Rumour has it that Radioactive Iodine and Caesium has been found in the waters around Australia and New Zealand but I’m still trying to find confirmation for that.
But hey, we should all just trust our Main stream media and our official Radiation experts who I’m happy to report are on the case.
Oh, and then there is of course the Radioactive metal in cars. Geiger counters only pick up the radioactive gasses and not the “fuel fleas” as Arnie Gundersen explains.
You mean the guy installed as a columnist for the NZH and stuff.co.nz? The guy who had a private visit to the halls of the Knesset hosted by chairman of the Knesset and Likud member Reuven Rivlin? You mean that guy?
But in all seriousness, this story isn’t getting the air it needs in the MSM. Then again, can you name me a serious issue that actually is getting proper treatment by the MSM?
And the guy for Nuclear advancement says it was the Tsunami what did it and that we can mitigate that. ROFL.
It was of course the quake which caused the damage as it turned out.
And now there is a second nuclear plant up shit creek in Nebraska. Not that you would know from our MSM. Of course.
We’ll embrace nuclear power. Like hell we will!
This is a video of John Key visiting the New Zealand Zionist federation. (One of the photos in the top slider shows a character on the right side which looks suspiciously like whale blubber but I’m probably wrong)
I don’t think that Farrar is stupid. I think he’s a nasty malevolent piece of shite and to think that him being such a clear national mouthpiece visiting Israel a year after the election of John Key (Who has walked out on Ahmadinajad’s speech at the UN with all his Zionist mates) and him being hosted by young Likud should be viewed as very suspicious indeed.
Added to that the fact that he is now a columnist for both the NZ herald and the Waikato times should make us wonder since it was announced that the AIPAC wanted to extend its influence
I was at Avondale Market yesterday with other Labour Supporters, Phil Goff and David Cunliffe and some Labour MPs including Kelvin Davis. Maori party MPs including Pita Sharples and Tariana Turia were there as well as their candidate Solomon Tipene.
I was struck and pleased by the friendliness of the interaction between them.
Louisa Wall has long advocated for a respectful relationship between Labour and the Maori Party. After all they have far more in common with Labour than National.
After the dust settles this weekend I suspect there will be a reexamination of the current relationship which needs to be improved.
Labour will need a new campaign manager if it wants to forge a better relationship with the Maori Party. Trevor Mallard has a history of slagging the Maori Party off, if Labour are serious about forming a government in the long distant future then they have to stop Shane Jones and Trevor from trying to kill them.
I think the answer is yes, if they want to. There was some discussion on the Standard at the time the by-election was announced, but I can’t recall the verdict. One possibility raised was that as the overall numbers for Labour don’t change, no additional MP is required.
The scenario if they do bring someone in is that Davis wins the by-election, resigns his list seat and assumes his electorate seat. Labour then bring in the next suitable candidate to the list.
However, I think it has already been decided not to exercise the option to bring someone in on the list as it is too close to the general election and not worth bothering with. Or it was never an option at all, which given the lack of blogs screaming about the potential return of Judith Tizard, may be the case.
Davis is already an MP so if he wins, proportionality in Parliament remains unchanged. LAB does not get an extra MP from the list in that event, because doing so would change proportionality in Parliament.
Nah, if that were the case, they’d have got one when he resigned from the Maori Party. They have no list MP’s now, just four electorate seats. And they won’t have them, either, come November.
I think there are already two overhang MPs, making a total of 122 in the house. Losing Hone will drop that back to 121, one more than the nominal 120 MP’s Parliament is supposed to have.
Hone did make a very good pont in his response to the opening question of the Marae debate yesterday
“If you vote for me you get me and Kelvin”
Having both of these strong supporters of everyday Maori in Parliament is definitely better than one, so he had a point i reckon.
His whole point of resigning and forcing a by-election was to get a mandate for his new party. Voting for him because you would get both him and Kelvin would actually be against that mandate as he’s effectively saying voting for me is a for Labour.
yes, but i am more interested in the people that are in Parliament rather than what party they represent. I have this silly dream that with strong focused people in that building who actually want to help New Zealand we stand a chance of utilising the benefits of MMP and might actually crawl out from under the cheeks of the capitalist arse. This is more important than the gamesmanship endlessly repeated by the partisan manipulations of the process.
I do understand that Hone has employed these very methods to create this situation but sometimes, as any firefighter will tell you, you need a second fire to control the first.
Under normal circumstances I wouldn’t be adverse to Hone using that line but as he explicitly forced the by-election to seek a mandate for his party he shouldn’t be.
