Thanks – so sad to hear these gendered insults. I though morgan was better than this – he isnt, he’s just another privileged anachronism.
Edit just looked at that Twitter – ugly attitude morgan -let’s talk policy lol yeah sure mate youve just fucked your party, lost your dignity and respect and wasted money – a real hero all because of ego and a big mouth.
Best to ignore it. It’s probably just TOP people doing a Trump because they have been getting so little coverage – desperate bid for media attention. The more Morgan/TOP are attacked for it, the more they will stand their ground.
Or.. it’s a commonly used metaphor that means trying to make something ugly pretty by glossing over and not making changes.
Lets be honest here. What has labour changed in the last few weeks other than the leader? Are the policies the same? It seems that the only change is cosmetic and so his metaphor would seem accurate.
If the issue with this is that he used a metaphor that included lipstick … honestly are we really at the point where you have to sanitise ever single word just in case someone wants to make it sexist, or gender biased? I could get just as offended that you think speaking of lipstick is a sexist attack when many men enjoy wearing it.
This reminds me so much of when Labour supports ate Hone last election. Trying to find every small utterance to discredit and minimise him. In the end both Mana and TOP have a hell of a lot of very good left wing principles.
I don’t see TOP as having left wing principles. Most importantly, it’s another TOP-down party where those with the main power make the decisions about what they think is best for the least well off.
To me the left is about policies and values being driven more collectively from the bottom up – from as much engagement with a broad base of people as possible. And they seem to begin with an economic perspective, rather than by looking first at the kind of society works best for the many.
So you think a party being left wing is based on where the policy comes from? That seems pretty strange. If a party is calling for policy to really lower house prices, who cares if it was one or many people who came up with the idea. Large groups can come up with stupid ideas as well.
TOP base their policy on research on what is best for lowering inequality and protecting the environment. I don’t agree with all of them but if that’s not left wing gearing in your books I am really confused by what you consider to be left wing.
I agree that their UBI is not good enough and that comes a lot from the fact they have the opinion that a UBI would discourage people from working (very mixed research results on this). As I said I don’t like all their policy. I would not go so far as to try and claim that they aren’t left ideal’s even if the party themselves try to avoid labels of left or right.
To be fair, he has just used a euphemism for something that is all for show with no substance (which, by the way I do NOT think describes Jacinda) but of all the stupid, thoughtless ways he could have expressed it, this just takes the cake.
What a twerp!
That is not what the metaphor means. it means making cosmetic changes with out making any real improvements. What has Labour fundamentally changed since Jacinda took over?
You are correct crashcart, it is purely a metaphor and I have seen it used several times.
I am disappointed at the amount of vitriol being directed at Gareth. It was only a week ago we Greens were on the receiving end of vitriol which we felt wasn’t deserved.
Gareth’s point is valid and it is why I still back the Greens…… better policies and better candidates.
It is a metaphor that could have been safely used against John Key. The problem is that women use lipstick, and many will see this as an attack upon Jacinda – calling her a pig.
It was either Gareth being outspoken and rather thoughtless, or Gareth thinking that any publicity is good publicity, and pushing himself into primelight while being able to claim innocent intentions. Either way, I see it as a faux pas.
Gareth has a long way to go in some ways.
The comment was actually too hacknied to have any real punch. And in fact the ´pig´ in question was the Labour Party. Jacinda understood this and that is why she was not offended by it.
That last message was nearly 4 hours ago. I have gone back and looked at the 2 posts + threads on sexist Morgan, and I can scarcely believe how many people are furious that Morgan has made such a supposedly overt sexist attack. (Of course, it may be faux outrage…)
Well, I hope Morgan is learning something. Like emotion beats logic, and it does not pay to push the wrong buttons.
As he appears to have done.
The comment wasn’t about Ms Ardern: it was about the fractious and factious fellowship of the parliamentary Labour Party. ABCs never die – they just go dormant.
