The worst public service appointment since Christine (Spankin’) Rankin
Justice Minister praises Dame Susan’s “mature judgement”
Thursday 21 March 2013
Four years ago, Dame Susan Devoy was one of several prominent suckers to be played for a fool by Tony “Boot Boy” Veitch. Along with several other gulls, including the notoriously malleable All Black coach Graham Henry, she wrote Veitch a testimonial for “a passport application”; Veitch used their testimonials as evidence for the mitigation of his sentence for attacking and crippling a young woman.
For sensible people, such a gross lack of common-sense, such lamentably poor judgement, such absence of nous, would mean Dame Susan Devoy would be unsuitable for any position demanding a high degree of intelligence, astuteness and moral rectitude. Most people would suspect the competence of anyone who could be so easily conned into writing a character testimonial for a violent thug.
No problems for this government, however. Far from disqualifying herself from being taken seriously, Dame Susan has sleepwalked herself into a highly paid public position for which she admits she has no qualification whatsoever: Race Relations Conciliator. Devoy admits she knows nothing about race relations, but reckons that there’s nothing complicated about it.
Yesterday’s public announcement by the Minister of Justice was beyond satire. I’ve put the especially absurd bits in bold….
“Dame Susan is a proud New Zealander who is highly motivated to contribute positively to New Zealand society,” Justice Minister Judith Collins said today. “Her communication and relationship management skills, coupled with experience working with diverse groups, are key areas of strength. Dame Susan has sound governance experience and mature judgement. I am confident she will be a sensible and intelligent voice for race relations issues,” Collins said.
“Dame Susan is a proud New Zealander who is highly motivated to contribute positively to New Zealand society,”
Methinks Dame Susan is going to be way out of her depth and sooner or later there will be a stoush between her and some citizens who went to her for help and she did nothing. She’s a good girl though who votes National and is a whizz squash player. What more could you want for a Race Relations Conciliator.
“Pakeha can celebrate Waitangi Day without all the shame and division the day Maori aren’t the worst health stats.”
He should quit the guilt trip and just donate his wages to a local tribe until he’s comfortable with himself, or just keep paying his taxes and hope the dollar spend on improving outcomes will be better spent and/or matched by a concerted effort by whanau to change habits and assist end trending poor health.
Annette Sykes – “demanded that she stand down because she was not fit for the role.
In a statement, she said: “It’s so disturbing that someone with a clearly expressed, racist viewpoint can be appointed to a job that’s about providing independent leadership and advice on race relations, including public education on the Treaty of Waitangi,” Ms Sykes said.
She argued that Dame Susan failed to meet criteria for the job which included knowledge of the Treaty of Waitangi and understanding of the issues which affected indigenous people.”
judith collins – “The Far Left does not have a monopoly on caring about race relations and Dame Susan Devoy is a very sensible and balanced person.
“We’re allowed in this country to have views that have not been politically sanitised and what’s wrong with that?”
This is just NAct showing how much they hold the country and all peoples of goodwill in contempt. Hopefully there aren’t quite as many redneck bigots among us as they seem to be counting on, and this will become another nail in their coffin.
Murray, please don’t insult working people by associating them with bigotry. Most of the vilest racists wear white collars, and do no hard or useful work. Leighton Smith, Larry “Lackwit” Williams, Murray Deaker, ACT party members, Sensible Sentencing Trusters and Family Firsters and, yes, the new Race Relations Commissioner are all established bigots, but they are NOT rednecks.
Please don’t use this sniffy term of eastern elite contempt for working people.
Shearer’s Bank accounts, and Banks’ share accounts seem to have disappeared from the headlines now that a new day dawns. So for those who may have missed them during the night …
It turns out that Shearer had two bank accounts holding more than $50,000, and likely substantially more, and a mortgage.
As the epitome of the worst kind of ‘Papatoetoe-Boy-Makes-Good’ (again imo) It’s not plausible this could be bad money management. I don’t think Shearer is particulary smart, but money, like everyting associated with his giant ego, is important to him. He couldn’t be unaware that, (as this situation has been presented so far) this arrangement constitutes chucking money away – a considerable amount in interest over the term of the mortgage. His wife is no fool, and I’m sure his financial advisors would have mentioned it.
Nah there is a reason.
Maybe it’s something simple. Maybe Shearer likes to sit in his flash new home, daydreaming about being Prime-Minister-Shearer-on-the-world-stage, and for an extra thrill, dialling the telebank machine to check the petty cash, and hearing: ” You have five hun dred and sixty eight thousand dollars, and seven cents……..”
You may be right. I’m sure some bright researcher will let us know.
A US bank term-deposit of a very big sum might bring in more than a 5.5% NZ mortgage costs I guess.
Which would make you wonder why he had more than $50,000 in a NZ ANZ account, which wouldn’t bring in more than the mortgage costs
Na, people with billions in the bank are actually getting charged. What I meant for “smart investments” wasn’t leaving it in the bank but using it to play the stock market. If he was just leaving it in the bank then there would be no reason to leave it in the US.
Yep. And if a bank is providing deposits with a 2% pa rate of interest, it’s probably negative 2%real rate once inflation/deflation, fees etc are taken into account.
They effectively have taken over akl with the CCO’s answerable to no one effectively and stacked with Hide/Key stooges.
Blinky F’ing up the mayoralty with his racist yet predictable comments means they didn’t get the puppett they wanted.
Maybe it’ll be ECAN V2.0 but I can only see that if Brown wins again and the NACT get a third term. If that happens god help you jaffa’s but to do it pre 2014 would kill them in the general election.
Tensions escalate over supply of land for Auckland housing
There’s a growing concern within Auckland Council the Government intends to take direct action to free up land for new housing. (4′27″)
F**k them! We voted against Banksie to keep the vultures hands off our city! No respect for democracy!
The most interesting analysis will be on who owns the land just on the other side of the urban boundary and who profits if things change. Smith is not doing this because of his concern for the poor and homeless. There is a profit for a National Party supporter somewhere and Smith is being told about this loud and clear.
And I am really worried this is a done deal. National has this modus operandi where they create a “crisis” then “act decisively” to deal with the “crisis”. It has happened time and time again.
The simple solution is to allow the Unitary Plan to be operative from its release in September this year. The fact that National is not agreeing to this is a clear message that they intend to do something else.
It would be easier to back Len if he’d done something inspiring during the waterfront dispute, or at any other time. Once again we’re left with someone who has the warrior instincts of wet toilet paper as our great hope against another rapacious NAct power/land grab. We need better.
The simple solution is to allow the Unitary Plan to be operative from its release in September this year. The fact that National is not agreeing to this is a clear message that they intend to do something else.
