At last Rosemary, success and i hope life will be easier and more settled for you.
Then you can carry on getting the other improvements you see are needed with a chance of succeeding with those too.
Rosemary, this may not be all you and we hoped, but at least you and your partner can enjoy this holiday free of anxiety about a court appearance, or did you prefer one to get ‘information out there?’ We will never know with a confidentiality agreement.
Anyway, all the very best to you both. Enjoy some well earned peace and rest.
By the way, my situation has improved, as I’ve had all the pre-op hospital visits for my hip and am on the urgent list. LOL (Bay of Plenty still short of surgeons .)
“…am on the urgent list. LOL ” Yes, definitely a relative term, “urgent”. OTOH…you don’t want that overworked surgeon to rush the job. 😉 😉 Being in pain is a bastard, and floating around are a few research papers which address the issue of sometimes permanent disability caused by significant delays in treatment of what are often fixable problems. The cost of managing long term debility is usually greater than the cost of early intervention. The shortage of surgeons? Perhaps if we had not put the cost of tertiary education onto our children a few more might have trained to be surgeons happy to work in the public sector rather than follow their privileged ancestors into the private sector. All the best with your op…and for goodness’ sake mobilize after but TAKE IT EASY. (Over doing it post- hip op is an actual ‘thing’.)
As for our news. You’re right. Confidentiality. BUT…if you and anyone else is interested, this issue and other disability discussions are conveniently archived here…
Some here on TS have written the Herald off as a Right Wing Trumpet. I see it as a venue for some very good journos to strut their stuff and tell the stories that need telling, for those who most need their stories told.
Belinda Feek who did the piece in the Herald today is following up on the good work done by Kirsty Johnston on this family carers issue and the abuse and neglect of people with disabilities in MOH funded residential facilities.
“So while it takes a long time to write, Stuart eventually comes up with a sentence for me which is wry and funny and sums up five long weeks in his wheelchair watching the goings-on in a courtroom.
He’s typing his sentence on his talking computer in the Glenfield house where he lives with Jean, who takes care of all his needs.
So far he’s written “everything in the garden … ”
I’d asked what he had made of Ministry of Health officials at a hearing in Auckland of the Human Rights Review Tribunal, officials who had used words such as “frameworks” and “initiatives” and who had talked about the strategies and supports in place which benefit the lives of disabled people.
Jean and I moved on to talk about other things in the time it took him to finish. I guess he’s used to people’s attention wandering, though this 42-year-old with severe cerebral palsy is a computer programmer and sharp as a tack.
Stuart understood every word at the Tribunal hearing. To him and Jean, the health officials on the stand seemed to live in a world tangled with jargon and policy.
Part of his reason for turning up every single day was to remind them that this landmark case is actually about real people, like Stuart, and the dedicated mother who has cared for him for so long.
Stuart gave evidence at the hearing one day, using his portable communication device, but mostly he sat at the back, head sometimes drooping and at times jerking because, unlike his intellect, he has little control over his body.
Stuart’s full sentence to me in his bedroom went like this: “Everything in the garden is p [perfect]. Yeah, right.” “
Ata marie marty mars, and the same to you. I know I bang on a bit ( 🙂 ) and some may wonder why her and not many others? Simple reason is that unlike so many others Peter (and by default myself) has nothing to lose by speaking out.
When one has managed to extract funding from MOH DSS (by fair means or foul) it is well known in the ‘community’ that such funding can be just as easily withdrawn. Peter cannot be pigeonholed into any appropriate funding stream so we have been blissfully unfettered by fear of punitive action. 🙂 😉
Stuart understood every word at the Tribunal hearing. To him and Jean, the health
officials on the stand seemed to live in a world tangled with jargon and policy.
That’s well put. The framework of the policy instead of supporting the building of a policy that meets needs in the required manner, becomes twisted into a maze with considerations of semi-corporate PPP matters, budgeting constraints resulting in unsatisfactory outcomes, inadequate staffing, impractical locations and transport etc.
National seem to be losing every skirmish lately; it would pay to keep in mind the image of a cornered rat and remember the importance of leaving somewhere for it to run. Could we let them have, at least the appearance of, a win with some little thing?
Pertinent quote there, well done. Although I must disagree with Robert inasmuch as National seems more like a cornered mouse than rat currently! Call me old-fashioned, but wins ought to be earned rather than awarded, and I see no sign that they are even trying. Just going thro the motions.
Brownlee, for instance, mouthing off about that turkey who felt obliged to resign – instead of acknowledging performance failure. What parts of leadership doesn’t he understand? Setting an example, obviously. Providing an appropriate role model. Doing what the situation requires. Ethical conduct. Moral guidance.
Instead, Brownlee postured. Who did he think that would impress? 🙄 As for the other non-leaders in National, not a whimper emanated. Too scared to take responsibility for their poor performance in government. Do they think voters won’t notice this?? People are meant to learn from their mistakes. Refusal and denial are likely to make things worse for National.
“Refusal and denial are likely to make things worse for National.”
Only at the margins…..most of this was common knowledge for many years (think John Campbell reports) and it didnt have much effect….those voting for the status quo were either happy with or happy to ignore what was occuring
It would be great if he did. Although, it would look better for the Government (PR wise) if they stepped up. Key doing it would further show up Labour’s inaction.
It’s pretty hard going for some at Christmas, a friend was in tears yesterday as she has to choose between food and a present for her 3 year old; who is just switching on to Christmas due to all the decorations etc around the place.
So much pressure on parents due to consumerism and in your face advertising.
The girls made up a box of toys, linen, books etc they don’t use anymore. Takes a village and all that.
Is it time for the Government to step up and do more to help?
Would be great if some of the population were taught how to be more resourceful.
For example, state housing comes with a food growing zone and food growing education etc etc
Free how to repair stuff community education etc etc.
Does my head in how much is thrown away, Miss 14 received a freedom furniture office chair for her bday, worth around $300. I picked it up for $5 at the recycling centre, had a few stitches that needed replacing. After a few weeks of her feeling flash with a fancy chair I came clean 🙂
Part of the new school education policy maybe? How to be resourceful and How to grow/prepare food.
You are doing well Cinny. A good Mum. What about a group setting up working together with things they want to save, repair, and have a chinwag. Sort of like a Menzshed atmosphere.
Someone could bring glue and gloves to mend china, someone else sewing thread, lots of sewing needles with big eyes plus some of those guiders to help get the thread through, knitting needles, someone paper and pencil to write down haikus thought up on the spot, favourite recipes for the in-season produce, and together you would have good tools and good times and spread the skills.
You make a quiet point – “Would be great if some of the population were taught how to be more resourceful.”
A 3 year old doesn’t need much to make him or her happy.
Once i was helping out with a community Christmas dinner. As we cleared the tables a little boy said to me hopefulluy
“Do you think that anyone wants that?” as he looked at a little model car left on the table. He really wanted it, but didn’t just snatch it and take it, and I told him i was sure that it would be okay for him to have it. Poor little boy, it is so hard when money is t.ght, but he was trying to be good and fair.
Group name – Load Menders, Magic Menders, Skill-saws ?
Skill Saws 🙂 Love it, you could be on to something Grey.
The fellas down at the local Menz Shed are a crack up, they told me part of the reason for the Menz Shed is an escape from their wives. Geez I laughed hard, they said you don’t have to be a man to join their group, but not to tell anyone least the wives join up and foil their plan.
Menz Shed do amazing work for NZ Communities.
Thanks for the link of the Vege Orchestra, that is super awesome.
What are you going to do Sabine? I am really upset at the plight of those in Auckland, it seems that they are getting squeezed beyond hope up there, even though times are hard everywhere. And so many people chirp on the media about how good things are – they are so hard, both men and women.
Anyway I am now going to give $50, which I’ll have to borrow, that’s all i can do at present. Though I am doing little things all the time, but just now it’s got to be more focussed.
Destructive trawling is more intense inside official marine sanctuaries, while endangered fish are more common outside them, a startling analysis of Europe’s seas has revealed.
It shows that far from conserving sealife, legal marine protection areas (MPAs) are in fact the places most damaged by industrial fishing. The work has exposed “the big lie” behind European marine conservation, experts say, with most MPAs completely open to trawling.
It was that which allowed the scientists to figure out that the fishing industry was doing so much damage.
I’ve been saying for years that NZ needs its own satellite network with a high definition satellite capable of tracking all sea born traffic for years. Now we have another reason to have such.
A newly obtained letter has revealed US President Donald Trump signed a letter of intent to build a Trump Tower in Russia…
… This is important because during the 2016 presidential campaign trail — and since then — Trump has repeatedly insisted he had no business interests in Russia, and had “nothing to do” with the country.
The letter was dated October 28, 2015 — five months after Trump launched his Republican candidate campaign, and around a time he was heaping praise on Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has accused the UK and US political classes of “disrespecting” the public by questioning the Brexit referendum and Donald Trump’s election.
“They don’t want to recognise [Mr Trump’s] victory. That’s disrespect of voters,” he said.
Brilliant. A lot these arguments abounded on TS and led to meltdowns and exits. For emphasis…
Propane Jane™
@docrocktex26
Dec 18
More Propane Jane™ Retweeted Propane Jane™
You don’t get to act surprised by the fallout when we told you the shit was happening in real time but you labeled our warnings “identity politics” and went right back to doing Putin’s work for him.
Of course he would have had that ID, it would have helped him immensely in his work to root our ‘dissidents’ and ‘rioters’ and ‘freethinkers’ and the like.
But its all good now, now he is the bested with only our interests at heart. So as long as our interest align with his.
Actually the UK voted for Brexit, and US for Trump.
Some voter groups IE the losers, are disrespecting the voting outcome. Putin is correct.
The people voted for Trump and he had the Wall top of the list of things he wanted. The people voted for the wall. It is disrespectful to the voters for the Dems to use it as a political football.
Spite, revenge, and acting in contempt of the voter is the politics the 15 year old girl was talking about.
I still can’t get out of my mind Putin and the Prince shaking hands. Full of surprises that stale pale old white male.
DJ Ward yeah no collusion how many of Trumps cronies lied about contact with Russia all in jail and heading their. Fox news is now distancing itself from treasonous Trump openly criticising him. May is another Pootin puppet look at pootin taking over the Ukraine after meddling in the UK’s Brexit referendum. Now Putin is worried the UK staying in while he invades the Ukraine. Stasi /KGB tactics your obviously are Pootin puppet parroting on treasonist DJ Ward.
Thanks for all the good posts yesterday relating to Pike river and Uber.
..,. there was good rebutting of the ugly blood stained finger pointing from dishonest National supporters …
Pike River is a national party Dirty Politics story , literally, containing all their trademark governance…. Attacks on workers rights and conditions,,,,,,, lowering of regulations and standards, then allowing blatant non-compliance of their lowered standards … All followed by a putrid dishonesty which Alwyn and Co carry on with.
John Keys contempt for the dead workers …. and his true face… was on show when he said ” they can sue us “, a comment, he made after his government received a multi million insurance payout….. Going from a caring prime minister .. into a sneering assassin
The National Government actually had the power to shut the mine down for being illegally unsafe.,,, but they gave it their uber consent…. regulations were just red tape to be cut or ignored.
” Pike River – How could this happen in this day and age ” – YouTube “, provides far more information than all of our ‘ News media before it.
We hear, see and learn the ‘steps to disaster’ …. it’s a disturbing tragic picture of corner cutting and criminal disregard for NZ workers lives….. and much much worse than most of us would have believed or realized.
A small sample of the things the video taught me ….
Deregulation of mining legislation was done by the 1992 National party .. with complementary starving of resources and an understaffed capacity to enforce the watered down regulations…
Methane gas properties, management and regulations …. with regulations specifying 1.5% methane levels require work to stop, at 2% the workers must leave the mine …. Pike river had workers in the mine at over 2.96% for the last two weeks before the workers were killed.
Only 5 of the 29 workers killed for going to work at the Pike death trap were classified as experienced .. A scant two years qulifies one as experienced
The Pike river mine is internationally used as a ‘worst case / worst practice ‘ example for mining engineer students around the world
There is a huge amount more information in the Video and it puts a real human face on the victims and their families …. at the end it discusses responsibility and accountability.
As its presented by a decent honest New Zealander …. not once does it even mention Andrew Little.
Here’s a Video tribute to other NZ workers killed for the crime of turning up at work …
“US officials say two Chinese citizens acting on behalf of their country’s main intelligence agency carried out an extensive hacking campaign to steal data from government agencies and companies in the United States and nearly a dozen other countries.”
Are you saying Trump is the only sane one. ISIS is screwed, job done.
“There is no instance of a nation benefitting from prolonged warfare.” – Sun Tzu
I always saw Afganistan as a strategic asset vs Russia. Any sane Leader would otherwise have bailed long ago. Actually probably never been so stupid to invade in the first place. Syria has nothing the US wants.
Arms sales DJ Ward Russia is making in road’s on arms sales.
The only Reason Trump announced the withdrawal of Troops claiming falsely that ISIS had been defeated was because Flynn has been found guilty of lying to the FBI about his collusion with Pootin. Dead Cat syndrome your tiring attempt to bounce the dead cat is laughable. Trumps own supporters are attacking him over the Stupid idea ISIS is defeated.
It was after Erdogan’s phone call to Trump asking him to get US troops out of the way, so he can kill the Kurds who have been and still are fighting IS.
Trump could have said interfere with the war on IS and risk being cited as an ally of IS, a terrorist group Turkey have never fought.
Trump could also have offered to mediate a deal between the Kurds and Arabs with them and Damascus forafter the end of IS, but na he abandons the only reliable allies the US had in the war against IS in Syria.
Now everyone, but the echelon occupied nations, will seek to walk all over him.
Nonsense Tricledown
He risks losing Turkey, a major NATO power, if he continues to arm and aid the Kurds.Turkey would move even closer to Iran and Russia if the war got down to the US backing the Kurds vs Turkey.
Who is surprised that the US abandoned the Kurds , its the story of their life
Fed up with the lack of Trumpian macho bluster in Aotearoa, an aussie has warned our PM & deputy that “we are coming to get you.” Presumably to reinforce the notion that nobody can do macho bluster better than an aussie.
A typo from the anonymous Herald writer? Googling NewConservative gets nothing but links to the New Conservative Party – hardly an outfit likely to terrify govt leaders. But if they emerge as contenders for Nat support party it will have to be by attracting conservative voters away from National.
Which raises the interesting question of how many conservatives are rednecks partial to macho bluster. I’d like to see a political reporter interview Simon Lusk with this question. Then ask him “Well, wouldn’t they get more Nat voters by pointing out that all the National leadership contenders are useless wimps?” I bet he’d agree that attacking the govt leaders was poor strategy. Wrong target.
I suspect that Moffett, the NC member mentioned, has his eyes on attracting more of 2017 NZF voters some of whom are hugely opposed to the recent issues of immigration and the UN, as the NZF website shows in its recent commenting, and are threatening going to National in protest.
Good point. Winston will need to watch that space. Currently just a perception thing, but could become more of a reality if framed properly. There’s an evident problem with employers in some regions according to recent news stories. Nobody going for the jobs available.
