“Mr Key told the Herald last night that it was good to end the year in a strong position. “That reflects the growing economic confidence and the acknowledgement by voters that we’ve steered the ship on a very deliberate and accurate course to economic prosperity.”
What??? “very deliberate and accurate course to economic prosperity”
Is that what he calls the $40 billion Christchurch Earthquake??? Is that what he calls the record Dairy pay out this year, its a commodity John…nothing to do with your inept National Party…
”Not in the same league”, so says Auckland City Councilor Cameron Brewer in this morning’s Herald-online over the GIFT of a trip to Australia’s Gold Coast from the news organization Media-Works which this Auckland City Councilor after calling on the Mayor Len Brown to resign over undeclared gifts has admitted to not declaring,
Utter HYPOCRISY is my opinion and Brewer should follow His own advice and resign from the Auckland Council…
Another day, another round of editorial Len–bashing by the Herald, arrogantly claiming to speak on behalf of Auckland residents the majority of whom couldn’t even be bothered to get off their chuffs and vote in the local elections.
I have been a customer of Genesis Energy (on and off due to changing personal circumstances) since 2003, and in the past couple of months, I have noticed that they are getting more hard-nosed in pursuing payment.
Up until the start of spring, they used to send a reminder that you have missed your payment after the due date of your bill, then 7 days after that, followed it up with a letter warning that you would get your power disconnected. Then you would ring up and get an extentsion of a week or two, and then some breathing space, of course then you could get away with not paying the full amount, as credit action seemed to cease after the next bill came in.
Now they threaten disconnection if you miss the due date. And if you get an extension, they chase you if you dont pay what you promise to pay by that date.
Fortunately, I am in a position where I can scrape together the money to pay the bill and have never been in serious danger of being disconnected (though not the case with a lot of other people).
I have no plans to switch though, as I have objections to the way the power market is set up (There was nothing wrong with getting the power from your local power board or council MED), plus there have been scores of botched switches.
I think Genesis are doing this as it gears up for privatisation for next year…
I mean, if they’re being rude and intimidating, that’s out of order. But a reminder your bill is due and a week or two grace period is how it should really work. Just ignoring on following up on unpaid bills is business incompetence whether you’re a private company or an SOE.
And I’m not trying to undermine your circumstances or people less well off. Fuel poverty shouldn’t be happening in New Zealand. But that’s not Genesis’s job. That’s the government’s job.
While overseas I missed a payment with Trustpower. When discovered I paid with days short of disconnection. They charged me an extra $25 and $40 for their trouble.
I am with Genesis. And I pay my power bill by Direct Credit this splits the bill into manageable chunks, and better still, they NEVER bitch about the state of your bill. Mines about 600 in the red, but as long as the DC is running, no moans, and more importantly no threats to be cut off .
Mines with Powershop, i am something like 5 or 600 dollars in credit having had a automatic payment of 20 dollars running for the past 3 years and taking advantage of every ‘special’ and buying power months ahead when the future price is lower than their retail packs,
It’s all transacted on-line and i do the meter read for them twice a week, this week i cut the auto-payment down to 15 dollars a week as the rebates for power i have bought but didn’t use have piled up the cash in my account to 400 dollars,
i used on-line banking to alter the auto-payment which occurred without a hitch and thinking about the ease with which i can now manage my power and bank accounts i have to wonder when all the Government departments are going to leave Primitive for the annuls of history and get with the digital age…
I like the headline: Maori Party holds key to government. As if!
It’s standard practice to assume minor parties retain current electorates, if any. That’s all made clear in the main story, and the main point the piece makes is that National + Maori would have enough to govern, if things pan out according to the poll – though the text also acknowledges that the Maori Party will be facing a severe challenge.
• National – 46.8% (+3.1%)
• Labour – 35.4% (-2.3%)
• Greens – 10.8% (-0.5%)
• NZ First – 3.9% (-0.5%)
• Maori Party – 1.3% (+0.5%)
• Mana – 0.9% (+0.2%)
• Act – 0% (-0.1%)
• United Future – 0% (Same)
• Conservatives – 0.7% (-0.3%)
• Legalise Cannabis – 0.1% (Same)
Obviously, like all polls, it is fairly useless, as it is very difficult to predict how the minor parties will play out. Maori might have 3,2 or 1. Mana might have 1, 2 or 3. United Future, ACT should might cease to exist. Winston, surely, will get above 5% again.
I think I recall some posters predicting Cunliffe + Greens would be pushing the 50% mark. Might be grimly amusing to dig those predictions up.
I also assume retention of current seats when I convert the Roy Morgan polls to seats via the electorate calculator, lurgee. But that’s to establish a conservative base line (ie, the best the right can expect). The problem for the Nats in this poll is that it’s the one that most consistently overestimates their support.
So, if the best they can do is hope the MP still have 3 seats, then they are gone.
ps, anybody remember the Conservative Party? Just a few weeks ago, they were going to be National’s life support system, now they’re nowhere and the MP are their only hope. As Bad12 points out, Key’s weird attack on Hone Harawira now makes some sense.
Key’s attack on Hone made perfect sense if you read the comments on the stuff story when it was first announced Hone was going to South Africa.
Huge amount of racial-divisive hate-speech all voted to +20 and +30 within minutes.
Obviously Hone has said a lot of polarising things in the past, and it seems some segment of the population really really detest him, and not because of his politics.
I’m not sure I get the logic of this. Sure Key might be playing to his base but why? They vote for him anyway and they do get out and vote. Maybe National is seeing some slippage of this demographic to Labour? On the other hand, in attacking Hone he risks pissing off voters in the Maori Electorates who don’t have a great record at turning out to vote and getting them energized enough to go to the polling booth. Surely if National is going to win next year they need the so-called ‘missing million’ to sit out another election.
I get that Lanth but I’m still inclined to think the prime motivation for attacking Hone was Key’s own wounded ego. He knows that he handled the whole delegation and the trip poorly and he hated being reminded of his weasel words around his stance on the ’81 tour. He looked small and petty and his instinct was to throw some shit at someone else as a diversion.
Agreed. And based on this poll Winston only needs another 1 percent (or thereabouts) to get back in. You’d be mad not to assume he’s well capable of achieving that.
I dunno, if Craigs gifted a seat then there might be a few cross-over votes from winstonFirst to the Conservatives on the basis that it won’t be a wasted vote
..and what recent announcements were there from labour..?
..that’s right..!..that standover-threat/promise from neo-lib poster-boy parker..
..that labour would kick their constituents in the guts..again/still..
..by either raising the pension age..or raising g.s.t..
..parker invited punters to take their pick..which poisoned-chalice did they prefer..
..and for why..?..(i hear you ask..)
..because..as parker told us…t.i.n.a..
..eh..?
..and funny story..!..i am currently compiling the whoar-awards..
..and i am giving zinger of the year..to one i have relentlessly shredded all year..
..bill english..
..a week or so ago..he noted that the problem with labour..
..is that they don’t know where they stand..
..and when you have a party talking out of one side of their mouth about getting back those lost 800,000 voters..
..and out of the other promising to make them work for two years longer before getting the pension..
..(with many/most maori dying much earlier than pakeha..good one..!..eh..?..)
..it is hard not to agree with english..
.and when you add to parkers’ brain-fart-threat the refusal of labour to speak of the real poverty in this land..(they will only talk about the ‘working-poor’..haven’t you noticed..?..)
..it is clear that ideological-confusion/war is rampant in labour..
..and as the polls confirm..
..they are fooling/convincing nobody..
..especially not those ‘lost’ 800.000+ voters they claim to be reaching out to..
There is a fresh Herald-Digipoll in today’s Herald-online, pretty much a large Yawn showing us all what we already know that the 2014 election is going to be very tight,
The Herald-Digipoll, or to be more precise, the analysis that comes with it is claiming the Maori Party will be the key to who forms the next Government,
Really, on my reading of the tea-leaves the Maori Party next year will cease to exist in any meaningful form without any representation in the Parliament, which would leave the equation needed for a Government of the left to need more than one Mana Party MP,(the electoral battle between Annette Sykes and Te Ururoa Flavell for the Waiariki electorate may well be a crucial one and my advice to the Green and Labour Parties would be to consider that electorate seat vary carefully)…
PS: easy to see why Slippery the PM has taken to attacking Mana Party leader Hone Harawira…
Which one do you Predict the Maori Party to win Lanth, i base a lot of my thinking around the swing TO the Mana Party that was evident in the Te Ikaroa-Rawhiti by-election coupled with the not inconsiderate fact that if it’s ‘hard’ out there then it’s doubly so for Maori who will reflect this in their votes,
Sharples seat of Tamaki-Makarau i would suggest is going back to Labour based on the by-elections swing against the Maori Party easily wiping Sharples 2000 vote margin into history,
Waiariki held by Flavell with a wafer-thin 1000 vote majority???, on the evidence of the Ikaroa-Rawhiti by-election again the Maori Party is but a bad memory,(what Labour and the Green Party ‘do’ in this electorate tho could alter that),
Te Tai Hauauru is the electorate i find hardest to ‘read’, Aunty Tariana isn’t standing so personal loyalty to Her isn’t a consideration, considering the above oft mentioned ‘swing’ and the (probably of more import), fact that in the final analysis this is the Rohe of Ratana who at their most recent of annual Hui have told the faithful their preference is for a Labour-Green Government, this far South the Mana Party isn’t that strong, i pick Labour will have this electorate back as well…
Great news – the cow cockies are experiencing boom times after the drought.
