The latest Roy Morgan poll has some surprises and some results not so surprising.
National Party 49.5% (up 5.5%)
Labour 26.5% (down 4%)
Greens 12.5% (down 4.5%)
New Zealand First 6.5% (up 1.5%)
Maori Party 1.5% (unchanged)
Others 1.5% (up 1%)
Mana Party 1% (up 0.5%)
United Future 1% (up 0.5%)
ACT NZ 0% (down 0.5%)
I’m surprised National have bounced back that much. It may be a lucky spike going againbst a recent slightly downward trend.
Labour’s drop doesn’t surprise me, sustained negative politics and a non-prominent leader won’t be enthusing swing voters.
Greens drop back to earth is no surprise, the last poll spike seemed likely to be too much too quickly.
NZF seems to be still doing well with the “stuff it, there’s no one else worth voting for” vote.
I think TV3 have their next poll release tomorrow night, it will be interesting to see how that compares.
UF doubled what’s been a consistent (albeit very modest) level of poll support for some time. I’m sure there are less worries there than with Labour. Or are you happy with where Labour’s at?
Except the increase is less than the error of the poll and thus statistically non-significant, meaning that it’s more probable that 0.5% increase is noise.
So what does that make the % movement in the Roy Morgan poll for the 3 bigger Party,s in the space of a month???,
Such erratic ‘polling’ cannot really be relied upon as an accurate estimate of support and I would dare not here suggest that a certain Australian public relations firm has had a private conversation with a certain Australian public polling firm, reminding that polling firm just how much biz that public relations firm puts their way,
Such things just never happen like that,(only in the conspiracy theories,our range of tin-foil hats are available for sale online at you know where),
Or do they, during the 2011 election campaign,and, the months leading up to that campaign I was involved commenting online elsewhere, needless to say the experience was a cesspool of abuse firstly directed at me and secondly indulged in by me in terms of ‘giving as good as I got’,
Back to the point tho, during the ongoing debate over whether NZFirst had a bulls roar show of re-entering the Parliament on that un-named site I was actively watching a particular ‘on-line political polling site’ with great interest, particularly the nature of the NZFirst ‘polling’ on that site,
When asked befor the election,and,based upon what I had learned from that particular polling site I quoted NZFirst as being 6.2%–12% of the vote,
The accuracy 6.2% and the wide % differential I gave at the time was simply the addition to what my base-line figure for NZFirst’s polling was at the time of all the times that Party was manipulated downward within that particular poll,(ie every time NZFirst polled 5% it was immediately manipulated back down to 3%),
Over the past 2 Roy Morgan polls the swings for all 3 Party,s Green/Labour/National are far to great to be viewed as an accurate record of voter sentiment…
The fact that almost 30% of the voting population didn’t vote last election and that Roy Morgan are accounting for only around 12% of those people, makes that poll completely useless.
As part of IBM’s Battery 500 project — an initiative started in 2009 to produce a battery capable of powering a car for 500 miles — Big Blue has successfully demonstrated a light-weight, ultra-high-density, lithium-air battery.
…
The main thing, though, is that lithium-air energy density is a lot higher than conventional lithium-ion batteries: the max energy density of lithium-air batteries is theorized to be around 12 kWh/kg, some 15 times greater than li-ion — and more importantly, comparable to gasoline.
That potential energy density is astoundingly high.
Of course, we also need to remember that unlike oil, batteries are not a source of energy. Batteries can only store energy that is sourced or generated from elsewhere.
The reality is, there is no way this is going to be honestly and accurately applied to all the corporate expense accounts, the credit cards, the private parking, in-house catering, the subsidised travel etc etc that the business world gorge on everyday.
What is an expense account if not a payment in lieu of salary?
There’s “some” pressure on Dunedin City Council to follow Christchurch and declare the city frack free. The front page of this week’s community newspaper was covered by it.
It claims “a lot of people in Dunedin are calling for this”. I followed some links and found lightweight support around New Zealand and bugger all in Dunedin. The person claiming that was an Octagon occupier – remember the 99%? What the frack?
Hey Pete, is there any subject that you are not an expert on??
Now let’s see –
knows there is nothing wrong with fracking.
knows everything there is to know about industrial relations.
knows everything about the advantages of charter schools.
knows everything about the advantages of conference centres and government tendering.
knows everything there is to know about good teaching practice (supported Tolley to the hilt remember…)
Or do you just post to flame?
How do you rate on the supply of statins and asparin to all in the country free in order to raise life expectancy?
Are there a few letters missing off your profile.
MSc, LLB, MBA, MEng. MAcc, MGeol, MPlan, MEd
I don’t think there’s “nothing wrong with fracking”. I await the results of the Commissioner for the Environment inquiry with interest. If the inquiry finds real and significant concerns about fracking in New Zealand then I’ll be concerned about fracking here.
I do have a problem with a very small number of people trying to pressure DCC into doing something that probably isn’t council business, and especially without proper democratic consultation.
Urban areas have been known to be harmed by mining when the land subsides. Fracking under urban areas will over time leave a huge risk for homeowners, will this be on the LIM?
Underground mining, such as in Waihi, and the West Coast has sweet f.a. to do with fracking.
Fracking is only used to detect oil and gas at substantial depths.
Fracking causes earthquakes. Earthquakes are just large large earth movements. Subsidence is what people call earth movements that are not perceivable.
Fracking will increase, not only the possibility for earthquakes, but subsidence.
“If the inquiry finds real and significant concerns about fracking in New Zealand then I’ll be concerned about fracking here.”
newsflash for Petey et al, we live on the same frakkin planet you moron, the laws of physics apply here just the same as they do elsewhere. Nitpick all you want but the very physical act of fraccing is class-A-high-grade-collector-edition- stupid!
The reason councils should get involved at the behest of the people is because national government cannot currently be trusted to protect the environment we are all dependent on.
So now that Sky is slated to get pokies, will their investors sue if they lose income from future changes to the law, aka smoking branding?