I met Sue Moroney at the Fielddays on Saturday who when asked why Labour hadn’t removed GST from Fruit and Veges in 2008 when they were asked to and had the chance told me that it was different back then. Newsflash, it wasn’t that different. Families were still struggling, and food was just as unaffordable, Labour had the opportunity and they didn’t.
Labour was still stuck in the Neo-Liberal mindset. Just with some tinkering around the edges.
Globalization, destroying NZ jobs, meanness towards the low paid and beneficiaries and allowing the banks free rein continued under the last Labour Government.
I hope they have changed, but I am not that optimistic. Most of the same players are still in Labour.
Personally I think we should leave GST as it is. Nice and simple to administer and calculate.
Compensate those on lower incomes with a Guaranteed minimum income which allows them to live at a reasonable level. Administer this through IRD and simplify the whole tax/benefit system.
Agreed with you totally here. From household surveys by Dept of Stats, Lab are being mischievous at best and manipulative fib telling at worst in regard to the affect that this policy will benefit households, and that is if the full 15% reduction is passed on to the consumer (Which there is no guarantee). Far better policy to increase min wage & benefits, but then there are those who miss out,so the Ax the Tax campaign would not have a direct impact on their day to day lives.
An extremely poorly thoughtout policy as a reaction from Labour getting badly caught with their pants down. 🙁
But what many forget CV is that household disposable incomes have improved since 07/08 with the huge reduction of mortgage rates (those with mortgages saving on average $3-$6k p.a.) renters have been the big loser both with rentals increasing and the cost of food- But no other party would have solved the issue to improve the stress that these households are under.
Jared – That is a good example of Labour’s confusion. They have said when introducing GST that it should apply to everything which would make it efficient, ie save expense of time and expense of money on handling GST. This is a mantra now, and so taking it off fruit and veges seemed too difficult, fiddling with the tax scheme once would lead to further calls for change, and criticism of extra cost to business, and drawing the line as to where the categories free of tax started and finished had lots of fishhooks.
Labour finds it easier to manage the economy with a tweak here and there, rather than attempt to deliver policies that assist the country to cope with situations now, attending also to the past, and being cognisant with likely future problems. The middle class lawyer is the bellwether for the party, happy with status quo and comfortable in themselves.
Looking at Phil Goff’s background on Wikipedia – he worked hard to get advanced education beyond the skilled tradesman level he might have chosen, ending up lecturing in Political Studies and worked hard for the Labour Party so it would seem he would support policies that advanced the interests of those on basic incomes. But “In the disputes between Roger Douglas (the reformist Finance Minister) and other Labour MPs, Goff generally positioned himself on the side of Douglas, supporting deregulation and free trade.” He later said that it’s failure was from lack of communication about it.
The comments I have made about the foolishness of young women in sucking in too much alcohol making them helpless to being sexually abused are confirmed by recent findings. One thing that the survey has turned up is that many are also on prescription drugs such as anti-depressants. They may be caught up in the self-medication that I think is behind much over-use of alcohol. But with dangerous consequences for young women who have suffered this invasive and intimate attack.
Further the favoured drink type is the RTD, and some might drink over ten during a party at 8% alcohol. Finally there is the very unfair way that the female body metabolises alcohol differently to men, apart from body size affecting it, and so women generally get higher blood alcohol faster than men.
The point about the date rape drugs is that many women have blamed them for the vulnerability leading to the sexual attacks, but this study has shown it is the alcohol that is the problem. Radnz – 9.07 20/6
Menace of date rape drugs may be overstated
Professor David Wells is an Associate Professor at the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne. He has researched the incidence of “drug facilitated sexual assault” or date rape. He is joined by Dr Cathy Stephenson a Wellington GP and DSAC doctor,(Doctors for Sexual Abuse Care). (20′53″)
You note they bent over backwards to avoid victim blaming, they stated the number of alcohol-involved sexual assaults was increasing but made no comment as to the proportion of sexual assaults that were alcohol involved, and they also mentioned a high incidence of prescription psychopharmaceuticals use, which actually lends support to other factors affecting rapists’ decision making rather than just alcohol.
But one thing they can’t control for is whether the precipitating factor is exposure to large amounts of alcohol, or exposure to a rapist. I bet 99% of the survivors in the study were not drinking alone (locked in a panic room and popping anxiety pills like tic tacs).
The other point is that even if it weren’t a bit off to say that your drinking puts you at risk of other people’s choice to assault you, sexual assault is a much smaller risk than the stuff people actually cause themselves when they’re pissed.
Got Pissed, Fell Over.
The doctors also mentioned the low reporting rate and the poor attitude of some juries regarding victim blaming, by the way. Keep that problem going, why don’t you.
Sella was created out of the desire to give Kiwis a choice when it came to them wanting to buy or sell something online.