Presumably Paula will be expecting WINZ to recover those advances she was to quick to offer.
Green peace hammered in the court.
What a year to look forward to , every things looking up and the icing on the cake is when these extremist environmentalists are put in their place.
Corporate bludgers like green peace should be banned from our shores, bring on the oil and gas.
Let’s give National a real mandate at the next election and really see progress.
more printed money?
more debt issued?
more shit in the rivers?
more oil on the beaches?
more miners killed dead?
more forestry workers killed dead?
still being unable to support a family on a decent days work?
more lies from Key?
more lies from Banks?
more of NZ owned by foreigners?
More money printed = green policy
more debt = good management, that’s why we still can pay benefits to the needy.
rivers =National spending $100 million
More oil on beaches =WHERE ??
More miners killed =pike river =environmentalist and labour
Forestry deaths = national employing 30 site inspectors
Still unable to Support family’s = unemployment going down, looking better
Key = what lies
Bank’s = who cares , good riddance
Foreign owners = who cares, they can’t take it away and will ultimately will sell it back.
As I said , things are looking great and the greens continue to poison labours chances ,even better.
‘Plus over the next few years the new wealth will “trickle down” to the poor, removing the need for any minimum wages’. You must be very young and naive Srylands. 30 years of ‘jam tomorrow’ and you still believe this neoliberal bullshit.
“More money printed = green policy”
Not at all – policy of Nat-type govts in UK and USA and Japan and everywhere. It is also what banks do whenever a loan is issued. Just printed.
” more debt = good management, that’s why we still can pay benefits to the needy.”
Total bullshit. For paying for tax cuts and the shortfall created by asset sales.
” rivers =National spending $100 million”
More bullshit. The shit is flowing into the rivers more today than it was yesterday. Same again tomorrow.
” More oil on beaches =WHERE ??”
Bay of Plenty, fool.
” More miners killed =pike river =environmentalist and labour”
Fuck you arsehole. Your demented philosophies killed 29 dead men. Stay away from the coast cunt.
” Forestry deaths = national employing 30 site inspectors”
Same again. National’s religion still led to these deaths. Everything can be priced? – brainless
” Still unable to Support family’s = unemployment going down, looking better”
Wake up idiot. I referred to being unable to support a family when employed. It is even more impossible when unemployed.
” Key = what lies”
Liar yourself
” Bank’s = who cares , good riddance”
He is an indicator of your people
” Foreign owners = who cares, they can’t take it away and will ultimately will sell it back.”
*slowly shakes head*
rich the other. you are 100% on the money
who knows what planet vto, bad12 and Flip are living on
their heads are firmly up their ARSE
I hope green peace get smashed with costs
I dont know what planet youre living on, but I would like a live on a planet with clean air, and water, and no toxic waste dumps?
You, on the other hand would sit by and let tonnes of toxic waste fill our rivers if it meant an extra few dollars.
It is amazing isnt it. A homey smashes a few windows and it is lablled vandalism. An oil company poisons a whole river and it is called wealth creation.
As for printing money, that is exactly what the government should be doing while taking away that power from the private banks. Money should not be loaned into existence bearing interest.
If “progress” to you means thick smog enveloping our cities, rivers chocked with toxic waste and open cast mines scarring our national parks, then you can shove it right up your jaxy.
And the way things are set up, the oil companies will just suck our oil and gas dry, and take it, and the profits off shore. We will have nothing but a big mess to clean up and royalties pissed away on tax cuts.
rich the other … seeing as how you don’t think the environment is important to you, perhaps you should try holding your breath while you count your money ?
Graham McCready, He who ensured Banks gets whats coming to Him is going to have a busy New Year if news reports are anything to go by,
RadioNZ is this morning reporting that Graham will be seeking to prosecute Auckland Mayor Len Brown,(exactly what for the news report failed to provide enlightenment of),
David Cunliffe, Peter Whittal, Len Brown, and will we now see Cameron Brewer added to Grahams ‘list’…
Yeah with every announcement of a new prosecution target the soundtrack to ‘Fame’ goes off in my nut,
Having had a conversation with the bloke about His abilities to perform in the High Court vis a vis the Bank’s prosecution i think over-stretching considering His abilities better describes His situation,
Still if any of those He is set to privately prosecute have broken the law and the relevant authorities refuse to prosecute i can only say ‘good luck with that’ and help Him out financially if i agree with the prosecution,(as i did with the Banks matter)…
Dick Quax on Len Brown being a repeat offender (RNZ 9am News Bulletin, 20 Dec 13):
“It’s deja vu – all over again”.
Amusing. Far less amusing is the high-handed politicking from the likes of him. Moral indignation should be reserved for more important things in life.
RNZ reported this morning that we can expect a Royal visit in April next year.
I had the memory that there was a convention that Royal Visits would not occur in an election year.
Can someone with better recall than me please comment.
It seems to me that a Royal Visit in April would tie in quite nicely with an Election called for around July 12. Get in quick whilst the populace are entranced with the ‘pretty baby’ etc.
No but he is Royal Family and represents then whilst in the country otherwise why bother coming. I don’t think conventions said only the Queen/King could not come I understood it would be any family member would not be invited during election year.
John key was reported on RNZ last month as saying
“The Prime Minister says there may be a visit to New Zealand by members of the royal family in 2014.
John Key says he can’t say whether a visit will take place, or who might be coming, but it doesn’t matter that it is an election year.
He says established protocols are in place and a visit would not happen close to a general election without support from both the main parties” http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/226726/pm-sees-no-problem-with-royal-visit-in-election-year
Obvioulsy Key saw it as a possible breach of protocol then and said it could be avoided by getting agreement among other parties and that it not be held close to an election.
Of course a visit in April would not be considered close to a November election by Key he could then a month later decide to hold an early election.
As quoted above a visit would not happen close to an election. I consider any date in 2014 as being close to an election.
So what I was asking just what are the protocols
I think the convention is that royal visits don’t happen within 3 months of an election? William visited in March 2011 (after the Chch quake) which of course was also an election year.
You know how, according to the RWNJs, private is always better and thus charter schools will be better? Well, in Sweden:
When one of the biggest private education firms in Sweden went bankrupt earlier this year, it left 11,000 students in the lurch and made Stockholm rethink its pioneering market reform of the state schools system.
Oops
While it is difficult to say how, or even whether, private involvement and falling standards are linked, the NAE says there are indications the market-driven reforms have contributed to widen the gaps in school performances.
Que surprise
“I think we have had too much blind faith in that more private schools would guarantee greater educational quality,” said Tomas Tobé, head of the parliament’s education committee and spokesman on education for the ruling Moderate party.
Exactly
The opposition Green Party – like the Moderates long-time supporters of privately run schools but now backing the clamp-down – issued a public apology in a Swedish daily last month headlined “Forgive us, our policy led our schools astray”.
At least one of their political parties is willing to take responsibility for their actions.
“The machine of destruction does not stop for one day”
Israeli historian ILAN PAPPE interviewed for Le Mur a Des Oreilles
Recorded 22 October 2013
LMaDO: Ilan, you are an historian, you’ve published numerous books, amongst them the famous and controversial for some people Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine in 2006. In 2007 you moved to England where you are currently teaching history at the Exeter University. You are part of what is called by some people “the new historians” who give a new analysis and narrative of the history of Zionism and the history of the creation of Israel. You’ve taken some radical positions against the state of Israel. Why and when did you decide to stand on the Palestinians’ side? And what were the consequences for you being Israeli?
ILAN PAPPE: Changing point of view on such a crucial issue is a long journey, it doesn’t happen in one day and it doesn’t happen because of one event. I’ve tried in one of my books called Out of the Frame to describe this journey out of Zionism to a critical position against Zionism. If I had to choose a formative event that really changed my point of view in dramatic way, it would be the attack of the Israelis on Lebanon in 1982. For us who grew up in Israel, it was the first non-consensus war, the first war that obviously was a war of choice: Israel was not attacked, Israel attacked. Then the first Intifada happened. These events were eye openers in many ways for people like myself who already had some doubts about Zionism, about the historical version we learned at school.
It is a long journey and once you take it, you are facing your own society, you are even facing your own family and it is not a nice position to be in. People who know Israel know that it is an intimate and vibrant society so if you are against it, you feel it in every aspect of your life. I think this is one of the reasons why it takes a bit longer for the people like me to come to the point where you say there is no return: you have to subscribe to these views whatever the repercussions are.
Hypocrite of the Year Awards
No. 3: CAMERON BREWER
Auckland councillor Cameron Brewer, who has been baying for Mayor Len Brown’s blood for not declaring gifts, has admitted not declaring a four-day junket to the Gold Coast.
