Disgusting. And absurd. Head to Head, Al Jazeera, recorded on July 8, 2018
Right now, Israeli apologist Danny Ayalon is on, being interviewed by Mehdi Hasan. Ayalon is not only disgusting, he is ridiculous. He is so ridiculous that the crowd is laughing at him.
MEHDI HASAN: Does Israel control Gaza’s airspace, yes or no? DANNY AYALON: No. AUDIENCE: Ha ha ha ha ha!
….
DANNY AYALON: Israel is transparent. AUDIENCE: Ha ha ha ha ha!
Shocking. Also do they really think state sanctioned murder of innocent medical staff is helping their cause, let alone breaking how many human rights conventions??? Can’t wait for the day when they are all bought to justice and put in jail.
Everyone of any faith, should pray for Israel. Having been taken to the edge of the pit of human degradation and contempt and thrown over during WW2, they have been left with a sadness and anger.
Now they are losing their souls that were almost destroyed before, Seemingly they are unable to get out from the retaliation phase. Fear of the past forces them to ensure they prevent a recurrence. That fear remains to cripple them from expanding their hearts and embracing the present and future in wary diplomatic civil compromise with Palestinians, and to carefully treat with others who may be mendacious.
A long and somewhat convoluted read in that weird does- your- head- in sliding screen format… but stick with it.
Ron Mark has ‘championed’ the brothers Nepata for many years and thinks this latest attempt for justice might be their last…
George and Damien think they may have a chance with this new administration, but as with the Family Carers case (been running for the same amount of time) the ‘floodgates’ argument is being touted as the reason to dismiss this, again.
Oh look! There’s Our Learned Friends from Crown Law…doing their very best to protect Government from being accountable for it’s failings.
Roll on Chris Hipkins’ review of what’s become of our public service! Let’s hope it doesn’t end up namby pamby wish washing.
NZDF, Houising NZ, MSD, MPI, MoBIE, Health, Education, DHBs…………..
There are huge structural problems but management culture has become toxic too with fuck all accountability
True that is Tim,
Publ;ic service is still being run by “advisors” that even labour are condoning, so if labour have no balls to actually change anything within the “public service” attitudes inside the NZDF, Houising NZ, MSD, MPI, MoBIE, Health, Education, DHBs………….. we are in for more of the shame crap as we endured for the last nine years.
Once was Tim
Even if the mass of National Party don’t give a f..k about the injustice or unfairness in the system (that oppresses other less fortunate citizens) they should be roused if the case is presented on the basis of waste of taxpayers money on falsified figures, and incorrect data, and signing off on important regulations with life-killing or disease potential, and far too high executive incomes based on profit-making private business levels.
I see people on low salary or grants or volunteering, working away trying to bridge the gaps in this vicious financial economic system and integrity-free government and welfare system. They are being loaded with Health and Safety Regulations and others, which are a load of bureaucratic sh.t, OTT and a barrier to ordinary effective good management and control. The managers should be drowned in wine barrels and people who have served at the grassrootes then put in their place. This is after they have got training in management implementation and structural control for the co-operative model.
And gradually replace all the Brits, 5-Eyes types, and assorted coming here and directing our water onto their farms, and our money into their pockets. When it comes to immigration look at all these people. Our immigrants are mostly great people from wherever they come, and I admire and like them. But we have too many stepping into the line of employment ahead of NZs. That’s not new information but it seems necessary to constantly reiterate it over the catch-cry of immigration being xenophobic. We citizens have a responsibility to care for our own country and other NZs to be trained as bureaucrats who work for our betterment. At present they too often sit in their spiderwebs and pounce on naive NZs who wander in all unknowing, and never understand why nothing ever goes right for them.
Seriously though, the dysfunction in our PS is now well known by those that care to know. The question is, now that there is the opportunity for reform, is anyone going to take on the challenge, or will it be a few weasel words and business as usual,
I see a few signs that there is a growing acceptance that things have radically gone tits up……but – probably like you and Rosemary: waiting waiting waiting.
“Initially, Sanson says he’s not seeing a clash between pro-corporate factions within DOC against pro-conservation people, but then he gives some ground. “It may be at one location in the country, yes, but not over the department.”
PS. (There was a follow up article to this the day after … that can’t put finger on just Now), that suggested some action was being taken in One location ……
‘One former DOC worker reckons it’s going to be hard for Minister Sage to change the department’s culture, given its focus on “corporate management processes and outcomes and reports and organisational change”.’
Figure with the added missing Link you are following/understand, and/or are perhaps affected …. ?
A past life for me … But Very sad to watch, and hear of a great organisation, (Public Service), get the stick from MSM, (albeit David Williams, Newsroom)
“Four years on, the DOC staffer says after the “Nick disaster”, they can’t see how DOC can reach its potential by the route it’s taking. “It’s just a bloody tragedy. It’s tragic what’s happening to DOC.”
Trust “that action”, And/or the necessary Change occurs with P S/ Ministerial impute, as necessary/required and does not become dependent on the 4th Estate “MSM” articles … Credit to Newsroom if things are Crook! And Need Fixing!
The government spends more on Lawyers fighting against fairness ‘to stop the floodgates’ than if they actually apologised, investigated properly and did the moral thing at the beginning.
Not only that, probably would save money on the massive legal fees to fat cats who seem to be beyond the law, and years of litigation which also stops people believing in government being honest and accountable, any more. (Because they use legal and power to fight against what is right against people who have been screwed over or had harm, by the system).
I seem to remember the victims of state care, got less for their abuse eventually, than the lawyers who represented them got in fees.
Ah, but now he’s wearing big boy pants Ron Mark appears to be struggling with those distinctions.
Without commenting at all on the specifics of the Nepata case, if I may, I think this is indicative of a more general issue that Ministers often find themselves confronted with. It is neatly portrayed in a very good ‘portrait’ of Eugenie Sage:
The human drama of power. Sage says what struck her was the abrupt switch from being on the outside looking in – stalled for six months by the sitting minister on every information request – to having a staff ready to jump on any question.
…
A warm fuzzy feeling as minister. Again, the very human drama of suddenly finding yourself the one on the inside, now looking out.
Back in 2013….the brothers Nepata discovered that the Defence Force had, during the time they had battling for compensation from the DF, handed out over 1/2 a million dollars in ex gratia payments.
” Dr Coleman earlier said he had enormous sympathy for the brothers and was approaching the matter with an open mind. The Defence Force would not comment on the case while the matter was under his consideration.
Earlier this year, Defence Force chief of personnel Brigadier Howard Duffy said the army was very sympathetic to the brothers, but an ex gratia payment was a matter for the Government.
However, under Defence Force orders, last updated in October 2011, the force is able to authorise ex gratia payments of up to $30,000 without ministerial sign-off.
Ex gratia payments of between $30,000 to $75,000 must be authorised by the minister, while payments of more than $75,000 need to be signed off by Cabinet.”
What a sad story and so unfair that this particular family had so much to deal with. The first thing that should be happening is that the army reforms it’s way’s and actually have psychologists and other support staff to help ex army staff to recover after injuries including apologising if it was a work place accident and giving them FULL support. It is unfathomable that after telling the army they are a family, to them suddenly abandon soldiers who get injured to face it all alone with out even a goodbye, especially when they are injured in the line of duty or during training!
Then there should be pay outs straight away (aka like airline accidents) and annuities available to those permanently injured to stop them falling into poverty after their accident. This should be in addition to ACC and other benefits as part of the act of being in the armed forces!
One of my family members served and they got a pension as well as the normal pension so maybe some sort of non means tested annuity payment for permanently injured soldiers as well as pensions should be made as well as a lump sum as soon as they are injured to help them adjust AND emotional support right through from the armed forces. Whether injured or not, the soldiers should still be counted as the armed forces and treated with dignity and support.
Also think the armed forces should be retrained to also do disaster work and be front line disaster workers for earthquakes, floods etc etc. Then Kiwis would be much more interested in supporting them because at present the armed forces seem like political pawns with defence just a junket to give money to other countries for armaments while not valuing the actual people who are in the armed forces who should be ready to help in a disaster when Kiwis might actually need them.
Funny thing is, I spoke with a couple of ex defence force personnel regarding particular disability issues (accessible housing building rules if I recall) and the issue the Nepata brothers were facing came up. (I had met George and his family briefly when Damien was in hospital).
Both these guys had been well looked after and supported by the DF…but then again they were Officers. And I assume that makes them Gentlemen. And worthy.
Close scrutiny of those ex gratia payments made by the DF would be handy…
Hard to see why someone who was slowly burnt alive for hours and another who was paralysed during training through no fault of their own, do not qualify for a moral payment?
When you watch how other countries behave aka Thai cave rescue it casts a shadow on government and private attitudes in NZ when they do nothing to rescue anybody citing too dangerous and fail to do the right thing post accident (shareholders vote against compensation for Pike River families for example)…
We have developed a toxic workplace/government mentality in NZ post rogernomics where people are just disposable units to be thrown away to save money or reduce a perceived monetary or corporation risk.
Not only is this morally wrong, it does not work to create a thriving environment – toxic ideas and behaviour kills everything around it.
Sad story really. Hope these guys get what they deserve. I don’t really think 30-75,000 is enough. It would barely pay for a modified vehicle for the tetarplegic chap. Seems that every accident like these ones in the military seems to be entirely avoidable and the victims get hung out to dry. Even by 1989 standards, getting 2 guys to carry a third on a stretcher on a piece of 4×2 is asking for trouble.
millsy…ACC will be taking care of the vehicle funding as well as home modifications, supplies and ongoing care and rehabilitation. George is most likely well supported by ACC (although,( again its wayback), there might have been a battle to secure ACC funding as accidents to Kiwis outside of NZ were not covered.)
I do recall George telling me about his accident, and also heard some of the details of Damien’s accident. Even back then it was obvious that the Army failed to provide a safe working environment. As you say…even by 1989 standards it was pretty bloody reckless. Those Scorpion tanks were being phased out because of known issues.
