What are people’s thoughts here about what part cannabis plays in the synthetic drug issue?
Is cannabis as risky, riskier or is it safer?
If cannabis was available the same as synthetics would the problem be better, worse or similar?
If no synthetics pass the safety test of the new Act and nothing else changes will the problems get better or worse?
Should the laws related to cannabis use be reviewed?
Should the laws related to cannabis cultivation be reviewed?
Should the laws related to cannabis supply be reviewed?
Should all psychoactive substances be banned (including cannabis)?
When the Psychoactive Substances Act kicks in we may have no synthetic drugs legally for sale or we may have a reduced number of them for sale. Regardless, we will still have issues with drug use, drug addiction and associated problems – especially health and crime.
That’s a different issue, or rather issues. Entrenched issues with no easy solutions. Alcohol is interwoven with the social and commercial fabrics of New Zealand, and impossible to unpick. We have to learn to deal with it better.
What on earth makes you think cannabis and other similar things are any different?
Pete, have you ever smoked cannabis? And I mean, not just once or twice at some pissed party, I mean smoked it enough to learn and understand what happens to the mind ? And Pete, same question with synthetic stuff…
Cannabis has been illegal for how long? Alcohol has been legal for how long?
Cannabis is substantially supplied via major criminal interests. Alcohol is supplied via long established commercial interests.
Self supply of cannabis is illegal, self supply of alcohol is legal.
Cannabis is associated with underground social practices, alcohol is a major part of open and accepted social practices.
I’m quite surprised you asked that question.
I’ve never smoked cannabis or used any synthetic or illegal drugs. I don’t have any interest in drugs personally, but I recognise major social issues and growing discussion and demands about the use of synthetics and natural cannabis.
Did you know cannabis used to be legal?
Did you know alcohol used to be illegal?
Did you know alcohol used to be supplied by major criminal interests?
Did you know alcohol is associated with NZ’s worst underground social practices?
Do you know how much trouble people cause due to cannabis, compared to alcohol?
Genuine question. My knowledge of early 20th century New Zealand history is quite woeful. It’s not my area of expertise.
I know some areas went dry, but I always thought a national prohibition failed. So it seems odd to compare say the former illegality of alcohol to the current illegality of cannabis.
There are still remnants of this with Invercargill, Clutha and Oamaru still dominated by licensing trusts. After prohibition ended (up until the 1980’s) the trusts had control of legal alcohol sales.
When I lived in Auckland in the mid seventies there was still a vote each election that kept Roskill dry.
The national licensing poll was finally abolished in 1989. Many of the no-license electorates had reopened their bars by the 1940s, although the last three – Eden, Roskill and Tawa – did not vote to go ‘wet’ again until 1999.
ffs PG, please think a wee bit about what you type and then take this morning’s nonsense away from here.
“Cannabis is associated with underground social practices,” (socialising, sharing, etc)
“alcohol is a major part of open and accepted social practices” (violence, vomiting, absenteeism, death, etc).
FFS Bill, please think a wee bit about what you read before you launch.
Of course there are positive aspects of underground drug social practices, and of course there many well known negative aspects of open and accepted alcohol social practices.
Pete. You wrote about (quote) “underground social practices”. That suggests illegality, unlawfulness, maybe even unacceptable deviance, and as such screams bigotry on your part.
You didn’t write about (quote) “underground drug social practices”. That, of course, is something completely different and casts the so-called “underground drugs” rather than the “social practices” in the realms of illegality, unlawfulness etc.
“of course there many well known negative aspects of open and accepted alcohol social practices.”
Which is why you refuse to ever engage honestly about them because you know they expose the hypocrisy of every bullshit argument ever used against cannabis.
Did I mention Yaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwn?
and how is that weekly budget for poor people coming along Pete?
“but I recognise major social issues and growing discussion and demands about the use of synthetics and natural cannabis.”
pete you are just doing again what you have tried to do previously – that is, take an issue and try to use it to increase your personal profile. Is this part of your factchecker role or smply a personal brainfart. To be honest pete you are a lot dimmer than you think you are and your transparent nonsense is, well, transparent and nonsense imo.
Then you will be surprised who else has committed to doing something about this. There’s a growing network of concern and a recognition this needs to be addressed far more proactively.
It’s a bit sad to see here amongst a number is the only forum obsessed with diverting with petty personal pissiness.
So I am correct. They need a leader, a visionary, someone who sees the bigger picture, who isn’t influenced by petty politics but wants that arena to be better, kinder, less extreme – and there is a person within the political sphere who fits the bill, who stands like a colossus with legs astride the political landscape, impervious to the arrows of the unimaginative. Your time has come pete – will you stand tall and accept your destiny. This could be your catapult to the national stage.
Had you considered Pete, that the pissiness is due entirely to your habit of getting up early and spraying an ever so earnest cut n paste over the various blogs as early as possible.
If people really wanted to ‘discuss’ these issues with you they would head over to your place.
The passive aggressive behavior you display on here is hardly raising the political discourse and generally sucks a thread into a petty nah nah nah followed by a look at what they said at the standard post on kiwiblog.
If your true aim is to improve the standard of political discourse perhaps you should consider your posting habits and the effects they have on it….
lolz, I’ve been wonderinf that too. The mind boggles at what might be going on in Pete’s imagination about what cannabis smokers get up to and where they do whatever they get up to, but then it doesn’t pay to follow that line of thought too far.
“Cannabis is substantially supplied via major criminal interests. Alcohol is supplied via long established commercial interests.
Self supply of cannabis is illegal, self supply of alcohol is legal.
Cannabis is associated with underground social practices, alcohol is a major part of open and accepted social practices.”
Pete, you often say that people don’t know you so are wrong to judge, but what you just wrote is breaktaking in its bias and ignorance. Nothing shameful about that ignorance apart from the fact that you seem unwilling to do anything about it.
You’ve basically just laid out how incredibly disconnected you are from whole swathes of NZ society that use currently illegal drugs.
I’m aware of a wide range of people using cannabis. They all either produce it illegally or source it illegally, which means they get it off criminals.
It’s a lot more complicated than just changing the law (that in itself is complicated enough). If it is de-criminalised or legalised there’s a lot to be worked out about what type of production, distribution and use is allowed.
It’s not as simple as just passing a bill through Parliament.
Oh Horseshit you don’t want to talk about Alcohol, because your BOSS says not to. So just stand there in the corner like a good little boy, hold the Comb, and Shut UP.
‘cos if you don’t..he is like a tap..left running..
..and i find that laughing at him/his wall-to-wall bullshit..(and hopefully causing/helping others to laugh at him..the former dunne-party-candidate for dunedin nth..see what i mean..?..there’s a giggle or two right there)
..works best..
..that’s why..
..and re the former-candidate in his disciple-stage..
..it really was a case of ‘catch a falling star’..for him..
..eh..?
..(see what i mean..!..the comedic raw-material is there in spades..)
..and i haven’t even got to the with bearded-face full-body massages he gives to that edwards-the-younger..
..as payment for his weekly mentions in his/edwards’ once-over-lightly roundups in that rightwing-rag..
Every now and then it is handy to use his blatherings to get readers to face the questions raised by his obvious hypocrisy. And let’s face it, when it comes to Pete crusading on this particular issue, at least the hypocrisy will be consistent 🙂
because its sometimes like investigating the characteristics of a fossil?
there’s a chance – a hope even that sometimes something worthwhile might emerge – though usually NOT
in PG’s case, it’s the most charitable explanation
These questions are very oddly framed. The issue of risk isn’t a matter of opinion – it’s something which, although complex, can be quantified and measured. Making policy on the basis of ‘I reckon …’ may be flattering to our egos but probably doesn’t result in good policy.
How many users of X experience significant side effects compared to users of Y? How much does mitigating factor B reduce side effect C?
The complexity comes from issues like legality, accessibility, ruling out other factors (such as the crossover between drug use and mental illness), but my point is it’s not a pure matter of opinion as Pete George has framed it.
The other point worth making is that comparing one type of risk/harm against another is usually not valid.
Personally I believe both cannabis and alcohol have harms associated with them. There is no doubt the risk associated with alcohol is very spectacular and pervasive in our society; but there is good evidence to suggest that there are a less obvious set of risks associated with cannabis of a very different nature.
For that reason I’m not all that keen on consuming much of either of them. I limit my alcohol to about one or two glasses of red a month, and I’ve not bothered with cannabis since I was a teenager. After a short while I found it boring and I rapidly became suspicious of it’s persistent after-effects.
I am more or less anti-drugs, and I wouldnt encourage people to use pot, or any other substance.
That said I dont judge those who use it, and I dont think people should be dragged through the courts for having a joint in their bag or having a cone with their mates on a Saturday night. I think allowing people to grow the stuff for personal use and allowing tobacconists to sell seed and equipment would be a suitable course.
Personally I enjoy a little alcohol, but I never get drunk. (I’ve only had one hangover in my whole life and that was a very long time ago. I do feel considerable sympathy for those people who are wired to become addicted to the stuff. It must be an awful life.)
Caffeine in modest amounts seems to be fairly neutral, but again I find it best to limit it to once a day at most. Sometimes I go off it for months at a time.
Sugar is dreadful stuff metabolically. I do my best to avoid added sugar completely.
My point is – while it’s fair to label all three as ‘drugs’; it’s not fair to them treat them all the same. Different risks, different responses.
Like a lot of people I’m not all that keen on using drugs of any kind, and I accept there is not a neat one-size-fits-all definition of them, nor a nice clean set of risks and harms associated with them.
Equally I’m not all that enamoured with the legal shambles around them. Prohibition/criminalisation is a crude, counter-productive tool to use in response to the very wide diversity of ‘drugs’ we use in our society.
As a result I’m caught between a reluctance to see the doors opened to an uncontrolled smorgasbord of ‘drugs’ available anytime, anywhere – and the frank acknowledgement that prohibition just makes matters worse.
Yet I’ve managed to blithely wander through most of my life quite detached from drugs. This doesn’t make me a better person or special in any fashion – but it does prompt me to ask why it is that some people are so very prone to harm from drug use and others appear to be quite removed from them altogether. I want find out more about the root cause of this difference – and if we understood it better would it help us to move on from this ‘decriminalisation’ dilemma?
Apart from my ex-addition to tobacco and my occasional taste for alcohol, the most addictive drugs I have ever used are the 4 that I now take daily to make sure that I stay healthy and alive. For some reason I’m addicted to living (to code)
But I had a few acquaintances who died from heroin in the 70s – mostly from bad drugs or determined suicide attempts as far as I could tell. There have been a whole lot of friends, family and acquaintances I have seen who used illegal recreational drugs. Over the decades I can’t see much difference in outcomes from the ones who used legal drugs.
Incidentally when I was in my late teens I did try a few drugs. However I was already addicted to writing code so they never had a chance after they interfered with that.
People take drugs for all sorts of reasons, so if we want to look at why some people experience harm from use we need to look past the drug and instead look at the context. Risk from a substance is highly individual, so to my mind it’s a nonsense to look at the risk of say cannabis outside the context of the person using it. Where that gets a bit tricky is the public health aspect, and wether there are untoward effects on society as a whole. But even there, there is no getting around the fact that alcohol is legal for no good reason in terms of risk assessment.
Some of the contexts connected with risk are poverty, violence, colonisation, oppression, historical child abuse, genetics, family dynamics, biology, mental health, peer pressure, socialisation, self-esteem, the need for self-medication…
The other thing that’s important to know is that taking drugs is fun! It’s fine that you don’t do this 🙂 but there is nothing wrong per se with getting out of it. And people with the above contexts also take drugs for fun.
For me this isn’t that hard. Legalise cannabis. We don’t have to even look at legalising other drugs in order to do that. Put in place some good educational resources on use and harm minimisation, some rules around thigns like age or driving etc, and then let people make their own decisions just like we let them make those decisions about everything else. The idea that cannabis is a risk to indviduals or society is a red herring. Yes there is risk, but not in a way that legitimises making criminals out of cannabis users.
Except that so far that’s proven to be not possible. We don’t seem to have come close. So it is hard. And future prospects look hard.
Putting politics and arrogance aside can be hard.
What’s needed is a concerted campaign to move things in that direction. Otherwise the next person to come along suggesting something be done will probably be ridiculed and nothing will change. That’s what’s not hard, petty bitching and same old.
“Except that so far that’s proven to be not possible.”
complete horse shit
(we see above you have already called out for the waaambulance )
Governments choosing not to even try to do something, is not the same thing as something being possible or not.
You could not have supplied a better example of the very central flaw in most of your comments that so many have tried to point out to you so often.
Read this slowly…. Just because you say something, does not mean it is true.
Now, the obsequious little nugget of nothingness that started your final paragraph…
“What’s needed is a concerted campaign to move things in that direction. ”
When did you last pick up the phone to the ALCP and say, ‘hi guys, Pete George here, what can I do to help bring balance and objectivity to the discussion of cannabis reform in New Zealand?
wow cannabis reform… maybe that is a politically and economically important topic that a fact checking site would be interested in covering ……… cue tumbleweeds
When did you last pick up the phone to the ALCP and say, ‘hi guys, Pete George here, what can I do to help bring balance and objectivity to the discussion of cannabis reform in New Zealand?
Last Thursday, after they called me, after I emailed them.
Yes I’m ok with legalising cannabis for the time being. It seems the most pragmatic thing to do at the moment.
Some of the contexts connected with risk are poverty, violence, colonisation, oppression, historical child abuse, genetics, family dynamics, biology, mental health, peer pressure, socialisation, self-esteem, the need for self-medication…
Absolutely. Yet the tragedy is that in self-medicating the end result is often a compounding and entrenchment of all these issues.
I’m with Lynn on this. I too get my fun from solving coding puzzles. Yesterday I worked around 14 hrs on a project, and along the way I finally managed to build and debug a Scalar Kalman filter algorithm that I’ve been thinking about for years. (All actual experts in digital signal processing feel free to LOL now.) And I got a real kick from it – that opportunity to creatively express myself is central to my reason for living.
The opportunity to be creative, to excel at some skill or artform, or to work in a group towards a meaningful goal seem to be the three expansive motivations for humans.
I’m not going to LOL, because I don’t know exactly what you did. However, I am curious as to how you managed to spend years thinking about what I would have considered a fairly simple problem. What made it so time consuming?
Well three things; one is that I only looked at it briefly on a handful of occasions over the years – so the total time spent wasn’t all that long. I found the story behind how Rudolf Kalman solved the Apollo lunar landing module radar guidance problem inspiring – and I guess I was always curious to get my head around at least the basics of what he achieved.
Secondly most of the references on the web are for the general MIMO case with lots of very abstract matrix maths I’m not at all good at. As a result for a long time I had in my mind a wrong idea about how a Kalman filter actually worked. I had completely misunderstood what the a priori was meant to be in practical terms.
