Open Mike 21/11/2018

Written By: - Date published: 5:59 am, November 21st, 2018 - 172 comments
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172 comments on “Open Mike 21/11/2018 ”

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  1. Cinny 1
    21 November 2018 at 7:08 am

    Wtf, money over murder.

    trump has just declared he stands with the saudi’s on the Khashoggi assassination.

    I guess the USA is making too much money from the war in Yemen to worry about the saudi’s lying over murdering journalists.

    Despite US intelligence reportedly linking the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, President Donald Trump said on Tuesday, the US would continue to have a “steadfast” relationship with the kingdom.

    https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/11/trump-steadfast-partnership-saudi-arabia-181120174403336.html

    • Ed 1.1
      21 November 2018 at 7:40 am

      Without oil, the military industrial complex collapses.

      • Cinny 1.1.1
        21 November 2018 at 7:49 am

        True but the saudi’s are not the only ones who can supply oil.

        Re trumps Khashoggi decision, he was in a position to possibly put a halt to the war in Yemen, and he chose to sell weapons to the saudi’s to keep the war going instead. I’m really fucked off about it.

      • DJ Ward 1.1.2
        21 November 2018 at 10:40 am

        The US is a net energy exporter. The US Saudi relationship is a strategic one. Firstly to protect Israel and secondly as it’s an enemy of Iran. Was the enabler of the Iraq conflicts.

        People fought wars prior to oil. Your comment could be replaced by anything exploitable.

        The US has placed sanctions on people proven to be involved.
        Jacinda or Winston have sanctioned nobody.

        Saudi vs Yemen is a religous war that like Israel vs Palistinians has involved tit for tat events progressing into the dominate power applying complete oppression. The US was involved due to Yemens strong Al Qaeda links and attacks on shipping. They are now removing its enabling support to Saudi Arabias actions in Yemen.

        • bwaghorn 1.1.2.1
          21 November 2018 at 11:36 am

          The us has placed sanctions on the poor muppets the Saudi prince has thrown under the bus.

          • DJ Ward 1.1.2.1.1
            21 November 2018 at 11:58 am

            Well it’s actually based on the evidence gathered by Turkey. Confirmed by Saudi investigations. So you are probably correct about the Prince.

        • Draco T Bastard 1.1.2.2
          21 November 2018 at 2:22 pm

          The US is a net energy exporter.

          But not for long.

          The US Saudi relationship is a strategic one. Firstly to protect Israel and secondly as it’s an enemy of Iran.

          True and totally immoral.

        • McFlock 1.1.2.3
          21 November 2018 at 2:37 pm

          The US is a net energy exporter.

          net energy importer still, as of last year. And then there’s the fact that what’s holding it back is the importation of crude oil. I wonder where it gets that from?

          USDoE thinks you’re four years early in declaring mission accomplished.

          • DJ Ward 1.1.2.3.1
            21 November 2018 at 3:53 pm

            “The United States became a net exporter of petroleum products in 2011 and natural gas in 2017. In 2017, the United States was a net exporter of coal, coal coke, petroleum products, natural gas, and biomass, but a net importer of crude oil. Net electricity trade with Mexico and Canada was relatively minimal.”

            Once you count Trumps anti Russian gas exports to the EU which have just been signed, not accounted for in your link they become overal net exporters.

            • McFlock 1.1.2.3.1.1
              21 November 2018 at 9:59 pm

              What the actual fuck does Russian exports to the EU have to do with your claim “The US is a net energy exporter”? And it doesn’t matter if the US is a net exporter of some types of energy, it’s dependence on importing crude oil makes it a net energy importer. Your statement “The US is a net energy exporter” was categorically wrong.

        • Cinny 1.1.2.4
          21 November 2018 at 10:53 pm

          Far out.

          Saudi’s keep breaking the cease fire.

          Re Al Qaeda in Yemen, crikey the USA+Saudi’s have been paying them money to leave, not fighting them, instead cashing them up and even recruiting them.

          ” Again and again over the past two years, a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia and backed by the United States has claimed it won decisive victories that drove al Qaeda militants from their strongholds across Yemen and shattered their ability to attack the West.

          Here’s what the victors did not disclose: many of their conquests came without firing a shot.

          That’s because the Saudi/USA coalition cut secret deals with al Qaeda fighters, paying some to leave key cities and towns and letting others retreat with weapons, equipment and wads of looted cash, an investigation by The Associated Press has found. Hundreds more were recruited to join the coalition itself.”

    • marty mars 1.2
      21 November 2018 at 9:06 am

      Yep he is an orange phlegm-cough. He shows his morals are non-existent – sad state of affairs.

      “In the extraordinary statement issued on Tuesday – which begins with the words “The world is a very dangerous place!” – Trump quotes Saudi officials as describing Khashoggi as an “enemy of the state”. ”

      https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/20/trump-saudi-arabia-jamal-khashoggi-crown-prince

      • DJ Ward 1.2.1
        21 November 2018 at 10:55 am

        As a staunch member of the Muslim Brotherhood, supporter of Osama Bin Laden with many Personel meetings and advocate for creating a global Islamic state. Yes.

        • marty mars 1.2.1.1
          21 November 2018 at 11:27 am

          Your opinions are worthless – I’m not interested in them at all.

          • DJ Ward 1.2.1.1.1
            21 November 2018 at 11:36 am

            You haven’t explained how Trump was in any way responsible for the murder or why you think he should be held to account for the murder. The only thing he can realistically do is punish those proven to be responsible. He has done that with sanctions.

            Or how you justify our governments inaction.

            Diagnosis TDS.

          • DJ Ward 1.2.1.1.2
            21 November 2018 at 11:51 am

            Keep up the MSM propaganda line Marty.

            If you read Wiki you will see what I said is true.

            That doesn’t justify the murder.

            • Cinny 1.2.1.1.2.1
              21 November 2018 at 11:12 pm

              djward…. “If you read Wiki you will see what I said is true.”

              LMFAO !!!!!!!!!! ROFL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

              Dude, anyone with an email addy can change wiki content. JS

              And which wiki page are you referring to djward, that we need to read?

              It wasn’t just a murder, it was a pre-planned execution. Right down to a forensic expert who taught the clean up crew how to remove all traces of dna. Khasoggi was dismembered, then placed into suitcases and disposed of. It was brutal, especially for a person of the muslim faith, but they knew that, tis why thy did it that way.

              Thou shalt not speak out in the media about the saudi’s or you’ll be next.

              But it sure was well planned, even down to the person who left the embassy dressed in Khashoggi’s clothes, neglected to put on his shoes, which was the giveaway on the CCTV.

              The saudi’s lied about it, denied it ever happened, then hello, the story from the saudi’s kept changing.

              The CIA report ….”blindingly obvious” that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the killing.

              And trump feel’s their trust worthy enough to sell weapons to? Wow.

              trump could have turned away from the saudi’s using Khashoggi (who is a dual US citizen) as an ‘excuse’, leading to hopefully the demise of the war in Yemen. But noooooo. What a fuckwit.

              • DJ Ward …
                22 November 2018 at 1:38 am

                Did you read.
                The Saudis said.

                Not Trump.

                Nobody how much you hate them should be mocked for a comment that is not theirs. Especially when its not undeniable and has supporting facts.

                The victims Wiki page.
                I’m perfectly aware of the events just as much as you are. But thanks for your recap.

                How exactly do you suggest Trump exercises his powers as a dictator to stop this war. Oh wait, the senate.

    • Ad 1.3
      21 November 2018 at 9:49 am

      With all remaining large powers except the EU accelerrating their retreat from diplomatic norms that respect human rights, this statement is the official signpost to hell.

    • SaveNZ 1.4
      21 November 2018 at 10:51 am

      Yep and Khashoggi was a US citizen too. So Trump takes the money over his own citizens. Well not really surprising for a right winger. (and increasingly these days a left wing government).

    • bwaghorn 1.5
      21 November 2018 at 11:35 am

      Hardly surprising the Usa is always offing people .

      • DJ Ward 1.5.1
        21 November 2018 at 11:48 am

        The US had nothing to do with the events.
        Trump and the US have no responsibility to the events.

        While its appears obvious the Prince was involved, evidential links are scant.
        As the murder victim had US citizenship the US can bring the offenders to the US for trial. However they can’t get their hands on them for that to happen.

        Behind the scenes Trump has confronted this issue. He has said he has asked the Saudi leadership, and directly the Prince if the Prince ordered the killing on at least 5 occasions. The Saudi leadership deny the involvement of the Prince.

        While obviously bullshit what is Trump to do?
        Invade Saudi Arabia to get the Prince?

        Killing millions, and causing a global economic crash.

        • bwaghorn 1.5.1.1
          21 November 2018 at 12:00 pm

          Did I say they were involved in this one ? My point is the us is a murderous state so they are hardly going to get to all upset when their friends do a bit of killing.

          • DJ Ward 1.5.1.1.1
            21 November 2018 at 12:14 pm

            I don’t think the French care, or Germans, or Russians.

            So why put responsibility only on Trump.

            • Barfly 1.5.1.1.1.1
              21 November 2018 at 12:20 pm

              $110 billion $US in arms sales – money or morals?

              Mind you, didn’t NZ hand over the French killers for the sake of selling sheep brains to the EU?

              • DJ Ward …
                21 November 2018 at 1:03 pm

                It’s not Trumps arm sales.
                It’s private companies doing the trade.
                He needs the House (Dems) and Senate (Reps) to act to restrict the economic activity of private Buisiness.

                If he just waved a wand saying you can’t do Buisiness then he truly would be a dictator. Plus he could be sued by the manufacturer.

                The Senate drives sanctions on North Korea, Iran, Russia. Not the President. It is the Senate that oversees arm sales.

                Many of these contracts are Obama era deals. He openly traded with this mysoginistic dictatorship as well. This ‘high profile’ murder is just one of hundreds of political killings over decades. The rational for attacking Trump is no different for Obamas actions.

                The US is far from Saudi Arabias only weaponry provider.

                • Gabby …
                  21 November 2018 at 4:27 pm

                  Come off it dud4, it’s private companies running the government.

                • McFlock …
                  21 November 2018 at 5:10 pm

                  He needs the House (Dems) and Senate (Reps) to act to restrict the economic activity of private Buisiness.

                  I do like how you pull bullshit out of your arse. It makes me research new and interesting things.