I know from personal experience…when one finds out that others have been financially compensated when you have fought and over the same issues its sticks in one’s craw.
Although ACC is involved, the workplace should still be a moral workplace, offering at the very least emotional support due to the vocation identity of ‘family’ under armed forces…
ACC is a great concept, but should not be used to sweep accidents and support both emotional and financial from the work place instead be a standard that also can be added to by the workforce to keep the person’s prospects the same as if they had not been injured and compensation which is no longer part of ACC.
Worksafe can award payments or prosecution, funny enough not for Pike River (prosecution) and not for these accidents either, maybe government ‘influence’ and neoliberal ideas of ‘opening the floodgates’ are stopping justice.
I was in the NZ Army (RNZAC) from the mid 93 to mid 98. I wasn’t in QA SQN or whatever it was called back then, or it may have been 1st Armoured Group? The guys were getting ready to deploy on Op Raidan for Bosnia at the time of the accident, also during this time we the NZDF had lost or were about to lose up to 25% of the Defence budget in cuts. Which was effecting operational preparedness across the broad, but it the Corp the hardest as we were quite expensive to run which saw a lot of Army cuts head our way which to cause issues down the track aka the LAV’s and the buying of those death traps the up armoured Pinz’s.
Before the Defence cuts under there was a plain to give the CVT Scorpions and M113’s etc a Mid Life Update and WMIK kits, Communications upgrades for NZ Scots SQN using cutdown V8’s quite successfully in Recon role within 3 Land Force Group (3LFG). With the Scorpions that meant replacing the V6 Jaguar engine with Perkins engine, fire control systems and new fume extractor for the 76mm. Only the M113’s got the upgrades mainly for Bosnia and everything else got kicked into touch and the Scorpions should’ve been retired, but due to government policies they had to be maintained in use even though we had SFA in spares or money to buy spares. As everything we poured into getting M113’s up to OLOC and getting 1st Battalion up to speed with 2nd/1st back filling the 1st, at the sametime stripping all of 3LFG units of useful equipment to support the deployment.
The effects of all this happening cause the in my opinion that led to Damien’s accident and what happened with the 2nd/1st pre- deployment training and it’s deployment to East Timor in 2000 in which my mate was KIA along with the th other problems that arose in the 2000’s stems back to the defence cuts in 90’s. When I pose this similar question last yr to Damien at Cambrai last yr and has reply was yes, we also believe that everyone is ass covering as a result of this accident and I know of at least 3-5 other accidents from the 90’s where if an ex-gratis payment was made to Damien the flood gates would open all because we were trying to a job with SFA equipment that more and more dangerous as the yrs went on trying to our mandate tasks as directed by the politicians in Wellington with less and less funding and equipment failing or being run into ground or in case of NZ Scots we were building our own gun mounts, repairing our V8’s in some cases with our money or buying stuff from surplus shops IOT get the job done as stated in our mandated tasks IOT achieve the Government of the Day Defence Polices.
And you wonder why this lefty is a bit more pro defence than most and very anti “No Mates Party”. When I look back at my photos in NZ Army i offen wonder how on earth I didn’t get myself killed especially when I show rockape mates from work as they think we were bloody mad at what we did!!!!
Hence the nickname “Mad Kiwi” and my attitude to life.
Thank you Exkiwiforces. I was hoping you’d pop up and shed some light into the darker corners. So let me get this clear….the Scorpions ran on petrol???
Not diesel? (Perkins are diesel engines, aren’t they?) Jesus….I’m told the Yanks used to call the Sherman tanks ‘Ronsons’.
The most significant thing I took away from my very brief encounter with George and his family after Damien’s accident was the deep sense of betrayal. A long family history of service (unto the current generation, despite this crap) and clearly the loyalty was entirely one sided.
The really ironic thing was that they treated all three brothers like shit. All three of them.
Re: funding for Defence. This lefty would prefer we needed no armed forces at all, but if we are going to have such a thing…fund it bloody properly or don’t bother.
Yes the Scorpion and its family of variants were powered by V6 4.2 lt Jag petrol engine with a semi automatic transmission which most countries that are still use Scorpion or any of its variants have now been replaced by the Perkins Diesel engine due to the risk of fire and also it cheaper to run than a petrol engine. There is a school of thought that we should brought more M41 Tanks and upgraded them instead of buying the Scorpions as even today the Danish and Norway Armies still use them as its main gun a long barrel 76mm is still quite useful.
The Germans called the all the Western Allies tanks in WW2 Tommy Cookers because of their petrol engines, but then again the Germans were engaging the Allies from over 1km where as Sherman had to within 800m to engage a Long Barrel Panzer 4’s and even closer for the Panther, Tiger, King Tiger Tanks and some of the Tank Destroyers as well before we even think about the German Anti Tank Guns.
Fighting the system for justice is bloody hard and I know that firsthand experience especially when the officer corps saying we well look after you, but in fact its the faceless civilian bureaucracy of MOD, Treasury, DVA, Government and their Advisors as they hold the purse strings.
There is an unwritten code of conduct/ convention between us and politicians due to the nature of our work and that we don’t have a right to form a union in that the politicians will look after us/ our families as well in peace, on operations and after we leave the services. But since the 90’s we have seen this code of conduct/ convention being kicked into touch with eroding of conditions of service from pay, super, housing/ rations and quarters for those who lived on base, allowances etc to using/ operating ageing equipment well pass their exprier date (rule of thumb for Military Equipment is 30yrs -/+ 10yrs) or new equipment being brought in service that is sub optimal for the at hand aka Project Protector the two OPV’s and Landing Support Ship, Up Armoured Piniz’s etc or the bare minimum of kit being brought aka doing more with less. If any other Government Dept had to put up with this shit there would be hell to pay as I don’t see many workers standing for this sort of shit as they have a union to go and bat for them and more likely to have the public on side as well.
Hence why I and many other like me have moved or still moving overseas because of this or were sacked by the Government as capabilities were chopped. A lot of these ex Kiwi officers have now reach Flag Rank, Air Rank or Staff Rank in Foreign Armed Forces with ex Kiwi NCO’s holding by senior positions within their of expertise or been commissioned. With me I’m now been pensioned off due to my PTSD and Major Depressive Disorder as a result of my Peacekeeping and Warlike active service.
The last comment sums up my attitude as well either you fund the NZDF probably or bloody well get rid of it. As my late Grandmother said Rosa Beaurepaire née Balderstone as she was pacifist said this at Nelson Labour LEC or some other Labour meeting many yrs ago “the Forces are a necessary evil we have to have as it’s rather like have house insurance as only a bloody idiot would go without it and not having a Defence Force could be a lot worse unless you like living under a jackboot or don’t like our way of life have fought for be it as workclass struggle against the bosses of this country or fighting overseas against Herr Hitler! The choice is yours and I know what I’ll and my future generations of family would rather have! “ and the debate stop dead on some Defence issues being discussed at the time.
The most significant thing I took away from my very brief encounter with George and his family after Damien’s accident was the deep sense of betrayal. A long family history of service (unto the current generation, despite this crap) and clearly the loyalty was entirely one sided.
That’s my total experience with capitalists. They demand loyalty but they never, ever give it.
This lefty would prefer we needed no armed forces at all, but if we are going to have such a thing…fund it bloody properly or don’t bother.
I would much prefer that we didn’t have to have the armed forces but history tells us that we do and so, like you, I think we need to fund it properly and care for our people who are willing to put their lives on the line for our safety.
…along with the th other problems that arose in the 2000’s stems back to the defence cuts in 90’s.
IMO, If you look back in history the governments that have cut defence spending the most will be National governments. This is despite their rhetoric that the defence forces need to be kept up to maximum capability. Such applies across the board of course – they promise to keep things up but cut funding so that they can give tax cuts to the rich. their usual BS to cover these funding cuts is to do more with less.< Such a philosophy is as bankrupt as it sounds. Throw in the fact that they’ll privatise things so that the rich can get a government guaranteed income for doing nothing at all and things do get really bad.
And you wonder why this lefty is a bit more pro defence than most and very anti “No Mates Party”.
Nope, history makes it clear as day. The biggest threat to our armed forces is the National Party.
This is despite their rhetoric that the defence forces need to be kept up to maximum capability. Such applies across the board of course – they promise to keep things up but cut funding so that they can give tax cuts to the rich. their usual BS to cover these funding cuts is to do more with less.
It has always been the same with the police and the justice system. I don’t think that it was quite as bad last set of terms for National as it was at the end of the 1990s, but they’d certainly been running down the police capabilities. But in 1999, they’d been both sucking money off the police in real terms AND the police hierarchy had been sucking funding away internally on to their computer systems in an attempt to make up for the operational shortfalls down the line.
The effect was devastating. Around here, there was virtually no investigation of “petty crime” like car theft from our parking garages or people kicking in doors looking for money. Those were treated as being insurance issues – as in you had to have a meaningless proforma complaint to police to get your insurance claim approved. No one would turn up to look for evidence. They’d just wait until they accidently nabbed the offender for something else and let them plead to as many other offenses as they could remember that fitted reports to the police – to provide clearance rates for statistics.
It was even more horrendous in the less affluent areas where there weren’t any kinds of the alarms and security systems that my apartment block put in communally. Some of my friends and relatives were getting burglarized several times during the year. And it seemed like the poorer they were, the more often it happened.
Labour and the Alliance got in, changed the policies along with the funding levels, and it cleared up over a couple of years. Police started to turn up at crime scenes with finger printing kits.
This time I think that they have been damaging the court systems more instead. Some parts of the optimisations worked, like electronic documents. Many parts appear to have simply slowed the court systems down. And the court systems are visibly straining to get through the process.
Yep they need enough to buy a house that is modified so they have home security and what they would have achieved had they been able to work, plus a modified car for the tetraplegic and enough income to lead a stress free life in relation to income.
Does not sound like ACC took care of it and personally feel the army should have done so much more, they were left without emotional or psychological support, moved back in with parents, and another sibling quit the army to look after them and now unemployed???