If the Labour Party wants to play ‘Whack a Mole’ – they need to do it in their own time before, LONG before, they front up to the electorate. Their prime person shouldn’t be toeing her dissidents into line. There should be no dissidents or loose mouths and poor judgement. Not at this stage of the game.
Have they changed their spots? That’s what we need to know. Because the last time they promised repentance and reform they pulled the chain on most of us before giving up on the unfinished business around resetting the economy to work for all.
And the ‘promises’ of now? The usual ‘please the overalls and contractors’ stuff. Typical traditional and sexist tosh. Back to the 60s and 70s. Don’t go there!
If they don’t like the ‘lipstick’ notion – how about ‘papering over the cracks and gaping holes’?
If Maori votes were caste in the general ballet box there would be at least 10 seats swing to the left so all the voters who vote left have being ripped off this is one of the main reasons that National has stayed in power John Key Winston and Gareth no this fact Apirana Ngata opposed the seats Its not rocket science.
We are all saying why are there 900 fraud cases sitting there and no one is pursuing these cases one of the main reason that the Police wont pursue these cases is it would COST to much to prosecute these cases’
Why are the jails so full our NZ western based criminal laws are a farce, How the law works now confidential wittiness can be paid a bribe and given a get out of jail free card
to help the Police convict there targeted person whom is always poor. The Police have all the best electronic surveillance tools in the world at there disposal And when they convince a judge to give them a warrant to arrest that targeted person . The Police will say to that person that if you don’t plead guilty to our charges against you we will not grant you bail if you plead guilty we will go easy on you . And don’t be fooled that the local legal aid lawyer has your best interest at hart because he is most likely having
tea and biscuits with your arresting officer after work. The bail laws have been changed to so the police can use them to get convictions. If one has family in the justice system, the police will apply huge presser tell them lies bribe them give them money let them off charges all to get there TARGET that is why the jails are so full one always picks the low hanging fruit first
Um you do realise we have mmp. This means if national gets 10 more electorate seats than it should the proportionality is not disturbed and Labour would get some more list seats. This was a big problem before mmp and indeed in 1978 and 1981 Labour got more overall votes than National but National got the most seats and governed. This was one of the reasons the support for mmp was so strong. In America a similar thing has happened with their weird ffp system with Trump getting less votes than Clinton.
The Māori seats are for Māori and therefore of benefit to everyone here. The temptation is to move back to the general roll for me but I’m not going to. I, and many others, believe in the value of the Māori roll – at the least it is an in your face reminder to the public of the Treaty, the 2 partners and the promises not kept by the crown.
I (as a Pakeha) value the Maori seats and think they need to stay. However, it took me a while when I moved up to Northland to realise that the probable reason why the ordinary seats were so conservative in such a neglected community is because of the high numbers on the Maori roll.
My knowledge is not sufficient to work out what impact this has overall, but MMP would certainly have a positive effect, as The Fairy Godmother, says
eco maori
“If Maori votes were caste in the general ballet box there would be at least 10 seats swing to the left “; why? Would not some Māori vote for National (or even ACT if they lived in Epsom)? Labour took the Māori seats for granted for so long until the Seabed & Foreshore confiscations, that it is hard to see why they they should expect Māori votes to be theirs by right.
As marty mars says, there is always (periodically) the option of moving; “back to the general roll”.
The justices system are pissed off that I am putting this information out to the public .
That is why there is no information on the law system in NZ on the net they can not let all the sheep no that there system is a Sham.
It is good that this site is safe. even the Maori lawyers wont disclose this information or Maori cops why because they will get there ass kicked and they no that it is very closed and a secret society can not all the people no what goes on behind closed door of the Justice system now all you young ones stay out of trouble and DONT GET ANY CRIMINAL CHARGES IF YOU DO YOUR ASS IS FUCKED
Barry Soper doing his best here to drive a wedge between Labour and the Greens and destroy the MOU. Especially:
“…Ardern’s now begun eating The Greens’ lunch, zeroing in on poverty and on climate change which she described as the nuclear free moment of her generation.”