Mr Brewer yesterday admitted taking free air tickets and accommodation paid for by MediaWorks, which runs TV3. The right-wing councillor said he made a declaration of interests in 2011, but not in 2012, which would cover the period he went to Queensland.
Major holidays during summer are fine, so you can get away in nice weather and have a hassle free break from it all. Colonial cultural impositions that are detached from any traditional roots…dump ’em. If Christians wish to celebrate Christmas, then fine. And they can do that whenever they want – it’s not any of my business or concern. But this New Year in the middle of summer? To me, that’s offensive bullshit.
Could. But an extended holiday in winter would be kinda meh. Scrub the Xmas stat days and replace with a floating stat day or two that people can nominate for according to their religion or whatever.
And meld any N. European NY celebrations with matariki and transfer the stat days from end Dec/beginning Jan to whatever time in June is agreed to be the new, sensible and rooted mark of NY.
A visit to a Hamilton Library. Should be renamed. People chattering. Taking phone calls. More social center than place for reading and reflection. Has Hamilton Council taken money from copyright holders so that libraries can play background music, which has the consequence, that people don’t fell the need any longer to be quiet. Is this internet? people do all their quiet work online at home?
The Library, as a refuge to a young person to read and get away from the family home, is dying.
(Quietly) use libraries all the time, and I disagree. Libraries have an opportunity to be a place of real learning, and community discourse if managed well. The opportunity to access (via library card) books of such diverse subject matter and perspective gives the library user access to the last truly free education in public service.
If done respectfully, getting people to engage – and dare I mention – putting coffee machines or services in place – could create a vibrant discussion place for all.
Some Auckland libraries have closed off reading soundproofed rooms specifically for those “quiet users”. I think this is a good solution.
Of course, university libraries – often used as private study facilities – have different uses and would benefit from the traditional silent approach.
Libraries have become a joke, In Aucklands main Library you cannot move for people sitting on the floors their laptops plugged into power outlets and shouting at the laptop, in foreign languages usually, whilst they use the libraries free wifi to conduct video conversations to family/friends overseas.
I would imagine the majority of these people dot even have a library card all the want is the free video links and free power to recharge their laptops.
The free computers provided by library are taken up by children playing computer games.
Hardly anyone uses the library for the purpose of reading maybe because there is no room left for people to sit.
I would like to remove all the electronic gizmos from library and return to it being a repository of books, music etc
If people want to use computers/wifi/video etc let them go to any number of video cafes around town. They are not very expensive and everyone there expects to be doing the same thing so no problem upsetting the other users.
Yeah, I don’t get that at all. Why not use libraries to have free wifi outside of hours and outside of the building???? There are a huge number of rooms, in schools, churches, with power available, and soon to have a fast broadband. And well the internet is replacing a lot of the stuff you find in a library anyway…
…oh wow, you mean you have all these young backpackers, and they aren’t using the local fast food burger shop because the wifi there is so crap. Its called capitalism, where are they, where have they been for the last thirty years. Thatcher socialist for the rich.
Could a mod please enlighten me as to why this racist fascist arse is still allowed to comment here after many, many comments comprised of nothing but bigoted filth?
The largesse of the Federal Reserve over the past five years has amounted to one of the largest ever subsidies to the American wealthy—fueling record fortunes, record numbers of new millionaires and billionaires, and an unprecedented shopping spree for everything from Ferraris to Francis Bacon paintings. The prices of the assets owned by the wealthy, and the things they buy, have gone parabolic, bearing little relationship to the weak, broader economy.
That’s exactly what a lot of us have been saying about the US QE since it started.
Wonder how the USA would a fared if the QE had been directed at householders, industry, infrastructure and workers, as it was in the “New Deal” instead of to the bankers.
If the success of the “New Deal” and similar polices in the 30’s, in NZ, are any indication, a lot better.
“It’s interesting too at Mediaworks, it’s a sisterhood running it and I’m just writing up my affidavit now and reflecting on it, it’s amazing, it’s back to the future with Helen and co.”
IIRC, he was calling it the MediaWorks Whanau when he was stood down and now it’s a sisterhood because he’s been effectively fired. He really is a misogynist and definitely should not be on air in any form.
Tracey I would be very curious to know why you would remotely think that, and further, if you could provide any evidence to support such a weak brainwibble…….
We trust this company to manage our prisons. Anyone watching here ?
From the Guardian, Serco forced to repay 68 million British pounds for non-existent criminals on electronic tagging release ….
“The scale of overcharging – which included invoicing for the tagging of offenders who were not being monitored, some of whom were already back in prison or had died – is several times larger than previously thought. The original figure was believed to be £15m-£20m for the contracts held by both Serco and the security company G4S; the latter has yet to reach agreement on how much it will repay.
Both contracts are now the subject of criminal investigation by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO).”
people like grumpy say that is not a proven lie so it doesn’t count and presumably doesnt bear the time for further scrutiny. It’s only your politician views that enable you to see it as misleading or lying. Now, if it turns out he has slept with anyone who is not his wife, grumpy will be baying for his blood. I think Slater will be investigating this and any other right wing politicians private life for such proof, so it’s only a matter of time.
Nick Paterson
General Manager
Fraud and Corruption
NZ Serious Fraud Office
Julie Read
CEO / Director
NZ Serious Fraud Office
‘Open Letter’
FYI
“The New Zealand Private Prosecution Service Limited (“The Service”) gives notice that if the SFO refuses to investigate the complaint of corruption against Mayor Len Brown under Section 105(1) of the Crimes Act the Service will file a Private Prosecution without further notice to the proposed defendants. The names proposed defendants are Len Brown and the CEO of Sky City
Graham Mc Cready
Agent for NZPPS Ltd
…………………
…………………
Please be advised that I, Penny Bright have worked with the agent for NZ Private Prosecution Services Ltd, Graham McCready on other matters, specifically the private prosecution of John Archibald Banks for alleged electoral fraud, for which he has been committed to trial in the Auckland High Court for a defended hearing set down for 19 May 2014.
(As the ‘process server’, I personally served the witness summonses which got Kim Dotcom, his lawyer and bodyguard, and the CEO of Sky City to the Auckland District Court to give oral evidence on 15 October 2013. )
Both Lisa Prager and myself do hope that this will not be necessary and look forward to the NZ Serious Fraud Office ‘doing your job’, as the ‘lead agency’ in New Zealand tasked with investigating bribery and corruption complaints.
Kind regards,
Penny Bright
……………..
Lisa Prager
……………….
_____________________________________________________________________________
( A copy of this above-mentioned complaint to the NZ Serious Fraud Office is available here:
The Commerce Commission has laid charges against Carter Holt Harvey and one of its senior managers over alleged price-fixing in the Auckland timber market.
The proceedings were filed in the High Court today alleging Carter Holt Harvey entered into an understanding with Fletcher Distribution Ltd to fix the prices of structural timber sold to commercial customers in Auckland.
The alleged offending occurred during the latter part of 2012 and early 2013.
“The commission has also filed proceedings against a Carter Holt Harvey manager, Mr Dean Dodds, for his involvement in the understanding,” the commission said in a statement.
Drumroll… you will shortly announce you will stand again for the Mayoralty.
Where your vision for the Auckland Plan, Unitary Plan, housing areas, and the actual development of Auckland will be your first priority.
Oh wait … nope, your focus will be on a sustained internal witch hunt that destroys thousands of careers, grinds the entire administration to a halt, and, once you’ve achieved your aims and are standing on the rubble of a permanent of cycle of internal restructuring, delivers actual power in Auckland straight back to National.
“He’s been admitted to a mental hospital”.
Cue extended hilarity on the Panel
Radio NZ National, Friday 20 December 2013
Jim Mora, Joe Bennett, Duncan Webb
Just before 4 p.m. ….
JIM MORA: Ummmmm, what’s happened to the interpreter at Nelson Mandela’s memorial service?
JOE BENNETT: He heeeeeeeeeeeeee!
SUSAN BALDACCI:[drily] He’s been admitted to a mental hospital.
…… [Much snickering, snorting and hilarity ensues] ……
JIM MORA: Ha ha ha ha ha! ….. [snort, snicker] ….. Susan Baldacci, thank you very much! Back with the Panel after the news!
I am sure this writer, i.e. moi, was not the only listener to feel there was something deeply wrong and immoral about these fools laughing their heads off like this. I sent the ring-leader the following email…..
Why are you laughing at the plight of that sign language man?
Dear Jim,
I am concerned that you and your Panel guests seemed to be greatly amused at the sign language impostor’s being committed to a mental hospital.
You have on several occasions expressed disdain and amusement at Mr Jantjie’s antics, but have not uttered one word about the supreme hypocrisy of having Barack Obama, that harsh and implacable enemy of dissenters and human rights activists, “lead the mourning”.
Yours in disgust at the hijacking of a real hero’s memory,
Morrissey Breen
Northcote Point
Keep listening, fellas! He often reads out my little bon-bons.
Do you know if there’ll be a Matinee Idle this season? If they had any sense RNZ could save themselves a lot of money and extend its run throughout the year!