/agreed
Just watch as they take away another regions democracy but this time it’s the democracy of an entire third of the country.
The housing issue is a red herring, and being used as a route in, although not quite sure the aim might be, other than a power grab.
As TC points out the CCOs do not answer to AKL Council, or any elected members they are stand alone operations, filled with corporate types.
Spend a little time looking into the backgrounds of the people involved, its not only the CCOs, but the Council Departments also, which have been run over by Deloitte, ex Deloitte mostly.
How to take over large public departments
1: Get a stooge into the top role – Ex Deloitte
2: Bring in another ( known affiliate) to run *transformation* – Ex Deloitte
3: Give known affiliate free reign to *shape* the department
4: Bring in more known affiliates to run large in flight programmes (regardless of experience levels) – All Ex Deloitte
5: Ensure Transformation #2 takes out the top layers of existing or structure , (hence council staff)
6: Have known affiliate #2/3 on the interview panel for top level positions in new org structure
7: Ensure that council staff do not get any of the top level positions in new org structure
8: Advertise directors roles externally – Have more corporate stooges conveniently standing by
9: Take over complete – Too easy, high fives, contract awards, services agreements and professional services agreements all wrapped up (more so than they already were)
10: Keep M.O from public, and let them think their rates go up due to lazy employees etc, as opposed to corporate shuffle
Corporate now has complete control over multiple largest departments of type in NZ
Esquire editor fesses up: “The women we feature in the magazine are ornamental,” he said, “I could lie to you if you want and say we are interested in their brains as well. We are not. They are objectified.”
The once steel tough fabric of the union man
Was sold and bartered away
Fed to money wolves in the Reagan years
Caught in a drift in greedy nineties days
So inside this song is our rally cry
Your dreams are in danger
And we must rise
Our time has come we are under the gun
It’s do or die
It’s not a rebel cry of some socialist scheme
To push for human rights
Just the facts and the obvious mention
On behalf of the working man
For his family and his livelihood
Your dreams are in danger
And we must rise
Our time has come we are under the gun
It’s do or die
The once steel tough fabric of the union man
Was sold and bartered away
Fed to money and wolves in the Reagan years
Caught adrift in greedy nineties days
Your dreams are in danger
And we must rise
Our time has come we are under the gun
It’s do or die
Will be interested to see next month how much ‘overlooked a fortune in a foreign accountgate’ dents the great polling, that still show national in government.
Trevett reckons that Labours increased support has come at the expense of the Greens and NZF. In true genius fashion LAB will probably take this to mean to do more of this.
Precisely. There is little point even watching the polls at this stage of the electoral cycle, and as has been proven time and time again, they are often inaccurate, overstating Tory support. In reality NACT support is at around 44%. Currently the Labour/Green coalition sits at around the same number. The Winston Peters roadshow can’t be underestimated, and his support still has to be over 5%. The real challenge for the left will be finding that extra 4% support so they can form a stable government and not have to deal with the profoundly conservative NZ First (either that or hope that his party just falls short of 5%). Hopefully the continued fallout from the Novapay debacle, the GCSB scandal, poor economic management and the theft and sale of our assets will continue to erode Tory support.
I’m not sure about that. The comments coming out of NZF lately are about as racist, homophobic and bigoted as what comes out of that ass-hat Colin Craig’s mouth. The latter just throws scripture, and other xtian wingnuttery into the mix too.
I blame NZF’s inept candidate selection process as being a big part of the problem. Because of their strong showing in 2011, I think they will manage to rustle up a far superior crowd for 2014.
This is the biggest issue facing the world and NZ right now.
It has implications and effects that are and will be far-reaching.
This should be seen for what it is – another well predicted part of the current world financial crisis which erupted onto the public conscience in 2008 and which will continue for years yet, with resultant massive meltdowns of wealth. People would do well to research the other well predicted future events that will roll out of this systemic end-game play…..
from the comments
“The onus here should be on employers to pay proper wages, and maybe on the government to lower taxes on small businesses who cannot afford to pay more (and of course, higher taxes on tax-evading mega-businesses who CAN afford to pay more).”
Surely this simple truth is the nub of the Global problem regarding employment. (that and the endless greed of Banking cabals )
Perhaps this is also a good time to remind you that New Zealand desperately needs the low income tax free earnings structure that the UK, Australia and the US all enjoy. As their economies and policies are consistently used to reflect our economy and policies, surely this glaring disparity in economic truths can finally become a real issue in the next NZ General Election .
LP: all the rolling comments in the opinions/comments box actually link to an old post (return of the king). This may be related to the issue Anne referred to yesterday.
Heh. Yes. And I was getting an odd version of open mike (maybe the mobile version?) on Chrome, FF, & IE, with none of the latest comments as indicated in the links top right. And while I was logged into the main site, I was not logged into open mike.
This book demonstrates that empty-world economic theory has failed on its own terms and that its application by policymakers has resulted in the failure of capitalism itself. Pursuing absolute advantage in cheap labor abroad, First World corporations have wrecked the prospects for First World labor, especially in the US, while concentrating income and wealth in a few hands.
Economist Herman Daly put it well when he wrote that the elites who make the decisions “have figured out how to keep the benefits for themselves while ‘sharing’ the cost with the poor, the future, and other species (Ecological Economics, vol. 72, p. 8).
Empty-world economics with its emphasis on spurring economic growth by the accumulation of man-made capital has run its course. Full-world economics is steady-state economics, and it is past time for economists to get to work on a new economics for a full world.
It seems that the book is based upon facts and thus comes to the only possible conclusion – the mainstream economics used by politicians is wrong, very, very wrong and we need to change it and go to a steady state economy.
Draco, there are major implications for empty world accumulation versus steady state economics. Once we are all fully cognisant that wealth requires work to be done and that it cannot be created out of thin air as credit (future debt) then we will all get a healthier respect for our toils. And anybody with vast accumulated sums must have got them from somebodies elses work. That could result in some very interesting social behavoir……..
Does anyone know how to completely delete a gravatar? After a long time mucking around at the site, I’m left with this horrible black square. I want to be back where I was before I ever had a gravatar. Is this no longer possible?
They tell my I can’t delete my account.
[lprent: Looks ok to me. Remember that your browser will be caching the image. So try shift+click refresh (common to most browsers) force a complete reload of the site. ]
“I have heard that if a persons’ historical account is incorrect, then death will follow that person”
-Kaumatua; Waka Huia
(Crown vs Tuhoe, historically, equated to “ethnic cleansing”-Paul Moon)
Susan Devoy? White must be right. “burqas are disconcerting” but hey, endorsed by that low-forehead paragon of virtue Judith Collins.