This argument simply makes no sense-if someone is voting on the basis of climate change why would you vote for the pale green version when you can vote for the real thing? the Greens have by far the best track record on CC; Labour is trying to catch up.
He is also suggesting that there is a mood for a change, that National will lose, perhaps to get those intending to vote for NZ First to swing to National to save the day. Tricksy.
Anyone listening to Hooton on RNZ?! Whoever it was that predicted that he’d be hysterically panicking and trying to destroy the Greens and throw his money on Labour was dead right.
“A vote for the Greens is a vote for a National 4th term.”
Ta (saved me having to listen). Yeah, it does seem to be the latest spin line. I agree they must be worried. JA is thus far untouchable, although I’m sure they’re madly digging for dirt there and doing micro focus groups to see if there is anything to undermine her not matter how trivial. So if Labour get in the last thing they will want is the Greens there too. Better to have Labour/NZF.
As a followup to the Dunedin Hospital protest on the weekend, the ODT has this further information about how much National really care about improving healthcare:
Busy ward staff had to wend their way through politicians, reporters, political staff, and Southern District Health Board staff and commissioners. The stress in the ward was palpable. A mother watching proceedings with two young children was contemptuous of journalists “lapping it up” while Mr English greeted patients. She told the children it was all an election ploy from National.
A patient told Mr English of her concerns about the care given to another patient; DHB staff anxiously reassured reporters that all was well, and there had been a misunderstanding.
Sometimes PR stunts just don’t go to plan. For example, this; from later in the day, shows how the people herders in National tshirts sometimes let inconvenient citizens through to within speaking distance of their leader:
Captioned ” Prime Minister Bill English and Dunedin Hospital charge nurse Mary Molloy walk past a sign warning of asbestos at the Dunedin Hospital on Saturday”.
JC
Yeah, a provisional (if it gets through caucus next year when the business plan may be presented) promise of new facilities a decade away doesn’t address the urgent need now for safe hospital facilities.
“A report on building a new Dunedin hospital has revealed the Southern District Health Board can’t even afford to pay for it”……
Seems like the SDHB has to cover the cost of a rebuild… but can’t afford the 6% interest Govt will impose on the rebuild with their ongoing deficit!… so may not proceed!
Meanwhile…. the hospital is struggling to Function! Regardless of All the other issues! The infrastructure is Munted! How are they,( and the community) going to cope with another 10 plus years of this?
Last election’s split voting shows that Dunne got 59% of the National party voters’ electoral vote, compared to the Hudson’s (National candidate then and now) 29%. The party vote was 18,810 National to Labour’s 8,771.
Muttonbird
Nothing National could say would have influenced Peter Dunne. He would have made his own decision. At lest he is owed that.
Politics is not as cynical as you suggest.
Retired not out, just as he was about to lose his wicket.
Cant say I am sorry to see him go. His and his party’s strong performance at in the 2002 wrecked any hope of any left wing policies of notable substance being enacted during Lab5 term (WFF and interest free loans essenitally treating symptoms)
It would be really nice if DPBs could also have a go with free. Not only are they poor they also have children to care for, who must go everywhere they go if a reliable babysitter isn’t around.
But they must be considered last or not at all, poor parents are not trying to get ahead are they, and the miracle of life and humanity is just so everyday and trite.
When single parents do try to get ahead, also caring for their baby, we have seen how our ‘miss-ogynistic’ country behaves. It doesn’t behove a modern, humanitarian country to behave like that. Very Dickensian and coldly discriminating and self-oriented. Very backward and steeped in a stiff-necked class-oriented past.
Carolyn_nth
That is interesting, considering that Bradbury posted this a couple of weeks back:
The poor and the young are the ones who are hardest hit by transport costs, if the Greens promised a Green Card that gave free bus and train transport (not Ferry’s because that’s just a rort) it would perfectly connect with their environmental credentials as well as their new staunch stand with beneficiaries…
The huge chunk of none voting beneficiaries who make up the missing million already have strong reasons to vote Green for the $180 per week increase in benefits, adding free public transport would be the icing on the cake. Launching a Green Card would also inoculate the Greens from the move to free tertiary education that Labour are looking at.