Thirdly until recently I didn’t really have a pressing need to make one work, but when faced with the desirability of using one in my current project, I spent a day banging away at the much simpler SISO case and finally the penny dropped.
Like a lot of people I can handle maths as long as I can map it onto something concrete in my mind – it’s the pure abstractions that baffle me unfortunately.
I have to add that after spending years looking at time series trend plots with conventional filters that always add a phase delay – the first time I saw the Kalman filter respond to a step input with zero delay was rather spooky.
I knew in my head that was how it was supposed to work, but actually seeing it was still a surprise.
I know this had drifted OT but it speaks to what Lynn was saying earlier above.
I didn’t think you could drift off topic in open mike 🙂
Thanks for your answer. I have problems with abstract maths as well, which is a bit of a drawback in my job as a theoretical quantum physicist, but can also be an advantage. I tend to look more at what can be achieved with real systems than developing abstract theorems.
“What are people’s thoughts here about what part cannabis plays in the synthetic drug issue?”
As a friend pointed out recently, the only reason that legal highs are legal and cannabis isn’t is because the law hasn’t found a way to make legal highs illegal (I think there is probably a commerical incentive in there too to not ban them outright). It’s simply an anomaly that alcohol is legal and cannabis isn’t. So let’s stop pretending that this is an issue of risk and safety. It’s not. It’s about the need of some people to control morality and the need of other people to control money.
The blindingly obvious solution to the very real problems of legal highs is to legalise cannabis. There are risks to many things that humans do. The line that cannabis has risks is a redherring. We already have models for managing risk including harm minimisation, so risk sin’t a good reason to keep cannabis illegal.
Pete, you are several decades behind the game here. All the questions you are asking have been answered many many times.
Don’t know what you mean by ‘we’ in that sentence. People have been working in this issue already, and progress has been made. That doesn’t include you as far as I can tell.
As for the ‘right’ people, you still fail to understand what the issue is here. The ‘right’ people are the people with the power, and those people aren’t traditional cannabis users (they drink alcohol). The reasons they don’t work outside their experience are varied (commerce, control, ignorance). Until the GP came along, there was no-one putting the decriminalisation issue on mainstream agenda. It’s people like you who wring your hands that are keeping the issue unresolved. Your astounding ignorance isn’t the problem, it’s your inability to recognise you are ignorant and do something about it. But beyond that, I am pretty sure when it comes down to it, you want the power to remain in the hands of the few, and that you don’t trust people in general to make their own decisions about drug use. For you, the decisions should be made by people who are of your class and ilk, otherwise you would already be talking to expert drug users and learning from them.
Plus what Tracey said above about making alcohol illegal.
But beyond that, I am pretty sure when it comes down to it, you want the power to remain in the hands of the few, and that you don’t trust people in general to make their own decisions about drug use.
You’re a long way off the mark with that assumption.
For you, the decisions should be made by people who are of your class and ilk,
And that one. You seem to have pigeon hole pique.
otherwise you would already be talking to expert drug users and learning from them.
I’ve been doing that. And I’ve been working now with three parties with various interests in this.
In the name of fairness -Pete did ask some questions and if we want him to honestly answer ours …. (like a 40 year old virgin, we must believe there will be a first time)
Is cannabis as risky, riskier or is it safer?
It is less risky, in the same way that driving with a seat belt is generally regarded as being safer than driving without one.
If cannabis was available the same as synthetics would the problem be better, worse or similar?
There would not be a problem. Period! The entire market would disappear, largely overnight. The residual problems would be the ongoing addictions relating to those who have already been poisoned by the toxic products created and sold under the blinkered myopia of the current hypocrisy. (have to assume you are referring to ‘synthetic cannabis’ even though no such thing exists. It needs to be said that there are also many other ‘synthetic’ products that this new testing might help make safer for all and less stigmatic. Many of the products that this law wants to ban are actually safer, more natural and less risky than some foods sold in supermarkets. Certainly safer than alcohol)
If no synthetics pass the safety test of the new Act and nothing else changes will the problems get better or worse?
The distribution of even more dangerous compounds will make the problem a lot worse. You only have to look at the poison people drink during periods of alcohol prohibition/scarcity.
Should the laws related to cannabis use be reviewed?
well d’uh
Should the laws related to cannabis cultivation be reviewed?
well d’uh
Should the laws related to cannabis supply be reviewed?
well d’uh
Should all psychoactive substances be banned (including cannabis)?
You do know, that to be anything but a pandering to predetermination, testing must include alcohol right? We all know alcohol has an exemption so the entire testing to make us safer argument holds about as much water as a fishing net. Some schools of thought would even say sugar falls into the category of a psychoactive substance. So yes, let’s review the whole bag of tricks Pete. You may not like the results though. You would have to watch your smug fall away revealing decades of illusion and propaganda.
Taking Pete’s questions at face value, my genuine response is that they are all mostly irrelevant.
What’s relevant is creating a society where where young people have faith that their lives are meaningful and worth living, and where adults find enough stimulation and satisfaction in their activities that they don’t feel like wiping themselves out at the end of every week.
The legality or otherwise of different substances then becomes a non-issue.
There’s no sign of anything anywhere close to this being achieved and it’s very unlikely to be achieved.
Humans have liked using drugs for thousands of years. It’s been suggested that agriculture became established through the desire to produce beer. Whether that’s accurate or not alcohol and other drugs go back a long way.
Many people want to experience drug effects and that’s not likely to change.
Oh yes felix. I shouldn’t say this out loud – but reading these few sentences above brought tears.
There’s a large pragmatic part of me that just wants to try and muddle on with the ‘realities’ of modern life. Pay the mortgage, hold down that job, dress right and behave right and maybe I’ll get to a decent retirement.
Also Pete, I can’t let this slip by: “a society where young people have faith that their lives are meaningful and worth living, and where adults find enough stimulation and satisfaction in their activities that they don’t feel like wiping themselves out at the end of every week.”
If you really, genuinely believe that’s an “unrealistic” goal, then what’s the point of all your efforts?
Seriously. What’s the point? What do you want to see in the world if not that?
I’m still waiting to see the answer to that question by felix. That’s the guts of it. It’s not just a question of getting facts correct and then miraculously arriving at a (non-political?) solution. We all have underlying values that guide the facts and issues we focus on, and the analysis of such. And it is the difference in underlying values that generally differentiates various poltiical positions: left or right; liberal or conservative….etc.
That’s why it’s important to make our basic values and perspectives explicit.
You let slip a part of that quote. Here it is with an important final paragraph.
What’s relevant is creating a society where where young people have faith that their lives are meaningful and worth living, and where adults find enough stimulation and satisfaction in their activities that they don’t feel like wiping themselves out at the end of every week.
The legality or otherwise of different substances then becomes a non-issue.
I responded “I think that’s idealistic and unrealistic”. That was in reference to the whole statement.
I think “creating a society where where young people have faith that their lives are meaningful and worth living” is a great ideal and worth working towards.
I think “where adults find enough stimulation and satisfaction in their activities that they don’t feel like wiping themselves out at the end of every week” is a fine aim but idealistic and I doubt we can ever get close to to that. For example being a parent wipes you out daily, it’s the nature of the job. It’s not uncommon for parents to want a drink or a smoke at the end of another busy day.
“The legality or otherwise of different substances then becomes a non-issue.” I took that as meaning that people wouldn’t use drugs any more. That’s naive and unrealistic. Many poor people don’t have the time or money to do drugs much if at all, and most have more sense than to waste their money and minds.
Drug use and abuse happens across the income spectrum. A wealthy person can be stressed about their money like a poor person stressed about their lack of money.
And no matter how ideal we can make our society I think there will always be a significant number of people who keep using drugs, so the legalities will remain issues. It’s idealistic to think that it could become a non-issue.
Dunne has deeply damaged the credibility of the office of a minister.
All around the country kids are hearing that the Toxic Shot is legal and that it will not be banned by the minister, whose son is making a living out of selling the Toxic shit.
No wonder so many do not vote when they see such self serving bullshit.
Dear Standardistas. Do not engage with Peter George on the decriminalization of Cannabis. etc. It is a smoke screen for his hero Peter Dunne and his drug industry son, James.
The issue is the moral void that is the Dunnes, Pere et Fils
“Dunne has deeply damaged the credibility of the office of a minister.
All around the country kids are hearing that the Toxic Shot is legal and that it will not be banned”
In Hamilton the kids are hearing the toxic shot IS BANNED
If you really care about these kids why don’t you do something useful an get these puff shops shutdown in your area.
The actual report.
12 reasons why we aren’t a rock star economy!
1) Interest rates have been at all-time lows for almost a half-decade
2) Property prices have doubled since 2004
3) New Zealand has the world’s third most overvalued property market
4) New Zealand’s mortgage bubble grew by 165% since 2002
5) Nearly half of mortgages have floating interest rates
6) Mortgages account for 60% of banks’ loan portfolios
7) Finance, not agriculture, is New Zealand’s largest industry
8) New Zealand’s banks are exposed to Australia’s bubble
9) Australian and Chinese buyers are inflating the property bubble
10) New Zealand has a household debt problem
11) Government overseas debt has nearly tripled since 2008
12) The New Zealand dollar is overvalued
Well, Steven Joyce has the perfect response – well that’s if you’re a right winger keen to keep on fiddling until the bubble bursts. He says it’s being “alarmist” and that Colombo is a “bubble-ologist”.
That’s very a very selective representation of that article. It wasn’t just Joyce questioning the claims.
Infometrics managing director Gareth Kiernan…
…said Colombo had picked out all the high-risk metrics he could find to build an “end of the world scenario”.
If his predictions ever came to pass then the economy would be in trouble, but no one was really forecasting that to happen, he said.
Interest.co.nz contributing editor Bernard Hickey…
…said many of the risks identified by Colombo were real but they were old news to those who ran the economy.
“For him to come out and say we’ve got a bubble, therefore it’s going to burst, which will lead to a crisis is a little bit simplistic,” he said.
Kiwis had already seen the Reserve Bank step in to curb the risk of rising house prices by introducing a new loan-to-value ratio, he said.
“Should we all be running for the hills with our hands in the air screaming the end is nigh? Probably not.”
Hickey added that it appeared Colombo’s article had not been published in Forbes magazine proper, which was important when judging its credibility. Instead it was published on the Forbes website with a disclaimer saying Colombo’s opinions were his own.
I’m not sure if Hickey would be generally regarded as a keen right winger.
Increasing residential house prices
Over leveraged residential property
NZ government paying massive supplements to overseas investors via the Accommodation Supplement each year.
Yes, you’re right. I was selective. I was just laughing so hard at Joyce’s clumsy neologism.
I think Hickey is a right winger, but one who has become increasingly skeptical about the neoliberal version of capitalism.
I don’t think there’ll be a sudden catastrophic crisis. But, there will be a down turn as the bubble starts to deflate. And the article does have that quote about the bubble being widely acknowledged.
Yes we are Paul, it should have happened post-GFC. Governments got taxpayers to bail the corporates out, but it wont last. The world’s banking system is a Ponzi scheme nearing its end.
“That’s very a very selective representation of that article.”
No it fucking well wasn’t Pete. It was a fair representation of quotes from Joyce including a link to the source. Like I said above, think about what you type and then take your nonsense away from here.
Actually, I agree with Bill as well. My comment wasn’t intended to represent the whole article. It was a brief comment focused on Joyce’s clumsy neologism – which I found very funny while I was eating breakfast. The arguments for and against the Colombo argument are being looked at in more detail re-micky’s post.
that’s why Pete basically copy pastes whole paragraphs/articles, so he has lots of wriggle room when people try to pin down whatever it is he is referring to or is commenting on. He could save himself a lot of hassle (and free up his fact-checking time) if he just posted links to the NZH front page and simply said …
‘In the future, we need to discuss what would lead to a real dialogue, allowing us to frame the conversation we desperately need to have”
It’s like this Pete. I’ve no problem with people saying stupid things or jumping on their own wee hobby horses from time to time.
But for the past wee while most of your comments have been a mix of stuff that’s annoyingly off beam and/or concern troll nonsense. And I don’t like it. ‘N fact, I’m getting really fucked off by it.
Also, just so you know, I don’t like that even your very occasional sensible comment gets mobbed and even those threads trashed as a result. But then people, I think, are simply and understandably reacting to your comments on the basis of expectation rather than actual content on those occasions.
Now, go away and think about what I’ve said in light of the fact that I disagree with many of the comments and opinions here. I’m telling (not asking) you do that so that you don’t start whining in some narcissistic or self important way about how your picked on by some kind of evil Labour Party/leftsist hive mind that you sometimes appear to imagine ‘the standard’ as.
Now, go away and think about what I’ve said in light of the fact that I disagree with many of the comments and opinions here. I’m telling (not asking) you do that…
Is it just you doing the whining? Or is it a round about moderator instruction to me to go away and not to comment here?
Sheesh, that comment from the guy who accused Karol of misrepresentation up the thread!
I’m giving you information based on observation, providing my own opinion and suggesting a course of action. (The telling is to do with a lens you keep at hand for the sake of any reflection)
If you can’t see what I’ve been observing, then you haven’t been paying attention to the responses you generate. I mean, it’s all rather fucking blatantly obvious, though…from your latest response it would seem reasonable to assume that you simply can’t understand what people say, or see where they’re coming from, even when it’s fairly straight forward. I don’t expect you to have any insight as to why that might be. I have my own thoughts on the matter. I’ll be keeping them to myself.
Funny thing Bill is it seems to be something peculiar to here, and it doesn’t just happen with me.
KIA’s essay is a good example. Most of the initial response was attacking KIA for irrelevant things from the past and attacking me for quoting and linking etc, and denying and diverting.
But sometimes worthwhile discussions eventuate. When micky and KIA started actually addressing and debating things it has resulted in some interesting stuff. Neither is right or wrong (generally), they both make some good points from different views.
Robust discussion or bitching sessions where no alternative views are tolerated?
Wonder how the government will defend their ramping up of New Zealand’s overseas debt( point 11) and not dealing with factors causing the property bubble (point 9)?
Their management of the economy, so praised by the NZ corporate media, has been wretched (as many of us have been saying for a while)
He makes is money off predicting when bubbles are about to burst as Joyce said he’s a “bubble-ologist”.No doubt all his investments are heavily weighted toward ones that do very well when markets crash.
From experience it’s very hard to find financial opinion that doesn’t have a massive slant that favors the author especially when the author’s American.
“..From experience it’s very hard to find financial opinion that doesn’t have a massive slant that favors the author especially when the author’s American..”
so best just stuff yr fists in yr ears and go ‘nah!..nah..!..nah..!’..eh..?