Does not look like a rosy outcome with all problems and issues dealt with and solved by ACC, let alone the army.
While over the pacific pond……….Donald Trump knows that the war-mongers EU/NATO/Washington swamp warhawk cartel want to break up Russia like they conspired to break up the Eastern Euopean & Baltic states like Ukraine/Yugoslavia/ect’ to plunder; — so he wants to stop the impending war about to envelop the planet again.
We need to save our people from another world war folks it is that simple.
This is the issue and the ‘elitists’ do not care about us; – and will use anything or person to stop Trump from saving us from war.
Today the Elitist corporate swamp has finally bought Tumps lawyer Michael Cohen who had taped Trump trying to pay to hush an affair he had 19 yrs ago.
So as affairs were always ‘indemic’ amongst all presidents going back till the year dot not one president then was placed under such scutity as this one is even when he was playing around before being president.
“It’s no surprise that Russians send spies to the US,” Noah said. “I mean, a spying Russian is as normal as a white person calling the cops on their shadow.”
I see the Alt Reich Speakers post is still running strong, but thought it may be better to post here on OM these links to ‘on the ground’ reports from Melbourne of the first of the Southern/Molyneux meetings held in Australia last night.
As expected there were protests and attempts to block people from getting to the venue; confrontations with police including mounted police and dogs, and with right wing demonstrators, resulting in the blocking of the Hume highway; and infiltrations and protests at the venue itself with one young woman getting up on the stage and others removed from the audience, and several arrests. IMHO this all played straight into the hands of Southern et al in terms of publicity etc and winding people up and creating dissent.
[Google links to reports and videos of Neil Ericson (Right Winger who videos for Southern) being hauled from videoing the protests by police don’t seem to load …. ]
The most interesting thing (to me anyway) from these reports is that they obviously tried to keep the actual venue secret as much as possible. Ticket holders were directed to meet at a particular railway station (Broadmeadows) with buses then transporting them to the actual venue – the La Mirage Reception and Convention Centre in Somerton.
I find this interesting because the Australian organiser (Mellowes?) has been saying that they are attempting to find a new venue here in NZ now that Southern and Molyneux have been granted limited work visas; and that they have had no success to date but are hopeful of finding one. Initially I took this at face value but now that they kept the Melbourne venue secret, I suspect that they will not be announcing any venue they secure (or have already) here in NZ – and will attempt the same tactics as used in Melbourne.
There are a number of other Australian bookings before they are supposed to be coming to NZ in early August, so there is some time to see what happens at these other Australian venues in the meantime. Schedule is; Perth Sun 22 July; Adelaide Tues 24 July; Sydney Sat, 28 July; Brisbane Sun 29 July.
Auckland is still showing on the Axiomatic events website as Auckland, Friday 3 August.
So no reports of any prosecutions? Aren’t they saying anything sufficiently hateful? Is it really just a cry-wolf story? Seems like total focus on venues & hoo-ha. You see zero evidence of law-breaking but don’t say so? I’m starting to get the impression this was all just a leftist beat-up. Maybe they’ll come & do their spiel here & everyone will say how remarkably inoffensive it all was, and what nice tourists they seem to be…
Pull you head in over this matter Dennis Frank. They are offensive people who say very offensive things. They play to the lowest common denominator and deliberately provoke people into taking action against them. They are, in short, arse-holes. It may not be a crime in itself to be an arse-hole but since we have plenty of our own, lets not encourage the imported variety to come here and stir up more trouble.
If you want to join them go ahead. That is your prerogative. But spare us the whining about ‘lack of prosecutions etc.” because they haven’t even arrived here yet and anyway, that is not the bone of contention.
Don’t be silly, Anne. I didn’t encourage them and I’m as likely to join them as you are. Just mentioning that the news from Oz seems to indicate less substance to the controversy. If they aren’t actually doing anything wrong, then your personal antipathy to them has no relevance to our public policy. The lack of evidence is now indicating that perception of hate speech is a minority view rather than a basis for corrective action by the state.
Thanks Anne. As I thought I had made clear in my first para in my comment, I was primarily just providing links to media reports on Southern and Molyneux’s first event in Australia (in other words what was happening in the real world) and leaving the high brow philosophical pros and cons discussions for the Alt Reich post and the earlier related ones.
Personally I decided to just ignore Dennis Frank’s snide cynical reply as it was typical of his comments over the years both here on TS and on other blogs such as Pundit and TDB. I tend to just pass over his comments because of his negativity and ‘I know best’ attitude. As for people who use the expression “Don’t be silly, (name)” – usually males to females in my experience … LOL.
in projection, thoughts, motivations, desires, and feelings that cannot be accepted as one’s own are dealt with by being placed in the outside world and attributed to someone else.
Seems that whales in our harbours – first Matariki in Wellington harbour and then Blue whales in Auckland – have now been joined by humpback whales etc close in off the coast of Queensland.
(He has been tweeting a bit again the last few days, but others relate to different subjects – eg the pros and cons of domed vs single/double zipper baby onsies at 4am.) LOL
I have been so impressed with the silence from the new parents apart from Twitter it seems lol. It seems like they are really getting some free air in the precious first few weeks after birth. Well done to them and everyone making that happen.
I see Duncan Garner has a piece in Stuff about being a solo parent for the last 6 months. Maybe that explains his understanding of Phil Twyford flying with his wife and three young ones.
Duncan appears to have gained some humility and humanity.
His comment about “some mates weren’t able to cope, others turned up with a meal and time to chat” rang a bell. The first lot obviously were not real mates. A hard way to find out, but some folk can’t be second for any reason.
China’s doing it! Birds do it, bees do it, even educated fleas do it.
Oh why, oh why can’t we. Or have I missed the news that we have started – not just still talking about it?
Once we had NZFS which led to Kaiangaroa and other plantation schemes. Which were sadly lost to ideology. Saihanba seems very similar to Kaiangaroa in style, intent and effects.
“Ms Tuwhare said the hapu had little faith in the idea of a centralised iwi governance body that would distribute largesse to the hapū.
“We already have one of those in the Ngāpuhi rūnanga, and it has not only failed to capitalise on its ($60m) Fisheries settlement – it returns only 11 percent of its annual profits to the people it’s supposed to be helping so about 90 percent goes on its internal costs. That’s a very poor performance compared with other iwi.”
Moana Tuwhare said a number of hapū in the north were making a better fist of running their affairs than the rūnanga was, and were well-equipped to deal with a settlement.
The rūnanga was now spending $200,000 on lawyers, in an effort to set up a post-governance entity, without reference to the hapū, she said.”
Does anyone remember the Selwyn River? It seems to be gone now. When will anything be done to bring it back?
Does anyone remember the Golden Bay scallops? They seem to have been decimated. Where is the plan to restore them? When does it start?
I’m sure there are many similar places, where bad policy decisions have destroyed public environmental assets. So when can we expect movement to recover them?
Or are they to be viewed as part of the attrition that goes with a civil service that has become captive to neoliberal rather than democratic norms? Let us have some sunlight on the dark recesses of failed policies made in dark rooms by corrupt far right ideologues under the Gnats.
Yes I remember swimming at Coes Ford, catching brown trout down from Coes ford and fishing down at the Selwyn Huts or going out in the Golden Bay with cousins from Mout to get a feed of Scallops or a catch of founder.
Yeah Pat, I’m told it pointless even trying to have a dip let alone a swim in the Selwyn and even forget about trying to have fish either. The Rabbit Arms Hotel and the local store at Springston don’t have much of a summer trade either as there is no campers at Coes Ford because of the state of the Selwyn River now.
Are you commenting about the multiple plans launched by the Labour-led government this week to redevelop and revive Westport and Greymouth perhaps? Support the rail line expansion across the coast per chance? Support the rebuild of Westport town centre? Maybe?
Or the launch this week of the new major tourism walk by DoC close the the Puankaike Rocks perchance?
If west coast coalminers want to keep digging coal, they should do what the rest of them do and head to Australia. We still haven’t been able to extract the bodies out of the last one, but hey go for it.
Use some kind of reference if you really want to comment on this government.
Those issues are not relative to the average person on the coast. Do you really think that the punakaiki walk will have any effect or bearing on the average persons life on the west coast. really?? No one cares , so what some tourist will buy another drink or something at the shop up the road.
One closed gold mine of recent adds up to far more than all that crap you just listed. Rail line !! whippy!!
Rebuild the Westport centre, Yay the hungry kids can look at the shiny new statue.
Its not just coal. Its the right to have access to our minerals. We are not the rest of the country so stop treating us like we are.
Obviously you cant see it because you dont live it.
If the average person on the west coast isn’t engaging with tourism they really need to find somewhere else to live. Yes that includes you.
Your reaction is typical of the quarry-enclave mentality that has poisoned and damaged many areas of this country. Go and check out Waihi now.
It is also typical that someone who comments with no links whatsoever and just has a slag at the government for no purpose, is also someone who cannot for the life of them engage with actual multiple concrete initiatives that are occurring now.
Instead all they want to do is go back to mining coal.
You are one of the ignorant fools who think that the world never changes, and as a result the west coast continues to shrink in every way possible.
Yeah not so surprising – perhaps this is why people should only be allowed to earn so much money – they get distorted. I’d close them down.
“Australia’s richest person, mining magnate Gina Rinehart, has been revealed as a key funder of the rightwing thinktank the Institute of Public Affairs – a consistent promoter of climate science scepticism.
Rinehart’s company, Hancock Prospecting, donated $2.3m to the IPA in 2016 and $2.2m in 2017, according to disclosures made to the New South Wales supreme court.”
Anyone picking this up? Assange due to be arrested? Sorry if someone has already posted, I didn’t read right through. Hard day and tired.
So what is the plan if he is handed over? Do we have a left in NZ and will it respond? We know the Labour Party won’t. Too shit scared to offend the five eyes people.