It seems most likely that he was leaked some policy in progress to see how it went over (it got a substantial number of generally favourable comments). Rather than the GP being so lost for ideas that they are now taking advice from Bradbury (I like his writing, but more for the flashy turns of phrase, than rigorously considered analysis)
“Greens pledge free public transport for under 19 year olds!”
There is no such thing as ‘free’.
All ‘free’ means is that someone else, somewhere else, is paying – In this case the taxpayer/ratepayer.
There may well be a sound reason for allowing some services to be low cost or no cost to the end user, but those reasons should be rationally presented, and not tainted or misrepresented by the wrongful use of the emotive word ‘free’.
but then the “taxpayer” also gets the benefit of less traffic on the roads as people increase the use of public transport, and so might be able to defer roadbuilding costs. So is the impact on your wallet positive or negative?
All we know for sure is that for green card recipients, transport will be free.
Natz must really be packing itself now, if PM Bill English’s problems with acne have become the topic of conversation, during an electoral campaign … eee yuk!
In another desperate move, next to identify with ordinary Kiwis, which Natz MPs will out themselves as having suffered from haemorrhoids, scabies, impetigo, halitosis, infected ingrown toenails, worms or chronic flatulence at some stage of their insignificant life cycle?
It’s across a few news sites. Were they thinking this would be a foil to Ardern’s cool girl image? I hope not because all the electorate will be thinking about is Bingles’ acne.
But then perhaps he was trying to distract from Peter Dunne’s cowardly resignation today.
With the polls consistently trending down for National, at what point will they panic and drop Bill. Or will they all go down with him?
Their problem seems to be no ready made replacement. Paula is being kept off TV,
Stephen is a PR disaster waiting to happen, Simon too thick, which leaves Amy or Judith.
Buy popcorn!
If you have a spare 6 minutes you will get a few laughs from this.
If you don’t the best line is the last line. They legalised pot, this forced all the drug dealers out of the game, so now kids can’t get their hands on it.
Something I’ve been saying for years. If pot is illegal because you want to protect the children, then that is not working. Gangs will sell to anyone, including 5 year old’s, if they have the cash.
you will note your article is written by an arable farmer….many of who whose land has been bought and converted to dairy in the past 20 years and a 2012 Lincoln Uni study suggested land used for dairy in Canterbury was expected to double within the next 20 years after increasing from 20,000h to 190,000h over the previous 20..
.
“Conversion of arable and mixed-arable farms to dairy is a threat to the industry through reduced economies of scale and loss of infrastructure. The development of large community irrigation schemes has facilitated dairy conversions, particularly in Canterbury. Nutrient loss limits, proposed by many regional councils, suggest that nutrient management is likely to become a challenging issue for many arable farmers, particularly those growing winter vegetables and forage crops for winter grazing of dairy cattle.”
Ok, so the guy got upset because he was shown a few pictures of dirty rivers in NZ.
He seems bewildered that a lot of Kiwis don’t agree with him that NZ is a wonderful place because what he sees in Ashburton recently means that everyone else must be enjoying the same benefits.
What he doesn’t get is that those benefits have come at a well documented cost to the environment.
He also doesn’t seem to have registered that the Labour policy allows for different land use and location so that those who are doing the damage will have to pay for the resource they use.
Some things are easier to see from far away, and a collective slide away from empathy and common sense, towards pearl-clutching judgmentalism, is one of them. At the start of August the co-leader of New Zealand’s Green party, Metiria Turei, was forced to resign, following an outpouring of opprobrium that threatened to poleaxe her party’s prospects in September’s elections.