..especially when it is something you don’t want to hear..eh..?
..something that ideologically-grates..?..
..how about nouriel roubini..?
..y’know..!..that guy who was one of the first to predict reasons/timeline of the great financial clusterfuck..?..and one who i relied on for the early predictions/warnings@whoar..)
..(and ..oh..!..how you all laughed at him..eh..?..’dr doom!’..and all that..?..eh..?..)
..well guess what..!..roubini is now saying it is all about to go pop again…
From what I’ve noticed, in America everyone’s an “expert”, this young guy’s a “bubble expert”.
All his investment advice/opinion is bubble related.
The way it seems to work is you’re either a Bull or a Bear, this chap is definitely in the Bear camp so he specifically targets to people who have a negative outlook.
That’s how he makes his money.
There’s only two ways a market can go, up or down.
If you pick a position and stick with it eventually you’re going to be right, it’s getting the timing correct which is the hard thing and that’s when you make your money.
From the article you quote….I just copied a bit more as your quote was very selective.
“Roubini’s critical and consistently bearish economic views have earned him the nicknames “Dr. Doom” and “permabear” in the media.[2] In 2008, Fortune magazine wrote, “In 2005 Roubini said home prices were riding a speculative wave that would soon sink the economy. Back then the professor was called a Cassandra. Now he’s a sage”.[3] The New York Times notes that he foresaw “homeowners defaulting on mortgages, trillions of dollars of mortgage-backed securities unraveling worldwide and the global financial system shuddering to a halt”.[2] In September 2006, he warned a skeptical IMF that “the United States was likely to face a once-in-a-lifetime housing bust, an oil shock, sharply declining consumer confidence, and, ultimately, a deep recession”. Nobel laureate Paul Krugman adds that his once “seemingly outlandish” predictions have been matched “or even exceeded by reality.”[4]”
So they may have given him those nicknames …but he was accurate in his predictions.
If this is an example of how you extract quotes to make your points, you are clearly an unreliable source of information.
Same…attempts to bluster and divert and a concerted effort to attack the messenger.
But no argument explaining why the issues he mentions ( 12 of them!) aren’t a concern.
Self interest trumps an ability to look critically at an issue.
What a foolish foolish person you are BM ! – “from experience. it’s very hard to find financial opinion that doesn’t…….etc” – what experience BM ? Establish what you say, please.
“From what I’ve noticed …….” Well that’s so powerful (not). Say what you’ve noticed BM. And establish how it proves your point, if you actually have a point other than cheerleading for John Key’s omnipresence as claimed by you and various other trolls.
In fact if you’re going to go into the mythology of US arch-capitalism then it’s extraordinarily dishonest of you not to acknowledge and analyse the place in that of John Key and myriad other banksters.
Because BM from what I’ve noticed…….Merrill Lynch, Goldmann Sachs etc etc etc.
I wonder what keys statements looked like when he was a currency trader and expert for j p morgan? probably self serving like your description of this guy. yet you cannot see his self serving statements as pm for what they are.
Yep he makes money telling others what they should do.
I get the feeling he doesn’t invest too much himself.
According to Wikipedia
Jesse took a hiatus from blogging and anti-economic bubble activism after the U.S. housing bubble popped in 2008, and focused on a career as a private investor and consultant.
In June 2011, Jesse launched his second anti-economic bubble activism campaign to warn of post-2009 economic bubbles.
Obviously his personal investment results weren’t quite as stellar as he hoped.
I think you’ll find that when an entire economic global system gets a lot of its profits from bubbles it also gets a lot of losses when the bubbles burst ergo there will be a high incidence of losses when the sytem ‘rebalances’; when the exaggerated prices adjust back to realistic ones.
It appears this is the type of information Jesse is attempting to warn people about. That he has been one of the victims of such an irrational system, doesn’t make his warnings any less realistic – in fact if anything it indicates he is too conservative in his views.
Yep what a spew article but good for a sunday lol – I thought this was terrible “Dotcom is not even a New Zealand European but a European European.” Is this an actual distinction? Do some people think like that?
“Harawira believes “white motherf****** have been raping our lands and ripping us off for centuries”. Dotcom is as white as white.”
Gutter politics from the gutterdog-Hide. First Dotcom isn’t a ‘proper kiwi’ according to snide-hide and then he’s been ripping us off for centuries – which is it. Hide is a fail as a politician and a person imo and this article is even more evidence of that.
Still rankles with Brash that he was sacked when he came within a whisker of success.
But lying over the Brethren was too much, even for the Nats.
To win next time, they needed a smoother, slicker version of the Extreme Right to lull the electorate.
And under MMP they needed to double cross Maori, not take them on directly.
Key fitted the bill perfectly.
Same policies, though. What has Key done that Brash has disapproved of? The Maori Party have left their people in a worse situation than before, and in total disarray.
Key’s great success has been to sneak in Extreme Right policies, in several policy areas, under the bland unctuous mumbling of ‘Centre-Right’.
Brash has always come off as vaguely reptilian, even without the insider details:
Asked by Hill about Orewa 2005, the welfare dependency speech, Brash said he didn’t even think welfare spokesperson Katherine Rich wrote the welfare white paper.
This is an outrageous accusation from the former leader. Rich had been given the portfolio by Bill English just after her second baby was born and spent hours writing it.
The leader’s office edited it two years before Brash was leader, but he seems to think it was beyond a women’s capabilities.
He may remember Rich’s corrections to Brash’s first draft of Orewa 05, when she took issue with his repeated references to “bludgers”, “satan”, “free lunches”, “ripping off the system taken for granted” and “an army of dependants on the march”.
Rich said she didn’t think using military language was helpful.
She vehemently objected to Brash’s intention to bring back adoption, compulsory immunisation and forcing beneficiaries to exhaust other means of income so welfare was the last resort.
“I’m not comfortable about making those with Downs syndrome, cerebral palsy or cancer prove they are not able to contribute to their own support before accessing welfare,” she wrote to Brash.
Mothers having second babies would be forced back to fulltime work even when breastfeeding, and Brash was okay with this.
Rich resigned the portfolio.
Georgina te Heu Heu had already lost Maori Affairs, and Hekia Parata left the party.
Other caucus women were unhappy.
I was flatting with Rich and remember her dismay when Michael Bassett’s Post column slated her for criticising her leader in public, saying she deserved to go.
I suggested Rich ask Brash to get this mistake corrected (she’d never criticised him), a simple matter, surely. Brash couldn’t, he told her, because he’d read the column pre-publication and okayed it.
Now Brash is miffed that John Key won’t take his calls, because they once shared a motel room where Brash said he’d hand over prime ministership to Key.
Big problem with that, Don, you need the numbers and caucus support. You were not a king passing the crown to an heir. Key probably muttered something like: “Yeah, now shuddup and get some sleep.”
And some wise National insiders probably leaked those emails, printed out and clamped in a big bulldog clip, so Brash would never become prime minister. We’re incredibly lucky they did.
“I’m not comfortable about making those with Downs syndrome, cerebral palsy or cancer prove they are not able to contribute to their own support before accessing welfare,” she wrote to Brash.
“But many families have been put off by the system, which requires the disabled people to become their parents’ employers, responsible for paying tax, ACC levies, KiwiSaver, annual leave and sick leave.”
The disabled people are required to set up bank accounts, which some banks do not allow for people who are not intellectually competent.”
The parallels are obvious. Dodged what bullet?
Edit Red Rosa is on to it.
Most of these disabled clients would have no concept of what an employer is, and the government expect them to be one. Am I alone in thinking that this policy is whacko?
Just had a watch of ‘The Nation’ on TV3, this weeks program seems to have got at least one commenter hot under the cranial covering,
Seems to me that the main message from Green Party leader Metiria Turei was that if Labour/NZFirst need the Green Party to guarantee ”confidence and supply” then Labour/NZFirst will need the Green Party ”in Government”,
Questioned on the ‘meaning’ of this Metiria chose to simply repeat the statement, and a snigger developed when the ”end game” move that i would imagine Labour/NZFirst will put to the Greens after the election was put to Mets,
”So you will refuse confidence and supply to Labour/NZFirst if you are not given Cabinet seats and enable a National Government then”,???
That’s laughable, BUT, i can see this as being the main plank of negotiation with the Green Party after the 2014 election,
My suggestion to the Green Party is that the correct answer to this little piece of blame gaming which i fully expect to be the negotiating position is the answer that Metiria gave on ‘The Nation’ interview,
”The Green Party is either ”in” the next Government or they are not”…full stop.
“If there’s a minority govt then we’ll have to decide about C&S whenever such votes come up, and such a government would need to talk to us about the shape of any legislation it wants to pass.”
Which political parties are now going to pick up the ball, and make support for a New Zealand ICAC, a core election policy?
In my considered opinion, there would be significant public support for such a policy, especially in light of the latest on-going corruption scandals at New Zealand central and local government level.
(Remember – in the 2013 Auckland mayoralty, I polled 4th with nearly 12,000 votes, campaigning against corrupt corporate control of the Auckland region, which, in my opinion, shows growing public understanding and concern about this HUGE issue.)
Sir Apriana Ngata, a prominent advocate of Maori economic development and self-determination would be disgusted at some of the stances held by the woman who wants to follow in his footsteps. For a start, he would balk at the continued use of floating sweatshops to fish Maori quota, which Turia and her Maori Party cronies continue to try and justify, instead of encourging iwi to invest in their own boats and crews, creating real jobs.
Agree Anne I didn’t notice if she wears glasses, but she needs to get both eyes into focus. However I think her vision has for too long been warped to change.
This, I need not remind you, is Easter, the time in which we must observe the martyrdom of Pete George the most Holy.
It is He who has instructed us in the utmost selective pedantry of our sins of lack of reverence for Himself. Let us not forget that. It is we who have crucified Him on the Cross of Snark.
Let us all retreat to the Hallowed Ground of our Lifestyle Blocks, don the sacred vestments of the Beige Cardigans of Repentance, climb upon our Horses Most High and make the Holy Gestures of the Wagging Finger and the Wrung Hands.
Then let us Check Our Facts and observe the proper period of Calling For More Study.
And let it be that the beige cardigan be appointed with leather patches to reduce wear in the penitent’s elbows as he holds his head in his hands whilst at prayer or in conference with his acolytes; as do we poor listeners and readers whilst receiving the Word from Our Pete (aka PG tips!).
Imagine a political spectrum as a 0-100 line. 0 = Far left and 100 =Far Right I cannot draw a graph on this posting so bear with me.
In the 1990’s Labour was probably 20-65 and National was 35-80
in 2014 Labour is 10-55 and National is 35-80. Each still a 45 point spread. Just a 10 point drift but a significant one.
Then draw a mean distribution curve graph and you will see that the numbers under the curve are heavily in favour of National
The 55-65 group of Labour voters have shifted over to National.
If Labour go further Left eg 5-50 the maths gets substantially worse for Labour
This assumes that political opinion follows a mean distribution curve graph. It does.
The vast majority are in the mid zone and these are the voters that National as a mildly Left to moderate Right Party has increasingly gained in 2005,2008 2011 and 2014 as Labour has drifted Left.
Just look at the election returns and remember that in the 1980’s Labour was home to the likes of Roger Douglas and Richard Prebble. Such people in 2014 would never join or vote Labour. Helen Clark kept in power by keeping in the 20-60 range. Labour have changed their rules and have a leader supported by 30% of caucus. The Labour activists have taken over the party and will shape it in their own image. They are delighted. So am I, I can do the arithmetic.
Minister for Corruption (sorry – Minister for Justice) Judith Collins promised an ‘Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Legislation Bill’.
Hardly surprising that this ‘Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Legislation Bill’. has yet to surface in the Parliamentary legislative ‘sausage machine’?
Justice Minister Judith Collins says the Government’s comprehensive approach to fighting all forms of organised crime will help safeguard New Zealand’s economy, international reputation and public safety.
This month a number of international bodies are evaluating New Zealand’s compliance with international standards related to financial crimes – including the OECD, which will report on New Zealand’s compliance with an international convention to combat bribery of foreign public officials.
“I welcome the release of these reports.
This Government takes all forms of organised crime and corruption very seriously,” Ms Collins says.
The Government will bring in a bill before the end of the year to strengthen laws against money laundering, identity theft, human trafficking and corruption.
Justice Minister Judith Collins says she intends to have a comprehensive set of laws in place to fight all forms of organised crime.
“It’s important to consider bribery and corruption within the big picture of organised crime, which undermines public safety, national security, economic development and good governance,” she said today.
“This bill will help ensure New Zealand maintains its reputation as a responsible international citizen and that our domestic law enforcement agencies have the tolls they need to fight all forms of organised crime.”
So WHERE’S Minister for Corruption (sorry – Minister for Justice) Judith Collin’s Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Legislation Bill?
Legislation
Bills
This section lists bills before the House and its committees, and provides access to more detailed information about each one. You will also find the schedule of divided bills and progress of legislationhere. To find out more about bills before select committees, see the committee business summary.
Close Bills search
Keyword
Date
Parliament
Document type
Status
No documents were found
Oh dear – Minister for Corruption (oops! Justice – yeah right) Judith Collins’ Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Legislation Bill is NOWHERE to be found.
Talk about the corrupt fox in charge of the chook house?
Again – file under ‘You Couldn’t Make This Sh*t Up’?
Auckland citizens and ratepayers are not being told EXACTLY where our public monies are being spent (which is a statutory requirement under the Public Records Act 2005).
So – if I’m not being told EXACTLY where my rates monies are being spent, I’m not paying any.
Not many folks have the guts to do what I’m doing, but, ‘faint heart never won fair go’.
I take full personal responsibility for my actions.
If you take full responsibility stop bitching about it and face the consequences. It doesn’t take guts to not pay your way in life, it’s laziness and spectacular stupidity. When they order your house sold from under you. will you still be taking responsibility or blaming the Council ?
Has Deborah Coddington finally seen the light.
She is certainly making some interesting comments lately.In fact she is begining to sound like a real Leftie. Perhaps her local Labour Party branch should ask her for a donation .If she lived in Cambridge I certainly would.
Justice Minister Judith Collins today welcomed Transparency International New Zealand’s evaluation of our nation’s governance and anti-corruption efforts.
Ms Collins launched key findings from the National Integrity Study (NIS) Assessment tonight, at the annual general meeting of Transparency International’s New Zealand arm.
“New Zealand consistently ranks as the least corrupt country on Transparency International’s corruption perceptions index,” Ms Collins says.
“It’s important we maintain our strong international reputation, for being free from – and intolerant of – corruption, to further enhance our nation’s trade, business and economic prosperity.”
The report evaluates key pillars of New Zealand’s governance system, such as the legislature, executive, judiciary, public sector, law enforcement and business sectors.