So the people who constitute the 4% unemployment are too lazy to travel to where the jobs are. Dole is a better option for them. You can see why the right get pissed off with the bludgers, eh? So employers have to import foreigners to get the job done. For a govt elected on the basis of a regional development policy, not a good look. Winston is vulnerable. His mate Shane even more so!
Denise Frankenstien. Many areas have only 2% unemployment. But that has its downside no accommodation.
ie Queenstown no workers available why no accommodation. Ashburton no accommodation bringing in more workers where are you going to put them, do people want to move from Auckland to be paid nothing after accommodation and transport costs
Housing was identified as the single biggest issue by Don Brashes productivity commission. National talked a lot but did f/all about it. So now we have reached capacity no chance of any quick fix.
Yes but immigrants need accommodation too, don’t they? So ain’t really a valid excuse. For seasonal work tent cities could suffice but you need sufficient toilets, showers, etc. I agree that National went missing in action.
Moving to where there is seasonal work only really applies to those living at home with their parents (they can come and go the most easily and are generally with the fitness required).
And given the ambition of not having anyone under 20 on the dole – all being in work training, education or employment, it’s where any action starts. Though there will be some over 20 as well.
In the provinces its about the availability of travel to the out of town work (not all youth will have transport and older ones who do, would find it costly for MW work unles their is transport or organised pooling).
” For seasonal work tent cities could suffice”.
Please tell me you are joking?
Next I suppose you will be telling us that people living in their cars should be grateful that they have a dry place to sleep.
The All Blacks havn’t been in the national interest for some time, quite the opposite, NZ use to be admired winners in the game of rugby despite all the stuff ups by the high honchos on the board.
A bunch of clowns loose on the world stage, in uncertain times, generating ill feeling toward the NZ society – the neo liberal winners, making an art form of losing even when you win.
If that is any indication, there will be nothing ‘new’ about these neoConservatives.
Dis-connected fruit loops outraged that privilege alone has little default value in the national interest does not conservative make.
These rorters are scared they are going to be replaced by genuine local lobbyists, and the quicker the better i’d say.
You’re right. I just tried it again to check. Interesting that they have taken it down – maybe the reporter got something wrong and a corrected version will show up later. The Newshub report has a little more from “Mr Moffett, who called Mr Peters and Ms Ardern “leftards”. I had to google that. Interesting that the definitions call it derogatory without explaining why. Presumably the kind of people who use it don’t like explanations!
And I see that he has now mentioned the disappearance of the Herald article and suggested that this is because it was in the Sports section and not in the Politics section. He is also claiming it has been taken down as it has had the opposite effect by giving him a 100 new followers on Twitter …
Why not just try the Urban Dictionary? https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Leftard
I’m sure that you will recognize quite a lot of the commenters on this blog.
Yourself in fact seems quite a good representative.
Trying to insult me? Didn’t work. That’s actually a considerably more satisfying definition than the others that google presented me with. They were quite anaemic by comparison. The writer captured the key syndromes very effectively. Reminded me of some of my own past critiques of leftism. When I first participated here I was quite trenchant due to the harmful effects of group-think but there’s been a culture change for the better since.
Rightards would likewise benefit from the more balanced view of things that centrists can provide. Collective brain death need not be terminal!
I’ve just been slammed spammed or something by some crowd called Weber Barbecues that have taken over the site I thought I chosen on google with some bloody advertisement and continual downloading of some offer to win something.
When I tried to backtrack away, I couldn’t. When I went to go back to original site the whole dropdown was full of their offers, and informed it was loading more.
We are having trouble with Chinese hacking of the 5 Eyes, with the 5 Eyes hacking of traffic through backdoors that Microsoft had (and I read that other companies have been requested to do by the USA authorities and suppose they complied). Then there are the megalomaniacs who have the techno companies and are developing new stuff who are in the public eye. Then there are the reclusives who are dreaming up some other possibilities that are likely to give us nightmares.
Let us have no more talk of getting rid of our monetary system and just doing everything digitally, electronically or whatever. Hold onto the basics that have enabled human life so we have got to now; don’t give up all autonomy to the machine and those that think like machines. There be dragons!
It looks like some malvertising has sneaked into some of the advertising streams on some websites.
The msn.com website, for instance, the last couple of weeks has been randomly serving up a lot of full-screen adverts I never clicked on with an annoying double beep and I cannot backtrack to the original article I was reading. A popover claiming I have won a prize that from time to time changes also pops up over the screen. Even though the adverts all look very similar and some are 100% identical the website URL keeps changing. I just had one less than half an hour ago when I went to read an MSN story and barely got through the first paragraph when it was replaced by the fishing scam. I had to close the tab and go back to the main site.
I was just wondering how many people on here have had articles they are reading on websites such as MSN.com hijacked and replaced by full-screen web pages from random websites that claim you are a winner and to enter your details?
It seems in the last few weeks for me the MSN website has been hijacked by Malvertising hijacking me away from the story I am trying to read to their scams.
All these scams use big name brands such as Apple iPhones, Samsung Galaxy, and I guess Weber Barbecues from what you are saying GWS.
Where can we report these kinds of things to get these big companies to fix these backdoor scams happening on their websites due to adverts with hijacking code inserted into them?
Oh fuck. Mad Dog is out at the end of February. Is it too late to get started on that fallout shelter? Coz you know whatever the dayglo swampzilla gets to replace him won’t just be nicknamed Mad Dog, it’ll actually be rabid.
Yeah, losing Mattis so soon after Kelly looks like incompetence. Will be interesting to see the calibre of both replacements, whether military or not. If the military hierarchs have agreed amongst themselves that Trump is too flaky, he can’t fish in that pool again. More flakes on Wall St, so try there next…
I vote for Ann Coulter and Sean Hannity. Add in Laura Ingraham and Trump has all the arsekissers and bootlickers he needs to keep his frail little ego erect.
Coulter said mean things about poopydiaper Don not being able to build a simple wall so he’s thrown a tanty and unfollowed her on twitter. I doubt we’re through with the tears and screaming yet, so the hugs and makeup kisses are a while away.
The most common route to authoritarianism runs through the military, so if Don of the Deadbrains has alienated them, the US is slightly more likely to remain a republic.
IKEA tax dodgers on their way..and my, doesn’t Stephen tindall love their model..
“The thing I really love about them is that they are putting sustainability at the front and centre,” said Sir Stephen, whose Tindall Foundation has invested heavily in environmental projects – including the planting of more than 22 million trees.
“So they’re a great example of what can be done in retail.”
Plant a tree, dodge your tax..nice Green wash, and stuff the workers.
No. If you shop there it will give you something to do on the long winter nights.
You can probably get at least 3 months of amusement trying to assemble a small bookcase, before they take you away in a straitjacket.
At least that is what my friends have told me. I never did buy anything there. Getting started on that lark leads to madness.
That sort of thing is easy to put together. Hire a working man to do it . Then you’ll understand that we all have value . Something you right wingers struggle with.
Capitalism alone is not sustainable, banning stuff is inefficient, the efficient system acknowledges it’s weakness. Neolibs never do, never do detail, never get their hands dirty, it was always nonsense.
No. Capitalism is not sustainable. I see no way that a system based upon greed and everyone having ever more but especially the few rich ever could be.
Don’t please brush off Shane Jones because he has said words in favour of W Haumaha. I think it is a situation of a flawed person who should be kicked out of a good job but not be discarded.
National has called for New Zealand First to say whether it still backs under-fire Deputy Police Commissioner Wally Haumaha.
And New Zealand First MP Shane Jones has, saying Haumaha’s previous good work among Māori was being ignored.
“Yesterday’s damning IPCA report into Mr Haumaha found that he belittled and humiliated staff, aggressively asserted his authority, and inappropriately approached staff to support him after allegations were made. It also shows that he circulated information which would discredit a complainant which was improper,” National’s police spokesman Chris Bishop
said today.
“These latest revelations about a whole raft of Government agencies contracting Thompson & Clark to spy on New Zealanders on their behalf are just the latest in a long, sordid history of the State spying on the people. Go back a decade and you’ll find:
Thompson & Clark exposed as spying on environmental activists on behalf of the since gone bust Solid Energy
Thompson & Clark exposed as spying on animal rights activists on behalf of the State
Police spy/infiltrator/agent provocateur Rob Gilchrist exposed as having spied, for money, on a whole raft of activist groups for a decade
The release of Security Intelligence Service files on many people (including me) that revealed a long history of obsessive spying on activists. In the case of the only organisation to receive its file – the Campaign Against Foreign Control of Aotearoa – the file revealed that the SIS had spied on CAFCA for a quarter of a century.”
“He denies it’s open season for fraudsters, saying the Labour Inspectorate and Immigration NZ are “incredibly vigilant”. But when they do catch scammers, only rarely are custodial sentences handed out. Former immigration minister Tuariki Delamere says only harsher penalties – including deportation – can have any impact.
If two journalists, without the investigatory powers or resource of a government department, can unearth and expose a string of such schemes – and we heard of many, many more we didn’t have the time to pursue – it’s clear that they are everywhere, and not hard to find.
The remote prospect of prosecution has made men like Gurpreet Singh brazen.”
However alongside those pressures to turn a blind eye must also be pressure from competing businesses to remove this illegal advantage….never mind the immorality of exploitation
James Mattis, “Mad Dog Mattis”, has quit as Donald Trump’s military officers criticize his unilateral decision to pull out of Syria.
Meanwhile Trump’s decision has received a Putin-esque seal of approval from the Kremlin.
It is messy and everything, but one of the few rational groups in the Middle East, the Kurds are now going to be exposed to whatever Turkey turns on them. I know Turkey has been the subject of PKK attacks but at the same time in a region full of despots and well known for dodgy deals, if there is any combatant group deserving of some kind of reward for their efforts, it would be the Kurds.
Heard rumours just before I out about the possibility of Blackwater replacing US Combat troops in the Gan. One detailed report I seen was cost analysis from Combats Troop, along everything in between to AirPower/ Close Air Support and training the Afghan troops. Training the Afghan troops by Blackwater is real scary and wrong on so many levels and I don’t really know where to start.
It’s no wonder that old Mad Dog has called it quits when old Trump wants to pull this type of shit on the world and it shows that Trump, Bolton and Co have no morals or any principles, but make a quick buck.
Interestingly, Mattis once revealed what would lead him to resign in protest during an April 2014 talk in San Francisco, and he made it clear that he would only do so under the most dire of circumstances, since his subordinates would not be able to do the same.
Top articles
1/5
Mattis’ 2017 Message To
Troops Is Worth Remembering: ‘Just Hold The Line’
“The lance corporals can’t retire. They’re going. That’s all there is to it,” he said.
[…]
Later, during his April 2014 talk in San Francisco, he was asked specifically about whether there was a scenario in which he may have retired in protest. Mattis allowed some unethical orders and other scenarios that would lead him to do so, but he said, “you have to be very careful about doing that. The lance corporals can’t retire. They’re going. That’s all there is to it.”
He added: “You abandon him only under the most dire circumstances, where the message you have to send can be sent no other way. I never confronted that situation.”
“AN “AFFRONT TO DEMOCRACY”, was the State Services Commissioner’s characterisation of the state bureaucracy’s decision to spy on political activists. Few would disagree. That multiple state agencies felt entitled to contract-out the gathering of political intelligence to the privately owned and operated Thompson & Clark Investigations Ltd reveals a widespread antidemocratic disdain for citizens’ rights within the New Zealand public service. The alarming revelations of the State Services’ inquiry raise two very important questions: How did this disdain for democratic norms become so entrenched? And what, if anything, can Jacinda Ardern’s government do to eradicate it?
The dangerous truth, in relation to the first question, is also painfully relevant to the second. The effective abrogation of democratic norms in New Zealand dates back to 1984 and the events which the former CTU economist and ministerial adviser, Peter Harris, characterised as a “bureaucratic coup d’état”. In was in July 1984 that elements within the NZ Treasury and the Reserve Bank, taking full advantage of the relationships they had been cultivating for at least a year with the parliamentary leadership of the NZ Labour Party, initiated the detailed and extremely radical economic policy programme which came to be known as “Rogernomics”.
This programme, set forth in “Economic Management” – the book-length briefing paper for the incoming Minister of Finance, Roger Douglas – had received no mandate from the electorate. Indeed, the ordinary voter had no inkling whatsoever that the Labour Party of Mickey Savage and Norman Kirk was about to unleash a programme considerably to the right of Margaret Thatcher’s and Ronald Reagan’s. The authors of “Economic Management” were not, however, interested in obtaining a democratic mandate for their proposed reforms. In fact, they strongly suspected that submitting their ideas to the voters was just about the surest way of securing their emphatic rejection.
Since the mid-1970s the conviction had been growing among big-business leaders and high-ranking civil servants living in the wealthiest capitalist nations, that democracy had gotten out of hand; and that unless the scope for democratic intervention in the economy was radically reduced, then the future of capitalism could not be guaranteed. Free Market Economics, as it was called then, or Neoliberalism, as we know it today, was, from the outset, incompatible with the social-democratic principles that had underpinned western policy-making in the post-war world. It could only be imposed, and kept in place, by a political class sealed-off from all manner of pressures from below. If that meant gutting the major parties of the centre-left and right; purging the civil service, academia and the news media of dissenters; and crushing the trade unions – then so be it.
Once it became clear that the free-market “revolution” was not about to be halted in its tracks, all those with an ambition to rise within the new order made haste to learn its rules and spared no effort in enforcing them. This phenomenon: of absorbing and implementing an antidemocratic regime’s imperatives was described by British historian of the Third Reich, Ian Kershaw, as “Working Towards The Fuhrer”.
cause that was what made the Stasi so ‘everywhere’ and omnipotent. all the east germans that in order to keep their apartment, jobs, schools, places for university, etc spied on all the other east germans.
OK that was neutral journalism at its best. If I wasn’t aware of other subjects I would think Helen was faultless or the author was blind and trained under the new academia. Anyway Ed thanks for the point of view, everything helps, even the cringeworthy and funny.
Had a car crash at home today. A young male around 20 failed a high speed sweeping left hand bend. Took out about 40m of our fence including the stainer post. Ended up facing the other way nearly tipped over on a bank. Lucky the power poles are on the opposite road side. Had to pull him out into the paddock with the tractor. Then across a soaked paddock to a race then to dry ground before we could replace his tire. Yes he needed help changing his tire. Yes he asked where he could wash the mud off his shoes. Anyway he had insurance, so off he went unharmed from his experience, car trashed, to inform mummy and daddy up in Auckland how he has crashed his second car out in the wilderness.
What address so you can get the money for your fence? Oh I suppose they will expect that to come out of the insurance you have paid for. And that would wipe your no-claims bonus.
I have learnt since posting the comment that we can’t get insurance payments for fences. So all on us. It’s probably just a days work and just $200 in materials as most will be recycled. More of a pain at this time of year as we try and fit in some holiday time.
The important part is he walked away unharmed. We had a fatality a few years ago a few hundred meters from the same spot. Helping motorists is a regular event for us.
Probably because they had to find money to fix more serious problems left behind by National, like collapsing hospitals and a growing Teacher shortage.