Based on experiences such as Katrina, with funds up to 30B coming into ChCh rebuild over the next 5 years, fraud in the order of 1-3B is not unexpected- KPMG commentator.
and now for some Dominion Post propaganda;
yesterday, “no excuses for neglectful Chinese” concerning the aged.
and then the Front Page “This is China” on imprisonment conditions, like, isolation, over-crowding, labour, drug trials and health challenges do not occur under other countries’ penal regimes.
WHAT A MOFO LOAD OF XENOPHOBIA AROUSING SH*T; some of the editorial staff will likely not even be out of nappies when the war is over…
followed by..”Israel talks peace” please, spare us the incredulity (see earlier diplomatic analysis of an “inevitable Intifada”)FFS
Massey University Head of Banking Studies : events in Cyprus were “very relevant” to New Zealand.;” bank deposit guarantee a much better solution”
QT : Parker on the governments’ gloat over the Dec Quarter economic figures; 23000 lost jobs and 33000 left the work force; Joyce concedes, “employment sector is challenging”
Current Account Deficit 10.5B (5% GDP) not helpful-Penny, Westpac economist
“part of the slippery 😉 slope the NZ economy is on” -Doug Steel, BNZ
but that’s OK, New Zealanders received “record returns from off-shore investments.”
NZLast hammering the issue of Chinese parents of skilled migrants again; good return serve from Woodhouse (a decent Tory it appears).
Brownlee’s opposition to Rail Loop appears to be fading slowly (Enright (sp?) report; Loop essential to improved productivity. Julie-Ann hit Brownlee back with his own premise of reduced travel times.
in ICT; job loss indications are up to 1500-C.C (maybe skilled migrants will fill the “advertised” ICT vacancies Joyce touts.)
Chris Tremain? that guy don’t seem right in the head ma.
Families Commission; throwing money away on contractors, gifts and hospitality.
Coleman on the NZDF : “culture, oversight of orders and failure to adhere to orders”
Goff on Crib 19 (sp?) “according to the WO, “only 60% of training effected.”
Torie aye, who’d vote for them! Baaa Humbug. freakin narrow-minded inbreds is what they generally appear to be.
Sacha, how many times I godda tell ya bud ? Enough of the false anonyms already !
Say, could we flog the vee-hickle off to that crazy dude John A. Banks way down there in Ocklind, Nooo Zeeerlind ? Word is he’s a doozie at concealin’ paper trails.
Hello North! Sorry to be so slow responding, but I just completely missed your original message. I had not heard of that incident.
And, no, I don’t think “God slapped them” or anything like that, but I think Obama’s conscience will slap him over the next few years as he slips deeper and deeper into perfidy. He looked very uncomfortable when speaking alongside Mr Abbas yesterday on his flying visit into the Occupied Territories.
Of course, he is a machine politician from Chicago, which means he is as cynical and impervious to morality as anyone in America, but he is human, and he knows that he has failed to do anything to stop Israel’s depredations in either the illegally occupied West Bank or the illegal giant prison in Gaza. In spite of his apparent arrogance, especially when he is being cheered by flag-waving Israeli crowds, he has a conscience like everyone else, and I have no doubt that it is wearing away at him. Soon Obama will be looking as gaunt and haunted as the troubled fellow standing in the middle of the second row in THIS PHOTO….
Sorry to harp on, but my burble in blue above does actually link to the article on the RMA.
It is a very clear account of what the Nacts are changing, and there is very little time for people to be informed (shouted from the rooftops) about what a disgrace this really is.
Where are the opposition, especially the Greens on this? Not more silence, please…
Indeed, well done Jacinda. Good to see her re-stating Labour’s commitment to a social security system, highlighting contradictions, timing of announcements and the political nastiness of this bill. All stuff that Labour has been seen as silent on (at best) by many people, including me. Now to get it heard in a wider public forum…
I know some people around here have it in for Chris Hipkins but this speech he gave to the Auckland Primary Principals Association yesterday gives me some hope that Labour’s education policies are on the right track. Shame the speech hasn’t been reported very widely if at all.
Thanks for the link. Some policy statements at last….
So let me be very clear about Labour’s position on charter schools. We see no need for them. We see no place for them. And any charter schools established under the current National government will have no future under Labour…
…One of the most destructive things this government could do to quality education in New Zealand is introduce so-called ‘performance pay’ based on a narrow range of student achievement measures.
If the alarm bells aren’t already ringing, they should be…
… Under Labour, we will work collaboratively with the education community to replace National Standards with something that is meaningful, broad, and that will work.
Only patronising bollocks to ignorant twits like yourself who apparently don’t keep themselves informed. Get off your backside and find out for yourself… or is that beyond your capabilities.
Up to 1500 jobs to go at Telecom in May, no wonder Bill from Dipton was saying on Q+A that the Welfare Budget is likely to get more money in His next budget…
Faraway NZ communities that they never visit bear the cost of the resulting unemployment. While they personally benefit from signficantly increased profits.
It’s a business no-brainer. If I could fire five thousand Indian workers to get an extra hundred grand in dividends in my pocket, why the hell not?
“Launched in September 1977, the probe was sent initially to study the outer planets, but then just kept on going.”
“Their plutonium power sources will stop generating electricity in about 10-15 years, at which point their instruments and transmitters will die. Voyager-1 is on course to approach a star called AC +793888, but it will only get to within two light-years of it and it will be tens of thousands of years before it does so.”
I feel sad for the little spaceship that could, but await the return of V’ger the Intruder.
Rather irritating to find… Turned out that there was a call to the admin area and it was trying to go through https. Now the question is how to secure that again.
Key Rudd supporter Fitzgibbon, has said he will step down as the government’s chief whip at the next Labor caucus meeting.
Two other government whips, Ed Husic and Janelle Saffin, resigned this evening.
Advertisement
The Parliamentary Secretary for the Pacific Islands, Richard Mearles, also announced his resignation. “In the circumstances of today’s events I believed this to be the appropriate course,” he said.
“I’m surprised Kevin Rudd didn’t stand,” the former Minister for Arts and Regional Development, Simon Crean, told the ABC’s 7.30 Program. “He has only got one obligation now and that is to back off”.
TL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above that was recorded yesterday afternoon above between and The Kākā’s climate correspondent : An independent review panel into the emergency response to Cyclone Gabrielle in Hawkes Bayconcluded “that ...
There are now only a few days left to give feedback on the Draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport 2024-34 (see our earlier post this week on GPS submission guides). As we’ve reported, the GPS is a disaster for Local Government, so we were particularly interested to hear ...
Willis has pledged to go ahead with the debt-funded tax cuts, despite growing opposition from her own supporters worried about appearing fiscally irresponsible. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for ...
Open access notables A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North, van Wijngaarden et al., Climatic Change:The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased ...
Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On ...
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...
New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
Photo by Alvan Nee on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...
Buzz from the Beehive One minister is talking tough while a colleague – whose ministry had acted tough and drawn a barrage of flak – has shown an official softening. Some ministers are doing what Labour was good at, which is distributing public funds to causes regarded as worthy or ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand. My earlier article – Can ‘Good’ be the Greater Evil? – looked at the issue of how wars should end, and how Good versus Evil ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 AMMA by Saraid de Silva (Moa Press, $38)A stunning debut novel reviewed by Brannavan ...
From Steve Martin to Ricky Stanicky, a pick’n’mix of things worth watching and listening to this long weekend. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. If you’re at a loss for something to occupy yourself with this Easter, don’t panic: The Spinoff’s got ...
Jesus had dinner with his 12 disciples right before he died. Noted historian Madeleine Chapman finds out who really deserved to be there.First published in 2018 but let’s be honest, the subject is timeless. As you sit on your couch this Easter Sunday, eating a chocolate egg you know ...
The newly-promoted Northern League club is on a mission to return to the National League for the first time in two decades. Plenty about domestic football in New Zealand has changed in that time – but the sense that this amateur competition is not an entirely level playing field remains. ...
Comment: Every year on February 2, a dozen men in tuxedos and top hats approach the burrow of a groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania and entice the beaver-like rodent to emerge and predict the weather. If the groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, sees its own shadow when it is summoned, legend ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 29 March appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Auckland Council has put a deadline on new weather-impacted property owners applying for categorisation as government funding looks set to run out. Councillors have voted to support a deadline of September 30 for property owners who haven’t accessed support to come forward and engage with the council’s recovery office. It ...
NONFICTION 1 BBQ Economics by Liam Dann (Penguin Random House, $40) “It’s official,” wrote Dann nine days ago in the Herald, where he works as business editor at large, “we’re in recession.” Yeah, great. He delivered the bad stats: “GDP fell 0.1 percent in the December 2023 quarter, compared with ...
By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Miller-Jones, Professor, Curtin University Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets. Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, CC BY-SA How fast can a neutron star drive powerful jets into space? The answer, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The federal government has bowed to pressure from the car industry, announcing it will relax proposed emissions rules for utes and vans and delay enforcement of the new standards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney In his latest book, Jewish Life in Medieval Spain, Jonathan Ray focuses on the tumult of the 14th century in Spain – a time of the plague, civil strife and war between the two largest ...
While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata Māori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is “far-off sight”. In the contemporary and living language of te reo Māori, “whakaata” as a ...
Yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. This significant step and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza prompted an urgent debate in the New Zealand Parliament. Leader ...
The Government’s decision to reduce access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) not only threatens the lives of children with type 1 diabetes and increases the potential for ‘Dead in Bed’ syndrome, but also threatens the health of their parents an ...
Apples are available year-round, but the wide variety on offer involves intensive scientific research – and large-scale commercialisation. What’s beautiful, red, sweet and crunchy? Tony Martin’s favourite kind of apple: Sassy. The CEO of apple and pear breeding organisation Prevar, Martin’s fondness for Sassy represents professional success as well as ...
Family violence specialist service Shine is calling on employers to stop asking for proof of domestic violence in order for employees to access domestic violence leave. The call comes five years after the introduction of the Domestic Violence ...
The Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for public submissions on the Budget Policy Statement 2024. The Budget Policy Statement 2024 (BPS) sets out the Government's priorities for the 2024 Budget. It explains the approach ...
Brutal government spending cuts that will see the size of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples slashed by 40% will hit Pasifika communities hard, the PSA says. The Ministry has told staff that it is seeking voluntary redundancies, and to redeploy and reassign ...
I live with five people I mostly love, but our different ideas about generosity are starting to really irk me.Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,This is a bit of a random one but here goes. I’m 22 and work an OK job (OK meaning I get paid ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Nicholas, Senior Lecturer in Language and Literacy Education, Deakin University Earlier this month, the New South Wales government announced it would roll out programs for gifted students in every public school in the state. This comes amid concerns gifted school ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney Massachusetts General Hospital In a world first, we heard last week that US surgeons had transplanted a kidney from a gene-edited pig into a living human. News reports said the procedure was a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tombs, Howard Paterson Chair of Theology and Public Issues, University of Otago The 5th-century Maskell panel showing Jesus in a loincloth.British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA When Jesus is shown on the cross, he is almost always depicted wearing a loincloth around ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock When you think about a red object, you might picture a red carpet, or the massive ruby in the Queen’s crown. Indeed, Western monarchies and marketing from brands such ...
COMMENTARY:Jewish Voice for Peace The UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Monday — and for the first time since the beginning of the Israeli military’s genocide of Palestinians, the United States abstained rather than vetoing it. Security Council resolutions are legally binding, ...
Asia Pacific Report A New Zealand investigative journalist and author says the US spy system hosted by the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) appears to be a controversial intelligence system used in global capture-kill operations. Writing a commentary for RNZ News today, Nicky Hager, author of Secret Power, a 1996 ...
While Nicola Willis wouldn’t give any details on its size, she said a package of tax cuts is definitely still coming in this year’s budget, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the investigation into the Department of Internal Affairs after it was revealed that the Department’s Chief Executive personally reached out to expedite a DJs passport application. Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns ...
Finance minister Nicola Willis delivers her first budget statement, and unwittingly helps Joel MacManus save his relationship. Nicola Willis strode into the Beehive Theatrette. Around me, on the green foldout seats, were the country’s top business and political journalists. They were all here to see her announce the Budget Policy ...
Twenty years ago today, Māori Television launched after much controversy. Jamie Tahana looks back on its survival and impact across two decades. Chad Chambers stepped onto the stage, the brim of his cap casting a shadow across his face. His smile beamed as bright as his white freezing works gumboots, ...
Tauranga, Rotorua, Wellsford, Onehunga, Westhaven marina – Gavin Strawhan walks the meanish streets of New Zealand in his entertaining debut novel The Call, almost sure to roar into the number 1 position on the Nielsen bestseller chart, its front cover bearing a rave from somebody: “A really good and genuinely ...
On a Thursday in February, at Wellington’s Conservation House, the Conservation Authority, a statutory body advising the eponymous department and minister, Tama Potaka, opened its 195th meeting. Under consideration that afternoon was an agenda item written by Tim Bamford, chief advisor in the Department of Conservation’s biodiversity, heritage and visitors ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 28 March appeared first on Newsroom. ...
A lengthy response to the recently released draft Government policy statement on transport will soon be delivered from Auckland Council to Minister of Transport Simeon Brown. A submission raising concerns about funding distribution and the plan’s treatment of Auckland passed through the council’s transport committee on Wednesday, despite some councillors ...
