this represent the fall of the speculator class
watch as they head for the exit door all at once in blind panic as they realize there debt positions are hopeless
Bear in mind too that this behaviour equally applies to the NZ dollar.
I’ve already come across several people gloating about how they bought significant amounts of US currency in the last few weeks and have just made an enormous tax free profit.
Capitalism attacks what it doesn’t like via all means possible.
This is indeed , Winstons , NZ Firsts ,… and this country’s finest hour.
His namesake is and was prophetic,… and with co workers the Greens and a conciliatory Adern and Labour party ,… expect a real resurgence of NZ popular culture and prosperity.
This is the real New Zealand calling ,- with all its rambunctious , good hearted , slap happy and ‘ no worry’s mate ‘ way of dealing with life.
This is what we are all about , – prosperity , hard work , and a sense of equality among our community. The exact opposite of the Roger Douglas / Ruth Richardson era.
We are the New Zealanders.
We are a great nation.
And we are self determined.
And we reject globalism , neo liberalism and being pawns to global banking elites and their advocates.
Bryan Ferry – This Is Tomorrow [Official] – YouTube
Aye … an idealist I know,… but these are the essence of the NZ experience that generations understood. It was terminated in 1984. There is no reason not to reclaim back what was once ours by birthright.
It is simply a reversal of many of the tenuous ‘legislation’s’ passed under the auspices of the NZ Initiative ( former Business Roundtable ) using willing politicians of the time .
You will find ,… that it is not all that hard to reverse.
All it takes is some blunt honesty and the guts to say ‘ no more’ .
It feels good doesn’t it? Just to know most people want truth fairness and hope.
Keep posting Eco Maori, you often express new ways of looking at familiar things. That is valuable.
Finally there is hope for our once fair Country.
I am really looking forward to the resurrection of public broadcasting. The media have so much to answer for.
TVNZ needs a big sort out either get rid of the likes of Hoskins or so we keep the so called “freedom of speech” return Channel 7 that can give an alternative counter-argument against the crap that is regurgitated all the time.
Made a point of hunting out Hoskings this morning and what a hoot! Over the top. Doom and Gloom from a chap who used to be scathing of those who talk Doom and Glooom. Hypocrite.
Along with sorting out tvnz,
winz and their reptilian ways,
housing nz and their p hysteria,
the police- either sledge hammer to open a walnut a la Nicky Hager or ‘nothing to see here’ a la Todd debarclay.
Our letter to all parties in the new Labour lead government sent this morning.
Citizens Environmental Advocacy Centre. (CEAC) Est’ 2001.
PO Box 474. Napier. Email; clean.air@xtra.co.nz
Protecting our environment & health.
In association with other Community Groups, NHTCF and all Government Agencies since 2001.
20th October 2017.
Public COMMUNITY letter
TO all Executive MP’s/Ministers of the new labour Lead Government.
Firstly we congratulate all your wise choices that has given us a ‘new dawn’ of change to a warm, caring, inclusive, considerate Government for our future.
Our message blog (below) has been sent to you for real change for today to consider.
Please seriously consider those points for our regional communities environmental & social wellbeing for our future please.
We must have this new Labour lead Gov’t to swiftly purge all former National cling-on’s from all government positions and agencies and SOE’s such as Kiwi rail as these National cling-ons were placed inside kiwi rail and it’s own board to kill our rail system off and isolate the management from public contact, this we know as we have emails from kiwi rail management saying the public have been excluded from contacting all Kiwi rail management last year. Top Board of Kiwi rail appointees by National were Paula Rebstock must be fired now as she was so toxic to Kiwi rail’s survival.
NZTA/Kiwi rail/Ministry of Transport all must loose their top National Party placed management and be replaced by labour Lead appointed administrative positions.
A new Minister of rail must be announced by Labour lead government to protect our own Rail company again and setup to restore our regional freight and passenger rail services again.
The Ministry of the Environment Management must loose all national party appointees also.
The Parliamentary commissioner for the Environment must re-instate a labour chosen appointee as national have just chosen a former national MP as the new commissioner for the Environment so that is such a bad move and must be stopped.
“Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment” (PCE) is one of the most important agencies Labour must return full funding to provide complete public services to and conduct regional studies on all environmental issues of concerns to all communities again as labour had set up this agency when last in Government.
Also included must be similar changes in all Regional Government Management positions as those National appointed managers were becoming un-cooperative with the communities they are supposed to serve.
We must re-instate the Ministry of Transport as “principal advisory” to Government again, as it was during the last labour Government.
National had deliberately reduced Ministry of Transport to a door stop for government policies under National and have deliberately advanced NZTA as ‘king of transport’ which is wrong as NZTA is only simply an ‘RCA’ or a (road controlling agency)
Next we need to return all Government documents to the Former labour government policy platforms & positions regarding the insertion of the “policies for agencies to have regard for “Environmental and Social policy planning” inside all documents supplied to public, Local, and central governments.
This will ensure we move to save our society’s environment, health and regional wealth of our NZ Nation again after a painful nine year loss to us all.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
We must have this new Labour lead Gov’t to swiftly purge all former National cling-on’s from all government positions
“Purge”?
Add to that the demands for Hosking and others to be fired …
I know the internet is essentially about sad little powerless people venting their madness (that’s why I feel at home on it) but you don’t think you’re striking rather too Stalinist a note here?
If I was Duncan Gardner I would see reality and change my tone or is all that cash national has in his right pocket to heavy for him to see his future.
Ka Pai.
Herald on-line:
Mike Hosking: “Already a mess – we are all in trouble.
Winston Peters opens with a dissertation on how the world is coming to an end, and it won’t be the new government’s fault. ”
Yes Mike, the world is going to end. People like you are convinced it is. You tell us we are in trouble. Peters says something at the beginning and you say it means the world is going to end.
The dire degree of the trouble we are in is shown by the fact that such a limited, self-absorbed drama queen like you has any role in our media to splurge out your nonsensical rantings. The dire degree of the trouble we are in is shown by the fact the numbers in the country are sucked into believing you and the dumbness you spout.
I heard this morning that Jacinda Ardern was to be on your programme. Her pre-election visits to pre-schools would have prepared her I suppose. If she got to speak to the three year olds.
Feeling blessed with the new government. Thank you to all.
Also feeling blessed with our underfunded health service still doing it under adverse circumstances. I had a heart attack yesterday, helicopter flight, stent put in..
Make sure you say I love you to those you love – life is a journey no doubt about that. Kia kaha.
Holy shit marty! Thanks for letting us know you are ok and as always focussing on the things that matter. All the best with recovering, be good to yourself too e hoa. Kia tino ora ki a koe.
But these days it’s spectacular how well they can deal with these things – I had a mate who literally died in ED, and two days later they had a consistent blood pressure, new meds for him, a stent in, and he was good to go home.
And, being Otago, they gave him 4 cheese rolls for lunch lol
Was it before or after Winston’s news Marty? You’ll be able to take the political news more calmly now, thank goodness. Relax and enjoy, you have put your time in keeping the discussion alive making points to be considered. When you are back on the beat again you can give us a report on the Nelson? Hospital standards. Mauri ora!
Ouch. Just catching up on that news. It is a bit of shock. But if you’re operating afterward enough to write comments on a blog and get annoyed with the colour beige you’re probably OK.
I effectively died at home in 2011 with a severe myocardial infarction after a pile of goop dropped out of a artery wall and caused a blood clot that stopped a large part of the flow of blood to the heart. Fortunately I live only a few minutes from the ambulance base and I have a deeply suspicious partner who was wondering why I was making funny noises, knew CPR and kept hitting me while juggling the phone. A case of spousal abuse that I can live with.
The stents work and drugs are effective once you get the right dosages and if you haven’t taken too much heart muscle damage. I was back at work a week later because it was so frigging boring being at home.
The worst of it for me was giving up smoking and then putting on weight. Still trying to get that off.