As usual, nothing in Moz’s misremembering took place, with the exception of a small laugh from Bennett, which may actually be a cough. It’s hard to tell, it was that brief.
Moz, have you ever considered applying for the post of North Korean Revolutionary People’s Historical Record Airbrusher? Yours is the only kind of revisionism they respect.
As usual, nothing in Moz’s misremembering took place,
There you go again with another extreme statement. You know, if you attempted to comment on my work proportionately and fairly, you might have a point; my posts are not always perfect and I am more than willing to listen to considered and intelligent criticism. Unfortunately, your hectoring is neither considered nor intelligent. You seem to have only one setting: scoffing disrespect. Could I remind you that this is not your local Labour Party branch and you cannot simply shout me or anyone else into silence.
….with the exception of a small laugh from Bennett, which may actually be a cough. It’s hard to tell, it was that brief.
He laughed in exactly the same way as he did when the subject of Mayor Rob Ford’s “great finesse” comes up. You can pretend that it was just a cough if you like.
MEMO FELLOW STANDARDISTI: I urge you to listen to Joe Bennett laughing, and then tell this bloke Te Reo Putake, who avers he was actually coughing, what you think of his perception skills.
My dashed-off transcript was faithful to the mood of levity and hilarity in the studio. I didn’t get all their immortal wit, however, so here’s the missing treasure….
SUSAN BALDACCI: He was actually DUE to attend a mental health checkup on the day of the memorial for Mandela when he did all the crazy— he was actually supposed to go to the doctor that day. MORA:[amused] Oh REALLY? SUSAN BALDACCI: The mental health doctor. And he just said, No maybe I’ll go to the memorial instead! JOE BENNETT: Am I the only one who thinks this was made up after the event? MORA: How do you mean? JOE BENNETT: Oh I don’t believe this! MORA: Oh, okay! No time to discuss this now. It’s five o’clock!
My transcript, as pretty much all my transcripts do, caught the mood in that studio perfectly—and you know it. You object to my pinning down these vacuous commentators because they share many of your prejudices, and laugh at some of the same victims of black propaganda campaigns that you do.
Moz, have you ever considered applying for the post of North Korean Revolutionary People’s Historical Record Airbrusher? Yours is the only kind of revisionism they respect.
Ha! If anyone on this forum repeatedly acts like a North Korean fanatic, it is you, whether you are jumping on someone who backs the wrong Labour Party candidate or, more brutally, when you echo the lies told by the people who defame and persecute political dissenters and journalists.
23:15 …. and there goes 23 years of probably the most inoffensive, oft-times clever, sometimes informative free-to-air television late night news and ditzy bits – staffed by people whose egos weren’t the driving force. All knobbled by the commercial imperative and the vacuous admen.
Wheel in Paul Henry (aided by a forklift to lift the weight of his ego)
See how he runs. If Kiwis are smart – it’ll be a Channel 10 rerun.
Nightline – by no means perfect, but never an entrant in the race to the bottom
Oliver Hartwich writes – New Zealanders recently learned about a new feature film. It will be about former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern – and taxpayers will subsidise it to the tune of NZ$800,000. Ardern had nothing personally to do with either the film or the subsidy. But her government’s ...
TL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above that was recorded yesterday afternoon above between and The Kākā’s climate correspondent : An independent review panel into the emergency response to Cyclone Gabrielle in Hawkes Bayconcluded “that ...
There are now only a few days left to give feedback on the Draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport 2024-34 (see our earlier post this week on GPS submission guides). As we’ve reported, the GPS is a disaster for Local Government, so we were particularly interested to hear ...
Willis has pledged to go ahead with the debt-funded tax cuts, despite growing opposition from her own supporters worried about appearing fiscally irresponsible. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for ...
Open access notables A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North, van Wijngaarden et al., Climatic Change:The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased ...
Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On ...
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...
New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
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 ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
Photo by Alvan Nee on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand. My earlier article – Can ‘Good’ be the Greater Evil? – looked at the issue of how wars should end, and how Good versus Evil ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 AMMA by Saraid de Silva (Moa Press, $38)A stunning debut novel reviewed by Brannavan ...
From Steve Martin to Ricky Stanicky, a pick’n’mix of things worth watching and listening to this long weekend. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. If you’re at a loss for something to occupy yourself with this Easter, don’t panic: The Spinoff’s got ...
Jesus had dinner with his 12 disciples right before he died. Noted historian Madeleine Chapman finds out who really deserved to be there.First published in 2018 but let’s be honest, the subject is timeless. As you sit on your couch this Easter Sunday, eating a chocolate egg you know ...
The newly-promoted Northern League club is on a mission to return to the National League for the first time in two decades. Plenty about domestic football in New Zealand has changed in that time – but the sense that this amateur competition is not an entirely level playing field remains. ...
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Auckland Council has put a deadline on new weather-impacted property owners applying for categorisation as government funding looks set to run out. Councillors have voted to support a deadline of September 30 for property owners who haven’t accessed support to come forward and engage with the council’s recovery office. It ...
NONFICTION 1 BBQ Economics by Liam Dann (Penguin Random House, $40) “It’s official,” wrote Dann nine days ago in the Herald, where he works as business editor at large, “we’re in recession.” Yeah, great. He delivered the bad stats: “GDP fell 0.1 percent in the December 2023 quarter, compared with ...
Comment: Every year on February 2, a dozen men in tuxedos and top hats approach the burrow of a groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania and entice the beaver-like rodent to emerge and predict the weather. If the groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, sees its own shadow when it is summoned, legend ...
By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
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 A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Miller-Jones, Professor, Curtin University Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets. Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, CC BY-SA How fast can a neutron star drive powerful jets into space? The answer, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The federal government has bowed to pressure from the car industry, announcing it will relax proposed emissions rules for utes and vans and delay enforcement of the new standards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney In his latest book, Jewish Life in Medieval Spain, Jonathan Ray focuses on the tumult of the 14th century in Spain – a time of the plague, civil strife and war between the two largest ...
While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata Māori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is “far-off sight”. In the contemporary and living language of te reo Māori, “whakaata” as a ...
Yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. This significant step and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza prompted an urgent debate in the New Zealand Parliament. Leader ...
The Government’s decision to reduce access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) not only threatens the lives of children with type 1 diabetes and increases the potential for ‘Dead in Bed’ syndrome, but also threatens the health of their parents an ...
Apples are available year-round, but the wide variety on offer involves intensive scientific research – and large-scale commercialisation. What’s beautiful, red, sweet and crunchy? Tony Martin’s favourite kind of apple: Sassy. The CEO of apple and pear breeding organisation Prevar, Martin’s fondness for Sassy represents professional success as well as ...
Family violence specialist service Shine is calling on employers to stop asking for proof of domestic violence in order for employees to access domestic violence leave. The call comes five years after the introduction of the Domestic Violence ...
The Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for public submissions on the Budget Policy Statement 2024. The Budget Policy Statement 2024 (BPS) sets out the Government's priorities for the 2024 Budget. It explains the approach ...
Brutal government spending cuts that will see the size of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples slashed by 40% will hit Pasifika communities hard, the PSA says. The Ministry has told staff that it is seeking voluntary redundancies, and to redeploy and reassign ...
I live with five people I mostly love, but our different ideas about generosity are starting to really irk me.Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,This is a bit of a random one but here goes. I’m 22 and work an OK job (OK meaning I get paid ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Nicholas, Senior Lecturer in Language and Literacy Education, Deakin University Earlier this month, the New South Wales government announced it would roll out programs for gifted students in every public school in the state. This comes amid concerns gifted school ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney Massachusetts General Hospital In a world first, we heard last week that US surgeons had transplanted a kidney from a gene-edited pig into a living human. News reports said the procedure was a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tombs, Howard Paterson Chair of Theology and Public Issues, University of Otago The 5th-century Maskell panel showing Jesus in a loincloth.British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA When Jesus is shown on the cross, he is almost always depicted wearing a loincloth around ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock When you think about a red object, you might picture a red carpet, or the massive ruby in the Queen’s crown. Indeed, Western monarchies and marketing from brands such ...
COMMENTARY:Jewish Voice for Peace The UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Monday — and for the first time since the beginning of the Israeli military’s genocide of Palestinians, the United States abstained rather than vetoing it. Security Council resolutions are legally binding, ...
Asia Pacific Report A New Zealand investigative journalist and author says the US spy system hosted by the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) appears to be a controversial intelligence system used in global capture-kill operations. Writing a commentary for RNZ News today, Nicky Hager, author of Secret Power, a 1996 ...
While Nicola Willis wouldn’t give any details on its size, she said a package of tax cuts is definitely still coming in this year’s budget, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the investigation into the Department of Internal Affairs after it was revealed that the Department’s Chief Executive personally reached out to expedite a DJs passport application. Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns ...
Finance minister Nicola Willis delivers her first budget statement, and unwittingly helps Joel MacManus save his relationship. Nicola Willis strode into the Beehive Theatrette. Around me, on the green foldout seats, were the country’s top business and political journalists. They were all here to see her announce the Budget Policy ...