Disagree – pretty easy to see from close up. Anyways…
Simply by changing the frame, pointing attention towards the dishonest, the government managed to render whole swaths of normal social inquiry – what is life like for those at the bottom? – irrelevant. Ask not what life is like for those at the bottom; ask whether they really are at the bottom, or have a cash-in-hand window-cleaning job that puts them nearer the middle. Ask what mountain of fecklessness prevents their escape from the bottom.
[…]
People still have a conception of decency that goes well beyond mere sustenance, and wish it for one another. All that remains is that we remember how to fight for it.
That vote compass is quite useful for checking out whether you’re in the boat or paddling alongside.
At the end it gives the Parties’ summarised lines on the different queries that have been posed. And looking at those allows you to see why the particular Party doesn’t seem to fit in the expected slot. They have ideas that are slightly different and put it in a different category.
Its a law like gravity: whenever a right-wing government is elected, they start attacking democracy. And now, after talking to their Republican and Tory and Fidesz chums at the International Democracy Union forum in Wellington, National is doing it here, announcing plans to remove election-day enrolment. Or, to put it ...
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David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
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Peter Dunne writes – It is one of the oldest truisms that there is never a good time for MPs to get a pay rise. This week’s announcement of pay raises of around 2.8% backdated to last October could hardly have come at a worse time, with the ...
David Farrar writes – Newshub reports: Newshub can reveal a fresh allegation of intimidation against Green MP Julie-Anne Genter. Genter is subject to a disciplinary process for aggressively waving a book in the face of National Minister Matt Doocey in the House – but it’s not the first time ...
The Treasury has published a paper today on the global productivity slowdown and how it is playing out in New Zealand: The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections. The Treasury Paper examines recent trends in productivity and the potential drivers of the slowdown. Productivity for the whole economy ...
Winston Peters’ comments about former Australian foreign minister look set to be an ongoing headache for both him and Luxon. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guests on Gaza and ...
These puppet strings don't pull themselvesYou're thinking thoughts from someone elseHow much time do you think you have?Are you prepared for what comes next?The debating chamber can be a trying place for an opposition MP. What with the person in charge, the speaker, typically being an MP from the governing ...
The land around Lyme Regis, where Meryl Streep once stood, in a hood, on the Cobb, is falling into the sea.MerylThe land around Lyme Regis, around the Cobb that made it rich, has always been falling slowly but surely into the sea. Read more ...
Buzz from the Beehive Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters was bound to win headlines when he set out his thinking about AUKUS in his speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. The headlines became bigger when – during an interview on RNZ’s Morning Report today – he criticised ...
The Post reports on how the government is refusing to release its advice on its corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law, instead using the "soon to be publicly available" refusal ground to hide it until after select committee submissions on the bill have closed. Fast-track Minister Chris Bishop's excuse? “It's not ...
As pressure on it grows, the livestock industry’s approach to the transition to Net Zero is increasingly being compared to that of fossil fuel interests. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above ...
The New Zealand Herald reports – Stats NZ has offered a voluntary redundancy scheme to all of its workers as a way to give staff some control over their “future” amidst widespread job losses in the public sector. In an update to staff this morning, seen by the Herald, Statistics New Zealand ...
On Werewolf/Scoop, I usually do two long form political columns a week. From now on, there will be an extra column each week about music and movies. But first, some late-breaking political events:The rise in unemployment numbers for the March quarter was bigger than expected – and especially sharp ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: TVNZ says it is dealing with about 50 formal complaints over its coverage of the latest 1News-Verian political poll, with some viewers – as well as the Prime Minister and a former senior Labour MP – critical of the tone of the 6pm report. ...
Muriel Newman writes – When Meridian Energy was seeking resource consents for a West Coast hydro dam proposal in 2010, local Maori “strenuously” objected, claiming their mana was inextricably linked to ‘their’ river and could be damaged. After receiving a financial payment from the company, however, the Ngai Tahu ...