They obviously don’t understand the concept of “choice”. People may need a choice in products but they don’t really need a choice in identical services especially when it so obviously makes it far more expensive. Two auction sites? Yeah, that means that I have to do twice as much work to find what I’m looking for if I want the best deal. Auction sites work well as monopolies which is why Trademe should be government owned and tax supported.
I was going to point out the existence of Zillion but they’ve already bought it. Apparently their desire to offer “choice” doesn’t extend very far.
This is an interesting page giving a short history of auction sites in NZ. It clearly shows that choice isn’t what people need or want in auction sites.
Sella was created out of the desire to give Kiwis a choice when it came to them wanting to buy or sell something online.
Seems you’ve fallen for the marketing speak, Draco. Sella was created because the owners thought they could turn a profit doing it. That’s the end of the story.
Sella have no fees, and directly went with a marketing strategy of attracting corporate auctions, like Air New Zealand for example, and having ads on the site (which trademe also does). Customers are better served by all auctions being on one site, but having said that, customers would be better served if that one site was sella instead of trademe, just on the basis of fees. Trademe also has atrocious customer service that I don’t really think justifies the fees they charge.
We need to wake up. When a bureaucracy rewards schools primarily for high standardized test scores, teaching becomes self-serving—for school districts, not for children. Impressive school rankings are meaningless if schools don’t embrace the value of a lifelong love of learning as the clearest pathway to success.
NAct have brought back the failed learning environment of the 1970s (1870s?) with their National Standards. Testing to ensure you remember what you were told but ignoring the process of learning and understanding which is far more important.
Well found Draco and even the comment from Jodi:
“December 3, 2010 at 1:30 am
I could not agree more. Today’s standardized tests are sucking the life out of teaching and learning…. not to mention the test preparation invalidtates the scores.”
And just bumped into a reading advocate/consultant who said she had just come from a school where they were greatly stressed in trying to fit the demands of NS with their reports due out soon. We agreed that the new-ish NZ Curriculum which respects skills and thinking processes, is getting sidelined for the sake of a political ideology. It is the first time ever that a teaching/learning process has been laid on Primary Schools on the whim of a PM and imposed by a Minister who, I have a sneaking suspicion, doesn’t believe in it either. (Some schools are of course giving a minimum lip service and are by-passing NS.)
Hone is only slightly worse placed than John Key and Paul Holmes. So who do they trust more of those three? Who cares as they all wallow in the same hollow.
It is said you shouldn’t sweat the small stuff. I believe if you pay attention to the detail the big picture takes care of itself. So don’t laugh but the last few weeks have seen some remarkable victories for everyday people in our community. The Wellington City Council has backed down on increased charges to parking and an extension of parking fee hours. Infratil has admitted its was in error to exclude Wellington from the discussion of how best to scar a hillside. Wellington Combined Taxis has realised its clients accept being video recorded but havng ears in the cars is unwarranted. The events mentioned above all have powerful common elements. They were implicitly voiced as a fait accompli. They were intrusive to the day to day social function of a community. Most importantly they were being declared without a just mandate. They were all stopped.
This occurred because of the community sharing information and the acknowledgement of public discourse. These are still the greatest tools that we have. The disparity with how much we communicate today is that we use them not often enough. These are tools that are being constantly dulled by an ever expanding net of surveillance and a media sideshow that commands distraction. Each of the incidents above were a minor but very real real threat to the freedom of the community involved. A public that can collectively express reservation and together find a purpose to bring change is a community that can achieve far greater success. New Zealand has these tools in abundance. It is high time they were taken out of the shed, unbundled from the camping gear and used to build the country that we all know is possible.
A public that can collectively express reservation and together find a purpose to bring change is a community that can achieve far greater success. New Zealand has these tools in abundance. It is high time they were taken out of the shed, unbundled from the camping gear and used to build the country that we all know is possible.
Agreed but I’m going to have to point out that the “wins” on the parking were backing the wrong horse.
Mr Key, do you still support the bailout to SCF now that it is currently being investigated by the SFO which has admitted it is an investigation that will take some time to complete?
“The SFO has another investigation in early stages probing related party transactions at the failed lender South Canterbury Finance, previously largely owned by Southbury Group, the Hubbards investment company. That investigation still has a long way to run.”
As the years go by you get a bit jaded and take it in your stride when you encounter what amounts to utter bollocks – but I was taken back by the editorial in today’s Herald. I was unprepared for an editorial to be so utterly blinded to the truth….
[lprent: If you are going to link whore, then make it relevant to the people on this site.
Your previous comment/link to this same post did not show the relevance to the topic. Neither comment gives enough information for people to decide not to click through. Explain why they should look at it.