Ms Collins says there are still improvements to be made to counter corruption and bribery and the Government is actively working to implement change.
“Our efforts include the development of a national anti-corruption strategy, the upcoming Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Legislation Bill, and efforts to raise public trust and confidence in the Courts.”
Ms Collins says the Government values its close working relationship with Transparency International New Zealand and she looks forward to working through the report’s recommendations.
“In many ways we share a common purpose – promoting clean government, increasing transparency and reducing corruption. Together, our efforts help ensure New Zealand maintains its reputation as one of the least corrupt countries in the world.”
Pity about the lack of transparency with Transparency International NZ?
RAMPANT CORRUPTION STINGS TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL
2 March 2014
‘Corruption destroys lives and communities’ is its motto and its publicly advertised mission is to promote transparency which lays bare the conflicts and bribes which suck the soul out of all countries to varying degrees. But Berlin-based non-profit Transparency International is better known for telling the world which countries are doing a good job at combating corruption and which ones are not through its annual ‘perception index’ which rates 177 countries from 1 to 177.
Media organisations such as Forbes rely on Transparency International’s findings in promoting its own world perspective.
In its own ‘perception’, Transparency International ranked New Zealand lowest (along with Finland) in corruption – and its local chapter is the non-profit’s golden child and keeper of the faith. In contrast, New Zealanders question a charter which received almost all of its funding from the New Zealand government, routinely turned away new members – individual memberships have been relatively constant at 50 – and declared its “over-arching principle” is it “will not be involved in investigating or exposing individual cases (of corruption)”.
Finally, a dose of reality has set in, with revelations of rampant corruption within the New Zealand chapter oozing from its opaque façade. Berlin has known since early December that NZ chapter director Suzanne Snively was running a fraudulent company trading on the Transparency International name to sell her consulting services to unsuspecting foreign companies seeking trade with New Zealand. They have done nothing but cover it up. Triple dipping Ms Snively is also a contractor to the New Zealand government and her TINZ salary is funded by the government.
This week it was revealed that another Transparency International New Zealand director Michael Vukcevic falsely claimed in his CV that he had a law degree and other qualifications in order to get an appointment in 2012 to promote New Zealand’s bid for a free trade agreement in the Middle East.
Yet another TINZ director Claire Johnstone was a government official running a private consultancy business which promoted her ability to “access grant funding from government for many of our clients”. Her husband Ash Johnstone, a serving NZ police officer, was profiled on the company website as in charge of conducting security background checks for private clients.
It came to light last year that at least two directors of TINZ made repeated visits to the Ministry of Justice in Cambodia seeking personal fortune on the door-opening coattails of Dame Sylvia Cartwright who was one of two international judges appointed to the Extraordinary Chambers of the Courts of Cambodia, filling a vacuum in the war ravaged country.
Fraud examiner and former police prosecutor Grace Haden, who was denied membership in TINZ and consequently launched her own “Transparency New Zealand” is not surprised by the corruption or cover up by Transparency International. “They don’t want to know the reality because it differs from the myth they promote.” Late yesterday, Ms Haden sent out an open letter offering Transparency International her services to verify degrees and credentials of its directors.
……”
Seen for yourselves who ‘sponsors’ Transparency International NZ?
School of Government, VUW
Ministry for Justice
Statistics New Zealand
The Human Rights Commission
Ministry of Social Development
The Treasury
Inland Revenue
Department of Internal Affairs
Corrections
Department of Conservation
Ministry of Transport
Civil Aviation Authority
New Zealand Transport Authority
Maritime New Zealand
Te Puni Kokiri
The State Services Commission
The Ombudsman
Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs
The New Zealand Defence Force
NIS Silver
Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet
The Serious Fraud Office
Crown Law
NIS Bronze
NZ Public Service Association
Sponsors
The Gama Foundation
In Kind Donations
Bell Gully
VUW School of Government
PwC
Deloitte
KPMG
Human Rights Commission Launch Day
School of Government Institute for Governance and Policy Studies Wellington
Wellington Girls College
Thorndon New World
NZTE
Institute of Directors
BDO Spicers
Russell McVeigh
Chapman Tripp
Gibson Sheat
Susan Gluck-Hornsby
Chen Palmer
Juliet McKee
Claudia Orange
Te Papa
So – how INDEPENDENT is Transparency International NZ, when so much of their funding comes from NZ Government Departments, which all arguably have a vested interest in maintaining this RORT and FRAUD – that New Zealand is ‘perceived’ to be ‘the least corrupt country in the world’?
Remember?
Under NZ Minister of Corruption (oops! sorry – Justice) Judith Collins’ watch – NZ STILL has not yet ratified the UN Convention Against Corruption, and her Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Legislation Bill has STILL not yet surfaced in Parliament.
Funny that.
Penny Bright
SELF-FUNDED full-time ‘anti-corruption / anti-privatisation Public Watchdog’.
PS: What does NZ need for a genuine platform for transparency?
Saturday, 19 April 2014, 12:09 pm
Press Release: Green Party
Time for greater ministerial accountability
The Green Party has today released a proposal to introduce a ministerial disclosure regime in New Zealand to improve the transparency and accountability of government.
The proposal, based on the system used in the United Kingdom since 2010, would require all Ministers to publically release records of their meetings with external organisations, overseas travel, gifts given and received, and hospitality received.
The records would be released on a quarterly basis and published online.
“A ministerial disclosure regime will bring a much-needed boost to the transparency and accountability of government in New Zealand,” said Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei.
“The public will be able to see, on a regular basis, who Ministers are meeting with, who they’re receiving gifts and hospitality from, and details of their overseas travel.
“Some of this information is already made public through the Registrar of Pecuniary Interests, but that doesn’t tell us the whole story and it only happens once a year.
“Regular, proactive disclosure of this information, particularly records of who Ministers are meeting with, will bring a greater measure of transparency to decision-making and will improve ministerial accountability.
Penny, this the internet not a gestetner. It has these things called links. Please do not waste our attention by pasting screeds of material we can go and read ourselves.
Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
Peter Dunne writes – The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisitionNOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)New Zealand Government’s Fast Track legislation. Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government ...
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...
Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julien Cooper, Honorary Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Julien Cooper The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new ...
The sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign ...
The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
Rock The Vote NZ, known for its advocacy for minor party unity and its role within the Freedoms NZ Coalition during the 2023 General Election, celebrates this merger as a strategic enhancement of its operational strength and outreach. ...
Nearly everyone has experienced the frustration of something you use breaking and being difficult or expensive to fix. Proposed legislation could change that. It’s been raining on and off all Sunday afternoon but people are lining up outside a building in a corner of Gribblehirst Park in Sandringham, Auckland. In ...
What does a forever relationship look like when you don’t believe in marriage? And how do you celebrate it? This essay is part of our Sunday Essay series, made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.I’m going to do it, right now. I’m going to say ...
The Prime Minister has committed to resuming direct flights to Thailand. But it’s not a promise he will be able to deliver on anytime soon. The post Prime Minister jumps the gun in Thailand appeared first on Newsroom. ...
It’s not that long ago Eliza McCartney was seriously wondering if the Paris Olympics would be her pole vaulting swansong. After years of being hounded by injury after injury, the Rio Olympics bronze medallist was still confident she would compete at her second Olympics in Paris in July, unless something ...
FICTION 1 Take Two by Danielle Hawkins (Allen & Unwin, $36.99) There’s commercial fiction, like this book, and then there’s quality fiction, quality writers, quality literature; the forthcoming Auckland Writers Festival is full of quality, and ReadingRoom has two tickets to give away to the following events: Paul Lynch (Dublin ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 26 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...
You can’t have missed the Gallipoli story as the movies, documentaries, essays and books capture what it was like for New Zealand troops in their eight-month campaign on the Peninsula. But this Anzac Day the Auckland War Memorial Museum has published a book that sheds light on a little-known aspect of the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Musk’s vociferous opposition to ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Pacific Media Watch Journalists who report on environmental issues are encountering growing difficulties in many parts of the world, reports Reporters Without Borders. According to the tally kept by RSF, 200 journalists have been subjected to threats and physical violence, including murder, in the past 10 years because they were ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in ...
What are people’s thoughts here about what part cannabis plays in the synthetic drug issue?
Is cannabis as risky, riskier or is it safer?
If cannabis was available the same as synthetics would the problem be better, worse or similar?
If no synthetics pass the safety test of the new Act and nothing else changes will the problems get better or worse?
Should the laws related to cannabis use be reviewed?
Should the laws related to cannabis cultivation be reviewed?
Should the laws related to cannabis supply be reviewed?
Should all psychoactive substances be banned (including cannabis)?
When the Psychoactive Substances Act kicks in we may have no synthetic drugs legally for sale or we may have a reduced number of them for sale. Regardless, we will still have issues with drug use, drug addiction and associated problems – especially health and crime.
tell you what Pete. Why don’t you ask those same questions about alcohol use in NZ, then we can have an honest discussion.
That’s a different issue, or rather issues. Entrenched issues with no easy solutions. Alcohol is interwoven with the social and commercial fabrics of New Zealand, and impossible to unpick. We have to learn to deal with it better.
What on earth makes you think cannabis and other similar things are any different?
Pete, have you ever smoked cannabis? And I mean, not just once or twice at some pissed party, I mean smoked it enough to learn and understand what happens to the mind ? And Pete, same question with synthetic stuff…
Cannabis has been illegal for how long? Alcohol has been legal for how long?
Cannabis is substantially supplied via major criminal interests. Alcohol is supplied via long established commercial interests.
Self supply of cannabis is illegal, self supply of alcohol is legal.
Cannabis is associated with underground social practices, alcohol is a major part of open and accepted social practices.
I’m quite surprised you asked that question.
I’ve never smoked cannabis or used any synthetic or illegal drugs. I don’t have any interest in drugs personally, but I recognise major social issues and growing discussion and demands about the use of synthetics and natural cannabis.
Did you know cannabis used to be legal?
Did you know alcohol used to be illegal?
Did you know alcohol used to be supplied by major criminal interests?
Did you know alcohol is associated with NZ’s worst underground social practices?
Do you know how much trouble people cause due to cannabis, compared to alcohol?
… oh forget it
Has alcohol ever been illegal in New Zealand?
LOL
Genuine question. My knowledge of early 20th century New Zealand history is quite woeful. It’s not my area of expertise.
I know some areas went dry, but I always thought a national prohibition failed. So it seems odd to compare say the former illegality of alcohol to the current illegality of cannabis.
In some areas.
The Demon Drink: Alcohol and Prohibition in New Zealand (PDF)
There are still remnants of this with Invercargill, Clutha and Oamaru still dominated by licensing trusts. After prohibition ended (up until the 1980’s) the trusts had control of legal alcohol sales.
When I lived in Auckland in the mid seventies there was still a vote each election that kept Roskill dry.
Well, I’ll be. You learn something new everyday.
“..I’ve never smoked cannabis or used any synthetic or illegal drugs..”
gee..!..that comes as no real surprise..eh..?
..heh..!
..is professional-fretting/auntying/walter-mitty-dreamings of ‘influence’.. yr drugs of choice there..?..petey..?
..heh..!
..drugs don’t just come in powered/herb-form..eh..?
ffs PG, please think a wee bit about what you type and then take this morning’s nonsense away from here.
“Cannabis is associated with underground social practices,” (socialising, sharing, etc)
“alcohol is a major part of open and accepted social practices” (violence, vomiting, absenteeism, death, etc).
FFS Bill, please think a wee bit about what you read before you launch.
Of course there are positive aspects of underground drug social practices, and of course there many well known negative aspects of open and accepted alcohol social practices.
Pete. You wrote about (quote) “underground social practices”. That suggests illegality, unlawfulness, maybe even unacceptable deviance, and as such screams bigotry on your part.
You didn’t write about (quote) “underground drug social practices”. That, of course, is something completely different and casts the so-called “underground drugs” rather than the “social practices” in the realms of illegality, unlawfulness etc.
“of course there many well known negative aspects of open and accepted alcohol social practices.”
Which is why you refuse to ever engage honestly about them because you know they expose the hypocrisy of every bullshit argument ever used against cannabis.
Did I mention Yaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwn?
and how is that weekly budget for poor people coming along Pete?
“but I recognise major social issues and growing discussion and demands about the use of synthetics and natural cannabis.”
pete you are just doing again what you have tried to do previously – that is, take an issue and try to use it to increase your personal profile. Is this part of your factchecker role or smply a personal brainfart. To be honest pete you are a lot dimmer than you think you are and your transparent nonsense is, well, transparent and nonsense imo.
Then you will be surprised who else has committed to doing something about this. There’s a growing network of concern and a recognition this needs to be addressed far more proactively.
It’s a bit sad to see here amongst a number is the only forum obsessed with diverting with petty personal pissiness.
“It’s a bit sad to see here amongst a number is the only forum obsessed with diverting with petty personal pissiness.”
wtf is that even trying to say?
We know Easter is a 4/20 this year but maybe you should have had a smaller cone?
So I am correct. They need a leader, a visionary, someone who sees the bigger picture, who isn’t influenced by petty politics but wants that arena to be better, kinder, less extreme – and there is a person within the political sphere who fits the bill, who stands like a colossus with legs astride the political landscape, impervious to the arrows of the unimaginative. Your time has come pete – will you stand tall and accept your destiny. This could be your catapult to the national stage.
Had you considered Pete, that the pissiness is due entirely to your habit of getting up early and spraying an ever so earnest cut n paste over the various blogs as early as possible.
If people really wanted to ‘discuss’ these issues with you they would head over to your place.
The passive aggressive behavior you display on here is hardly raising the political discourse and generally sucks a thread into a petty nah nah nah followed by a look at what they said at the standard post on kiwiblog.
If your true aim is to improve the standard of political discourse perhaps you should consider your posting habits and the effects they have on it….
do you think alcohol should be made illegal?
What the fuck is an “underground social practice”, Pete?
lolz, I’ve been wonderinf that too. The mind boggles at what might be going on in Pete’s imagination about what cannabis smokers get up to and where they do whatever they get up to, but then it doesn’t pay to follow that line of thought too far.
I keep thinking of this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lFE02apJBQ
“Cannabis is substantially supplied via major criminal interests. Alcohol is supplied via long established commercial interests.
Self supply of cannabis is illegal, self supply of alcohol is legal.
Cannabis is associated with underground social practices, alcohol is a major part of open and accepted social practices.”
Pete, you often say that people don’t know you so are wrong to judge, but what you just wrote is breaktaking in its bias and ignorance. Nothing shameful about that ignorance apart from the fact that you seem unwilling to do anything about it.
You’ve basically just laid out how incredibly disconnected you are from whole swathes of NZ society that use currently illegal drugs.
Pete, are you aware that a huge chunk of cannabis users in NZ comprises of middle class young professional people?