Crafer was a news story from the beginning, first as cow pooh overflowing, then as the first Chinese buyer was not of good standing, and then National rubberstamping the deal, now as China gets Landcorp to make milk for them. The only good Crafer has commanded is to open the debate up on how stupid it is to fix legislation and tax, lock in decline, and become tenants in our own land.
The Crafer family bankrupted their farms, the ownership therefore turning to the money lenders, Westpac, an Australian Bank who became the de facto owners.
Maybe Westpac should not have lent them so much in the beginning.
Nevertheless they have still lost a large sum from this sale even so.
Warmonger, racist, and general all-round bigoted fuckwit Mark Bennett filling in for Michael Laws on Radio Live yesterday:
I can’t wait to see the first aircraft carrier arrive for god’s sake I mean, you know, big, big lumpy old David Lange, standing up there on his pulpit telling us why we can’t have Americans down here, and forgetting the 70 odd thousand that died to clear all the nips out of this part of the world, you know, I mean, I (sputter, pant sputter), what did, (fap fap choke),what really was the man thinking? (pant pant) I can’t wait for the first nuclear powered American aircraft carrier to arrive in the Waitemata Harbour I’ll be out there on a raft with a big sign saying “welcome home” (bursts into song and jizzes his pants)
Oh and for bonus points this little rant was bookended by anti-mislim fervour.
Hi Felix
Radio Live is outrageously right wing. At the moment they’ve got Rodney Hide filling in for John Tamihere. Laws is a professional underclass basher. Willy Jackson might be effective but dilutes everything with “Mate” ,laughter, humour, feel good music and jokeyness. Maggie Barry who worked there is now a Nat MP. JT is an apologist for the right. Paul Henry another American toady. And Key had his 1 hour Party Political Broadcast prior to the last election.
I think I will vote that old die hard Winnie Peters next time. Was a Labour voter for awhile then migrated to Greens for the past 4 elections.
No wonder Labour has got no traction – a new leader who looks like Keys lite – smiley middle aged middle class white guy -yawn. And the residual Helengrad elements still lurking, like the reverse racist, man hating felix types.
I am particularly impressed with NZ First’s immigration position.
Funny how the biggest tossers name themselves after mythological heros.
Mankind has enough fire thanks kiwi_pro(meth)eus. And since you only seem to be carrying shit you better fuck off before you get to find out if your liver really can grow back overnite.
Warmonger, racist, and general all-round bigoted fuckwit Mark Bennett filling in for Michael Laws on Radio Live yesterday:
Oh, is Bennett still around? I did wonder what had become of him (I listened to him in the 1990s, as his station was the only one I could get while travelling.) What a vile man he is!
We can only hope, the ‘feeling’ here is that ‘climate change’ might have just moved the ‘seasons’ a little meaning Spring/Summer on the wee islands Of Gods Own may start a little later than October,
The evidence for this,well very little,(another bald assertion from the home of bald assertions)our garden seeds tho,sprouting out of the ground with monotonous regularity in October every year would not in 2011 come forth till well into November,
An isolated incident perhaps more to do with Wellington’s ‘strange’ weather in 2011,(snowing twice in Winter down at sea-level),lets see what happens this October…
The summers in NZ are generally referred to the months they end in, as has always been the case. Hence the 2012 summer has already ended as at 29 February 2012.
Much the same in the Northern Hemisphere where the Winters are referred to the months they end in.
You don’t use the start of the seasons to signify the current years. You are the first person I’ve ever seen that seems to think that.
Summer 2013 for NZ starts in December 2012 and ends in February 2013.
Although with this planet shifting by degrees on its axis in the last two years with Chile and Japan (and still waiting to see what the double banger M8’s in Indonesia have caused) it’s theoretically likely that the seasons have shifted by up to a month.
Not everythings on the internet you doofus. My kids primary school newsletter isn’t on the interwebs, and neither is common knowledge that’s been passed down.
Summer 2012 School Holidays are over and it’s back to school.
And a simple google for you will show that Chile and Japan did shift earth on it’s axis.
It’s not shit when it’s been pear-shaped reviewed.
Oskar, you are way off beam with both summers and axis. While the earthquakes may have had a tiny and temporary effect on the way the globe wobbles, they have not moved the seasons by so much as a minute, let alone a month.
Having experienced a few summers, it has been my understanding that NZ seasons traditionally are said to follow European ones. We’ve just ‘enjoyed’ summer 2011 and Europe is just beginning summer 2012. But more importantly, the question is what Trev meant by ‘summer 2012’. And clearly, he meant next summer, because it’s a more sensible time in the electoral cycle to be considering one’s future. If he’d meant summer 2011, he’d have simply said ‘over the summer’.
But given the vast amount by which the sumatran quakes slid past each other – which is “unprecedented” given the plates moved anywhere between 21 – 38 metres depending on which site you read.
We’ll just have to agree to disagree on when the summer period is claimed.
After all, I have an old dominion post here from November last year that talks about Summer 2011-2012 Events.
I would have thought most people would refer to it as Summer 2012 given there’s more months in the 2012 summer than in 2011, albeit a factor of 2 months.
And Te Reo – the effects are not “temporary” they are permanent. 25 years ago Summers regularly started around Labour Weekend. I’ve seen the summer seasons start later and later and haven’t seen a Summer begin before or on Labour Weekend since around 1998.
Ive had to plant out my summer crops later in the year since then given what’s planted over Labour Weekend tends to flower too early for proper pollination.
Anything planted towards the end of November/mid December gets a much better fruiting season on. Zucchinis I planted November last year were done by Waitangi weekend. Some I planted during the xmas break are still going strong even now – and these are all from seedlings.
Stop confusing Oscar with actual numbers, especially when it involves time periods. He has a bit of Timelords problem – never quite sure of what era he is in.
But in this case, I suspect he is confused between the rates of magnetic variation and axial precession. One is measured in minutes per year, the other in fractions of a meter per year.
With long service and his being upfront, Trevor gathered some history, which on cue has the negative sorts picking out those “events.” Think of those very obscure MPs who came and went without their names being known by anyone except their Mums and Dads. Trevor has achieved a great deal. As Minister of Education for instance he was upfront, progressive, approachable and frank. Compare that with current and past Min of Ed.