The whole world will take not of this date in time for the cataclysmic shift in our political system to a society that does not worship money over people”s
Welfare or over our future mother earth and our grandchildren future .P.S. I was matching Tv 1 and 3 news on 2 lap tops this morning please be fair
Kia Kaha
Instead of hanging out Taika Waititi as a traitor, the first useful thing this government could do is make every single real estate agent unemployed. They can go milk cows for a while.
“When Kiwi Keith, Barry Gustafson’s biography of Holyoake was published in 2007, Michael Bassett criticised the lack of explanation about ‘the accusations leveled at Holyoake over his influence to get essential services into Kinloch that appears to have turned him and his partners into wealthy men’. [2] Bassett was referring to the fortuitous building of a government road to the edge of the partners’ property. But in truth there is much more to scrutinize than Holyoake’s influence in having the road built. There are the circumstances, for instance, of his acquisition of Māori land there in 1956.”
While road use is up 15% from 2013, deaths are up 60%.
According to the report, more lives could have been saved for half the cost of one of the National Government’s roads of national significance.
The entire state highway network could have had median barriers put in place for half the cost of one of the National’s roads of national significance.
Let’s hope our new Government will pick up on this.
A little disappointed the Greens failed to achieve their preference (a full coalition deal with Labour). And from what I can gather, secured no core benefit increase.
I’ll have more comment once the dust settles and policy is announced.
While road use is up 15% from 2013, deaths are up 60%.
According to the Ministry of Transport’s information, the road toll in 2013 was 253 and in 2016 it was 328. That’s a 30% increase, not 60%.
Next time you’re out on the roads, ponder this: Your risk of dying in a crash is 40% higher now than it was in 2013.
Relative risk increases are great for scare stories in the media, but not much use otherwise. When the level of risk is very low, significant percentage increases still leave the risk very low, eg if your risk of getting a particular cancer in the next five years is 0.0001 and there’s something that increases it to 0.00014, that’s a 40% increase but nobody in the media is going to make headlines out of a risk increasing by a fraction of a tenth of a percent, so you give them the 40% relative increase instead and they run with that, horribly misleading though it is.
In other words, your risk of being killed in a crash this year is not significantly greater than it was in 2013.
Aye using %ages without providing the underlying numbers is always dishonest. It gives no sense of context especially if the increase is off a low base.
”According to the Ministry of Transport’s information, the road toll in 2013 was 253 and in 2016 it was 328. That’s a 30% increase, not 60%”
You only went as far as 2016, this research goes to 2017.
Total road fatalities in New Zealand in the past 12 months alone was 373.
Whether or not it is coming off a low risk base, the chance of having a crash is still 40% higher now than in 2013.
And regardless if it is a low risk rate overall, there is far too many people being killed and harmed on or roads. Median barriers would go a long way in reducing those numbers.
Sure they would. But “Your risk of X is 40% higher” is a completely worthless piece of information. If your risk X was 0.5 and now it’s 0.7, that’s pretty scary. But it was 0.0001 and now it’s 0.00014, so what? Without the context, the percentage is worth nothing.
If fewer people were killed on the roads, that would be great, yes. Funnily enough, I’m not taking issue with that sentiment (might be a bit of a contrarian, but few are that contrarian).
I’m taking issue with your view that next time I drive I should think about my alleged 40% increased risk of dying. Given that my risk of dying has gone from extremely low in 2013 to, er, still extremely low in 2017, no I’m not going to think about that. Trying to achieve safer driving through misuse of statistics isn’t a good plan.
I wasn’t trying to achieve safer driving through the misuse of statistics (not that the statistics were misused). I was highlighting the reported increase in risk and the need for median barriers.
No more privatisations.
NIMT electrification intact
No more rail line closures.
No more new charter schools or private prisons (though existing contracts will need to be honoured).
A new day has dawned with a fresh new government. Won’t be easy with the multiple issues to be sorted, but they will give their best and everything seems more optimistic after the stale, tired regime that will now thankfully be the opposition.
Mike Hosking’s childish, petulant display last night was totally unprofessional. Only watched to see what was happening and he should be ashamed and embarrassed (unlikely, since he is so full of his own self-importance).
This is a positive response amongst some pretty negative ones:
“Federated Farmers said it was ready to engage with the new coalition government and that it was time to “cast aside” the divisions that arose during the election campaign, said president Katie Milne.” http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11935046
Great news, the Greens will have two ministers, it was hoped that the Greens would be full coalition partners, but it still is a Historic moment to finally have members inside Government, things can only get better for them, we all look forward to a long and enduring presence.
A word of warning for Jacinda. She needs to get her coalition together in a private room and tell them to get all their dirty laundry sorted out (if they have any) because the opposition are known for dirt digging and they will be digging to Africa trying to find any dirt which could destabilise her new administration.
Also she needs to tell them in no uncertain terms that they will be required to live a scandal free life from now on in for the duration, no leaving emails, texts around on their phones which could be hacked etc . The opposition will do everything in their power to play their dirty tricks as they have skin on the game big time in this area. I will tell her to keep a tight ship like her mentor and friend Helen.
It wasn’t a matter of one party being prepared to pay more. It was about whose policies were more in line with each others. If Peters asked for repeal of the Employment Relations Act and a 30% cut to all benefits it wouldn’t have been a price at all for English to pay. But it would’ve been a price way too high for Ardern.
Christ, there is a lot of sour grapes out there at the moment, things I have seen written and said to me since Peters said he would go with Labour and it is only 11.00 am Friday morning.
The sky is falling
We are heading back to a communist controlled country like it was under Clark
only allowed to used shower heads and light bulbs they approve off.
Interest rate will go through the ceiling
Banks will stop lending
The dollar will fall
It is a coalition of losers
Food prices will go through the roof
Farmers will walk off their land(haven’t heard that one for a few years) as Labour and the Greens have a hidden agenda introducing a fart tax and tax the water
Our personal taxes will rise
Massive unemployment as NO ONE will be able to afford to employ people.
Crime will skyrocket
It is the end of NZ as we know it (yeah that is right like the last nine years)
You name it and that’s what is going to happen so I added a couple myself.
Birds will now shit on Hoskins car.
The Labour lead coalition will cancel any fine weather this summer and we will have to put up with bad weather for the next three years
Ha ha fucking ha I have not laughed so much for ages, like the last nine years.
It takes time to recognise and live with loss of power.
i recall that in the Nats’ first term under John Key, NZ Labour seemed to present the attitude that they were better political managers – Nats threw everything at gaining power, and few hard plans of what to do with it; John key was a novice leader, kept away from many hard interviews – and I got the impression that the majority of the Labour caucus believed they would most likely regain power after one John key term.
“We are heading back to a communist controlled country like it was under Clark
only allowed to used shower heads and light bulbs they approve off.”
Because Clark, Cullen et al ordered the cumplosolry collectivization of agriculture and forcibly siezed farms around the country with armed Party members.
‘Interest rate will go through the ceiling’
Interest rates are set by the RBNZ, and will be adjusted in December. It will be likely that the OCR will be unchanged, or move only a quarter to half of a percentage point. There will be some bluff and bluster though from the Gov. A hard left governor will probably be appointed. but we shall what happens there
‘Banks will stop lending’
Not loading people up with unsustainable debt is probably a good thing
‘The dollar will fall’
Good for exporters, and FDI?
‘t is a coalition of losers’
English could have given Winston what he wanted.,.but didnt.
‘Food prices will go through the roof’
They already are — thanks to the shit weather over the past year or two.
‘Farmers will walk off their land(haven’t heard that one for a few years) is Labour and the Greens have a hidden agenda introducing a fart tax and tax the water’
Jacinda has chopped the water tax from the sounds of it, and Winston will never allow for a fart tax.
‘Our personal taxes will rise’
But you will get better public services.
‘Massive unemployment as NO ONE will be able to afford to employ people.’
