Granny’s found a psychology lecturer to put Shonkeys latest brain fade in Antarctica possibly down to fainting then listed some other major memory lapses but not them all as that’d probably take up too much room and remind folk how often and conveniently it occurs.
Bending over backwards to help as always granny, trying to play the health card on his behalf, how about some medical opinions not behavioural ones.
While in Antarctica, Key spoke of how he was affected by news of the Air New Zealand flight which crashed into the side of Mt Erebus.
Flight TE901 was destroyed on impact, killing all 257 passengers and crew.
“I know I was starting School C at around that time – it’s a memory that’s lasted with me till now,” Key said this week.
John Key was born on August 9, 1961, and the Erebus disaster was on November 28, 1979 – meaning he would have been 18 at the time. Students usually sat School Certificate examinations about the age of 15….
Brain fades
• Key sat through a briefing on the Kim Dotcom case weeks after a high-profile police raid on the internet mogul’s property in Key’s Helensville electorate. He said he completely forgot about it.
• Last October, Key told reporters he had voted for the drinking age to be raised to 20 but Key had voted for it to remain at 18.
• During an election debate in 2008, Key said he could not remember how he felt about the 1981 Springbok rugby tour. At the time of the contentious tour, Key was attending Canterbury University – a hotbed of protests. Pressed for an answer Key said he was “probably mildly pro-tour”.
• Also in 2008, when questioned about sham foreign exchange deals, Key said he was not working at Elders when the deals were made. Labour proved Key was still at Elders at the time.
If a B-Com takes three years and he graduated in 1981 then he left School in 78, no?. Which means he was at University when Erebus occured. How can he not remember if he was at University or High School at the time of that disaster
More pathetic Journalism. No fact checking, not even bothering to do basic arithmetic
+1, spot-on, my belief is that Slippery is a compulsive one as well, it’s a gambler, Psycho/sociopath thing with that one as far as i can see,
Compulsive’s, liars that is, have to keep testing the boundaries of what ‘they’ can get people to believe,
The way i see it is He is heading for a major stress related coronary partly brought about by the ‘will they believe this one’ anxiety inherent in the ‘gamble’ of continually talking s**t…
If was was born in 61, when he would have been sitting School Cert in 77 (he could have got Erebus mixed with Tenerife – that happened in 77 and killed 500+ people — A KLM jet collided with a Pam Am jet). He would be sitting Bursary in 79.
Perhaps Slippery’s suitcase of intellectual rigor is as empty as what it would seem to be and He had to sit the school cert year a number of times, before in exasperation, ‘they’ just gave up and gave it to the little failure…
Or perhaps this is just more spin to make him appear more like the common man than the actual conniving and calculating prick he is.
Playing the sympathy card at the same time to make people concerned for his health would seem a masterstroke. Three doctors couldn’t explain Key’s fainting? Please!
The question should be: do we want either a deluded and bumbling fool with a potential health condition that makes him faint and forget things or a master right wing manipulator and compulsive liar as Prime Minister?
What a laughable, twisted old blow-hard is Garth McVicar of the Sensible Sentencing Trust.
His out-of-left-field prognostications that gay marriage will increase crime confirms that his prescription for a decent society invokes selectively applied inequality, discrimination, exclusion, bullying. Such morals !
McVicar is a notorious, over-indulged, redneck clown perfectly suited to the bigotry of US tea party politics where any old shit is true the second some dinosaur zealot chooses to say it is.
Pray that the cruddy old people-hater sells up and relocates to the wilds of Wyoming where to his heart’s content he can run periodically passing aged-hippies, gays, profile-meeting blacks and other dangerous types out of the county on the end of a shotgun. And otherwise batten down against the world.
Like all marriage, Gay marriage is an act of Love. The stuid McVicar (who is best ignored, except that The MSM hang on his every word), is in effect spouting forth that “loving marriage, ipso facto, is likely to end up in criminality”. That is the extent of this pathetic soul’s logic.
Never trust a man prepared to whore out someone else’s grief for a sound bite on the news.
McFlock, Felix, QoT – As self appointed sentinels of the, who is offended, by what, and how, security assessment services, what’s your positon on the above reference to, *whore out* ?
Verb
whore out (third-person singular simple present whores out, present participle whoring out, simple past and past participle whored out)
(informal, transitive) To prostitute, take advantage of, exploit, show off; to hire out or provide to others like a whore
TA – I would suggest you await the security (hate speech assessment services) team, to deliver their judgement – I’ve highlighted the possible threat, to one of the members!
I’m surprised at the tardiness of response today, perhaps its because only one of them appears to be around currently, and is unable to deliver a unilateral response!
TA – Even though this is the virtual space, it is important that should handles feel it appropriate to throw around the serious accusations of bigotry and so on, that accusers are evaluating regulary, and without bias, hyocracy or other, the basis for their accusations, as they are a serious impediment to societal healing.
Highlighting your choice of words, is, in my opinion necessary, as I would like to understand if there is consistancy, should there be a response from those I named. No response, will speak visibly for itself, on their behalf!
Apologies to have to involve you (handle) under these conditions, I mean you no ill.
What muzza’s alluding to is that he was called out for uncritically copy-pasting an article title using the phrase “rent boy”.
As with the phrase “whore out”, this is problematic because it uses sex work as shorthand for immorality or exploitation, per the definition you quoted below.
McVicar is out of control and must be stopped. He will stop at nothing into imposing a return to the 1950’s and all the associated misery the era has inflicted on people for a crime free utopia, especially for those who were packed off Lake Alice and had 500 volts put through them because they couldnt spell ‘cat’ properly.
les Amis de l’ABC (the Friends of the ABC), a group of students dedicated to making political changes in France. In the original French, the name of the group is a pun on Les Amis de l’abaissé, the friends of the debased, “that is to say, the people”,
From les mis. The irony that we have our own red clique. Perhaps history will repeat itself and throw together various left wing idealist that hear the drum beat and bring about change.
Yep. NZ Labour Party ABC’s have their own group of vehement Young Labour student supporters which fit under this name. Many in Young Labour spoke and voted against the 40% threshold during Conference.
More likely they are looking for a career in a Labour minister’s office (after 2014) and then a possible further career move to the Labour Party caucus some time after that. In the meantime they must butter-up said ministers’ political egos.
Lets face it, they took most of the principles out of politics back in the 1980s…
Good comment – it appears from this blog that there are two Labour wings firstly the real Labour Party, and secondly the Parliamentary Labour wing.
Are these getting further apart – looks like it possibly ?