Chris t
Don’t have a poke at Labour because they are more far-seeing than you. Stay schtum and think and learn. Having a licence is a big advantage for being able to legally get to work, obtain work, showing that the person is responsible.
It takes time, study, practice; it’s enormously expensive for a poor person scraping along. It’s a measure of success and would give a feeling of self-satisfaction.
Many of the young haven’t got good reading skills, and so it gives an opportunity for helpers and supporters of the young to bring their reading skills to a better level. It brings them into a circle of people who are desiring to help them get a better life, and they might not have had contact with such people in a one-to-one working relationship before.
Probably at school there would have been over-worked teachers, and if the young person isn’t motivated to learn all this general stuff (where is it going to be useful?), and they might be action-oriented not desk or inert, passive-oriented, so school might have just washed over them. And in the end washed their hands of such impossible-to-teach students.
This is stuff that I know, plus stuff that i have learned. You could write long-form comments like this, if you tried to learn and understand, and wanted to spend the time on explaining background to whatever problem you know about!
“Auckland victims’ advocate RUTH MONEY is on the program…”
The final episode of The Panel is as obscene and irony-free as ever
RNZ National, Friday 21 December 2018
Jim Mora, Jock Anderson, Ruth Money, Caitlin Cherry
As a special kick in the teeth to listeners, Jim Mora’s producer Caitlin Cherry (herself a nasty piece of work) [1] has procured two nasty right wing guests for the very last show under Mora’s hosting. Ruth Money we’ve looked at already: she’s a protégée of Garth the Knife McSticker and, bizarrely, calls herself a “victims’ advocate.” [2] The other guest is the stridently anti-union, anti-teacher, anti-liberal Jock Anderson. [3] At least Anderson has one saving grace: he’s a genuinely witty fellow, who can make people laugh. And right at this moment (4:41 p.m.) he is delivering a very well thought out Soapbox item about local democracy.
Today featured some of the recurring themes of Mora’s thirteen year tenure:
There was his glib and complacent conservatism: “Jesus is the reason for the season!” he burbled just before the 4 o’clock news, and returned to the topic at 4:45. On innumerable past occasions he has quoted, in high seriousness, the likes of David Brooks and David Farrar.
There was the consultation of a marginally competent “expert”—today, yet again, one Ken Grace, apparently from a “Department of Writing” somewhere, who chuntered on for several minutes about the meaning of “impeccable.”
There was the choice of consciously lightweight and trivial topics, made even more irritating by Mora’s inane parroting of words and phrases that have just been said. This clearly irritated his past producers—especially Noelle McCarthy, Susan Baldacci and Julie Moffett. Today it was Caitlin Cherry who tried, and failed, to hide her exasperation as they brought their intellects to bear on the vital topic of Baby Names.
MORA: Caitlin Cherry, Story of the Day. CAITLIN CHERRY: So there’s a website called Nameberry, it’s quite a popular one, and it’s predicted the top baby name TRENDS for next year. This is for America, I must note, but, ahhhhmmm, they’re actually starting to adopt names from around the world, nicking names from other cultures, ahhhhmmm, they’ve picked that the Maori name Aroha— MORA: Ahhhhhh! CAITLIN CHERRY: —will become popular next year, along with names from Korea, and South America, Indian names, things like Acayshus— MORA: Acayshus? CAITLIN CHERRY:[clipped tone] Yes. [significant pause] And um, there’s also going to be, ummm, apparently more three-letter names. They’re very, very popular. Hal, Ida, Jem, I always like the name Jem because it’s the brother in um– MORA: Gem? CAITLIN CHERRY:[significant pause] Why am I having a mind blank? MORA: Would you call your daughter Gem? CAITLIN CHERRY: Harper Lee’s book, um— MORA: Oh. CAITLIN CHERRY: It’s the brother in Harper Lee’s book, Scout after her big brother— MORA: Oh, J – E – M? CAITLIN CHERRY: Jem. MORA: Gotcha! CAITLIN CHERRY: Yeah. …[clearly rattled, she pauses]…. Um, celebrity surname names are also growing in popularity, so what would YOU suggest that the famous, like if you were going to name your children after people after the surname of a celebrity? MORA: Paltrow. RUTH MONEY: Trump. CAITLIN CHERRY:[mirthlessly] Ah ha! No-o-o-o-o-oo. MORA: Trump, yeah. CAITLIN CHERRY: Ah, Beckham— MORA: Oh, Beckham. CAITLIN CHERRY: Bowie, Hendrix, Lennon, Monroe MORA: Oh yeah. CAITLIN CHERRY: Yeah. MORA: So they’re all going to come into vo-o-o-o-ogue? CAITLIN CHERRY: Yep. …
ad nauseam….
Just before the 4:30 news Ruth Money took the opportunity to embark on a rant about the fact that “prison is the last resort… especially for these hideous offences…. It’s MADNESS.” Later she averred: “I think we need to get back to HUMANITY…”
“Until recently, the study of tipping points was controversial, but it is increasingly accepted as an explanation for climate changes that are happening with more speed and ferocity than earlier computer models predicted. The loss of coral reefs and Arctic sea ice may already be past the point of no return. There are signs the Antarctic is heading the same way faster than thought.”
“Only 19% were entirely isolated. Another 36% shared a common cause, but were not likely to interact. The remaining 45% had the potential to create either a one-way domino effect or mutually reinforcing feedbacks.”
So the science of complexity has been applied. That’s good. The application informs us of the extent to which environmental systems interlock: considerable! That’s bad. So it’s an academic study that isn’t a waste of time. That’s rare.
“The fourth most downloaded academic research of 2018 was the Hothouse Earth paper, which considered how tipping points could combine to push the global climate into an uninhabitable state.”
So the prospect of everyone dying from climate change has become so concerning that it’s the fourth most urgent topic of academic consideration. Hard to say if that’s good or bad, eh?
“Rocha has spent 10 years building a database of tipping points, or “regime shifts” as he calls them. He urges policymakers to adopt a similar interdisciplinary approach so they can better grasp what is happening.” Policymakers would have to grow extremely different brains to achieve that grasp.
“Policies need to match the scale of the problem.” I’d prefer policies that actually solved the problem. “Every action counts.” Helpful actions count in favour of the solution, irrevelant actions count against. Democracy selects the latter.
When 84% want our Government to take at least some action on anthropogenic global warming, and the Government still only pays lip service, it is lack of democracy, that is the problem.
Older but not at all wiser: Rosemary McLeod returns. The Panel, RNZ National, Tuesday 18 December 2018
Megan Whelan, Gary McCormick, Rosemary McLeod, Emil Donovan
A few years ago, as the blood-soaked Sisi military regime was killing and arresting Egyptians, Jim Mora’s light chat show gave it the once-over-lightly. One of the panelists, Rosemary McLeod had obviously not done much or indeed any reading about the situation, but that did not stop her from sniffing contemptuously and proclaiming: “Those people don’t WANT democracy!”
McLeod has largely been absent from The Panel since then. She now sounds like she is on death’s door, but it hasn’t made her a whit more thoughtful.
At 4:20 p.m. today (Dec. 18, 2018) it wasn’t the mass killing of Egyptian civilians but Brexit that received the once-over-lightly treatment. To be fair, one person in the discussion, Gary McCormick ,seemed to have actually read something about this topic and had obviously thought about it; he said something worth listening to.
On the other hand, this was Rosemary McLeod’s contribution:
“…but I do admire Theresa May. She’s an extraordinary woman, with nice legs.”
Fifteen minutes later, her “Soapbox” contribution was a long chat about Melania Trump changing her hair colour.
The chirpy-cheep-cheep are always on about how wonderful cycleways are and talking down the naysayers, not willing to admit there are problems; winners and losers.
Scooters and hoverboards add to Dutch cycle lane hell
Police union chief says it is impossible to keep lanes safe due to variety of vehicles and rules Amsterdam, The Hague, Utrecht and Rotterdam are rushing through different rules about the sort of vehicles allowed on their increasingly crowded lanes, leaving everyone confused, it is claimed.
On Tuesday Amsterdam announced that slower mopeds, known as a snorfiets, would be banned from the bike paths from April. Utrecht is introducing a similar ban at the end of the next year.
But Birò cars, four-wheeled electric vehicles with two seats side by side and a top speed of 34 mph, can still be driven on cycle lanes anywhere in the country.
so the issue is not with the cycle ways but rather with the humans who use them.
Or am i mis-understanding this?
I have lived for a bit in the Netherlands, in Hilversum 15 kms of Utrecht and i loved the cycle ways. All of them. Easy to navigate, going everywhere, with a nice road surface good for cycling. And yes the mopeds – 28 km per hour if not trafficed used these too, however i have not seen the Biro Cars at the time i lived there.
I think that the problem is that the cycleways are becoming so crowded that they no longer provide the good answer to non-auto travel they once did. And to complicate that, the variety of vehicles, and unregulated speed. There is a saying about a good idea being killed by its popularity
I remember that at early times of car use, it was required that someone walked in front carrying a red flag. In NZ I think that cyclists will need to be registered, like drivers, and pay ACC. Many travel fast on the footpaths. Because they are not large and cumbersome like a car they can ride on the footpath and then go as fast as a car on the road. Then at night they forget they have a small profile and don’t realise how invisible they can be even with all their lights.
The age of simplicity cycling is over, and there need to be more restraints ie licences, training, registration, ACC. Some simple souls want to eliminate helmets. I don’t agree with that. NZs in general, don’t behave as sensibly as Europeans. The trace of the wild west is still in us.
And still I have not mentioned pedestrians, the ability to walk in a stress free atmosphere, and the growing numbers of old people, and computer users who are putting on weight and need to exercise, not build up into a blood pressure, cholestorol problem. Both need to walk, and relax and breathe the air, and look at the green world around. Instead the in-thing is to use them as markers for cyclists to weave in and out amongst. I may yet attack someone some day if I am run into. I can only take so much aggravation and usurpation of the space I need to walk in and keep healthy.
Why don’t you have the guts to directly accuse me so I can sue you for defamation and prove that you’re lying. Coward!— Alan Dershowitz (@AlanDersh) December 4, 2017
I accuse you directly. You had sex repeatedly with minor victims provided to you by Jeffrey Epstein. https://t.co/xPatwTaXZB— Claude Taylor (@TrueFactsStated) December 21, 2018
Kai ora R&R yes we do have a lot of good men who do there duty of looking after there whano. The problem for Maori is the media focous on all the bad this about our socioty
and the stats tell us there are a lot good things maori men do.
Toxic maculinity is how this socioty shapes men with the movies and media all portraying this as the norm is all part of some suppresion of wahine .
Yes Ngatai Porou respect wahine and most of our Marae are named after Wahine.
Ka kite ano .
Some people are to blinded the can not see the writing in on the wall or is something else blinding them
Corbyn faces furious Labour backlash over backing Brexit
Labour leader accused of betrayal on second poll and ‘in danger of losing young backers’
Jeremy Corbyn is facing a storm of criticism from Labour activists and MPs after suggesting he would press ahead with Brexit if the party won a snap general election.
In a sign that he is losing backing among overwhelmingly pro-Remain Labour supporters, Corbyn was also accused of betraying the party membership by appearing reluctant to back the idea of supporting Remain in a second referendum.
The first signs of a serious internal revolt from party members on the left, who helped propel him to the leadership, came after Corbyn gave an interview to the Guardian in which he suggested he thought Brexit should go ahead and said EU state-aid rules would prevent a Labour government intervening to support UK industries.
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His anti-EU tone drew immediate criticism from party supporters and members who had successfully persuaded the leadership to back the possibility of a second referendum at Labour’s annual conference in Liverpool in September. Ka kite ano links below
You see people we are mere bacteria on the back side of the great blue whale .
If we stuff up OUR worlds enviroment and cause mass extinction life will continue with out humans .
We are a intelligent race in the year 2018 we need to take the lead on climate change and change the way we live to drop carbon out of our lives to combate climate change
Ka kite ano links below Indonesia tsunami: at least 20 dead as beaches around Sunda Strait hit
National disaster management agency says at least 165 injured after tsunami, which could be linked to volcanic eruption
Here you go solar energy is now cheaper than dirty coal carbon and nuclear energy I first watched this story 2 years ago its hard to find now. ???????????? don’t let the carbon trolls trick you into thinking that its cheaper to burn your grandchildren’s future for cheaper energy
In countries like Brazil, Australia, Chile and parts of the United States people consider renewable energy because of financial reasons. The price of solar and wind energy will continue to drop and in more countries renewable energy will occur.
A surprising newcomer on the market is Morocco, where the government expects that in 2020 more than 40 percent of the energy could come from solar energy. Ka kite ano
Kai ora Newshub Condolences to all the people who lost love ones in Indonesia I did use the story to hightlight how small we are to Papatuanuku .
Well that’s a good problem to have all the film studios to booked out to film any new films. These are the people who have a hold of the 1080 debate The Far Out Right link here from a great man’s view on these fools https://edition.cnn.com/2018/12/22/europe/george-soros-profile-lister-intl/index.html
Josphe should be counting his lucky stars I have seen footage in work safe videos with much smaller electric explosions kill people instantly
People have to respect tangaroa creatures as they are just doing what it takes to survive in the wild most people would perish in the wild bush .
Its cool that more home less people are getting houseing ka pai its good having a humane goverment in power who put’s people wellbeing berfore profts.The NZ soccer is looking bright Niki
Mike that was a cool view of the Pohutukawa tree in full bloom .
Ka kite ano
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The Government is leaving the entire construction sector and the community housing sector in limbo. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government released the long-awaited Bill English-led review of Kāinga Ora yesterday, but delayed key decisions on its build plan and how to help community housing providers (CHPs) build ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Daisy Simmons Farmers who can’t sleep, worrying they’ll lose everything amid increasing drought. Youth struggling with depression over a future that feels hopeless. Indigenous people grief-stricken over devastated ecosystems. For all these people and more, climate change is taking a clear toll ...
New Zealand’s relationship with China is becoming harder to define, and with that comes a worry that a deteriorating political relationship could spill over into the economic relationship. It is about more than whether New Zealand will join Pillar Two of Aukus, though the Chinese Ambassador, more or less, suggested ...
Been hoping we would see something like this from Sir Geoffrey Palmer. This is excellent.The present Bill goes further than the National Development Act 1979 in stripping away procedures designed to ensure that environmental issues are properly considered. The 1979 approach was not acceptable then and this present approach is ...
He’s Got The Moxie: Only Willie Jackson possesses the credentials to meld together a new Labour message that is, at one and the same moment, staunchly working-class, union-friendly, and which speaks to the hundreds-of-thousands of urban Māori untethered to the neo-tribal capitalist elites of the Iwi Leaders Forum.IT’S ONE OF THE ...
Tree-huggers may well accuse the Government of giving them the fingers, after Energy Minister Simeon Brown announced new measures to protect powerlines from trees, rather than measures to protect trees from powerlines. It can be no coincidence, surely, that this has been announced at the same as Fisheries Minister Shane Jones ...