@ amrite..
..no they aren’t…they could be extras in trainspotting..
..pete has nightmares of hordes of them shuffling towards him..
..bongs outstretched…
I’m aware of a wide range of people using cannabis. They all either produce it illegally or source it illegally, which means they get it off criminals.
It’s a lot more complicated than just changing the law (that in itself is complicated enough). If it is de-criminalised or legalised there’s a lot to be worked out about what type of production, distribution and use is allowed.
It’s not as simple as just passing a bill through Parliament.
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWN
come back with some honest material
Every syllable you wrote oozes deliberate hypocrisy, or is it just wilful ignorance.
so i will repeat myself,
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWN
Oh Horseshit you don’t want to talk about Alcohol, because your BOSS says not to. So just stand there in the corner like a good little boy, hold the Comb, and Shut UP.
Totally false claims, totally unsupportable, but you will probably be allowed to get away making false accusations here.
Apparently a double standard applies.
🙄 , 🙄 , 🙄 ….
Glad to see you’re getting good use out of your new skill there bad12…………my thoughts exactly, the moment I saw this thread kick off.
7.05am on Easter Sunday, Pete, really?
Really?
🙄
Martyrdom was a sign of holiness, indicating overwhelming faith and sacrifice.
Self-martydom is masturbation for the impotent.
what are peoples’ thoughts here about what part (former dunne-party candidate for dunedin nth) petey george plays in anything..?
..does he just leave a big ‘why?..lord..!..why..?’..in most minds..?
..or is it only me..?
Why do you reply to him?
‘cos if you don’t..he is like a tap..left running..
..and i find that laughing at him/his wall-to-wall bullshit..(and hopefully causing/helping others to laugh at him..the former dunne-party-candidate for dunedin nth..see what i mean..?..there’s a giggle or two right there)
..works best..
..that’s why..
..and re the former-candidate in his disciple-stage..
..it really was a case of ‘catch a falling star’..for him..
..eh..?
..(see what i mean..!..the comedic raw-material is there in spades..)
..and i haven’t even got to the with bearded-face full-body massages he gives to that edwards-the-younger..
..as payment for his weekly mentions in his/edwards’ once-over-lightly roundups in that rightwing-rag..
..the man is comedy-gold..!..)
and by doing that..you can turn him from a rightwing-tr*ll doing his dissembling-work..
..into a foil..
..to be used to highlight just what utter rightwing bullshit it is he peddles..
pete george:..i pretend to fret..therefor i am..
Paul: “Why do you reply to him?”
Phillip Ure: “‘cos if you don’t..he is like a tap..left running..”
a perfect metaphor 🙂
16 comments (out of 41 in total to date) on Open Mike devoted to responding to a dull diversionary question from PG.
Exactly Paul, PG likes to lead people round by the nose, that’s where He gets His thrills, only deserving of this, 🙄 ,this 🙄 ,and this 🙄 …
Every now and then it is handy to use his blatherings to get readers to face the questions raised by his obvious hypocrisy. And let’s face it, when it comes to Pete crusading on this particular issue, at least the hypocrisy will be consistent 🙂
because its sometimes like investigating the characteristics of a fossil?
there’s a chance – a hope even that sometimes something worthwhile might emerge – though usually NOT
in PG’s case, it’s the most charitable explanation
These questions are very oddly framed. The issue of risk isn’t a matter of opinion – it’s something which, although complex, can be quantified and measured. Making policy on the basis of ‘I reckon …’ may be flattering to our egos but probably doesn’t result in good policy.
“The issue of risk isn’t a matter of opinion – it’s something which, although complex, can be quantified and measured.”
How so?
How many users of X experience significant side effects compared to users of Y? How much does mitigating factor B reduce side effect C?
The complexity comes from issues like legality, accessibility, ruling out other factors (such as the crossover between drug use and mental illness), but my point is it’s not a pure matter of opinion as Pete George has framed it.
The other point worth making is that comparing one type of risk/harm against another is usually not valid.
Personally I believe both cannabis and alcohol have harms associated with them. There is no doubt the risk associated with alcohol is very spectacular and pervasive in our society; but there is good evidence to suggest that there are a less obvious set of risks associated with cannabis of a very different nature.
For that reason I’m not all that keen on consuming much of either of them. I limit my alcohol to about one or two glasses of red a month, and I’ve not bothered with cannabis since I was a teenager. After a short while I found it boring and I rapidly became suspicious of it’s persistent after-effects.
‘Good evidence’ is precisely the point – and we should make policy and law decisions based on that, not on ‘I reckon.’
I am more or less anti-drugs, and I wouldnt encourage people to use pot, or any other substance.
That said I dont judge those who use it, and I dont think people should be dragged through the courts for having a joint in their bag or having a cone with their mates on a Saturday night. I think allowing people to grow the stuff for personal use and allowing tobacconists to sell seed and equipment would be a suitable course.
Do you realise that alcohol, coffee, and sugar are all drugs?
Yes but they are not all the same drug.
Personally I enjoy a little alcohol, but I never get drunk. (I’ve only had one hangover in my whole life and that was a very long time ago. I do feel considerable sympathy for those people who are wired to become addicted to the stuff. It must be an awful life.)
Caffeine in modest amounts seems to be fairly neutral, but again I find it best to limit it to once a day at most. Sometimes I go off it for months at a time.
Sugar is dreadful stuff metabolically. I do my best to avoid added sugar completely.
My point is – while it’s fair to label all three as ‘drugs’; it’s not fair to them treat them all the same. Different risks, different responses.
Of course, but you can apply that to cannabis and most other drugs too 🙂
Like a lot of people I’m not all that keen on using drugs of any kind, and I accept there is not a neat one-size-fits-all definition of them, nor a nice clean set of risks and harms associated with them.
Equally I’m not all that enamoured with the legal shambles around them. Prohibition/criminalisation is a crude, counter-productive tool to use in response to the very wide diversity of ‘drugs’ we use in our society.
As a result I’m caught between a reluctance to see the doors opened to an uncontrolled smorgasbord of ‘drugs’ available anytime, anywhere – and the frank acknowledgement that prohibition just makes matters worse.
Yet I’ve managed to blithely wander through most of my life quite detached from drugs. This doesn’t make me a better person or special in any fashion – but it does prompt me to ask why it is that some people are so very prone to harm from drug use and others appear to be quite removed from them altogether. I want find out more about the root cause of this difference – and if we understood it better would it help us to move on from this ‘decriminalisation’ dilemma?
Apart from my ex-addition to tobacco and my occasional taste for alcohol, the most addictive drugs I have ever used are the 4 that I now take daily to make sure that I stay healthy and alive. For some reason I’m addicted to living (to code)
But I had a few acquaintances who died from heroin in the 70s – mostly from bad drugs or determined suicide attempts as far as I could tell. There have been a whole lot of friends, family and acquaintances I have seen who used illegal recreational drugs. Over the decades I can’t see much difference in outcomes from the ones who used legal drugs.
Incidentally when I was in my late teens I did try a few drugs. However I was already addicted to writing code so they never had a chance after they interfered with that.
Heh – the big reason why I drink so little is that any code written the following day – needs a complete re-write the next day after!
But I had a few acquaintances who died from heroin in the 70s – mostly from bad drugs or determined suicide attempts as far as I could tell.
And yes. I don’t dwell on those memories, but they are haunting nonetheless.
People take drugs for all sorts of reasons, so if we want to look at why some people experience harm from use we need to look past the drug and instead look at the context. Risk from a substance is highly individual, so to my mind it’s a nonsense to look at the risk of say cannabis outside the context of the person using it. Where that gets a bit tricky is the public health aspect, and wether there are untoward effects on society as a whole. But even there, there is no getting around the fact that alcohol is legal for no good reason in terms of risk assessment.
Some of the contexts connected with risk are poverty, violence, colonisation, oppression, historical child abuse, genetics, family dynamics, biology, mental health, peer pressure, socialisation, self-esteem, the need for self-medication…
The other thing that’s important to know is that taking drugs is fun! It’s fine that you don’t do this 🙂 but there is nothing wrong per se with getting out of it. And people with the above contexts also take drugs for fun.
For me this isn’t that hard. Legalise cannabis. We don’t have to even look at legalising other drugs in order to do that. Put in place some good educational resources on use and harm minimisation, some rules around thigns like age or driving etc, and then let people make their own decisions just like we let them make those decisions about everything else. The idea that cannabis is a risk to indviduals or society is a red herring. Yes there is risk, but not in a way that legitimises making criminals out of cannabis users.
Except that so far that’s proven to be not possible. We don’t seem to have come close. So it is hard. And future prospects look hard.
Putting politics and arrogance aside can be hard.
What’s needed is a concerted campaign to move things in that direction. Otherwise the next person to come along suggesting something be done will probably be ridiculed and nothing will change. That’s what’s not hard, petty bitching and same old.
It’s only hard because of idiots like you who refuse to see the sense of simply legalising marijuana.
“Except that so far that’s proven to be not possible.”
complete horse shit
(we see above you have already called out for the waaambulance )
Governments choosing not to even try to do something, is not the same thing as something being possible or not.
You could not have supplied a better example of the very central flaw in most of your comments that so many have tried to point out to you so often.
Read this slowly…. Just because you say something, does not mean it is true.
Now, the obsequious little nugget of nothingness that started your final paragraph…
“What’s needed is a concerted campaign to move things in that direction. ”
When did you last pick up the phone to the ALCP and say, ‘hi guys, Pete George here, what can I do to help bring balance and objectivity to the discussion of cannabis reform in New Zealand?
wow cannabis reform… maybe that is a politically and economically important topic that a fact checking site would be interested in covering ……… cue tumbleweeds
Last Thursday, after they called me, after I emailed them.
Great to hear that Pete, and what did you ask them?
Wearing which hat by the way?
What was their response?
or is it all secret and stuff?
Was your bizarre Easter Sunday questions research for a Politicheck article?
If so why did you not say so?
Should we just assume everything you now post is for Politicheck research?
Putting politics and arrogance aside can be hard.
Indeed.
bitching and same old.
You da man!
Dat’s the bomb!
Groovy, man.
Like totally cool, dude.
Gag me with a spoon!
You’re a real hep cat!
Yes I’m ok with legalising cannabis for the time being. It seems the most pragmatic thing to do at the moment.
Some of the contexts connected with risk are poverty, violence, colonisation, oppression, historical child abuse, genetics, family dynamics, biology, mental health, peer pressure, socialisation, self-esteem, the need for self-medication…
Absolutely. Yet the tragedy is that in self-medicating the end result is often a compounding and entrenchment of all these issues.
I’m with Lynn on this. I too get my fun from solving coding puzzles. Yesterday I worked around 14 hrs on a project, and along the way I finally managed to build and debug a Scalar Kalman filter algorithm that I’ve been thinking about for years. (All actual experts in digital signal processing feel free to LOL now.) And I got a real kick from it – that opportunity to creatively express myself is central to my reason for living.
The opportunity to be creative, to excel at some skill or artform, or to work in a group towards a meaningful goal seem to be the three expansive motivations for humans.
I’m not going to LOL, because I don’t know exactly what you did. However, I am curious as to how you managed to spend years thinking about what I would have considered a fairly simple problem. What made it so time consuming?
Well three things; one is that I only looked at it briefly on a handful of occasions over the years – so the total time spent wasn’t all that long. I found the story behind how Rudolf Kalman solved the Apollo lunar landing module radar guidance problem inspiring – and I guess I was always curious to get my head around at least the basics of what he achieved.
Secondly most of the references on the web are for the general MIMO case with lots of very abstract matrix maths I’m not at all good at. As a result for a long time I had in my mind a wrong idea about how a Kalman filter actually worked. I had completely misunderstood what the a priori was meant to be in practical terms.
Thirdly until recently I didn’t really have a pressing need to make one work, but when faced with the desirability of using one in my current project, I spent a day banging away at the much simpler SISO case and finally the penny dropped.
Like a lot of people I can handle maths as long as I can map it onto something concrete in my mind – it’s the pure abstractions that baffle me unfortunately.
I have to add that after spending years looking at time series trend plots with conventional filters that always add a phase delay – the first time I saw the Kalman filter respond to a step input with zero delay was rather spooky.
I knew in my head that was how it was supposed to work, but actually seeing it was still a surprise.
I know this had drifted OT but it speaks to what Lynn was saying earlier above.
I didn’t think you could drift off topic in open mike 🙂
Thanks for your answer. I have problems with abstract maths as well, which is a bit of a drawback in my job as a theoretical quantum physicist, but can also be an advantage. I tend to look more at what can be achieved with real systems than developing abstract theorems.
“What are people’s thoughts here about what part cannabis plays in the synthetic drug issue?”
As a friend pointed out recently, the only reason that legal highs are legal and cannabis isn’t is because the law hasn’t found a way to make legal highs illegal (I think there is probably a commerical incentive in there too to not ban them outright). It’s simply an anomaly that alcohol is legal and cannabis isn’t. So let’s stop pretending that this is an issue of risk and safety. It’s not. It’s about the need of some people to control morality and the need of other people to control money.
The blindingly obvious solution to the very real problems of legal highs is to legalise cannabis. There are risks to many things that humans do. The line that cannabis has risks is a redherring. We already have models for managing risk including harm minimisation, so risk sin’t a good reason to keep cannabis illegal.
Pete, you are several decades behind the game here. All the questions you are asking have been answered many many times.
Blindingly obvious solution or not today, still, nothing has happened about it. Can’t have been obvious enough or made obvious to the right people.
So should we do nothing now and change nothing?
Don’t know what you mean by ‘we’ in that sentence. People have been working in this issue already, and progress has been made. That doesn’t include you as far as I can tell.
As for the ‘right’ people, you still fail to understand what the issue is here. The ‘right’ people are the people with the power, and those people aren’t traditional cannabis users (they drink alcohol). The reasons they don’t work outside their experience are varied (commerce, control, ignorance). Until the GP came along, there was no-one putting the decriminalisation issue on mainstream agenda. It’s people like you who wring your hands that are keeping the issue unresolved. Your astounding ignorance isn’t the problem, it’s your inability to recognise you are ignorant and do something about it. But beyond that, I am pretty sure when it comes down to it, you want the power to remain in the hands of the few, and that you don’t trust people in general to make their own decisions about drug use. For you, the decisions should be made by people who are of your class and ilk, otherwise you would already be talking to expert drug users and learning from them.
Plus what Tracey said above about making alcohol illegal.
You’re a long way off the mark with that assumption.
And that one. You seem to have pigeon hole pique.
I’ve been doing that. And I’ve been working now with three parties with various interests in this.
“..And I’ve been working now with three parties with various interests in this…”
wow..!..(all pomposities/self-regard/importance to one side..)