                  For example, International Emergency Economic Powers Act:

                  “SITUATIONS IN WHICH AUTHORITIES MAY BE EXERCISED
                  SEC. 202. (a) Any authority granted to the President by section
                  203 may be exercised to deal with any unusual and extraordinary
                  threat, which has its source in whole or substantial part outside the
                  United States, to the national security, foreign policy, or economy of
                  the United States, if the President declares a national emergency with
                  respect to such threat.
                  (b) The authorities granted to the President by section 203 may
                  only be exercised to deal with an unusual and extraordinary threat
                  with respect to which a national emergency has been declared for purposes
                  of this title and may not be exercised for any other purpose.
                  Any exercise of such authorities to deal with any new threat shall be
                  based on a new declaration of national emergency which must be with
                  respect to such threat.
                  GRANT OF AUTHORITIES
                  SEC. 203. (a) (1) At the times and to the extent specified in section
                  202, the President may, under such regulations as he may prescribe,
                  by means of instructions, licenses, or otherwise—
                  (A) investigate, regulate, or prohibit—
                  (i) any transactions in foreign exchange,
                  (ii) transfers of credit or payments between, by, through,
                  or to any banking institution, to the extent that such transfers
                  or payments involve any interest of any foreign country or
                  a national thereof,
                  (iii) the importing or exporting of currency or securities;
                  and
                  (B) investigate, regulate, direct and compel, nullify, void,
                  prevent or prohibit, any acquisition, holding, withholding, use,
                  transfer, withdrawal, transportation, importation or exportation
                  of, or dealing in, or exercising any right, power, or privilege with
                  respect to, or transactions involving, any property in which any
                  foreign country or a national thereof has any interest;
                  by any person, or with respect to any property, subject to the jurisdiction
                  of the United States.

                  Basically, the pres declares something to be an emergency, then declares the related sanctions.

            • Gabby 1.5.1.1.1.2
              21 November 2018 at 6:28 pm

              Watchoo talkin bout dud4?
              Are the germans still selling arms to the saddies?

        • Gabby 1.5.1.2
          21 November 2018 at 6:29 pm

          Residency surely dud4.

    • joe90 1.6
      21 November 2018 at 2:21 pm

      MSB owns Javanka, so of course the orange turd is going to roll over and let him do WTF he wants to.

      One of the people MBS told about the discussion with Kushner was UAE Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, according to a source who talks frequently to confidants of the Saudi and Emirati rulers. MBS bragged to the Emirati crown prince and others that Kushner was “in his pocket,” the source told The Intercept.

      https://theintercept.com/2018/03/21/jared-kushner-saudi-crown-prince-mohammed-bin-salman/

      https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/saudis-using-pompeos-plan-shield-leadership-khashoggi-fallout-says-source-1684431379

  2. cleangreen 2
    21 November 2018 at 7:43 am

    Is anyone really noticed that “climate change” is now upon us now????

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/108716716/wintry-conditions-set-to-continue-as-heavy-snow-and-rain-forecast-for-south-island

    Is anyone feeling that climate change is really impacting on our lives fully now with massive rainfall amounts all over the country now and is flooding us all, and snow and hail is arriving in summer??????

    Good article is here to illustrate that climate change is real and now present, so where is Jacinda Ardern on this demise of our planet now” after she was ‘preaching to us

    “climate change is our generation’s ‘nuclear moment”!!!!!!!’

    “So why is she not reducing truck freight for more less carbon emission transport such as rail which emits 5 to 8 times less carbon emissions than trucks per km of tonne carried each km??????.

    Regional rail is not being increased under her “transformative” Government and sadly her government is one third into it’s “first term” so they had better get moving else they will be out in 2020.

    Chris Trotter on TDB remarked on https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2018/11/20/making-it-through/ what Christine Rose was quoted correctly saying what is now present’;

    “our chances of surviving global warming are slim indeed. And yet, if we put our faith in science, then Christine Rose’s bitter-sweet resignation; her “ecological grief” at the inevitable demise of so many living things”

    • DJ Ward 2.1
      21 November 2018 at 1:13 pm

      Nope. Haven’t noticed anything out of the ordinary.

      So you propose building Rail to everybody’s front door?

      You should advocate for EV trucking. Rail is useful for large quantity, long distance enterprise but generally its geographically handicapped. Inevitably a truck is needed to deliver to the door.

      Make it a EV truck and you will need something else to complian about.

      • mauī 2.1.1
        21 November 2018 at 1:33 pm

        New Zealand was built using rail and most towns and cities have some connection to it and depended on it. What country has it going to front doors? Are you actually serious?

        EV trucks? lol seriously? You know diesel engines are irreplaceable right in terms of power output?

        • DJ Ward 2.1.1.1
          21 November 2018 at 1:52 pm

          Rubish.
          EV can easily match the output of diesel plus it has a huge advantage in power at no speed. In short runs from Rail hubs and the near instant charging of Ali ion batteries its presently viable.

          • cleangreen 2.1.1.1.1
            21 November 2018 at 3:58 pm

            DJ WARD

            You are so such an ignorant rant aren’t you?

            Who said rail to every door?

            Secondly you don’t know that trucks have up to 32 tyres now as tyres are made from very nasty monomers/ polymers and toxic chemicals like 1.3.butadiene and styrene, all are cancer causing that the EU is now banning fro use in cities and populated areas because of the toxic poisons Tyre dust is causing to humans.

            Go away we don’t need your rubbish, we have covered this stuff before so don’t waste our time here.

            https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/aug/04/fewer-cars-not-electric-cars-beat-air-pollution-says-top-uk-adviser-prof-frank-kelly

            Electric vehicles emit no NO2 but do produce small particle pollution from the wear on brake discs and tyres and by throwing up dust from roads. A recent European commission research paper found that about half of all particulate matter comes from these sources.

            http://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/bitstream/JRC89231/jrc89231-online%20final%20version%202.pdf

            Abstract
            Traffic related sources are a significant contributor of particulate matter, particularly in urban environments and
            major cities. Traffic related particles can be distinguished into: exhaust traffic related particles, which are emitted
            as a result of incomplete fuel combustion and lubricant volatilization during the combustion procedure, and nonexhaust
            traffic related particles, which are either generated from non-exhaust traffic related sources such as brake,
            tyre, clutch and road surface wear or already exist in the environment as deposited material and become
            resuspended due to traffic induced turbulence. It is estimated that exhaust and non-exhaust sources contribute
            almost equally to total traffic-related PM10 emissions. However, as exhaust emissions control become stricter,
            relative contributions of non-exhaust sources to traffic related emissions will increasingly become more significant.
            The aim of the present literature review study is to present the state-of-the-art of the different aspects regarding
            particulate emissions resulting from non-exhaust sources and particularly from brake and tyre wear. For this
            reason several different literature sources such as peer reviewed papers, research project reports, technical
            publications, as well as licentiate and doctoral theses were examined and the most significant findings in terms of
            importance, physicochemical characteristics, EFs and possible adverse health effects are discussed.

            • cleangreen 2.1.1.1.1.1
              21 November 2018 at 4:01 pm

              DJ ward

              Just remember that rail has ‘steel wheels’ not any of those toxic black ‘plastic’ tyres that are poisoning our human health and environment.

              • DJ Ward …
                21 November 2018 at 7:26 pm

                Since you want cars and trucks banned your solution is returning to the horse and cart?

                You miss the point.

                EV vehicles reduce pollution significantly from what we presently have. People are not going to give up Moter vehicles. Next you will be complaining about push bikes with rubber tyres and brakes.

                The solution is not eradication and the reformation of society to suit your irrational idealism of paradise.

                It’s identifying pollution and finding engineering solutions that eliminate or neutralise those pollutants.

                Anybody would think I’ve got no green credentials based on the bullcrap I’m getting. I’ve done more in my life and achieved more in that regard to anybody on this site.

          • mauī 2.1.1.1.2
            21 November 2018 at 6:52 pm

            Nope, nothing can match the power generated by burning fossil fuels that’s why diesel engines have been used in heavy transport for more than 100 years. Having thousands of electric vehicles ferrying stuff around is also completely unsustainable.

            • DJ Ward 2.1.1.1.2.1
              21 November 2018 at 8:42 pm

              Absolute rubbish.
              Electric motors can deliver any power you design it to deliver.
              That’s not the reason it’s used at all.
              Extremely large mining machines are electric powered. Not diesel.
              Compared to electricity diesel is more expensive. It’s cheaper to generate electricity in high efficiency multi stage generators with diesel for EV use than in inefficient in vehicle engines by a factor of nearly 3:1.

              Mankind advanced so fast the EV vehicles couldn’t keep up with ICE vehicle developement. ICE vehicles are not tied to infastructure like EV is. EV was handicapped by battery developement stalling with lead acid batteries.

              Once the invention of Lithuim ion and graphine occured ICE vehicles in mainstream use will inevitably become redundant technology.

              Ali ion batteries, a secondary invention to Lithuim ion batteries have a theoretical storage by mass limit 250% greater than the Lithuim theoretical limit. This is due to Lithuim having 1 free electron vs Aluminium having 3 per atom.

              Profound change is going to occur in the near future.

              • Incognito …
                21 November 2018 at 9:01 pm

                Extremely large mining machines are electric powered. Not diesel.

                Some very large nuclear subs are propelled by electric motors. Not diesel.

              • mauī …
                21 November 2018 at 11:51 pm

                “Electric motors can deliver any power you design it to deliver.”

                No, the example you’ve given is mining trucks which travel at slow speeds and stop and start, more suitable for batteries. Electric is unfeasible for long haul and higher speeds – the core of the entire industry. Hence why electric truck and trailer units don’t seem to exist? Electric trucking will probably only fill niche roles like rubbish collection, mining, where they work.

                New electric trucks are about 3 times more expensive to buy than standard trucks, so that rules them out for a lot of businesses. But I take your point that running costs are cheaper.

                Lithium is a very limited resource, no idea how much production can be scaled up so we can replace our car and trucking fleet.

                • DJ Ward …
                  22 November 2018 at 1:11 am

                  Wrong. The giant diggers etc are electric, cable connected.
                  EV is feasible today for long haul and high speed.
                  EV can easily outperform ICE for speed, and acceleration, and torque.

                  Ali ion batteries, not Lithuim. Aluminium is abundant.
                  They can fully charge from flat in less than a minute. Faster than filling up with fuel.
                  One Verizon tested 750,000 full charges, full discharges in just over a second to charge and a second to discharge.