“Whether he wins in 2020 or not, we will not have seen the last of Trump’s type as long as the system remains unreconstructed. If the future ordains more economic dislocation and alienation – which automation and AI could so easily bring – the danger is that history looks back on Trump not as a nasty aberration, but as the one who opened the door for the real fascists to walk through.”
Good morning Q & A Corin with our waste the people who make this waste should be charged as well as the consumer If we make it so that its in the best interest for manufactures to reduce the waste I.E charge them for this waste and send the money to the recycles .Business switched from recycling glass bottles because it is cheaper for them to use plastics than glass with a little tweek this could change so it is cheaper to use glass bottles glass can be recycled many times.
Family violence = Waipiro in % 80 = business selling Waipoiro road deaths = Waipiro full jails = Waipiro all the bad stats flow out of OUR abuse of the use of this poison why is it so hard for these problems to be fixed business political lobbie groups limit the access te mokopunas have to this poision and the stats will change for the better .
My mokopunas are going to look back at us and laugh they could not do not want to fix waipoiro abuse a problem that causes so much harm to our society.
Ka kite ano P.S hate speech is not acceptable enough said
Marae I did not know Matua Black I put his picture on one of my post he looks like a Honorable man who united maori he gave them mana with the Gate Pa celebrations.
Now if that story had the substance that the media gave it and the way his ex put this story out there to the Papatuanuku surely more than one{ contracted lair ]would come forward . I trust this system as far as I can —— ana to kai te tangata you don’t no how corrupt this system is . In My EYEs this is a attack on Maori culture Mana .
The Maori will still be strong one has to have balance like the jin yang so I still back Maori Party. P.S I will put some links up to back my views on Matua Black .The tane can not even defend his mana
I know that my Tipuna sided with the Government this was to protect Ngati Porou mana whenua and tangata after the musket raids of other hapu on us .
The big picture is we were played and we are still being fooled by some Pakeha ana to kai . The tangata delivering Muta Blacks story that’s a smear in my eyes on Maori Mana are being played fooled to Ka kite ano
P.S you see tangata some Pakeha don;t want the good Kiwi people to know that the killed lied cheated Maori all out of greed for our whenua they just want us to go away hell NO
The problem I have with this DNA grab by this DNA company is that it is so easy for evil people to get a sample of DNA and then plant it on or in a crime orchestrated seen and wala the evil person has locked up a innocent person . I say this tool is going to be used to control Te Tangata just like these cameras going up all around Aotearoa and Papatuanuku a tool for the 00.1 % to keep us as there slaves .
Ka kite ano
Those Tribal Hulk links were not what I thought they were I thought they were links to the New Zealand wars of 1840 to 1900 ECO MAORI does not Tau toko GANGS full stop. Ka kite ano
So much for free speech a it’s free until one is a broke Maori educating te tangata about the system we live have imposed on KIWIs Ka kite ano they are trying to blocking my post lucky I have other strategies to get my words out to You all Ka kite ano
Some music ECO MAORI is listening to at the minute Ka kite ano
YouTube
Bob Marley – Redemption Song (from the legend album, with lyrics)
XxWolfqueenxX21,040,860 views
Published on 8 Sep 2009
Couldnt find this version on youtube so thought I’d upload it as it’s my all time favourite Bob Marley song….no copyright infringement intended, this is just a video i put together I own nothing on the video nor do I claim to own anything…..
Good evening Newshub Hope I did not break to many glass bubbles this morning. I don’t make my statements lightly on Mata Black one has to see things through my eyes see how many Maori proffets that have had there Mana destroyed by the – – – – – there you go the Rotorua Council is not trying to help it homeless tangata I bet if it was there whano on the street they would bend the the rules like they are for their Dairy farmer m8 Ka kite ano
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Eric Crampton writes – Grudges are bad. Better to move on. But it can be fun to keep a couple of really trivial ones, so you’re not tempted to have other ones. For example, because of the rootkit fiasco of 2005, no Sony products in our household. ...
A new report warns an estimated third of the adult population have unmet need for health care.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāHere’s the six key things I learned about Aotaroa’s political economy this week around housing, climate and poverty:Politics - Three opinion polls confirmed support for PM Christopher Luxon ...
Today is May the fourth. Which was just a regular day when my mother took me to see the newly released Star Wars at the Odeon in Rotorua. The queue was right around the corner. Some years later this day became known as Star Wars Day, the date being a ...
Buzz from the Beehive Much more media attention is being paid to something Winston Peters said about former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr than to a speech he delivered to the New Zealand China Council. One word is missing from the speech: AUKUS. But AUKUS loomed large in his considerations ...
Is the economy in another long stagnation? If so, why?This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be ...
The annual list of who's been bribing our politicians is out, and journalists will no doubt be poring over it to find the juiciest and dirtiest bribes. The government's fast-track invite list is likely to be a particular focus, and we already know of one company on the list which ...
In the weeks after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Southern Israel I wrote about the possible 2nd, 3rd and even 4th order effects of the conflict. These included new fronts being opened in the West Bank (with Hamas), Golan … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – It is one of the oldest truisms that there is never a good time for MPs to get a pay rise. This week’s announcement of pay raises of around 2.8% backdated to last October could hardly have come at a worse time, with the ...
David Farrar writes – Newshub reports: Newshub can reveal a fresh allegation of intimidation against Green MP Julie-Anne Genter. Genter is subject to a disciplinary process for aggressively waving a book in the face of National Minister Matt Doocey in the House – but it’s not the first time ...
The Treasury has published a paper today on the global productivity slowdown and how it is playing out in New Zealand: The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections. The Treasury Paper examines recent trends in productivity and the potential drivers of the slowdown. Productivity for the whole economy ...
Winston Peters’ comments about former Australian foreign minister look set to be an ongoing headache for both him and Luxon. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guests on Gaza and ...
These puppet strings don't pull themselvesYou're thinking thoughts from someone elseHow much time do you think you have?Are you prepared for what comes next?The debating chamber can be a trying place for an opposition MP. What with the person in charge, the speaker, typically being an MP from the governing ...
The land around Lyme Regis, where Meryl Streep once stood, in a hood, on the Cobb, is falling into the sea.MerylThe land around Lyme Regis, around the Cobb that made it rich, has always been falling slowly but surely into the sea. Read more ...
Buzz from the Beehive Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters was bound to win headlines when he set out his thinking about AUKUS in his speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. The headlines became bigger when – during an interview on RNZ’s Morning Report today – he criticised ...
The Post reports on how the government is refusing to release its advice on its corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law, instead using the "soon to be publicly available" refusal ground to hide it until after select committee submissions on the bill have closed. Fast-track Minister Chris Bishop's excuse? “It's not ...
As pressure on it grows, the livestock industry’s approach to the transition to Net Zero is increasingly being compared to that of fossil fuel interests. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above ...
The New Zealand Herald reports – Stats NZ has offered a voluntary redundancy scheme to all of its workers as a way to give staff some control over their “future” amidst widespread job losses in the public sector. In an update to staff this morning, seen by the Herald, Statistics New Zealand ...
On Werewolf/Scoop, I usually do two long form political columns a week. From now on, there will be an extra column each week about music and movies. But first, some late-breaking political events:The rise in unemployment numbers for the March quarter was bigger than expected – and especially sharp ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: TVNZ says it is dealing with about 50 formal complaints over its coverage of the latest 1News-Verian political poll, with some viewers – as well as the Prime Minister and a former senior Labour MP – critical of the tone of the 6pm report. ...
Muriel Newman writes – When Meridian Energy was seeking resource consents for a West Coast hydro dam proposal in 2010, local Maori “strenuously” objected, claiming their mana was inextricably linked to ‘their’ river and could be damaged. After receiving a financial payment from the company, however, the Ngai Tahu ...
Alwyn Poole writes – “An SEP,’ he said, ‘is something that we can’t see, or don’t see, or our brain doesn’t let us see, because we think that it’s somebody else’s problem. That’s what SEP means. Somebody Else’s Problem. The brain just edits it out, it’s like a ...
Our trust in our political institutions is fast eroding, according to a Maxim Institute discussion paper, Shaky Foundations: Why our democracy needs trust. The paper – released today – raises concerns about declining trust in New Zealand’s political institutions and democratic processes, and the role that the overuse of Parliamentary urgency ...
This article was prepared for publication yesterday. More ministerial announcements have been posted on the government’s official website since it was written. We will report on these later today …. Buzz from the BeehiveThere we were, thinking the environment is in trouble, when along came Jones. Shane Jones. ...
New Zealand now has the fourth most depressed construction sector in the world behind China, Qatar and Hong Kong. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 8:46am on Thursday, May 2:The Lead: ...
Hi,I am just going to state something very obvious: American police are fucking crazy.That was a photo gracing the New York Times this morning, showing New York City police “entering Columbia University last night after receiving a request from the school.”Apparently in America, protesting the deaths of tens of thousands ...
Winston Peters’ much anticipated foreign policy speech last night was a work of two halves. Much of it was a standard “boilerplate” Foreign Ministry overview of the state of the world. There was some hardening up of rhetoric with talk of “benign” becoming “malign” and old truths giving way to ...
Graham Adams assesses the fallout of the Cass Review — The press release last Thursday from the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls didn’t make the mainstream news in New Zealand but it really should have. The startling title of Reem Alsalem’s statement — “Implementation of ‘Cass ...
This open-for-business, under-new-management cliché-pockmarked government of Christopher Luxon is not the thing of beauty he imagines it to be. It is not the powerful expression of the will of the people that he asserts it to be. It is not a soaring eagle, it is a malodorous vulture. This newest poll should make ...
The latest labour market statistics, showing a rise in unemployment. There are now 134,000 unemployed - 14,000 more than when the National government took office. Which is I guess what happens when the Reserve Bank causes a recession in an effort to Keep Wages Low. The previous government saw a ...
Three opinion polls have been released in the last two days, all showing that the new government is failing to hold their popular support. The usual honeymoon experienced during the first year of a first term government is entirely absent. The political mood is still gloomy and discontented, mainly due ...
National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”.As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
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Disgusting. And absurd.