..so yr now a multi-party go-to person on drug policy too..eh..?
..is there no end to yr (nelson mandela-like) skills..?
..and where do you find the time..?..
..’wot with all yr politicheking…eh..?..
(we are all holding our breath for yr first big scoop/expose..eh..?..
..(and don’t disappoint me now..!..i’ve got money on it being a left-attacking little number..
..my money’s safe..eh..?..)
..i mean those taxpayer union trouts had that provincial flight done by that green mp..eh..?
..them breaking that important story must have had you green with envy..eh..?..
..you must dream of getting anything like that good at this rightwing-pressure-group thing..eh..?..)
In the name of fairness -Pete did ask some questions and if we want him to honestly answer ours …. (like a 40 year old virgin, we must believe there will be a first time)
Is cannabis as risky, riskier or is it safer?
It is less risky, in the same way that driving with a seat belt is generally regarded as being safer than driving without one.
If cannabis was available the same as synthetics would the problem be better, worse or similar?
There would not be a problem. Period! The entire market would disappear, largely overnight. The residual problems would be the ongoing addictions relating to those who have already been poisoned by the toxic products created and sold under the blinkered myopia of the current hypocrisy. (have to assume you are referring to ‘synthetic cannabis’ even though no such thing exists. It needs to be said that there are also many other ‘synthetic’ products that this new testing might help make safer for all and less stigmatic. Many of the products that this law wants to ban are actually safer, more natural and less risky than some foods sold in supermarkets. Certainly safer than alcohol)
If no synthetics pass the safety test of the new Act and nothing else changes will the problems get better or worse?
The distribution of even more dangerous compounds will make the problem a lot worse. You only have to look at the poison people drink during periods of alcohol prohibition/scarcity.
Should the laws related to cannabis use be reviewed?
well d’uh
Should the laws related to cannabis cultivation be reviewed?
well d’uh
Should the laws related to cannabis supply be reviewed?
well d’uh
Should all psychoactive substances be banned (including cannabis)?
You do know, that to be anything but a pandering to predetermination, testing must include alcohol right? We all know alcohol has an exemption so the entire testing to make us safer argument holds about as much water as a fishing net. Some schools of thought would even say sugar falls into the category of a psychoactive substance. So yes, let’s review the whole bag of tricks Pete. You may not like the results though. You would have to watch your smug fall away revealing decades of illusion and propaganda.
I think Pete is one of those people who thinks that drugs are the bad chemicals, as if there is some inherent moral underpinning to chemistry.
if pete wanted to make alcohol illegal I would be more inclined toward his hand wringing over synthetic drugs
Bloody good point Tracey.
Taking Pete’s questions at face value, my genuine response is that they are all mostly irrelevant.
What’s relevant is creating a society where where young people have faith that their lives are meaningful and worth living, and where adults find enough stimulation and satisfaction in their activities that they don’t feel like wiping themselves out at the end of every week.
The legality or otherwise of different substances then becomes a non-issue.
I think that’s idealistic and unrealistic.
There’s no sign of anything anywhere close to this being achieved and it’s very unlikely to be achieved.
Humans have liked using drugs for thousands of years. It’s been suggested that agriculture became established through the desire to produce beer. Whether that’s accurate or not alcohol and other drugs go back a long way.
Many people want to experience drug effects and that’s not likely to change.
Yes Pete but I’m not really concerned with people using drugs per se because the drugs are not really the problem.
Harmful behaviour is the problem (well actually a symptom of a problem).
Why are people engaging in such soul-destroying, abusive, hurtful behaviour with such monotonous regularity?
Why does our society and culture seem to encourage and even reward some of this behaviour?
Weekly wreckings are an accepted and glorified norm. Why? Who gains?
Why do we think there is anything natural about a lifestyle with these destructive, regressive activities so ingrained within it?
Oh yes felix. I shouldn’t say this out loud – but reading these few sentences above brought tears.
There’s a large pragmatic part of me that just wants to try and muddle on with the ‘realities’ of modern life. Pay the mortgage, hold down that job, dress right and behave right and maybe I’ll get to a decent retirement.
And the idealist in me weeps.
Also Pete, I can’t let this slip by: “a society where young people have faith that their lives are meaningful and worth living, and where adults find enough stimulation and satisfaction in their activities that they don’t feel like wiping themselves out at the end of every week.”
If you really, genuinely believe that’s an “unrealistic” goal, then what’s the point of all your efforts?
Seriously. What’s the point? What do you want to see in the world if not that?
I’m still waiting to see the answer to that question by felix. That’s the guts of it. It’s not just a question of getting facts correct and then miraculously arriving at a (non-political?) solution. We all have underlying values that guide the facts and issues we focus on, and the analysis of such. And it is the difference in underlying values that generally differentiates various poltiical positions: left or right; liberal or conservative….etc.
That’s why it’s important to make our basic values and perspectives explicit.
You let slip a part of that quote. Here it is with an important final paragraph.
I responded “I think that’s idealistic and unrealistic”. That was in reference to the whole statement.
I think “creating a society where where young people have faith that their lives are meaningful and worth living” is a great ideal and worth working towards.
I think “where adults find enough stimulation and satisfaction in their activities that they don’t feel like wiping themselves out at the end of every week” is a fine aim but idealistic and I doubt we can ever get close to to that. For example being a parent wipes you out daily, it’s the nature of the job. It’s not uncommon for parents to want a drink or a smoke at the end of another busy day.
“The legality or otherwise of different substances then becomes a non-issue.” I took that as meaning that people wouldn’t use drugs any more. That’s naive and unrealistic. Many poor people don’t have the time or money to do drugs much if at all, and most have more sense than to waste their money and minds.
Drug use and abuse happens across the income spectrum. A wealthy person can be stressed about their money like a poor person stressed about their lack of money.
And no matter how ideal we can make our society I think there will always be a significant number of people who keep using drugs, so the legalities will remain issues. It’s idealistic to think that it could become a non-issue.
If you’re going to say nothing at all Pete, could you use fewer words? You’re just wasting everyone’s time and it’s becoming clear why.
To smoke or not to smoke is not the question.
Dunne has deeply damaged the credibility of the office of a minister.
All around the country kids are hearing that the Toxic Shot is legal and that it will not be banned by the minister, whose son is making a living out of selling the Toxic shit.
No wonder so many do not vote when they see such self serving bullshit.
Dear Standardistas. Do not engage with Peter George on the decriminalization of Cannabis. etc. It is a smoke screen for his hero Peter Dunne and his drug industry son, James.
The issue is the moral void that is the Dunnes, Pere et Fils
“Dunne has deeply damaged the credibility of the office of a minister.
All around the country kids are hearing that the Toxic Shot is legal and that it will not be banned”
In Hamilton the kids are hearing the toxic shot IS BANNED
If you really care about these kids why don’t you do something useful an get these puff shops shutdown in your area.
http://www.legalhighs.co.nz/synthetic-cannabis/six-hamilton-legal-highs-stores-closed/2014
Top story in the Herald
‘Bubble about to burst’
If the Herald reports it, the right wing must be worried….
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/personal-finance/news/article.cfm?c_id=12&objectid=11241125
The actual report.
12 reasons why we aren’t a rock star economy!
1) Interest rates have been at all-time lows for almost a half-decade
2) Property prices have doubled since 2004
3) New Zealand has the world’s third most overvalued property market
4) New Zealand’s mortgage bubble grew by 165% since 2002
5) Nearly half of mortgages have floating interest rates
6) Mortgages account for 60% of banks’ loan portfolios
7) Finance, not agriculture, is New Zealand’s largest industry
8) New Zealand’s banks are exposed to Australia’s bubble
9) Australian and Chinese buyers are inflating the property bubble
10) New Zealand has a household debt problem
11) Government overseas debt has nearly tripled since 2008
12) The New Zealand dollar is overvalued
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jessecolombo/2014/04/17/12-reasons-why-new-zealands-economic-bubble-will-end-in-disaster/
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2014/04/19/12-things-forbes-has-to-say-about-nzs-about-to-burst-economic-bubble/
Now if the opposition cannot get some traction on Numbers 3, 9 and 11, then they may as well give up!
This is dynamite.
Well, Steven Joyce has the perfect response – well that’s if you’re a right winger keen to keep on fiddling until the bubble bursts. He says it’s being “alarmist” and that Colombo is a “bubble-ologist”.
That’s very a very selective representation of that article. It wasn’t just Joyce questioning the claims.
Infometrics managing director Gareth Kiernan…
Interest.co.nz contributing editor Bernard Hickey…
I’m not sure if Hickey would be generally regarded as a keen right winger.
No control over foreign buyers has influenced:
Increasing residential house prices
Over leveraged residential property
NZ government paying massive supplements to overseas investors via the Accommodation Supplement each year.
http://www.greenenergyinvestors.com/index.php?showtopic=10738&hl=%2Bzealand+%2Bresidential+%2Bproperty
nothing to see there..eh pg..?
..now..where can we put more dairy farms..?
..she’ll be right..!
what’s that..?..national have tripled our foreign debt since they came to power..?
..no worries..!
..eh pete..?
..but didn’t they say they had sell off all the assets…
..so they didn’t have ‘to run to the foreign bankers..like labour wants to do..’..?
..wasn’t that the story/spin..?
..so..perhaps you cd apply yr politichek-editor skills to explain that one..?
..’cos they not only flogged off the assets..
..they have tripled our foreign debt..(!)
..w.t.f..!..eh pg..?..
..who is telling all the lies there..eh..?
..but..really..nothing to see there..eh..?..
..you good little rightwing tr*ll you..eh..?..
Yes, you’re right. I was selective. I was just laughing so hard at Joyce’s clumsy neologism.
I think Hickey is a right winger, but one who has become increasingly skeptical about the neoliberal version of capitalism.
I don’t think there’ll be a sudden catastrophic crisis. But, there will be a down turn as the bubble starts to deflate. And the article does have that quote about the bubble being widely acknowledged.
@ karol..
..i don’t share yr optimism..
..we are bubbling like crazy..
..we are exposed to the australian bubbles..
..we are exposed to the chinese bubbles…
..and when any one of those pops..
..we go with it..
..so it isn’t really a matter of ‘if’…but ‘when?’.
..yeah..!..this govt knows what it is doing…
..more dairying..!
..sell more land..!
..dig more coal..!
..drill..!..baby..!..drill..!..
..more low-wage economy..!
..fuck the poor..!
..and how about some more tax cuts for the richest..?..eh..?
..it’s been a while..
..and we spent all the last ones..
..buying our share of those power-companies..
..eh..?
This graph shows an interesting parallel. are we on the brink of a massive world economic crash?
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/scary-1929-market-chart-gains-traction-2014-02-11
No. What a ridiculous comparison.
No housing bubbles round the world then?
Yes we are Paul, it should have happened post-GFC. Governments got taxpayers to bail the corporates out, but it wont last. The world’s banking system is a Ponzi scheme nearing its end.
“That’s very a very selective representation of that article.”
No it fucking well wasn’t Pete. It was a fair representation of quotes from Joyce including a link to the source. Like I said above, think about what you type and then take your nonsense away from here.
Why so tetchy Bill? Has Easter Bunny not delivered for you yet?
karol has accepted “Yes, you’re right. I was selective. I was just laughing so hard at Joyce’s clumsy neologism.”
If I quoted such a small part of an article I suspect you would be lining up to grump at me for that.
Actually, I agree with Bill as well. My comment wasn’t intended to represent the whole article. It was a brief comment focused on Joyce’s clumsy neologism – which I found very funny while I was eating breakfast. The arguments for and against the Colombo argument are being looked at in more detail re-micky’s post.
that’s why Pete basically copy pastes whole paragraphs/articles, so he has lots of wriggle room when people try to pin down whatever it is he is referring to or is commenting on. He could save himself a lot of hassle (and free up his fact-checking time) if he just posted links to the NZH front page and simply said …
‘In the future, we need to discuss what would lead to a real dialogue, allowing us to frame the conversation we desperately need to have”
… would anyone notice the difference ?
“Why so tetchy Bill?”
It’s like this Pete. I’ve no problem with people saying stupid things or jumping on their own wee hobby horses from time to time.
But for the past wee while most of your comments have been a mix of stuff that’s annoyingly off beam and/or concern troll nonsense. And I don’t like it. ‘N fact, I’m getting really fucked off by it.
Also, just so you know, I don’t like that even your very occasional sensible comment gets mobbed and even those threads trashed as a result. But then people, I think, are simply and understandably reacting to your comments on the basis of expectation rather than actual content on those occasions.
Now, go away and think about what I’ve said in light of the fact that I disagree with many of the comments and opinions here. I’m telling (not asking) you do that so that you don’t start whining in some narcissistic or self important way about how your picked on by some kind of evil Labour Party/leftsist hive mind that you sometimes appear to imagine ‘the standard’ as.
Is it just you doing the whining? Or is it a round about moderator instruction to me to go away and not to comment here?
Sheesh, that comment from the guy who accused Karol of misrepresentation up the thread!
I’m giving you information based on observation, providing my own opinion and suggesting a course of action. (The telling is to do with a lens you keep at hand for the sake of any reflection)
If you can’t see what I’ve been observing, then you haven’t been paying attention to the responses you generate. I mean, it’s all rather fucking blatantly obvious, though…from your latest response it would seem reasonable to assume that you simply can’t understand what people say, or see where they’re coming from, even when it’s fairly straight forward. I don’t expect you to have any insight as to why that might be. I have my own thoughts on the matter. I’ll be keeping them to myself.
Funny thing Bill is it seems to be something peculiar to here, and it doesn’t just happen with me.
KIA’s essay is a good example. Most of the initial response was attacking KIA for irrelevant things from the past and attacking me for quoting and linking etc, and denying and diverting.
But sometimes worthwhile discussions eventuate. When micky and KIA started actually addressing and debating things it has resulted in some interesting stuff. Neither is right or wrong (generally), they both make some good points from different views.
Robust discussion or bitching sessions where no alternative views are tolerated?
Peculiar to here? I’d say it’s peculiar to you.
joyce calls this guy a ‘bubbleologist’..
..can we call joyce what he is..?
..’a lying prick’..
I think Jesse Colombo may know more than Joyce about the matter.
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120516005606/en/Analyst-Warned-Millions-Crash-%E2%80%9808-Age-22
Wonder how the government will defend their ramping up of New Zealand’s overseas debt( point 11) and not dealing with factors causing the property bubble (point 9)?
Their management of the economy, so praised by the NZ corporate media, has been wretched (as many of us have been saying for a while)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_Colombo
He makes is money off predicting when bubbles are about to burst as Joyce said he’s a “bubble-ologist”.No doubt all his investments are heavily weighted toward ones that do very well when markets crash.