                  Presently it’s Lithuim but Aluminium batteries will surpass due to characteristics.

                  • mauī …
                    22 November 2018 at 8:43 am

                    Well you’ve thrown up a large digger and trucks running off coke cans as the only examples to back up your claims. An electrified trucking industry is just around the corner lol.

          • Graeme 2.1.1.1.3
            21 November 2018 at 9:03 pm

            This sounds like the Mainfreight vision of the transport industry, which will end up looking rather like the good old NZR with the road limits. Only this will be the most efficient and profitable for the carrier.

            There might be an intermediate hybrid step, but battery and motor tech might leapfrog that.

            Evidently Mainfreight is very close to not buying any more pure diesel trucks, at least for the depot – customer part of the business

        • Molly 2.1.1.3
          21 November 2018 at 8:44 pm

          My partner works in the transport industry, and his firm is looking to replace the fleet with EV over the next few years. There are trucks on the road in Europe with good range and tare. The lack of infrastructure here for refuelling means that the first vehicles they will import will have to be hybrids.

          • Macro 2.1.1.3.1
            21 November 2018 at 9:42 pm

            Molly – if you look at my link above – you will see that for short haul trucks they are already here.
            Yes the problem in NZ for long haul trucks is that they would need massive batteries (and reducing their carrying capacity) to have sufficient range to be viable. Living in a semi-rural area I face the same problem with a car, and I find the optimum solution at the moment is a hybrid. An EV is planned for town use with the hybrid for the necessary task of a 200 km drive every 2 – 3 weeks. A Leaf, with a range of around 240 km, is just not practical. (No fast charger where I have to drive to). 🙁

    • Adrian 2.2
      21 November 2018 at 3:25 pm

      You mean just like a normal spring, Marlborough has been having November snowfalls and frosts since before time began. They are even called ” A Doctor Muller frost ” after the holder and chronicler of a big sheep station in the 1800s, incidently he was the husband of Mary Ann Muller the great international suffragist writer and phampleteer.
      Nothing new here.

    • KJT 2.3
      21 November 2018 at 7:33 pm

      Shipping. 34 times less.

      • greywarshark 2.3.1
        21 November 2018 at 7:51 pm

        Barges – is that the idea? Or won’t they stand up to the high seas.

        • KJT 2.3.1.1
          21 November 2018 at 9:33 pm

          Ships. Small for Auckland Whangarei, or Gisbourne Napier. Larger for N Island, S Island.
          And keep employment, taxes and profit in New Zealand, by requiring New Zealand flag.

  3. Nick 3
    21 November 2018 at 7:47 am

    Why are you surprised Cinny? Trump gonna Trump on everything, the topic is irrelevant. Money, power and himself, full stop.

  4. Cinny 4
    21 November 2018 at 7:53 am

    Money power and himself…… I’m going to add hypocrisy to that list.

    Sad thing is the average American know’s little or nada about what is going on Yemen.

    • garibaldi 4.1
      21 November 2018 at 8:43 am

      Cinny the Americans traditionally learn geography when they invade a country. Now that the cowardly bastards are doing it by drones the general population miss out on their geography lesson.

  5. Dennis Frank 5
    21 November 2018 at 8:01 am

    “The leader of a media watchdog is urging Pacific leaders to “speak out” over Chinese attacks on the press. At the APEC summit in Papua New Guinea, only journalists from China’s state-run agencies were allowed to attend Chinese President Xi Jinping’s meeting with Pacific leaders.” https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2018/11/china-dragging-pacific-back-to-colonial-days-expert.html

    “Pacific Freedom Forum chair Monica Miller says the situation is “appalling” and a “slap in the face” to journalists. “China is trying to exercise what it is allowed to do back in its own backyard here in our part of the world, where we have open and free media,” she says. “It seems as if we are going back to the colonial days and we have China trying to muscle the press.”

    “Pita Ligaiula, a journalist with the Pacific Island News Association based in Fiji, said Chinese influence was among the big issues affecting the region – and it was important to be able to inform the public about its intentions.”

    Money talks. Pacific islands are keen to listen to it. China says, you can, on our terms. Pacific islands say okay then, let’s do this. Pacific media have marginal relevance. Pacific governments will take the money on offer, tell their media they can comment from their margins all they like, they don’t need to be present at meetings. Neocolonialism. Offending the powers that be is never a good idea…

  6. cleangreen 6
    21 November 2018 at 8:31 am

    Jacinda now read what your previous Ministers actually promised the Gisborne People when in 2016 you was in opposition.

    In 2016 Labour/NZ First promised to fix Gisborne rail.

    http://gisborneherald.co.nz/localnews/2535803-135/three-parties-say-fix-rail.
    Quote;
    “Leaders of two political parties — including the Government’s coalition partner — along with Labour’s shadow transport minister will be in Gisborne next week to speak about the benefits to East Coast Maori of reopening the Gisborne to Wairoa railway line.
    New Zealand First leader Winston Peters, Maori Party co-leader Marama Fox and Labour Party transport spokeswoman Sue Moroney will address a rail forum to discuss progress towards the repair and reopening of the Gisborne-Wairoa section of the line.
    Forum co-organiser Ken Crispin said supporters are encouraged by positive statements from KiwiRail’s annual meeting last week.
    “It was reported that freight carried by rail in this last financial year represented a reduced heavy vehicle impact of 1.1 million road trips, with a reduced fuel input of 77 million litres. This has to be good for the economy as well as for the environment”, he said.
    Rail Action Group chairwoman Mary Manuel said the action group was furthering the campaign to reopen the line “on behalf of our iwi and the generations to come”.
    The forum will be on Monday at Te Tini o Porou Conference Centre, Kaiti from 9am to 5pm.”

    http://gisborneherald.co.nz/business/2454149-135/labour-vows-to-improve-regions-government

    ECONOMIC growth on the East Coast is being constrained by its poor infrastructure and lack of strategy from central Government, say members of Labour’s environment and infrastructure caucus committee.
    The committee was in Gisborne yesterday for meetings with Eastland Port, Gisborne District Council’s regional transport committee, Wi Pere Trust and LeaderBrand.
    “We are hearing from people that the region is being forgotten by the government, left out and issues not being addressed,” said Labour transport spokesperson Sue Moroney.
    “Transport is a major issue in Tairawhiti, and it is going to become an even greater issue, because of a ‘good problem’, an increase in export opportunity.
    “The volume of logs is expected to double, but there are concerns about how this volume of freight will impact on the way people live, and maintenance costs for roads.”
    She reiterated Labour’s support for reinstating the rail line saying although they have not announced their new transport policy it was their policy at the last election and she sees “no reason to change that”.
    “In fact the business case for it is building. The overwhelming view is supporting a long-term vision of what regional economic development could take place if there is the infrastructure to support it.
    “If you were able to work anywhere and continue to do what you love doing, why wouldn’t you choose Gisborne.”
    In line with this Labour would help businesses add value to products.

    http://gisborneherald.co.nz/localnews/2437884-135/labour-greens-united-on-rail

    Again in the Gisborne Herald in August 2016 again both Labour and Green Party again also promised to re-instate Gisborne rail.

    Quote – “Ms Moroney added that a policy was needed that ensured rail, road and sea were all used when fit-for-purpose and reinstating the Gisborne line was a “no-brainer”.
    “NZ is pretty damn perfect for rail, yet other countries use rail to much better effect than we do. We move a lot of big stuff, often.”
    However, the National Government was “ideologically opposed” to rail and their “complete and utter bias” towards road haulage in particular defied facts, information and practicalities.
    She encouraged Gisborne’s vociferous rail lobby to “keep fighting” for rail.
    “I just want to congratulate you on a fantastic campaign that is run here from Gisborne and Napier about getting that important railway re-established again. Keep fighting that fight, I know sometimes it seems like no one is listening but it is clear what the problem is — you simply have the wrong government in place to make it a reality.
    “It’s going to feel like banging your head against a brick wall but it’s incredibly important that people don’t lose sight.”
    Ms Moroney said it was not an issue that should be left to local government; it was a central government issue.
    Labour’s last election manifesto had included the reinstatement of the line, and there was no reason why that would change.

    So now Jacinda; – in Gisborne and HB we are waiting for your Government to honour your promises made to re-instate the Gisborne to Napier rail service now please. You are looking after other pacific counties “infrastructure, so now we want you to look after our county too please.

    • Gabby 6.1
      21 November 2018 at 9:57 am

      Get away from the coast cleany, it’s a goneburger. It’s going under. Trains don’t work under water. Head for the hills cleany.

      • cleangreen 6.1.1
        21 November 2018 at 4:07 pm

        Gabby,

        We have the Government plans for placing the rail systems in areas that are secure from coastal flooding, and they were set up by Julius Vogel in 1880.

        So they knew then it was foolish if we would be placing roads and rail near any beach areas, and we need to plan for this so you are right again 100%

        The roads are to close to beaches now and will suffer badly too.

        • DJ Ward 6.1.1.1
          21 November 2018 at 9:49 pm

          Interesting.
          Are you aware that sea rise is measured.
          Are you aware that measured sea rise is very small.

          In theory it could be very large wiping out cities like Napier, parts of South Auckland.

          Are you aware that tectonic plate movement causes rises and drops in altitude faster than the measured change by a profound amount. Generally not noticed until large earthquakes. Julia’s Vogels generation witnessed the Wellington event.
          The risk of global warming sea level rise is real but the world won’t end even if the worst case occured. Surprisingly it will continue to orbit the sun.

          The sea didn’t exist once, it was all frozen.
          Not long ago the sea was 100m lower than today.
          Life was also just as prolific when temperatures were hotter, CO2 was higher, the day was shorter, and had a significantly more dense atmosphere.
          73,000 years ago earths temperature dropped dramatically. The average sea temperature dropped by 2 degrees for 1,000 years. The result of a super volcano.
          All the animals alive today including us are descendants of those events.

          Climate change needs to be taken seriously, with realism.
          Paranoia needs good medication.

  7. Observer Tokoroa 7
    21 November 2018 at 8:36 am

    Clean Air – Clean Water

    Unfortunately we New Zealanders have no idea that we need clean air – and clean water.

    Simon Bridges is a thorough devotee of Pollution. As a Minister he banned visual protest against the Oil Industry and laid severe legal punishments on any persons who tried to bring attention to the critical dangers of Oil.

    Kiwis simply do not know that Oil, processed as Diesel and Petroleum is highly Carcinogenic. Your Truck and your Car is causing deadly cancer – night and day.