Head to Head, Al Jazeera, recorded on July 8, 2018
Right now, Israeli apologist Danny Ayalon is on, being interviewed by Mehdi Hasan. Ayalon is not only disgusting, he is ridiculous. He is so ridiculous that the crowd is laughing at him.
MEHDI HASAN: Does Israel control Gaza’s airspace, yes or no?
DANNY AYALON: No.
AUDIENCE: Ha ha ha ha ha!
….
DANNY AYALON: Israel is transparent.
AUDIENCE: Ha ha ha ha ha!
ad nauseam….
+1
Here is a good short piece on Apartheid Israel
Shocking. Also do they really think state sanctioned murder of innocent medical staff is helping their cause, let alone breaking how many human rights conventions??? Can’t wait for the day when they are all bought to justice and put in jail.
4: Israeli forces ‘deliberately killed’ Palestinian paramedic Razan
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2018/07/19/tdb-top-5-international-stories-thursday-19th-july-2018/
Everyone of any faith, should pray for Israel. Having been taken to the edge of the pit of human degradation and contempt and thrown over during WW2, they have been left with a sadness and anger.
Now they are losing their souls that were almost destroyed before, Seemingly they are unable to get out from the retaliation phase. Fear of the past forces them to ensure they prevent a recurrence. That fear remains to cripple them from expanding their hearts and embracing the present and future in wary diplomatic civil compromise with Palestinians, and to carefully treat with others who may be mendacious.
Good morning Standardnistas, and what are we going to discuss/argue today?
How about we ponder the twenty year (plus) battle the Nepata brothers have had with the Defence Force…through numerous changes of government?
https://interactives.stuff.co.nz/2018/07/the-battle-of-nepata/
A long and somewhat convoluted read in that weird does- your- head- in sliding screen format… but stick with it.
Ron Mark has ‘championed’ the brothers Nepata for many years and thinks this latest attempt for justice might be their last…
George and Damien think they may have a chance with this new administration, but as with the Family Carers case (been running for the same amount of time) the ‘floodgates’ argument is being touted as the reason to dismiss this, again.
Oh look! There’s Our Learned Friends from Crown Law…doing their very best to protect Government from being accountable for it’s failings.
Agree, The format is crap!!!
Roll on Chris Hipkins’ review of what’s become of our public service! Let’s hope it doesn’t end up namby pamby wish washing.
NZDF, Houising NZ, MSD, MPI, MoBIE, Health, Education, DHBs…………..
There are huge structural problems but management culture has become toxic too with fuck all accountability
True that is Tim,
Publ;ic service is still being run by “advisors” that even labour are condoning, so if labour have no balls to actually change anything within the “public service” attitudes inside the NZDF, Houising NZ, MSD, MPI, MoBIE, Health, Education, DHBs………….. we are in for more of the shame crap as we endured for the last nine years.
“… we are in for more of the shame crap as we endured for the last nine years.”
Well, I for one voted to change that.
I gave this Current Mob a mandate, ffs.
Use it, or lose it.
Once was Tim
Even if the mass of National Party don’t give a f..k about the injustice or unfairness in the system (that oppresses other less fortunate citizens) they should be roused if the case is presented on the basis of waste of taxpayers money on falsified figures, and incorrect data, and signing off on important regulations with life-killing or disease potential, and far too high executive incomes based on profit-making private business levels.
I see people on low salary or grants or volunteering, working away trying to bridge the gaps in this vicious financial economic system and integrity-free government and welfare system. They are being loaded with Health and Safety Regulations and others, which are a load of bureaucratic sh.t, OTT and a barrier to ordinary effective good management and control. The managers should be drowned in wine barrels and people who have served at the grassrootes then put in their place. This is after they have got training in management implementation and structural control for the co-operative model.
And gradually replace all the Brits, 5-Eyes types, and assorted coming here and directing our water onto their farms, and our money into their pockets. When it comes to immigration look at all these people. Our immigrants are mostly great people from wherever they come, and I admire and like them. But we have too many stepping into the line of employment ahead of NZs. That’s not new information but it seems necessary to constantly reiterate it over the catch-cry of immigration being xenophobic. We citizens have a responsibility to care for our own country and other NZs to be trained as bureaucrats who work for our betterment. At present they too often sit in their spiderwebs and pounce on naive NZs who wander in all unknowing, and never understand why nothing ever goes right for them.
Christ @ Greywarshark! DO we know each other?
Seriously though, the dysfunction in our PS is now well known by those that care to know. The question is, now that there is the opportunity for reform, is anyone going to take on the challenge, or will it be a few weasel words and business as usual,
I see a few signs that there is a growing acceptance that things have radically gone tits up……but – probably like you and Rosemary: waiting waiting waiting.
Waiting Also …
In the event you missed this …
“Initially, Sanson says he’s not seeing a clash between pro-corporate factions within DOC against pro-conservation people, but then he gives some ground. “It may be at one location in the country, yes, but not over the department.”
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2018/07/12/151517/docs-culture-wars-revealed
PS. (There was a follow up article to this the day after … that can’t put finger on just Now), that suggested some action was being taken in One location ……
It might depend on what that ‘action’ is … this article?
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2018/07/16/155418/insiders-pan-docs-corporate-embrace#
‘One former DOC worker reckons it’s going to be hard for Minister Sage to change the department’s culture, given its focus on “corporate management processes and outcomes and reports and organisational change”.’
Not totally clear what you are saying JO… ?
Figure with the added missing Link you are following/understand, and/or are perhaps affected …. ?
A past life for me … But Very sad to watch, and hear of a great organisation, (Public Service), get the stick from MSM, (albeit David Williams, Newsroom)
“Four years on, the DOC staffer says after the “Nick disaster”, they can’t see how DOC can reach its potential by the route it’s taking. “It’s just a bloody tragedy. It’s tragic what’s happening to DOC.”
Trust “that action”, And/or the necessary Change occurs with P S/ Ministerial impute, as necessary/required and does not become dependent on the 4th Estate “MSM” articles … Credit to Newsroom if things are Crook! And Need Fixing!
The government spends more on Lawyers fighting against fairness ‘to stop the floodgates’ than if they actually apologised, investigated properly and did the moral thing at the beginning.
Not only that, probably would save money on the massive legal fees to fat cats who seem to be beyond the law, and years of litigation which also stops people believing in government being honest and accountable, any more. (Because they use legal and power to fight against what is right against people who have been screwed over or had harm, by the system).
I seem to remember the victims of state care, got less for their abuse eventually, than the lawyers who represented them got in fees.
Likewise the carer’s, etc etc.
Being just and fair, is not being wrong.
“Being just and fair, is not being wrong.”
Ah, but now he’s wearing big boy pants Ron Mark appears to be struggling with those distinctions.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/105626884/emotional-ron-mark-has-misgivings-about-defence-force-treatment-of-injured-nepata-brothers
Without commenting at all on the specifics of the Nepata case, if I may, I think this is indicative of a more general issue that Ministers often find themselves confronted with. It is neatly portrayed in a very good ‘portrait’ of Eugenie Sage:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/105577646/national-portrait-long-apprenticeship-of-the-minister-with-her-hand-on-doc
I get where you’re coming from…but two things…both Sage and Mark have been around the traps for a while, they surely knew the score? Were prepared?
And secondly…both are members of a very carefully and intensely negotiated coalition government who promised to do shit differently.
And thirdly….what is the term used to describe when the military goes against the orders of a democratically elected government?
Back in 2013….the brothers Nepata discovered that the Defence Force had, during the time they had battling for compensation from the DF, handed out over 1/2 a million dollars in ex gratia payments.
When confronted….bullshit ensued….https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11122334
” Dr Coleman earlier said he had enormous sympathy for the brothers and was approaching the matter with an open mind. The Defence Force would not comment on the case while the matter was under his consideration.
Earlier this year, Defence Force chief of personnel Brigadier Howard Duffy said the army was very sympathetic to the brothers, but an ex gratia payment was a matter for the Government.
However, under Defence Force orders, last updated in October 2011, the force is able to authorise ex gratia payments of up to $30,000 without ministerial sign-off.
Ex gratia payments of between $30,000 to $75,000 must be authorised by the minister, while payments of more than $75,000 need to be signed off by Cabinet.”
What a sad story and so unfair that this particular family had so much to deal with. The first thing that should be happening is that the army reforms it’s way’s and actually have psychologists and other support staff to help ex army staff to recover after injuries including apologising if it was a work place accident and giving them FULL support. It is unfathomable that after telling the army they are a family, to them suddenly abandon soldiers who get injured to face it all alone with out even a goodbye, especially when they are injured in the line of duty or during training!
Then there should be pay outs straight away (aka like airline accidents) and annuities available to those permanently injured to stop them falling into poverty after their accident. This should be in addition to ACC and other benefits as part of the act of being in the armed forces!
One of my family members served and they got a pension as well as the normal pension so maybe some sort of non means tested annuity payment for permanently injured soldiers as well as pensions should be made as well as a lump sum as soon as they are injured to help them adjust AND emotional support right through from the armed forces. Whether injured or not, the soldiers should still be counted as the armed forces and treated with dignity and support.
Also think the armed forces should be retrained to also do disaster work and be front line disaster workers for earthquakes, floods etc etc. Then Kiwis would be much more interested in supporting them because at present the armed forces seem like political pawns with defence just a junket to give money to other countries for armaments while not valuing the actual people who are in the armed forces who should be ready to help in a disaster when Kiwis might actually need them.
Funny thing is, I spoke with a couple of ex defence force personnel regarding particular disability issues (accessible housing building rules if I recall) and the issue the Nepata brothers were facing came up. (I had met George and his family briefly when Damien was in hospital).
Both these guys had been well looked after and supported by the DF…but then again they were Officers. And I assume that makes them Gentlemen. And worthy.
Close scrutiny of those ex gratia payments made by the DF would be handy…
Maybe also racially or class motivated?
Hard to see why someone who was slowly burnt alive for hours and another who was paralysed during training through no fault of their own, do not qualify for a moral payment?