From experience it’s very hard to find financial opinion that doesn’t have a massive slant that favors the author especially when the author’s American.
@ bm..
“..From experience it’s very hard to find financial opinion that doesn’t have a massive slant that favors the author especially when the author’s American..”
so best just stuff yr fists in yr ears and go ‘nah!..nah..!..nah..!’..eh..?
..especially when it is something you don’t want to hear..eh..?
..something that ideologically-grates..?..
..how about nouriel roubini..?
..y’know..!..that guy who was one of the first to predict reasons/timeline of the great financial clusterfuck..?..and one who i relied on for the early predictions/warnings@whoar..)
..(and ..oh..!..how you all laughed at him..eh..?..’dr doom!’..and all that..?..eh..?..)
..well guess what..!..roubini is now saying it is all about to go pop again…
..and soon…
http://whoar.co.nz/?s=roubini
(oh..!..roubini has also noted that we have the housing market in most peril..
..100% mortgage (french def:..’death-grip’)..anyone..?..
..and like peter sellars in the final scene of dr strangelove..
..you’ll ride that sucker ’till it explodes..eh?…)
From what I’ve noticed, in America everyone’s an “expert”, this young guy’s a “bubble expert”.
All his investment advice/opinion is bubble related.
The way it seems to work is you’re either a Bull or a Bear, this chap is definitely in the Bear camp so he specifically targets to people who have a negative outlook.
That’s how he makes his money.
and yr casual dismissal of roubint..?..is..?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nouriel_Roubini#cite_note-NYT-2
There’s only two ways a market can go, up or down.
If you pick a position and stick with it eventually you’re going to be right, it’s getting the timing correct which is the hard thing and that’s when you make your money.
yr obviously a deep-thinker there..bm..
..i’ll just leave you to get on with it..
From the article you quote….I just copied a bit more as your quote was very selective.
“Roubini’s critical and consistently bearish economic views have earned him the nicknames “Dr. Doom” and “permabear” in the media.[2] In 2008, Fortune magazine wrote, “In 2005 Roubini said home prices were riding a speculative wave that would soon sink the economy. Back then the professor was called a Cassandra. Now he’s a sage”.[3] The New York Times notes that he foresaw “homeowners defaulting on mortgages, trillions of dollars of mortgage-backed securities unraveling worldwide and the global financial system shuddering to a halt”.[2] In September 2006, he warned a skeptical IMF that “the United States was likely to face a once-in-a-lifetime housing bust, an oil shock, sharply declining consumer confidence, and, ultimately, a deep recession”. Nobel laureate Paul Krugman adds that his once “seemingly outlandish” predictions have been matched “or even exceeded by reality.”[4]”
So they may have given him those nicknames …but he was accurate in his predictions.
If this is an example of how you extract quotes to make your points, you are clearly an unreliable source of information.
I don’t see any response to his critique of issues with NZ’s economy
Same…attempts to bluster and divert and a concerted effort to attack the messenger.
But no argument explaining why the issues he mentions ( 12 of them!) aren’t a concern.
Self interest trumps an ability to look critically at an issue.
What a foolish foolish person you are BM ! – “from experience. it’s very hard to find financial opinion that doesn’t…….etc” – what experience BM ? Establish what you say, please.
“From what I’ve noticed …….” Well that’s so powerful (not). Say what you’ve noticed BM. And establish how it proves your point, if you actually have a point other than cheerleading for John Key’s omnipresence as claimed by you and various other trolls.
In fact if you’re going to go into the mythology of US arch-capitalism then it’s extraordinarily dishonest of you not to acknowledge and analyse the place in that of John Key and myriad other banksters.
Because BM from what I’ve noticed…….Merrill Lynch, Goldmann Sachs etc etc etc.
Dishonest Dunce BM.
I wonder what keys statements looked like when he was a currency trader and expert for j p morgan? probably self serving like your description of this guy. yet you cannot see his self serving statements as pm for what they are.
BM I would put my bets on Jesse Colombo’s forecast over a BSc in Zoology Steven Joyce’s any day.
‘He makes is money off predicting when bubbles are about to burst’
So, by rightwing logic, wouldn’t that mean he’s very good at it?
Exactly
Yep he makes money telling others what they should do.
I get the feeling he doesn’t invest too much himself.
According to Wikipedia
Obviously his personal investment results weren’t quite as stellar as he hoped.
I think you’ll find that when an entire economic global system gets a lot of its profits from bubbles it also gets a lot of losses when the bubbles burst ergo there will be a high incidence of losses when the sytem ‘rebalances’; when the exaggerated prices adjust back to realistic ones.
It appears this is the type of information Jesse is attempting to warn people about. That he has been one of the victims of such an irrational system, doesn’t make his warnings any less realistic – in fact if anything it indicates he is too conservative in his views.
(a re-worked workers’ anthem:..for the use of/by shane jones..and his ilk..)
(cloth-caps doffed..and placed across hearts:..all together now..!..after me..!..)
“..the workers flag..is deepest red..
..neither poofters nor feminists..share our bed..
..we’re kiwi-guys..thru and thru..
..and we’ll have none of that funny business..
..no thank you..!..
..oh why can’t it be – like it used to be..?
..when blokes like me – were all you could see..”
+1
The results of 30 years of neo-liberalism and the cult of corporate and individual greed.
An ideology afflicting the UK and New Zealand .
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11241149
The Craig manipulators – it’s a family affair.
And now it looks like a bit of a struggle between McCully and Crafty Craig for the East Coast Bays seat.
Hypocrite Hide – butter wouldn’t melt in his Epsom mouth what ?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11241035
“Oh God…….Hone’s being tricky !”
Wasn’t that a laugh, i particularly enjoyed Hides rewriting of history where all along it was an evil plot by DotCom to give money to Banks,
”Tried to shower Banks with gifts, but, Banks rebuffed Him”, i just cannot fathom how any of us could have missed this important side to the story,
A laugh out loud column from a washed up politician that deserves as many if not more of these 🙄 than PG does…
Yep what a spew article but good for a sunday lol – I thought this was terrible “Dotcom is not even a New Zealand European but a European European.” Is this an actual distinction? Do some people think like that?
“Harawira believes “white motherf****** have been raping our lands and ripping us off for centuries”. Dotcom is as white as white.”
Gutter politics from the gutterdog-Hide. First Dotcom isn’t a ‘proper kiwi’ according to snide-hide and then he’s been ripping us off for centuries – which is it. Hide is a fail as a politician and a person imo and this article is even more evidence of that.
if reading that one in hard copy..it’d be best/advised to wear rubber gloves..
..it is very very slimy..
thats like saying owen glenn only gave money to peters so he could later bring he and helen down. dont think even the right suggested that?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/9960334/NZ-dodged-bullet-on-Brash-ex-MP
Still rankles with Brash that he was sacked when he came within a whisker of success.
But lying over the Brethren was too much, even for the Nats.
To win next time, they needed a smoother, slicker version of the Extreme Right to lull the electorate.
And under MMP they needed to double cross Maori, not take them on directly.
Key fitted the bill perfectly.
Same policies, though. What has Key done that Brash has disapproved of? The Maori Party have left their people in a worse situation than before, and in total disarray.
Key’s great success has been to sneak in Extreme Right policies, in several policy areas, under the bland unctuous mumbling of ‘Centre-Right’.
Yes, the myth of Key being moderate is exactly that. A myth.
A story repeated by the corporate media so their owners could loot New Zealand.
Brash has always come off as vaguely reptilian, even without the insider details:
Asked by Hill about Orewa 2005, the welfare dependency speech, Brash said he didn’t even think welfare spokesperson Katherine Rich wrote the welfare white paper.
This is an outrageous accusation from the former leader. Rich had been given the portfolio by Bill English just after her second baby was born and spent hours writing it.
The leader’s office edited it two years before Brash was leader, but he seems to think it was beyond a women’s capabilities.
He may remember Rich’s corrections to Brash’s first draft of Orewa 05, when she took issue with his repeated references to “bludgers”, “satan”, “free lunches”, “ripping off the system taken for granted” and “an army of dependants on the march”.
Rich said she didn’t think using military language was helpful.
She vehemently objected to Brash’s intention to bring back adoption, compulsory immunisation and forcing beneficiaries to exhaust other means of income so welfare was the last resort.
“I’m not comfortable about making those with Downs syndrome, cerebral palsy or cancer prove they are not able to contribute to their own support before accessing welfare,” she wrote to Brash.
Mothers having second babies would be forced back to fulltime work even when breastfeeding, and Brash was okay with this.
Rich resigned the portfolio.
Georgina te Heu Heu had already lost Maori Affairs, and Hekia Parata left the party.
Other caucus women were unhappy.
I was flatting with Rich and remember her dismay when Michael Bassett’s Post column slated her for criticising her leader in public, saying she deserved to go.
I suggested Rich ask Brash to get this mistake corrected (she’d never criticised him), a simple matter, surely. Brash couldn’t, he told her, because he’d read the column pre-publication and okayed it.
Now Brash is miffed that John Key won’t take his calls, because they once shared a motel room where Brash said he’d hand over prime ministership to Key.
Big problem with that, Don, you need the numbers and caucus support. You were not a king passing the crown to an heir. Key probably muttered something like: “Yeah, now shuddup and get some sleep.”
And some wise National insiders probably leaked those emails, printed out and clamped in a big bulldog clip, so Brash would never become prime minister. We’re incredibly lucky they did.
I found an interesting line in Deborah Coddington’s article concerning Katherine Rich who resigned her portfolio due to Brash’s views.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/9960334/NZ-dodged-bullet-on-Brash-ex-MP
“I’m not comfortable about making those with Downs syndrome, cerebral palsy or cancer prove they are not able to contribute to their own support before accessing welfare,” she wrote to Brash.
Now compare this with the article titled
“Bureaucratic hurdles mean few parents get paid to care for disabled children”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11240668
“But many families have been put off by the system, which requires the disabled people to become their parents’ employers, responsible for paying tax, ACC levies, KiwiSaver, annual leave and sick leave.”
The disabled people are required to set up bank accounts, which some banks do not allow for people who are not intellectually competent.”
The parallels are obvious. Dodged what bullet?
Edit Red Rosa is on to it.
Most of these disabled clients would have no concept of what an employer is, and the government expect them to be one. Am I alone in thinking that this policy is whacko?
Just had a watch of ‘The Nation’ on TV3, this weeks program seems to have got at least one commenter hot under the cranial covering,
Seems to me that the main message from Green Party leader Metiria Turei was that if Labour/NZFirst need the Green Party to guarantee ”confidence and supply” then Labour/NZFirst will need the Green Party ”in Government”,
Questioned on the ‘meaning’ of this Metiria chose to simply repeat the statement, and a snigger developed when the ”end game” move that i would imagine Labour/NZFirst will put to the Greens after the election was put to Mets,
”So you will refuse confidence and supply to Labour/NZFirst if you are not given Cabinet seats and enable a National Government then”,???
That’s laughable, BUT, i can see this as being the main plank of negotiation with the Green Party after the 2014 election,
My suggestion to the Green Party is that the correct answer to this little piece of blame gaming which i fully expect to be the negotiating position is the answer that Metiria gave on ‘The Nation’ interview,
”The Green Party is either ”in” the next Government or they are not”…full stop.
“If there’s a minority govt then we’ll have to decide about C&S whenever such votes come up, and such a government would need to talk to us about the shape of any legislation it wants to pass.”
“..If You Support Legal Marijuana, Memorize These 13 Stats..
With Colorado and Washington starting to tax and regulate recreational weed sales –
and medical marijuana legal in 18 other states –
we can finally start to put some hard numbers on the industry’s value..”
(cont..)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/19/benefits-legalizing-weed-by-the-numbers_n_5173785.html?ref=topbar
remember kiddies to keep a smile in your hearts when ya smashing the state. abbie hoofman.
it’s a great quote/line..
“..remember kiddies..!
..when smashing the state..
..always keep a smile on yr lips..
..and a song in yr heart..!”
and wasn’t it robert crumb/furry freak bros..?
I wuz kinda hoping that pete geroge wuz gonna choke on his Easter eggg.
bit no he’s back.heading the readers list.
hmmmm.
Seen this folks?
Is New Zealand in need of an ICAC (Independent Commission Against Corruption)?
I think so.
http://laudafinem.com/2014/04/19/why-cant-new-zealand-have-honest-and-capable-politicians-is-nz-in-need-of-an-icac/
NSW Premier Barry O’Farrelly had to resign over his $3000 bottle of wine ‘brainfade’.
The difference between NZ and NSW is that NSW has an INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AGAINST CORRUPTION (ICAC).
High time for an NZ INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AGAINST CORRUPTION (ICAC)?
Some of us have been advocating this for some time:
http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ANTI-CORRUPTION-WHITE-COLLAR-CRIME-CORPORATE-WELFARE-ACTION-PLAN-Ak-Mayoral-campaign-19-July-2013-2.pdf
Which political parties are now going to pick up the ball, and make support for a New Zealand ICAC, a core election policy?
In my considered opinion, there would be significant public support for such a policy, especially in light of the latest on-going corruption scandals at New Zealand central and local government level.
(Remember – in the 2013 Auckland mayoralty, I polled 4th with nearly 12,000 votes, campaigning against corrupt corporate control of the Auckland region, which, in my opinion, shows growing public understanding and concern about this HUGE issue.)
Seen this?
http://www.transparency.net.nz/
Penny Bright
The difference between NZ and NSW is that the Australians have CAPITAL LETTERS.
CAPITALS, I TELL YOU in my considered opining.
heh..!
Oh dear, Tariana Turia is still very bitter and twisted with Labour.
Labour doesn’t deserve our vote.
Imo, all she has achieved in confirming is: the creation of the Maori Party was really all about herself.
Also, she should have asked – do Maori feel and live better after 6 years of National /Maori Party government?
I think not.
Of course, given the Herald’s editorial bias, this was elevated to their top online story.
Sir Apriana Ngata, a prominent advocate of Maori economic development and self-determination would be disgusted at some of the stances held by the woman who wants to follow in his footsteps. For a start, he would balk at the continued use of floating sweatshops to fish Maori quota, which Turia and her Maori Party cronies continue to try and justify, instead of encourging iwi to invest in their own boats and crews, creating real jobs.
Shane Jones responds to Tariana.
I reckon he’s got it right.
Agree Anne I didn’t notice if she wears glasses, but she needs to get both eyes into focus. However I think her vision has for too long been warped to change.
This, I need not remind you, is Easter, the time in which we must observe the martyrdom of Pete George the most Holy.
It is He who has instructed us in the utmost selective pedantry of our sins of lack of reverence for Himself. Let us not forget that. It is we who have crucified Him on the Cross of Snark.