Willie Jackson will participate in the prestigious Oxford Union debate on Thursday, following in David Lange’s footsteps. Coincidentally, Jackson has also followed Lange’s footsteps by living in his old home in South Auckland. And like Lange, Jackson might be the sort of loud-mouth scrapper who could take over the Labour ...
Barrister Gary Judd KC’s complaint to the Regulatory Review Committee has sparked a fierce debate about the place of tikanga Māori – or Māori customs, values and spiritual beliefs – in the law.Judd opposes the New Zealand Council of Legal Education’s plans to make teaching tikanga compulsory in the legal curriculum.AUT ...
Alwyn Poole writes – In New Zealand we have approximately 460 high schools. The gaps between the schools that produce the best results for students and those at the other end of the spectrum are enormous.In terms of the data for their leavers, the top 30 schools have ...
Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand First Cabinet Minister Shane Jones has become the best advertisement against the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill. In selling the radical new resource consenting processes, in which ministers can green light any mine, dam, or other major development, Jones seems to be ...
Brian Eastonwrites – The Fast-Track Approvals Bill enables cabinet ministers to circumvent key environmental planning and protection processes for infrastructure projects. Its difficulties have been well canvassed. This column suggests a different way of thinking about the proposal. I am ...
The split opening up in Israel’s “War Cabinet” is not just between PM Benjamin Netanyahu and his long-term rival Benny Gantz. It is actually a three-way split, set in motion by Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. It was Gallant’s open criticism of Netanyahu that finally flushed Gantz out into the open. ...
On Thursday 17 May, the Mayoral Proposal for Auckland’s Long Term Plan 2024-2034 was passed by Auckland Council, 20 to 1. It is set to be formally adopted by the Governing Body at its June 27th meeting. The entire process took 8 hours, with the vast majority of that time ...
Pakanga o muaTukua, ka ngaroPuritia taku ringaNgaro ana te ara ki pae rauThere's a battle aheadMany battles are lostBut you'll never see the end of the roadWhile you're travelling with meLate yesterday morning I headed to Wynyard Quarter to see Marama Davidson and Chlöe Swarbrick give their pre-budget State of ...
Maybe the Prime Minister and his Finance Minister expected the worst, so they mounted a stout defence of the Budget tax cuts to their party faithful at a party conference over the weekend. In turn, they were greeted with applause, which, though it may have been less than wildly enthusiastic, ...
A listing of 34 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, May 12, 2024 thru Sat, May 18, 2024. Story of the week “The legislation I signed today [will] keep windmills off our beaches, gas in our tanks, and ...
TL;DR: Here’s six links that stood out to me in the last day in Aotearoa’s political economy to 6:06am on Sunday, May 19:Aotearoa-NZ is the seventh worst in the OECD’s homelessness rankings, just behind the United States and just ahead of Australia. BlackRock thinks rate hikes actually worsen inflation because ...
Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect New Zealanders' right of free speech. The “Protection of Freedom of Expression Bill” will ensure that no organisation or individual, when acting within the law, is unreasonably denied use of a public venue for an organised event or ...
The Green Party unequivocally condemns the governing parties’ attempts to limit the public’s say on the controversial Māori wards legislation, after the select committee considering the legislation set a deadline for submissions of just five days. ...
Disabled children and families nationwide have recently found out they’re no longer able to use disability support funding for programmes during school hours in another quiet update from the Government. ...
Following a horrific case of stalking that ended in tragedy, Labour’s police spokesperson Ginny Andersen has drafted a bill that would add stalking to the Crimes Act. ...
The Rt Hon Winston Peters, joined by Mike King, has announced $24 million over four years for the ‘I Am Hope Foundation’, and will provide young people aged between 5 to 25 years with free mental health counselling services. This funding will help I Am Hope’s ‘Gumboot Friday’ initiative give ...
Te Pāti Māori have launched a petition to stop the repeal of Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act. This announcement comes prior to the first reading of the Section 7AA repeal bill in Parliament today. “Section 7AA forces the Government to adhere to Te Tiriti o Waitangi with respect ...
The Government has yet again failed to do the one thing that needs to happen to ensure houses can be built – commit to ongoing funding, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Treasury officials have outlined many ways in which the Fast Track Approvals Bill is deeply flawed, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking says. ...
Green Party co-leaders Marama Davidson and Chlöe Swarbrick used this year's State of the Planet to call on the Government to prioritise people and planet as the delivery of the Budget approaches. A full transcript of their speeches can be found below. ...
Green Party co-leaders Marama Davidson and Chlöe Swarbrick have used their State of the Planet speeches to challenge the Government to prioritise people and planet over profit as the delivery of the Budget approaches. ...
The Government’s introduction of legislation that would enable landlords to end tenancies with no reason marks a dark day for the 1.4 million people who rent their home in Aotearoa. ...
The Minister for Mental Health has found the Suicide Prevention Office and mental health support for 111 calls slipping through his fingers, says Labour spokesperson for Mental Health Ingrid Leary. ...
Today’s justification from the Minister for Children for scrapping protections for our tamariki was either a case of ignorance or deliberate deception. ...
The Green Party says the Government’s misguided policy on gangs will fail, following the announcement of the establishment of a national gang unit and district gang disruption units to target gang activities. ...
“With Police pay negotiations still unresolved after six months in Government, Mark Mitchell has today rolled the Commissioner out for a rebrand of their approach to gang crime,” Labour police spokesperson Ginny Andersen said. ...
The Government bringing back 50 charter schools will not increase achievement and is a distraction from the core mission of the education system, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Te Pāti Māori is showing extreme concern over the Environment Select Committees adoption of a lucky dip draw to determine hearings for the Fast Track Approvals bill. Of the 27,000 submissions, 2,900 requested to present. All organisations will be heard; however, the remaining 2,350 submitters will be subject to a ...
Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect women’s spaces. The ‘Fair Access to Bathrooms Bill’ will require, primarily in the interest and safety of women and girls, that all new non-domestic publicly accessible buildings provide separate, clearly demarcated, unisex and single sex bathrooms. This Bill ...
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
The Government has approved two-year extensions for four New Zealand Defence Force deployments to the Middle East and Africa, Defence Minister Judith Collins and Foreign Minister Winston Peters announced today. “These deployments are long-standing New Zealand commitments, which reflect our ongoing interest in promoting peace and stability, and making active ...
The Climate Change Commission Chair, Dr Rod Carr, has confirmed his plans to retire at the end of his term later this year, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Prior to the election, Dr Carr advised me he would be retiring when his term concluded. Dr Rod Carr has led ...
Nine highly respected experts have been appointed to the inaugural board of the new Integrity Sport and Recreation Commission, Sport & Recreation Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Integrity Sport and Recreation Commission is a new independent Crown entity which was established under the Integrity Sport and Recreation Act last year, ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters confirmed today that Vote Foreign Affairs in Budget 2024 will balance two crucial priorities of the Coalition Government. While Budget 2024 reflects the constrained fiscal environment, the Government also recognises the critical role MFAT plays in keeping New Zealanders safe and prosperous. “Consistent with ...
New social housing funding in Budget 2024 will ensure the Government can continue supporting more families into warm, dry homes from July 2025, Housing Ministers Chris Bishop and Tama Potaka say. “Earlier this week I was proud to announce that Budget 2024 allocates $140 million to fund 1,500 new social ...
Introduction Today, we are sharing a red-letter occasion. A Blackball event on hallowed ground. Today we underscore the importance of our mineral estate. A reminder that our natural resource sector has much to offer. Such a contribution will not come to pass without investment. However, more than money is needed. ...
Increasing national and regional prosperity, providing the minerals needed for new technology and the clean energy transition, and doubling the value of minerals exports are the bold aims of the Government’s vision for the minerals sector. Resources Minister Shane Jones today launched a draft strategy for the minerals sector in ...
The coalition Government’s legislation to restore the rights of communities to determine whether to introduce Māori wards has passed its first reading in Parliament, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown says. “Divisive changes introduced by the previous government denied local communities the ability to determine whether to establish Māori wards.” The ...
The coalition Government has today introduced legislation to slash the tangle of red and green tape throttling some of New Zealand’s key sectors, including farming, mining and other primary industries. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop says the Government is committed to unlocking development and investment while ensuring the environment is ...
The decision by Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to approve the continued use of hydrogen cyanamide, known as Hi-Cane, has been welcomed by Environment Minister Penny Simmonds and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay. “The EPA decision introduces appropriate environmental safeguards which will allow kiwifruit and other growers to use Hi-Cane responsibly,” Ms ...
Kia ora, Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou kātoa Tāmaki Herenga Waka, Tāmaki Herenga tangata Ngā mihi ki ngā mana whenua o tēnei rohe Ngāti Whātua ō Ōrākei me nga iwi kātoa kua tae mai. Mauriora. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the EMA for hosting this event. Let me acknowledge ...
The coalition Government is investing in social housing for New Zealanders who are most in need of a warm dry home, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. Budget 2024 will allocate $140 million in new funding for 1,500 new social housing places to be provided by Community Housing Providers (CHPs), not ...
Thousands more young New Zealanders will have better access to mental health services as the Government delivers on its commitment to fund the Gumboot Friday initiative, says Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey. “Budget 2024 will provide $24 million over four years to contract the ...
The Coalition Government’s Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill, which will improve tenancy laws and help increase the supply of rental properties, has passed its first reading in Parliament says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “The Bill proposes much-needed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 that will remove barriers to increasing private ...
Standing here in Cassino War Cemetery, among the graves looking up at the beautiful Abbey of Montecassino, it is hard to imagine the utter devastation left behind by the battles which ended here in May 1944. Hundreds of thousands of shells and bombs of every description left nothing but piled ...
I present a legislative statement on the Oranga Tamariki (Repeal of Section 7AA) Amendment Bill Mr. Speaker, I move that the Oranga Tamariki (Repeal of Section 7AA) Amendment Bill be now read a first time. I nominate the Social Services and Community Committee to consider the Bill. Thank you, Mr. ...
The Bill to repeal Section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act has had its first reading in Parliament today. The Bill reaffirms the Coalition Government’s commitment to the care and safety of children in care, says Minister for Children Karen Chhour. “When I became the Minister for Children, I made ...
Kia ora koutou, good morning, and zao shang hao. Thank you Fran for the opportunity to speak at the 2024 China Business Summit – it’s great to be here today. I’d also like to acknowledge: Simon Bridges - CEO of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. His Excellency Ambassador - Wang ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed a New Zealand Government plane will head to New Caledonia in the next hour in the first in a series of proposed flights to begin bringing New Zealanders home. “New Zealanders in New Caledonia have faced a challenging few days - and bringing ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed a New Zealand Government plane will head to New Caledonia in the next hour in the first in a series of proposed flights to begin bringing New Zealanders home. “New Zealanders in New Caledonia have faced a challenging few days - and bringing them ...
The Coalition Government will introduce legislation this year that will enable roadside drug testing as part of our commitment to improve road safety and restore law and order, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Alcohol and drugs are the number one contributing factor in fatal road crashes in New Zealand. In ...
The Government has announced a series of immediate actions in response to the independent review of Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “Kāinga Ora is a large and important Crown entity, with assets of $45 billion and over $2.5 billion of expenditure each year. It ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour is pleased that Pseudoephedrine can now be purchased by the general public to protect them from winter illness, after the coalition government worked swiftly to change the law and oversaw a fast approval process by Medsafe. “Pharmacies are now putting the medicines back on their ...
Tēnā koutou katoa. Da jia hao. Good morning everyone. Prime Minister Luxon, your excellency, a great friend of New Zealand and my friend Ambassador Wang, Mayor of what he tells me is the best city in New Zealand, Wayne Brown, the highly respected Fran O’Sullivan, Champion of the Auckland business ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced that the Government will make it easier for lines firms to take action to remove vegetation from obstructing local powerlines. The change will ensure greater security of electricity supply in local communities, particularly during severe weather events. “Trees or parts of trees falling on ...
Wairarapa Moana ki Pouakani were the top winners at this year’s Ahuwhenua Trophy awards recognising the best in Māori dairy farming. Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka announced the winners and congratulated runners-up, Whakatōhea Māori Trust Board, at an awards celebration also attended by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Finance Minister ...
"On the 27th of March, I sought assurances from the Chief Executive, Department of Internal Affairs, that the Department’s correct processes and policies had been followed in regards to a passport application which received media attention,” says Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden. “I raised my concerns after being ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins has announced the appointment of three new District Court Judges, to replace Judges who have recently retired. Peter James Davey of Auckland has been appointed a District Court Judge with a jury jurisdiction to be based at Whangarei. Mr Davey initially started work as a law clerk/solicitor with ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour is calling on the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) to put ideology to the side and focus on students’ learning, in reaction to the union holding paid teacher meetings across New Zealand about charter schools. “The PPTA is disrupting schools up and down the ...
Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly today announced the appointment of Craig Stobo as the new chair of the Financial Markets Authority (FMA). Mr Stobo takes over from Mark Todd, whose term expired at the end of April. Mr Stobo’s appointment is for a five-year term. “The FMA plays ...
Surf Life Saving New Zealand and Coastguard New Zealand will continue to be able to keep people safe in, on, and around the water following a funding boost of $63.644 million over four years, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Associate Transport Minister Matt Doocey say. “Heading to the beach for ...
New Zealand and Tuvalu have reaffirmed their close relationship, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand is committed to working with Tuvalu on a shared vision of resilience, prosperity and security, in close concert with Australia,” says Mr Peters, who last visited Tuvalu in 2019. “It is my pleasure ...
New Zealand is gravely concerned about the situation in New Caledonia, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The escalating situation and violent protests in Nouméa are of serious concern across the Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says. “The immediate priority must be for all sides to take steps to de-escalate the ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon met today with Samoa’s O le Ao o le Malo, Afioga Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II, who is making a State Visit to New Zealand. “His Highness and I reflected on our two countries’ extensive community links, with Samoan–New Zealanders contributing to all areas of our national ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has announced that he has approved Waiheke Island ferry operator Island Direct to be eligible for SuperGold Card funding, paving the way for a commercial agreement to bring the operator into the scheme. “Island Direct started operating in November 2023, offering an additional option for people ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters today announced further sanctions on 28 individuals and 14 entities providing military and strategic support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Russia is directly supported by its military-industrial complex in its illegal aggression against Ukraine, attacking its sovereignty and territorial integrity. New Zealand condemns all entities and ...
A year on from the tragedy at Loafers Lodge, the Government is working hard to improve building fire safety, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “I want to share my sincere condolences with the families and friends of the victims on the anniversary of the tragic fire at Loafers ...
Ka nui te mihi kia koutou. Kia ora and good afternoon, everyone. Thank you so much for having me here in the lead up to my Government’s first Budget. Before I get started can I acknowledge: Simon Bridges – Auckland Business Chamber CEO. Steve Jurkovich – Kiwibank CEO. Kids born ...
New Zealand and Vanuatu will enhance collaboration on issues of mutual interest, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “It is important to return to Port Vila this week with a broad, high-level political delegation which demonstrates our deep commitment to New Zealand’s relationship with Vanuatu,” Mr Peters says. “This ...
Minister for Land Information, Chris Penk will travel to Peru this week to represent New Zealand at a meeting of trade ministers from the Asia-Pacific region on behalf of Trade Minister Todd McClay. The annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade meeting will be held on 17-18 May ...