Williamson in his discourse justified the decision for the Crafar deal as “…well Helen Clark celebrated the high country estate sale to Shania Twain” so that makes it okay – I said – she said …
Just one small point Williamson didn’t mention was that Shania Twain made her estate open to the general public to walk / frolic and appreciate, and from memory, the land did not appear to be in the “productive” area.
(As an aside, some of you may remember the Tokoroa/Kinleath plant under NZForestProducts – The public used to have reasonable access and visit the set-up.
When it went to foreign interests, there were considerably elaborate fences and several security gates erected to discourage visits.)
The 2005 purchase of the 25,000 ha Mototapu and Mt Soho stations by companies linked to Ms Twain and her then husband were hailed by politicians and the media as signalling a new “smart, win win” approach to the controversial subject of foreigners buying up great chunks of prime NZ land.
I’m pretty sure that the stations were quite productive – before Shania Twain bought them anyway.
“Shania Twain made her estate open to the general public to walk / frolic and appreciate,”
err, no she didn’t. What she did was establish a walking track so that the public could access a very specific part of the farm. The rest is off limits. Prior to that access by the public would have been vaguer but more free. Access to high country farms has changed alot in the past decade, largely due to NZ being overrun by tourists. Traditional values on land access have changed.
As far as I know, the Motutapu Station is a productive farm. I don’t know if Twain is still the owner, as her and her husband have since separated.
btw, (for Mark up there esp) I was opposed to the sale at the time.
DTB and weka
points well made, thanks and noted. I was more concerned about the justification – “They did it so that it makes it okay for us…” mentality.
We probably should be grateful – I think Labour’s position on overseas land ownership was one of the outstanding reasons for people to migrate to voting Greens.
Yes I think that was Winston’s and David’s point. The sale of “prime, dairy farming land” is very different from High Country farms. (A great little Campbell Live item on Thursday by the way, on the up for sale of “Castle Hill Station” in the Hill Country Canterbury. Wonderful country.)
felix; too many sausage rolls has made his brain go funny!
they keep idiots like him on tap to appeal to the prejudices of all the bigots and to smother the rest in nonsense.
its easily done.
out on highway 61.
I think I will vote that old die hard Winnie Peters next time. Was a Labour voter for awhile then migrated to Greens for the past 4 elections.
No wonder Labour has got no traction – a new leader who looks like Keys lite – smiley middle aged middle class white guy -yawn. And the residual Helengrad elements still lurking, like the reverse racist, man hating felix types.
I am particularly impressed with NZ First’s immigration position.
[Don’t go there mickey; the mods get to decide what is trolling or not. We have our own brew of “Lynn Prentice Capricious Slash” for piddling on real trolls…RL]
Hang on, felix and the like can be as obnoxious and abuse as they like -> “Warmonger, racist, and general all-round bigoted fuckwit” [ which is actually a fair enough description of the shock jock ]
But if anyone points out the ridiculous views or behaviour of felix et al, it is “trolling”?
But you didn’t point out any of my ridiculous views, k_p, you just made up some ridiculous views and pretended they were mine.
ps I think you’ve been around here for long enough under your various names to know exactly what you were doing and exactly what the rules are (they’re in the policy which you’ve no doubt been pointed to dozens of times).
you just made up some ridiculous views and pretended they were mine.
I’ve often seen you do that felix. It’s a core part of your gaming.
And you say:
“I think you’ve been around here for long enough under your various names…”
and
“I think our new friend k_p is going to be fun.”
within 17 minutes. That’s the sort of thing you might refer to like:
This bald-faced lie, this flat denial of what you just typed in your previous comment.
Yes, I do know, my last comment was slightly sarcastic.
And your claim of sarcasm on your contradictory statements doesn’t make sense. I know that can happen when you post off the cuff comments without giving it much thought, and not bothering reviewing your past comments thoroughly.
Your man hating and reverse racism is right there for everyone to see.
You claim you have nothing to do with Labour, but your extreme views fit in nicely with a certain Labour faction. Which is why you hang around here like a bad smell.
Why don’t you go hang out with that uber man hater QofT on her Wymin Against Phalopression site? She needs all the help she can get, she only averages 1 or 2 comments on her bitter twisted ravings and those are usually her own, lol.
It’s true k_p, I’m a labour voter and I hate men. And I’m a lesbian. And I’m QoT’s lover. And we’re satanists.
But I did already freely admit to my reverse racism so I’m not sure why you’re banging on about that. I think you might be suffering from reverse comprehension.
Why aren’t you over on QofT blog, she looks awfully lonely. Guess you hang out here because its the only site with a decent sized audience which will tolerate a rad fem nut job.
Got a bit of a chip on your shoulder over QoT have you, lie down on the couch and let it all out.
Did she cut you down sometime, or laugh at your micro flightless breeding equipment, oh diddums, go see Slater for another cuddle tosspot.
Did she cut you down sometime, or laugh at your micro flightless breeding equipment, oh diddums, go see Slater for another cuddle tosspot.
I don’t know if you’re a man or a woman, (I tend to assume everyone here is a gay man ) but you all really are terribly obsessed with male genitalia, hey? 🙂
I’ve no obsession with members no, but am rather keen on my partner and her feminine charm.
My attempt to show support for felix with my abuse to k_p was dumb and useless as felix can scratch back just fine without my insignificant two cents.
“I don’t know if you’re a man or a woman, (I tend to assume everyone here is a gay man )”
That is one of the most unusual things I’ve read on here, can you elaborate on that in any way?
You mean that thing about how you said you reckoned only 2 of the regulars here had kids, and I suggested you were speaking in tongues? ‘Cos, like, it was a ridiculous thing to say?
That’s because I posted the first one in the wrong column and when I hit the delete button all I got was a -1 which I presume is an output break for debugging. So I went ahead and posted it further down anyway.
“The carbon-fuelled, capital-driven model of economic growth, which started in my country 200-odd years ago, has spread across the planet and is now, I believe, reaching its apex here in China.”
The party’s Epsom MP today warned supporters that ”New Zealand has taken a major turn to the left.’
[..]