Do not copy/paste comments between posts either.
Otherwise persisting with this behavior wil result in a ban. in the meantime I am wiping the links to encourage you put in better comments. ]
Everyone seems to be courting my vote. John Key was at my neighbourhood cafe on Saturday. And when I went to lunch today, there was Mike Williams, two tables away.
Kiwi hero Harmeet Sooden is off on the next Freedom Flotilla to Gaza. On NewstalkZB today, there was the usual hysterical, sarcastic, angry, and (most of all) baffled reaction to this news, but on Television One, Mark Sainsbury actually made a half-decent attempt at confronting the Israeli ambassador to New Zealand, Mr Shemi Tzur.
“Nine peace activists were killed. How many Israeli casualties were there?” A clearly embarrassed Mr Tzur pauses a long time, then launches into a wandery diversion. Disappointingly, Sainsbury does not press him to answer the question straight, and lets him slide away.
But, unexpectedly, instead of letting Mr Tzur run the interview down with outrageous claptrap about “legitimate channels of aid”, Sainsbury rattles him with two more pointed questions: “Do you think Harmeet Sooden is a provocateur? Is he an arms smuggler?”
The ambassador pauses significantly, then says with all the affected sincerity he can muster: “No, he has been misled. Look, they are opening another huge mall in Gaza. They might be short of a few things, but…”
Sadly, though, Sainsbury doesn’t follow through and the interview winds down to a limp ending.
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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 ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
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. ...
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 ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
I was initially resistant to the idea often suggested to me that the Government should deliver an arts strategy. The whole point of the arts and creativity is that people should do whatever the hell they want, unbound by the dictates of politicians in Wellington. Peter Jackson, Kiri Te Kanawa, Eleanor ...
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 ...
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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 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
ACT's Rural Communities and Veterans spokesman Mark Cameron responds to cancellations and protests of ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington. He says, "These pitiful attempts to detract from ANZAC Day are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Pōneke based peace activists staged a silent protest at the ANZAC day service to highlight New Zealand’s complicity in war and genocide, and urge the government to take concrete steps to stop the genocide in Palestine. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena M.E. Bunbury, Postdoctoral Researcher, James Cook University Burial with a horse at the Rákóczifalva site, Hungary (8th century AD).Sándor Hegedűs, Hungarian National Museum, CC BY How do we understand past societies? For centuries, our main sources of information have been ...
Amanda Thompson doesn’t really do Anzac Day. But what she does do is remember the people she knew who had a lifetime to remember stuff they didn’t really want to, because of a war they didn’t ask for. And she does make Anzac biscuits.First published in 2021.All my ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Willis, Postdoctoral Researcher, CSIRO Xavier Boulenger/Shutterstock In the two decades to 2019, global plastic production doubled. By 2040, plastic manufacturing and processing could consume as much as 20% of global oil production and use up 15% of the annual carbon ...
With our collective remembrance, and steadfast belief in our common humanity, we strengthen our hope and resolve to do what we can to foster dialogue and understanding, and to heal divisions in our pursuit of peace. ...
Principal reasons for the opposition is the loss of the public’s democratic right to have “a fair say” and the vital need for a government free from corruption, said Casey Cravens of Dunedin, president of the New Zealand Federation of Freshwater ...
Never mind the scoreboard – in the 2000 Bledisloe Cup decider, the real trans-Tasman battle was won before kickoff.First published in 2016. The dawn of the new millennium was a dark time for the All Blacks. Their final game pre-Y2K was a 22-18 loss to South Africa in the ...
I’m on the wrong side of 40, I never pursued creative work and now my job is killing my soul. Help! Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,May I start with the least original conversation opener you’re likely to hear around the motu at the moment, particularly in Wellington: ...
“Never again - No AUKUS” was the message of the wreath laid at this morning’s national ANZAC Day commemorative service at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park this morning by the Stop AUKUS group. ...
Until this month, Auckland swimmer Hazel Ouwehand had never met a qualifying time in an Olympic event for a New Zealand team, even as a junior. Now she’s very likely off to the Paris Olympics after swimming well under the qualifying standard in the 100m butterfly twice – both in ...
While Anzac Day has experienced a resurgence in recent years, our other day of remembrance has slowly faded from view.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. Original illustrations by Hope McConnell.First published in 2022.The high school’s head girl and ...
Australian and New Zealand volunteers fought together in the Waikato War, yet still its place in the Anzac tradition is unacknowledged by our defence forces or Returned Services Association.First published in 2018.When I was a boy cub I attended Anzac Day services in the South Auckland suburb of ...