    Simon Bridges does not tell you that. Labour does – and gets trolled for it endlessly by National and their ignorant caucus and Corporate idiots. As such, National is a prime purveyor of Pollution.

    In the meantime, our Farmers whether Corporate or Family, are permitted to shunt millions of tons of Cow Shit and Lamb Shit into all our Rivers And streams. Simon Bridges pretends not to know this.

    National 24 hrs a day, willingly Pollutes our water. You have to wonder why people don’t just rub the National noses into their own Shit.

  8. Sam C 8
    21 November 2018 at 8:38 am

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12163270

    It looks like Hagar and Stephenson are about to be shown up for the serial, brazen bullshitters that they really are.

    • Morrissey 8.1
      21 November 2018 at 8:44 am

      It looks like Hagar [sic] and Stephenson are about to be shown up for the serial, brazen bullshitters that they really are.

      Really? When has either Hager or Stephenson been proved wrong on any of their investigations into the activities of the New Zealand “Defence” Forces in Afghanistan?

      And the NZ “Defence” Force is an organization that is credible is it? Then why has that coward Lt. Gen. Tim Keating refused to front up to Paula Penfold?

      https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-disturbing-story-behind-willie.html

      • Sam C 8.1.1
        21 November 2018 at 8:49 am

        Looks like they’re about to be proved wrong. 105 times.

        • Morrissey 8.1.1.1
          21 November 2018 at 8:52 am

          As I suspected, you’re not serious.

          • Sam C 8.1.1.1.1
            21 November 2018 at 9:11 am

            Didn’t you read the link? I am serious. Hager even admits in the article that “some of them are probably true” in ref the 105 errors.

            Hardly the work of a credible investigative journalist. What will you say when Palmer and Arnold dispel Hager’s theories? That they’re in on it too?

            • Morrissey 8.1.1.1.1.1
              21 November 2018 at 9:18 am

              Palmer? Geoffrey Palmer?

              If you believe a word that old lapdog says then you are even more of a fool than you appear so far.

            • AB 8.1.1.1.1.2
              21 November 2018 at 9:39 am

              Hager will be right. Every historical work contains errors, plus things that might be errors. In the latter case, there is not enough evidence to be certain either way.
              All that matters is whether these errors are peripheral/incidental, or central enough to undermine the main thesis.
              If you don’t know this you are a fool. If you do know it, but are pretending not to, you’re a propagandist.

              • Anne …
                21 November 2018 at 10:55 am

                I understand that the majority of the so-called “errors” quoted by the Defence Force revolve around the one relatively minor mistake that Hager and Stephenson admitted to a long time ago. I refer to the incorrect coordinates in the book re-the position of the village that was invaded. In other words, they inadvertently placed it on a small hill not far from the actual hill. It transpired the error was caused by a faulty translation.

                If that’s all the DF can come up with, I don’t fancy their chances of success. Unless of course the hearing turns out to be an establishment whitewash, which is certainly not beyond the realms of possibility.

                • Morrissey …
                  21 November 2018 at 11:28 am

                  Seeing one of the two people at the “hearing” is Geoffrey Palmer, that creature of Alvaro Uribe, an establishment whitewash is guaranteed.

                  https://www.democracynow.org/2011/9/2/as_turkey_freezes_israel_ties_critics

                  https://www.insightturkey.com/commentary/torpedoing-the-law-how-the-palmer-report-justified-israels-naval-blockade-of-gaza

                • crashcart …
                  21 November 2018 at 2:00 pm

                  My understanding is that NZDF have video evidence recorded from the helicopters of all three raids. They sounds very confident that it backs their version of events.

                  Also they seem very certain about the number of shots fired by NZDF personnel. There will be documentation on this as every round is tracked and every time a weapon is discharged it is recorded.

                  Whilst I wouldn’t expect people to just take the word of the NZDF I would hope that they wouldn’t undermine the findings of the enquiry before it is even conducted. That is a very Trump thing to do.

                  • Anne …
                    21 November 2018 at 3:49 pm

                    In the mid to late 1960s, I spent four and a bit years working for the old AKTV2 as an audio technician. I’m not saying it has happened in this instance (we will never know) but I know how simple it is to edit a video in such a way as to present a different picture of an event than actually occurred. They did it to me once at a party. The result was hilarious if rather embarrassing.

                    Given today’s advanced technical knowledge I doubt anyone would be able to detect if such a scenario existed, with the exception of those who were there. And that is where the bulk of Stephenson’s and Hager’s information came from – soldiers who were physically there and saw what happened.

                    I have also worked on a Defence Force base as a civilian, and whilst I had no quarrel with the rank and file who were generally a good bunch of people, I would not have always said the same about some of the D.F. brass.

                    • Sam C …
                      21 November 2018 at 4:35 pm

                      Aha – they’ve doctored the video! This in spite of you not having seen it Anne. Of course they have!

                      And Palmer is a corrupt puppet of the Establishment! Of course he is!

                      And, and and…

                      I’m having trouble keeping up.

                    • Anne …
                      21 November 2018 at 4:57 pm

                      Liar. Never said a word against Palmer in my life. If you represent the “Establishment” then God help New Zealand.

                    • lprent []
                      21 November 2018 at 7:01 pm

                      Yeah.Sam C appeals to have an intelligence issue. He is a bit short of it.

                      Thick as a plank in my expert troll sniffing opinion.

                    • Crashcart …
                      22 November 2018 at 11:33 am

                      Yes video can be edited. This is not video owned or controlled by the NZDF. It is US military video. It would also not be the only evidence I would rely on. As I said simple things like rounds expended is closely tracked. There will be actual documentation from the day that will record how many rounds were issued and how many were returned. The NZDF have literally thousands of pieces of evidence. I am not saying they will all be relevant but they will build a picture.

                      There is a reason why eye witness testimony is considered one of the weakest forms of evidence. It is distorted over time. Especially when the witnessing happened in a high stress situation such as combat. I am not dismissing the eye witness testimony as it is an important part of building the picture. It is not however the most defining or most robust form of evidence. All evidence needs to be weighed and considered.

                      This is what the enquiry should do. The way that Morrisey has been attacking the validity of the enquiry before it has even started is what concerns me. I am pretty sure that is what Sam C is referring to with his comment about accusations of Palmer being a corrupt puppet.

            • SaveNZ 8.1.1.1.1.3
              21 November 2018 at 10:54 am

              Modern litigation and distraction used successfully by tobacco and climate change deniers. You distract the entire argument around some semantic or little point rather than the overwhelming evidence against the guilty party.

    • Chris T 8.2
      21 November 2018 at 8:48 am

      Always found it a bit odd that people take Nicky Hager seriously.

      • Morrissey 8.2.1
        21 November 2018 at 8:55 am

        ????

        You should read his books. At least one of them, anyway.

        What credentials do you have to make such a criticism of Nicky Hager?

        • Michelle 8.2.1.1
          21 November 2018 at 12:38 pm

          Well they raided his home so someone took him seriously and we paid for the cops balls up another one of many over the years

          • Morrissey 8.2.1.1.1
            21 November 2018 at 4:23 pm

            It wasn’t a “balls up”, it was systematic harassment and intimidation. They were perfectly aware it was illegal, but they went on with it anyway.

        • cleangreen 8.2.1.2
          21 November 2018 at 1:07 pm

          Morrisey

          Chris cant read that’s why he wants to be in “politics” as they preach ‘fiction’

      • AB 8.2.2
        21 November 2018 at 8:58 am

        We take him seriously because the powerful are so desperate to smear him.
        You don’t take him seriously because you want to keep your authoritarian fantasies intact.

      • Molly 8.2.3
        21 November 2018 at 9:45 am

        As Morrissey says, read his books. Randomly check his sources – and he provides them all at the back of his books. If you have the chance to listen to him in person, watch how carefully he chooses his words, and how he refuses to exaggerate, even when the interviewer is persistent in prompting.

        Then perhaps you will get some idea of why people take him seriously.

        • Anne 8.2.3.1
          21 November 2018 at 4:04 pm

          Yes, I can vouch for that.

          I have been to a couple of functions where he was the guest speaker. He is strictly fair in his presentations. If a particular matter does not necessarily equate to any wrong doing on the part of whichever part of the establishment he is talking about (in this case the Defence Force) he will go to extraordinary lengths to ensure the audience recognises as much.

      • Gabby 8.2.4
        21 November 2018 at 9:53 am

        He’s got a bit of money christy. Surely you take that seriously.

      • SaveNZ 8.2.5
        21 November 2018 at 10:57 am

        I take him more seriously that the establishment fear him so much that they have to make illegal cases agains him and steal his computers.

        Searching questions after Hager apology
        https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/104682529/searching-questions-after-hager-apology

      • greywarshark 8.2.6
        21 November 2018 at 11:32 am

        You think a lot of odd things too, Chris T, so perhaps you are in a regular confused state.

        • cleangreen 8.2.6.1
          21 November 2018 at 1:12 pm

          Yes to that greywarshark. 100% Chris T is always confused like all his mates in National Party are.

    • Gabby 8.3
      21 November 2018 at 9:52 am

      Are the kids alive and well sammie?

    • greywarshark 8.4
      21 November 2018 at 1:11 pm

      8
      /sarc

  9. Morrissey 9
    21 November 2018 at 8:53 am

    Free Speech continues to come under grave attack in Britain

    https://azvsas.blogspot.com/2018/11/the-ihra-definition-of-anti-semitism.html

  10. SaveNZ 10
    21 November 2018 at 11:15 am

    “The end of London’s ‘mega mansions’

    Super-sized “mega homes” are to be banned in central London as Westminster City Council draws up new plans to ensure “real people” can buy properties.

    The council, which oversees some of London’s most expensive postcodes including Mayfair, Knightsbridge and Belgravia, said it will restrict new builds over 150 square meters (1,615 sq ft), in order to preserve homes for “real people” instead of oligarchs and members of the global elite.

    Westminster council argued that 150 square meters is “generous”, as it is 50 per cent larger than the average family home in the area.”

    https://www.oneroof.co.nz/news/35651/?ref=nzhhome

    Pity NZ did not implement something similar in the unitary plan. Yeah, nah, that’s right unitary plan was for the super rich to shaft the rest of Auckland with the woke lefties braying approval because they couldn’t join the dots and still thing ‘trickle down’ is a thing too.