There is a lot of unemployment already, with immigrants taking all the farm and hospo jobs
‘Crime will skyrocket’
It will be no worse or better than it has always been. Doesnt help that a bag of P is probably cheaper than a pack of smokes.
One of the things I’ve found interesting in the last twelve months is the discussions I’ve had with skilled qualified Chinese immigrants.
All have a strong sense of community and of government looking after all it’s citizens.
They are highly supportive of state health care and welfare – and also understand the value of a strong work ethic.
I don’t know any wealthy Chinese overseas investors, and as always anecdote is an example not a trend but I’ve dialogued with enough now to know that those people at least share many of the socialist values that the left do.
I’m not surprised at that – it’s always been interesting see the right sell their souls to the communist enemy (that includes the labour party right-wing neo-libs as well). Course they haven’t really sold their souls – the whole point of capitalism is to make money any way you can.
There’s something there though in congruity that I hope Labour/NZF/Greens can tap in to.
I’m not afeared of more socialist policies vs free market laissez-faire rubbish we’ve endured. While the right argue for individual poor choices being the problem it’s much more evident it’s the higher macro economic settings that are the problem. Less and less and less tax, more and more and more productivity, less and less support for those in lower socio economic circumstance, more and more surveillance of citizens, less and less rights for workers, more and more and more state assets sold, less and less and less public service has not delivered improvement for our country as a whole.
Many of these things need to be wound back.
I just hope that many of those public servants who whole heartedly embraced, and in some cases instigated the selling off of such assets, who wholeheartedly demonised beneficiaries, who privatised and outsourced, who bean counted everything to the bare minimum (health I’m looking at you) and so on – instead of ensuring the public service did their job vanish (in some cases back to the countries from whence they came) quietly.
I hope an environment is re-created of true public service as a priority. One in which authoritarians don’t wish to be in.
It’s a mixed bag, but I’m inclined towards the positive this morning. We have escaped three more years of uncaring government, and who knows what consequences of further starving our public services and ignoring our crises of health, mental health, poverty and neglect. We have a real opportunity for change: but we cannot assume it’s a done deal.
With NZ First inside the government, it will require NZF and Labour to agree on the TPP – so there will be trade offs. Nats may then add to the numbers rather than the GP – but it won’t be the TPP the Nats want. And Peters mentioned being against ISDS in his speech last night – so that’s probably not going to be accepted in new trade agreements.
members of the cabinet must publicly support all governmental decisions made in Cabinet, even if they do not privately agree with them. This support includes voting for the government in the legislature.
Her [Ardern’s] party was critical of the TPP during the campaign, arguing that the deal as it stands would not give the government sufficient power to limit foreign ownership of housing and land. Ardern reiterated Labour’s position on the trade pact during Thursday’s news conference.
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters, who played the role of kingmaker in forming the new government, declared that his party will support Labour’s stance on the TPP.
Peters also revealed his desire to work with Labour to seek a review of the investor-state dispute settlement provision, the last sticking point in the original TPP negotiations, which included the U.S. The provision, known as ISDS, is controversial because it lets investors and corporations challenge regulatory sovereignty by suing national governments in international courts.
“New Zealand First leader Winston Peters, who played the role of kingmaker in forming the new government, declared that his party will support Labour’s stance on the TPP.”
Seeing as Labour’s stance is soft, that’s going to disappoint a few. The two concessions don’t cover the vast concerns, but if secured, will help soften the blow. But still, some will feel let down.
wasn’t isds one of the things Labour had an issue with, too? I forget.
My take is that Lab wants an improved TPP without the yanks, whereas nat wants to sign it as-is with all the concessions to the yanks still in, even though the yanks aren’t in it.
And even if the grand coalition for tpp was anything more than tc’s wet dream, it would immediately imperil the coalition arrangements with both the greens and nz1, and I don’t see that as being high on the list of Labour’s priorities at the moment.
As for other right-wing policies, the “even if” criteria still stand. Sure, they might get some stuff though, but the main influences on Labour are economically centrist/left, with a couple of social conservative things from nz1 but overall I reckon benefits, regional development, housing, employment, cheaper tertiary education, and integrated transport (more than roads) are all on the table.
With the eagerness National has expressed for the TPP, I’m sure they’d accept it either way (concessions or not).
A grand coalition is not my wet dream.
There should be some good from this (change of Government) as you rightly highlighted. But there are still some potential downsides, such as the use of a flat regional tax to pay for transport improvements.
holy shit, a coalition government where adults make compromises isn’t going to be completely perfect according to your personal political manifesto? Better emigrate, then…
Dude, I’m not immediately familiar with that policy, which party favours it, or what it will be taxed on. It seems to me that the only person who’s raised it here is you, which means it’s probably not earth-shattering in its impact.
Although regional transport development needs a look at anyway, so anyone who came up with that policy is probably asking the right questions, even if their answers aren’t perfect.
tl/dr: tell me what you’re talking about, and maybe even suggest why I should give a shit.
Well now some of the corporate drugs have been cut off – welfare money & unlimited immigration – lets see if those corporations can step up to the challenge.
Corporations could stop keeping the bulk of their jobs in Auckland -outsorce to the provinces.
Stick some call centre’s and other business units in Palmerston North,Napier, New Plymouth, Timaru, Oamaru, Dunedin and other places. Shift jobs that can be done easily by older populations to those areas.
Take the pressure off housing & transport in Auckland , cut welfare bills , use under utilised provincial resources, spread prosperity, in a wired world everyone doesn’t need to be parked up in a multi story building in Auckland.
Let me guess, some libertarian tech dude who believes his billions are endangered by governments and their regulations.
In September 2013, the man who bought Brexit – Arron Banks – was in trouble.
For the past two years, financial regulators in Gibraltar had been scrutinising his insurance under-writer, Southern Rock. They had discovered it was keeping reserves far below what was needed.
[…]
One question remains though. If Banks was in such a tight spot in September 2013, how did he manage to be so generous the following year?
So many people have been given hope with our new government, so many.
Every time the news comes on, am smiling ear to ear as I’m reminded of our talented, clued up new government, and it makes me feel so freaking proud to be a NZer.
And then to make things even better, am reminded of the outstanding policies that are going to happen. Loving listening to the news today.
Miss Twelve is walking around wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, she says it’s like Christmas come early.
The kids at school all cheered when I reminded them that with the change of government they will have some incredible opportunities such as going to university, due to the steps that will be taken towards free tertiary education. For kids at the local low decile school, this is MASSIVE
What a wonderful day for so many many New Zealanders
THANK YOU Labour, NZ1st and Greens, thank you for giving us hope 🙂
FPP thinking from Mr. Prebble. None of the parties won or lost the election. Each party received a different amount of votes. The government is made up of the parties able to offer more than 50% of the electoral seats available. The coalition won fair and square.
A discussion on the situation for NZ in coming years as China and USA front of with each other to see who is going to be top dog put NZ as a bone of contention, the meat in the sandwich and other gristley fillings.
The analyst assumes that between the two we must arm ourselves against China.
I think we need to debate this.
Well this is my third vaping pipe I brought one thought it got lifted moko’s . Brought another found the old one was to stressed to use it gave one to my m8 and sent one to my brother . Less stress now I have it worked out now .Its just $50 for a joyetech stainless one and the vanilla tabbco vap juice is ok it only cost $5 a week for this big saving and one just has to remember what it was like when you first started smoking and persist and you will get use to it and no more spending heaps on smokes an your health will improve real quick. P.S if your congested and need to by that stuff on tv just take a panadol it does the same clears the chest and clears the cough Ka pai
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A new report warns an estimated third of the adult population have unmet need for health care.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāHere’s the six key things I learned about Aotaroa’s political economy this week around housing, climate and poverty:Politics - Three opinion polls confirmed support for PM Christopher Luxon ...
Today is May the fourth. Which was just a regular day when my mother took me to see the newly released Star Wars at the Odeon in Rotorua. The queue was right around the corner. Some years later this day became known as Star Wars Day, the date being a ...