By Eleisha Foon, RNZ Pacific senior journalist Scores of people have died in a huge landslide which has struck a remote village in the Papua New Guinean highlands. The landslide reportedly hit Yambali village in Enga Province, about 600 km north-west of Port Moresby. The landslip has buried homes and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lara Herrero, Research Leader in Virology and Infectious Disease, Griffith University Red-Diamond/Shutterstock We’ve now been living with COVID for well over four years. Although there’s still much to learn about SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID) at least one thing seems ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clive Schofield, Professor, Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS), University of Wollongong The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea has found countries are obliged to protect the oceans from climate change impacts under the law of the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca McGirr, Postdoctoral research fellow, Australian National University Bernhard Staehli/Shutterstock Imagine you’re standing near the edge of the Antarctic Ice Sheet, gazing out over the ocean, when the ice near you starts to melt very rapidly. A surge of meltwater flows ...
The Finance Minister prepares to present one of the most difficult budgets, National MP David MacLeod gets himself into trouble and the First Home Buyers Grant is scrapped. ...
The Iranian Solidarity Group NZ met with Minister For Foreign Affairs Rt. Hon. Winston Peters, urging the NZ government to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (the IRGC) as a terrorist organisation. The group continues to advocate for justice ...
On 24th May, 6pm, Palestinian journalists covering Gaza will be honoured in a silent and visually impactful vigil outside Shed 10, 89 Quay Street, Auckland, where the Voyager Media Awards are being held. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Harcourt, Industry Professor and Chief Economist, University of Technology Sydney This should be a golden age for Australian soccer. After all, the big picture is good: the Matildas are waltzing, the Socceroos are well supported and Australia was just awarded hosting ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Wellings, Associate Professor in Politics and International Relations, Monash University Assuming a Labour win in the UK general election – always a risky assumption given Labour’s proclivity for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory – the “Global Britain” bombast emanating ...
The community group People Against Prisons Aotearoa is holding a protest against mass incarceration tomorrow against the Government’s proposed expansion of Waikeria prison. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By T.J. Thomson, Senior Lecturer in Visual Communication & Digital Media, RMIT University Shutterstock OpenAI, the makers of ChatGPT, and News Corp, the international media conglomerate, have signed a deal that will let OpenAI use and learn from News Corp’s content. In ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jaimon Kelly, Senior Research Fellow in Telehealth delivered health services, The University of Queensland Shutterstock/Nils Versemann For many Australians the emergency department (ED) is the physical and emblematic front door to accessing urgent health-care services. But health-care services are evolving rapidly ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Trelease, Senior Lecturer in Communication Studies, Auckland University of Technology Getty Images Following the hugely successful recent season of Married At First Sight (MAFS) Australia, fans of the format – and the reality romance genre in general – will be ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dominic Redfern, Associate Professor, School of Art, RMIT University We Are All Unique by Universal Everything commissioned by Hyundai Motorstudio Senayan Park in Beings at ACMI.Image by Michelle Tran At this week’s launch of Beings by Universal Everything, ACMI board member ...
As Married at First Sight New Zealand returns to our screens this Sunday, Tara Ward speaks to the show’s new relationship experts about what lies ahead. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. John Aiken is teasing Jo Robertson about her cup of ...
A new poem by Wellington writer Erin Donohue. The body’s score Here is what happens if you starve yourself for years. Your body will forget herself. She will have to learn new how a heart beats and she will not get it right. She will need MRIs and a quiet ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi (Picador, $25)A charming, smash-hit book about ...
COMMENTARY:By Eugene Doyle “Only the struggle counts . . . death is nothing.” Éloi Machoro — “the Che Guevara of the Pacific” — said this shortly before he was gunned down by a French sniper on 12 January 1985. Machoro, one of the leaders of the newly-formed FLNKS (Kanak ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexandra Wake, Associate Professor, Journalism, RMIT University Photo by Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels The news media play a vital role in shaping the public conversation and covering complex issues such as war, the economy, climate change and technology. Yet our new research ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Aviroop Gupta, PhD Candidate, Curtin University Narendra Modi’s right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has resorted to religious polarisation as it tries to rally its Hindu nationalist base in India’s ongoing general election, which ends on June 1. Just days after voting started ...
Lana Walters’ new show is playing in Auckland for the NZ International Comedy Festival. Madeleine Holden (a parent) and Liv Sisson (not) went along to review. I hadn’t heard of comedian Lana Walters until a colleague posted the following message in one of The Spinoff’s Slack channels: “Has anyone been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paola A. Magni, Associate Professor of Forensic Science, Murdoch University Microgen / Shutterstock When you think of a criminal investigation, you might picture detectives meticulously collecting and analysing evidence found at the scene: weapons, biological fluids, footprints and fingerprints. However, this ...
Recent price falls in the New Zealand market for carbon credits leaves the Government facing the prospect of a significant loss of revenue from carbon auctions this year. The March financial statements from Treasury highlight lower-than-expected revenue ...
ANALYSIS:By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk French President Emmanuel Macron has ended a meeting-packed whirlwind day in New Caledonia with back-to-back sessions including opposing leaders in the French Pacific territory. Macron left New Caledonia this morning, leaving some members of his entourage to deal with details ...
"The government's 'Draft Mineral Strategy' released this week by Minister for Resources Shane Jones is a disaster in the making for the environment, the climate and people as more and more rural communities will have to battle these companies ...
Behind the pretty flower beds at Auckland Botanic Gardens, conservation mahi is under way for the region’s 357 threatened plants. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. At Auckland Botanic Gardens, conservation specialist Ella Rawcliffe has been trying to plant a seed that’s smaller ...
One financial hopeful looks to MPs for inspiration on how to be savvy with money.As a person whose search history includes “easy ways to make money” and “what should I do with $1,000 savings”, my interest was piqued when parliament released the pecuniary interests register this week. Since 2005, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Barbara Mintzes, Professor, School of Pharmacy and Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney Monster Ztudio/Shutterstock Drug companies are paying Australian doctors millions of dollars a year to fly to overseas conferences and meetings, give talks to other doctors, and to serve ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Trivess Moore, Associate Professor, School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University The Victorian government is planning Australia’s largest urban renewal project. The plan is to knock down and rebuild 44 large public housing towers in Melbourne. The government says these ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karen Scott, Professor in Law, University of Canterbury Christian Charisius/dpa/Getty Images In a significant development for small island nations threatened by rising seas, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) has found greenhouse gases constitute marine pollution. The ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Pi-Shen Seet, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Edith Cowan University William Fortunato/Pexels Entrepreneurs are the lifeblood of any innovative economy. New business creation has been shown to have a significant and positive impact on economic growth, innovation and job creation. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Treena Clark, Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Indigenous Research Fellow, Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building, University of Technology Sydney Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this article contains names, images and stories of deceased people. Around the world, fashion researchers, ...
Gumboot Friday pocketed a significant budget boost this week, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin, but concerns have been raised over transparency. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
It’s 40 years since Lorraine Moller and her peers broke a glass ceiling at the Los Angeles Olympics. The Games in 1984 saw the inclusion of the women’s marathon for the first time and for Moller, then 29, it was the first of four consecutive appearances in the Olympic race ...
While New Zealand writers festivals are reporting record audiences, booksellers and publishers are struggling under financial pressure. Books editor Claire Mabey looks at the challenges faced by the industry, and what can be done about it.Last week the Auckland Writers Festival broke all attendance records with more than 85,000 ...
When the publisher of NZ Lifestyle Block announced it was closing down, its editor had a scary decision to make. Michael Andrew tells what happened next. At three in the morning a few months ago, I sat at my desk with two windows open on my computer. One was a ...
FICTION 1 The Bone Tree by Airana Ngarewa (Hachette, $37,99) Sales of the author’s 2023 novel went through the roof after he appeared at the Auckland Writers Festival in the weekend. A witness at Ngarewa’s event commented, “It’s the schools and adult combo – not many authors traverse both. Airana ...
French President Emmanuel Macron’s priority on his rush visit to New Caledonia is to quell the unrest that has been tearing at the territory for nearly two weeks. But what is he likely to achieve in his 24 hours on the ground? A Pacific leader here says France is in ...
It’s tempting to host a lolly scramble on Budget Day, but the Prime Minister says he’s making ‘tough calls’ needed to get the fundamentals right. The post Luxon: No excuse for NZ not to do ‘incredibly well’ appeared first on Newsroom. ...
National promised a “back pocket boost” when it unveiled a tax package before the election, and now in Government in tough economic times its Budget next week will sort the easy promises from reality. The tax bracket changes and other in-work and family payment adjustments might need to land with ...
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Opinion: Wellington recently passed a new ambitious district plan, which paves the way for increased housing density in the city. But as Wellington embraces opportunities for urban intensification, it also needs to consider how this shift will affect residents’ lives. Key to ensuring urban development does not adversely affect health ...
Sir Bill English’s Kāinga Ora review looked way beyond its financial troubles to propose a new social housing system, harking back to his own government The post The Great Game resumes on public housing appeared first on Newsroom. ...
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Congratulations Rosemary McDonald. I can’t imagine how hard it has been to fight for so long. I’m happy you’ve had some resolution at last.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12180346
+ infinity.
Much love to you Rosemary and to your man.
At last Rosemary, success and i hope life will be easier and more settled for you.
Then you can carry on getting the other improvements you see are needed with a chance of succeeding with those too.
Rosemary, this may not be all you and we hoped, but at least you and your partner can enjoy this holiday free of anxiety about a court appearance, or did you prefer one to get ‘information out there?’ We will never know with a confidentiality agreement.
Anyway, all the very best to you both. Enjoy some well earned peace and rest.
By the way, my situation has improved, as I’ve had all the pre-op hospital visits for my hip and am on the urgent list. LOL (Bay of Plenty still short of surgeons .)
“…am on the urgent list. LOL ” Yes, definitely a relative term, “urgent”. OTOH…you don’t want that overworked surgeon to rush the job. 😉 😉 Being in pain is a bastard, and floating around are a few research papers which address the issue of sometimes permanent disability caused by significant delays in treatment of what are often fixable problems. The cost of managing long term debility is usually greater than the cost of early intervention. The shortage of surgeons? Perhaps if we had not put the cost of tertiary education onto our children a few more might have trained to be surgeons happy to work in the public sector rather than follow their privileged ancestors into the private sector. All the best with your op…and for goodness’ sake mobilize after but TAKE IT EASY. (Over doing it post- hip op is an actual ‘thing’.)
As for our news. You’re right. Confidentiality. BUT…if you and anyone else is interested, this issue and other disability discussions are conveniently archived here…
https://publicaddress.net/access/archive/
I hopped into the time machine and re- read the post I did in 2014. https://publicaddress.net/access/paying-family-carers-what-was-all-the-fuss/
Some here on TS have written the Herald off as a Right Wing Trumpet. I see it as a venue for some very good journos to strut their stuff and tell the stories that need telling, for those who most need their stories told.
Belinda Feek who did the piece in the Herald today is following up on the good work done by Kirsty Johnston on this family carers issue and the abuse and neglect of people with disabilities in MOH funded residential facilities.
before Kirsty, there was Catherine Masters…https://www.nzherald.co.nz/catherine-masters/news/article.cfm?a_id=49&objectid=10536859 who took the time to get to know some of the Atkinson pioneers.
“So while it takes a long time to write, Stuart eventually comes up with a sentence for me which is wry and funny and sums up five long weeks in his wheelchair watching the goings-on in a courtroom.
He’s typing his sentence on his talking computer in the Glenfield house where he lives with Jean, who takes care of all his needs.
So far he’s written “everything in the garden … ”
I’d asked what he had made of Ministry of Health officials at a hearing in Auckland of the Human Rights Review Tribunal, officials who had used words such as “frameworks” and “initiatives” and who had talked about the strategies and supports in place which benefit the lives of disabled people.
Jean and I moved on to talk about other things in the time it took him to finish. I guess he’s used to people’s attention wandering, though this 42-year-old with severe cerebral palsy is a computer programmer and sharp as a tack.
Stuart understood every word at the Tribunal hearing. To him and Jean, the health officials on the stand seemed to live in a world tangled with jargon and policy.
Part of his reason for turning up every single day was to remind them that this landmark case is actually about real people, like Stuart, and the dedicated mother who has cared for him for so long.
Stuart gave evidence at the hearing one day, using his portable communication device, but mostly he sat at the back, head sometimes drooping and at times jerking because, unlike his intellect, he has little control over his body.
Stuart’s full sentence to me in his bedroom went like this: “Everything in the garden is p [perfect]. Yeah, right.” “
Kia kaha Rosemary and all the very best to you and your loved ones over the festive season. Thank you for your voice.
Ata marie marty mars, and the same to you. I know I bang on a bit ( 🙂 ) and some may wonder why her and not many others? Simple reason is that unlike so many others Peter (and by default myself) has nothing to lose by speaking out.
When one has managed to extract funding from MOH DSS (by fair means or foul) it is well known in the ‘community’ that such funding can be just as easily withdrawn. Peter cannot be pigeonholed into any appropriate funding stream so we have been blissfully unfettered by fear of punitive action. 🙂 😉
Thanks Rosemary. Sadly there still is a lot to do. Thanks for the Links.
Stuart understood every word at the Tribunal hearing. To him and Jean, the health
That’s well put. The framework of the policy instead of supporting the building of a policy that meets needs in the required manner, becomes twisted into a maze with considerations of semi-corporate PPP matters, budgeting constraints resulting in unsatisfactory outcomes, inadequate staffing, impractical locations and transport etc.
National seem to be losing every skirmish lately; it would pay to keep in mind the image of a cornered rat and remember the importance of leaving somewhere for it to run. Could we let them have, at least the appearance of, a win with some little thing?
Good bit of philosophy with your comment.
“When you surround an army, leave an outlet free. Do not press a desperate foe too hard.” – Sun Tzu
That’s to stop them all going suicidle on you. Like lifting the bedsheets, or telling common secrets.
Pertinent quote there, well done. Although I must disagree with Robert inasmuch as National seems more like a cornered mouse than rat currently! Call me old-fashioned, but wins ought to be earned rather than awarded, and I see no sign that they are even trying. Just going thro the motions.
Brownlee, for instance, mouthing off about that turkey who felt obliged to resign – instead of acknowledging performance failure. What parts of leadership doesn’t he understand? Setting an example, obviously. Providing an appropriate role model. Doing what the situation requires. Ethical conduct. Moral guidance.
Instead, Brownlee postured. Who did he think that would impress? 🙄 As for the other non-leaders in National, not a whimper emanated. Too scared to take responsibility for their poor performance in government. Do they think voters won’t notice this?? People are meant to learn from their mistakes. Refusal and denial are likely to make things worse for National.
“Refusal and denial are likely to make things worse for National.”
Only at the margins…..most of this was common knowledge for many years (think John Campbell reports) and it didnt have much effect….those voting for the status quo were either happy with or happy to ignore what was occuring
Very good point. That Sun Tzu comes up with wisdom.
Thats where a pet mink comes in handy Robert.