Yes Fortran that is what is happening and I find it very sad. There are good people on both sides of the leadership fence, but a small group inside the caucus seem intent on fostering disunity for the sake of their own personal egos – at least I suppose that is the basic reason. Their attitude (as demonstrated immediately after the Conference late last year) is an insult to many members because it showed what they really think of us. We are useful fodder during election campaigns – letter box stuffers, canvassers, meeting arrangers, money donators and that’s about all.
As far as I can see, the only person who can change it now is David Shearer. The olive
branch must be extended to David Cunliffe preferably by way of a return to the Front Bench. What happens after that we will have to wait and see…
Spot on, Anne. I think principled young left activists these days are more likely to head towards Mana/Greens or even some of the non-parliamentary movements. The activism exists, but why would they look to participate in Labour when senior figures such as Mallard see them as potential customers for any spare tickets he has lying around? I think those looking for paid positions inside the machine will gravitate towards Young Labour, and this will become even worse as the slightest hint of radicalism continues to be purged from caucus.
The uninformed criticisms of Young Labour here are just staggering. Are these commentators even involved in the Labour Party – certainly not the one that I am a proud member of.
Young Labour activists are some of the most principled, hard-working, intelligent members of this party. We are integral to so many campaigns around the country, we organise events where the big ideas within the party are discussed (Campaign School, Summer School, Winter School etc.), we push for the most progressive policies at conference and usually do well at getting support, we actually do stuff to help the party instead of writing whinging comments on political blogs.
The members I know in Young Labour are not in it for themselves but for the progressive ideals that we get to push for. Why don’t you come help us?
Even more likely is that they realised that 50% plus one is the norm in most democratic elections, Anne. The 60% level is a wank. It appears it was pushed by those hoping DC could use it to his short term advantage in forcing a leadership contest.
But, as I’ve pointed out earlier, it actually means DC can never lead Labour, because his minority support could never be lifted high enough to meet the 60% hurdle in caucus. An unintended consequence, I believe that’s called.
“But, as I’ve pointed out earlier, it actually means DC can never lead Labour, because his minority support could never be lifted high enough to meet the 60% hurdle in caucus. An unintended consequence, I believe that’s called.”
The 60% + 1 threshold only applies for the constitutionally mandated leaders vote at the start of the year immediately following the election, eg once every 3 years. If DC wins the leadership and loses the next election, he’s gone-burger anyway (just as DS will/would be) so it doesn’t really matter.
TRP….You may want to consider what is currently the threshold in other Labour Parties overseas. My understanding is that something like 60% is the norm.
You may be right, RL, but the NZLP has current and historical links to the union movement. There, the norm is 50% plus one. The 60% pass rate seems arbitrary at best and, as I say above, probably intended for DC’s short term gain. (ie its the figure his numbers pre-conference could muster).
The UK Labour Party has far stronger and longer ties to the union movement than the NZLP (affiliates there have long had a real vote in choosing the UK Labour Leader).
A UK Labour MP leadership contender can initiate a leadership challenge with just 20% initial backing of the Labour caucus. The decision then goes to the wider membership.
The NZLP has a long, long way left to go in democratising its Leadership and candidate selection processes.
And yet the UKLP is regarded as being anti-democratic and top down and, in Government, the caucus has the legal right to ignore the party. And, as I said, 50% is the norm in unions in both countries. So what’s your point?
CV, I have a terrible feeling you think democracy means ‘the one I want wins’.
You appear to know little about unions, CV. No reason you should, I suppose, but it leaves your ‘meme’ comment knackered. A simple majority is the norm in the union movement.
When was the last time the UKLP caucus used the trigger, CV?
Answering directly to the party members. This is the kind of thing that many associated with Labour seem deathly afraid of in 2013. And which TRP you seem to consider “anti democratic”.
When was the last time the UKLP caucus used the trigger, CV?
Quite some time ago I think; it may be that the UKLP 20% is actually too high a threshold.
TRP unions have internal votes only. They do not have to participate in decision making where three different sectors of an organisation have to decide on something. Besides the vote is only a trigger for a contest and does not decide the contest.
CV: The point I was making is that the trigger has not been used, as far as I know. It’s meaningless in the UK and arbitrary at best here.
MS: Unions participate in multi-faceted decision making all the time. Unions are represented on all sorts of organisations, including ITO’s, community groups and boards. And many negotiations are multi party, either more than one union or more than one boss.
The tendency for schools to have exclusive stationery deals with single supplier is disturbing, and another reason why Tomorrow’s Schools should be reviewed.
Parents should be able to source stationery for their children through whatever source they see fit. Whether it be calculators through trademe, compasses and protractors from the $2 shop, or books from the Warehouse. Forcing financially burdened parents to go through one supplier is totally wrong.
I would actually stick my neck out and say that school kids have too much stationery. It would be better to have the MoE supply pre printed curriculum workbooks for specialist subjects, and just have the parents buy refill, pens and rulers.
I’m not sure how the schools can prevent you from buying stationary from elsewhere? What are they gonna do, kick your kid out?
I’m sure nothing like this happened when I went to school. They did have stationary that you could buy from the school, presumably they partnered up with a retail chain to offer this. But they always gave you the price list so you could choose to go elsewhere.
Following on from the, “unexpected arrest”, the youth allegedly involved in the Sina Solomona murder as now been denied bail, “in spite of the “legislative bias” in favour of granting bail to young people.”
The arrest was reported on 20/12/12, court appearance 14/1/13, and prosecution given until 25/2/13 (5.5 weeks extension), when prosecutor Andrew McRae “sought an extension of three or four weeks for the filing of police evidence”. He sought extra time because of the extensive investigation and forensic analysis that was still being done.
1: Why was the additional time granted, over and above what the prosecutor had sought?
2: If the prosecution are sure enough the youth is the perpetrator to keep him on remand, then why is the extended investigation necessary? (surely if there is such a “powerful public interest”, resources would have been working this case since mid December when it happened, around the clock)
3: How long do forensic investigations of a single individual take to match to a victim and place at a crime scene?
4: Why in Christchuch, just weeks earlier (to the youths appearance for alleged murder) was a “convicted paedophile given bail after appearing in court accused of abusing dozens of young boys, and in Northland, a man accused of sex crimes against children was bailed to an Auckland address despite police opposition”
5: Why is it that repeat paedophile gets home detention for molesting a 7 year old girl (based on poor health (apparently), into the community he is from, and the victim’s mother is devastated and says “she is concerned about the safety of the Tauranga community” ?.
6: Why are health concerns seemingly more a factor, over the obvious safety/health concerns of a young teen on remand for many months, at risk of potential mental, and physical harm!