  11. DJ Ward 11
    21 November 2018 at 11:22 am

    Cinny asked a question yesterday, in regards to the abortion, women lying about being on the pill issue, along the lines of, go on prove it. So thank you Cinny. Your statement is far better than the victim blaming and minimise approach of others.

    Others were equally dismissive of the argument, or that lying about being on the pill is a crime.

    I suggest people read this. With both eyes please.

    https://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/man-put-holes-condoms-sex-girlfriend-loses-appeal-article-1.1714830

    • McFlock 11.1
      21 November 2018 at 1:36 pm

      lol

      “We conclude that where a complainant has chosen not to become pregnant, deceptions that deprive her of the benefit of that choice by making her pregnant, or exposing her to an increased risk of becoming pregnant by removing effective birth control, may constitute a sufficiently serious deprivation for the purposes of fraud vitiating consent,” the justices wrote.

      Now you just need to demonstrate that getting pregnant is substantively the same as being made pregnant without consent.

      • DJ Ward 11.1.1
        21 November 2018 at 1:41 pm

        “We conclude that where a complainant has chosen not to become pregnant, deceptions that deprive him of the benefit of that choice by making her pregnant, or exposing him to an increased risk of her becoming pregnant by removing effective birth control, may constitute a sufficiently serious deprivation for the purposes of fraud vitiating consent,” the justices wrote.

        There fixed it for you.

        • McFlock 11.1.1.1
          21 November 2018 at 1:58 pm

          Ah. So if you rewrite the judges’ decision to suit your position, it says what you want it to say.

          • DJ Ward 11.1.1.1.1
            21 November 2018 at 4:14 pm

            No. It says the same thing. The gender has changed. The judges comment has not changed.

            You are implying a law only applies to men, women are exempt. Theres a word for people that think like that.

            Women are free to abuse men. Which is current policy in pretty much every legal domain.

            Not that you care McFlock but this subject is actually ultimately about children.

            The more consential conception is the better the outcomes for children. Outcomes for planed, consential pregnancies are far better than outcomes for unwanted children.

            • McFlock 11.1.1.1.1.1
              21 November 2018 at 4:24 pm

              No, I’m implying nothing.

              I’m explicitly stating that there is a fundamental difference between making someone else get pregnant and making yourself get pregnant.

              That difference might be enough to make your claims about “abuse” legally arguable. Please provide a link to a case where a woman has been convicted of sexual assault for getting pregnant.

              • DJ Ward …
                21 November 2018 at 5:59 pm

                You never will have such a case. Prosecutions for any female on male sex crime is vertualy non existent. Police laugh at males who make historic sex abuse cliams with female offenders. Police also arrest males who make this particular sex abuse cliam of non consential conception because domestic violence at relationship breakdown is common. So is male suicide. This was first highlighted in the midwife initiated teenage father study decades ago. The slaughter of our boys continues.

                Women don’t even get prosecuted for having sex with drunk males when they want to get pregnant without the males consent.

                As you are aware men get sent to prison for having sex with drunk females. Despite thousands of events the investigation rate is 0%.

                I’m not interested in prosecuting women.
                That’s a fear in your mind (don’t know why).
                I asked about what is a human rights violation. The crown provides multiple opt out options for unwanted pregnancy for women. Men have no options even when technically sex abuse victims.

                The IRD makes 15 year old boys pay child support. Was it legal to have sex with them?

                Legalise the male pill!

                • Incognito …
                  21 November 2018 at 9:08 pm

                  Legalise the male pill!

                  FFS [pun intended]. Tie a knot in it or give it an ice-bath. You know, it’s mind over …. never mind.

                • McFlock …
                  21 November 2018 at 9:50 pm

                  I asked about what is a human rights violation.

                  So take it up with the Human rights Commissioner.

                  The crown provides multiple opt out options for unwanted pregnancy for women. Men have no options even when technically sex abuse victims.

                  “Technically” show me where, in NZ law, that is the case. With links.

                  Legalise the male pill!

                  Please link to the male pill that you believe is illegal in NZ even though it has been thoroughly tested and is completely safe and almost 100% effective.

                  That having been said, yes, there is an issue in recognising and prosecuting sexual assault against males. I’m just not sure that your hypothetical case of women lying about being on the pill would count. It might, if one squinted a bit when interpreting the words “nature or quality”. But I’ve argued your corner for you more than you have.

    • Cinny 11.2
      21 November 2018 at 10:39 pm

      That example is a four year old story from Canada, JS, but fair enough it is an example.

      As I said before one can get pregnant on the pill, doesn’t make them a liar.

      Does anyone warn the teens that drunk sex is awkward and not satisfying. Breathe in the boozy breath mhmmm I want that beer coated tongue in my mouth, why isn’t your cock working, whoops, sorry I just passed out for a bit, ewwww don’t spew up there, ffs that’s my wardrobe not a urinal.

      Re the male pill, honestly am not sure I could trust a man to take it regularly.

      Being pregnant and giving birth is no picnic, neither is an abortion or a miscarriage, leaving those decisions up to a man’s reliability on taking a pill…. yeah nah.

      But in saying that, why do men so easily trust a women when she say’s she’s on the pill? Maybe because either way there is no possibility the man will get pregnant, so no worries mate, it’s all on her.

      A word of advice, djward, you come across as a woman hater, might not be your intention, but the subjects you raise, sheez.

      Either that or you are flat out trolling. Maybe it’s both.

      I do read kb, have never commented there, the language, abuse, name calling, bullying is freaking vile as. As well the moderation is pathetic. But I noticed you are a regular visitor. JS.

  12. SaveNZ 12
    21 November 2018 at 11:36 am

    Should migrants who might have worked overseas for significant periods of time qualify for NZ super when they also have overseas super or private pensions that they are entitled too?

    Likewise people born overseas who somehow live the high life but appear to have no income generated here to justify that lifestyle but also qualify for super having not worked in NZ much, or paid taxes here only a fraction of their life.

    It does not seem fair that Kiwis who live and work in NZ most of their lives get less than those who live in other countries and thus can get 2 pensions or just never lived here at all most of their lives and somehow get a pension and free health care and rest home care that NZ taxpayers pay for .

    I don’t think the pension should be means tested but if you were born overseas and have contributed little in your working life into NZ you should not qualify for a NZ pension at all nor free health care nor free rest home care.

    Private insurance should be paying for those who are born overseas or who spend most of their working life out of NZ apart from refugees. so that it is fairer to people who choose to live here on often lower wages who then somehow are expected to pay for the world’s wealthy retirees who apparently come just come here and get residency after 11 days or through marrying someone after a few weeks after meeting them online.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/indepth/commercial/britannia-financial-services-pension-transfer-UK/

    • bwaghorn 12.1
      21 November 2018 at 11:46 am

      Maybe part of the residency application should include the handling over of their pension to nz super

      • SaveNZ 12.1.1
        21 November 2018 at 12:00 pm

        Yes bwaghorn that is a start. And I’m not against people who can support themselves and have the morality to retire here. But there needs to be more protection to Kiwis who live and work here not to support the world’s (often wealthy) retirees and a plan if they renege on paying for their own care and how they need to guarantee their care up front before being allowed to come here in case something goes wrong once they come here and NZ taxpayers end up having to support them.

        Look at then estimated costs of retirement or aged care…

        Rest home care costs at least $1000 p/w
        Plus surgical care, hip replacements, heart surgery, eye surgery, lets say $10k per year which I think is around the cost of private cover for elderly people.
        Prescriptions $40 p/w
        Free travel with Gold card $40 p/w
        Winter payment $450 – $750
        Pension $24k per annum single or $15,600 if you are in a rest home.

        It seem very strange looking at the costs just to keep one retired person here in NZ that we are allowing so many migrants to come here to retire who can then “lose’ their money somehow or even keep it, and NZ ends up paying significant amounts for their care and even a pension somehow.

        Then there are the recent migrant prison criminals at $100,000 per annum aka Czech Smuggler.

        We are paying for this by government borrowing and assets sell offs or decreased services or low wages for teachers or doctors else where.

        NZ has to get it’s shit in order, because our government policy is making a mockery of the future of NZ in the next decade when there will be so many liabilities that our government should have prevented NOW by policy that is fair and makes sense.

  13. greywarshark 13
    21 November 2018 at 11:38 am

    Good news on how we are trying to deal with plastics (soft type).
    https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018672146/local-processing-of-soft-plastic-starts

    business environment
    Local processing of soft plastic starts
    From Nine To Noon, 9:38 am today
    9.05 mins

    The soft plastic recycling scheme, run by the Packaging Forum, has been operating since 2015 and now covers about 70 percent of the country.
    Photo: Facebook / Love NZ Soft Plastics Recycling

    For the first time, soft plastic collected for recycling is being processed in New Zealand, and turned into fence posts and ducting for cables.

    Earlier this year, soft plastic such as bread bags, chip packets and confectionery wrappers was being stockpiled here, as the Australian plant which had been contracted to recycle it, refused to take any more.

    Lyn Mayes from the Soft Plastic Recycling Scheme, run by the Packaging Forum, says there are now local processors. She says the packaging industry is trying to find alternatives to plastic.

    • WeTheBleeple 13.1
      21 November 2018 at 12:20 pm

      That is good news. With viable products this type of industry might reach a point where it’s feasible to start ‘tapping’ the Pacific gyre.

      I’m dubious of any plastics left out in the sun however, like fence posts.

      What we need now is someone imaginative to come up with things they can make.

      Engineers – to your stations!

      • greywarshark 13.1.1
        21 November 2018 at 1:14 pm

        Hey wood deteriorates too. Certainly as a short term measure to deal with a present problem plastic fence posts would be appropriate especially for town use where they would give a nice clean grey or white appearance for a good many years.

        • WeTheBleeple 13.1.1.1
          21 November 2018 at 6:48 pm

          Wood biodegrades. Plastic breaks down to enter the food chain. It would be a shame to remove plastics from the ocean only to redistribute them over land.

          Just a wee touch of imagination, they’ll do just fine. Or is it all simply more green washing where Australia forced our hand to participate?

          Ducting is typically used beneath floors and above ceilings. These are places out of sunlight in which plastics might last indefinitely. A suitable product. There are many underground applications for which such materials might be suited. It is lightweight, waterproof, insulative and persistent.