A poem by Wellington writer Tayi Tibble.Hoki Mai She kisses him goodbye with her eyes still wet and alight from their last swim in the Awatere river. At the train station celebration, she leads the Kapa Haka but her voice keeps breaking under and over itself like waves. ...
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There are three books I have wolfed down in one sitting over the last two years. Colleen Maria Lenihan’s gorgeous and sad debut Kōhine, Noelle McCarthy’s memoir Grand about becoming her mother and then unbecoming her, and now Hine Toa, a staunch yet gentle self-portrait by living legend Ngāhuia te ...
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And so it goes:
Radio active tea found in Paris, 60 km south of Tokyo (Fukushima is North of Tokyo)and the Netherlands. Radio active fish found near Hong Kong 3000 km away from Japan. Radioactive Wales 650 km North East of Japan.
A 35% spike in infant mortality in Western cities in the weeks after the Earthquake of the US could be related to the radiation fall out the EPA is not testing
Rumour has it that Radioactive Iodine and Caesium has been found in the waters around Australia and New Zealand but I’m still trying to find confirmation for that.
But hey, we should all just trust our Main stream media and our official Radiation experts who I’m happy to report are on the case.
Well at least they were on the 23th of March.
Yep, that was before the MSM reported that three full meltdowns and melt throughs had been reported.
Oh, and then there is of course the Radioactive metal in cars. Geiger counters only pick up the radioactive gasses and not the “fuel fleas” as Arnie Gundersen explains.
But didn’t DPF tell us on Jim Mora’s show that everything would be okay? Surely we can trust that little man?
You mean the guy installed as a columnist for the NZH and stuff.co.nz? The guy who had a private visit to the halls of the Knesset hosted by chairman of the Knesset and Likud member Reuven Rivlin? You mean that guy?
Yes that guy. See here is the Standard comment about his remarks about how wonderful nuclear power is. http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-15032011/#comment-308257 I mean, he’s an expert about it, right?
But in all seriousness, this story isn’t getting the air it needs in the MSM. Then again, can you name me a serious issue that actually is getting proper treatment by the MSM?
And the guy for Nuclear advancement says it was the Tsunami what did it and that we can mitigate that. ROFL.
It was of course the quake which caused the damage as it turned out.
And now there is a second nuclear plant up shit creek in Nebraska. Not that you would know from our MSM. Of course.
We’ll embrace nuclear power. Like hell we will!
Oh dear,
Travellers from Japan in China who don’t understand why they should be radioactive since they were nowhere near the Fukushima plant!!!
That’s why we need a Left based MSM not controlled by corporate powers.
Even more disturbingly, he was hosted by Young Likud. Farrar is either too dim or too uncaring to notice just how extreme these people are.
This is a video of John Key visiting the New Zealand Zionist federation. (One of the photos in the top slider shows a character on the right side which looks suspiciously like whale blubber but I’m probably wrong)
I don’t think that Farrar is stupid. I think he’s a nasty malevolent piece of shite and to think that him being such a clear national mouthpiece visiting Israel a year after the election of John Key (Who has walked out on Ahmadinajad’s speech at the UN with all his Zionist mates) and him being hosted by young Likud should be viewed as very suspicious indeed.
Added to that the fact that he is now a columnist for both the NZ herald and the Waikato times should make us wonder since it was announced that the AIPAC wanted to extend its influence
Wow.
I was at Avondale Market yesterday with other Labour Supporters, Phil Goff and David Cunliffe and some Labour MPs including Kelvin Davis. Maori party MPs including Pita Sharples and Tariana Turia were there as well as their candidate Solomon Tipene.
I was struck and pleased by the friendliness of the interaction between them.
Louisa Wall has long advocated for a respectful relationship between Labour and the Maori Party. After all they have far more in common with Labour than National.
After the dust settles this weekend I suspect there will be a reexamination of the current relationship which needs to be improved.
Labour will need a new campaign manager if it wants to forge a better relationship with the Maori Party. Trevor Mallard has a history of slagging the Maori Party off, if Labour are serious about forming a government in the long distant future then they have to stop Shane Jones and Trevor from trying to kill them.
Advice for Labour from Portion Control! We’re all ears mate!
Patronising Concerntroll is still on the payroll, then…
If Kelvin Davis wins the byelection on Saturday does that mean that Labour will be able to bring in the next person on the list?
That question has been asked before and I think that the answer was no. Lists are activated at General Elections or resignations. I think.
I think the answer is yes, if they want to. There was some discussion on the Standard at the time the by-election was announced, but I can’t recall the verdict. One possibility raised was that as the overall numbers for Labour don’t change, no additional MP is required.
The scenario if they do bring someone in is that Davis wins the by-election, resigns his list seat and assumes his electorate seat. Labour then bring in the next suitable candidate to the list.