I don’t care about your issues with QoT and McFlock, although I agree with both of them, but why are you continuing to use this case to push your meme? I’ve read your questions and they are leading – to whatever conclusion you have reached – just say it. Is this sort of stuff part of the social experiment you claim you are conducting – the last person that did that was pete george if I remember correctly. You do remind me of him in a weird way.
Oh and please spare me the usual “don’t shoot the messenger” stuff or use americanisms like “cool your jets”. I used to think you were onto the real issues muzza – I feel quite disappointed in you to tell you the truth. Sorry to personalise it but we aren’t bots are we.
Hi Marty, perhaps have a look inside if you feel let down bro, search as to why you associate the emotion to my comments. What meme exactly do you believe I’m pushing Marty, you have yet to make any concrete comments, instead just waffling around.
If you believe the questions to be leading, then point out which ones, and why, tell me what you believe to be better questions to ask, or answer some of the questions, a combo is good. Again you have fed back nothing, just jumped in and expressed your bias, which seems to have been triggered by my letting you down in some way, come on bro, you can do better than that!
Perhaps I should have asked the question – Who is more dangerous to society/bigger flight risk etc, a previously convicted , elderly white paedophile, who we know has a passport, the means to travel, a network of sorts (salvation army), with some health problems or a young brown kid, unknown previous, unknown passport holder, or means to travel, or what, if any his connections are, who is under suspicion of murder!
FYI – I have reached no conclusion at this stage, however there is to me some rather poor reporting of this situation going on, hence I have some questions, because it feel off to me!
Don’t apologise if you actually mean what you say Marty, I’m picking there is more to it than that!
yes I have thought about why your comment triggered me. My conclusion is that this case was first raised by you for no good reason, which I mentioned at the time, and on the other occasions when you have bought it up the use of the case has shifted so that it now has become a “poor brown boy” story, which it wasn’t when you originally mentioned it. That implies to me that the story is useful to you because it helps you promote your ideas and I am not okay when innocent victims are used to score points for any viewpoint. If I come across that type of behavior I normally ignore those postings but I had unrealistic expectations of the stuff you post and therefore began to comment then, and now. Some commenters I engage with for a while until I realise that it is a waste of time for me – vto is one and mate I’m putting you in the same bucket. I don’t wish either of you ill it’s just that I’m more interested in making changes in society and communities and going over 101 areas is just so boring – I’m sure you feel the same.
I hope you leave the defenseless alone and go after those with defenses – they are worth the trouble – kia ora.
As information about this sad situation progresses, and is reported on, is it not probable that questions will develop around the pregressing information releases. Surely this is not shifting, it is commenting on the developments via the media, as I interpret the details, from what I’m reading.
It’s unfortunate that you’re unable to fathom, that my posts, are actually aimed at those with the defenses you refer. The posts were/are intended, to get generate thinking about what the MSM has been reporting, and how the low quality of reporting begs questions about its innaccuracies and gaps, and how those gaps will shape the views of readers who absorb it!
My focus is firmly on the establishments, and those with the ability to deliver/create/protect injustice, because not only are individuals corrupted, but the systems they operate inside of are systematically broken. Those same systems, seek only to protect themselves, no matter the collateral damage to the rest of us, who they pretend to serve and protect!
The reality is Marty, that the changes you (and I), are looking to be invovled with, can’t begin to happen, until what is keeping the changes from gaining traction, (because it must subvert reality in such ways, to keep control), are clearly understood for the barriers, and the theats that the establishment system are.
Take another look Marty, and if you are able to do so without predjudice, you should be able to tell where my intentions lie!
yes granted that situations change and perceptions of those situations change. The initial post from you on that case was well before much had come out – it was ghoulish, disrespectful and unnecessary – but that was then…
maybe you are trying to be too tricky – just a thought because your middle three paragraphs above are pretty coherent – perhaps if you wacked out those then your evidence/questions it might flow better, for me anyway.
Are you a believer of the “to save a family/town/country a person/family/town can be sacrificed” mode of thinking?
See for me using a recently deceased innocent victim of a terrible crime as a flail against mine enemies within the fray is just not on. You may consider me over sensitive and too pc but for my sensibilities I’d rather use the recently pulled out appendage of the enemy to slot them around the head. But hey we are all different and my lines are my lines, as are yours.
I hope you go all neo on the owners of the foot across most of our throats 🙂
Are you a believer of the “to save a family/town/country a person/family/town can be sacrificed” mode of thinking?
Quintessentially, no, however its not that simple in reality. If you apply that premise 100%, then justice would be very difficult to see done. Jimmy Saville for example, there are many victims alive, should people ignore what was done, and what will be the fallout from his evil, because the victims are innocent? You can apply the same measure to almost any situation where there are victims, and there would be few perpetrators punished for crimes!
See for me using a recently deceased innocent victim of a terrible crime as a flail against mine enemies within the fray is just not on.
Marty, that’s ok, I accept your view, and understand your position, but mine is that I was not using the deceased victim. I spend alot of time reading through articles, and it felt like there was more to this one, so I went about finding, reading, cross referencing as many write ups as I could, and then posted my thoughts/views. Whats not on for me, is the pathetic so called reporting around such terrible events, and the fact questions are not asked, and that people do not think, because it allows injustice to flourish!
You may consider me over sensitive and too pc but for my sensibilities I’d rather use the recently pulled out appendage of the enemy to slot them around the head. But hey we are all different and my lines are my lines, as are yours.
It takes all types of approach to get messages out there Marty, as you and I show, that we have different ways to express ourselves, so there are different ways that people receiving (hearing) those messages, might be swayed, or jolted into thinking more deeply.
IMO, the more varied the message delivery we can get, but with the constant intent to promote positive , the higher chance of reaching, even more minds.
Hide’s dishonest piece on state housing is just part of a broader effort which fetishes ownership and aims to further curtail tenancy rights. If he and his acolytes get their way, Housing Corp will end up managing emergency night shelters with a maximum of one week stay. Or maybe contracting out the management of these to a private provider?
Utterly predictable. But this from a man who has openly admitted that the 1840’s were a much better time because it was without all that ‘government interference’.
Mega upload. Have I got this right? New rules a year or so ago meant that if an “authority” believed that a person was downloading illegally the the internet provider was contacted, the downloader warned, and ex-communicated if she persisted. This was how Kim Dotcom cooperated with the “authorities” who then shat all over him in spite of cooperation.
So now Mega is launched with 100,000 registrations in the first hour. Wow!
Found a copy of the infamous Picot Report in the local library today. Which was good, as before I had an OIA request for it turned down by the min of ed.