      • greywarshark 13.1.2
        21 November 2018 at 1:22 pm

        Plastic –
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvh5NJpVhpY

        Jeremy Irons voices a mockumentary on the journey of a plastic bag to its home in the sea.
        (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLgh9h2ePYw

    • marty mars 13.2
      21 November 2018 at 12:35 pm

      I can’t wait until we turn our back on plastic and go back to the old ways of doing stuff. Recycling plastic is like asking for ice cubes for your martini on the titanic imo.

      • mauī 13.2.1
        21 November 2018 at 1:11 pm

        Yep, what was wrong with paper bags! I now don’t use any bag at all – I carry items out of the supermarket in my arms in protest.

        • greywarshark 13.2.1.1
          21 November 2018 at 1:14 pm

          I hang my bags off my ears. Use what you’ve got I say.

        • joe90 13.2.1.2
          21 November 2018 at 2:04 pm

          Yep, what was wrong with paper bags!

          Been thinking about paper v plastic bags, so I asked google.

          http://www.allaboutbags.ca/papervplastic.html

          https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/paper-plastic1.htm

          • Andre 13.2.1.2.1
            21 November 2018 at 6:18 pm

            Those two pieces are pretty light on my biggest objection to plastic bags (and plastics in general) – the littering and harm to wildlife aspects. It really hit home for me watching a sea turtle munching a jellyfish, then start in on a plastic grocery bag floating past. And seeing exposed coral covered so thick in bags and other plastic caught on it that you could barely see it was coral underneath.

            But yeah, the extra resource usage to make paper packaging complicates the issue quite a bit. In the end though, the paper vs plastic argument obscures the bigger problem – why so fkn much packaging to begin with?

            • Macro 13.2.1.2.1.1
              21 November 2018 at 6:33 pm

              Totally agree
              As for the use of paper bags – like my two (reused many times) plastic bags I carry in my hessian carry bag, I have several paper bags for reuse as well.
              My butcher understands my objection to plastic trays and bags, and is happy for me to reuse the tinfoil containers with lids which I bring to carry my purchases home.

      • cleangreen 13.2.2
        21 November 2018 at 1:44 pm

        Yep Martymars, 100%

        I was astonished yesterday when someone turned up with a plastic bubble of six muffins from Pac’n’save what a overuse of plastic that was.

        Why cant they place them in a paper bag?????

        Pac ‘n’ save need to get real here too!!!!!!

        We also have all our liquids in plastic now and even most medicines too!!!

        Haven’t the medical or the helpless NZ Health Department heard of the dangers of keeping food stuffs inside plastics???? BPA hazards; -look that up

        https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/bpa-declared-toxic-by-canada-1.873250
        In August, Statistics Canada reported that measurable levels of BPA were found in the urine of 91 per cent of Canadians aged six to 79.

        “Health Canada considers that sufficient evidence relating to human health has been presented to justify the conclusion that bisphenol A is harmful to human life and should be added to Schedule 1 of [the Canadian Environmental Protection Act],” the federal government reported in the Canada Gazette.

        I trust Canadian authorities more than corporate US companies.

        • Puckish Rogue 13.2.2.1
          21 November 2018 at 3:00 pm

          Thats what bugs me, plastic bags are useful, very useful. I won’t go into all the uses a plastic bag has because there are many and I’m sure others have their own uses for them.

          So Countdown does the virtue signalling thing and stops using plastic bags (which is a pain in the butt) but yet still has has so much plastic packaging that can’t really be used for anything, especially around fruit and vegetables. I mean why not look at using biodegradable bags instead

          • ianmac 13.2.2.1.1
            21 November 2018 at 3:16 pm

            My kiwifruit and bananas tomatoes and potatoes have their own baggage, so guess how they get to my home.

          • cleangreen 13.2.2.1.2
            21 November 2018 at 4:17 pm

            Pucky;

            Well the science was already done on “bio-degradable bags” and say that the remains of the bags when they shed into little pieces then get digested by other forms of life in our food chain and poison our food through the transfer of the BPA components in the plastic remains, so we get poisoned this way sadly so they say don’t rely on bio-degradable plastic bags.

          • marty mars 13.2.2.1.3
            21 November 2018 at 7:35 pm

            A plastic bag doesn’t have many uses – it holds stuff – a wide variety of stuff and that is it. Other uses are just contrived.

          • Ed 13.2.2.1.4
            21 November 2018 at 10:03 pm

            Don’t buy their packaged food wherever possible.
            Use farmers markets and fruit and vegetable shops.
            Take your own bags.

  14. SaveNZ 14
    21 November 2018 at 2:33 pm

    ATEED who is a COO funded by RATEPAYERS is a scrooge.

    Auckland Santa Parade funding drops in favour of Pride Parade, Diwali

    https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2018/11/auckland-santa-parade-funding-drops-in-favour-of-pride-parade-diwali.html

    • greywarshark 14.1
      21 November 2018 at 7:42 pm

      Huh gay pride don’t have as many kids as everyday people do so they don’t really have a personal drive of making a future for their children, and getting them socialised and mixing and enjoying with the community. For the gays It’s more like being a flock of male peacocks admiring each other, and the same with females who also want to enjoy the colour and drama of the male feathers. But it isn’t aimed at children.

      And Diwali can have their own day, and Chinese can have their New Year Dragon and fireworks. That just shows how multi-ethnic and open we are, and it is all beautiful and colourful. And Maori have Matariki; we have to be able to celebrate things we hold as important. But the stylish young things who are up with the play and so sophisticated are looking at creating events for visitors and overseas tourists and not focussed on the citizens – we’re still out there you know.

      We love our Santa Parades and the people who don’t like Christmas being celebrated and commercialised are nit pickers and full of cold pious budgetary efficiency. And those who object to Christmas having Christian background can just enjoy the enjoyment of others, the colour, the costumes, the decorations, the bands, the fun which is Christmas for most children and the major group of adults.

  15. UncookedSelachimorpha 15
    21 November 2018 at 3:09 pm

    A good suggestion from Tim Hazledine – use Kiwibank to rein in the extreme profits extracted by the four main commercial banks:

    https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/sunday/audio/2018671704/tim-hazledine-time-to-give-kiwibank-teeth

  16. ianmac 16
    21 November 2018 at 3:19 pm

    Mike Joy has a simple solution to a complex problem aided by Norightturn.
    Could it be that simple??? Reckon yes!

    http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2018/11/we-need-fewer-cows.html

    • JC 16.1
      21 November 2018 at 3:44 pm

      “It strikes me with great clarity that if you look at the problems in isolation they each seem intractable; but when you grasp that there could be one single solution, then suddenly there is a glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel.”

      https://www.bwb.co.nz/books/mountains-sea

      Solving New Zealand’s Freshwater Crisis

      Mike Joy (ed)

    • Andre 16.2
      21 November 2018 at 6:29 pm

      As NRT notes, a less intensive mode of farming still appears to be profitable. Of my farming acquaintances, most that have tried intensive and not-so-intensive seem to have settled on the not-so-intensive model. It seems more resilient, and the up-and-down swings in the returns aren’t as dramatic. To be sure, a good year doesn’t peak quite as high, but then a bad year doesn’t bite nearly as hard, and over the long term the average return seems a bit better. With a lot less stress, although probably not any less work.

      • Macro 16.2.1
        21 November 2018 at 6:42 pm

        Not only is there less effluent being discharged and polluting waterways and damaging soils but a return to a more natural grazing cycle can have substantial benefits wrt carbon sequestration as well as increased animal health.

        “The Potential of Restorative Grazing to Mitigate Global Warming by Increasing Carbon Capture on Grasslands”

        Summary: This white paper reviews the literature on soil organic carbon losses and potential gains through regenerative management. It finds that most literature is limited to areas considered in “agriculture” and that rangelands may be largely under represented both in terms of of losses and drawdown potential. It argues that with regenerative rangeland practices, such as Holistic Planned Grazing, the total capture of atmospheric carbon may be much higher than previously considered. An upward estimate of 88 to 210 gigatons (billions of tons) of carbon (88-210 GtC) representing a total drawdown of 25 to 60 tons per hectare on 3500 million hectares of grasslands worldwide is postulated as achievable through proper rangeland/grassland management. This represents a CO2 reduction equivalency of 41 to 99 ppm, enough to return us to the 350 ppm level mandated by the Paris Climate Accords.

        Itzkan, Seth. 2014. Upside Drawdown – The Potential of Restorative Grazing to Mitigate Global Warming by Increasing Carbon Capture on Grasslands. Draft for comment v0.9.5. Somerville, Massachusetts: Planet-TECH Associates.

        • WeTheBleeple 16.2.1.1
          21 November 2018 at 6:56 pm

          Thank you.

          Bill, you rubbished me when I stated soil carbon could make a significant difference, and then LPrent joined in for a good ol’ group kicking in which you both laughed at me and called me all kinds of stupid and ill informed.

          I got so pissed off I banned myself for months.

          Apologise.

          • Robert Guyton 16.2.1.1.1
            21 November 2018 at 7:10 pm

            I’m a supporter of the idea that the soil is the best repository for carbon that’s presently drifting about the atmosphere. There are clever combinations of plants and methods that can do this very quickly, with the farmers doing the biz – they can become, I reckon, the New Heroes who Save the Planet, but whether they do or not, is yet to be seen. Progress to date has been glacial, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen. It could. In my view.

            • Macro 16.2.1.1.1.1
              21 November 2018 at 9:28 pm

              A more expansive explanation of the research and science behind the above abstract is given here:
              http://www.planet-tech.com/upsidedrawdown

              eg.

              Even small percentage increases in soil carbon worldwide can dramatically reduce atmospheric CO2 concentrations.

              Entering this conversation is the practice of Holistic Planned Grazing (HPG), in which livestock are herded in a fashion that replicates the beneficial grazing, trampling, dunging, and nutrient recycling dynamics with which wild herding ruminants coevolved with perennial grassland plants and carbon-rich soils (Savory & Butterfield, 1999). Decades of anecdotal evidence and recent studies suggest this practice has great promise, both for ecological functioning, including plant growth and hydrology, and for increasing soil organic carbon (SOC) (Dagget, 2005; Earl & Jones, 1996; Gill, 2009; Howell, 2009; Norton, 1998; Stinner, Stinner, & Martsolf, 1997; Teague et al., 2011; K. T. Weber & Gokhale, 2011). For example, Teague (2011) showed that land managed under a restorative grazing regimen (multi-paddock with ecological goals) had a far higher SOC value than land on a similar site managed with traditional (heavy continuous) grazing. When factoring across all soil profile depths measured, this added carbon equated to a 30 t C/ha. Additionally, Weber (2011) showed that land under a restorative grazing regimen (simulated Holistic Planned Grazing, SHGP), had significantly improved water holding capacity, measured as percent volumetric-water content, %VWC, when compared with traditionally grazed lands. Hydrological functioning is correlated with soil carbon (Feger & Hawtree, 2013; Franzluebbers, 2002).