However, I think it has already been decided not to exercise the option to bring someone in on the list as it is too close to the general election and not worth bothering with. Or it was never an option at all, which given the lack of blogs screaming about the potential return of Judith Tizard, may be the case.
Davis is already an MP so if he wins, proportionality in Parliament remains unchanged. LAB does not get an extra MP from the list in that event, because doing so would change proportionality in Parliament.
However won’t parliament be one short without Hone?
Yes, the Maori Party would get a new list MP. (I think…)
Nah, if that were the case, they’d have got one when he resigned from the Maori Party. They have no list MP’s now, just four electorate seats. And they won’t have them, either, come November.
I think there are already two overhang MPs, making a total of 122 in the house. Losing Hone will drop that back to 121, one more than the nominal 120 MP’s Parliament is supposed to have.
Nope as we have an overhang at present. The Maori Party has too many MPs for its proportional vote.
You guys are smart… 🙂
Hone did make a very good pont in his response to the opening question of the Marae debate yesterday
“If you vote for me you get me and Kelvin”
Having both of these strong supporters of everyday Maori in Parliament is definitely better than one, so he had a point i reckon.
His whole point of resigning and forcing a by-election was to get a mandate for his new party. Voting for him because you would get both him and Kelvin would actually be against that mandate as he’s effectively saying voting for me is a for Labour.
yes, but i am more interested in the people that are in Parliament rather than what party they represent. I have this silly dream that with strong focused people in that building who actually want to help New Zealand we stand a chance of utilising the benefits of MMP and might actually crawl out from under the cheeks of the capitalist arse. This is more important than the gamesmanship endlessly repeated by the partisan manipulations of the process.
I do understand that Hone has employed these very methods to create this situation but sometimes, as any firefighter will tell you, you need a second fire to control the first.
Under normal circumstances I wouldn’t be adverse to Hone using that line but as he explicitly forced the by-election to seek a mandate for his party he shouldn’t be.
I met Sue Moroney at the Fielddays on Saturday who when asked why Labour hadn’t removed GST from Fruit and Veges in 2008 when they were asked to and had the chance told me that it was different back then. Newsflash, it wasn’t that different. Families were still struggling, and food was just as unaffordable, Labour had the opportunity and they didn’t.
Labour was still stuck in the Neo-Liberal mindset. Just with some tinkering around the edges.
Globalization, destroying NZ jobs, meanness towards the low paid and beneficiaries and allowing the banks free rein continued under the last Labour Government.
I hope they have changed, but I am not that optimistic. Most of the same players are still in Labour.
Personally I think we should leave GST as it is. Nice and simple to administer and calculate.
Compensate those on lower incomes with a Guaranteed minimum income which allows them to live at a reasonable level. Administer this through IRD and simplify the whole tax/benefit system.
Agreed with you totally here. From household surveys by Dept of Stats, Lab are being mischievous at best and manipulative fib telling at worst in regard to the affect that this policy will benefit households, and that is if the full 15% reduction is passed on to the consumer (Which there is no guarantee). Far better policy to increase min wage & benefits, but then there are those who miss out,so the Ax the Tax campaign would not have a direct impact on their day to day lives.
An extremely poorly thoughtout policy as a reaction from Labour getting badly caught with their pants down. 🙁
Technically speaking, food is 10-15% less affordable now than in 2008, plus there are far more unemployed struggling on the dole.
But yeah, Labour was has not been a left wing party of the working class for some considerable time.
But what many forget CV is that household disposable incomes have improved since 07/08 with the huge reduction of mortgage rates (those with mortgages saving on average $3-$6k p.a.) renters have been the big loser both with rentals increasing and the cost of food- But no other party would have solved the issue to improve the stress that these households are under.
Jared – That is a good example of Labour’s confusion. They have said when introducing GST that it should apply to everything which would make it efficient, ie save expense of time and expense of money on handling GST. This is a mantra now, and so taking it off fruit and veges seemed too difficult, fiddling with the tax scheme once would lead to further calls for change, and criticism of extra cost to business, and drawing the line as to where the categories free of tax started and finished had lots of fishhooks.
Labour finds it easier to manage the economy with a tweak here and there, rather than attempt to deliver policies that assist the country to cope with situations now, attending also to the past, and being cognisant with likely future problems. The middle class lawyer is the bellwether for the party, happy with status quo and comfortable in themselves.