A few interesting points:
All support services for schools, that were provided by the old Department of Education, or the local education boards, were chopped, and school boards given extra cash to ‘purchase their own services’.
The education advisers employed by the above effectively became consultants/independent contractors, selling their services to schools.
The education service centres that were to replace the education boards are/were basically privatised versions of the latter, some of them set up by old Education Board staff.
It was intended that community education forums would be set up and help so the local community can have a say in the running of the education system. This measure, not implemented, could have made a difference to Mallard’s school closing frenzy 10 years ago, the Parata’s school restructuring in Christchurch.
This is not really what I agree with and like, but I came across it, and I think it is important to remind ourselves of what historic events once happened.
We are busy, sometimes with perhaps trivial political stories, but the history of fascism, and what it led to is something that must never be forgotten.
Rommel was not a fascist as such himself, Hitler even hated him in the end, but he was an instrument, just like many in modern NZ society are instruments also in introducing and implementing “reforms” of a welfare kind, that have elements of fascism in them. Few get the message, I am afraid.
Maybe lucky to get away alive. The history of human kind (vermin like kind) is full of hatred, war, destruction and exploitation, some try to put a nice gloss on it. So where do we go from here???
Yet another, more friendly perspective. “Die Prinzen”, one of the more favourite bands from there, I know of. Always witty, a bit cynical and critical but always measured and sound.
So where do we get this here? I love Mr Bean also, good old UK humour, and there is some good program on TV3 on Fridays now, but hey, get a bit into the global sphere, there is so much more, and worth listening to, even if you may (at first) not understand the language.
NZ is needing to climb up the learning curve a bit more. Get onto it, and you cannot lose.
Why is The Standard not sufficiently promoting socialist or social democratic ideas, as it proclaims it is. We must move further to take a stand, I sadly see a too weak and mellowed down approach. Remember your bloody heritage, PLUS what the international development has shown.
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New Zealand now has the fourth most depressed construction sector in the world behind China, Qatar and Hong Kong. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 8:46am on Thursday, May 2:The Lead: ...
Hi,I am just going to state something very obvious: American police are fucking crazy.That was a photo gracing the New York Times this morning, showing New York City police “entering Columbia University last night after receiving a request from the school.”Apparently in America, protesting the deaths of tens of thousands ...
Winston Peters’ much anticipated foreign policy speech last night was a work of two halves. Much of it was a standard “boilerplate” Foreign Ministry overview of the state of the world. There was some hardening up of rhetoric with talk of “benign” becoming “malign” and old truths giving way to ...
Graham Adams assesses the fallout of the Cass Review — The press release last Thursday from the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls didn’t make the mainstream news in New Zealand but it really should have. The startling title of Reem Alsalem’s statement — “Implementation of ‘Cass ...
This open-for-business, under-new-management cliché-pockmarked government of Christopher Luxon is not the thing of beauty he imagines it to be. It is not the powerful expression of the will of the people that he asserts it to be. It is not a soaring eagle, it is a malodorous vulture. This newest poll should make ...
The latest labour market statistics, showing a rise in unemployment. There are now 134,000 unemployed - 14,000 more than when the National government took office. Which is I guess what happens when the Reserve Bank causes a recession in an effort to Keep Wages Low. The previous government saw a ...
Three opinion polls have been released in the last two days, all showing that the new government is failing to hold their popular support. The usual honeymoon experienced during the first year of a first term government is entirely absent. The political mood is still gloomy and discontented, mainly due ...
National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”.As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
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 ...
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy.Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
Bryce Edwards writes – 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 ...
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
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. ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
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 ...
Genterwocky After a hard days marching, Sir Doocey calls in at the Village Tavern For a pint of ale and a pork pie. The grim villagers stare at him. “Do not be travelling on the forest road,” warns a crusty old beak. “And why is that, antique peasant?” Grins Sir ...
Political conferences after a party returns to power are usually a chance for some healthy, even unhealthy backslapping. Yet National Party president Sylvia Wood’s address to its mainland representatives on Saturday hardly contained the unalloyed delight that one might have expected following National’s escape from the wilderness of opposition. Yes, ...
Comment: Almost half the world is voting in national elections this year and artificial intelligence is the elephant in the room. There are genuine fears AI-generated or AI-edited deepfakes will potentially manipulate election outcomes not just in the US and UK, but critically in countries such as India. For that ...
Ahead of the reality franchise’s return to New Zealand, allow us to introduce the eight brides and grooms. Chuck on a veil and tie back your man bun, because it’s time to say “I do” to a new season of Married at First Sight NZ. The reality TV “social experiment” ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Norton, Professor in the Practice of Higher Education Policy, Australian National University Every year on June 1, student debt in Australia is indexed to inflation. In 2023, high inflation pushed the indexation rate to 7.1%, the highest since 1990. This ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Changes in the May 14 budget will cut the student debt of more than three million people, wiping more than $3 billion from what people owe. The government will cap the HELP indexation rate ...
Asia Pacific Report The prosecutor’s office at the International Criminal Court (ICC) has appealed for an end to what it calls intimidation of its staff, saying such threats could constitute an offence against the “administration of justice” by the world’s permanent war crimes court. The Hague-based office of ICC Prosecutor ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk A women’s union in New Caledonia has staged a sit-in protest this week to support senior Kanak indigenous journalist Thérèse Waia, who works for public broadcaster Nouvelle-Calédonie la Première, after a smear attack by critics. The peaceful demonstration was held on ...
New Zealand Food Safety is monitoring overseas recalls of Indian packaged spice products manufactured by MDH and Everest due to concerns over a cancer-causing pesticide. ...
By Stephen Wright and Stefan Armbruster of BenarNews Fiji’s ranking in a global press freedom index has jumped into the top tier of countries with free or mostly free media after its government last year repealed a draconian law that threatened journalists with prison for doing their jobs. Fiji’s improvement ...
We might be in Invercargill but all anyone can talk about is Gore. Specifically, Salford Street. That’s where three-year-old Lachlan Jones lived, south of the centre of town, between the A&P Showgrounds and the Mataura River. Roughly 1.2 km away from the single level home he lived in with his ...
Keen hiker and second-year MSc student Liam Hewson wears two hats when he’s in the great outdoors. “The scientist in me appreciates nature and goes, ‘Oh, there’s that thing and there’s another thing,’ but then the tramper and the outdoorsy person in me thinks, ‘Cool bush.’” Born and bred in ...
MONDAY I lined up the latest round of civil servants from city hall against the wall, and signalled for the firing squad to drop their rifles. I stepped up onto a wooden crate to look at the office workers in the eye. But that didn’t feel right, so I found ...