Twenty years ago today, Māori Television launched after much controversy. Jamie Tahana looks back on its survival and impact across two decades. Chad Chambers stepped onto the stage, the brim of his cap casting a shadow across his face. His smile beamed as bright as his white freezing works gumboots, ...
The unidentified foreign intelligence operation discussed in a scathing report by New Zealand’s Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) last week appears to be a controversial United States intelligence system. The IGIS report said the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) decision to host a foreign system from 2012-2020 was “improper” ...
Tauranga, Rotorua, Wellsford, Onehunga, Westhaven marina – Gavin Strawhan walks the meanish streets of New Zealand in his entertaining debut novel The Call, almost sure to roar into the number 1 position on the Nielsen bestseller chart, its front cover bearing a rave from somebody: “A really good and genuinely ...
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11175412
“Mr Key told the Herald last night that it was good to end the year in a strong position. “That reflects the growing economic confidence and the acknowledgement by voters that we’ve steered the ship on a very deliberate and accurate course to economic prosperity.”
What??? “very deliberate and accurate course to economic prosperity”
Is that what he calls the $40 billion Christchurch Earthquake??? Is that what he calls the record Dairy pay out this year, its a commodity John…nothing to do with your inept National Party…
The only thing National is good at is SPIN.
National PLANNED the earthquakes? Have they got some Diabolical Machine that causes tectonic rupture?
Can we use it to sink Australia?
Everyone knows Bob Parker engineered the earthquakes: http://bobparkerengineeredthechchquake.blogspot.co.nz/
it was a plot worthy of sideshow-bob..
phillip ure..
”Not in the same league”, so says Auckland City Councilor Cameron Brewer in this morning’s Herald-online over the GIFT of a trip to Australia’s Gold Coast from the news organization Media-Works which this Auckland City Councilor after calling on the Mayor Len Brown to resign over undeclared gifts has admitted to not declaring,
Utter HYPOCRISY is my opinion and Brewer should follow His own advice and resign from the Auckland Council…
Review of Guy McPherson’s book on Climate change and human extinction,. ‘Going Dark’
http://redrave.blogspot.co.nz/2013/12/review-of-going-dark.html
Another day, another round of editorial Len–bashing by the Herald, arrogantly claiming to speak on behalf of Auckland residents the majority of whom couldn’t even be bothered to get off their chuffs and vote in the local elections.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11175347
Xox
Some altered lyrics to an old Kiwi classic song re. Cam Brewer. “There is no corruption in New Zealand”
Nah, just utter hypocracy
I have been a customer of Genesis Energy (on and off due to changing personal circumstances) since 2003, and in the past couple of months, I have noticed that they are getting more hard-nosed in pursuing payment.
Up until the start of spring, they used to send a reminder that you have missed your payment after the due date of your bill, then 7 days after that, followed it up with a letter warning that you would get your power disconnected. Then you would ring up and get an extentsion of a week or two, and then some breathing space, of course then you could get away with not paying the full amount, as credit action seemed to cease after the next bill came in.
Now they threaten disconnection if you miss the due date. And if you get an extension, they chase you if you dont pay what you promise to pay by that date.
Fortunately, I am in a position where I can scrape together the money to pay the bill and have never been in serious danger of being disconnected (though not the case with a lot of other people).
I have no plans to switch though, as I have objections to the way the power market is set up (There was nothing wrong with getting the power from your local power board or council MED), plus there have been scores of botched switches.
I think Genesis are doing this as it gears up for privatisation for next year…
Must keep cashflow looking good for prospective buyers…
Really, though, they should be doing that anyway.
I mean, if they’re being rude and intimidating, that’s out of order. But a reminder your bill is due and a week or two grace period is how it should really work. Just ignoring on following up on unpaid bills is business incompetence whether you’re a private company or an SOE.
And I’m not trying to undermine your circumstances or people less well off. Fuel poverty shouldn’t be happening in New Zealand. But that’s not Genesis’s job. That’s the government’s job.
While overseas I missed a payment with Trustpower. When discovered I paid with days short of disconnection. They charged me an extra $25 and $40 for their trouble.
I am with Genesis. And I pay my power bill by Direct Credit this splits the bill into manageable chunks, and better still, they NEVER bitch about the state of your bill. Mines about 600 in the red, but as long as the DC is running, no moans, and more importantly no threats to be cut off .
Mines with Powershop, i am something like 5 or 600 dollars in credit having had a automatic payment of 20 dollars running for the past 3 years and taking advantage of every ‘special’ and buying power months ahead when the future price is lower than their retail packs,
It’s all transacted on-line and i do the meter read for them twice a week, this week i cut the auto-payment down to 15 dollars a week as the rebates for power i have bought but didn’t use have piled up the cash in my account to 400 dollars,
i used on-line banking to alter the auto-payment which occurred without a hitch and thinking about the ease with which i can now manage my power and bank accounts i have to wonder when all the Government departments are going to leave Primitive for the annuls of history and get with the digital age…
Another grim poll for the Nats: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11175412
I like the headline: Maori Party holds key to government. As if!
Snap, lolz…
Great minds etc!
It’s standard practice to assume minor parties retain current electorates, if any. That’s all made clear in the main story, and the main point the piece makes is that National + Maori would have enough to govern, if things pan out according to the poll – though the text also acknowledges that the Maori Party will be facing a severe challenge.
• National – 46.8% (+3.1%)
• Labour – 35.4% (-2.3%)
• Greens – 10.8% (-0.5%)
• NZ First – 3.9% (-0.5%)
• Maori Party – 1.3% (+0.5%)
• Mana – 0.9% (+0.2%)
• Act – 0% (-0.1%)
• United Future – 0% (Same)
• Conservatives – 0.7% (-0.3%)
• Legalise Cannabis – 0.1% (Same)
Obviously, like all polls, it is fairly useless, as it is very difficult to predict how the minor parties will play out. Maori might have 3,2 or 1. Mana might have 1, 2 or 3. United Future, ACT should might cease to exist. Winston, surely, will get above 5% again.
I think I recall some posters predicting Cunliffe + Greens would be pushing the 50% mark. Might be grimly amusing to dig those predictions up.
I also assume retention of current seats when I convert the Roy Morgan polls to seats via the electorate calculator, lurgee. But that’s to establish a conservative base line (ie, the best the right can expect). The problem for the Nats in this poll is that it’s the one that most consistently overestimates their support.
So, if the best they can do is hope the MP still have 3 seats, then they are gone.
ps, anybody remember the Conservative Party? Just a few weeks ago, they were going to be National’s life support system, now they’re nowhere and the MP are their only hope. As Bad12 points out, Key’s weird attack on Hone Harawira now makes some sense.
Key’s attack on Hone made perfect sense if you read the comments on the stuff story when it was first announced Hone was going to South Africa.
Huge amount of racial-divisive hate-speech all voted to +20 and +30 within minutes.
Obviously Hone has said a lot of polarising things in the past, and it seems some segment of the population really really detest him, and not because of his politics.
I’m not sure I get the logic of this. Sure Key might be playing to his base but why? They vote for him anyway and they do get out and vote. Maybe National is seeing some slippage of this demographic to Labour? On the other hand, in attacking Hone he risks pissing off voters in the Maori Electorates who don’t have a great record at turning out to vote and getting them energized enough to go to the polling booth. Surely if National is going to win next year they need the so-called ‘missing million’ to sit out another election.
Reminding everyone how much they hate Hone taints Mana’s electoral partners: Greens and Labour.
Vote Labour, get Hone.
I get that Lanth but I’m still inclined to think the prime motivation for attacking Hone was Key’s own wounded ego. He knows that he handled the whole delegation and the trip poorly and he hated being reminded of his weasel words around his stance on the ’81 tour. He looked small and petty and his instinct was to throw some shit at someone else as a diversion.
Yip, NZFirst getting over 5% changes the whole picture dramatically.
Agreed. And based on this poll Winston only needs another 1 percent (or thereabouts) to get back in. You’d be mad not to assume he’s well capable of achieving that.
The poll suggests that “Colin Craig – news story” and “Conservative Party vote” are 2 completely separate entitities.
(small sample and all that, but still).
I dunno, if Craigs gifted a seat then there might be a few cross-over votes from winstonFirst to the Conservatives on the basis that it won’t be a wasted vote
On behalf of the opposition, I implore John Key to try and “gift” Colin Craig a seat.
It’s a gift that would keep on giving …
re ‘grim toll for national’..
..how so..?
..nats have gone up..labour/grns have slumped..
..and what recent announcements were there from labour..?
..that’s right..!..that standover-threat/promise from neo-lib poster-boy parker..
..that labour would kick their constituents in the guts..again/still..
..by either raising the pension age..or raising g.s.t..
..parker invited punters to take their pick..which poisoned-chalice did they prefer..
..and for why..?..(i hear you ask..)
..because..as parker told us…t.i.n.a..
..eh..?
..and funny story..!..i am currently compiling the whoar-awards..
..and i am giving zinger of the year..to one i have relentlessly shredded all year..
..bill english..
..a week or so ago..he noted that the problem with labour..