Looking at Phil Goff’s background on Wikipedia – he worked hard to get advanced education beyond the skilled tradesman level he might have chosen, ending up lecturing in Political Studies and worked hard for the Labour Party so it would seem he would support policies that advanced the interests of those on basic incomes. But “In the disputes between Roger Douglas (the reformist Finance Minister) and other Labour MPs, Goff generally positioned himself on the side of Douglas, supporting deregulation and free trade.” He later said that it’s failure was from lack of communication about it.
The comments I have made about the foolishness of young women in sucking in too much alcohol making them helpless to being sexually abused are confirmed by recent findings. One thing that the survey has turned up is that many are also on prescription drugs such as anti-depressants. They may be caught up in the self-medication that I think is behind much over-use of alcohol. But with dangerous consequences for young women who have suffered this invasive and intimate attack.
Further the favoured drink type is the RTD, and some might drink over ten during a party at 8% alcohol. Finally there is the very unfair way that the female body metabolises alcohol differently to men, apart from body size affecting it, and so women generally get higher blood alcohol faster than men.
The point about the date rape drugs is that many women have blamed them for the vulnerability leading to the sexual attacks, but this study has shown it is the alcohol that is the problem.
Radnz – 9.07 20/6
Menace of date rape drugs may be overstated
Professor David Wells is an Associate Professor at the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne. He has researched the incidence of “drug facilitated sexual assault” or date rape. He is joined by Dr Cathy Stephenson a Wellington GP and DSAC doctor,(Doctors for Sexual Abuse Care). (20′53″)
Man you are in for another beating 😛
There is an atrocious human cost to the massive amounts of dirt cheap alcohol being consumed in this country, however.
Major interventional controls are necessary.
That sounds more like an argument for banning men drinking alcohol because they are the ones who largely commit the sexual attacks.
You note they bent over backwards to avoid victim blaming, they stated the number of alcohol-involved sexual assaults was increasing but made no comment as to the proportion of sexual assaults that were alcohol involved, and they also mentioned a high incidence of prescription psychopharmaceuticals use, which actually lends support to other factors affecting rapists’ decision making rather than just alcohol.
But one thing they can’t control for is whether the precipitating factor is exposure to large amounts of alcohol, or exposure to a rapist. I bet 99% of the survivors in the study were not drinking alone (locked in a panic room and popping anxiety pills like tic tacs).
The other point is that even if it weren’t a bit off to say that your drinking puts you at risk of other people’s choice to assault you, sexual assault is a much smaller risk than the stuff people actually cause themselves when they’re pissed.
Got Pissed, Fell Over.
The doctors also mentioned the low reporting rate and the poor attitude of some juries regarding victim blaming, by the way. Keep that problem going, why don’t you.
Sella
They obviously don’t understand the concept of “choice”. People may need a choice in products but they don’t really need a choice in identical services especially when it so obviously makes it far more expensive. Two auction sites? Yeah, that means that I have to do twice as much work to find what I’m looking for if I want the best deal. Auction sites work well as monopolies which is why Trademe should be government owned and tax supported.
I was going to point out the existence of Zillion but they’ve already bought it. Apparently their desire to offer “choice” doesn’t extend very far.
This is an interesting page giving a short history of auction sites in NZ. It clearly shows that choice isn’t what people need or want in auction sites.
Seems you’ve fallen for the marketing speak, Draco. Sella was created because the owners thought they could turn a profit doing it. That’s the end of the story.
Sella have no fees, and directly went with a marketing strategy of attracting corporate auctions, like Air New Zealand for example, and having ads on the site (which trademe also does). Customers are better served by all auctions being on one site, but having said that, customers would be better served if that one site was sella instead of trademe, just on the basis of fees. Trademe also has atrocious customer service that I don’t really think justifies the fees they charge.
Did you see the bit about government owned and tax supported?
And why are you quoting the same Sella quote back at me? I was ripping it a new one.
Why Standardized Tests Kill the Joy of Learning
NAct have brought back the failed learning environment of the 1970s (1870s?) with their National Standards. Testing to ensure you remember what you were told but ignoring the process of learning and understanding which is far more important.
Well found Draco and even the comment from Jodi:
“December 3, 2010 at 1:30 am
I could not agree more. Today’s standardized tests are sucking the life out of teaching and learning…. not to mention the test preparation invalidtates the scores.”
And just bumped into a reading advocate/consultant who said she had just come from a school where they were greatly stressed in trying to fit the demands of NS with their reports due out soon. We agreed that the new-ish NZ Curriculum which respects skills and thinking processes, is getting sidelined for the sake of a political ideology. It is the first time ever that a teaching/learning process has been laid on Primary Schools on the whim of a PM and imposed by a Minister who, I have a sneaking suspicion, doesn’t believe in it either. (Some schools are of course giving a minimum lip service and are by-passing NS.)