Oh I thought Jacinda did that with her Bill they rightly supported, while Act showed a distinct lack of heart.
No. Crush them.
Bring on the common secret telling I say jocks.
I’m doing my best. Did you notice the innuendo, and sarcasm.
The Auckland City Missioner says unless there is a miracle, more families lining up for Christmas food parcels will leave empty-handed
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/2018676517/huge-demand-for-christmas-food-parcels-across-nz
Is it time for the Government to step up and do more to help?
Maybe John Key could help out
It would be great if he did. Although, it would look better for the Government (PR wise) if they stepped up. Key doing it would further show up Labour’s inaction.
It’s actually an easy win for Key to do that, if he cared about that sort of thing anymore.
It’s pretty hard going for some at Christmas, a friend was in tears yesterday as she has to choose between food and a present for her 3 year old; who is just switching on to Christmas due to all the decorations etc around the place.
So much pressure on parents due to consumerism and in your face advertising.
The girls made up a box of toys, linen, books etc they don’t use anymore. Takes a village and all that.
Is it time for the Government to step up and do more to help?
Would be great if some of the population were taught how to be more resourceful.
For example, state housing comes with a food growing zone and food growing education etc etc
Free how to repair stuff community education etc etc.
Does my head in how much is thrown away, Miss 14 received a freedom furniture office chair for her bday, worth around $300. I picked it up for $5 at the recycling centre, had a few stitches that needed replacing. After a few weeks of her feeling flash with a fancy chair I came clean 🙂
Part of the new school education policy maybe? How to be resourceful and How to grow/prepare food.
You are doing well Cinny. A good Mum. What about a group setting up working together with things they want to save, repair, and have a chinwag. Sort of like a Menzshed atmosphere.
Someone could bring glue and gloves to mend china, someone else sewing thread, lots of sewing needles with big eyes plus some of those guiders to help get the thread through, knitting needles, someone paper and pencil to write down haikus thought up on the spot, favourite recipes for the in-season produce, and together you would have good tools and good times and spread the skills.
You make a quiet point – “Would be great if some of the population were taught how to be more resourceful.”
A 3 year old doesn’t need much to make him or her happy.
Once i was helping out with a community Christmas dinner. As we cleared the tables a little boy said to me hopefulluy
“Do you think that anyone wants that?” as he looked at a little model car left on the table. He really wanted it, but didn’t just snatch it and take it, and I told him i was sure that it would be okay for him to have it. Poor little boy, it is so hard when money is t.ght, but he was trying to be good and fair.
Group name – Load Menders, Magic Menders, Skill-saws ?
Symbol – The vegetable Orchestra?
Skill Saws 🙂 Love it, you could be on to something Grey.
The fellas down at the local Menz Shed are a crack up, they told me part of the reason for the Menz Shed is an escape from their wives. Geez I laughed hard, they said you don’t have to be a man to join their group, but not to tell anyone least the wives join up and foil their plan.
Menz Shed do amazing work for NZ Communities.
Thanks for the link of the Vege Orchestra, that is super awesome.
You’re onto it Cinny. Happy Christmas and make us all happy by continuing to add your input in 2019. Great.
how bout you are you gonna help?
just asking you know, not opinionating, just asking.
What are you going to do Sabine? I am really upset at the plight of those in Auckland, it seems that they are getting squeezed beyond hope up there, even though times are hard everywhere. And so many people chirp on the media about how good things are – they are so hard, both men and women.
Anyway I am now going to give $50, which I’ll have to borrow, that’s all i can do at present. Though I am doing little things all the time, but just now it’s got to be more focussed.
Time expired Air NZ peanuts for the poor?
I’m sure we think we are okay.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/dec/20/marine-life-worse-off-inside-protected-areas-analysis-reveals
Not sure how you fence the ocean.
Satellite tracking.
It was that which allowed the scientists to figure out that the fishing industry was doing so much damage.
I’ve been saying for years that NZ needs its own satellite network with a high definition satellite capable of tracking all sea born traffic for years. Now we have another reason to have such.
I’d maybe support it if you guaranteed no one would use it to fire satellite lasers at boatloads of refugees trying to get here.
We cannot support the boatloads of refugees coming here.
Far better to make the place that they’re trying to leave better but even that comes down to those who are trying to leave really.
And then climate change is going to hit which is going to make many of those places uninhabitable.
The liars lie and the lies tangle…
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=12180582
Didn’t see that coming. No, really.
Could be the concrete slippers to drag him down.
The white night
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-46630723
Lol said with a straight face apparently.
Propane Jane documenting the con.
https://twitter.com/docrocktex26/status/1075048384015335424
https://twitter.com/docrocktex26
Brilliant. A lot these arguments abounded on TS and led to meltdowns and exits. For emphasis…
The lady certainly speaks truth to power, and everybody else.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/9/25/1572889/-Becoming-Propane-Jane
https://wakelet.com/@propanejane
Yep, Pooty’s understanding of western politics is on point.
He spent years getting up to speed
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-46525543
Of course he would have had that ID, it would have helped him immensely in his work to root our ‘dissidents’ and ‘rioters’ and ‘freethinkers’ and the like.
But its all good now, now he is the bested with only our interests at heart. So as long as our interest align with his.
Which one is Putin.
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=White%20Knight
Actually the UK voted for Brexit, and US for Trump.
Some voter groups IE the losers, are disrespecting the voting outcome. Putin is correct.
The people voted for Trump and he had the Wall top of the list of things he wanted. The people voted for the wall. It is disrespectful to the voters for the Dems to use it as a political football.
Spite, revenge, and acting in contempt of the voter is the politics the 15 year old girl was talking about.
I still can’t get out of my mind Putin and the Prince shaking hands. Full of surprises that stale pale old white male.
The spelling was intentional.
DJ Ward yeah no collusion how many of Trumps cronies lied about contact with Russia all in jail and heading their. Fox news is now distancing itself from treasonous Trump openly criticising him. May is another Pootin puppet look at pootin taking over the Ukraine after meddling in the UK’s Brexit referendum. Now Putin is worried the UK staying in while he invades the Ukraine. Stasi /KGB tactics your obviously are Pootin puppet parroting on treasonist DJ Ward.
I’m trying to overthrow the Queen?
Diagnosis, TDS.
Treatment. 1 hour watching Pelosi, Schumer, and Clinton hypocracy videos.
Thanks for all the good posts yesterday relating to Pike river and Uber.
..,. there was good rebutting of the ugly blood stained finger pointing from dishonest National supporters …
Pike River is a national party Dirty Politics story , literally, containing all their trademark governance…. Attacks on workers rights and conditions,,,,,,, lowering of regulations and standards, then allowing blatant non-compliance of their lowered standards … All followed by a putrid dishonesty which Alwyn and Co carry on with.
John Keys contempt for the dead workers …. and his true face… was on show when he said ” they can sue us “, a comment, he made after his government received a multi million insurance payout….. Going from a caring prime minister .. into a sneering assassin
The National Government actually had the power to shut the mine down for being illegally unsafe.,,, but they gave it their uber consent…. regulations were just red tape to be cut or ignored.
” Pike River – How could this happen in this day and age ” – YouTube “, provides far more information than all of our ‘ News media before it.
We hear, see and learn the ‘steps to disaster’ …. it’s a disturbing tragic picture of corner cutting and criminal disregard for NZ workers lives….. and much much worse than most of us would have believed or realized.
A small sample of the things the video taught me ….
Deregulation of mining legislation was done by the 1992 National party .. with complementary starving of resources and an understaffed capacity to enforce the watered down regulations…
Methane gas properties, management and regulations …. with regulations specifying 1.5% methane levels require work to stop, at 2% the workers must leave the mine …. Pike river had workers in the mine at over 2.96% for the last two weeks before the workers were killed.
Only 5 of the 29 workers killed for going to work at the Pike death trap were classified as experienced .. A scant two years qulifies one as experienced
The Pike river mine is internationally used as a ‘worst case / worst practice ‘ example for mining engineer students around the world
There is a huge amount more information in the Video and it puts a real human face on the victims and their families …. at the end it discusses responsibility and accountability.
As its presented by a decent honest New Zealander …. not once does it even mention Andrew Little.
Here’s a Video tribute to other NZ workers killed for the crime of turning up at work …
That video brought the memories back almost wanted to strap my chaps on again .
Didn’t you describe your former employer in that industry as a pustule on the devil’s sphincter?
Fletcher were my bosses employer . At one point . And yes they were .
But the rough jobs is where I belong and i wouldn’t have it any other way .
How many were union members as a matter of interest?
All eyes on China…..
“US officials say two Chinese citizens acting on behalf of their country’s main intelligence agency carried out an extensive hacking campaign to steal data from government agencies and companies in the United States and nearly a dozen other countries.”
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/12/indicts-hackers-working-chinese-spy-agency-181220160858487.html
RNZ report and Stuff article on the matter…
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/109527357/chinese-government-responsible-for-global-cyber-campaign–gcsb
Both the left and the neocon right are united in their opposition to troop withdrawal from Syria…a sad indictment on current day political discourse.
Are you saying Trump is the only sane one. ISIS is screwed, job done.
“There is no instance of a nation benefitting from prolonged warfare.” – Sun Tzu
I always saw Afganistan as a strategic asset vs Russia. Any sane Leader would otherwise have bailed long ago. Actually probably never been so stupid to invade in the first place. Syria has nothing the US wants.
Arms sales DJ Ward Russia is making in road’s on arms sales.
The only Reason Trump announced the withdrawal of Troops claiming falsely that ISIS had been defeated was because Flynn has been found guilty of lying to the FBI about his collusion with Pootin. Dead Cat syndrome your tiring attempt to bounce the dead cat is laughable. Trumps own supporters are attacking him over the Stupid idea ISIS is defeated.
Absolutely agree with you Tricledrown.
It was after Erdogan’s phone call to Trump asking him to get US troops out of the way, so he can kill the Kurds who have been and still are fighting IS.
Trump could have said interfere with the war on IS and risk being cited as an ally of IS, a terrorist group Turkey have never fought.
Trump could also have offered to mediate a deal between the Kurds and Arabs with them and Damascus forafter the end of IS, but na he abandons the only reliable allies the US had in the war against IS in Syria.
Now everyone, but the echelon occupied nations, will seek to walk all over him.
Nonsense Tricledown
He risks losing Turkey, a major NATO power, if he continues to arm and aid the Kurds.Turkey would move even closer to Iran and Russia if the war got down to the US backing the Kurds vs Turkey.
Who is surprised that the US abandoned the Kurds , its the story of their life
Someone needs to tell the Kurds that their ISIS prisoners are not Isis anymore 🙂
Oh hang on……….
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/20/world/middleeast/isis-syria-prisoner-release-trump.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage
Fed up with the lack of Trumpian macho bluster in Aotearoa, an aussie has warned our PM & deputy that “we are coming to get you.” Presumably to reinforce the notion that nobody can do macho bluster better than an aussie.
Apparently `we’ means the NewConservative party! https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=12180474
A typo from the anonymous Herald writer? Googling NewConservative gets nothing but links to the New Conservative Party – hardly an outfit likely to terrify govt leaders. But if they emerge as contenders for Nat support party it will have to be by attracting conservative voters away from National.
Which raises the interesting question of how many conservatives are rednecks partial to macho bluster. I’d like to see a political reporter interview Simon Lusk with this question. Then ask him “Well, wouldn’t they get more Nat voters by pointing out that all the National leadership contenders are useless wimps?” I bet he’d agree that attacking the govt leaders was poor strategy. Wrong target.
I suspect that Moffett, the NC member mentioned, has his eyes on attracting more of 2017 NZF voters some of whom are hugely opposed to the recent issues of immigration and the UN, as the NZF website shows in its recent commenting, and are threatening going to National in protest.
Good point. Winston will need to watch that space. Currently just a perception thing, but could become more of a reality if framed properly. There’s an evident problem with employers in some regions according to recent news stories. Nobody going for the jobs available.
So the people who constitute the 4% unemployment are too lazy to travel to where the jobs are. Dole is a better option for them. You can see why the right get pissed off with the bludgers, eh? So employers have to import foreigners to get the job done. For a govt elected on the basis of a regional development policy, not a good look. Winston is vulnerable. His mate Shane even more so!
Denise Frankenstien. Many areas have only 2% unemployment. But that has its downside no accommodation.
ie Queenstown no workers available why no accommodation. Ashburton no accommodation bringing in more workers where are you going to put them, do people want to move from Auckland to be paid nothing after accommodation and transport costs
Housing was identified as the single biggest issue by Don Brashes productivity commission. National talked a lot but did f/all about it. So now we have reached capacity no chance of any quick fix.
Yes but immigrants need accommodation too, don’t they? So ain’t really a valid excuse. For seasonal work tent cities could suffice but you need sufficient toilets, showers, etc. I agree that National went missing in action.
Moving to where there is seasonal work only really applies to those living at home with their parents (they can come and go the most easily and are generally with the fitness required).
And given the ambition of not having anyone under 20 on the dole – all being in work training, education or employment, it’s where any action starts. Though there will be some over 20 as well.
In the provinces its about the availability of travel to the out of town work (not all youth will have transport and older ones who do, would find it costly for MW work unles their is transport or organised pooling).
” For seasonal work tent cities could suffice”.
Please tell me you are joking?
Next I suppose you will be telling us that people living in their cars should be grateful that they have a dry place to sleep.
The All Blacks havn’t been in the national interest for some time, quite the opposite, NZ use to be admired winners in the game of rugby despite all the stuff ups by the high honchos on the board.
A bunch of clowns loose on the world stage, in uncertain times, generating ill feeling toward the NZ society – the neo liberal winners, making an art form of losing even when you win.
If that is any indication, there will be nothing ‘new’ about these neoConservatives.
Dis-connected fruit loops outraged that privilege alone has little default value in the national interest does not conservative make.
These rorters are scared they are going to be replaced by genuine local lobbyists, and the quicker the better i’d say.
NZ1st!
Dennis your Herald link comes up with “Sorry, it seems that this page doesn’t exist.” Checked all links on Google and same result including the cache.
However, Newshub has a similar (same?) article here
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2018/12/former-rugby-boss-david-moffett-threatens-traitor-jacinda-ardern.html
You’re right. I just tried it again to check. Interesting that they have taken it down – maybe the reporter got something wrong and a corrected version will show up later. The Newshub report has a little more from “Mr Moffett, who called Mr Peters and Ms Ardern “leftards”. I had to google that. Interesting that the definitions call it derogatory without explaining why. Presumably the kind of people who use it don’t like explanations!
Moffett’s Twitter account is an ‘interesting’ read. An insight into the New Conservative party mind, perhaps.
https://twitter.com/DavidMoffett47
And I see that he has now mentioned the disappearance of the Herald article and suggested that this is because it was in the Sports section and not in the Politics section. He is also claiming it has been taken down as it has had the opposite effect by giving him a 100 new followers on Twitter …
The thread is worth a read, LOL
.
https://twitter.com/DavidMoffett47/status/1075882720771723264
I cannot seem to find any mention of him on the New Conservative Party website etc. but only gave it a quick look as definitely not my scene.
https://www.newconservative.org.nz/
Why not just try the Urban Dictionary?