The unidentified foreign intelligence operation discussed in a scathing report by New Zealand’s Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) last week appears to be a controversial United States intelligence system. The IGIS report said the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) decision to host a foreign system from 2012-2020 was “improper” ...
The worst public service appointment since Christine (Spankin’) Rankin
Justice Minister praises Dame Susan’s “mature judgement”
Thursday 21 March 2013
Four years ago, Dame Susan Devoy was one of several prominent suckers to be played for a fool by Tony “Boot Boy” Veitch. Along with several other gulls, including the notoriously malleable All Black coach Graham Henry, she wrote Veitch a testimonial for “a passport application”; Veitch used their testimonials as evidence for the mitigation of his sentence for attacking and crippling a young woman.
For sensible people, such a gross lack of common-sense, such lamentably poor judgement, such absence of nous, would mean Dame Susan Devoy would be unsuitable for any position demanding a high degree of intelligence, astuteness and moral rectitude. Most people would suspect the competence of anyone who could be so easily conned into writing a character testimonial for a violent thug.
No problems for this government, however. Far from disqualifying herself from being taken seriously, Dame Susan has sleepwalked herself into a highly paid public position for which she admits she has no qualification whatsoever: Race Relations Conciliator. Devoy admits she knows nothing about race relations, but reckons that there’s nothing complicated about it.
Yesterday’s public announcement by the Minister of Justice was beyond satire. I’ve put the especially absurd bits in bold….
“Dame Susan is a proud New Zealander who is highly motivated to contribute positively to New Zealand society,” Justice Minister Judith Collins said today. “Her communication and relationship management skills, coupled with experience working with diverse groups, are key areas of strength. Dame Susan has sound governance experience and mature judgement. I am confident she will be a sensible and intelligent voice for race relations issues,” Collins said.
Click on the following link for an example of Dame Susan Devoy’s “mature judgement”….
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10567112
Makes perfect sense to appoint her.
Apparently most of our current immigrants are English.
Who better than a dame to make sure they do not suffer the pains of discrimination?
And she thinks that Waitangi Day is full of too many protesters and everyone should settle down and be happy.
Arn’t you meant to have the slightest smidgeon of knowledge of history so that you can be appointed to important race relations positions?
Maybe the cunning plan is to appoint the most inappropriate candidate so that the mana of the office is trashed.
“Maybe the cunning plan is to appoint the most inappropriate candidate so that the mana of the office is trashed.”
Oh. Like the recent appointment to the Speaker of the House?
Like the recent appointment to the Speaker of the House?
Exactly, Alanz. Well spotted.
Methinks Dame Susan is going to be way out of her depth and sooner or later there will be a stoush between her and some citizens who went to her for help and she did nothing. She’s a good girl though who votes National and is a whizz squash player. What more could you want for a Race Relations Conciliator.
Stupid to accept a position like this and then think you can just wing it. She’ll be seriously tested within the year.
I watched the TVNZ News item – she’s already out of her depth. She hasn’t got a freaken clue what she’s talking about.
So she’s making it up as she goes along. The ego behind this must be massive.
Her appointment begins 1 April – this a very poor taste early April Fools joke and I’m not laughing
Bomber at The Daily Blog has really hit it out the park with this post – awesome and so, so true
Very brief quote but I recommend reading the whole post
“Pakeha can celebrate Waitangi Day without all the shame and division the day Maori aren’t the worst health stats.”
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2013/03/21/when-can-pakeha-celebrate-waitangi-day-a-response-to-dame-susan-devoy/#comment-5075
The Daily Blog is starting to get real traction – good effort to all concerned.
“Pakeha can celebrate Waitangi Day without all the shame and division the day Maori aren’t the worst health stats.”
He should quit the guilt trip and just donate his wages to a local tribe until he’s comfortable with himself, or just keep paying his taxes and hope the dollar spend on improving outcomes will be better spent and/or matched by a concerted effort by whanau to change habits and assist end trending poor health.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10872741
Notice the difference? Annette Sykes is factual and makes an argument. Collins just spins and distracts with bullshit.
Has labour said anything about this appointment for or against?
Lovely. Ol’ Jude should be defending the appointment of this lemon of a choice a lot more. Incompetence by association.
Give them a couple of days to come up with some wording which doesn’t offend Devoy squash fans.
“Annette Sykes – “demanded that she stand down because she was not fit for the role.”
Is that the same Annette Sykes who was defending the owner of a devil dog in Rotorua, that mauled youngsters?
This is just NAct showing how much they hold the country and all peoples of goodwill in contempt. Hopefully there aren’t quite as many redneck bigots among us as they seem to be counting on, and this will become another nail in their coffin.
Murray, please don’t insult working people by associating them with bigotry. Most of the vilest racists wear white collars, and do no hard or useful work. Leighton Smith, Larry “Lackwit” Williams, Murray Deaker, ACT party members, Sensible Sentencing Trusters and Family Firsters and, yes, the new Race Relations Commissioner are all established bigots, but they are NOT rednecks.
Please don’t use this sniffy term of eastern elite contempt for working people.
Shearer’s Bank accounts, and Banks’ share accounts seem to have disappeared from the headlines now that a new day dawns. So for those who may have missed them during the night …
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10872534
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10872232
Shearer and Labour are both dead men walking at this stage.
Time for a change.
There’s going to be more to come in this story, imo.
Reading the financial information from one of the links in Edwards’ latest column:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10872509
It turns out that Shearer had two bank accounts holding more than $50,000, and likely substantially more, and a mortgage.
As the epitome of the worst kind of ‘Papatoetoe-Boy-Makes-Good’ (again imo) It’s not plausible this could be bad money management. I don’t think Shearer is particulary smart, but money, like everyting associated with his giant ego, is important to him. He couldn’t be unaware that, (as this situation has been presented so far) this arrangement constitutes chucking money away – a considerable amount in interest over the term of the mortgage. His wife is no fool, and I’m sure his financial advisors would have mentioned it.
Nah there is a reason.
Maybe it’s something simple. Maybe Shearer likes to sit in his flash new home, daydreaming about being Prime-Minister-Shearer-on-the-world-stage, and for an extra thrill, dialling the telebank machine to check the petty cash, and hearing: ” You have five hun dred and sixty eight thousand dollars, and seven cents……..”
or something.
OMFG.
Well invested money can bring in more than the interest being paid on a mortgage.
You may be right. I’m sure some bright researcher will let us know.
A US bank term-deposit of a very big sum might bring in more than a 5.5% NZ mortgage costs I guess.
Which would make you wonder why he had more than $50,000 in a NZ ANZ account, which wouldn’t bring in more than the mortgage costs
“A US bank term-deposit of a very big sum might bring in more than a 5.5% NZ mortgage costs I guess.”