..is that they don’t know where they stand..
..and when you have a party talking out of one side of their mouth about getting back those lost 800,000 voters..
..and out of the other promising to make them work for two years longer before getting the pension..
..(with many/most maori dying much earlier than pakeha..good one..!..eh..?..)
..it is hard not to agree with english..
.and when you add to parkers’ brain-fart-threat the refusal of labour to speak of the real poverty in this land..(they will only talk about the ‘working-poor’..haven’t you noticed..?..)
..it is clear that ideological-confusion/war is rampant in labour..
..and as the polls confirm..
..they are fooling/convincing nobody..
..especially not those ‘lost’ 800.000+ voters they claim to be reaching out to..
..phillip ure..
[deleted]
[lprent: currently banned. ]
There is a fresh Herald-Digipoll in today’s Herald-online, pretty much a large Yawn showing us all what we already know that the 2014 election is going to be very tight,
The Herald-Digipoll, or to be more precise, the analysis that comes with it is claiming the Maori Party will be the key to who forms the next Government,
Really, on my reading of the tea-leaves the Maori Party next year will cease to exist in any meaningful form without any representation in the Parliament, which would leave the equation needed for a Government of the left to need more than one Mana Party MP,(the electoral battle between Annette Sykes and Te Ururoa Flavell for the Waiariki electorate may well be a crucial one and my advice to the Green and Labour Parties would be to consider that electorate seat vary carefully)…
PS: easy to see why Slippery the PM has taken to attacking Mana Party leader Hone Harawira…
I think it’s reasonable to expect MP to win 1 seat. That’s my default prediction, anyway.
Which one do you Predict the Maori Party to win Lanth, i base a lot of my thinking around the swing TO the Mana Party that was evident in the Te Ikaroa-Rawhiti by-election coupled with the not inconsiderate fact that if it’s ‘hard’ out there then it’s doubly so for Maori who will reflect this in their votes,
Sharples seat of Tamaki-Makarau i would suggest is going back to Labour based on the by-elections swing against the Maori Party easily wiping Sharples 2000 vote margin into history,
Waiariki held by Flavell with a wafer-thin 1000 vote majority???, on the evidence of the Ikaroa-Rawhiti by-election again the Maori Party is but a bad memory,(what Labour and the Green Party ‘do’ in this electorate tho could alter that),
Te Tai Hauauru is the electorate i find hardest to ‘read’, Aunty Tariana isn’t standing so personal loyalty to Her isn’t a consideration, considering the above oft mentioned ‘swing’ and the (probably of more import), fact that in the final analysis this is the Rohe of Ratana who at their most recent of annual Hui have told the faithful their preference is for a Labour-Green Government, this far South the Mana Party isn’t that strong, i pick Labour will have this electorate back as well…
The knives will be sharpening for Cunliffe…hasn’t made the impact he was selected for
Get back to us when you wake up, PR.
Great news – the cow cockies are experiencing boom times after the drought.
Presumably Paula will be expecting WINZ to recover those advances she was to quick to offer.
paula won’t need to..i’m sure they will also ‘offer’..
..i am sure they would not like to be seen painting themselves as bludging-beneficiaries..
..eh..?
..(how does it work again..?
..oh..!..that’s right..!
..in the good yrs you profit/trouser it..
..and in the bad years we pay..
..eh..?
..that’s how you roll..eh..?..)
..phillip ure..
Green peace hammered in the court.
What a year to look forward to , every things looking up and the icing on the cake is when these extremist environmentalists are put in their place.
Corporate bludgers like green peace should be banned from our shores, bring on the oil and gas.
Let’s give National a real mandate at the next election and really see progress.
DEFINITELY, a mandate to spend another 9 parked up on the Opposition Benches should just about fix what ails National…
what progress?
more printed money?
more debt issued?
more shit in the rivers?
more oil on the beaches?
more miners killed dead?
more forestry workers killed dead?
still being unable to support a family on a decent days work?
more lies from Key?
more lies from Banks?
more of NZ owned by foreigners?
you don’t know what progress is, you shallow fool
VTO ,Try opening your eves.
More money printed = green policy
more debt = good management, that’s why we still can pay benefits to the needy.
rivers =National spending $100 million
More oil on beaches =WHERE ??
More miners killed =pike river =environmentalist and labour
Forestry deaths = national employing 30 site inspectors
Still unable to Support family’s = unemployment going down, looking better
Key = what lies
Bank’s = who cares , good riddance
Foreign owners = who cares, they can’t take it away and will ultimately will sell it back.
As I said , things are looking great and the greens continue to poison labours chances ,even better.
i suggest a name change, ‘Rich another delusional’ would obviously be a far better descriptive of you…
[deleted]
[lprent: currently banned. ]
‘Plus over the next few years the new wealth will “trickle down” to the poor, removing the need for any minimum wages’. You must be very young and naive Srylands. 30 years of ‘jam tomorrow’ and you still believe this neoliberal bullshit.
You seem to be both ignorant and nasty…
“More money printed = green policy”
Not at all – policy of Nat-type govts in UK and USA and Japan and everywhere. It is also what banks do whenever a loan is issued. Just printed.
” more debt = good management, that’s why we still can pay benefits to the needy.”
Total bullshit. For paying for tax cuts and the shortfall created by asset sales.
” rivers =National spending $100 million”
More bullshit. The shit is flowing into the rivers more today than it was yesterday. Same again tomorrow.
” More oil on beaches =WHERE ??”
Bay of Plenty, fool.
” More miners killed =pike river =environmentalist and labour”
Fuck you arsehole. Your demented philosophies killed 29 dead men. Stay away from the coast cunt.
” Forestry deaths = national employing 30 site inspectors”
Same again. National’s religion still led to these deaths. Everything can be priced? – brainless
” Still unable to Support family’s = unemployment going down, looking better”
Wake up idiot. I referred to being unable to support a family when employed. It is even more impossible when unemployed.
” Key = what lies”
Liar yourself
” Bank’s = who cares , good riddance”
He is an indicator of your people
” Foreign owners = who cares, they can’t take it away and will ultimately will sell it back.”
*slowly shakes head*
ignoramus extremis
rich the other. you are 100% on the money
who knows what planet vto, bad12 and Flip are living on
their heads are firmly up their ARSE
I hope green peace get smashed with costs
I dont know what planet youre living on, but I would like a live on a planet with clean air, and water, and no toxic waste dumps?
You, on the other hand would sit by and let tonnes of toxic waste fill our rivers if it meant an extra few dollars.
It is amazing isnt it. A homey smashes a few windows and it is lablled vandalism. An oil company poisons a whole river and it is called wealth creation.
And you’re as delusional as rich the other. Must be living on Planet Key.
Everything you listed there is wrong. As you believe it to be true this means that you’re delusional.
And here’s a list of John Key’s lies for you.
As for printing money, that is exactly what the government should be doing while taking away that power from the private banks. Money should not be loaned into existence bearing interest.
Progress?
If “progress” to you means thick smog enveloping our cities, rivers chocked with toxic waste and open cast mines scarring our national parks, then you can shove it right up your jaxy.
And the way things are set up, the oil companies will just suck our oil and gas dry, and take it, and the profits off shore. We will have nothing but a big mess to clean up and royalties pissed away on tax cuts.
And absolutely no wealth (resources) left to maintain our society.
@ Rich the other
Icing a ‘sh*! cake’ still tastes like ‘sh*!’. Hopefully those making it get to eat it.
rich the other … seeing as how you don’t think the environment is important to you, perhaps you should try holding your breath while you count your money ?
Graham McCready, He who ensured Banks gets whats coming to Him is going to have a busy New Year if news reports are anything to go by,
RadioNZ is this morning reporting that Graham will be seeking to prosecute Auckland Mayor Len Brown,(exactly what for the news report failed to provide enlightenment of),
David Cunliffe, Peter Whittal, Len Brown, and will we now see Cameron Brewer added to Grahams ‘list’…
The man is seriously over-exposing himself.
Yeah with every announcement of a new prosecution target the soundtrack to ‘Fame’ goes off in my nut,
Having had a conversation with the bloke about His abilities to perform in the High Court vis a vis the Bank’s prosecution i think over-stretching considering His abilities better describes His situation,
Still if any of those He is set to privately prosecute have broken the law and the relevant authorities refuse to prosecute i can only say ‘good luck with that’ and help Him out financially if i agree with the prosecution,(as i did with the Banks matter)…
Dick Quax on Len Brown being a repeat offender (RNZ 9am News Bulletin, 20 Dec 13):
“It’s deja vu – all over again”.
Amusing. Far less amusing is the high-handed politicking from the likes of him. Moral indignation should be reserved for more important things in life.
Yet no expenses disclosure from him last year. Glass house, Mr Quacks.
RNZ reported this morning that we can expect a Royal visit in April next year.
I had the memory that there was a convention that Royal Visits would not occur in an election year.
Can someone with better recall than me please comment.
It seems to me that a Royal Visit in April would tie in quite nicely with an Election called for around July 12. Get in quick whilst the populace are entranced with the ‘pretty baby’ etc.