When you watch how other countries behave aka Thai cave rescue it casts a shadow on government and private attitudes in NZ when they do nothing to rescue anybody citing too dangerous and fail to do the right thing post accident (shareholders vote against compensation for Pike River families for example)…
We have developed a toxic workplace/government mentality in NZ post rogernomics where people are just disposable units to be thrown away to save money or reduce a perceived monetary or corporation risk.
Not only is this morally wrong, it does not work to create a thriving environment – toxic ideas and behaviour kills everything around it.
Sad we see less of this…
Diver adrift for three days survives thirst and hallucinations
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/feb/09/samjones.mainsection
Sad story really. Hope these guys get what they deserve. I don’t really think 30-75,000 is enough. It would barely pay for a modified vehicle for the tetarplegic chap. Seems that every accident like these ones in the military seems to be entirely avoidable and the victims get hung out to dry. Even by 1989 standards, getting 2 guys to carry a third on a stretcher on a piece of 4×2 is asking for trouble.
millsy…ACC will be taking care of the vehicle funding as well as home modifications, supplies and ongoing care and rehabilitation. George is most likely well supported by ACC (although,( again its wayback), there might have been a battle to secure ACC funding as accidents to Kiwis outside of NZ were not covered.)
I do recall George telling me about his accident, and also heard some of the details of Damien’s accident. Even back then it was obvious that the Army failed to provide a safe working environment. As you say…even by 1989 standards it was pretty bloody reckless. Those Scorpion tanks were being phased out because of known issues.
I know from personal experience…when one finds out that others have been financially compensated when you have fought and over the same issues its sticks in one’s craw.
Its not fair. Plain and simple.
The NZDF is an accredited employer. So it would be hard to get any form of cover out of them.
The point is that NZDF did make ex gratia payments to other personnel…but refused to do the same for the Nepata brothers.
Why?
And why obfuscate when challenged?
Although ACC is involved, the workplace should still be a moral workplace, offering at the very least emotional support due to the vocation identity of ‘family’ under armed forces…
ACC is a great concept, but should not be used to sweep accidents and support both emotional and financial from the work place instead be a standard that also can be added to by the workforce to keep the person’s prospects the same as if they had not been injured and compensation which is no longer part of ACC.
Worksafe can award payments or prosecution, funny enough not for Pike River (prosecution) and not for these accidents either, maybe government ‘influence’ and neoliberal ideas of ‘opening the floodgates’ are stopping justice.
I was in the NZ Army (RNZAC) from the mid 93 to mid 98. I wasn’t in QA SQN or whatever it was called back then, or it may have been 1st Armoured Group? The guys were getting ready to deploy on Op Raidan for Bosnia at the time of the accident, also during this time we the NZDF had lost or were about to lose up to 25% of the Defence budget in cuts. Which was effecting operational preparedness across the broad, but it the Corp the hardest as we were quite expensive to run which saw a lot of Army cuts head our way which to cause issues down the track aka the LAV’s and the buying of those death traps the up armoured Pinz’s.
Before the Defence cuts under there was a plain to give the CVT Scorpions and M113’s etc a Mid Life Update and WMIK kits, Communications upgrades for NZ Scots SQN using cutdown V8’s quite successfully in Recon role within 3 Land Force Group (3LFG). With the Scorpions that meant replacing the V6 Jaguar engine with Perkins engine, fire control systems and new fume extractor for the 76mm. Only the M113’s got the upgrades mainly for Bosnia and everything else got kicked into touch and the Scorpions should’ve been retired, but due to government policies they had to be maintained in use even though we had SFA in spares or money to buy spares. As everything we poured into getting M113’s up to OLOC and getting 1st Battalion up to speed with 2nd/1st back filling the 1st, at the sametime stripping all of 3LFG units of useful equipment to support the deployment.
The effects of all this happening cause the in my opinion that led to Damien’s accident and what happened with the 2nd/1st pre- deployment training and it’s deployment to East Timor in 2000 in which my mate was KIA along with the th other problems that arose in the 2000’s stems back to the defence cuts in 90’s. When I pose this similar question last yr to Damien at Cambrai last yr and has reply was yes, we also believe that everyone is ass covering as a result of this accident and I know of at least 3-5 other accidents from the 90’s where if an ex-gratis payment was made to Damien the flood gates would open all because we were trying to a job with SFA equipment that more and more dangerous as the yrs went on trying to our mandate tasks as directed by the politicians in Wellington with less and less funding and equipment failing or being run into ground or in case of NZ Scots we were building our own gun mounts, repairing our V8’s in some cases with our money or buying stuff from surplus shops IOT get the job done as stated in our mandated tasks IOT achieve the Government of the Day Defence Polices.
And you wonder why this lefty is a bit more pro defence than most and very anti “No Mates Party”. When I look back at my photos in NZ Army i offen wonder how on earth I didn’t get myself killed especially when I show rockape mates from work as they think we were bloody mad at what we did!!!!
Hence the nickname “Mad Kiwi” and my attitude to life.
Thank you Exkiwiforces. I was hoping you’d pop up and shed some light into the darker corners. So let me get this clear….the Scorpions ran on petrol???
Not diesel? (Perkins are diesel engines, aren’t they?) Jesus….I’m told the Yanks used to call the Sherman tanks ‘Ronsons’.
The most significant thing I took away from my very brief encounter with George and his family after Damien’s accident was the deep sense of betrayal. A long family history of service (unto the current generation, despite this crap) and clearly the loyalty was entirely one sided.
The really ironic thing was that they treated all three brothers like shit. All three of them.
Re: funding for Defence. This lefty would prefer we needed no armed forces at all, but if we are going to have such a thing…fund it bloody properly or don’t bother.
Thanks again.
Yes the Scorpion and its family of variants were powered by V6 4.2 lt Jag petrol engine with a semi automatic transmission which most countries that are still use Scorpion or any of its variants have now been replaced by the Perkins Diesel engine due to the risk of fire and also it cheaper to run than a petrol engine. There is a school of thought that we should brought more M41 Tanks and upgraded them instead of buying the Scorpions as even today the Danish and Norway Armies still use them as its main gun a long barrel 76mm is still quite useful.
The Germans called the all the Western Allies tanks in WW2 Tommy Cookers because of their petrol engines, but then again the Germans were engaging the Allies from over 1km where as Sherman had to within 800m to engage a Long Barrel Panzer 4’s and even closer for the Panther, Tiger, King Tiger Tanks and some of the Tank Destroyers as well before we even think about the German Anti Tank Guns.
Fighting the system for justice is bloody hard and I know that firsthand experience especially when the officer corps saying we well look after you, but in fact its the faceless civilian bureaucracy of MOD, Treasury, DVA, Government and their Advisors as they hold the purse strings.
There is an unwritten code of conduct/ convention between us and politicians due to the nature of our work and that we don’t have a right to form a union in that the politicians will look after us/ our families as well in peace, on operations and after we leave the services. But since the 90’s we have seen this code of conduct/ convention being kicked into touch with eroding of conditions of service from pay, super, housing/ rations and quarters for those who lived on base, allowances etc to using/ operating ageing equipment well pass their exprier date (rule of thumb for Military Equipment is 30yrs -/+ 10yrs) or new equipment being brought in service that is sub optimal for the at hand aka Project Protector the two OPV’s and Landing Support Ship, Up Armoured Piniz’s etc or the bare minimum of kit being brought aka doing more with less. If any other Government Dept had to put up with this shit there would be hell to pay as I don’t see many workers standing for this sort of shit as they have a union to go and bat for them and more likely to have the public on side as well.
Hence why I and many other like me have moved or still moving overseas because of this or were sacked by the Government as capabilities were chopped. A lot of these ex Kiwi officers have now reach Flag Rank, Air Rank or Staff Rank in Foreign Armed Forces with ex Kiwi NCO’s holding by senior positions within their of expertise or been commissioned. With me I’m now been pensioned off due to my PTSD and Major Depressive Disorder as a result of my Peacekeeping and Warlike active service.
The last comment sums up my attitude as well either you fund the NZDF probably or bloody well get rid of it. As my late Grandmother said Rosa Beaurepaire née Balderstone as she was pacifist said this at Nelson Labour LEC or some other Labour meeting many yrs ago “the Forces are a necessary evil we have to have as it’s rather like have house insurance as only a bloody idiot would go without it and not having a Defence Force could be a lot worse unless you like living under a jackboot or don’t like our way of life have fought for be it as workclass struggle against the bosses of this country or fighting overseas against Herr Hitler! The choice is yours and I know what I’ll and my future generations of family would rather have! “ and the debate stop dead on some Defence issues being discussed at the time.
Thanks Ex Kiwiforces, and for your Grannies tale. Your experience is worth reading.
That’s my total experience with capitalists. They demand loyalty but they never, ever give it.
I would much prefer that we didn’t have to have the armed forces but history tells us that we do and so, like you, I think we need to fund it properly and care for our people who are willing to put their lives on the line for our safety.
IMO, If you look back in history the governments that have cut defence spending the most will be National governments. This is despite their rhetoric that the defence forces need to be kept up to maximum capability. Such applies across the board of course – they promise to keep things up but cut funding so that they can give tax cuts to the rich. their usual BS to cover these funding cuts is to do more with less.< Such a philosophy is as bankrupt as it sounds. Throw in the fact that they’ll privatise things so that the rich can get a government guaranteed income for doing nothing at all and things do get really bad.
Nope, history makes it clear as day. The biggest threat to our armed forces is the National Party.
It has always been the same with the police and the justice system. I don’t think that it was quite as bad last set of terms for National as it was at the end of the 1990s, but they’d certainly been running down the police capabilities. But in 1999, they’d been both sucking money off the police in real terms AND the police hierarchy had been sucking funding away internally on to their computer systems in an attempt to make up for the operational shortfalls down the line.