Hah, no. US interest rates are at 0-0.25%. Unless Shearer had literally billions in the bank, he wouldn’t be getting much more than 1-2% tops.
Na, people with billions in the bank are actually getting charged. What I meant for “smart investments” wasn’t leaving it in the bank but using it to play the stock market. If he was just leaving it in the bank then there would be no reason to leave it in the US.
Yep. And if a bank is providing deposits with a 2% pa rate of interest, it’s probably negative 2% real rate once inflation/deflation, fees etc are taken into account.
There was something on the 6AM RNZ news that the government was preparing a takeover
of the Auckland City Council. Stay tuned for developments ..
They effectively have taken over akl with the CCO’s answerable to no one effectively and stacked with Hide/Key stooges.
Blinky F’ing up the mayoralty with his racist yet predictable comments means they didn’t get the puppett they wanted.
Maybe it’ll be ECAN V2.0 but I can only see that if Brown wins again and the NACT get a third term. If that happens god help you jaffa’s but to do it pre 2014 would kill them in the general election.
Please keep us informed Raa – not everyone is close to a radio news announcement at the right time !
I have my clock radio alarm set for the 6AM news, but am often up earlier ..
Cheers,
This could be the underlying reason.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/regional/130925/tensions-rise-over-auckland-housing-land-supply
Has anyone consulted the iwi ?
Has Banksy got a finger in this ? He used to be Mayor ..
The spare land is obviously not where the wealthy want to live.
There is a relevant report listed here:
F**k them! We voted against Banksie to keep the vultures hands off our city! No respect for democracy!
The most interesting analysis will be on who owns the land just on the other side of the urban boundary and who profits if things change. Smith is not doing this because of his concern for the poor and homeless. There is a profit for a National Party supporter somewhere and Smith is being told about this loud and clear.
And I am really worried this is a done deal. National has this modus operandi where they create a “crisis” then “act decisively” to deal with the “crisis”. It has happened time and time again.
The simple solution is to allow the Unitary Plan to be operative from its release in September this year. The fact that National is not agreeing to this is a clear message that they intend to do something else.
It’s going to be a real test of how much political and popular support Mayor Brown can rally.
Hear hear O Viperous One.
As lefties we must fully back Len, or become culpable for a National inspired theft and mess-up.
It would be easier to back Len if he’d done something inspiring during the waterfront dispute, or at any other time. Once again we’re left with someone who has the warrior instincts of wet toilet paper as our great hope against another rapacious NAct power/land grab. We need better.
/agreed
Just watch as they take away another regions democracy but this time it’s the democracy of an entire third of the country.
There seems to be some action across the Tasman ..
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/opinion/political-news/rudd-forces-gather-20130320-2gg32.html
The housing issue is a red herring, and being used as a route in, although not quite sure the aim might be, other than a power grab.
As TC points out the CCOs do not answer to AKL Council, or any elected members they are stand alone operations, filled with corporate types.
Spend a little time looking into the backgrounds of the people involved, its not only the CCOs, but the Council Departments also, which have been run over by Deloitte, ex Deloitte mostly.
How to take over large public departments
1: Get a stooge into the top role – Ex Deloitte
2: Bring in another ( known affiliate) to run *transformation* – Ex Deloitte
3: Give known affiliate free reign to *shape* the department
4: Bring in more known affiliates to run large in flight programmes (regardless of experience levels) – All Ex Deloitte
5: Ensure Transformation #2 takes out the top layers of existing or structure , (hence council staff)
6: Have known affiliate #2/3 on the interview panel for top level positions in new org structure
7: Ensure that council staff do not get any of the top level positions in new org structure
8: Advertise directors roles externally – Have more corporate stooges conveniently standing by
9: Take over complete – Too easy, high fives, contract awards, services agreements and professional services agreements all wrapped up (more so than they already were)
10: Keep M.O from public, and let them think their rates go up due to lazy employees etc, as opposed to corporate shuffle
Corporate now has complete control over multiple largest departments of type in NZ
A couple of oddities from the media world:
Esquire editor fesses up: “The women we feature in the magazine are ornamental,” he said, “I could lie to you if you want and say we are interested in their brains as well. We are not. They are objectified.”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2013/mar/19/esquire-editor-show-women-like-cars
The Times gets conned:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2013/mar/18/times-duped-hoax-qatar-dream-football-story?INTCMP=SRCH
And bonus music featurette: Reasons to Love the Dropkick Murphys No 94:
http://gawker.com/5991403/dropkick-murphys-singer-kicks-the-crap-out-of-skinhead-doing-nazi-salute-on-stage-during-st-patricks-day-concert
Dropkick Murphys – Cadence to Arms / Do or Die
The once steel tough fabric of the union man
Was sold and bartered away
Fed to money wolves in the Reagan years
Caught in a drift in greedy nineties days
So inside this song is our rally cry
Your dreams are in danger
And we must rise
Our time has come we are under the gun
It’s do or die
It’s not a rebel cry of some socialist scheme
To push for human rights
Just the facts and the obvious mention
On behalf of the working man
For his family and his livelihood
Your dreams are in danger
And we must rise
Our time has come we are under the gun
It’s do or die
The once steel tough fabric of the union man
Was sold and bartered away
Fed to money and wolves in the Reagan years
Caught adrift in greedy nineties days
Your dreams are in danger
And we must rise
Our time has come we are under the gun
It’s do or die
Some great looking polls. Delighted to be wrong, for now.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10872574
Will be interested to see next month how much ‘overlooked a fortune in a foreign accountgate’ dents the great polling, that still show national in government.
A month is a long time in politics.
Shearer’s Labour does seem to do better in the Herald polls than in others.
First line in the piece: “National also up”
Trevett reckons that Labours increased support has come at the expense of the Greens and NZF. In true genius fashion LAB will probably take this to mean to do more of this.
Precisely. There is little point even watching the polls at this stage of the electoral cycle, and as has been proven time and time again, they are often inaccurate, overstating Tory support. In reality NACT support is at around 44%. Currently the Labour/Green coalition sits at around the same number. The Winston Peters roadshow can’t be underestimated, and his support still has to be over 5%. The real challenge for the left will be finding that extra 4% support so they can form a stable government and not have to deal with the profoundly conservative NZ First (either that or hope that his party just falls short of 5%). Hopefully the continued fallout from the Novapay debacle, the GCSB scandal, poor economic management and the theft and sale of our assets will continue to erode Tory support.
Nah, NZF aren’t “profoundly conservative”, just “somewhat conservative”.
If you want “profoundly conservative” you need to be pointing your finger at Colin Craig’s mob.