Alwyn Poole writes – “An SEP,’ he said, ‘is something that we can’t see, or don’t see, or our brain doesn’t let us see, because we think that it’s somebody else’s problem. That’s what SEP means. Somebody Else’s Problem. The brain just edits it out, it’s like a ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
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 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Myfany Turpin, Associate Professor, Ethnomusicology, Linguistics and Ethnobiology, University of Sydney The act representing Australia at this year’s Eurovision contest has sadly not qualified for the grand final. Yet for Zaachariaha Fielding and Michael Ross, the duo that makes up Electric Fields, ...
In announcing changes to the school lunches programme, David Seymour said kids would no longer be served ‘woke’ foods. To clear up any confusion, The Spinoff has compiled a guide to the wokeness levels of some common food items. Apple = NOT WOKE Avocado = WOKE Avocado, smashed = EVEN ...
The Minister Responsible for GCSB and the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security have been notified of this review, and have been provided a finalised Terms of Reference. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Minglu Chen, Senior Lecturer, Government and International Relations, University of Sydney Robert Way/Shutterstock As the past few years have illustrated so clearly, the Australia-China relationship is complicated. As such, it is crucial for Australians to develop a more nuanced understanding of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mariana Campbell, Research Lecturer, Conservation, Charles Darwin University Marilyn Connell Australian freshwater turtles are facing an alarming trend. Almost half of these species are listed as vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered. The Mary River turtle (Elusor macrurus) is one of Australia’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Debbie Passey, Digital Health Research Fellow, The University of Melbourne Algorithms have become integral to our lives. From social media apps to Netflix, algorithms learn your preferences and prioritise the content you are shown. Google Maps and artificial intelligence are nothing without ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Josephine Barbaro, Associate Professor, Principal Research Fellow, Psychologist, La Trobe University Unsplash We’ve come a long way in terms of understanding that everyone thinks, interacts and experiences the world differently. In the past, autistic people, people with attention deficit hyperactive disorder ...
PNG Post-Courier Papua New Guinea’s deputy opposition leader James Nomane has accused the government of “reckless economic management” that has forced devaluation to manage loan repayments in foreign currency and placate the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Prime Minister James Marape “must stop lying to the people of Papua New Guinea”, ...
Welcome to The Spinoff Bookseller Confessional, in which we get to know Aotearoa’s booksellers. This week: Jane Arthur, author of Brown Bird, and former bookseller at Good Books.The book I wish I’d writtenI have been working on not comparing myself to others. On accepting that what I can ...
The final decision on the Wellington District Plan makes it official: High-density housing is legal across most of Wellington. Housing minister Chris Bishop has announced his decision on the Wellington District Plan, approving a series of amendments to radically upzone most of Wellington, allowing tens of thousands of new townhouses ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. “Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to ...
RNZ News As Israel presses ahead with strikes in Rafah and seizing the Rafah crossing from Egypt, aid agencies are sounding the alarm of a “catastrophic humanitarian situation”. Rafah was “significant” because it was the only part in Gaza that had not been terribly damaged by the conflict, United Nations ...
With funding set to be scrapped for the Hamilton-Auckland commuter train, Te Huia enthusiast Georgie Dansey argues for it to be thrown a lifeline. It’s 5.45am and the chain of my crappy old bike falls off slugging up the one hill in Hamilton. I contemplate yeeting the bike into the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna Cooke, Honorary Fellow, School of the Environment, The University of Queensland We feel ecological grief when we lose places, species or ecosystems we value and love. These losses are a growing threat to mental health and wellbeing globally. We all see ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shauna Brail, Associate Professor, Institute for Management & Innovation, University of Toronto A shift to hybrid and remote work continues to affect worker presence in Toronto’s downtown.(Shutterstock) Downtown Toronto, the core of Canada’s largest city, continues to reel from the lingering ...
Responding to an Auditor-General's report slamming failures in the administration of the 2023 General Election, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said: ...
Productivity apps now make up a big chunk of the software market. But do they work? And why do they all have AI integrations?Despite being firmly on the record as a physical planner fan, I sometimes dream of something better than my pretty diary and its scrawled, ugly, interior ...