”The people of New Zealand have elected a parliament in the majority that is to the left of what our Australian cousins called socialists…without ACT we are staring in the face of two decades of Labour, the Greens and [NZ First leader] Winston [Peters].”
This, the same day many righties are claiming a rise in National’s support as in the latest Roy Morgan poll.
And, funny, but I thought the 2011 election was claimed by some as a landslide victory for National!
In November, New Zealanders went to the polling booth to elect a new Parliament. John Key and the National came out victorious as Phil Goff led the Labour Party to an all-time low party vote. National made a landslide victory despite it being one of the lowest voter turnout since women were given the right to vote.
John Banks…. the guy who slammed casinos in 1997, and is supportive of them today:
In the past, John Banks has opposed increasing gambling opportunities in New Zealand
“They’re wideboys, they’re flashboys, they’re big boys and they can take it,” he said in 1997. “Because the little people of this country have been sucked, hung, drawn, quartered, bled by these people in these casinos.”
The interior of Banksie’s head is one large scrambled egg. What did the Actoids think of his speech I wonder. While they may be ideologically obsessed with free market logic, not all of them are mad or even idiots.
Maurice Williamson,the latest from within the National Government to stick the leader ‘Slippery’ one with a sharp object, exposing Slippery and His shady dealings with SkyCity for all to see and at the same time getting a spot of utu for previous slights…
Judge O’Grady raised the prospect of there being no trial while hearing arguments over FBI applications to wipe Megaupload’s vast database of members’ files.
He said further study needed to be made of the failure to serve Megaupload, adding; “I frankly don’t know that we are ever going to have a trial in this matter.”
and from the defense:-
Dotcom’s US-based lawyer, Ira Rothken, said it was the defence’s understanding that it was not legally possible for Megaupload to be served with papers accusing it of criminal acts.
He said it would be possible to serve the company with papers for a civil case and – as happened in NZ – for individuals to be remotely charged with crimes.
“My understanding as to why they haven’t done that is because they can’t. We don’t believe Megaupload can be served in a criminal matter because it is not located within the jurisdiction of the United States.”
I suppose we’re going to have to start calling this the Mega Ballsup Case.
Well you did visit, and given your comment i guess you were looking for some intelligent well researched opinions. There are plenty of these on The Standard as well as the kind you obviously don’t like. No reason to run away – unless you just came here just to make a negative judgemental comment. If you’re genuinely interested in challenging and debating left wing politics and ideas then i’d strongly encourage you to stay and get involved
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Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy.Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8. The universe was ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
Peter Dunne writes – The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisitionNOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
The campaign will engage the community and encourage submissions on the bill to the New Zealand government by the closing submission deadline of Friday 31st of May 2024 4pm. ...
The paper raises concerns about declining trust in New Zealand's political institutions and democratic processes, and the role that the overuse of Parliamentary urgency plays in that. ...
The Urban Habitat Collective was an attempt to built an innovative new form of apartment building in Wellington. Here’s why it failed, and why the idea could still work, writes co-founder Bronwen Newton. When we started the Urban Habitat Collective in November 2018, we thought we were starting a revolution, ...
Two decades ago this week, a controversial law that attempted to define ownership of the foreshore and seabed prompted a formidable display of outrage and kōtahitanga as 15,000 marched to parliament. Jamie Tahana looks back.‘Hīkoi, hīkoi,” they chanted by the thousands as the biggest Māori march in a generation ...
On an unusually hot night in January 2019, a little boy’s lifeless body was found face up in a small town’s sewage oxidation pond. To the police, it was an open and shut case: three-year-old Lachlan Jones had run away from his home in the Southland town of Gore, climbed ...
A Labour Party Member’s Bill aims to plug a culpability gap between manslaughter and health and safety breaches The post New push for corporate killing laws appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Terence O’Brien had the rare and no doubt undesired distinction of rising to one of the most exalted positions in New Zealand diplomacy, then being unceremoniously recalled to Wellington without explanation just when his career was at its zenith. What is perhaps more surprising is that he appears to have ...
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Why has New Zealand slipped from third to 12th on Quality of Death Indexes over the past decade or so? Hospice New Zealand Chief Executive Wayne Naylor has a list of reasons. “We don’t have a current national strategy – the Government hasn’t renewed our 2001 strategy, so we don’t ...
While women’s sport is exploding in Aotearoa and around the world, you still don’t hear a lot of talk about athletes and their periods, RED-S, breastfeeding and visible panty-lines. SASS (Suze and Sez Sports)Talk isn’t afraid to have that kōrero.LockerRoom founder Suzanne McFadden and Olympian broadcaster Sarah ...
Rongotai MP Julie Anne Genter has apologised in Parliament after National accused her of intimidating and attacking one of its ministers in the House. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Prime Minister and state and territory leaders met on Wednesday as the national cabinet to discuss a crisis gripping Australia – the horrific number of women murdered this year. The killings have shocked ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Radhika Raghav, Teaching Fellow, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Otago Netflix Indian director Sanjay Leela Bhansali is known for his big-budget Bollywood production, featuring grand sets, star casts, meticulously choreographed dance sequences and lavish costumes, jewellery and furnishings. ...
Sir Robert devoted his life to disability rights after living in institutions in his younger years, says Kaihautū Tika Hauātanga | Disability Rights Commissioner Prudence Walker. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University Violence against women is not a women’s problem to solve, it is a whole of society problem to solve; and men in particular have to take responsibility. Those were the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jessica Allen, Senior Lecturer in Chemical and Renewable Energy Engineering, University of Newcastle Snapshot freddy/ShutterstockPlans to revive an old coal-fired power station using bioenergy are being considered in the Hunter region of New South Wales. Similar plans for the station ...
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The latest Roy Morgan poll has some surprises and some results not so surprising.
National Party 49.5% (up 5.5%)
Labour 26.5% (down 4%)
Greens 12.5% (down 4.5%)
New Zealand First 6.5% (up 1.5%)
Maori Party 1.5% (unchanged)
Others 1.5% (up 1%)
Mana Party 1% (up 0.5%)
United Future 1% (up 0.5%)
ACT NZ 0% (down 0.5%)
I’m surprised National have bounced back that much. It may be a lucky spike going againbst a recent slightly downward trend.