Buzz from the Beehive Much more media attention is being paid to something Winston Peters said about former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr than to a speech he delivered to the New Zealand China Council. One word is missing from the speech: AUKUS. But AUKUS loomed large in his considerations ...
Is the economy in another long stagnation? If so, why?This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be ...
The annual list of who's been bribing our politicians is out, and journalists will no doubt be poring over it to find the juiciest and dirtiest bribes. The government's fast-track invite list is likely to be a particular focus, and we already know of one company on the list which ...
In the weeks after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Southern Israel I wrote about the possible 2nd, 3rd and even 4th order effects of the conflict. These included new fronts being opened in the West Bank (with Hamas), Golan … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – It is one of the oldest truisms that there is never a good time for MPs to get a pay rise. This week’s announcement of pay raises of around 2.8% backdated to last October could hardly have come at a worse time, with the ...
David Farrar writes – Newshub reports: Newshub can reveal a fresh allegation of intimidation against Green MP Julie-Anne Genter. Genter is subject to a disciplinary process for aggressively waving a book in the face of National Minister Matt Doocey in the House – but it’s not the first time ...
The Treasury has published a paper today on the global productivity slowdown and how it is playing out in New Zealand: The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections. The Treasury Paper examines recent trends in productivity and the potential drivers of the slowdown. Productivity for the whole economy ...
Winston Peters’ comments about former Australian foreign minister look set to be an ongoing headache for both him and Luxon. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guests on Gaza and ...
These puppet strings don't pull themselvesYou're thinking thoughts from someone elseHow much time do you think you have?Are you prepared for what comes next?The debating chamber can be a trying place for an opposition MP. What with the person in charge, the speaker, typically being an MP from the governing ...
The land around Lyme Regis, where Meryl Streep once stood, in a hood, on the Cobb, is falling into the sea.MerylThe land around Lyme Regis, around the Cobb that made it rich, has always been falling slowly but surely into the sea. Read more ...
Buzz from the Beehive Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters was bound to win headlines when he set out his thinking about AUKUS in his speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. The headlines became bigger when – during an interview on RNZ’s Morning Report today – he criticised ...
The Post reports on how the government is refusing to release its advice on its corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law, instead using the "soon to be publicly available" refusal ground to hide it until after select committee submissions on the bill have closed. Fast-track Minister Chris Bishop's excuse? “It's not ...
As pressure on it grows, the livestock industry’s approach to the transition to Net Zero is increasingly being compared to that of fossil fuel interests. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above ...
The New Zealand Herald reports – Stats NZ has offered a voluntary redundancy scheme to all of its workers as a way to give staff some control over their “future” amidst widespread job losses in the public sector. In an update to staff this morning, seen by the Herald, Statistics New Zealand ...
On Werewolf/Scoop, I usually do two long form political columns a week. From now on, there will be an extra column each week about music and movies. But first, some late-breaking political events:The rise in unemployment numbers for the March quarter was bigger than expected – and especially sharp ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: TVNZ says it is dealing with about 50 formal complaints over its coverage of the latest 1News-Verian political poll, with some viewers – as well as the Prime Minister and a former senior Labour MP – critical of the tone of the 6pm report. ...
Muriel Newman writes – When Meridian Energy was seeking resource consents for a West Coast hydro dam proposal in 2010, local Maori “strenuously” objected, claiming their mana was inextricably linked to ‘their’ river and could be damaged. After receiving a financial payment from the company, however, the Ngai Tahu ...
Alwyn Poole writes – “An SEP,’ he said, ‘is something that we can’t see, or don’t see, or our brain doesn’t let us see, because we think that it’s somebody else’s problem. That’s what SEP means. Somebody Else’s Problem. The brain just edits it out, it’s like a ...
Our trust in our political institutions is fast eroding, according to a Maxim Institute discussion paper, Shaky Foundations: Why our democracy needs trust. The paper – released today – raises concerns about declining trust in New Zealand’s political institutions and democratic processes, and the role that the overuse of Parliamentary urgency ...
This article was prepared for publication yesterday. More ministerial announcements have been posted on the government’s official website since it was written. We will report on these later today …. Buzz from the BeehiveThere we were, thinking the environment is in trouble, when along came Jones. Shane Jones. ...
New Zealand now has the fourth most depressed construction sector in the world behind China, Qatar and Hong Kong. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 8:46am on Thursday, May 2:The Lead: ...
Hi,I am just going to state something very obvious: American police are fucking crazy.That was a photo gracing the New York Times this morning, showing New York City police “entering Columbia University last night after receiving a request from the school.”Apparently in America, protesting the deaths of tens of thousands ...
Winston Peters’ much anticipated foreign policy speech last night was a work of two halves. Much of it was a standard “boilerplate” Foreign Ministry overview of the state of the world. There was some hardening up of rhetoric with talk of “benign” becoming “malign” and old truths giving way to ...
Graham Adams assesses the fallout of the Cass Review — The press release last Thursday from the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls didn’t make the mainstream news in New Zealand but it really should have. The startling title of Reem Alsalem’s statement — “Implementation of ‘Cass ...
This open-for-business, under-new-management cliché-pockmarked government of Christopher Luxon is not the thing of beauty he imagines it to be. It is not the powerful expression of the will of the people that he asserts it to be. It is not a soaring eagle, it is a malodorous vulture. This newest poll should make ...
The latest labour market statistics, showing a rise in unemployment. There are now 134,000 unemployed - 14,000 more than when the National government took office. Which is I guess what happens when the Reserve Bank causes a recession in an effort to Keep Wages Low. The previous government saw a ...
Three opinion polls have been released in the last two days, all showing that the new government is failing to hold their popular support. The usual honeymoon experienced during the first year of a first term government is entirely absent. The political mood is still gloomy and discontented, mainly due ...
National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”.As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jenny Stewart, Professor of Public Policy, ADFA Canberra, UNSW Sydney For years, First Nations people have been telling governments they want to be listened to. In particular, they want more ownership of the programs and services that are supposed to help them. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Why do trees have bark? Julien, age 6, Melbourne. This is a great question, Julien. We are so familiar with bark on trees, that most of us ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anthony Nasser, Senior Lecturer in Physiotherapy, University of Technology Sydney PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is an important ligament in the knee. It runs from the thigh bone (femur) to the shin bone (tibia) and helps stabilise ...
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 I covered the May 2 United Kingdom local government elections for The Poll Bludger. The Blackpool South parliamentary byelection was also held, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deanna Grant-Smith, Professor of Management, University of the Sunshine Coast The federal government has announced a “Commonwealth Prac Payment” to support selected groups of students doing mandatory work placements. Those who are studying to be a teacher, nurse, midwife or social ...
We round up everything coming to streaming services this week, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Apple TV+, ThreeNow, Neon and TVNZ+. If you love a dark comedy: Bodkin (Netflix, May 9)An English podcaster, an Irish podcaster and American podcaster walk into a pub and…make a TV show? ...
By Eleisha Foon, RNZ Pacific senior journalist A Pacific regionalism academic has called out New Zealand’s Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters for withholding information from the public on AUKUS and says the security deal “raises serious questions for the Pacific region”. Auckland University of Technology academic Dr Marco de Jong ...
How worried should we be about the cloud? This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. I currently have a few thousand unread emails languishing in my inbox, mostly old marketing newsletters and piles of unread science journal press releases. I have a similar number ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nuurrianti Jalli, Assistant Professor of Communication Studies College of Arts and Sciences Department of Languages, Literature, and Communication Studies, Northern State University Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Southeast Asian governments not only have to deal with the virus but also with the false ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Murakami Wood, Professor of Critical Surveillance and Securities Studies, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa The skyline of Riyadh, the capital and largest city of the Kingdom of Saudia Arabia.(Shutterstock) There is a long history of planned city building by both governments ...