I’m not sure about that. The comments coming out of NZF lately are about as racist, homophobic and bigoted as what comes out of that ass-hat Colin Craig’s mouth. The latter just throws scripture, and other xtian wingnuttery into the mix too.
I blame NZF’s inept candidate selection process as being a big part of the problem. Because of their strong showing in 2011, I think they will manage to rustle up a far superior crowd for 2014.
Cyprus votes NO
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/cyprus-government-considers-capital-restrictions-if-banks-reopen-in-wake-of-no-vote-on-bailout-plan-8541257.html
NZ still on track to be first nation to facilitate bank account funds theft!
This is the biggest issue facing the world and NZ right now.
It has implications and effects that are and will be far-reaching.
This should be seen for what it is – another well predicted part of the current world financial crisis which erupted onto the public conscience in 2008 and which will continue for years yet, with resultant massive meltdowns of wealth. People would do well to research the other well predicted future events that will roll out of this systemic end-game play…..
do
not
trust
the
banking
system
Or their bought and paid for politicians.
Who is playing whom in Cyrus?
http://thenextrecession.wordpress.com/2013/03/20/cyprus-what-a-mess/
7 reasons why Paula Bennett should stfu and piss off back to wherever she came from: http://sorrelish.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/7-reasons-why-you-should-stop-bitching.html
Just brilliant.
from the comments
“The onus here should be on employers to pay proper wages, and maybe on the government to lower taxes on small businesses who cannot afford to pay more (and of course, higher taxes on tax-evading mega-businesses who CAN afford to pay more).”
Surely this simple truth is the nub of the Global problem regarding employment. (that and the endless greed of Banking cabals )
Perhaps this is also a good time to remind you that New Zealand desperately needs the low income tax free earnings structure that the UK, Australia and the US all enjoy. As their economies and policies are consistently used to reflect our economy and policies, surely this glaring disparity in economic truths can finally become a real issue in the next NZ General Election .
i know, dream on dream on
“and Sorrel was her name”
LP: all the rolling comments in the opinions/comments box actually link to an old post (return of the king). This may be related to the issue Anne referred to yesterday.
And now its back to normal. I blame the North Koreans.
Heh. Yes. And I was getting an odd version of open mike (maybe the mobile version?) on Chrome, FF, & IE, with none of the latest comments as indicated in the links top right. And while I was logged into the main site, I was not logged into open mike.
Now it seems to be back to normal.
Probably the secret squirrel’s smart phone playing up
It is the caching I turned on last night to cope with the flood from offshore. Just turned it off and cleared the cloudflare cache.
Thanks for reminding me.
Here’s a short book review:
The Surprising Conclusion to an Important New Book
It seems that the book is based upon facts and thus comes to the only possible conclusion – the mainstream economics used by politicians is wrong, very, very wrong and we need to change it and go to a steady state economy.
Draco, there are major implications for empty world accumulation versus steady state economics. Once we are all fully cognisant that wealth requires work to be done and that it cannot be created out of thin air as credit (future debt) then we will all get a healthier respect for our toils. And anybody with vast accumulated sums must have got them from somebodies elses work. That could result in some very interesting social behavoir……..
great link D.
The disunity is killing us. It must end Simon Crean on the Australian Labour parties problems.
Could the same be said of Labour NZ??
Meanwhile back at the race to extinction.
Guy McPherson interview
10 positive feedback loops of which one we can influence
http://c-realm.com/podcasts/crealm/354-rapid-unpredictable-non-linear-responses/
Yep, I know you guys hate the UK Daily Mail but you gotta love this. Truth as only the Right can do it.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2296064/If-scintilla-decency-Tony-Blair-Alastair-Campbell-John-Scarlett-faces-public-again.html
http://www.impeachbush.org/
Yeah Joe but it looks better if the Right kick them….
Oh, I think the penny has dropped grumpy.
https://medium.com/something-like-falling/f05a8010fac0
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Military/2013/0317/Iraq-war-10-years-later-Was-it-worth-it
What did John key think about the war again? or Brash? can’t remember.
Pricks.
http://www.truthdig.com/dig/item/the_last_letter_20130318/
Does anyone know how to completely delete a gravatar? After a long time mucking around at the site, I’m left with this horrible black square. I want to be back where I was before I ever had a gravatar. Is this no longer possible?
They tell my I can’t delete my account.
[lprent: Looks ok to me. Remember that your browser will be caching the image. So try shift+click refresh (common to most browsers) force a complete reload of the site. ]
Cheers LPrent
test
Struggling with the link, but this is the best article I’ve read on the RMA changes
Good work Jon Morgan
meetings happening… not long before it’s all sewn up
well I need more link lessons obviously, but it is on stuff today, RMA overhaul EXCELLENT reading
test
“I have heard that if a persons’ historical account is incorrect, then death will follow that person”
-Kaumatua; Waka Huia
(Crown vs Tuhoe, historically, equated to “ethnic cleansing”-Paul Moon)
Susan Devoy? White must be right. “burqas are disconcerting” but hey, endorsed by that low-forehead paragon of virtue Judith Collins.
Based on experiences such as Katrina, with funds up to 30B coming into ChCh rebuild over the next 5 years, fraud in the order of 1-3B is not unexpected- KPMG commentator.
Novopay Tech. review release; “platform unstable, 19000 pay-related problems backlog.”
and now for some Dominion Post propaganda;
yesterday, “no excuses for neglectful Chinese” concerning the aged.
and then the Front Page “This is China” on imprisonment conditions, like, isolation, over-crowding, labour, drug trials and health challenges do not occur under other countries’ penal regimes.
WHAT A MOFO LOAD OF XENOPHOBIA AROUSING SH*T; some of the editorial staff will likely not even be out of nappies when the war is over…
followed by..”Israel talks peace” please, spare us the incredulity (see earlier diplomatic analysis of an “inevitable Intifada”)FFS
Massey University Head of Banking Studies : events in Cyprus were “very relevant” to New Zealand.;” bank deposit guarantee a much better solution”
QT : Parker on the governments’ gloat over the Dec Quarter economic figures; 23000 lost jobs and 33000 left the work force; Joyce concedes, “employment sector is challenging”
Current Account Deficit 10.5B (5% GDP) not helpful-Penny, Westpac economist
“part of the slippery 😉 slope the NZ economy is on” -Doug Steel, BNZ
but that’s OK, New Zealanders received “record returns from off-shore investments.”
NZLast hammering the issue of Chinese parents of skilled migrants again; good return serve from Woodhouse (a decent Tory it appears).
Brownlee’s opposition to Rail Loop appears to be fading slowly (Enright (sp?) report; Loop essential to improved productivity. Julie-Ann hit Brownlee back with his own premise of reduced travel times.
in ICT; job loss indications are up to 1500-C.C (maybe skilled migrants will fill the “advertised” ICT vacancies Joyce touts.)