After a long and illustrious career as a goal kicker, Dan Carter’s favourite way to unwind is… kicking goals. Why can’t he get enough of it? And what it’s like to watch him do it for an hour straight? A semicircle of people wielding cameras and phones has formed in ...
Dame Susan Devoy takes us through her life in television, including late night ER debriefs, her proudest CTI moment and the show she watches in secret. Quite aside from her four world champion squash titles, Dame Susan Devoy will likely go down in history as one of the best Celebrity ...
Hera Lindsay Bird reveals the best places in Ōtepoti to score more for your apocalypse-prep book hoard.Sometimes I get the feeling I’ve been killed in a car crash, and this second half of my life is just the brain unspooling itself, like one of those episodes of a hospital ...
ThreeNow’s new murder mystery series takes us on a dark, damp journey into the Australian wilderness.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. High Country is ThreeNow’s new Australian eight-part crime drama, set in a remote part of the Victorian highlands. It tells ...
Introducing a new way to read The Spinoff every weekend. After nearly 10 years of being an online magazine, we’re finally embracing the weekend liftout. Despite our best efforts to convince you otherwise, writers and editors at The Spinoff don’t work weekend. It is through the sheer power of technology ...
Tip one: let yourself be nurtured by this big old man. Tip two: don’t ask him to adopt you. So, you’ve arrived at your first session with a new therapist. He tells you to make yourself comfortable and you opt for the tweed armchair, hoping it makes you look like ...
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Granny’s found a psychology lecturer to put Shonkeys latest brain fade in Antarctica possibly down to fainting then listed some other major memory lapses but not them all as that’d probably take up too much room and remind folk how often and conveniently it occurs.
Bending over backwards to help as always granny, trying to play the health card on his behalf, how about some medical opinions not behavioural ones.
Although, the brain fades the article does mention are pretty significant:
If a B-Com takes three years and he graduated in 1981 then he left School in 78, no?. Which means he was at University when Erebus occured. How can he not remember if he was at University or High School at the time of that disaster
More pathetic Journalism. No fact checking, not even bothering to do basic arithmetic
To be fair to the PM, the four events listed aren’t “brain fades”.
It’s a little unfair to blame his failing health for what are really just out and out lies told by Mr Key.
+1, spot-on, my belief is that Slippery is a compulsive one as well, it’s a gambler, Psycho/sociopath thing with that one as far as i can see,
Compulsive’s, liars that is, have to keep testing the boundaries of what ‘they’ can get people to believe,
The way i see it is He is heading for a major stress related coronary partly brought about by the ‘will they believe this one’ anxiety inherent in the ‘gamble’ of continually talking s**t…
That’s weird.
If was was born in 61, when he would have been sitting School Cert in 77 (he could have got Erebus mixed with Tenerife – that happened in 77 and killed 500+ people — A KLM jet collided with a Pam Am jet). He would be sitting Bursary in 79.
Perhaps Slippery’s suitcase of intellectual rigor is as empty as what it would seem to be and He had to sit the school cert year a number of times, before in exasperation, ‘they’ just gave up and gave it to the little failure…
Or perhaps this is just more spin to make him appear more like the common man than the actual conniving and calculating prick he is.
Playing the sympathy card at the same time to make people concerned for his health would seem a masterstroke. Three doctors couldn’t explain Key’s fainting? Please!
The question should be: do we want either a deluded and bumbling fool with a potential health condition that makes him faint and forget things or a master right wing manipulator and compulsive liar as Prime Minister?
My answer in both cases would have to be no!
He was most likely accredited from sixth form
in order to be at Uni in ’79 in order to graduate in ’81
What a laughable, twisted old blow-hard is Garth McVicar of the Sensible Sentencing Trust.
His out-of-left-field prognostications that gay marriage will increase crime confirms that his prescription for a decent society invokes selectively applied inequality, discrimination, exclusion, bullying. Such morals !
McVicar is a notorious, over-indulged, redneck clown perfectly suited to the bigotry of US tea party politics where any old shit is true the second some dinosaur zealot chooses to say it is.
Pray that the cruddy old people-hater sells up and relocates to the wilds of Wyoming where to his heart’s content he can run periodically passing aged-hippies, gays, profile-meeting blacks and other dangerous types out of the county on the end of a shotgun. And otherwise batten down against the world.
Here’s the link: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/8199943/Lobbyist-links-gay-marriage-to-crime-rise-in-NZ
You beat me to the post and thanks for your lovely writing .. what a hate-filled message he sends. Horrible.
Like all marriage, Gay marriage is an act of Love. The stuid McVicar (who is best ignored, except that The MSM hang on his every word), is in effect spouting forth that “loving marriage, ipso facto, is likely to end up in criminality”. That is the extent of this pathetic soul’s logic.
Never trust a man prepared to whore out someone else’s grief for a sound bite on the news.
[IrishBill: you were banned for a week for calling an author a liar. See you next Saturday]
McFlock, Felix, QoT – As self appointed sentinels of the, who is offended, by what, and how, security assessment services, what’s your positon on the above reference to, *whore out* ?
Is there a problem with what I’ve written?
Form wiki
Verb
whore out (third-person singular simple present whores out, present participle whoring out, simple past and past participle whored out)
(informal, transitive) To prostitute, take advantage of, exploit, show off; to hire out or provide to others like a whore
TA – I would suggest you await the security (hate speech assessment services) team, to deliver their judgement – I’ve highlighted the possible threat, to one of the members!
I’m surprised at the tardiness of response today, perhaps its because only one of them appears to be around currently, and is unable to deliver a unilateral response!
No offence, but if it’s all about an e-peen fight, I don’t want anything to do with it.
I’d rather I wasn’t quoted to make point scoring bombs.
As a weapon of massively good looking distraction, I’m strictly handle with care. 😆
TA – Even though this is the virtual space, it is important that should handles feel it appropriate to throw around the serious accusations of bigotry and so on, that accusers are evaluating regulary, and without bias, hyocracy or other, the basis for their accusations, as they are a serious impediment to societal healing.
Highlighting your choice of words, is, in my opinion necessary, as I would like to understand if there is consistancy, should there be a response from those I named. No response, will speak visibly for itself, on their behalf!
Apologies to have to involve you (handle) under these conditions, I mean you no ill.
“Apologies to have to involve you (handle) under these conditions, I mean you no ill.”
No worries. No offence taken.
fucktard, I’ve only just turned on the computer, and you already know the fucking answer.
Funnily enough, while you might be “surprised” at the “tardiness”, my life doesn’t revolve around your fantasies.