The LIVE Recording of A View from Afar podcast will begin today at 12:45pm May 6, 2024 (NZST) which is Sunday evening, 8:30pm (USEST). In an analytical essay titled ‘A moment of friction’ political scientist Dr Paul Buchanan wrote how we are living within a decisive moment of ...
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FFS. It’s bad enough Winston has his claws on the levers of power again, but that song just makes it worse.
Proper song, with some funky dance moves.
I’m sure Jacinda will ask Andrew to dance with her to this catchy tune. Paula meanwhile couldn’t stomp to the beat.
Yes Yes!! Andrew has achieved so much since he earnestly told us “the Labour Party has so much to renew and change”
Well Andrew you did that, and you built a base of enthusiastic candidates and new members.
You selected well from the membership and then with grace passed the torch.
Andrew, your brave call gave us a charismatic Leader to lift us with hope and truth.
Your reward is our grateful thanks to a truly good man.
We salute you and Jacinda and the team you built.
We are fortunate in the maturity and dignity of the coalition Leaders.
Jacinda Winston and James. You will do us proud.
this represent the fall of the speculator class
watch as they head for the exit door all at once in blind panic as they realize there debt positions are hopeless
Real estate agency boss fears ‘Fortress NZ’ under new Government http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11934643
Weren’t these the people who told us foreign buyers were less than 5% of house buyers?
https://www.linz.govt.nz/news/2017-06/linz-releases-latest-property-data
Exactly.
And it just aligns us with how our allies treat foreign ownership here.
These comments from this Real estate agency boss reek of self interest and greed with no thought about what is good for the country.
Interestingly there’s about as many people now employed in real estate at the moment as there was when the market last crashed.
One suspects, as well as from other signs, that it is pretty close to crashing again regardless of which government got in.
The wealthy meanwhile will talk it up so they can offload their properties, their shares and so on the mum and dad investors.
They did this in 87 and they did this prior to the last crash. Sell em when it’s coming and buy em back post crash.
Bear in mind too that this behaviour equally applies to the NZ dollar.
I’ve already come across several people gloating about how they bought significant amounts of US currency in the last few weeks and have just made an enormous tax free profit.
Capitalism attacks what it doesn’t like via all means possible.
Good on you, Winnie – you’ve (almost) restored my belief that politicians should work in the best interests of ALL the country!
This is indeed , Winstons , NZ Firsts ,… and this country’s finest hour.
His namesake is and was prophetic,… and with co workers the Greens and a conciliatory Adern and Labour party ,… expect a real resurgence of NZ popular culture and prosperity.
This is the real New Zealand calling ,- with all its rambunctious , good hearted , slap happy and ‘ no worry’s mate ‘ way of dealing with life.
This is what we are all about , – prosperity , hard work , and a sense of equality among our community. The exact opposite of the Roger Douglas / Ruth Richardson era.
We are the New Zealanders.
We are a great nation.
And we are self determined.
And we reject globalism , neo liberalism and being pawns to global banking elites and their advocates.
Bryan Ferry – This Is Tomorrow [Official] – YouTube
Ah, Wild Katipo, your soaring flights of fancy are quite, quite inspiring!
If nothing else, if a sense of pride in our country and a ‘good as the next man’ feeling is returned to this country, I will be well contented.
Aye … an idealist I know,… but these are the essence of the NZ experience that generations understood. It was terminated in 1984. There is no reason not to reclaim back what was once ours by birthright.
It is simply a reversal of many of the tenuous ‘legislation’s’ passed under the auspices of the NZ Initiative ( former Business Roundtable ) using willing politicians of the time .
You will find ,… that it is not all that hard to reverse.
All it takes is some blunt honesty and the guts to say ‘ no more’ .
Its that simple.
Many thanks to Winston Peters and NZFirst for choosing a bright clean and fair future for everything in our Country.
It feels good doesn’t it? Just to know most people want truth fairness and hope.
Keep posting Eco Maori, you often express new ways of looking at familiar things. That is valuable.
Hear hear
Just read the other day that from the 18th Century “Hear. Hear.” was originally “Hear him. Hear him.” before women could speak up of course.
Finally there is hope for our once fair Country.
I am really looking forward to the resurrection of public broadcasting. The media have so much to answer for.
Agree with that.
TVNZ needs a big sort out either get rid of the likes of Hoskins or so we keep the so called “freedom of speech” return Channel 7 that can give an alternative counter-argument against the crap that is regurgitated all the time.
Made a point of hunting out Hoskings this morning and what a hoot! Over the top. Doom and Gloom from a chap who used to be scathing of those who talk Doom and Glooom. Hypocrite.
Along with sorting out tvnz,
winz and their reptilian ways,
housing nz and their p hysteria,
the police- either sledge hammer to open a walnut a la Nicky Hager or ‘nothing to see here’ a la Todd debarclay.
Our letter to all parties in the new Labour lead government sent this morning.
Citizens Environmental Advocacy Centre. (CEAC) Est’ 2001.
PO Box 474. Napier. Email; clean.air@xtra.co.nz
Protecting our environment & health.
In association with other Community Groups, NHTCF and all Government Agencies since 2001.
20th October 2017.
Public COMMUNITY letter
TO all Executive MP’s/Ministers of the new labour Lead Government.
Firstly we congratulate all your wise choices that has given us a ‘new dawn’ of change to a warm, caring, inclusive, considerate Government for our future.
Our message blog (below) has been sent to you for real change for today to consider.
Please seriously consider those points for our regional communities environmental & social wellbeing for our future please.
A very warm regards to you all,
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2017/10/19/labour-win-nz-first-go-with-labour/
1000% Maama,
My blog today 20th October 2017.
We must have this new Labour lead Gov’t to swiftly purge all former National cling-on’s from all government positions and agencies and SOE’s such as Kiwi rail as these National cling-ons were placed inside kiwi rail and it’s own board to kill our rail system off and isolate the management from public contact, this we know as we have emails from kiwi rail management saying the public have been excluded from contacting all Kiwi rail management last year. Top Board of Kiwi rail appointees by National were Paula Rebstock must be fired now as she was so toxic to Kiwi rail’s survival.
NZTA/Kiwi rail/Ministry of Transport all must loose their top National Party placed management and be replaced by labour Lead appointed administrative positions.
A new Minister of rail must be announced by Labour lead government to protect our own Rail company again and setup to restore our regional freight and passenger rail services again.
The Ministry of the Environment Management must loose all national party appointees also.
The Parliamentary commissioner for the Environment must re-instate a labour chosen appointee as national have just chosen a former national MP as the new commissioner for the Environment so that is such a bad move and must be stopped.
“Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment” (PCE) is one of the most important agencies Labour must return full funding to provide complete public services to and conduct regional studies on all environmental issues of concerns to all communities again as labour had set up this agency when last in Government.
Also included must be similar changes in all Regional Government Management positions as those National appointed managers were becoming un-cooperative with the communities they are supposed to serve.
We must re-instate the Ministry of Transport as “principal advisory” to Government again, as it was during the last labour Government.
National had deliberately reduced Ministry of Transport to a door stop for government policies under National and have deliberately advanced NZTA as ‘king of transport’ which is wrong as NZTA is only simply an ‘RCA’ or a (road controlling agency)
Next we need to return all Government documents to the Former labour government policy platforms & positions regarding the insertion of the “policies for agencies to have regard for “Environmental and Social policy planning” inside all documents supplied to public, Local, and central governments.
This will ensure we move to save our society’s environment, health and regional wealth of our NZ Nation again after a painful nine year loss to us all.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
“Purge”?
Add to that the demands for Hosking and others to be fired …
I know the internet is essentially about sad little powerless people venting their madness (that’s why I feel at home on it) but you don’t think you’re striking rather too Stalinist a note here?
If I was Duncan Gardner I would see reality and change my tone or is all that cash national has in his right pocket to heavy for him to see his future.
Ka Pai.