Royal visits by the monarch.
William isn’t King.
No but he is Royal Family and represents then whilst in the country otherwise why bother coming. I don’t think conventions said only the Queen/King could not come I understood it would be any family member would not be invited during election year.
John key was reported on RNZ last month as saying
“The Prime Minister says there may be a visit to New Zealand by members of the royal family in 2014.
John Key says he can’t say whether a visit will take place, or who might be coming, but it doesn’t matter that it is an election year.
He says established protocols are in place and a visit would not happen close to a general election without support from both the main parties”
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/226726/pm-sees-no-problem-with-royal-visit-in-election-year
Obvioulsy Key saw it as a possible breach of protocol then and said it could be avoided by getting agreement among other parties and that it not be held close to an election.
Of course a visit in April would not be considered close to a November election by Key he could then a month later decide to hold an early election.
As quoted above a visit would not happen close to an election. I consider any date in 2014 as being close to an election.
So what I was asking just what are the protocols
Here’s what Kiwiblog says: http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2013/11/making_shit_up.html
Which confirms that there is a convention but not that it is 3 months or just close (whatever that is)
Gee Cunliffes making stuff up again…no big surprise there
I think the convention is that royal visits don’t happen within 3 months of an election? William visited in March 2011 (after the Chch quake) which of course was also an election year.
Tony Ryall is a nasty bit of work. Check this out:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/politics/9534274/Ryall-questioned-over-top-board-posts
I guess this is par for the course for this cabinet.
You know how, according to the RWNJs, private is always better and thus charter schools will be better? Well, in Sweden:
Oops
Que surprise
Exactly
At least one of their political parties is willing to take responsibility for their actions.
More.
http://www.thelocal.se/20130116/45628
“The machine of destruction does not stop for one day”
Israeli historian ILAN PAPPE interviewed for Le Mur a Des Oreilles
Recorded 22 October 2013
LMaDO: Ilan, you are an historian, you’ve published numerous books, amongst them the famous and controversial for some people Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine in 2006. In 2007 you moved to England where you are currently teaching history at the Exeter University. You are part of what is called by some people “the new historians” who give a new analysis and narrative of the history of Zionism and the history of the creation of Israel. You’ve taken some radical positions against the state of Israel. Why and when did you decide to stand on the Palestinians’ side? And what were the consequences for you being Israeli?
ILAN PAPPE: Changing point of view on such a crucial issue is a long journey, it doesn’t happen in one day and it doesn’t happen because of one event. I’ve tried in one of my books called Out of the Frame to describe this journey out of Zionism to a critical position against Zionism. If I had to choose a formative event that really changed my point of view in dramatic way, it would be the attack of the Israelis on Lebanon in 1982. For us who grew up in Israel, it was the first non-consensus war, the first war that obviously was a war of choice: Israel was not attacked, Israel attacked. Then the first Intifada happened. These events were eye openers in many ways for people like myself who already had some doubts about Zionism, about the historical version we learned at school.
It is a long journey and once you take it, you are facing your own society, you are even facing your own family and it is not a nice position to be in. People who know Israel know that it is an intimate and vibrant society so if you are against it, you feel it in every aspect of your life. I think this is one of the reasons why it takes a bit longer for the people like me to come to the point where you say there is no return: you have to subscribe to these views whatever the repercussions are.
Read more……
http://lemuradesoreilles.org/2013/12/18/conversation-with-ilan-pappe/
Hypocrite of the Year Awards
No. 3: CAMERON BREWER
Auckland councillor Cameron Brewer, who has been baying for Mayor Len Brown’s blood for not declaring gifts, has admitted not declaring a four-day junket to the Gold Coast.
Mr Brewer yesterday admitted taking free air tickets and accommodation paid for by MediaWorks, which runs TV3. The right-wing councillor said he made a declaration of interests in 2011, but not in 2012, which would cover the period he went to Queensland.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11175444
More hypocrisy…..
1.) Mora & co. (plus some amusingly demented comments by a trio of hapless Standardisti)….
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-16102013/#comment-711105
2.) Obama the human rights champion (WARNING: this one is really offensive)….
http://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2013/jul/01/barack-obama-nelson-mandela-robben-island-video
Looks the Brewer used a bit too much yeast.
Interesting that I did not see any coverage of the Brewer dishonesty on TV3. Wonder why?
I think its dumb to celebrate Christmas, a winter festival, in the Summer. See I said it.
Dumber now most NZ are non-religious.
Worse, the opportunity of having a winter holiday for Saudi’s to come over to at the hottest time of their year.
And then their the cultural recognition, renewal. I mean Maori is now a national language, but not their most important festival?
AGREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Christ (if he existed) wasnt even born at this time of the year
Outside of Christian biblical texts there is not any physical evidence that Jesus ever existed.
Worth reading this http://www.nobeliefs.com/exist.htm
Yep, would much prefer to have our major holiday season during Matariki.
Major holidays during summer are fine, so you can get away in nice weather and have a hassle free break from it all. Colonial cultural impositions that are detached from any traditional roots…dump ’em. If Christians wish to celebrate Christmas, then fine. And they can do that whenever they want – it’s not any of my business or concern. But this New Year in the middle of summer? To me, that’s offensive bullshit.
We could always have two major holiday seasons.
Could. But an extended holiday in winter would be kinda meh. Scrub the Xmas stat days and replace with a floating stat day or two that people can nominate for according to their religion or whatever.
And meld any N. European NY celebrations with matariki and transfer the stat days from end Dec/beginning Jan to whatever time in June is agreed to be the new, sensible and rooted mark of NY.
A visit to a Hamilton Library. Should be renamed. People chattering. Taking phone calls. More social center than place for reading and reflection. Has Hamilton Council taken money from copyright holders so that libraries can play background music, which has the consequence, that people don’t fell the need any longer to be quiet. Is this internet? people do all their quiet work online at home?
The Library, as a refuge to a young person to read and get away from the family home, is dying.
Agree absolutely. The behaviour at libraries is often terrible. That includes university libraries.
especially university libraries!
dunedin library has a big screen tv blaring away right next to the news papers & scifi/fantasy section! isnt that nuts.
(Quietly) use libraries all the time, and I disagree. Libraries have an opportunity to be a place of real learning, and community discourse if managed well. The opportunity to access (via library card) books of such diverse subject matter and perspective gives the library user access to the last truly free education in public service.
If done respectfully, getting people to engage – and dare I mention – putting coffee machines or services in place – could create a vibrant discussion place for all.
Some Auckland libraries have closed off reading soundproofed rooms specifically for those “quiet users”. I think this is a good solution.
Of course, university libraries – often used as private study facilities – have different uses and would benefit from the traditional silent approach.
Libraries have become a joke, In Aucklands main Library you cannot move for people sitting on the floors their laptops plugged into power outlets and shouting at the laptop, in foreign languages usually, whilst they use the libraries free wifi to conduct video conversations to family/friends overseas.
I would imagine the majority of these people dot even have a library card all the want is the free video links and free power to recharge their laptops.
The free computers provided by library are taken up by children playing computer games.
Hardly anyone uses the library for the purpose of reading maybe because there is no room left for people to sit.
I would like to remove all the electronic gizmos from library and return to it being a repository of books, music etc
If people want to use computers/wifi/video etc let them go to any number of video cafes around town. They are not very expensive and everyone there expects to be doing the same thing so no problem upsetting the other users.
Yeah, I don’t get that at all. Why not use libraries to have free wifi outside of hours and outside of the building???? There are a huge number of rooms, in schools, churches, with power available, and soon to have a fast broadband. And well the internet is replacing a lot of the stuff you find in a library anyway…
…oh wow, you mean you have all these young backpackers, and they aren’t using the local fast food burger shop because the wifi there is so crap. Its called capitalism, where are they, where have they been for the last thirty years. Thatcher socialist for the rich.
That’s what happens when you give the darkies and homeless free reign.
Lefties have created this situation, so suck it up chaps.
Could a mod please enlighten me as to why this racist fascist arse is still allowed to comment here after many, many comments comprised of nothing but bigoted filth?
+1
QE: The greatest subsidy to the rich ever?
That’s exactly what a lot of us have been saying about the US QE since it started.
Wonder how the USA would a fared if the QE had been directed at householders, industry, infrastructure and workers, as it was in the “New Deal” instead of to the bankers.
If the success of the “New Deal” and similar polices in the 30’s, in NZ, are any indication, a lot better.
Yes, it’s truly amazing what a society can become when you make everyone a little better off rather than making a few at the top much better off.
Tamihere is off to court in search of an income stream to replace his lost salary.
I am wondering if he and vto are the same person?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11175767
IIRC, he was calling it the MediaWorks Whanau when he was stood down and now it’s a sisterhood because he’s been effectively fired. He really is a misogynist and definitely should not be on air in any form.
he really does have a very dated view of the world and a seemingly bordeline pathological dislike of women in decision-making positions.
Tracey I would be very curious to know why you would remotely think that, and further, if you could provide any evidence to support such a weak brainwibble…….
you really need to learn to distinguish between defence of self and attack of other. You are confused.