Nothing wrong at all, Al1en. Muzza is just trying to reinforce his No1 tool status.
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-19012013/#comment-575492
Still waiting for that genius in your explanation! – Was my helpful hint not enough to get you statred?
Yeah, we get it … you have comprehension difficulties, muz. All the best with the therapy.
What muzza’s alluding to is that he was called out for uncritically copy-pasting an article title using the phrase “rent boy”.
As with the phrase “whore out”, this is problematic because it uses sex work as shorthand for immorality or exploitation, per the definition you quoted below.
Someone should point out to him what het marriages leads to –
http://www.theage.com.au/photogallery/opinion/cartoons/michael-leunig-20090711-dgl6.html?selectedImage=43
Gay marriage on the other hand –
http://www.theage.com.au/photogallery/opinion/cartoons/michael-leunig-20090711-dgl6.html?selectedImage=34
Excellent Colonial 🙂
McVicar is out of control and must be stopped. He will stop at nothing into imposing a return to the 1950’s and all the associated misery the era has inflicted on people for a crime free utopia, especially for those who were packed off Lake Alice and had 500 volts put through them because they couldnt spell ‘cat’ properly.
Tac you mean???…
les Amis de l’ABC (the Friends of the ABC), a group of students dedicated to making political changes in France. In the original French, the name of the group is a pun on Les Amis de l’abaissé, the friends of the debased, “that is to say, the people”,
From les mis. The irony that we have our own red clique. Perhaps history will repeat itself and throw together various left wing idealist that hear the drum beat and bring about change.
Yep. NZ Labour Party ABC’s have their own group of vehement Young Labour student supporters which fit under this name. Many in Young Labour spoke and voted against the 40% threshold during Conference.
+1CV
That was one of the most shocking aspects of the Conference, seeing the Youth fight against democracy and membership power.
Sad.
Youth wings are normally the instigators of change and radicalism, not the backers of conservative power players.
Their “leaders” must have been got “confused”.
I’m sure clarity will prevail at the Summer School.
More likely they are looking for a career in a Labour minister’s office (after 2014) and then a possible further career move to the Labour Party caucus some time after that. In the meantime they must butter-up said ministers’ political egos.
Lets face it, they took most of the principles out of politics back in the 1980s…
Anne
Good comment – it appears from this blog that there are two Labour wings firstly the real Labour Party, and secondly the Parliamentary Labour wing.
Are these getting further apart – looks like it possibly ?
Yes Fortran that is what is happening and I find it very sad. There are good people on both sides of the leadership fence, but a small group inside the caucus seem intent on fostering disunity for the sake of their own personal egos – at least I suppose that is the basic reason. Their attitude (as demonstrated immediately after the Conference late last year) is an insult to many members because it showed what they really think of us. We are useful fodder during election campaigns – letter box stuffers, canvassers, meeting arrangers, money donators and that’s about all.
As far as I can see, the only person who can change it now is David Shearer. The olive
branch must be extended to David Cunliffe preferably by way of a return to the Front Bench. What happens after that we will have to wait and see…
Spot on, Anne. I think principled young left activists these days are more likely to head towards Mana/Greens or even some of the non-parliamentary movements. The activism exists, but why would they look to participate in Labour when senior figures such as Mallard see them as potential customers for any spare tickets he has lying around? I think those looking for paid positions inside the machine will gravitate towards Young Labour, and this will become even worse as the slightest hint of radicalism continues to be purged from caucus.
The uninformed criticisms of Young Labour here are just staggering. Are these commentators even involved in the Labour Party – certainly not the one that I am a proud member of.
Young Labour activists are some of the most principled, hard-working, intelligent members of this party. We are integral to so many campaigns around the country, we organise events where the big ideas within the party are discussed (Campaign School, Summer School, Winter School etc.), we push for the most progressive policies at conference and usually do well at getting support, we actually do stuff to help the party instead of writing whinging comments on political blogs.
The members I know in Young Labour are not in it for themselves but for the progressive ideals that we get to push for. Why don’t you come help us?
Even more likely is that they realised that 50% plus one is the norm in most democratic elections, Anne. The 60% level is a wank. It appears it was pushed by those hoping DC could use it to his short term advantage in forcing a leadership contest.
But, as I’ve pointed out earlier, it actually means DC can never lead Labour, because his minority support could never be lifted high enough to meet the 60% hurdle in caucus. An unintended consequence, I believe that’s called.
“But, as I’ve pointed out earlier, it actually means DC can never lead Labour, because his minority support could never be lifted high enough to meet the 60% hurdle in caucus. An unintended consequence, I believe that’s called.”
The 60% + 1 threshold only applies for the constitutionally mandated leaders vote at the start of the year immediately following the election, eg once every 3 years. If DC wins the leadership and loses the next election, he’s gone-burger anyway (just as DS will/would be) so it doesn’t really matter.
.
And who came up with that one TRP? Someone from the ABC camp perchance?
TRP….You may want to consider what is currently the threshold in other Labour Parties overseas. My understanding is that something like 60% is the norm.
You may be right, RL, but the NZLP has current and historical links to the union movement. There, the norm is 50% plus one. The 60% pass rate seems arbitrary at best and, as I say above, probably intended for DC’s short term gain. (ie its the figure his numbers pre-conference could muster).
Which sounds like tripe to me, TRP.
The UK Labour Party has far stronger and longer ties to the union movement than the NZLP (affiliates there have long had a real vote in choosing the UK Labour Leader).
A UK Labour MP leadership contender can initiate a leadership challenge with just 20% initial backing of the Labour caucus. The decision then goes to the wider membership.
The NZLP has a long, long way left to go in democratising its Leadership and candidate selection processes.
And yet the UKLP is regarded as being anti-democratic and top down and, in Government, the caucus has the legal right to ignore the party. And, as I said, 50% is the norm in unions in both countries. So what’s your point?
CV, I have a terrible feeling you think democracy means ‘the one I want wins’.
They are however far more democratic than the NZLP, including using a far lower leadership trigger threshold.
And it looks like your “union 50% + 1” meme is false, as demonstrated by the UKLP 20% threshold (which the unions over there support).
I suggest just one basic tennet for democracy: all Labour Party members get a say about the Leadership, not just 34 of them.
If the wider party backs Shearer in a leaderhip vote than he is my man through to 2014. But will we even be given that chance by the 34.
What exactly is your problem with that?
You appear to know little about unions, CV. No reason you should, I suppose, but it leaves your ‘meme’ comment knackered. A simple majority is the norm in the union movement.
When was the last time the UKLP caucus used the trigger, CV?