    • DJ Ward 16.3
      21 November 2018 at 8:59 pm

      Farmers don’t put fertilisers on with the intent of loosing money. What a stupid thing to say. This guy is clearly still running with concepts of what’s happening from 20 years ago. Time for Mike Joy to at least learn what he is talking about.

      • Robert Guyton 16.3.1
        21 November 2018 at 9:10 pm

        DJ Ward – your commenting manner is … unsophisticated, in a not-very-admirable way – just sayin’
        Mike Joy, otoh, expresses himself with clarity and honesty. He’s very well researched and dedicated to his topic. Let’s have a look at what he says:
        “The problems faced by New Zealand’s environment, particularly freshwaters and soils are wicked, complex and intertwined. After struggling with these issues for a half a lifetime, it strikes me with great clarity that if you look at each in isolation they seem intractable; but when you grasp that there could be one single solution that addresses them all, then suddenly there is a glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel.

        Take, for example, a subset of the many environmental issues facing New Zealand, such as bacterial and pathogen contamination of water and soil, excess nutrients in waters, excess sediment in waterways, freshwater habitat loss, groundwater contaminated with pesticides and nutrients, and the huge loss of the mauri of waterways. Any of these issues appear impossibly hard and/or expensive if evaluated in isolation for costs, or for the difficulty or value of resolution.

        But if there was one action available that substantially addressed all of the issues listed above, then the decision would be simple – take that action. When multiple gains can be made for the cost of a single action, and the combined gains far outweigh the single cost of that one action, the next move is obvious. When it comes to the freshwater crisis, a single solution does exist – simply, reducing farming intensity: less cows.”

        • DJ Ward 16.3.1.1
          22 November 2018 at 12:59 am

          Yes I made a mistake in my comment. I responded to the repost comment. Not Mike Joys comment.

          ” It also looks to be profitable for farmers, because they don’t have to waste money on fertiliser to support overstocking.”

          Which is clearly irrational.

          I however don’t agree with Mike Joys comment for a number of reasons. As pointed out.

  17. WeTheBleeple 17
    21 November 2018 at 7:27 pm

    A few years back I had a plumbing issue and the contractors cleaned up after themselves with a bulldozer blade. They left me with podzol looking soil, white chalk and clay. Two years later that strip is topsoil again, through the use of cover crops and mulch.

    The large April storm revealed heart rot fungi in a big tree here which then had to come down. The mulch and cuttings of this tree have become surrounds for many more trees and garden beds, and mulch to support them.

    The privet the council has failed to kill for decades is my bitch. I kill this stuff by chainsaw then hand. This becomes fuel wood, landscaping materials, poles, mulch, compost and hugelkultur. All manner of trees get planted on the privets graves.

    The problems are the solutions. And often they’re f’n simple. But turning round agriculture isn’t simple. The farmers here are still convinced the world will go into starvation mode if they wean themselves off urea. Meanwhile the waterways are full of excess. But they all go on and on about their sparing use of these products, how they’ve ‘changed’.

    Regenerative agriculture is absolutely the way to go. Mind your step for the vegans though.

    • Robert Guyton 17.1
      21 November 2018 at 7:41 pm

      And so, WTB, have you read Daniel Quinn’s “Ishmael”?
      🙂

      • WeTheBleeple 17.1.1
        21 November 2018 at 8:12 pm

        Not read that book either. I’m gonna start asking if you’ve read the hardcore textbooks i have soon to restore my ‘well read’ ego. Just read a brief synopsis it looks good. I’ve thought the notion of human supremacy a bit far fetched in light of our overall actions; though we do have potential…

        Just trawling permie stuff and came across a very good clip on swales. Due to the paucity of clear and concise information I’ll share it here for you, your clients, farmers, the planet…

    • greywarshark 17.2
      21 November 2018 at 7:58 pm

      Don’t get down about the farmers changing WtB. We don’t believe in a flat earth any more do we? So they will catch on one day. Trouble is nobody gets old and dies now. Ninety is the new 75, so it takes longer for the churn of young people who can change to get to the top. I don’t think we have time to plod along and wait for the old to pass. And so many of all ages are wedded to the idea that having ideas is a mental disease – look at all the plonkers and noxious weeds we get here. A little bit of bare screen and up pops another stinking bindweed.

      • WeTheBleeple 17.2.1
        21 November 2018 at 8:39 pm

        Yeah. It’s that frustration that change is too slow rearing it’s head again. Must soldier on. Lumping farmers all together is a bit rough as well. Sorry Folks.

        Dairy farmers are largely responsible for cheese. So really, they’re almost Gods.

        The fact it is possible to still make significant change and mitigation to, well, mitigate… it drives me a bit nuts.

        And the onus is not simply on agriculture. We all need to be on board together.

        Section owners can sequester carbon, save money, get exercise, reduce health bills, reduce food bills, reduce food miles, reduce landscaping costs and petroleum use, provide bbq fuel, meet neighbors, get fresh air, smell the roses…

        Just by gardening with permaculture principles. They can do a course, buy books, phone a friend or youtube how to get there. The benefits listed are significant. These also include mitigating climate related stress.

        It would help tremendously. We could restore concept’s like wartime’s Victory Gardens. War on Climate Change Victory Gardens, for all!

        The more sustainable systems within the environment, the more resilience we will have, the more chance we all get.

        Preaching to the converted a bit – always with the awareness other readers read our conversations.

        • Robert Guyton 17.2.1.1
          21 November 2018 at 8:45 pm

          We need a dedicate,d well “baited” post that’s put up first thing in the day on a day when there are lots of readers. Then we’d get some great discussions and perhaps turn the blog in a positive, practical, shared-experience direction. There are a number of posters here with lively, useful, creative and inspirational ideas on this topic. Can we do that? Yes, we can!

          • WeTheBleeple 17.2.1.1.1
            21 November 2018 at 8:57 pm

            I’ve thought about this, but don’t want to be seen to be trying to dominate the board or indulging in repetitive bashing over heads which turns folks away. A few of us working on solutions and positive news of people implementing ideas could work however, as variety of thoughts and styles really helps communicate ideas anyway. I’m more than willing to pitch in.

            Yep. I’m in.

            It’s a highly politicised topic, I don’t think The Standard would mind us steering more conversation to this area. I’m sure they’ll chime in if they do mind.

            • Robert Guyton 17.2.1.1.1.1
              21 November 2018 at 9:02 pm

              Let’s try one and see how it goes. Perhaps tomorrow, on Open Mike we could put the idea up, gather supporters, attract the attention of a mod and set the day. Whaddayareckon?

              • Robert Guyton …
                21 November 2018 at 9:07 pm

                Or, maybe an author could simply post this quote from Mike Joy 🙂
                “The problems faced by New Zealand’s environment, particularly freshwaters and soils are wicked, complex and intertwined. After struggling with these issues for a half a lifetime, it strikes me with great clarity that if you look at each in isolation they seem intractable; but when you grasp that there could be one single solution that addresses them all, then suddenly there is a glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel.

                Take, for example, a subset of the many environmental issues facing New Zealand, such as bacterial and pathogen contamination of water and soil, excess nutrients in waters, excess sediment in waterways, freshwater habitat loss, groundwater contaminated with pesticides and nutrients, and the huge loss of the mauri of waterways. Any of these issues appear impossibly hard and/or expensive if evaluated in isolation for costs, or for the difficulty or value of resolution.

                But if there was one action available that substantially addressed all of the issues listed above, then the decision would be simple – take that action. When multiple gains can be made for the cost of a single action, and the combined gains far outweigh the single cost of that one action, the next move is obvious. When it comes to the freshwater crisis, a single solution does exist – simply, reducing farming intensity: less cows.”

                • WeTheBleeple …
                  21 November 2018 at 9:34 pm

                  Yes. Gathering helpers/support is a great first step. Possibly form a core group on the topic and see if the Standard might let us write regular articles. We might concentrate on mitigation and solutions rather than climate change itself – the very nature of our posts would spell that out anyway. It might set a better tone than ‘more climate browbeating’ as the audience is relatively receptive.

                  I guess put the idea, or the idea to develop the idea, out there; and see who is interested and what ideas spring forth in the discussion.

                  On climate browbeating, the debate is over on climate changes existence. Deniers are trolls, professional or Trumped up.

                  Should we be engaging them anymore? I guess those in positions of power need to be challenged; but the mindless troll wants us to engage them, not ideas for solutions.

                  I met Mike Joy was a meet and greet for him when Generation Zero brought him to UoA. Went to the lecture and thoroughly enjoyed it. Learned a bit about stream make-up I didn’t know, the existence (loss) of significant interstitial spaces (from siltation) between the rocks. That stuff bothered me.

                  The interstitial spaces were how, back in the day when living in the bush, a small creek I camped beside had an astounding abundance of life. That which I could see was merely the surface. And those layers of rocks beneath the surface, coated in biofilm, were a large part of the systems food chain where nutrient loads were captured and converted up the food chain, rather than overwhelming and filling the gaps with crud.

                  • Robert Guyton …
                    21 November 2018 at 9:43 pm

                    I reckon, don’t mention “climate change” at all – take it as a given and bypass the naysayers. The techno-solution folk as well, could do as we are proposing and raise a post to keep our “earthy” topic clear of junk 🙂 There have, of course, been plenty of very good posts by a range of authors here before, all hail those people, but we, I think, are yearning for something a bit more organic, less confrontational, more collective and …fun? I am, anyway.

                    • WeTheBleeple …
                      21 November 2018 at 9:53 pm

                      Yes. For me the important part is to be more solutions oriented. And I do appreciate the efforts of all, whether I like the approach or not. I feed into confrontational stuff too easily, but it’s not good for my, or anyone’s, mental health.

                      Fun! Don’t you know we ARE ALL DOOMED!

                      Working on a comedy project last night with a mate. We were in tears.

                      “Pandas are wife beaters. That’s why they’re not breeding. Give them a bamboo buffet, running water, ambient music, candles, and years to figure it out. Whadda ya get?