Loved seeing hosking spit and choke last night on the telly …. Looks like he’s still vomiting this morning in the herald … Haha
Herald on-line:
Mike Hosking: “Already a mess – we are all in trouble.
Winston Peters opens with a dissertation on how the world is coming to an end, and it won’t be the new government’s fault. ”
Yes Mike, the world is going to end. People like you are convinced it is. You tell us we are in trouble. Peters says something at the beginning and you say it means the world is going to end.
The dire degree of the trouble we are in is shown by the fact that such a limited, self-absorbed drama queen like you has any role in our media to splurge out your nonsensical rantings. The dire degree of the trouble we are in is shown by the fact the numbers in the country are sucked into believing you and the dumbness you spout.
I heard this morning that Jacinda Ardern was to be on your programme. Her pre-election visits to pre-schools would have prepared her I suppose. If she got to speak to the three year olds.
Nice one
Poor Mikey Hosking on Herald website. “it’s a mess” apparently. That’s rich. Hair. Skinny jeans. Mutton. Grieving, entitled wanker.
It’s a mess, i think he was ttalking about his hair.
John Campbell burns The Australian in it’s response to the new government.
https://twitter.com/JohnJCampbell/status/921084868246818817
Yes, I saw the front page, Losers Take Power, it’s another Murdoch mouth piece distributing FAKE news, sorry opinion.
Foreign Editor of The Australian ??? Apparently doesn’t know about MMP. Fucking idiot. Embarrassed for him.
Feeling blessed with the new government. Thank you to all.
Also feeling blessed with our underfunded health service still doing it under adverse circumstances. I had a heart attack yesterday, helicopter flight, stent put in..
Make sure you say I love you to those you love – life is a journey no doubt about that. Kia kaha.
All the best in your recovery marty 🙂
Hang in there Marty you are a good sort and sufficiently annoying to keep on board here.
Feel better Marty.
Kia kaha Marty
Glad your day ended better than it started.
Lots of work to do but first and foremost get yourself right.
Aroha
Sorry to hear that Marty but glad to see you’re ok.
I thought it was the Kiwiblog crew who would be ending up in hospital, the apoplexy levels there last night were through the roof.
Take it easy & best wishes.
Holy shit marty! Thanks for letting us know you are ok and as always focussing on the things that matter. All the best with recovering, be good to yourself too e hoa. Kia tino ora ki a koe.
Hoping you have a speedy and comfortable recovery and all the best to yourself and whānau , Marty.
+100
I know a few people with stents. They live long and active lives. Get well soon Marty.
Yes marty. Get well to enjoy lots of days.
Wish you a good recovery and speedy return home
Wishing you a full recovery and looking forward to your contributions continuing.
Arohanui to you and yours.
get well soon and get home quickly.
Hope you recover well Marty
Thanks everyone above – much appreciated x
And a very best wishes from me also. Hopefully the stent, plus the change in govt, will be the start of a whole, new good period of life. Kia kaha.
Glad you got speedy and good attention and care. These days, with the right attention, life can be good after a heart attack.
Best for the future.
Get well, marty. I always enjoy your contributions to discussions!
You got too excited marty mars. xx
My husband had the same thing 10 years ago here while we were visiting Australia.
Luckily it is reciprocal for NZ visitors, and two stents and a few days later he was fine.
Keep taking your meds, do all food and drink in moderation, and you will have many more years. Norm plays golf with the vets twice a week.
Keep happy and well our blogging friend. A warning helps you plan. Kia kaha.
shit dude, that sucks.
But these days it’s spectacular how well they can deal with these things – I had a mate who literally died in ED, and two days later they had a consistent blood pressure, new meds for him, a stent in, and he was good to go home.
And, being Otago, they gave him 4 cheese rolls for lunch lol
Take care marty.
All the best Marty. Kia kaha
Was it before or after Winston’s news Marty? You’ll be able to take the political news more calmly now, thank goodness. Relax and enjoy, you have put your time in keeping the discussion alive making points to be considered. When you are back on the beat again you can give us a report on the Nelson? Hospital standards. Mauri ora!
Only just reading this marty. Like all the others, wishing you a speedy recovery.
Ouch. Just catching up on that news. It is a bit of shock. But if you’re operating afterward enough to write comments on a blog and get annoyed with the colour beige you’re probably OK.
I effectively died at home in 2011 with a severe myocardial infarction after a pile of goop dropped out of a artery wall and caused a blood clot that stopped a large part of the flow of blood to the heart. Fortunately I live only a few minutes from the ambulance base and I have a deeply suspicious partner who was wondering why I was making funny noises, knew CPR and kept hitting me while juggling the phone. A case of spousal abuse that I can live with.
The stents work and drugs are effective once you get the right dosages and if you haven’t taken too much heart muscle damage. I was back at work a week later because it was so frigging boring being at home.
The worst of it for me was giving up smoking and then putting on weight. Still trying to get that off.
The whole world will take not of this date in time for the cataclysmic shift in our political system to a society that does not worship money over people”s
Welfare or over our future mother earth and our grandchildren future .P.S. I was matching Tv 1 and 3 news on 2 lap tops this morning please be fair
Kia Kaha
I’m looking forward to hearing from more real estate agency bosses like Geoff Barnett:
“Winston will almost drive us back to the Holyoake years, I remember 66c in the dollar, price freezes, wage freezes.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11934643
Far be it from me to fault the educational background of a house-broker, but Auckland real estate agents are our true comprador bourgeoisie:
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/comprador_bourgeoisie
Instead of hanging out Taika Waititi as a traitor, the first useful thing this government could do is make every single real estate agent unemployed. They can go milk cows for a while.
Nice reference to Holyoake who of course had his own real estate interests at Kinloch.
http://werewolf.co.nz/2012/04/public-office-private-gain/
“When Kiwi Keith, Barry Gustafson’s biography of Holyoake was published in 2007, Michael Bassett criticised the lack of explanation about ‘the accusations leveled at Holyoake over his influence to get essential services into Kinloch that appears to have turned him and his partners into wealthy men’. [2] Bassett was referring to the fortuitous building of a government road to the edge of the partners’ property. But in truth there is much more to scrutinize than Holyoake’s influence in having the road built. There are the circumstances, for instance, of his acquisition of Māori land there in 1956.”
Oh the irony!
Next time you’re out on the roads, ponder this: Your risk of dying in a crash is 40% higher now than it was in 2013.
This astounding fact was put out by a researcher, reported on RNZ on monday
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018617953/road-toll-lives-could-have-been-saved-nz-initiative
While road use is up 15% from 2013, deaths are up 60%.
According to the report, more lives could have been saved for half the cost of one of the National Government’s roads of national significance.
The entire state highway network could have had median barriers put in place for half the cost of one of the National’s roads of national significance.
Let’s hope our new Government will pick up on this.
Take care on the roads this long weekend.
Good comment, Chair.
Your thoughts on the new Government?
A little disappointed the Greens failed to achieve their preference (a full coalition deal with Labour). And from what I can gather, secured no core benefit increase.
I’ll have more comment once the dust settles and policy is announced.
While road use is up 15% from 2013, deaths are up 60%.
According to the Ministry of Transport’s information, the road toll in 2013 was 253 and in 2016 it was 328. That’s a 30% increase, not 60%.
Next time you’re out on the roads, ponder this: Your risk of dying in a crash is 40% higher now than it was in 2013.
Relative risk increases are great for scare stories in the media, but not much use otherwise. When the level of risk is very low, significant percentage increases still leave the risk very low, eg if your risk of getting a particular cancer in the next five years is 0.0001 and there’s something that increases it to 0.00014, that’s a 40% increase but nobody in the media is going to make headlines out of a risk increasing by a fraction of a tenth of a percent, so you give them the 40% relative increase instead and they run with that, horribly misleading though it is.
In other words, your risk of being killed in a crash this year is not significantly greater than it was in 2013.