UK Labour leadership candidate hustings 2010
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a128paHGoEs
Answering directly to the party members. This is the kind of thing that many associated with Labour seem deathly afraid of in 2013. And which TRP you seem to consider “anti democratic”.
Quite some time ago I think; it may be that the UKLP 20% is actually too high a threshold.
TRP unions have internal votes only. They do not have to participate in decision making where three different sectors of an organisation have to decide on something. Besides the vote is only a trigger for a contest and does not decide the contest.
CV: The point I was making is that the trigger has not been used, as far as I know. It’s meaningless in the UK and arbitrary at best here.
MS: Unions participate in multi-faceted decision making all the time. Unions are represented on all sorts of organisations, including ITO’s, community groups and boards. And many negotiations are multi party, either more than one union or more than one boss.
The tendency for schools to have exclusive stationery deals with single supplier is disturbing, and another reason why Tomorrow’s Schools should be reviewed.
Parents should be able to source stationery for their children through whatever source they see fit. Whether it be calculators through trademe, compasses and protractors from the $2 shop, or books from the Warehouse. Forcing financially burdened parents to go through one supplier is totally wrong.
I would actually stick my neck out and say that school kids have too much stationery. It would be better to have the MoE supply pre printed curriculum workbooks for specialist subjects, and just have the parents buy refill, pens and rulers.
I’m not sure how the schools can prevent you from buying stationary from elsewhere? What are they gonna do, kick your kid out?
I’m sure nothing like this happened when I went to school. They did have stationary that you could buy from the school, presumably they partnered up with a retail chain to offer this. But they always gave you the price list so you could choose to go elsewhere.
Teen refused bail on murder charge
Following on from the, “unexpected arrest”, the youth allegedly involved in the Sina Solomona murder as now been denied bail, “in spite of the “legislative bias” in favour of granting bail to young people.”
The arrest was reported on 20/12/12, court appearance 14/1/13, and prosecution given until 25/2/13 (5.5 weeks extension), when prosecutor Andrew McRae “sought an extension of three or four weeks for the filing of police evidence”. He sought extra time because of the extensive investigation and forensic analysis that was still being done.
1: Why was the additional time granted, over and above what the prosecutor had sought?
2: If the prosecution are sure enough the youth is the perpetrator to keep him on remand, then why is the extended investigation necessary? (surely if there is such a “powerful public interest”, resources would have been working this case since mid December when it happened, around the clock)
3: How long do forensic investigations of a single individual take to match to a victim and place at a crime scene?
4: Why in Christchuch, just weeks earlier (to the youths appearance for alleged murder) was a “convicted paedophile given bail after appearing in court accused of abusing dozens of young boys, and in Northland, a man accused of sex crimes against children was bailed to an Auckland address despite police opposition”
5: Why is it that repeat paedophile gets home detention for molesting a 7 year old girl (based on poor health (apparently), into the community he is from, and the victim’s mother is devastated and says “she is concerned about the safety of the Tauranga community” ?.
6: Why are health concerns seemingly more a factor, over the obvious safety/health concerns of a young teen on remand for many months, at risk of potential mental, and physical harm!
I don’t care about your issues with QoT and McFlock, although I agree with both of them, but why are you continuing to use this case to push your meme? I’ve read your questions and they are leading – to whatever conclusion you have reached – just say it. Is this sort of stuff part of the social experiment you claim you are conducting – the last person that did that was pete george if I remember correctly. You do remind me of him in a weird way.
Oh and please spare me the usual “don’t shoot the messenger” stuff or use americanisms like “cool your jets”. I used to think you were onto the real issues muzza – I feel quite disappointed in you to tell you the truth. Sorry to personalise it but we aren’t bots are we.
Hi Marty, perhaps have a look inside if you feel let down bro, search as to why you associate the emotion to my comments. What meme exactly do you believe I’m pushing Marty, you have yet to make any concrete comments, instead just waffling around.
If you believe the questions to be leading, then point out which ones, and why, tell me what you believe to be better questions to ask, or answer some of the questions, a combo is good. Again you have fed back nothing, just jumped in and expressed your bias, which seems to have been triggered by my letting you down in some way, come on bro, you can do better than that!
Perhaps I should have asked the question – Who is more dangerous to society/bigger flight risk etc, a previously convicted , elderly white paedophile, who we know has a passport, the means to travel, a network of sorts (salvation army), with some health problems or a young brown kid, unknown previous, unknown passport holder, or means to travel, or what, if any his connections are, who is under suspicion of murder!
FYI – I have reached no conclusion at this stage, however there is to me some rather poor reporting of this situation going on, hence I have some questions, because it feel off to me!
Don’t apologise if you actually mean what you say Marty, I’m picking there is more to it than that!
Ta muzza
yes I have thought about why your comment triggered me. My conclusion is that this case was first raised by you for no good reason, which I mentioned at the time, and on the other occasions when you have bought it up the use of the case has shifted so that it now has become a “poor brown boy” story, which it wasn’t when you originally mentioned it. That implies to me that the story is useful to you because it helps you promote your ideas and I am not okay when innocent victims are used to score points for any viewpoint. If I come across that type of behavior I normally ignore those postings but I had unrealistic expectations of the stuff you post and therefore began to comment then, and now. Some commenters I engage with for a while until I realise that it is a waste of time for me – vto is one and mate I’m putting you in the same bucket. I don’t wish either of you ill it’s just that I’m more interested in making changes in society and communities and going over 101 areas is just so boring – I’m sure you feel the same.
I hope you leave the defenseless alone and go after those with defenses – they are worth the trouble – kia ora.
Hi Marty,
As information about this sad situation progresses, and is reported on, is it not probable that questions will develop around the pregressing information releases. Surely this is not shifting, it is commenting on the developments via the media, as I interpret the details, from what I’m reading.
It’s unfortunate that you’re unable to fathom, that my posts, are actually aimed at those with the defenses you refer. The posts were/are intended, to get generate thinking about what the MSM has been reporting, and how the low quality of reporting begs questions about its innaccuracies and gaps, and how those gaps will shape the views of readers who absorb it!
My focus is firmly on the establishments, and those with the ability to deliver/create/protect injustice, because not only are individuals corrupted, but the systems they operate inside of are systematically broken. Those same systems, seek only to protect themselves, no matter the collateral damage to the rest of us, who they pretend to serve and protect!
The reality is Marty, that the changes you (and I), are looking to be invovled with, can’t begin to happen, until what is keeping the changes from gaining traction, (because it must subvert reality in such ways, to keep control), are clearly understood for the barriers, and the theats that the establishment system are.