The effect was devastating. Around here, there was virtually no investigation of “petty crime” like car theft from our parking garages or people kicking in doors looking for money. Those were treated as being insurance issues – as in you had to have a meaningless proforma complaint to police to get your insurance claim approved. No one would turn up to look for evidence. They’d just wait until they accidently nabbed the offender for something else and let them plead to as many other offenses as they could remember that fitted reports to the police – to provide clearance rates for statistics.
It was even more horrendous in the less affluent areas where there weren’t any kinds of the alarms and security systems that my apartment block put in communally. Some of my friends and relatives were getting burglarized several times during the year. And it seemed like the poorer they were, the more often it happened.
Labour and the Alliance got in, changed the policies along with the funding levels, and it cleared up over a couple of years. Police started to turn up at crime scenes with finger printing kits.
This time I think that they have been damaging the court systems more instead. Some parts of the optimisations worked, like electronic documents. Many parts appear to have simply slowed the court systems down. And the court systems are visibly straining to get through the process.
Yep they need enough to buy a house that is modified so they have home security and what they would have achieved had they been able to work, plus a modified car for the tetraplegic and enough income to lead a stress free life in relation to income.
SaveNZ….they are covered by ACC…all those issues are taken care of.
Does not sound like ACC took care of it and personally feel the army should have done so much more, they were left without emotional or psychological support, moved back in with parents, and another sibling quit the army to look after them and now unemployed???
Does not look like a rosy outcome with all problems and issues dealt with and solved by ACC, let alone the army.
The Nepata’s beef is with the Defence Force. Not ACC.
While over the pacific pond……….Donald Trump knows that the war-mongers EU/NATO/Washington swamp warhawk cartel want to break up Russia like they conspired to break up the Eastern Euopean & Baltic states like Ukraine/Yugoslavia/ect’ to plunder; — so he wants to stop the impending war about to envelop the planet again.
We need to save our people from another world war folks it is that simple.
This is the issue and the ‘elitists’ do not care about us; – and will use anything or person to stop Trump from saving us from war.
Today the Elitist corporate swamp has finally bought Tumps lawyer Michael Cohen who had taped Trump trying to pay to hush an affair he had 19 yrs ago.
So as affairs were always ‘indemic’ amongst all presidents going back till the year dot not one president then was placed under such scutity as this one is even when he was playing around before being president.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2238223/FDRs-menagerie-alleged-mistresses-The-American-presidents-long-list-rumored-love-affairs-romanced-upstate-New-York-cottage.html
Even FDR Rosevelt was involved with a misteress.
http://listverse.com/2015/02/24/10-scandalous-presidential-affairs-weve-totally-forgotten-about/
You know now that the Washington swamp will do anything to stop him at any cost. Washington swamp has no morals entirely.
Trump must win jhis fight agianst this cancer called “the washington swamp”.
Good one Noah
“It’s no surprise that Russians send spies to the US,” Noah said. “I mean, a spying Russian is as normal as a white person calling the cops on their shadow.”
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2018/jul/20/stephen-colbert-marina-butina-trump-colbert-meyers-fallon
T.rump is certainly delivering for the comedians – he’s a goldmine
I see the Alt Reich Speakers post is still running strong, but thought it may be better to post here on OM these links to ‘on the ground’ reports from Melbourne of the first of the Southern/Molyneux meetings held in Australia last night.
As expected there were protests and attempts to block people from getting to the venue; confrontations with police including mounted police and dogs, and with right wing demonstrators, resulting in the blocking of the Hume highway; and infiltrations and protests at the venue itself with one young woman getting up on the stage and others removed from the audience, and several arrests. IMHO this all played straight into the hands of Southern et al in terms of publicity etc and winding people up and creating dissent.
https://www.news.com.au/technology/online/organisers-introduce-complicated-measures-to-keep-location-of-lauren-southern-talk-secret/news-story/3972f35d2c901af9f679906451dc1a72
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-21/protesters-clash-with-police-outside-event-for-lauren-southern/10019554
https://www.9news.com.au/national/2018/07/20/20/33/lauren-southern-protesters-police-clash-road-closure
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/undercover-video-in-melbourne-backfires-for-rightwing-provocateur/news-story/2f9dc7d8c68360dd4f1aadef3d1f1054
[Google links to reports and videos of Neil Ericson (Right Winger who videos for Southern) being hauled from videoing the protests by police don’t seem to load …. ]
The most interesting thing (to me anyway) from these reports is that they obviously tried to keep the actual venue secret as much as possible. Ticket holders were directed to meet at a particular railway station (Broadmeadows) with buses then transporting them to the actual venue – the La Mirage Reception and Convention Centre in Somerton.
I find this interesting because the Australian organiser (Mellowes?) has been saying that they are attempting to find a new venue here in NZ now that Southern and Molyneux have been granted limited work visas; and that they have had no success to date but are hopeful of finding one. Initially I took this at face value but now that they kept the Melbourne venue secret, I suspect that they will not be announcing any venue they secure (or have already) here in NZ – and will attempt the same tactics as used in Melbourne.
There are a number of other Australian bookings before they are supposed to be coming to NZ in early August, so there is some time to see what happens at these other Australian venues in the meantime. Schedule is; Perth Sun 22 July; Adelaide Tues 24 July; Sydney Sat, 28 July; Brisbane Sun 29 July.
Auckland is still showing on the Axiomatic events website as Auckland, Friday 3 August.
UPDATE – Erikson video now working – https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/national/raw-neil-erikson-hauled-from-melbourne-protest/video/9f201ccb7f6db975ede7c1067980ca8a
So no reports of any prosecutions? Aren’t they saying anything sufficiently hateful? Is it really just a cry-wolf story? Seems like total focus on venues & hoo-ha. You see zero evidence of law-breaking but don’t say so? I’m starting to get the impression this was all just a leftist beat-up. Maybe they’ll come & do their spiel here & everyone will say how remarkably inoffensive it all was, and what nice tourists they seem to be…
Pull you head in over this matter Dennis Frank. They are offensive people who say very offensive things. They play to the lowest common denominator and deliberately provoke people into taking action against them. They are, in short, arse-holes. It may not be a crime in itself to be an arse-hole but since we have plenty of our own, lets not encourage the imported variety to come here and stir up more trouble.
If you want to join them go ahead. That is your prerogative. But spare us the whining about ‘lack of prosecutions etc.” because they haven’t even arrived here yet and anyway, that is not the bone of contention.
Don’t be silly, Anne. I didn’t encourage them and I’m as likely to join them as you are. Just mentioning that the news from Oz seems to indicate less substance to the controversy. If they aren’t actually doing anything wrong, then your personal antipathy to them has no relevance to our public policy. The lack of evidence is now indicating that perception of hate speech is a minority view rather than a basis for corrective action by the state.
Thanks Anne. As I thought I had made clear in my first para in my comment, I was primarily just providing links to media reports on Southern and Molyneux’s first event in Australia (in other words what was happening in the real world) and leaving the high brow philosophical pros and cons discussions for the Alt Reich post and the earlier related ones.
Personally I decided to just ignore Dennis Frank’s snide cynical reply as it was typical of his comments over the years both here on TS and on other blogs such as Pundit and TDB. I tend to just pass over his comments because of his negativity and ‘I know best’ attitude. As for people who use the expression “Don’t be silly, (name)” – usually males to females in my experience … LOL.
As for people who use the expression “Don’t be silly, (name)” – usually males to females in my experience … LOL.
Indeed.
Oh dear.
(adult themes NSFW or sensitive souls)
#Manafortleaks
The Freuds may have been on to something.
ffs does this shit these people do to other people ever end???
Whale Watching Report (and similar)
While finding the links for my comment at 5 above, I came across the following link
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/national/humpback-whales-dugong-and-dolphins-spotted-off-north-queensland-coast/news-story/cbfa67b898f91a8e6ec559051b40e7a0
Seems that whales in our harbours – first Matariki in Wellington harbour and then Blue whales in Auckland – have now been joined by humpback whales etc close in off the coast of Queensland.
Link to story re Blue Whales in Auckland – https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12091660
h/t to Clarke Gayford Twitter for that link from this tweet – https://twitter.com/NZClarke/status/1019733681341005824
Gayford also tweeted this before 8am this morning – superb Viceland video but really put me off breakfast!
https://twitter.com/NZClarke/status/1020395470328193025
(He has been tweeting a bit again the last few days, but others relate to different subjects – eg the pros and cons of domed vs single/double zipper baby onsies at 4am.) LOL
Nice.
I have been so impressed with the silence from the new parents apart from Twitter it seems lol. It seems like they are really getting some free air in the precious first few weeks after birth. Well done to them and everyone making that happen.
have now been joined by humpback whales etc close in off the coast of Queensland.
For reasons that are complicated to explain, I spent some time on Tuesday this week dodging the buggers off Fraser Island! Very impressive numbers.
Lucky, lucky you!!!!
Here’s one from the Oz ABC news website site.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-19/boaties-spark-concern-for-whales-on-gold-coast/10004884
I see Duncan Garner has a piece in Stuff about being a solo parent for the last 6 months. Maybe that explains his understanding of Phil Twyford flying with his wife and three young ones.
Duncan appears to have gained some humility and humanity.
His comment about “some mates weren’t able to cope, others turned up with a meal and time to chat” rang a bell. The first lot obviously were not real mates. A hard way to find out, but some folk can’t be second for any reason.
Um it was David Clark. Phil Twyford’s kids are all grown up.
Thanks. TheFairy Godmother.
China’s doing it! Birds do it, bees do it, even educated fleas do it.
Oh why, oh why can’t we. Or have I missed the news that we have started – not just still talking about it?
Once we had NZFS which led to Kaiangaroa and other plantation schemes. Which were sadly lost to ideology. Saihanba seems very similar to Kaiangaroa in style, intent and effects.
Government policy to rebuild this capability.
Lets get on with it.
Andrew Little needs to listen more imo – he’s got some idea that he know some stuff – very little little.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/362303/little-s-hapu-remarks-condescending-ngapuhi-lawyer
yep, need to avoid…
“Ms Tuwhare said the hapu had little faith in the idea of a centralised iwi governance body that would distribute largesse to the hapū.