Aye using %ages without providing the underlying numbers is always dishonest. It gives no sense of context especially if the increase is off a low base.
”According to the Ministry of Transport’s information, the road toll in 2013 was 253 and in 2016 it was 328. That’s a 30% increase, not 60%”
You only went as far as 2016, this research goes to 2017.
Total road fatalities in New Zealand in the past 12 months alone was 373.
Whether or not it is coming off a low risk base, the chance of having a crash is still 40% higher now than in 2013.
And regardless if it is a low risk rate overall, there is far too many people being killed and harmed on or roads. Median barriers would go a long way in reducing those numbers.
Sure they would. But “Your risk of X is 40% higher” is a completely worthless piece of information. If your risk X was 0.5 and now it’s 0.7, that’s pretty scary. But it was 0.0001 and now it’s 0.00014, so what? Without the context, the percentage is worth nothing.
“So what?”
Seriously?
Had we kept the fatality rate at the 2013 level, there would be over 100 fewer deaths on our roads, that’s what .
no, that’s if we’d kept the fatality number at the same level, not the rate.
If fewer people were killed on the roads, that would be great, yes. Funnily enough, I’m not taking issue with that sentiment (might be a bit of a contrarian, but few are that contrarian).
I’m taking issue with your view that next time I drive I should think about my alleged 40% increased risk of dying. Given that my risk of dying has gone from extremely low in 2013 to, er, still extremely low in 2017, no I’m not going to think about that. Trying to achieve safer driving through misuse of statistics isn’t a good plan.
It was the researcher’s view, not mine.
I wasn’t trying to achieve safer driving through the misuse of statistics (not that the statistics were misused). I was highlighting the reported increase in risk and the need for median barriers.
No more privatisations.
NIMT electrification intact
No more rail line closures.
No more new charter schools or private prisons (though existing contracts will need to be honoured).
A new day has dawned with a fresh new government. Won’t be easy with the multiple issues to be sorted, but they will give their best and everything seems more optimistic after the stale, tired regime that will now thankfully be the opposition.
Mike Hosking’s childish, petulant display last night was totally unprofessional. Only watched to see what was happening and he should be ashamed and embarrassed (unlikely, since he is so full of his own self-importance).
This is a positive response amongst some pretty negative ones:
“Federated Farmers said it was ready to engage with the new coalition government and that it was time to “cast aside” the divisions that arose during the election campaign, said president Katie Milne.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11935046
Duchessing??
Great news, the Greens will have two ministers, it was hoped that the Greens would be full coalition partners, but it still is a Historic moment to finally have members inside Government, things can only get better for them, we all look forward to a long and enduring presence.
A word of warning for Jacinda. She needs to get her coalition together in a private room and tell them to get all their dirty laundry sorted out (if they have any) because the opposition are known for dirt digging and they will be digging to Africa trying to find any dirt which could destabilise her new administration.
Also she needs to tell them in no uncertain terms that they will be required to live a scandal free life from now on in for the duration, no leaving emails, texts around on their phones which could be hacked etc . The opposition will do everything in their power to play their dirty tricks as they have skin on the game big time in this area. I will tell her to keep a tight ship like her mentor and friend Helen.
i hope she keeps Andrew Little close by. He has proven his worth and what he can do.
More shit dribbling out of Tracy Watkins ears, nose and throat:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/98072292/winston-peters-decision-on-a-coalition-with-jacinda-ardern-as-pm-puts-us-in-new-territory
It wasn’t a matter of one party being prepared to pay more. It was about whose policies were more in line with each others. If Peters asked for repeal of the Employment Relations Act and a 30% cut to all benefits it wouldn’t have been a price at all for English to pay. But it would’ve been a price way too high for Ardern.
Tracy Watkins really is completely fucking thick.
@chris +1. I swore into my cornflakes reading that piece this morning.
Christ, there is a lot of sour grapes out there at the moment, things I have seen written and said to me since Peters said he would go with Labour and it is only 11.00 am Friday morning.
The sky is falling
We are heading back to a communist controlled country like it was under Clark
only allowed to used shower heads and light bulbs they approve off.
Interest rate will go through the ceiling
Banks will stop lending
The dollar will fall
It is a coalition of losers
Food prices will go through the roof
Farmers will walk off their land(haven’t heard that one for a few years) as Labour and the Greens have a hidden agenda introducing a fart tax and tax the water
Our personal taxes will rise
Massive unemployment as NO ONE will be able to afford to employ people.
Crime will skyrocket
It is the end of NZ as we know it (yeah that is right like the last nine years)
You name it and that’s what is going to happen so I added a couple myself.
Birds will now shit on Hoskins car.
The Labour lead coalition will cancel any fine weather this summer and we will have to put up with bad weather for the next three years
Ha ha fucking ha I have not laughed so much for ages, like the last nine years.
It takes time to recognise and live with loss of power.
i recall that in the Nats’ first term under John Key, NZ Labour seemed to present the attitude that they were better political managers – Nats threw everything at gaining power, and few hard plans of what to do with it; John key was a novice leader, kept away from many hard interviews – and I got the impression that the majority of the Labour caucus believed they would most likely regain power after one John key term.
That list sounds like what happened in 2010 and 2011, when the highest number of Kiwis migrated out of NZ, a lot those may return now.
I remember when a lower dollar was good… especially for exporters… not good for overseas holiday makers and importers.
“We are heading back to a communist controlled country like it was under Clark
only allowed to used shower heads and light bulbs they approve off.”
Because Clark, Cullen et al ordered the cumplosolry collectivization of agriculture and forcibly siezed farms around the country with armed Party members.
‘Interest rate will go through the ceiling’
Interest rates are set by the RBNZ, and will be adjusted in December. It will be likely that the OCR will be unchanged, or move only a quarter to half of a percentage point. There will be some bluff and bluster though from the Gov. A hard left governor will probably be appointed. but we shall what happens there
‘Banks will stop lending’
Not loading people up with unsustainable debt is probably a good thing
‘The dollar will fall’
Good for exporters, and FDI?
‘t is a coalition of losers’
English could have given Winston what he wanted.,.but didnt.
‘Food prices will go through the roof’
They already are — thanks to the shit weather over the past year or two.
‘Farmers will walk off their land(haven’t heard that one for a few years) is Labour and the Greens have a hidden agenda introducing a fart tax and tax the water’
Jacinda has chopped the water tax from the sounds of it, and Winston will never allow for a fart tax.
‘Our personal taxes will rise’
But you will get better public services.
‘Massive unemployment as NO ONE will be able to afford to employ people.’
There is a lot of unemployment already, with immigrants taking all the farm and hospo jobs
‘Crime will skyrocket’
It will be no worse or better than it has always been. Doesnt help that a bag of P is probably cheaper than a pack of smokes.
One of the things I’ve found interesting in the last twelve months is the discussions I’ve had with skilled qualified Chinese immigrants.
All have a strong sense of community and of government looking after all it’s citizens.
They are highly supportive of state health care and welfare – and also understand the value of a strong work ethic.
I don’t know any wealthy Chinese overseas investors, and as always anecdote is an example not a trend but I’ve dialogued with enough now to know that those people at least share many of the socialist values that the left do.
I’m not surprised at that – it’s always been interesting see the right sell their souls to the communist enemy (that includes the labour party right-wing neo-libs as well). Course they haven’t really sold their souls – the whole point of capitalism is to make money any way you can.
There’s something there though in congruity that I hope Labour/NZF/Greens can tap in to.
I’m not afeared of more socialist policies vs free market laissez-faire rubbish we’ve endured. While the right argue for individual poor choices being the problem it’s much more evident it’s the higher macro economic settings that are the problem. Less and less and less tax, more and more and more productivity, less and less support for those in lower socio economic circumstance, more and more surveillance of citizens, less and less rights for workers, more and more and more state assets sold, less and less and less public service has not delivered improvement for our country as a whole.
Many of these things need to be wound back.