                      Two black eyes, no babies.”

                  • greywarshark …
                    21 November 2018 at 9:50 pm

                    I want to achieve something here not just say why dont they…..?
                    I wrote to shane jones and stuart nash – got confirmation email but feel they will never get back to me. Tried to discuss small is beautiful but everyone else was too busy,

                    but if we had a regular thread that contained an archive and we could put up useful stuff to build a data base – not quite sure how to do it however.

                    • Robert Guyton …
                      21 November 2018 at 9:58 pm

                      Something along the lines of Dark Mountain (only not dark 🙂
                      There have to be poems.

                    • WeTheBleeple …
                      21 November 2018 at 10:16 pm

                      ‘but if we had a regular thread that contained an archive and we could put up useful stuff to build a data base”

                      I’m not sure how to do it either, but I’m sure some folks here do.

                      Absolutely we need more poetry.

                      You can be the first to view this wee gem. I’m biased…

                      This is Westmere.

                      The ladies are out walking their goat
                      With a hint of patchouli and strong smell of dope
                      There’s a man in a dress eating salmon on toast
                      This is Westmere

                      A once was an actor with pot belly gut
                      Working on ads for community stuff
                      But never a nod cos he’s too cool for us
                      This is Westmere

                      The kids from the state houses scream with delight
                      As chickens tear past them in panic and fright
                      The rich kids look on through windows sealed tight
                      This is Westmere

                      Trophy wives training in makeup and perms
                      Jogging cos fatties get kicked to the kerb
                      It’s all about looks and they do look superb
                      This is Westmere

                      A crazy hotch potch of classes and race
                      A magical marvelous mystery place
                      But gentrification moves at some pace
                      This was Westmere.

                    • Robert Guyton …
                      22 November 2018 at 12:47 pm

                      Is “Westmere” your own work,WTB?
                      If so, congratulations; it’s very good indeed.

              • te reo putake …
                21 November 2018 at 11:15 pm

                Great idea, Robert, WTB. Open Mike and Daily Review throw up some terrific discussions but dedicated posts definitely work better for engagement. There’s always the guest post option and we are always looking for new authors.

                There are serious time/work/life demands that impact on the regular authors’ ability to post, so TS does often rely on OM to cover issues that really deserve a post of their own. Anything you guys can come up with that enhances the way the site operates would be most welcome.

                • Robert Guyton …
                  22 November 2018 at 2:08 pm

                  Hi te reo putake
                  Thanks for responding to our discussion (of last night).
                  I get the demand-on-authors thing and wonder if the idea that follows might alleviate that pressure. It seems (to me) that we don’t need an authored intro or topic for what we propose; we’re just looking for one step up from Open Mike, which invites comment on everything under the sun, to a thread where “the way forward” can be discussed, within parameters such as doable suggestions, successful examples, contributions from readers who support the concept (of the thread), new “takes” on the future etc. There’s no need to set a topic or change the look of the thread; we’ll know where we can go to talk in this way about these things. I have a suggestion: put up, at your or other authors discretion, a “standard” post, titled “How to get there” – it’s also the title of a wonderful Michael Leunig poem/cartoon, and illustrate the post with that very image to make it immediately recognisable and set the tone for discussions that might/will follow. Here’s the link to Leunig’s poem. I’m certain he won’t mind us using it; I’ve met him and he’s delightful 🙂
                  Hi te reo putake
                  Thanks for responding to our discussion (of last night).
                  I get the demand-on-authors thing and wonder if the idea that follows might alleviate that pressure. It seems (to me) that we don’t need an authored intro or topic for what we propose; we’re just looking for one step up from Open Mike, which invites comment on everything under the sun, to a thread where “the way forward” can be discussed, within parameters such as doable suggestions, successful examples, contributions from readers who support the concept (of the thread), new “takes” on the future etc. There’s no need to set a topic or change the look of the thread; we’ll know where we can go to talk in this way about these things. I have a suggestion: put up, at your or other authors discretion, a “standard” post, titled “How to get there” – it’s also the title of a wonderful Michael Leunig poem/cartoon, and illustrate the post with that very image to make it immediately recognisable and set the tone for discussions that might/will follow. Here’s the link to Leunig’s poem. I’m certain he won’t mind us using it; I’ve met him and he’s delightful 🙂

                  http://develop.curlyflat.net.au/images/galleries/cartoons/how-to-get-there.jpg

                  HOW TO GET THERE
                  Go to the end of the path until you get to the gate.
                  Go through the gate and head straight out towards the horizon.
                  Keep going towards the horizon.
                  Sit down and have a rest every now and again,
                  But keep on going, just keep on with it.
                  Keep on going as far as you can.
                  That’s how you get there.

                  As far as moderation is concerned, I suspect those taking part will manage their own, given the tenor of the thread and its intention; could be wrong, of course, but a trial will soon test that.
                  Whaddayareckon?
                  I’ll post this on today’s (Thursday’s) Open Mike, in case this thread has been lost into the mists of time or you are off-duty 🙂
                  All criticisms, suggestions welcomed, naturally.
                  Robert

  18. Morrissey 18
    21 November 2018 at 8:09 pm

    Utter morons declare their admiration for Seal Team 6

    The disturbing enforcement of praise for those murderers starts at about the 2:00 mark…

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    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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 day ago

  • Road photos
    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 ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Paula Bennett’s political appointment will challenge public confidence
    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, ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    1 day ago

  • NZDF is still hostile to oversight
    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 ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago

  • Winding Back The Hands Of History’s Clock.
    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 ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 day ago

  • Sweet Moderation? What Christopher Luxon Could Learn From The Germans.
    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 ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 day ago

  • A clear warning
    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 ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago

  • Poll results and Waitangi Tribunal report go unmentioned on the Beehive website – where racing tru...
    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 ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago

  • Listening To The Traffic.
    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 ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 day ago

  • Comity Be Damned! The State’s Legislative Arm Is Flexing Its Constitutional Muscles.
    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 ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Ending The Quest.
    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 ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Will political polarisation intensify to the point where ‘normal’ government becomes impossible,...
    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 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Tuesday, April 30
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:30am on Tuesday, May 30:Scoop: NZ 'close to the tipping point' of measles epidemic, health experts warn NZ Herald Benjamin PlummerHealth: 'Absurd and totally unacceptable': Man has to wait a year for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Worst poll result for a new Government in MMP history
    Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. 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 ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Pinning down climate change's role in extreme weather
    This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Serving at Seymour's pleasure.
    Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Webworm LA Pop-Up
    Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago

  • “Feel good” school is out
    Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago

  • 6 Months in, surely our Report Card is “Ignored all warnings: recommend dismissal ASAP”?
    Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy. Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    2 days ago

  • Bread, and how it gets buttered
    Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    2 days ago

  • Justice for Gaza?
    The New York Times reports that the International Criminal Court is about to issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over their genocide in Gaza: Israeli officials increasingly believe that the International Criminal Court is preparing to issue arrest warrants for senior government officials on ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • If there has been any fiddling with Pharmac’s funding, we can count on Paula to figure out the fis...
    Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • FastTrackWatch – The case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Monday, April 29
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on Iran killing its rappers, and searching for the invisible Dr. Reti
    span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    3 days ago

  • Auckland Rail Electrification 10 years old
    Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago

  • Coalition's dirge of austerity and uncertainty is driving the economy into a deeper recession
    Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Disability Funding or Tax Cuts.
    You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Of the Goodness of Tolkien’s Eru
    April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    3 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #17
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • Pastor Who Abused People, Blames People
    Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    3 days ago

  • Vic Uni shows how under threat free speech is
    The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Winston remembers Gettysburg.
    Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • 25
    She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8.  The universe was ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Fact Brief – Is Antarctica gaining land ice?
    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • Policing protests.
    Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago

  • Open letter to Hon Paul Goldsmith
    Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: FastTrackWatch – The Case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    5 days ago

  • Luxon gets out his butcher’s knife – briefly
    Peter Dunne writes –  The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • More tax for less
    Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Real News vs Fake News.
    We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • Another way to roll
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Share ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Simon Clark: The climate lies you'll hear this year
    This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Cutting the Public Service
    It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    5 days ago

  • Luxon’s demoted ministers might take comfort from the British politician who bounced back after th...
    Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious:  we live in a troubled ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • This is how I roll over
    1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago

  • The Waitangi Tribunal is not “a roving Commission”…
    …it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisition   NOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes –  The High Court ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Is Oranga Tamariki guilty of neglect?
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same? Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Three Strikes saw lower reoffending
    David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Luxon’s ruthless show of strength is perfect for our angry era
    Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • 'Lacks attention to detail and is creating double-standards.'
    TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • One Night Only!
    Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago

  • What did Melissa Lee do?
    It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #17 2024
    Open access notables Ice acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment: In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago

  • Maori Party (with “disgust”) draws attention to Chhour’s race after the High Court rules on Wa...
    Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 days ago

  • Who’s Going Up The Media Mountain?
    Mr Bombastic: Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
    Bowalley Road
    7 days ago

  • “That's how I roll”
    It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago

  • “Comity” versus the rule of law
    In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago

  • Aotearoa: a live lab for failed Right-wing socio-economic zombie experiments once more…
    Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder. In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    1 week ago

  • Water is at the heart of farmers’ struggle to survive in Benin
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére Sosou Market gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • At a time of media turmoil, Melissa had nothing to proclaim as Minister – and now she has been dem...
    Buzz from the Beehive   Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 week ago

  • Minister acknowledges passing of Sir Robert Martin (KNZM)
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    10 hours ago

  • Speech to New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, Parliament – Annual Lecture: Challenges ...
    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.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    10 hours ago

  • Accelerating airport security lines
    From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    12 hours ago

  • Community hui to talk about kina barrens
    People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago

  • Kiwi exporters win as NZ-EU FTA enters into force
    Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago

  • Mining resurgence a welcome sign
    There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago

  • Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill passes first reading
    The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Government to boost public EV charging network
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure.  The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Residential Property Managers Bill to not progress
    The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Independent review into disability support services
    The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Justice Minister updates UN on law & order plan
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Ending emergency housing motels in Rotorua
    The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Trade Minister travels to Riyadh, OECD, and Dubai
    Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Education priorities focused on lifting achievement
    Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • NZTA App first step towards digital driver licence
    The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say.  “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Supporting whānau out of emergency housing
    Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Tribute to Dave O'Sullivan
    Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Speech – Eid al-Fitr
    Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Government saves access to medicines
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