Let us all retreat to the Hallowed Ground of our Lifestyle Blocks, don the sacred vestments of the Beige Cardigans of Repentance, climb upon our Horses Most High and make the Holy Gestures of the Wagging Finger and the Wrung Hands.
Then let us Check Our Facts and observe the proper period of Calling For More Study.
Amen.
don’t forget the other ‘holy gestures’..
..the slow stroking of the beard..
..and the shaking of the head..’no!’..
..the looking ‘sad’/disappointed..
..and the pursed-lips..
..and that ‘beige-cardigan’ had better be a twin-set…
..and those grey shoes had better have velcro-‘laces’…!
..and those pants had better be permanent-press..!
..and that strange ritual that has built up over time..
..of ‘followers’ gathering to remember him by smoking joints..
..(they say it is because thru is sacrifices for us all..he had none..oh..!..the humanity of the man..!..)
..and to chant rounds of:..’more study’..and ‘but what about?’..
..and of course how they all affect the pompadour of st petes’ former hero/god-figure..
..st peter the dunne…the great- equivocater..
..he who pete came to call ‘the fallen-one’..
..after the great schism of 2013..
..and so it was written..
..and so it did come to pass..
And let it be that the beige cardigan be appointed with leather patches to reduce wear in the penitent’s elbows as he holds his head in his hands whilst at prayer or in conference with his acolytes; as do we poor listeners and readers whilst receiving the Word from Our Pete (aka PG tips!).
then of course there is the serious hair-loss..
..all from excessive forelock-tugging..
..(at/to the pompadoured-one/he-whose-name-must-never-now-be-mentioned..
..as i understand it..)
..and of course there is also his brave-banner /spitting back into the teeth of ridicule..
..of carrying on that now much-sneered-at/reviled facial-hair-affectation..
..the roger douglas mo’..
Rhino
The satire is….very funny.
Imagine a political spectrum as a 0-100 line. 0 = Far left and 100 =Far Right I cannot draw a graph on this posting so bear with me.
In the 1990’s Labour was probably 20-65 and National was 35-80
in 2014 Labour is 10-55 and National is 35-80. Each still a 45 point spread. Just a 10 point drift but a significant one.
Then draw a mean distribution curve graph and you will see that the numbers under the curve are heavily in favour of National
The 55-65 group of Labour voters have shifted over to National.
If Labour go further Left eg 5-50 the maths gets substantially worse for Labour
This assumes that political opinion follows a mean distribution curve graph. It does.
The vast majority are in the mid zone and these are the voters that National as a mildly Left to moderate Right Party has increasingly gained in 2005,2008 2011 and 2014 as Labour has drifted Left.
Those numbers are fascinating. How did you make them up?
it’s called a lowest-orifice-pluck..
Just look at the election returns and remember that in the 1980’s Labour was home to the likes of Roger Douglas and Richard Prebble. Such people in 2014 would never join or vote Labour. Helen Clark kept in power by keeping in the 20-60 range. Labour have changed their rules and have a leader supported by 30% of caucus. The Labour activists have taken over the party and will shape it in their own image. They are delighted. So am I, I can do the arithmetic.
you write like a string of double happy’s going off..
In the 1980’s the National Party infiltraitored the Labour Party.
Some of them are still there.
FYI – seen this?
Minister for Corruption (sorry – Minister for Justice) Judith Collins promised an ‘Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Legislation Bill’.
Hardly surprising that this ‘Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Legislation Bill’. has yet to surface in the Parliamentary legislative ‘sausage machine’?
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1310/S00301/bill-supports-zero-tolerance-for-organised-crime.htm
Minister of Justice
18 October 2013 Media Statement
Bill supports zero-tolerance for organised crime
Justice Minister Judith Collins says the Government’s comprehensive approach to fighting all forms of organised crime will help safeguard New Zealand’s economy, international reputation and public safety.
This month a number of international bodies are evaluating New Zealand’s compliance with international standards related to financial crimes – including the OECD, which will report on New Zealand’s compliance with an international convention to combat bribery of foreign public officials.
“I welcome the release of these reports.
This Government takes all forms of organised crime and corruption very seriously,” Ms Collins says.
http://www.3news.co.nz/New-laws-to-fight-organised-crime/tabid/1607/articleID/317781/Default.aspx
New laws to fight organised crime
Friday 18 Oct 2013 10:33a.m.
The Government will bring in a bill before the end of the year to strengthen laws against money laundering, identity theft, human trafficking and corruption.
Justice Minister Judith Collins says she intends to have a comprehensive set of laws in place to fight all forms of organised crime.
“It’s important to consider bribery and corruption within the big picture of organised crime, which undermines public safety, national security, economic development and good governance,” she said today.
“This bill will help ensure New Zealand maintains its reputation as a responsible international citizen and that our domestic law enforcement agencies have the tolls they need to fight all forms of organised crime.”
So WHERE’S Minister for Corruption (sorry – Minister for Justice) Judith Collin’s Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Legislation Bill?
I checked today on the NZ Parliamentary website:
http://www.parliament.nz/en-nz/pb/legislation/bills/?Criteria.Keyword=Organised+Crime+and+Anti-Corruption+Legislation+Bill%2C&Criteria.Timeframe=&Criteria.Parliament=-1&Criteria.DocumentType=&Criteria.Status=&Search=Go
Legislation
Bills
This section lists bills before the House and its committees, and provides access to more detailed information about each one. You will also find the schedule of divided bills and progress of legislationhere. To find out more about bills before select committees, see the committee business summary.
Close Bills search
Keyword
Date
Parliament
Document type
Status
No documents were found
Oh dear – Minister for Corruption (oops! Justice – yeah right) Judith Collins’ Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Legislation Bill is NOWHERE to be found.
Talk about the corrupt fox in charge of the chook house?
Again – file under ‘You Couldn’t Make This Sh*t Up’?
Penny Bright
That reminds me have you paid your rates yet Penny?
Absolutely not.
Auckland citizens and ratepayers are not being told EXACTLY where our public monies are being spent (which is a statutory requirement under the Public Records Act 2005).
So – if I’m not being told EXACTLY where my rates monies are being spent, I’m not paying any.
Not many folks have the guts to do what I’m doing, but, ‘faint heart never won fair go’.
I take full personal responsibility for my actions.
Penny Bright
http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz
If you take full responsibility stop bitching about it and face the consequences. It doesn’t take guts to not pay your way in life, it’s laziness and spectacular stupidity. When they order your house sold from under you. will you still be taking responsibility or blaming the Council ?
She’s got a point – we really should be told exactly where every penny of our money is being spent.
Has Deborah Coddington finally seen the light.
She is certainly making some interesting comments lately.In fact she is begining to sound like a real Leftie. Perhaps her local Labour Party branch should ask her for a donation .If she lived in Cambridge I certainly would.
Seen this folks?
Shining a light on New Zealand CORRUPTION …….
http://beehive.govt.nz/release/collins-welcomes-transparency-assessment
Judith Collins 19 NOVEMBER, 2013
Collins welcomes transparency assessment
Justice Minister Judith Collins today welcomed Transparency International New Zealand’s evaluation of our nation’s governance and anti-corruption efforts.
Ms Collins launched key findings from the National Integrity Study (NIS) Assessment tonight, at the annual general meeting of Transparency International’s New Zealand arm.
“New Zealand consistently ranks as the least corrupt country on Transparency International’s corruption perceptions index,” Ms Collins says.
“It’s important we maintain our strong international reputation, for being free from – and intolerant of – corruption, to further enhance our nation’s trade, business and economic prosperity.”
The report evaluates key pillars of New Zealand’s governance system, such as the legislature, executive, judiciary, public sector, law enforcement and business sectors.
Ms Collins says there are still improvements to be made to counter corruption and bribery and the Government is actively working to implement change.
“Our efforts include the development of a national anti-corruption strategy, the upcoming Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Legislation Bill, and efforts to raise public trust and confidence in the Courts.”
Ms Collins says the Government values its close working relationship with Transparency International New Zealand and she looks forward to working through the report’s recommendations.
“In many ways we share a common purpose – promoting clean government, increasing transparency and reducing corruption. Together, our efforts help ensure New Zealand maintains its reputation as one of the least corrupt countries in the world.”
Pity about the lack of transparency with Transparency International NZ?
http://kiwisfirst.com/
RAMPANT CORRUPTION STINGS TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL
2 March 2014
‘Corruption destroys lives and communities’ is its motto and its publicly advertised mission is to promote transparency which lays bare the conflicts and bribes which suck the soul out of all countries to varying degrees. But Berlin-based non-profit Transparency International is better known for telling the world which countries are doing a good job at combating corruption and which ones are not through its annual ‘perception index’ which rates 177 countries from 1 to 177.
Media organisations such as Forbes rely on Transparency International’s findings in promoting its own world perspective.
In its own ‘perception’, Transparency International ranked New Zealand lowest (along with Finland) in corruption – and its local chapter is the non-profit’s golden child and keeper of the faith. In contrast, New Zealanders question a charter which received almost all of its funding from the New Zealand government, routinely turned away new members – individual memberships have been relatively constant at 50 – and declared its “over-arching principle” is it “will not be involved in investigating or exposing individual cases (of corruption)”.
Finally, a dose of reality has set in, with revelations of rampant corruption within the New Zealand chapter oozing from its opaque façade. Berlin has known since early December that NZ chapter director Suzanne Snively was running a fraudulent company trading on the Transparency International name to sell her consulting services to unsuspecting foreign companies seeking trade with New Zealand. They have done nothing but cover it up. Triple dipping Ms Snively is also a contractor to the New Zealand government and her TINZ salary is funded by the government.
This week it was revealed that another Transparency International New Zealand director Michael Vukcevic falsely claimed in his CV that he had a law degree and other qualifications in order to get an appointment in 2012 to promote New Zealand’s bid for a free trade agreement in the Middle East.
Yet another TINZ director Claire Johnstone was a government official running a private consultancy business which promoted her ability to “access grant funding from government for many of our clients”. Her husband Ash Johnstone, a serving NZ police officer, was profiled on the company website as in charge of conducting security background checks for private clients.
It came to light last year that at least two directors of TINZ made repeated visits to the Ministry of Justice in Cambodia seeking personal fortune on the door-opening coattails of Dame Sylvia Cartwright who was one of two international judges appointed to the Extraordinary Chambers of the Courts of Cambodia, filling a vacuum in the war ravaged country.
Fraud examiner and former police prosecutor Grace Haden, who was denied membership in TINZ and consequently launched her own “Transparency New Zealand” is not surprised by the corruption or cover up by Transparency International. “They don’t want to know the reality because it differs from the myth they promote.” Late yesterday, Ms Haden sent out an open letter offering Transparency International her services to verify degrees and credentials of its directors.
……”
Seen for yourselves who ‘sponsors’ Transparency International NZ?
http://www.transparency.org.nz/Partners-and-Sponsors
Partners and Sponsors
Cornerstone Platinum
The Office of the Auditor General
NIS Gold
School of Government, VUW
Ministry for Justice
Statistics New Zealand
The Human Rights Commission
Ministry of Social Development
The Treasury
Inland Revenue
Department of Internal Affairs
Corrections
Department of Conservation
Ministry of Transport
Civil Aviation Authority
New Zealand Transport Authority
Maritime New Zealand
Te Puni Kokiri
The State Services Commission
The Ombudsman
Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs
The New Zealand Defence Force
NIS Silver
Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet
The Serious Fraud Office
Crown Law
NIS Bronze
NZ Public Service Association
Sponsors
The Gama Foundation
In Kind Donations
Bell Gully
VUW School of Government
PwC
Deloitte
KPMG
Human Rights Commission Launch Day
School of Government Institute for Governance and Policy Studies Wellington
Wellington Girls College
Thorndon New World
NZTE
Institute of Directors
BDO Spicers
Russell McVeigh
Chapman Tripp
Gibson Sheat
Susan Gluck-Hornsby
Chen Palmer
Juliet McKee
Claudia Orange
Te Papa
So – how INDEPENDENT is Transparency International NZ, when so much of their funding comes from NZ Government Departments, which all arguably have a vested interest in maintaining this RORT and FRAUD – that New Zealand is ‘perceived’ to be ‘the least corrupt country in the world’?
Remember?
Under NZ Minister of Corruption (oops! sorry – Justice) Judith Collins’ watch – NZ STILL has not yet ratified the UN Convention Against Corruption, and her Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Legislation Bill has STILL not yet surfaced in Parliament.
Funny that.
Penny Bright
SELF-FUNDED full-time ‘anti-corruption / anti-privatisation Public Watchdog’.
PS: What does NZ need for a genuine platform for transparency?
Try this :
http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ANTI-CORRUPTION-WHITE-COLLAR-CRIME-CORPORATE-WELFARE-ACTION-PLAN-Ak-Mayoral-campaign-
FFS Penny just put some links in. No need to bore people more than you already do.
Australia heading down the savage neoliberal route and copying NZ.
The consequences of them voting in Tony Abbott now becoming clear.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/9961464/Australia-looks-to-NZ-for-disability-reform-ideas
JK Rowling on tax residency
Good call Green Party:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1404/S00340/time-for-greater-ministerial-accountability.htm
Time for greater ministerial accountability
Saturday, 19 April 2014, 12:09 pm
Press Release: Green Party
Time for greater ministerial accountability
The Green Party has today released a proposal to introduce a ministerial disclosure regime in New Zealand to improve the transparency and accountability of government.
The proposal, based on the system used in the United Kingdom since 2010, would require all Ministers to publically release records of their meetings with external organisations, overseas travel, gifts given and received, and hospitality received.
The records would be released on a quarterly basis and published online.
“A ministerial disclosure regime will bring a much-needed boost to the transparency and accountability of government in New Zealand,” said Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei.
“The public will be able to see, on a regular basis, who Ministers are meeting with, who they’re receiving gifts and hospitality from, and details of their overseas travel.
“Some of this information is already made public through the Registrar of Pecuniary Interests, but that doesn’t tell us the whole story and it only happens once a year.
“Regular, proactive disclosure of this information, particularly records of who Ministers are meeting with, will bring a greater measure of transparency to decision-making and will improve ministerial accountability.
……………………
https://www.greens.org.nz/sites/default/files/ministerial_disclosure_fact_sheet.pdf
I support this proposal.
“Nothing to hide – nothing to fear?”
Who is meeting the Ministers?
Who in this John Key led National/ACT Government is NOT going to support this initiative?
hmmmm………… let me guess ……
Penny Bright
FFS just put the links up.
That one wasn’t that big.
Needs to be done in real time.
Penny, this the internet not a gestetner. It has these things called links. Please do not waste our attention by pasting screeds of material we can go and read ourselves.
I enjoyed this sci fi short film
http://boingboing.net/2014/04/19/scattered-short-film-adapted.html
Fantastic discussion!