I just hope that many of those public servants who whole heartedly embraced, and in some cases instigated the selling off of such assets, who wholeheartedly demonised beneficiaries, who privatised and outsourced, who bean counted everything to the bare minimum (health I’m looking at you) and so on – instead of ensuring the public service did their job vanish (in some cases back to the countries from whence they came) quietly.
I hope an environment is re-created of true public service as a priority. One in which authoritarians don’t wish to be in.
Good op ed from Stephanie Rodgers on RNZ website.
How often can we expect to see National side with Labour to help them get their more right leaning policy through?
The TPP is one area that quickly comes to mind.
While NZ First and the Greens may oppose it, National and Labour will be able to get it through.
Anything else come to mind?
.
With NZ First inside the government, it will require NZF and Labour to agree on the TPP – so there will be trade offs. Nats may then add to the numbers rather than the GP – but it won’t be the TPP the Nats want. And Peters mentioned being against ISDS in his speech last night – so that’s probably not going to be accepted in new trade agreements.
So I take it you’re saying they (NZ First) will have independence inside Caucus, but not when it comes to voting within the house?
Will they still be able to speak-out against certain policy?
Matthew Whitehead, in his post on TS about the GP last night, included this link about cabinet collective responsibilities in governments using the Westminster system:
Here’s an Asian site, reporting this morning on the likely NZF-NZLP policy on TPP:
“New Zealand First leader Winston Peters, who played the role of kingmaker in forming the new government, declared that his party will support Labour’s stance on the TPP.”
Seeing as Labour’s stance is soft, that’s going to disappoint a few. The two concessions don’t cover the vast concerns, but if secured, will help soften the blow. But still, some will feel let down.
wasn’t isds one of the things Labour had an issue with, too? I forget.
My take is that Lab wants an improved TPP without the yanks, whereas nat wants to sign it as-is with all the concessions to the yanks still in, even though the yanks aren’t in it.
And even if the grand coalition for tpp was anything more than tc’s wet dream, it would immediately imperil the coalition arrangements with both the greens and nz1, and I don’t see that as being high on the list of Labour’s priorities at the moment.
As for other right-wing policies, the “even if” criteria still stand. Sure, they might get some stuff though, but the main influences on Labour are economically centrist/left, with a couple of social conservative things from nz1 but overall I reckon benefits, regional development, housing, employment, cheaper tertiary education, and integrated transport (more than roads) are all on the table.
With the eagerness National has expressed for the TPP, I’m sure they’d accept it either way (concessions or not).
A grand coalition is not my wet dream.
There should be some good from this (change of Government) as you rightly highlighted. But there are still some potential downsides, such as the use of a flat regional tax to pay for transport improvements.
holy shit, a coalition government where adults make compromises isn’t going to be completely perfect according to your personal political manifesto? Better emigrate, then…
No. I’ll be here raising the bar.
You speak as if I’m the only one opposed to the use of a regional flat tax (akin to GST) being used.
Surely you don’t support its use?
Dude, I’m not immediately familiar with that policy, which party favours it, or what it will be taxed on. It seems to me that the only person who’s raised it here is you, which means it’s probably not earth-shattering in its impact.
Although regional transport development needs a look at anyway, so anyone who came up with that policy is probably asking the right questions, even if their answers aren’t perfect.
tl/dr: tell me what you’re talking about, and maybe even suggest why I should give a shit.
As for the TPP, what makes you believe National no longer want it?
Well now some of the corporate drugs have been cut off – welfare money & unlimited immigration – lets see if those corporations can step up to the challenge.
Corporations could stop keeping the bulk of their jobs in Auckland -outsorce to the provinces.
Stick some call centre’s and other business units in Palmerston North,Napier, New Plymouth, Timaru, Oamaru, Dunedin and other places. Shift jobs that can be done easily by older populations to those areas.
Take the pressure off housing & transport in Auckland , cut welfare bills , use under utilised provincial resources, spread prosperity, in a wired world everyone doesn’t need to be parked up in a multi story building in Auckland.
Stuff ripping shit out of hosking’s despair. Nice to see the fair and impartial mc of the leaders’ debates taking the result with grace, equanimity , and style lol.
I know a two-year-old who makes the same face when he sees chocolate but isn’t allowed any.
Loved every minute of it!
Watching nationals sock puppet dying on the inside was almost worth 9 years of morally bankrupt government. Almost.
Let me guess, some libertarian tech dude who believes his billions are endangered by governments and their regulations.
In September 2013, the man who bought Brexit – Arron Banks – was in trouble.
For the past two years, financial regulators in Gibraltar had been scrutinising his insurance under-writer, Southern Rock. They had discovered it was keeping reserves far below what was needed.
[…]
One question remains though. If Banks was in such a tight spot in September 2013, how did he manage to be so generous the following year?
https://www.opendemocracy.net/uk/brexitinc/adam-ramsay/how-did-arron-banks-afford-brexit
And Green will get the cannabis Referendum. Good eh!
Reeferendum 😉
(yes, great! Please dear god let Genter be in charge of that)
Labours first caucus meeting today
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/video-lets-do-jacinda-issues-war-cry-and-mps-rise-in-standing-ovation-first-caucus-meeting-begins?auto=5618570542001
So many people have been given hope with our new government, so many.
Every time the news comes on, am smiling ear to ear as I’m reminded of our talented, clued up new government, and it makes me feel so freaking proud to be a NZer.
And then to make things even better, am reminded of the outstanding policies that are going to happen. Loving listening to the news today.
Miss Twelve is walking around wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, she says it’s like Christmas come early.
The kids at school all cheered when I reminded them that with the change of government they will have some incredible opportunities such as going to university, due to the steps that will be taken towards free tertiary education. For kids at the local low decile school, this is MASSIVE
What a wonderful day for so many many New Zealanders
THANK YOU Labour, NZ1st and Greens, thank you for giving us hope 🙂
Will Trevor tell Paula Bennett on the occasions of her interjecting with nonsense from the Opposition benches, “Zip it sweetie?”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lm8_-0FcKrw
Paula couldn’t in her wildest nightmares have considered that we would have such a sweetie as Prime Minister!
Karma
Free counselling for under 25’s…… FOR REALS 🙂
Am beyond ecstatic, this will help save lives.
How much more good news can a girl digest and it’s not even 6pm.
Epic goodness all day long 🙂
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/98075490/Live-Labour-led-government-to-make-climate-change-a-priority
Richard Prebble: Jacinda Ardern will regret this coalition of losers
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11935125
FPP thinking from Mr. Prebble. None of the parties won or lost the election. Each party received a different amount of votes. The government is made up of the parties able to offer more than 50% of the electoral seats available. The coalition won fair and square.
Oh the irony from Prebble. Remind me why anyone gives a shit what sell to the lowest bidder Prebble thinks?
A discussion on the situation for NZ in coming years as China and USA front of with each other to see who is going to be top dog put NZ as a bone of contention, the meat in the sandwich and other gristley fillings.
The analyst assumes that between the two we must arm ourselves against China.
I think we need to debate this.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/thepanel/audio/2018618735/the-new-china
Defence strategy analyst Dr Malcolm Davis weighs in on China’s new plan to become the world’s biggest superpower, following president Xi Jinping’s latest speech.
https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/malcolm-davis
Australian Strategic Policy Institute
Well this is my third vaping pipe I brought one thought it got lifted moko’s . Brought another found the old one was to stressed to use it gave one to my m8 and sent one to my brother . Less stress now I have it worked out now .Its just $50 for a joyetech stainless one and the vanilla tabbco vap juice is ok it only cost $5 a week for this big saving and one just has to remember what it was like when you first started smoking and persist and you will get use to it and no more spending heaps on smokes an your health will improve real quick. P.S if your congested and need to by that stuff on tv just take a panadol it does the same clears the chest and clears the cough Ka pai
You’re a mine of information ecoMaori. Hope you can have an enjoyable Labour weekend.