management system and the Wellington social circuit.
Can I ask you, if you were the boss of RNZ for a week, which more varied opinions would you invite to challenge funder concerns?
Was Malcolom Bradbury removed from the Panel for these reasons?
.
If I were The Boss of RNZ for a week I wouldn’t worry about the details. First off, I would double the advertising rates for all the commercial channels and leave them intact. On the free-to-air channels I would devolve the network down to local channels, no more than, say, 10,000 listeners and involve community activists wishing to address that audience – plus play excellent music and re-run The Goon Show.
So far as the spread-sheet is concerned, I would sack anyone earning more than $100,000 and direct that savings into the provision of a more effective community and national news service.
But … yeah, the funder. I guess there has to be a slant towards patriotism and heritage and an abiding respect for parliament and the courts, our kaumatua and our children. There’s a need to “stay positive” and bouyant but also speak truth.
(Also, while The Boss, I would get my expense card out and thrash it every night of the week shouting the staff free drinks/meals/art/training and taxis home. When the media come to ask me about it I’ll say: “yeah, so what?”)
Love the Ted Knight characterisation
-Lou (Ed)
Franks is predictable and so is McLeod. Weird and dangerous is one and the other sounds like my 90 year old Grandmother.
The real problem is why Radio New Zealand still interviews Franks and McVicar.
Is your grandmother as complacent and smarmy as Rosemary McLeod, Ian? I’m sure you’re being hard on her.
My Grandma was pretty self reliant and sensible. But like Rosemary, she had great difficulty understanding modern stuff like TV or jet travel or modern dress. But she was very tolerant in a trembling manner where Rosemary condemns as she confirms her ignorance and bigotry.
So score Nana @ 90+years 8/10. Rosemary sounds like 90+years 1/10.
HUMANITARIAN GOVERNMENT NEWS
Israel forced to release study on Gaza blockade
17 October 2012
An Israeli court has forced the release of government research detailing the number of calories Palestinians in Gaza need to consume to avoid malnutrition.
The study was commissioned after Israel tightened its blockade of the territory after Hamas came to power in June 2007.
The UN said if the research reflected a policy intended to cap food imports, it went against humanitarian principles.
If you have the stomach for it, you can read more here….
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-19975211
Has there been a previous NZ government which has had such a gaff prone, disaster prone, crisis prone year in power that this John Key Government has?
Every month it seems to lurch from gaff, to crisis, to disaster.
Keys lack of leadership and ‘relaxation’ is now costing him dearly.
The ‘higher standards’ have gone out the door and he is now twisting and turning like mad to try and avoid gaff after crisis.
What more can eventuate in the next 2 1/2 months to dent public support for Key and his Govt?
Still enough time in the year for another gaff or crisis yet.
Am looking forward to Key’s explanation over the 18y vote. He will blame the Whip or whoever cast his proxy (maybe the Whip didn’t quite know what Key’s position was given his ambivalence?), or maybe it is David Shearer’s fault. or the Speaker or ummm TV3 asked him the wrong question.
His explanation beggars belief.
Tonight, his media interviews show him saying, “I should have been more specific, I actually should have added after I said 20, ‘that was offlicence sales’.”
Unfortunately the interviewers did not take him to task.
In yesterday’s Beehive precincts interview he was very specific.
He said, ” I voted for a split vote 18 and 20, but that one was defeated, and I then voted for 20.” Key lied there and then. An absolute liar on this one and he needs to be pulled on it. The voting record shows it.
Tonight his explanation at no time mentions that he voted 18 when the split vote (which he tries to use as the excuse) failed.
Now just perhaps NZ will take a closer look at his other occasions of being economical with the truth.
Trust him … sure can???
He seems to have decided to apologize on this ‘brain fade’ and try and move on – probably the best (and only) thing to do. What was interesting was that both networks had different stories tonight which cast him in a poor light. He ain’t having much fun anymore.
Except that he has admitted to only partial error. He has not accepted that his response yesterday was clear and precise. He has never admitted to voting for keeping it at 18 though that is what he clearly voted for. (Clear case of wanting to sound as though he voted according to his adoring people’s wishes in latest poll – but he didn’t).
This is 10 year old playground stuff. Think you are getting caught out and go into denial… teachers will tell you they witness it every day.
No, they were just another lie. The character of the National Party is psychopathic and so they could not be anything else.
The ‘higher standards’ have gone out the door…
What?!!??!?!?? When were higher standards ever IN the door with this embarrassingly inept and ideologically extremist regime?
Before the 2008 elections, but not since.
George McGovern, former Senator, presidential nominee and opponent of the Vietnam war is on his way out.
http://news.yahoo.com/ex-senator-presidential-nominee-mcgovern-no-longer-responsive-191525402.html
Every Senator in this chamber is partly responsible for sending 50,000 young Americans to an early grave. This chamber reeks of blood. Every Senator here is partly responsible for that human wreckage at Walter Reed and Bethesda Naval and all across our land—young men without legs, or arms, or genitals, or faces or hopes. There are not very many of these blasted and broken boys who think this war is a glorious adventure. Do not talk to them about bugging out, or national honor or courage. It does not take any courage at all for a congressman, or a senator, or a president to wrap himself in the flag and say we are staying in Vietnam, because it is not our blood that is being shed. But we are responsible for those young men and their lives and their hopes. And if we do not end this damnable war those young men will some day curse us for our pitiful willingness to let the Executive carry the burden that the Constitution places on us
From parliament today
Hon Nanaia Mahuta: What criteria will be used to determine the funding and staffing level provisions for charter schools?
Hon ANNE TOLLEY: Each school’s contract will differ according to the needs of the sponsor,
My bold.
I thought schools were for the NEEDS of the pupils not the ‘sponsors’
Time to do a Pete George. Put a “more in sorrow than anger” ‘rant’ hidden where few people ever see it.
I guess Cameron Slater saw my addition to this post where I pointed out the obvious…
His response to criticism about his techniques – well that is as puerile as it is possible to get. I guess he doesn’t handle criticism well..
He left a trackback, so I guess he wanted me to see it.
But of course I don’t “hate” the wee man. So he can be rest assured on that as he does his usual pass through here looking for stories to put up. BTW: his posts never seem to get any significant numbers of comments – why is that?.
I just think he is an extreme example of having an oversized ego and very few (if any) observable talents. Certainly logical thinking isn’t one of them. His political abilities seem to mostly consist of blustering on others hitting them with that bloated ego. In short – a political dickhead.
That maggot sure can pack bigotry into a sentence can’t he M8.
(heh … He almost replied to this one…. save me LP!)
(*he-is-not-that-good*,*he-is-not-that-good*,*he-is-not-that-good*,*he-is-not-that-good*,….) 😀 @ u CS M8!
The headline on tvnz says that ‘Key in the dark over superanuation review’
A minister in key’s cabinet seems to be questioning key’s stance on national
superanuation and now one of key’s ministers wants the issue formally looked
at by retirement commissioner Diana Crossan.
Craig Foss gave the go ahead for Diana Crossan to look at the issue.
Key was on one news and looked suprised when asked about the issue.
Yes. Saw that on the late news. Craig Foss authorised the review which includes the age of entitlement which Key flatly opposes. So The Prime Minister is out of step with Minister Foss.
Plus the 18 year old vote. There can be no doubt as the absent Minister signs a piece of paper to authorise his proxy vote.