Labour’s drop doesn’t surprise me, sustained negative politics and a non-prominent leader won’t be enthusing swing voters.
Greens drop back to earth is no surprise, the last poll spike seemed likely to be too much too quickly.
NZF seems to be still doing well with the “stuff it, there’s no one else worth voting for” vote.
I think TV3 have their next poll release tomorrow night, it will be interesting to see how that compares.
http://www.roymorgan.com/news/polls/2012/4764/
If you consider 12.5% to be ‘dropping back to earth’ then United Future must be positively subterranean
It’s all relative, isn’t it.
UF doubled what’s been a consistent (albeit very modest) level of poll support for some time. I’m sure there are less worries there than with Labour. Or are you happy with where Labour’s at?
Except the increase is less than the error of the poll and thus statistically non-significant, meaning that it’s more probable that 0.5% increase is noise.
So what does that make the % movement in the Roy Morgan poll for the 3 bigger Party,s in the space of a month???,
Such erratic ‘polling’ cannot really be relied upon as an accurate estimate of support and I would dare not here suggest that a certain Australian public relations firm has had a private conversation with a certain Australian public polling firm, reminding that polling firm just how much biz that public relations firm puts their way,
Such things just never happen like that,(only in the conspiracy theories,our range of tin-foil hats are available for sale online at you know where),
Or do they, during the 2011 election campaign,and, the months leading up to that campaign I was involved commenting online elsewhere, needless to say the experience was a cesspool of abuse firstly directed at me and secondly indulged in by me in terms of ‘giving as good as I got’,
Back to the point tho, during the ongoing debate over whether NZFirst had a bulls roar show of re-entering the Parliament on that un-named site I was actively watching a particular ‘on-line political polling site’ with great interest, particularly the nature of the NZFirst ‘polling’ on that site,
When asked befor the election,and,based upon what I had learned from that particular polling site I quoted NZFirst as being 6.2%–12% of the vote,
The accuracy 6.2% and the wide % differential I gave at the time was simply the addition to what my base-line figure for NZFirst’s polling was at the time of all the times that Party was manipulated downward within that particular poll,(ie every time NZFirst polled 5% it was immediately manipulated back down to 3%),
Over the past 2 Roy Morgan polls the swings for all 3 Party,s Green/Labour/National are far to great to be viewed as an accurate record of voter sentiment…
You are right bad12. In short something does not add up. Margin of error or something else?
Oh well Pete has delivered his analysis so the rest of us may as well piss off home…
ACT-zero point zero-heh.
“Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.”
The fact that almost 30% of the voting population didn’t vote last election and that Roy Morgan are accounting for only around 12% of those people, makes that poll completely useless.
Christian charity corner:
Seven years jail for singing in church?
Interesting battery news. Yes it’s a long way off from production, yada yada yada, but still good news none the less:
http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/12/04/20/1344223/ibm-creates-breathing-high-density-lithium-air-battery
Some brief quotes:
Emphasis mine.
I wonder if it is known how much energy/resources are needed to produce a light-weight, ultra-high-density, lithium-air battery?
That potential energy density is astoundingly high.
Of course, we also need to remember that unlike oil, batteries are not a source of energy. Batteries can only store energy that is sourced or generated from elsewhere.
one more tax on the poor
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10800337
or are the usual suspects going to defend it as fair and equitable?
The reality is, there is no way this is going to be honestly and accurately applied to all the corporate expense accounts, the credit cards, the private parking, in-house catering, the subsidised travel etc etc that the business world gorge on everyday.
What is an expense account if not a payment in lieu of salary?
Government’s left hand: we want charities to provide more social housing! We want charities to do all the things we don’t want to do any more!
Government’s right hand: pay us tax on all those fringe benefits you previously didn’t have to tax!
There’s “some” pressure on Dunedin City Council to follow Christchurch and declare the city frack free. The front page of this week’s community newspaper was covered by it.
It claims “a lot of people in Dunedin are calling for this”. I followed some links and found lightweight support around New Zealand and bugger all in Dunedin. The person claiming that was an Octagon occupier – remember the 99%? What the frack?
Hey Pete, is there any subject that you are not an expert on??
Now let’s see –
knows there is nothing wrong with fracking.
knows everything there is to know about industrial relations.
knows everything about the advantages of charter schools.
knows everything about the advantages of conference centres and government tendering.
knows everything there is to know about good teaching practice (supported Tolley to the hilt remember…)
Or do you just post to flame?
How do you rate on the supply of statins and asparin to all in the country free in order to raise life expectancy?
Are there a few letters missing off your profile.
MSc, LLB, MBA, MEng. MAcc, MGeol, MPlan, MEd
Just wondering.
I don’t think there’s “nothing wrong with fracking”. I await the results of the Commissioner for the Environment inquiry with interest. If the inquiry finds real and significant concerns about fracking in New Zealand then I’ll be concerned about fracking here.
I do have a problem with a very small number of people trying to pressure DCC into doing something that probably isn’t council business, and especially without proper democratic consultation.
Urban areas have been known to be harmed by mining when the land subsides. Fracking under urban areas will over time leave a huge risk for homeowners, will this be on the LIM?
Underground mining, such as in Waihi, and the West Coast has sweet f.a. to do with fracking.
Fracking is only used to detect oil and gas at substantial depths.
Fracking causes earthquakes. Earthquakes are just large large earth movements. Subsidence is what people call earth movements that are not perceivable.
Fracking will increase, not only the possibility for earthquakes, but subsidence.
“If the inquiry finds real and significant concerns about fracking in New Zealand then I’ll be concerned about fracking here.”
newsflash for Petey et al, we live on the same frakkin planet you moron, the laws of physics apply here just the same as they do elsewhere. Nitpick all you want but the very physical act of fraccing is class-A-high-grade-collector-edition- stupid!
anywhere, anytime, for anything.
newsflash for freedom – there’s different fracking methods and vastly different gelology in different parts of the world.
Has there been any verifiable reports of significant problems with fracking in New Zealand?