Interesting article here about key’s statement… “”Anyone who is innocent has nothing to fear.” operating in practice
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11175860
We trust this company to manage our prisons. Anyone watching here ?
From the Guardian, Serco forced to repay 68 million British pounds for non-existent criminals on electronic tagging release ….
“The scale of overcharging – which included invoicing for the tagging of offenders who were not being monitored, some of whom were already back in prison or had died – is several times larger than previously thought. The original figure was believed to be £15m-£20m for the contracts held by both Serco and the security company G4S; the latter has yet to reach agreement on how much it will repay.
Both contracts are now the subject of criminal investigation by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO).”
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/dec/19/offender-electronic-tagging-serco-repay-68m-overcharging
John Key and National found out lying again.
people like grumpy say that is not a proven lie so it doesn’t count and presumably doesnt bear the time for further scrutiny. It’s only your politician views that enable you to see it as misleading or lying. Now, if it turns out he has slept with anyone who is not his wife, grumpy will be baying for his blood. I think Slater will be investigating this and any other right wing politicians private life for such proof, so it’s only a matter of time.
Looking forward to the SFO ‘doing their job’.
FYI
___________________________________________________________________________
20 December 2013
Nick Paterson
General Manager
Fraud and Corruption
NZ Serious Fraud Office
Julie Read
CEO / Director
NZ Serious Fraud Office
‘Open Letter’
FYI
“The New Zealand Private Prosecution Service Limited (“The Service”) gives notice that if the SFO refuses to investigate the complaint of corruption against Mayor Len Brown under Section 105(1) of the Crimes Act the Service will file a Private Prosecution without further notice to the proposed defendants. The names proposed defendants are Len Brown and the CEO of Sky City
Graham Mc Cready
Agent for NZPPS Ltd
…………………
…………………
_____________________________________________________________________________
This has been reported in mainstream media today as follows:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11175723
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/231441/threat-to-file-private-case-against-brown
Please be advised that I, Penny Bright have worked with the agent for NZ Private Prosecution Services Ltd, Graham McCready on other matters, specifically the private prosecution of John Archibald Banks for alleged electoral fraud, for which he has been committed to trial in the Auckland High Court for a defended hearing set down for 19 May 2014.
(As the ‘process server’, I personally served the witness summonses which got Kim Dotcom, his lawyer and bodyguard, and the CEO of Sky City to the Auckland District Court to give oral evidence on 15 October 2013. )
Both Lisa Prager and myself do hope that this will not be necessary and look forward to the NZ Serious Fraud Office ‘doing your job’, as the ‘lead agency’ in New Zealand tasked with investigating bribery and corruption complaints.
Kind regards,
Penny Bright
……………..
Lisa Prager
……………….
_____________________________________________________________________________
( A copy of this above-mentioned complaint to the NZ Serious Fraud Office is available here:
http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz
and this is some good news
The Commerce Commission has laid charges against Carter Holt Harvey and one of its senior managers over alleged price-fixing in the Auckland timber market.
The proceedings were filed in the High Court today alleging Carter Holt Harvey entered into an understanding with Fletcher Distribution Ltd to fix the prices of structural timber sold to commercial customers in Auckland.
The alleged offending occurred during the latter part of 2012 and early 2013.
“The commission has also filed proceedings against a Carter Holt Harvey manager, Mr Dean Dodds, for his involvement in the understanding,” the commission said in a statement.
I hope you are now having a go at Cameron Brewer, as well.
In the interests of impartiality, of course.
Drumroll… you will shortly announce you will stand again for the Mayoralty.
Where your vision for the Auckland Plan, Unitary Plan, housing areas, and the actual development of Auckland will be your first priority.
Oh wait … nope, your focus will be on a sustained internal witch hunt that destroys thousands of careers, grinds the entire administration to a halt, and, once you’ve achieved your aims and are standing on the rubble of a permanent of cycle of internal restructuring, delivers actual power in Auckland straight back to National.
“He’s been admitted to a mental hospital”.
Cue extended hilarity on the Panel
Radio NZ National, Friday 20 December 2013
Jim Mora, Joe Bennett, Duncan Webb
Just before 4 p.m. ….
JIM MORA: Ummmmm, what’s happened to the interpreter at Nelson Mandela’s memorial service?
JOE BENNETT: He heeeeeeeeeeeeee!
SUSAN BALDACCI: [drily] He’s been admitted to a mental hospital.
…… [Much snickering, snorting and hilarity ensues] ……
JIM MORA: Ha ha ha ha ha! ….. [snort, snicker] ….. Susan Baldacci, thank you very much! Back with the Panel after the news!
I am sure this writer, i.e. moi, was not the only listener to feel there was something deeply wrong and immoral about these fools laughing their heads off like this. I sent the ring-leader the following email…..
Why are you laughing at the plight of that sign language man?
Dear Jim,
I am concerned that you and your Panel guests seemed to be greatly amused at the sign language impostor’s being committed to a mental hospital.
Certainly it was a bizarre performance by Thamsanqa Jantjie; however, there were sinister and cynical impostors at that obscene charade in Johannesburg. Here’s the most notorious of them, waving his arm in the air….
http://cdn1.independent.ie/world-news/article29829821.ece/ALTERNATES/h342/PANews_bfce2d94-f4ec-4d75-b069-6d5218eab9d2_I1.jpg
You have on several occasions expressed disdain and amusement at Mr Jantjie’s antics, but have not uttered one word about the supreme hypocrisy of having Barack Obama, that harsh and implacable enemy of dissenters and human rights activists, “lead the mourning”.
Yours in disgust at the hijacking of a real hero’s memory,
Morrissey Breen
Northcote Point
Keep listening, fellas! He often reads out my little bon-bons.
Do you know if there’ll be a Matinee Idle this season? If they had any sense RNZ could save themselves a lot of money and extend its run throughout the year!
As usual, nothing in Moz’s misremembering took place, with the exception of a small laugh from Bennett, which may actually be a cough. It’s hard to tell, it was that brief.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/afternoons/audio/2580725/the-panel-pre-show-for-20-december-2013
Reality starts at about 11.10.
Moz, have you ever considered applying for the post of North Korean Revolutionary People’s Historical Record Airbrusher? Yours is the only kind of revisionism they respect.
As usual, nothing in Moz’s misremembering took place,
There you go again with another extreme statement. You know, if you attempted to comment on my work proportionately and fairly, you might have a point; my posts are not always perfect and I am more than willing to listen to considered and intelligent criticism. Unfortunately, your hectoring is neither considered nor intelligent. You seem to have only one setting: scoffing disrespect. Could I remind you that this is not your local Labour Party branch and you cannot simply shout me or anyone else into silence.
….with the exception of a small laugh from Bennett, which may actually be a cough. It’s hard to tell, it was that brief.
He laughed in exactly the same way as he did when the subject of Mayor Rob Ford’s “great finesse” comes up. You can pretend that it was just a cough if you like.
MEMO FELLOW STANDARDISTI: I urge you to listen to Joe Bennett laughing, and then tell this bloke Te Reo Putake, who avers he was actually coughing, what you think of his perception skills.
My dashed-off transcript was faithful to the mood of levity and hilarity in the studio. I didn’t get all their immortal wit, however, so here’s the missing treasure….
SUSAN BALDACCI: He was actually DUE to attend a mental health checkup on the day of the memorial for Mandela when he did all the crazy— he was actually supposed to go to the doctor that day.
MORA: [amused] Oh REALLY?
SUSAN BALDACCI: The mental health doctor. And he just said, No maybe I’ll go to the memorial instead!
JOE BENNETT: Am I the only one who thinks this was made up after the event?
MORA: How do you mean?
JOE BENNETT: Oh I don’t believe this!
MORA: Oh, okay! No time to discuss this now. It’s five o’clock!
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/afternoons/audio/2580725/the-panel-pre-show-for-20-december-2013
Reality starts at about 11.10.
My transcript, as pretty much all my transcripts do, caught the mood in that studio perfectly—and you know it. You object to my pinning down these vacuous commentators because they share many of your prejudices, and laugh at some of the same victims of black propaganda campaigns that you do.
Moz, have you ever considered applying for the post of North Korean Revolutionary People’s Historical Record Airbrusher? Yours is the only kind of revisionism they respect.
Ha! If anyone on this forum repeatedly acts like a North Korean fanatic, it is you, whether you are jumping on someone who backs the wrong Labour Party candidate or, more brutally, when you echo the lies told by the people who defame and persecute political dissenters and journalists.
23:15 …. and there goes 23 years of probably the most inoffensive, oft-times clever, sometimes informative free-to-air television late night news and ditzy bits – staffed by people whose egos weren’t the driving force. All knobbled by the commercial imperative and the vacuous admen.
Wheel in Paul Henry (aided by a forklift to lift the weight of his ego)
See how he runs. If Kiwis are smart – it’ll be a Channel 10 rerun.
Nightline – by no means perfect, but never an entrant in the race to the bottom
Tim
Hard to believe that ‘they’ believe anyone wants to listen to Henry instead of the nightline presenters.
I won’t.
Me either.