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Leftard
I’m sure that you will recognize quite a lot of the commenters on this blog.
Yourself in fact seems quite a good representative.
So Rightard means someone on Kiwiblog or whaleoil?
Well looking at the same source it would certainly seem so.
Quite fun reading the Urban Dictionary, isn’t it?
Trying to insult me? Didn’t work. That’s actually a considerably more satisfying definition than the others that google presented me with. They were quite anaemic by comparison. The writer captured the key syndromes very effectively. Reminded me of some of my own past critiques of leftism. When I first participated here I was quite trenchant due to the harmful effects of group-think but there’s been a culture change for the better since.
Rightards would likewise benefit from the more balanced view of things that centrists can provide. Collective brain death need not be terminal!
Finlayson did suggest we ban foreigners from being members of and funding our political parties.
Challenging the North Korean style “Thank You for your service” bullshit
I’ve just been slammed spammed or something by some crowd called Weber Barbecues that have taken over the site I thought I chosen on google with some bloody advertisement and continual downloading of some offer to win something.
When I tried to backtrack away, I couldn’t. When I went to go back to original site the whole dropdown was full of their offers, and informed it was loading more.
We are having trouble with Chinese hacking of the 5 Eyes, with the 5 Eyes hacking of traffic through backdoors that Microsoft had (and I read that other companies have been requested to do by the USA authorities and suppose they complied). Then there are the megalomaniacs who have the techno companies and are developing new stuff who are in the public eye. Then there are the reclusives who are dreaming up some other possibilities that are likely to give us nightmares.
Let us have no more talk of getting rid of our monetary system and just doing everything digitally, electronically or whatever. Hold onto the basics that have enabled human life so we have got to now; don’t give up all autonomy to the machine and those that think like machines. There be dragons!
Barbecues you say GreyWS……. it’s a sign my friend… it’s a sign 🙂
Hahaha. Very good
It looks like some malvertising has sneaked into some of the advertising streams on some websites.
The msn.com website, for instance, the last couple of weeks has been randomly serving up a lot of full-screen adverts I never clicked on with an annoying double beep and I cannot backtrack to the original article I was reading. A popover claiming I have won a prize that from time to time changes also pops up over the screen. Even though the adverts all look very similar and some are 100% identical the website URL keeps changing. I just had one less than half an hour ago when I went to read an MSN story and barely got through the first paragraph when it was replaced by the fishing scam. I had to close the tab and go back to the main site.
I was just wondering how many people on here have had articles they are reading on websites such as MSN.com hijacked and replaced by full-screen web pages from random websites that claim you are a winner and to enter your details?
It seems in the last few weeks for me the MSN website has been hijacked by Malvertising hijacking me away from the story I am trying to read to their scams.
All these scams use big name brands such as Apple iPhones, Samsung Galaxy, and I guess Weber Barbecues from what you are saying GWS.
Where can we report these kinds of things to get these big companies to fix these backdoor scams happening on their websites due to adverts with hijacking code inserted into them?
No point. Those advertisers pay companies such as Google and Microsoft to insert ads.
It is paid advertising, not backdoors. And it has got much more in your face lately.
Get Firefox with adblockers, and most of them go away.
Oh fuck. Mad Dog is out at the end of February. Is it too late to get started on that fallout shelter? Coz you know whatever the dayglo swampzilla gets to replace him won’t just be nicknamed Mad Dog, it’ll actually be rabid.
https://edition.cnn.com/2018/12/20/politics/donald-trump-james-mattis-out/index.html?adkey=bn
Yeah, losing Mattis so soon after Kelly looks like incompetence. Will be interesting to see the calibre of both replacements, whether military or not. If the military hierarchs have agreed amongst themselves that Trump is too flaky, he can’t fish in that pool again. More flakes on Wall St, so try there next…
I vote for Ann Coulter and Sean Hannity. Add in Laura Ingraham and Trump has all the arsekissers and bootlickers he needs to keep his frail little ego erect.
Coulter said mean things about poopydiaper Don not being able to build a simple wall so he’s thrown a tanty and unfollowed her on twitter. I doubt we’re through with the tears and screaming yet, so the hugs and makeup kisses are a while away.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-ann-coulter-twitter-criticism_us_5c1b533de4b08aaf7a85149a
The most common route to authoritarianism runs through the military, so if Don of the Deadbrains has alienated them, the US is slightly more likely to remain a republic.
Not if Trump just outsources military activities to the private sector.
IKEA tax dodgers on their way..and my, doesn’t Stephen tindall love their model..
“The thing I really love about them is that they are putting sustainability at the front and centre,” said Sir Stephen, whose Tindall Foundation has invested heavily in environmental projects – including the planting of more than 22 million trees.
“So they’re a great example of what can be done in retail.”
Plant a tree, dodge your tax..nice Green wash, and stuff the workers.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12180880
https://europeangreens.eu/news/ikea-report-ikea-avoided-1-billion-taxes-using-european-taxation-system-its-own-benefit
don’t shop there.
done.
No. If you shop there it will give you something to do on the long winter nights.
You can probably get at least 3 months of amusement trying to assemble a small bookcase, before they take you away in a straitjacket.
At least that is what my friends have told me. I never did buy anything there. Getting started on that lark leads to madness.
That sort of thing is easy to put together. Hire a working man to do it . Then you’ll understand that we all have value . Something you right wingers struggle with.
He’s wrong.
Capitalism is not sustainable.
Capitalism alone is not sustainable, banning stuff is inefficient, the efficient system acknowledges it’s weakness. Neolibs never do, never do detail, never get their hands dirty, it was always nonsense.
No. Capitalism is not sustainable. I see no way that a system based upon greed and everyone having ever more but especially the few rich ever could be.
That’s a surprise, never new you thought that way
It’s logic.
Maybe you should try using it sometime.
Don’t please brush off Shane Jones because he has said words in favour of W Haumaha. I think it is a situation of a flawed person who should be kicked out of a good job but not be discarded.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12180900
National has called for New Zealand First to say whether it still backs under-fire Deputy Police Commissioner Wally Haumaha.
And New Zealand First MP Shane Jones has, saying Haumaha’s previous good work among Māori was being ignored.
“Yesterday’s damning IPCA report into Mr Haumaha found that he belittled and humiliated staff, aggressively asserted his authority, and inappropriately approached staff to support him after allegations were made. It also shows that he circulated information which would discredit a complainant which was improper,” National’s police spokesman Chris Bishop
said today.
We live in Stasi land.
Murray Horton writes…
“These latest revelations about a whole raft of Government agencies contracting Thompson & Clark to spy on New Zealanders on their behalf are just the latest in a long, sordid history of the State spying on the people. Go back a decade and you’ll find:
Thompson & Clark exposed as spying on environmental activists on behalf of the since gone bust Solid Energy
Thompson & Clark exposed as spying on animal rights activists on behalf of the State
Police spy/infiltrator/agent provocateur Rob Gilchrist exposed as having spied, for money, on a whole raft of activist groups for a decade
The release of Security Intelligence Service files on many people (including me) that revealed a long history of obsessive spying on activists. In the case of the only organisation to receive its file – the Campaign Against Foreign Control of Aotearoa – the file revealed that the SIS had spied on CAFCA for a quarter of a century.”
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2018/12/21/guest-blog-murray-horton-thompson-clark-just-tip-of-spyberg-lets-have-an-inquiry-into-whole-covert-world-of-state-spying/
you really do not have any idea what you are talking about, do you.
I suggest you read up on the Staatssicherheitsdients – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stasi – before making such ill informed comments.
Ed is one for hyperbole
“He denies it’s open season for fraudsters, saying the Labour Inspectorate and Immigration NZ are “incredibly vigilant”. But when they do catch scammers, only rarely are custodial sentences handed out. Former immigration minister Tuariki Delamere says only harsher penalties – including deportation – can have any impact.
If two journalists, without the investigatory powers or resource of a government department, can unearth and expose a string of such schemes – and we heard of many, many more we didn’t have the time to pursue – it’s clear that they are everywhere, and not hard to find.
The remote prospect of prosecution has made men like Gurpreet Singh brazen.”
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/108921008/the-big-scam-our-immigration-system-is-broken
More window dressing?
Employers, and suppliers of education of dodgy value, are making a fortune out of this scam.
Don’t see it being stopped anytime soon.
However alongside those pressures to turn a blind eye must also be pressure from competing businesses to remove this illegal advantage….never mind the immorality of exploitation
You would think so.
But, I suspect they are all doing it.
Judging by all the backpackers waitering, in our local coffee shops.
Andrew Little’s Doppelgänger.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2018/12/andrew-little-s-doppelg-nger-a-gay-uk-fitness-model.html
James Mattis, “Mad Dog Mattis”, has quit as Donald Trump’s military officers criticize his unilateral decision to pull out of Syria.
Meanwhile Trump’s decision has received a Putin-esque seal of approval from the Kremlin.
It is messy and everything, but one of the few rational groups in the Middle East, the Kurds are now going to be exposed to whatever Turkey turns on them. I know Turkey has been the subject of PKK attacks but at the same time in a region full of despots and well known for dodgy deals, if there is any combatant group deserving of some kind of reward for their efforts, it would be the Kurds.
Heard rumours just before I out about the possibility of Blackwater replacing US Combat troops in the Gan. One detailed report I seen was cost analysis from Combats Troop, along everything in between to AirPower/ Close Air Support and training the Afghan troops. Training the Afghan troops by Blackwater is real scary and wrong on so many levels and I don’t really know where to start.
It’s no wonder that old Mad Dog has called it quits when old Trump wants to pull this type of shit on the world and it shows that Trump, Bolton and Co have no morals or any principles, but make a quick buck.
Neo Con/ Lib economic theory at its bloody worst.
https://www.news.com.au/technology/innovation/military/ominous-blackwater-is-coming-advert-raises-prospect-trump-has-privatised-war/news-story/784ce81fc6ebdd9113edba2e2da17044
The amoral pricks finally drove Mattis out.
Interestingly, Mattis once revealed what would lead him to resign in protest during an April 2014 talk in San Francisco, and he made it clear that he would only do so under the most dire of circumstances, since his subordinates would not be able to do the same.
Top articles
1/5
Mattis’ 2017 Message To
Troops Is Worth Remembering: ‘Just Hold The Line’
“The lance corporals can’t retire. They’re going. That’s all there is to it,” he said.
[…]
Later, during his April 2014 talk in San Francisco, he was asked specifically about whether there was a scenario in which he may have retired in protest. Mattis allowed some unethical orders and other scenarios that would lead him to do so, but he said, “you have to be very careful about doing that. The lance corporals can’t retire. They’re going. That’s all there is to it.”
He added: “You abandon him only under the most dire circumstances, where the message you have to send can be sent no other way. I never confronted that situation.”
In Dec. 2018, it looks like he finally did.
https://taskandpurpose.com/mattis-resign-protest/
https://washingtonmonthly.com/2018/08/17/will-mattis-allow-trump-to-start-privatizing-the-military/
Why is the university being painted as in the wrong? They have said they may not have the necessary support for someone with a mental illness. She has to help them by ensuring that she can get the help needed if required.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/378784/canadian-student-loses-out-due-to-lack-of-mental-health-help-at-victoria-university
https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24032052-900-time-to-break-academic-publishings-stranglehold-on-research/
Are we going to, finally, get publicly funded research out from behind the stranglehold of pay walled, journals?
One of the most blatant examples of excessive private profit, from tax payer funded services.
We live in Stasi land.
Christ Trotter writes…
“AN “AFFRONT TO DEMOCRACY”, was the State Services Commissioner’s characterisation of the state bureaucracy’s decision to spy on political activists. Few would disagree. That multiple state agencies felt entitled to contract-out the gathering of political intelligence to the privately owned and operated Thompson & Clark Investigations Ltd reveals a widespread antidemocratic disdain for citizens’ rights within the New Zealand public service. The alarming revelations of the State Services’ inquiry raise two very important questions: How did this disdain for democratic norms become so entrenched? And what, if anything, can Jacinda Ardern’s government do to eradicate it?
The dangerous truth, in relation to the first question, is also painfully relevant to the second. The effective abrogation of democratic norms in New Zealand dates back to 1984 and the events which the former CTU economist and ministerial adviser, Peter Harris, characterised as a “bureaucratic coup d’état”. In was in July 1984 that elements within the NZ Treasury and the Reserve Bank, taking full advantage of the relationships they had been cultivating for at least a year with the parliamentary leadership of the NZ Labour Party, initiated the detailed and extremely radical economic policy programme which came to be known as “Rogernomics”.
This programme, set forth in “Economic Management” – the book-length briefing paper for the incoming Minister of Finance, Roger Douglas – had received no mandate from the electorate. Indeed, the ordinary voter had no inkling whatsoever that the Labour Party of Mickey Savage and Norman Kirk was about to unleash a programme considerably to the right of Margaret Thatcher’s and Ronald Reagan’s. The authors of “Economic Management” were not, however, interested in obtaining a democratic mandate for their proposed reforms. In fact, they strongly suspected that submitting their ideas to the voters was just about the surest way of securing their emphatic rejection.
Since the mid-1970s the conviction had been growing among big-business leaders and high-ranking civil servants living in the wealthiest capitalist nations, that democracy had gotten out of hand; and that unless the scope for democratic intervention in the economy was radically reduced, then the future of capitalism could not be guaranteed. Free Market Economics, as it was called then, or Neoliberalism, as we know it today, was, from the outset, incompatible with the social-democratic principles that had underpinned western policy-making in the post-war world. It could only be imposed, and kept in place, by a political class sealed-off from all manner of pressures from below. If that meant gutting the major parties of the centre-left and right; purging the civil service, academia and the news media of dissenters; and crushing the trade unions – then so be it.
Once it became clear that the free-market “revolution” was not about to be halted in its tracks, all those with an ambition to rise within the new order made haste to learn its rules and spared no effort in enforcing them. This phenomenon: of absorbing and implementing an antidemocratic regime’s imperatives was described by British historian of the Third Reich, Ian Kershaw, as “Working Towards The Fuhrer”.
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2018/12/21/must-read-working-towards-the-fuhrer/
Christ Trotter? It’s the Xmas miracle we’d all hoped for!
East Germany 1948 – 1989
New Zealand 1984 – today
Stasilands
In your mind, Ed. I’ve actually been to the DDR and the Soviet Union and all I can say is …
That complacency explains how Douglas and his cronies’ coup d’etat succeeded.
She’ll be right, mate…..
In your song, I note that millionaires like Fitzpatrick, Ellis sing how lucky they are.
I’m sure the nobles of France thought the same in 1785.
Does anyone know all the faces in that vid? Did I see Richard Prebble?
Fitzpatrick
Ellis, Marc
I was going to vote for legalising drugs in the upcoming referendum, but seeing the damage it clearly does, maybe not 🙄
Of course, hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders have been arrested, interrogated, beaten, tortured and drugged.
/
Get a fucking grip, man.
Love your work .
Not just that, but all of NZ are these guys https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unofficial_collaborator
cause that was what made the Stasi so ‘everywhere’ and omnipotent. all the east germans that in order to keep their apartment, jobs, schools, places for university, etc spied on all the other east germans.