Chris Tremain? that guy don’t seem right in the head ma.
Families Commission; throwing money away on contractors, gifts and hospitality.
Coleman on the NZDF : “culture, oversight of orders and failure to adhere to orders”
Goff on Crib 19 (sp?) “according to the WO, “only 60% of training effected.”
Torie aye, who’d vote for them! Baaa Humbug. freakin narrow-minded inbreds is what they generally appear to be.
She Had
http://www.metal-archives.com/images/2/3/6/2/236249.jpg
The General Electric
ps. Is Resigning an option?
http://auckland.scoop.co.nz/2013/03/st-matthew-in-the-citys-easter-billboard/
meanwhile
Little Reason Indeed
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/columnists/rosemary-mcleod/8453067/Little-reason-for-man-of-cloth-to-preach-pure-rationalism
Hey Morrissey, Obama’s monster limo “The Beast” konks out in Jerusalem. Waddya reckon ? God slapped them ?
Presumably Obama didn’t laugh at a Sascha Baron-Cohen joke and the Ultra-Zionist comedian called in a favour from Mossad.
Sacha, how many times I godda tell ya bud ? Enough of the false anonyms already !
Say, could we flog the vee-hickle off to that crazy dude John A. Banks way down there in Ocklind, Nooo Zeeerlind ? Word is he’s a doozie at concealin’ paper trails.
Hello North! Sorry to be so slow responding, but I just completely missed your original message. I had not heard of that incident.
And, no, I don’t think “God slapped them” or anything like that, but I think Obama’s conscience will slap him over the next few years as he slips deeper and deeper into perfidy. He looked very uncomfortable when speaking alongside Mr Abbas yesterday on his flying visit into the Occupied Territories.
Of course, he is a machine politician from Chicago, which means he is as cynical and impervious to morality as anyone in America, but he is human, and he knows that he has failed to do anything to stop Israel’s depredations in either the illegally occupied West Bank or the illegal giant prison in Gaza. In spite of his apparent arrogance, especially when he is being cheered by flag-waving Israeli crowds, he has a conscience like everyone else, and I have no doubt that it is wearing away at him. Soon Obama will be looking as gaunt and haunted as the troubled fellow standing in the middle of the second row in THIS PHOTO….
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/03/18/article-2295067-0C11293D000005DC-68_634x402.jpg
Sorry to harp on, but my burble in blue above does actually link to the article on the RMA.
It is a very clear account of what the Nacts are changing, and there is very little time for people to be informed (shouted from the rooftops) about what a disgrace this really is.
Where are the opposition, especially the Greens on this? Not more silence, please…
Nice comment from Jacinda Ardern layning into Bennefits. – clip H/TBryan Bruce.
Very good speech by her. Probably the best I’ve heard from her.
Indeed, well done Jacinda. Good to see her re-stating Labour’s commitment to a social security system, highlighting contradictions, timing of announcements and the political nastiness of this bill. All stuff that Labour has been seen as silent on (at best) by many people, including me. Now to get it heard in a wider public forum…
I know some people around here have it in for Chris Hipkins but this speech he gave to the Auckland Primary Principals Association yesterday gives me some hope that Labour’s education policies are on the right track. Shame the speech hasn’t been reported very widely if at all.
http://www.networkonnet.co.nz/index.php?section=latest&id=229
Thanks for the link. Some policy statements at last….
I know some people around here have it in for Chris Hipkins…
He asked for it Tony P, but if he continues to perform at his present level then some of us may eventually be able to forgive him. Up to him.
What did he ask for exactly? This statement is extraordinary. You may eventually forgive him? What a load of patronizing bollocks.
Of course it’s patronizing bollocks, because these types aren’t accountable to us.
Only patronising bollocks to ignorant twits like yourself who apparently don’t keep themselves informed. Get off your backside and find out for yourself… or is that beyond your capabilities.
Up to 1500 jobs to go at Telecom in May, no wonder Bill from Dipton was saying on Q+A that the Welfare Budget is likely to get more money in His next budget…
Gotta maintain those multi-million dollar profit levels for the foreign share owners.
Yeah that sucks, damn national selling of telecom in the 80s was a bad idea
Faraway NZ communities that they never visit bear the cost of the resulting unemployment. While they personally benefit from signficantly increased profits.
It’s a business no-brainer. If I could fire five thousand Indian workers to get an extra hundred grand in dividends in my pocket, why the hell not?
Erm. How is the government doing with creating 170,000 jobs?
Any sign yet?
“The possibility that the Voyager-1 spacecraft may have left the Solar System is being hotly debated.”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21866532
“Launched in September 1977, the probe was sent initially to study the outer planets, but then just kept on going.”
“Their plutonium power sources will stop generating electricity in about 10-15 years, at which point their instruments and transmitters will die. Voyager-1 is on course to approach a star called AC +793888, but it will only get to within two light-years of it and it will be tens of thousands of years before it does so.”
I feel sad for the little spaceship that could, but await the return of V’ger the Intruder.
Heh!!! 🙂
http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/V'Ger 😉
Frank was so right when he reminded the world about the fish people.
http://www.vice.com/read/i-went-to-the-california-creationist-museum-and-it-was-really
“there are several smaller, shittier ones dotted around” 😆
Creationists – Made on a Saturday after the birds and fish.
Evolutionists – Still being tweaked to perfection.
Test
test 2
Test 3
Test 4
MIme artist sound check 🙂
Test 5 – text/javascript check.
“MIme artist sound check”
That’s john banks sound proofing his donation paper trail.
Test 6 – I thought he used a sockpuppet
Hah – found the damn thing. Have edit back folks…
Bringing up a comment to edit at last.
You had me at “Hah” :thumbz:
Rather irritating to find… Turned out that there was a call to the admin area and it was trying to go through https. Now the question is how to secure that again.
Kevin Rudd’s supporters sacrificed; but is the Leader’s problems actually his fault?
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/trouble-brewing-but-dont-blame-it-on-the-usual-bloke-20130318-2gb8m.html
Body count: Rudd supporters quit their posts
Cant say I care for either of them myself. The ALP is doomed no matter who leads it.
Ok tinyMCE back on…
Ummm – where has the opt-out box gone?
Link
Ok – that had the same problem.
Test WYIWYG comments
Ok – that appears to work
And the reply works as well.
Umm and admins get more.
Yeah I left that a bit unfinished for admins. Must have been when the work load escalated.
Everything is back to nearly full speed – hopefully without the cache problems that re-appeared yesterday. Just have
And above all the nightly backup to run so that I have a copy