I have often wondered,
do they deliver your koolaid in a drum or do you get an overnight iv?
I agree with you freedom, and add that pete is just a fracking denier
The reason councils should get involved at the behest of the people is because national government cannot currently be trusted to protect the environment we are all dependent on.
So now that Sky is slated to get pokies, will their investors sue if they lose income from future changes to the law, aka smoking branding?
Crafer was a news story from the beginning, first as cow pooh overflowing, then as the first Chinese buyer was not of good standing, and then National rubberstamping the deal, now as China gets Landcorp to make milk for them. The only good Crafer has commanded is to open the debate up on how stupid it is to fix legislation and tax, lock in decline, and become tenants in our own land.
The Crafer family bankrupted their farms, the ownership therefore turning to the money lenders, Westpac, an Australian Bank who became the de facto owners.
Maybe Westpac should not have lent them so much in the beginning.
Nevertheless they have still lost a large sum from this sale even so.
Warmonger, racist, and general all-round bigoted fuckwit Mark Bennett filling in for Michael Laws on Radio Live yesterday:
Oh and for bonus points this little rant was bookended by anti-mislim fervour.
Radio Live, 10:45.35am yesterday. http://www.radiolive.co.nz/Audio/tabid/109/Default.aspx
Hi Felix
Radio Live is outrageously right wing. At the moment they’ve got Rodney Hide filling in for John Tamihere. Laws is a professional underclass basher. Willy Jackson might be effective but dilutes everything with “Mate” ,laughter, humour, feel good music and jokeyness. Maggie Barry who worked there is now a Nat MP. JT is an apologist for the right. Paul Henry another American toady. And Key had his 1 hour Party Political Broadcast prior to the last election.
I think I will vote that old die hard Winnie Peters next time. Was a Labour voter for awhile then migrated to Greens for the past 4 elections.
No wonder Labour has got no traction – a new leader who looks like Keys lite – smiley middle aged middle class white guy -yawn. And the residual Helengrad elements still lurking, like the reverse racist, man hating felix types.
I am particularly impressed with NZ First’s immigration position.
You got one thing right kp, I am a reverse racist.
I’m also a reverse murderer, a reverse Feelers fan, and a reverse foot-fetishist.
Quite wrong about everything else though. As for your trolling, must try harder. Very old hat, very obvious.
Old hat? How about your tired predictable Helen faction drivel? It is as outdated and failed as Rogernomics.
No wonder Labour is going no where fast.
I’m nothing to do with Labour you fucking retard.
Lucky for Labour.
You must be a member of the Tourette Syndrome NZ Party then?
If you don’t like having your intelligence belittled, don’t type such demonstrably stupid things.
If you don’t like naughty words, don’t get into conversations with people who do.
Simple really. Just like you.
If you don’t like having your twisted ideas challenged don’t post them.
Reasonable really. Unlike you.
Are you QofT little sister? – your posts have the same vein popping screamer tone
Lol – your response to someone belittling your intelligence is a four-year old’s version of monkey-see monkey-do.
No surprise, one of felix’s admirers comes rushing to the rescue, lol.
“rescue”? From what? You seem to have delusions of grandeur.
Prometheus…he who stole fire from the gods…and gave it to man kind. Didn’t end up in a very good way did he?
Funny how the biggest tossers name themselves after mythological heros.
Mankind has enough fire thanks kiwi_pro(meth)eus. And since you only seem to be carrying shit you better fuck off before you get to find out if your liver really can grow back overnite.
Another Miss felix admirer, and suffering Tourette’s Syndrome too. You all go to the same support group?
Which reminds me of that funny joke:
How many feminist does it take to change a light bulb?
10, one to change the light bulb and 9 to form a support group for Survivors of Darkness.
Oh dear. Are you not a feminist, k_p?
Ahahaha I wish I’d stayed up for this.
I think our new friend k_p is going to be fun.
Guess you had an early night coz you had to be up for the All Men Are Rapists! Awarness Group meeting.
Oh, is Bennett still around? I did wonder what had become of him (I listened to him in the 1990s, as his station was the only one I could get while travelling.) What a vile man he is!
So when is Mallard coming out with his decision?
Mallard to decide over 2012 summer whether to stand again
Summers long gone, Winter is Coming. Whats the story Scalper Mallard?
That was the 2011 summer just gone, the 2012 summer will start sometime around October.
October? Jeeze some places in NZ are lucky to get summer by New Years 😉
I suggest moving north from Stewart Island 😛
Or away from Wellington!
The North coast of Stewart Island has predominantly pleasant weather.
We can only hope, the ‘feeling’ here is that ‘climate change’ might have just moved the ‘seasons’ a little meaning Spring/Summer on the wee islands Of Gods Own may start a little later than October,
The evidence for this,well very little,(another bald assertion from the home of bald assertions)our garden seeds tho,sprouting out of the ground with monotonous regularity in October every year would not in 2011 come forth till well into November,
An isolated incident perhaps more to do with Wellington’s ‘strange’ weather in 2011,(snowing twice in Winter down at sea-level),lets see what happens this October…
All that hot air rising causes a permanent low pressure area over Wellington.
No
The summers in NZ are generally referred to the months they end in, as has always been the case. Hence the 2012 summer has already ended as at 29 February 2012.
Much the same in the Northern Hemisphere where the Winters are referred to the months they end in.
You don’t use the start of the seasons to signify the current years. You are the first person I’ve ever seen that seems to think that.
Summer 2013 for NZ starts in December 2012 and ends in February 2013.
Although with this planet shifting by degrees on its axis in the last two years with Chile and Japan (and still waiting to see what the double banger M8’s in Indonesia have caused) it’s theoretically likely that the seasons have shifted by up to a month.
Link?
Man, you must read some shit.
Not everythings on the internet you doofus. My kids primary school newsletter isn’t on the interwebs, and neither is common knowledge that’s been passed down.
Summer 2012 School Holidays are over and it’s back to school.
And a simple google for you will show that Chile and Japan did shift earth on it’s axis.
It’s not shit when it’s been pear-shaped reviewed.