East Germany was one big Panopticon. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panopticon
Christ Trotter, Ed?
I’d happily tow him out to the middle of Lake Taupo and see if he can walk into town.
Oops -just saw my typo…
😉
That’s interesting, I’ve been thinking about round 2 with Helen and Cullen. Was going to do a post on what they did re the housing market.
Remember how the Business Roundtable threatened Clark’s government in 2000.
And they buckled.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2017/11/04/58244/rod-oram-another-winter-of-discontent
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12115940
OK that was neutral journalism at its best. If I wasn’t aware of other subjects I would think Helen was faultless or the author was blind and trained under the new academia. Anyway Ed thanks for the point of view, everything helps, even the cringeworthy and funny.
Had a car crash at home today. A young male around 20 failed a high speed sweeping left hand bend. Took out about 40m of our fence including the stainer post. Ended up facing the other way nearly tipped over on a bank. Lucky the power poles are on the opposite road side. Had to pull him out into the paddock with the tractor. Then across a soaked paddock to a race then to dry ground before we could replace his tire. Yes he needed help changing his tire. Yes he asked where he could wash the mud off his shoes. Anyway he had insurance, so off he went unharmed from his experience, car trashed, to inform mummy and daddy up in Auckland how he has crashed his second car out in the wilderness.
What address so you can get the money for your fence? Oh I suppose they will expect that to come out of the insurance you have paid for. And that would wipe your no-claims bonus.
I have learnt since posting the comment that we can’t get insurance payments for fences. So all on us. It’s probably just a days work and just $200 in materials as most will be recycled. More of a pain at this time of year as we try and fit in some holiday time.
The important part is he walked away unharmed. We had a fatality a few years ago a few hundred meters from the same spot. Helping motorists is a regular event for us.
Don’t the left get accused of “wealth envy”? Et tu Brute?
Unlucky re the fence, but
Never fear. Labour promised to give school leavers free driving lessons in their lolly scramble at the election!…..
…. Oh. They flip flopped
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/108362391/vision-zero-brakes-applied-to-government-pledge-to-provide-students-free-driving-lessons-and-defensive-driving-courses
Probably because they had to find money to fix more serious problems left behind by National, like collapsing hospitals and a growing Teacher shortage.
Chris t
Don’t have a poke at Labour because they are more far-seeing than you. Stay schtum and think and learn. Having a licence is a big advantage for being able to legally get to work, obtain work, showing that the person is responsible.
It takes time, study, practice; it’s enormously expensive for a poor person scraping along. It’s a measure of success and would give a feeling of self-satisfaction.
Many of the young haven’t got good reading skills, and so it gives an opportunity for helpers and supporters of the young to bring their reading skills to a better level. It brings them into a circle of people who are desiring to help them get a better life, and they might not have had contact with such people in a one-to-one working relationship before.
Probably at school there would have been over-worked teachers, and if the young person isn’t motivated to learn all this general stuff (where is it going to be useful?), and they might be action-oriented not desk or inert, passive-oriented, so school might have just washed over them. And in the end washed their hands of such impossible-to-teach students.
This is stuff that I know, plus stuff that i have learned. You could write long-form comments like this, if you tried to learn and understand, and wanted to spend the time on explaining background to whatever problem you know about!
“Auckland victims’ advocate RUTH MONEY is on the program…”
The final episode of The Panel is as obscene and irony-free as ever
RNZ National, Friday 21 December 2018
Jim Mora, Jock Anderson, Ruth Money, Caitlin Cherry
As a special kick in the teeth to listeners, Jim Mora’s producer Caitlin Cherry (herself a nasty piece of work) [1] has procured two nasty right wing guests for the very last show under Mora’s hosting. Ruth Money we’ve looked at already: she’s a protégée of Garth the Knife McSticker and, bizarrely, calls herself a “victims’ advocate.” [2] The other guest is the stridently anti-union, anti-teacher, anti-liberal Jock Anderson. [3] At least Anderson has one saving grace: he’s a genuinely witty fellow, who can make people laugh. And right at this moment (4:41 p.m.) he is delivering a very well thought out Soapbox item about local democracy.
Today featured some of the recurring themes of Mora’s thirteen year tenure:
There was his glib and complacent conservatism: “Jesus is the reason for the season!” he burbled just before the 4 o’clock news, and returned to the topic at 4:45. On innumerable past occasions he has quoted, in high seriousness, the likes of David Brooks and David Farrar.
There was the consultation of a marginally competent “expert”—today, yet again, one Ken Grace, apparently from a “Department of Writing” somewhere, who chuntered on for several minutes about the meaning of “impeccable.”
There was the choice of consciously lightweight and trivial topics, made even more irritating by Mora’s inane parroting of words and phrases that have just been said. This clearly irritated his past producers—especially Noelle McCarthy, Susan Baldacci and Julie Moffett. Today it was Caitlin Cherry who tried, and failed, to hide her exasperation as they brought their intellects to bear on the vital topic of Baby Names.
Just before the 4:30 news Ruth Money took the opportunity to embark on a rant about the fact that “prison is the last resort… especially for these hideous offences…. It’s MADNESS.” Later she averred: “I think we need to get back to HUMANITY…”
[1] https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/10/jim-moras-light-chat-gets-ugly-and.html
[2] https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/12/ngrid-hipkiss-grinned-vacuously-and.html
[3] https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/12/irony-free-newstalkzb-do-you-see-this.html
Not the j word morry! You’ll start melting around the edges if he keeps up that carry on.
I start melting round the edges every time I see your byline, Baggers.
(Cripes, will that get me banned again?)
“Until recently, the study of tipping points was controversial, but it is increasingly accepted as an explanation for climate changes that are happening with more speed and ferocity than earlier computer models predicted. The loss of coral reefs and Arctic sea ice may already be past the point of no return. There are signs the Antarctic is heading the same way faster than thought.”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/dec/20/risks-of-domino-effect-of-tipping-points-greater-than-thought-study-says
….and a happy new year.
“Only 19% were entirely isolated. Another 36% shared a common cause, but were not likely to interact. The remaining 45% had the potential to create either a one-way domino effect or mutually reinforcing feedbacks.”
So the science of complexity has been applied. That’s good. The application informs us of the extent to which environmental systems interlock: considerable! That’s bad. So it’s an academic study that isn’t a waste of time. That’s rare.
“The fourth most downloaded academic research of 2018 was the Hothouse Earth paper, which considered how tipping points could combine to push the global climate into an uninhabitable state.”
So the prospect of everyone dying from climate change has become so concerning that it’s the fourth most urgent topic of academic consideration. Hard to say if that’s good or bad, eh?
“Rocha has spent 10 years building a database of tipping points, or “regime shifts” as he calls them. He urges policymakers to adopt a similar interdisciplinary approach so they can better grasp what is happening.” Policymakers would have to grow extremely different brains to achieve that grasp.
“Policies need to match the scale of the problem.” I’d prefer policies that actually solved the problem. “Every action counts.” Helpful actions count in favour of the solution, irrevelant actions count against. Democracy selects the latter.
Id suggest democracies are failing to select at all….but then democracies only account for around 10% of countries….the problem is deeper.
When 84% want our Government to take at least some action on anthropogenic global warming, and the Government still only pays lip service, it is lack of democracy, that is the problem.
thats ‘a’ problem
Older but not at all wiser: Rosemary McLeod returns.
The Panel, RNZ National, Tuesday 18 December 2018
Megan Whelan, Gary McCormick, Rosemary McLeod, Emil Donovan
A few years ago, as the blood-soaked Sisi military regime was killing and arresting Egyptians, Jim Mora’s light chat show gave it the once-over-lightly. One of the panelists, Rosemary McLeod had obviously not done much or indeed any reading about the situation, but that did not stop her from sniffing contemptuously and proclaiming: “Those people don’t WANT democracy!”
McLeod has largely been absent from The Panel since then. She now sounds like she is on death’s door, but it hasn’t made her a whit more thoughtful.
At 4:20 p.m. today (Dec. 18, 2018) it wasn’t the mass killing of Egyptian civilians but Brexit that received the once-over-lightly treatment. To be fair, one person in the discussion, Gary McCormick ,seemed to have actually read something about this topic and had obviously thought about it; he said something worth listening to.
On the other hand, this was Rosemary McLeod’s contribution:
Fifteen minutes later, her “Soapbox” contribution was a long chat about Melania Trump changing her hair colour.
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-18122015/#comment-1110502
Worth a look
https://youtu.be/WRQv9xMQ3E0
Why not give us a clue you great tease. The Chairman
Mike Moore’s new film.
Thanks, Ed.
Here’s the extended trailer for those who are interested.
The chirpy-cheep-cheep are always on about how wonderful cycleways are and talking down the naysayers, not willing to admit there are problems; winners and losers.
This link is from a comment on Scoop so thanks for that Jonny Utzone.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/dec/20/scooters-and-hoverboards-add-to-dutch-cycle-lane-hell
Scooters and hoverboards add to Dutch cycle lane hell
Police union chief says it is impossible to keep lanes safe due to variety of vehicles and rules
Amsterdam, The Hague, Utrecht and Rotterdam are rushing through different rules about the sort of vehicles allowed on their increasingly crowded lanes, leaving everyone confused, it is claimed.
On Tuesday Amsterdam announced that slower mopeds, known as a snorfiets, would be banned from the bike paths from April. Utrecht is introducing a similar ban at the end of the next year.
But Birò cars, four-wheeled electric vehicles with two seats side by side and a top speed of 34 mph, can still be driven on cycle lanes anywhere in the country.
so the issue is not with the cycle ways but rather with the humans who use them.
Or am i mis-understanding this?
I have lived for a bit in the Netherlands, in Hilversum 15 kms of Utrecht and i loved the cycle ways. All of them. Easy to navigate, going everywhere, with a nice road surface good for cycling. And yes the mopeds – 28 km per hour if not trafficed used these too, however i have not seen the Biro Cars at the time i lived there.
I think that the problem is that the cycleways are becoming so crowded that they no longer provide the good answer to non-auto travel they once did. And to complicate that, the variety of vehicles, and unregulated speed. There is a saying about a good idea being killed by its popularity
I remember that at early times of car use, it was required that someone walked in front carrying a red flag. In NZ I think that cyclists will need to be registered, like drivers, and pay ACC. Many travel fast on the footpaths. Because they are not large and cumbersome like a car they can ride on the footpath and then go as fast as a car on the road. Then at night they forget they have a small profile and don’t realise how invisible they can be even with all their lights.
The age of simplicity cycling is over, and there need to be more restraints ie licences, training, registration, ACC. Some simple souls want to eliminate helmets. I don’t agree with that. NZs in general, don’t behave as sensibly as Europeans. The trace of the wild west is still in us.
And still I have not mentioned pedestrians, the ability to walk in a stress free atmosphere, and the growing numbers of old people, and computer users who are putting on weight and need to exercise, not build up into a blood pressure, cholestorol problem. Both need to walk, and relax and breathe the air, and look at the green world around. Instead the in-thing is to use them as markers for cyclists to weave in and out amongst. I may yet attack someone some day if I am run into. I can only take so much aggravation and usurpation of the space I need to walk in and keep healthy.
When you things things couldn’t get any weirder, up pops nonagenarian crack-pot Lyndon LaRouche.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/12/lyndon-larouche-roger-stone-russia-robert-mueller/
Did someone mention Roger Stone?
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/alex-jones-roger-stone-steak_us_5c1d805ce4b0407e907b072a
Party on comrades
2019 is gonna be fun.
Kai ora R&R yes we do have a lot of good men who do there duty of looking after there whano. The problem for Maori is the media focous on all the bad this about our socioty
and the stats tell us there are a lot good things maori men do.
Toxic maculinity is how this socioty shapes men with the movies and media all portraying this as the norm is all part of some suppresion of wahine .
Yes Ngatai Porou respect wahine and most of our Marae are named after Wahine.
Ka kite ano .
Ka pai to Miley Cyrus for showing that she supports Equal pay for Wahine and points out the flaws of the Santa baby song
Some Eco Maori Music for the minute
Some people are to blinded the can not see the writing in on the wall or is something else blinding them
Corbyn faces furious Labour backlash over backing Brexit
Labour leader accused of betrayal on second poll and ‘in danger of losing young backers’
Jeremy Corbyn is facing a storm of criticism from Labour activists and MPs after suggesting he would press ahead with Brexit if the party won a snap general election.
In a sign that he is losing backing among overwhelmingly pro-Remain Labour supporters, Corbyn was also accused of betraying the party membership by appearing reluctant to back the idea of supporting Remain in a second referendum.
The first signs of a serious internal revolt from party members on the left, who helped propel him to the leadership, came after Corbyn gave an interview to the Guardian in which he suggested he thought Brexit should go ahead and said EU state-aid rules would prevent a Labour government intervening to support UK industries.
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His anti-EU tone drew immediate criticism from party supporters and members who had successfully persuaded the leadership to back the possibility of a second referendum at Labour’s annual conference in Liverpool in September. Ka kite ano links below
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/dec/22/corbyn-faces-furious-backlash-over-backing-brexit
You see people we are mere bacteria on the back side of the great blue whale .
If we stuff up OUR worlds enviroment and cause mass extinction life will continue with out humans .
We are a intelligent race in the year 2018 we need to take the lead on climate change and change the way we live to drop carbon out of our lives to combate climate change
Ka kite ano links below Indonesia tsunami: at least 20 dead as beaches around Sunda Strait hit
National disaster management agency says at least 165 injured after tsunami, which could be linked to volcanic eruption
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/dec/22/multiple-fatalities-as-tsunami-hits-beaches-in-indonesia
Here you go solar energy is now cheaper than dirty coal carbon and nuclear energy I first watched this story 2 years ago its hard to find now. ???????????? don’t let the carbon trolls trick you into thinking that its cheaper to burn your grandchildren’s future for cheaper energy
In countries like Brazil, Australia, Chile and parts of the United States people consider renewable energy because of financial reasons. The price of solar and wind energy will continue to drop and in more countries renewable energy will occur.
A surprising newcomer on the market is Morocco, where the government expects that in 2020 more than 40 percent of the energy could come from solar energy. Ka kite ano
Kai ora Newshub Condolences to all the people who lost love ones in Indonesia I did use the story to hightlight how small we are to Papatuanuku .
Well that’s a good problem to have all the film studios to booked out to film any new films. These are the people who have a hold of the 1080 debate The Far Out Right link here from a great man’s view on these fools https://edition.cnn.com/2018/12/22/europe/george-soros-profile-lister-intl/index.html
Josphe should be counting his lucky stars I have seen footage in work safe videos with much smaller electric explosions kill people instantly
People have to respect tangaroa creatures as they are just doing what it takes to survive in the wild most people would perish in the wild bush .
Its cool that more home less people are getting houseing ka pai its good having a humane goverment in power who put’s people wellbeing berfore profts.The NZ soccer is looking bright Niki
Mike that was a cool view of the Pohutukawa tree in full bloom .
Ka kite ano
Some Eco Maori Music for the minute.
Eco Maori I have been busy chasing two of my mokopunas around.