“We already have one of those in the Ngāpuhi rūnanga, and it has not only failed to capitalise on its ($60m) Fisheries settlement – it returns only 11 percent of its annual profits to the people it’s supposed to be helping so about 90 percent goes on its internal costs. That’s a very poor performance compared with other iwi.”
Moana Tuwhare said a number of hapū in the north were making a better fist of running their affairs than the rūnanga was, and were well-equipped to deal with a settlement.
The rūnanga was now spending $200,000 on lawyers, in an effort to set up a post-governance entity, without reference to the hapū, she said.”
Does anyone remember the Selwyn River? It seems to be gone now. When will anything be done to bring it back?
Does anyone remember the Golden Bay scallops? They seem to have been decimated. Where is the plan to restore them? When does it start?
I’m sure there are many similar places, where bad policy decisions have destroyed public environmental assets. So when can we expect movement to recover them?
Or are they to be viewed as part of the attrition that goes with a civil service that has become captive to neoliberal rather than democratic norms? Let us have some sunlight on the dark recesses of failed policies made in dark rooms by corrupt far right ideologues under the Gnats.
https://www.ecan.govt.nz/get-involved/news-and-events/zone-news/selwyn-waihora/exciting-times-for-selwyn-river-waikirikiri/
http://www.wet.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/4.-Brett-Painter_TSA.pdf
Have seen surface flow at SH1 for the first time in years recently…whether that equates to improved condition, time will tell
Yes I remember swimming at Coes Ford, catching brown trout down from Coes ford and fishing down at the Selwyn Huts or going out in the Golden Bay with cousins from Mout to get a feed of Scallops or a catch of founder.
And I’m just shy of 45 yrs of age.
Lol..i remember almost drowning at Coes Ford …although apparently you wouldnt even swim there in recent years
Yeah Pat, I’m told it pointless even trying to have a dip let alone a swim in the Selwyn and even forget about trying to have fish either. The Rabbit Arms Hotel and the local store at Springston don’t have much of a summer trade either as there is no campers at Coes Ford because of the state of the Selwyn River now.
Something to generate a smile on a rainy day before I head to work.
a pun put me onto this classic – old one and funny.
https://youtu.be/OCbvCRkl_4U
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Candles
There was once a time that the people of the west coast were treated badly
The miners of the area stood tall and started a revolution. That revolution was called
THE LABOUR PARTY.
These people had character and stood for what was in the interests of the people. The middle class had a voice
Irony has taken its place along with the shallow souls who care only about their own selfish desires to keep their cushy seats of position.
The founders of a once great party are rolling in their graves in disgust at their legacies position.
National and Labour are now the same wolf in a different sheeps clothing. Shamefull cowards with no ethical or moral compass
See you at the bridge
Are you commenting about the multiple plans launched by the Labour-led government this week to redevelop and revive Westport and Greymouth perhaps? Support the rail line expansion across the coast per chance? Support the rebuild of Westport town centre? Maybe?
Or the launch this week of the new major tourism walk by DoC close the the Puankaike Rocks perchance?
If west coast coalminers want to keep digging coal, they should do what the rest of them do and head to Australia. We still haven’t been able to extract the bodies out of the last one, but hey go for it.
Use some kind of reference if you really want to comment on this government.
Those issues are not relative to the average person on the coast. Do you really think that the punakaiki walk will have any effect or bearing on the average persons life on the west coast. really?? No one cares , so what some tourist will buy another drink or something at the shop up the road.
One closed gold mine of recent adds up to far more than all that crap you just listed. Rail line !! whippy!!
Rebuild the Westport centre, Yay the hungry kids can look at the shiny new statue.
Its not just coal. Its the right to have access to our minerals. We are not the rest of the country so stop treating us like we are.
Obviously you cant see it because you dont live it.
If the average person on the west coast isn’t engaging with tourism they really need to find somewhere else to live. Yes that includes you.
Your reaction is typical of the quarry-enclave mentality that has poisoned and damaged many areas of this country. Go and check out Waihi now.
It is also typical that someone who comments with no links whatsoever and just has a slag at the government for no purpose, is also someone who cannot for the life of them engage with actual multiple concrete initiatives that are occurring now.
Instead all they want to do is go back to mining coal.
You are one of the ignorant fools who think that the world never changes, and as a result the west coast continues to shrink in every way possible.
Yeah not so surprising – perhaps this is why people should only be allowed to earn so much money – they get distorted. I’d close them down.
“Australia’s richest person, mining magnate Gina Rinehart, has been revealed as a key funder of the rightwing thinktank the Institute of Public Affairs – a consistent promoter of climate science scepticism.
Rinehart’s company, Hancock Prospecting, donated $2.3m to the IPA in 2016 and $2.2m in 2017, according to disclosures made to the New South Wales supreme court.”
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/jul/21/gina-rinehart-company-revealed-as-45m-donor-to-climate-sceptic-thinktank
Anyone picking this up? Assange due to be arrested? Sorry if someone has already posted, I didn’t read right through. Hard day and tired.
So what is the plan if he is handed over? Do we have a left in NZ and will it respond? We know the Labour Party won’t. Too shit scared to offend the five eyes people.
This evening I found a satisfying, lazy way to support small business in Lebanon.
It’s a Shiraz called “Les Brechtes”, from Chateau Kefraya – in the Bekaa Valley.
If you want some of this lovely Shiraz mix, it’s in a little shop near the corner of Auckland’s Ponsonby and Great North Roads.
Coincidentally, Chateau Kefraya is a 20 minute drive from Lebanon’s disappearing Barouk cedar forests.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/07/18/climate/lebanon-climate-change-environment-cedars.html
heh
https://twitter.com/thebreaknetflix/status/1020376398110765056
“Whether he wins in 2020 or not, we will not have seen the last of Trump’s type as long as the system remains unreconstructed. If the future ordains more economic dislocation and alienation – which automation and AI could so easily bring – the danger is that history looks back on Trump not as a nasty aberration, but as the one who opened the door for the real fascists to walk through.”
https://www.commonspace.scot/articles/12997/meaning-trump
Although it makes little difference to the risk, my inclination is that the driver is more likely to be CC as opposed to AI or automation.
Good morning Q & A Corin with our waste the people who make this waste should be charged as well as the consumer If we make it so that its in the best interest for manufactures to reduce the waste I.E charge them for this waste and send the money to the recycles .Business switched from recycling glass bottles because it is cheaper for them to use plastics than glass with a little tweek this could change so it is cheaper to use glass bottles glass can be recycled many times.
Family violence = Waipiro in % 80 = business selling Waipoiro road deaths = Waipiro full jails = Waipiro all the bad stats flow out of OUR abuse of the use of this poison why is it so hard for these problems to be fixed business political lobbie groups limit the access te mokopunas have to this poision and the stats will change for the better .
My mokopunas are going to look back at us and laugh they could not do not want to fix waipoiro abuse a problem that causes so much harm to our society.
Ka kite ano P.S hate speech is not acceptable enough said
Marae I did not know Matua Black I put his picture on one of my post he looks like a Honorable man who united maori he gave them mana with the Gate Pa celebrations.
Now if that story had the substance that the media gave it and the way his ex put this story out there to the Papatuanuku surely more than one{ contracted lair ]would come forward . I trust this system as far as I can —— ana to kai te tangata you don’t no how corrupt this system is . In My EYEs this is a attack on Maori culture Mana .
The Maori will still be strong one has to have balance like the jin yang so I still back Maori Party. P.S I will put some links up to back my views on Matua Black .The tane can not even defend his mana
I know that my Tipuna sided with the Government this was to protect Ngati Porou mana whenua and tangata after the musket raids of other hapu on us .
The big picture is we were played and we are still being fooled by some Pakeha ana to kai . The tangata delivering Muta Blacks story that’s a smear in my eyes on Maori Mana are being played fooled to Ka kite ano
P.S you see tangata some Pakeha don;t want the good Kiwi people to know that the killed lied cheated Maori all out of greed for our whenua they just want us to go away hell NO
The problem I have with this DNA grab by this DNA company is that it is so easy for evil people to get a sample of DNA and then plant it on or in a crime orchestrated seen and wala the evil person has locked up a innocent person . I say this tool is going to be used to control Te Tangata just like these cameras going up all around Aotearoa and Papatuanuku a tool for the 00.1 % to keep us as there slaves .
Ka kite ano
Those Tribal Hulk links were not what I thought they were I thought they were links to the New Zealand wars of 1840 to 1900 ECO MAORI does not Tau toko GANGS full stop. Ka kite ano
I had to use a different device to correct my mistaken links they were already trying to block me from the standard website Ka kite ano
So much for free speech a it’s free until one is a broke Maori educating te tangata about the system we live have imposed on KIWIs Ka kite ano they are trying to blocking my post lucky I have other strategies to get my words out to You all Ka kite ano
Some music Eco Maori is listening to at the minute
Some music ECO MAORI is listening to at the minute Ka kite ano
YouTube
Bob Marley – Redemption Song (from the legend album, with lyrics)
XxWolfqueenxX21,040,860 views
Published on 8 Sep 2009
Couldnt find this version on youtube so thought I’d upload it as it’s my all time favourite Bob Marley song….no copyright infringement intended, this is just a video i put together I own nothing on the video nor do I claim to own anything…..
https://youtu.be/QrY9eHkXTa4
Some music Eco Maori is listening to at the minute
Mana Wahine The Black Ferns Rugby sevens team have won back to back Pupatuanuku Cup Rugby sevens in San francisco Ka pai ka kite ano
Good evening Newshub Hope I did not break to many glass bubbles this morning. I don’t make my statements lightly on Mata Black one has to see things through my eyes see how many Maori proffets that have had there Mana destroyed by the – – – – – there you go the Rotorua Council is not trying to help it homeless tangata I bet if it was there whano on the street they would bend the the rules like they are for their Dairy farmer m8 Ka kite ano
A lot of te tangata will know what this video means to Eco Maori