Oskar, you are way off beam with both summers and axis. While the earthquakes may have had a tiny and temporary effect on the way the globe wobbles, they have not moved the seasons by so much as a minute, let alone a month.
Having experienced a few summers, it has been my understanding that NZ seasons traditionally are said to follow European ones. We’ve just ‘enjoyed’ summer 2011 and Europe is just beginning summer 2012. But more importantly, the question is what Trev meant by ‘summer 2012’. And clearly, he meant next summer, because it’s a more sensible time in the electoral cycle to be considering one’s future. If he’d meant summer 2011, he’d have simply said ‘over the summer’.
The problem is that your claiming something that isn’t common knowledge.
Yep, by a few centimetres – enough to make no difference at all.
Absolutely tuiti-fruiti.
Exactly – by degrees
But given the vast amount by which the sumatran quakes slid past each other – which is “unprecedented” given the plates moved anywhere between 21 – 38 metres depending on which site you read.
We’ll just have to agree to disagree on when the summer period is claimed.
After all, I have an old dominion post here from November last year that talks about Summer 2011-2012 Events.
I would have thought most people would refer to it as Summer 2012 given there’s more months in the 2012 summer than in 2011, albeit a factor of 2 months.
And Te Reo – the effects are not “temporary” they are permanent. 25 years ago Summers regularly started around Labour Weekend. I’ve seen the summer seasons start later and later and haven’t seen a Summer begin before or on Labour Weekend since around 1998.
Ive had to plant out my summer crops later in the year since then given what’s planted over Labour Weekend tends to flower too early for proper pollination.
Anything planted towards the end of November/mid December gets a much better fruiting season on. Zucchinis I planted November last year were done by Waitangi weekend. Some I planted during the xmas break are still going strong even now – and these are all from seedlings.
No, it’s not degrees, it’s centimetres. For it to be degrees it would have to have been measured in hundreds of kilometres.
Stop confusing Oscar with actual numbers, especially when it involves time periods. He has a bit of Timelords problem – never quite sure of what era he is in.
But in this case, I suspect he is confused between the rates of magnetic variation and axial precession. One is measured in minutes per year, the other in fractions of a meter per year.
/faux concern (Farrar mode) off
With long service and his being upfront, Trevor gathered some history, which on cue has the negative sorts picking out those “events.” Think of those very obscure MPs who came and went without their names being known by anyone except their Mums and Dads. Trevor has achieved a great deal. As Minister of Education for instance he was upfront, progressive, approachable and frank. Compare that with current and past Min of Ed.
Williamson in his discourse justified the decision for the Crafar deal as “…well Helen Clark celebrated the high country estate sale to Shania Twain” so that makes it okay – I said – she said …
Just one small point Williamson didn’t mention was that Shania Twain made her estate open to the general public to walk / frolic and appreciate, and from memory, the land did not appear to be in the “productive” area.
(As an aside, some of you may remember the Tokoroa/Kinleath plant under NZForestProducts – The public used to have reasonable access and visit the set-up.
When it went to foreign interests, there were considerably elaborate fences and several security gates erected to discourage visits.)
Um, what?
I’m pretty sure that the stations were quite productive – before Shania Twain bought them anyway.
“Shania Twain made her estate open to the general public to walk / frolic and appreciate,”
err, no she didn’t. What she did was establish a walking track so that the public could access a very specific part of the farm. The rest is off limits. Prior to that access by the public would have been vaguer but more free. Access to high country farms has changed alot in the past decade, largely due to NZ being overrun by tourists. Traditional values on land access have changed.
As far as I know, the Motutapu Station is a productive farm. I don’t know if Twain is still the owner, as her and her husband have since separated.
btw, (for Mark up there esp) I was opposed to the sale at the time.
(simulpost with Draco)
DTB and weka
points well made, thanks and noted. I was more concerned about the justification – “They did it so that it makes it okay for us…” mentality.
Yes, and Labour did badly on this as well. So it’s more like Labour were dumb fucks so why can’t we be too? 😉
We probably should be grateful – I think Labour’s position on overseas land ownership was one of the outstanding reasons for people to migrate to voting Greens.
Yes I think that was Winston’s and David’s point. The sale of “prime, dairy farming land” is very different from High Country farms. (A great little Campbell Live item on Thursday by the way, on the up for sale of “Castle Hill Station” in the Hill Country Canterbury. Wonderful country.)
“The sale of “prime, dairy farming land” is very different from High Country farms”
In what way?
The fast buck merchants are chasing potential dairy land.
felix; too many sausage rolls has made his brain go funny!
they keep idiots like him on tap to appeal to the prejudices of all the bigots and to smother the rest in nonsense.
its easily done.
out on highway 61.
I think I will vote that old die hard Winnie Peters next time. Was a Labour voter for awhile then migrated to Greens for the past 4 elections.
No wonder Labour has got no traction – a new leader who looks like Keys lite – smiley middle aged middle class white guy -yawn. And the residual Helengrad elements still lurking, like the reverse racist, man hating felix types.
I am particularly impressed with NZ First’s immigration position.
You are trolling kiwi_promethus.
[Don’t go there mickey; the mods get to decide what is trolling or not. We have our own brew of “Lynn Prentice Capricious Slash” for piddling on real trolls…RL]
Hang on, felix and the like can be as obnoxious and abuse as they like -> “Warmonger, racist, and general all-round bigoted fuckwit” [ which is actually a fair enough description of the shock jock ]
But if anyone points out the ridiculous views or behaviour of felix et al, it is “trolling”?
But you didn’t point out any of my ridiculous views, k_p, you just made up some ridiculous views and pretended they were mine.
ps I think you’ve been around here for long enough under your various names to know exactly what you were doing and exactly what the rules are (they’re in the policy which you’ve no doubt been pointed to dozens of times).
you just made up some ridiculous views and pretended they were mine.
I’ve often seen you do that felix. It’s a core part of your gaming.
And you say:
“I think you’ve been around here for long enough under your various names…”
and
“I think our new friend k_p is going to be fun.”
within 17 minutes. That’s the sort of thing you might refer to like:
How does your breakfast taste?