There’s a Stuff poll on .
http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/5166512/Trust-Conchords-have-it-politicians-don-t
Do they think women are not trustworthy all? They seem to be worse on this issue than the original survey, which is top heavy with males.
Hone is only slightly worse placed than John Key and Paul Holmes. So who do they trust more of those three? Who cares as they all wallow in the same hollow.
It is said you shouldn’t sweat the small stuff. I believe if you pay attention to the detail the big picture takes care of itself. So don’t laugh but the last few weeks have seen some remarkable victories for everyday people in our community. The Wellington City Council has backed down on increased charges to parking and an extension of parking fee hours. Infratil has admitted its was in error to exclude Wellington from the discussion of how best to scar a hillside. Wellington Combined Taxis has realised its clients accept being video recorded but havng ears in the cars is unwarranted. The events mentioned above all have powerful common elements. They were implicitly voiced as a fait accompli. They were intrusive to the day to day social function of a community. Most importantly they were being declared without a just mandate. They were all stopped.
This occurred because of the community sharing information and the acknowledgement of public discourse. These are still the greatest tools that we have. The disparity with how much we communicate today is that we use them not often enough. These are tools that are being constantly dulled by an ever expanding net of surveillance and a media sideshow that commands distraction. Each of the incidents above were a minor but very real real threat to the freedom of the community involved. A public that can collectively express reservation and together find a purpose to bring change is a community that can achieve far greater success. New Zealand has these tools in abundance. It is high time they were taken out of the shed, unbundled from the camping gear and used to build the country that we all know is possible.
Agreed but I’m going to have to point out that the “wins” on the parking were backing the wrong horse.
using an example that could be said to defend the use of private cars over public transport did hurt a bit, but the objective is valid.
Hubbard to face 50 charges brought by SFO
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10733337
(in his best Joker’s voice )
and away we go
Mr Key, do you still support the bailout to SCF now that it is currently being investigated by the SFO which has admitted it is an investigation that will take some time to complete?
“The SFO has another investigation in early stages probing related party transactions at the failed lender South Canterbury Finance, previously largely owned by Southbury Group, the Hubbards investment company. That investigation still has a long way to run.”
As the years go by you get a bit jaded and take it in your stride when you encounter what amounts to utter bollocks – but I was taken back by the editorial in today’s Herald. I was unprepared for an editorial to be so utterly blinded to the truth….
Latest Roy Morgan is out.
Bouncing all round the place, groan …
Trev called it: http://blog.labour.org.nz/index.php/2011/06/10/take-care-with-polls/
My blog:
The path out of debt is the most exciting one.
http://tiny.cc/deleted
[lprent: If you are going to link whore, then make it relevant to the people on this site.
Your previous comment/link to this same post did not show the relevance to the topic. Neither comment gives enough information for people to decide not to click through. Explain why they should look at it.
Do not copy/paste comments between posts either.
Otherwise persisting with this behavior wil result in a ban. in the meantime I am wiping the links to encourage you put in better comments. ]
It ain’t pretty but you get the point.
Everyone seems to be courting my vote. John Key was at my neighbourhood cafe on Saturday. And when I went to lunch today, there was Mike Williams, two tables away.
Monday 20 June 2011
Mark Sainsbury discomfits Israeli ambassador with some hard questions
http://tvnz.co.nz/close-up/monday-june-20-4250637/video
Kiwi hero Harmeet Sooden is off on the next Freedom Flotilla to Gaza. On NewstalkZB today, there was the usual hysterical, sarcastic, angry, and (most of all) baffled reaction to this news, but on Television One, Mark Sainsbury actually made a half-decent attempt at confronting the Israeli ambassador to New Zealand, Mr Shemi Tzur.
It’s worth watching this ten-minute clip, entitled Kiwi’s daring Gaza mission….
“Nine peace activists were killed. How many Israeli casualties were there?” A clearly embarrassed Mr Tzur pauses a long time, then launches into a wandery diversion. Disappointingly, Sainsbury does not press him to answer the question straight, and lets him slide away.
But, unexpectedly, instead of letting Mr Tzur run the interview down with outrageous claptrap about “legitimate channels of aid”, Sainsbury rattles him with two more pointed questions: “Do you think Harmeet Sooden is a provocateur? Is he an arms smuggler?”
The ambassador pauses significantly, then says with all the affected sincerity he can muster: “No, he has been misled. Look, they are opening another huge mall in Gaza. They might be short of a few things, but…”
Sadly, though, Sainsbury doesn’t follow through and the interview winds down to a limp ending.
But it’s much better than usual from Sainsbury.
Performance rating: 6 out of 10.
http://tvnz.co.nz/close-up/monday-june-20-4250637/video