The Taxpayers’ Union says the Beehive need to lead by example, following reports of more than $50,000 spent upgrading video conferencing equipment and furniture in the Prime Minister’s office. Taxpayers’ Union Campaign Manager, Connor Molloy, ...
An objective list of the 50 most powerful people in New Zealand, as judged by the Spinoff Editorial Board. It’s power list season, baby, and we want in on the action. Sure, there’s the rich list and the powerful “c-suite” list and the young people with power (hmmm) but here, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thalia Anthony, Professor of Law, University of Technology Sydney ShutterstockThis article contains information on deaths in custody and the names of deceased people, and describes ongoing colonial violence towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. First Nations people in Australia ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alex Simpson, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, Macquarie University Netflix Baby Reindeer’s phenomenal success has much to do with its writer and lead, Richard Gadd, who plays Donny in a tender semi-autobiographical account of sexual abuse, harassment and stalking. Gadd’s story has ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Collins, Laureate Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Newcastle KarolinaGrabowska/Pexels If you didn’t have food allergies as a child, is it possible to develop them as an adult? The short answer is yes. But the reasons why are much ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Moon, Professor of History, Auckland University of Technology Ans Westra, self-portrait, c. 1963. National Library ref AWM-0705-F They try but invariably fail – those writers who believe they are capable of encapsulating in prose or verse the essence of ...
Stewart Sowman-Lund looks at the growing concern around the world in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. What’s all this? When Covid-19 arrived on our shores in early 2020, some argued we were too slow, or crucially, ill-prepared for a pandemic. So ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Franco Montalto, Professor of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering and Director, Sustainable Water Resource Engineering Laboratory, Drexel University Water runs into a storm drain in a Los Angeles alley on Aug. 19, 2023, during Tropical Storm Hilary.Citizen of the Planet/Universal Images ...
The inquest into the death of Gore toddler Lachlan Jones has turned up a new witness who says he saw two teenagers and a small child in a high vis vest in the area where the boy’s body was found the day he died. Lachie’s body was discovered face up ...
Stories from the tenancy trenches, featuring spider infestations, cupboard rats and same-sex discrimination. Lucy’s brother was living in a damp 1930s building in Mt Eden where “he had to tie the cupboard doors closed so the rats didn’t get in”. Although he shared custody of his six-year-old son, his property ...
Simeon Brown, Chris Luxon, and Wayne Brown climbed into a hole and announced a plan to solve Auckland’s water woes. This is how it’ll work. New Zealand’s pipes are munted. They’re cracked and leaking, and struggling to handle all the extra poos excreted by our rising population. It’s a big, ...
I knew Taika Waititi quite well when he was a kid. His mother lived in a tall narrow house in Aro St, and my youngest sister had a similar house two doors along. They were both single mums, they each had a son aged seven. Taika and my nephew Stepan ...
Opinion: “As time passes, knowledge of the circumstances of the August 2016 outbreak will fade and its immediate impact will be lost.” This statement is from the 2017 report of the Official Inquiry into the Havelock North campylobacteriosis outbreak. The then National-led government established the inquiry after the outbreak left ...
Opinion: Nicholas Khoo looks at two key points in the high-stakes foreign policy pact debate – and asks if NZ can engage with as little drama as possible. The post Where to next for the Aukus ruckus? appeared first on Newsroom. ...
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Opinion: ‘Reference-class forecasting’ is at the heart of improving pricing a project and identifying the expected timeframe but it doesn’t appear to be in use here The post ‘Think fast and act slowly’ is failing big projects appeared first on Newsroom. ...
What do a sombrero in Argentina and cognitive driving tests have in common? Don’t worry, we’re not setting up a bad joke. Hinengaro Clinic dementia clinician Gregory Winkelman has the answer on today’s episode of The Detail. “We ask a patient’s spouse or son or daughter: If you went to ...