“New friend” was slightly sarcastic Pete.
Hope you didn’t blow your whole wad over that one.
Ok, I’ll rememember the sarcastic excuse for next time.
Sure, but it has to make sense. You know what sarcasm is, right?
I don’t want to see you embarrass yourself claiming all sorts of things are sarcastic when they’re obviously not.
Eggs, eh?
Yes, I do know, my last comment was slightly sarcastic.
And your claim of sarcasm on your contradictory statements doesn’t make sense. I know that can happen when you post off the cuff comments without giving it much thought, and not bothering reviewing your past comments thoroughly.
Sure. It must be easy to forget that you’ve said something over and over again for 2 years.
Scrambled eggs now, is it?
Your constant reference to male sexual organs and their function is fascinating.
Something Freudian going on there with you felix/QofT.
Well I assumed Pete was a male, otherwise I would’ve made a female-equivalent reference.
I’m sure s/he’ll correct me if I got that wrong.
Your man hating and reverse racism is right there for everyone to see.
You claim you have nothing to do with Labour, but your extreme views fit in nicely with a certain Labour faction. Which is why you hang around here like a bad smell.
Why don’t you go hang out with that uber man hater QofT on her Wymin Against Phalopression site? She needs all the help she can get, she only averages 1 or 2 comments on her bitter twisted ravings and those are usually her own, lol.
It’s true k_p, I’m a labour voter and I hate men. And I’m a lesbian. And I’m QoT’s lover. And we’re satanists.
But I did already freely admit to my reverse racism so I’m not sure why you’re banging on about that. I think you might be suffering from reverse comprehension.
My various names?
Calm down, you are being hysterical and irrational.
You sure come across like QofT, little Miss felix.
I think we both know why that is, k_p.
Don’t tell everyone though, it’s taken years of hard work to get the prank to this point and it’s nearly time for the big payoff.
So shh, k? Our little secret.
it’s taken years of hard work to get the prank to this point
The felix prank? That’s no secret.
That’s funny Pete. Like you know what’s up.
Good one.
Why aren’t you over on QofT blog, she looks awfully lonely. Guess you hang out here because its the only site with a decent sized audience which will tolerate a rad fem nut job.
I am over there, logged in as QoT! Doh.
Got a bit of a chip on your shoulder over QoT have you, lie down on the couch and let it all out.
Did she cut you down sometime, or laugh at your micro flightless breeding equipment, oh diddums, go see Slater for another cuddle tosspot.
I don’t know if you’re a man or a woman, (I tend to assume everyone here is a gay man ) but you all really are terribly obsessed with male genitalia, hey? 🙂
I’ve no obsession with members no, but am rather keen on my partner and her feminine charm.
My attempt to show support for felix with my abuse to k_p was dumb and useless as felix can scratch back just fine without my insignificant two cents.
“I don’t know if you’re a man or a woman, (I tend to assume everyone here is a gay man )”
That is one of the most unusual things I’ve read on here, can you elaborate on that in any way?
FWIW, I didn’t think it was dumb to highlight k_p’s weird fixations. And yeah, Vicky does drop some clangers, eh?
Yeah that was an odd one and despite just picking up her comment and hence my late reply, I’d be keen to have her tell more about this.
PMSL! 😀 😀 😀
But Felix you dear sad wee man, that’s what you do! Refer Open Mike 20.4.12…. Therefore the words Pot. Kettle. Black. spring to mind.
You mean that thing about how you said you reckoned only 2 of the regulars here had kids, and I suggested you were speaking in tongues? ‘Cos, like, it was a ridiculous thing to say?
Sorry, was I supposed to take that seriously?
Sorry RL but he posted the same thing twice.
That’s because I posted the first one in the wrong column and when I hit the delete button all I got was a -1 which I presume is an output break for debugging. So I went ahead and posted it further down anyway.
Perhaps China will show us the way forward.
“The carbon-fuelled, capital-driven model of economic growth, which started in my country 200-odd years ago, has spread across the planet and is now, I believe, reaching its apex here in China.”
http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/4876–The-world-s-most-important-story
Breaking news, Banksie has announced that New Zealand has recently taken a major turn to the left. Did anyone else notice, or was I the only one that missed it? http://afinetale.blogspot.co.nz/2012/04/which-country-has-taken-major-turn-to.html
Yes, I thought it was a strange comment.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/6785559/ACT-party-set-sights-on-2014-election
This, the same day many righties are claiming a rise in National’s support as in the latest Roy Morgan poll.
And, funny, but I thought the 2011 election was claimed by some as a landslide victory for National!
http://nz.news.yahoo.com/opinion/post/-/blog/news_makers/post/75/comment/
John Banks…. the guy who slammed casinos in 1997, and is supportive of them today:
http://www.3news.co.nz/John-Banks-relaxes-views-on-casino-industry/tabid/1607/articleID/251304/Default.aspx
Must be a strange landscape of scrambled and shifting views inside JB’s head!
The interior of Banksie’s head is one large scrambled egg. What did the Actoids think of his speech I wonder. While they may be ideologically obsessed with free market logic, not all of them are mad or even idiots.
“not all of them are mad or even idiots.”
[citation needed]
Umm..aahh… eek.. well, I knew one or two once who seemed reasonably sane. Mind you, it was a long time ago.
Maurice Williamson,the latest from within the National Government to stick the leader ‘Slippery’ one with a sharp object, exposing Slippery and His shady dealings with SkyCity for all to see and at the same time getting a spot of utu for previous slights…
Oh dear
and from the defense:-
I suppose we’re going to have to start calling this the Mega Ballsup Case.
The NZ police co-operated with and used our resources to assist this US corporatised bullshit. Bad judgement all round.
..what a toilet this site has become. No wonder I dont visit here. Yuk.
Well you did visit, and given your comment i guess you were looking for some intelligent well researched opinions. There are plenty of these on The Standard as well as the kind you obviously don’t like. No reason to run away – unless you just came here just to make a negative judgemental comment. If you’re genuinely interested in challenging and debating left wing politics and ideas then i’d strongly encourage you to stay and get involved
+1 as they say!