Take another look Marty, and if you are able to do so without predjudice, you should be able to tell where my intentions lie!
Hey muzza
yes granted that situations change and perceptions of those situations change. The initial post from you on that case was well before much had come out – it was ghoulish, disrespectful and unnecessary – but that was then…
maybe you are trying to be too tricky – just a thought because your middle three paragraphs above are pretty coherent – perhaps if you wacked out those then your evidence/questions it might flow better, for me anyway.
Are you a believer of the “to save a family/town/country a person/family/town can be sacrificed” mode of thinking?
See for me using a recently deceased innocent victim of a terrible crime as a flail against mine enemies within the fray is just not on. You may consider me over sensitive and too pc but for my sensibilities I’d rather use the recently pulled out appendage of the enemy to slot them around the head. But hey we are all different and my lines are my lines, as are yours.
I hope you go all neo on the owners of the foot across most of our throats 🙂
Quintessentially, no, however its not that simple in reality. If you apply that premise 100%, then justice would be very difficult to see done. Jimmy Saville for example, there are many victims alive, should people ignore what was done, and what will be the fallout from his evil, because the victims are innocent? You can apply the same measure to almost any situation where there are victims, and there would be few perpetrators punished for crimes!
Marty, that’s ok, I accept your view, and understand your position, but mine is that I was not using the deceased victim. I spend alot of time reading through articles, and it felt like there was more to this one, so I went about finding, reading, cross referencing as many write ups as I could, and then posted my thoughts/views. Whats not on for me, is the pathetic so called reporting around such terrible events, and the fact questions are not asked, and that people do not think, because it allows injustice to flourish!
It takes all types of approach to get messages out there Marty, as you and I show, that we have different ways to express ourselves, so there are different ways that people receiving (hearing) those messages, might be swayed, or jolted into thinking more deeply.
IMO, the more varied the message delivery we can get, but with the constant intent to promote positive , the higher chance of reaching, even more minds.
And the Orwell prize for neo-liberal bullshit goes today to… Rodney Hide!
“State house policy must free tenants from rentals”
That’s right, the poor in tin and tar paper shanties without power or sanitation are free! FREE I TELL YOU!!!
he also manages to tell a nasty little lie in an attempt to smear Michael Joseph Savage, a man who he clearly very, very jealous of.
PS I am not linking to his nasty little piece of shit because the HoS shouldn’t be encouraged by the site hits.
Hide’s dishonest piece on state housing is just part of a broader effort which fetishes ownership and aims to further curtail tenancy rights. If he and his acolytes get their way, Housing Corp will end up managing emergency night shelters with a maximum of one week stay. Or maybe contracting out the management of these to a private provider?
Utterly predictable. But this from a man who has openly admitted that the 1840’s were a much better time because it was without all that ‘government interference’.
Mega upload. Have I got this right? New rules a year or so ago meant that if an “authority” believed that a person was downloading illegally the the internet provider was contacted, the downloader warned, and ex-communicated if she persisted. This was how Kim Dotcom cooperated with the “authorities” who then shat all over him in spite of cooperation.
So now Mega is launched with 100,000 registrations in the first hour. Wow!
But the new Mega has no open-ness to any authority not even to Mega itself.
Is this huge, very huge, given the wish for USA (and National) want to to control the internet?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10860260
So will people use the mega site to file share, pretty much as they used Megaupload, or does it’s set-up open it up to different sorts of uses?
Well I’m interested in backups…
Rock and Roll ‘aint Noise Pollution
(to me it makes good good sense) 🙂
Muwahahahahahahaha:
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/page/292910_FACTA–Ireland_and_Caymens_on_
Found a copy of the infamous Picot Report in the local library today. Which was good, as before I had an OIA request for it turned down by the min of ed.
A few interesting points:
All support services for schools, that were provided by the old Department of Education, or the local education boards, were chopped, and school boards given extra cash to ‘purchase their own services’.
The education advisers employed by the above effectively became consultants/independent contractors, selling their services to schools.
The education service centres that were to replace the education boards are/were basically privatised versions of the latter, some of them set up by old Education Board staff.
It was intended that community education forums would be set up and help so the local community can have a say in the running of the education system. This measure, not implemented, could have made a difference to Mallard’s school closing frenzy 10 years ago, the Parata’s school restructuring in Christchurch.
This is not really what I agree with and like, but I came across it, and I think it is important to remind ourselves of what historic events once happened.
We are busy, sometimes with perhaps trivial political stories, but the history of fascism, and what it led to is something that must never be forgotten.
Rommel was not a fascist as such himself, Hitler even hated him in the end, but he was an instrument, just like many in modern NZ society are instruments also in introducing and implementing “reforms” of a welfare kind, that have elements of fascism in them. Few get the message, I am afraid.
They killed the Jews, and this is what some of them got in return:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=YpxX4cg9JqY
Maybe lucky to get away alive. The history of human kind (vermin like kind) is full of hatred, war, destruction and exploitation, some try to put a nice gloss on it. So where do we go from here???
Free “western” NZ, UK, USA ???
Yet another, more friendly perspective. “Die Prinzen”, one of the more favourite bands from there, I know of. Always witty, a bit cynical and critical but always measured and sound.
So where do we get this here? I love Mr Bean also, good old UK humour, and there is some good program on TV3 on Fridays now, but hey, get a bit into the global sphere, there is so much more, and worth listening to, even if you may (at first) not understand the language.
NZ is needing to climb up the learning curve a bit more. Get onto it, and you cannot lose.
We want revolutionary spirit, nothing else, so please enjoy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EY9K8CjXHkM
(over 1 million downloads is impressive)
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=el+pueblo+unido+jamas+sera+vencido&oq=el+pueblo&gs_l=youtube-reduced.1.1.0l4.121108.125107.0.128120.9.5.0.3.3.0.1174.2030.1j1j1j1j7-1.5.0…0.0…1ac.1.3lKKd_8s9Jc
(for search options)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWlkWPXfvXc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWlkWPXfvXc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mOjijV4jA0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSRVtlTwFs8
Why is The Standard not sufficiently promoting socialist or social democratic ideas, as it proclaims it is. We must move further to take a stand, I sadly see a too weak and mellowed down approach. Remember your bloody heritage, PLUS what the international development has shown.
Viva el pueble, viva la revolution.
THE TRUTH or El Veridad –
This is a MUST view documentary, before anybody goes about adopting biased and anti social comments:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=6QfuOOJzByg
El Che was MURDERED by CIA, so also in Chile we had Pinochet establish later a fascist dictatorship, supported and created by USA!!!