Wellington long jumper Phoebe Edwards is back and she’s having fun again. Until this year, Edwards, a top athlete in her teens, had never competed as a senior athlete in New Zealand. In March, the 26-year-old won a national long jump title in a lifetime best of 6.28m after ...
After replacing a fifth of their caucus in just four months, the Greens’ opportunity to reset, reshuffle and refocus on the Government is quickly slipping away The post Persistent Green Party scandals delay caucus reset appeared first on Newsroom. ...
ANALYSIS:By Olli Hellmann, University of Waikato When New Zealanders commemorate Anzac Day today on April 25, it’s not only to honour the soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and subsequent conflicts, but also to mark a defining event for national identity. The battle of Gallipoli against ...
By Robin Martin, RNZ News reporter A New Zealand local authority, Whanganui District Council, has passed a motion calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, condemnation of all acts of violence and terror against civilians on both sides of the conflict and the immediate return of hostages. It comes as ...
Asia Pacific Report The Aotearoa chapter of the Women’s International league for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) has appealed to the New Zealand government to call out Israel over the “cruel and barbaric use of force” in Gaza and demand a permanent ceasefire. The league’s open letter was sent to Prime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government will invest $566 million over a decade on data, maps and other tools to promote exploration and development in Australia’s resources industry. The project will fund “the first comprehensive map of what’s ...
Asia Pacific Report Following an open letter by Auckland University academics speaking out in support of their students’ right to protest against the genocidal Israeli war on Gaza, a group of academics at Otago University have today also called on New Zealand academic institutions to “repair colonial violence” and end ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Linda J. Graham, Professor and Director of the Centre for Inclusive Education, Queensland University of Technology Ryan Tauss/ Unsplash, CC BY Two male students have been expelled from a Melbourne private school for their involvement in a list ranking female students. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The Reserve Bank is now assuming Australians will see no interest rate cuts this year – and quite possibly none before the next federal election, due next May. That’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Hayward, Emeritus Professor of Public Policy, RMIT University The Victorian budget offered more of the same on Tuesday, with the only change being how the budget papers were packaged. The usual shrink wrap was gone, hinting at savings in the pages ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Coalition is demanding extensive amendments to the government’s legislation targeting non-citizens who refuse to co-operate with their removal. In a dissenting report to the senate inquiry into the legislation, the Coalition says it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vanita Yadav, Senior Research Fellow, Urban Transformations Research Centre, Western Sydney University Brett Boardman/Belvoir The complex and grappling issue of violence against women takes centre stage in the soul-stirring solo dance drama Nayika: A Dancing Girl. During a dinner conversation ...
Disruption to patient care from a nationwide junior doctors strike is bordering on unsafe, a senior doctor claims, despite what health officials say. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Diepstraten, Senior Research Officer, Blood Cells and Blood Cancer Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute Ground Picture/Shutterstock The anti-cancer drug abemaciclib (also known as Vernezio) has this month been added to the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) to treat certain ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dominic McAfee, Postdoctoral researcher, marine ecology, University of Adelaide Robbie Porter, OzFish Unlimited Around Australia, hundreds of people are coming together to help a once-prized, but decimated and largely forgotten marine ecosystem. They’re busy restoring Australia’s native oyster and mussel reefs. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Webb, Lecturer, Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University of Technology Austin Human/Unsplash How does Earth stop meteors from hitting Earth and hurting people? –Asher, 6 years 11 months, New South Wales Alright, let’s embark on a meteor ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rory Mulcahy, Associate Professor of Marketing, University of the Sunshine Coast Professional sports organisations regularly promote and develop initiatives to support diversity, equity and inclusion. While sport has the power to change attitudes by sparking conversations about political issues and social ...
Comment: The weekly Monday post-Cabinet press conference is a useful forum for observing Christopher Luxon and how he is developing into the job of Prime Minister. He attempts to convey the impression of a man of action, speaking fast, delivering memorised National Party strategies in a connect-the-slogans kind of way, ...
Bad mistake Morgan calling on ardern to show she’s more than lipstick on a pig. The pig is you Morgan – goodbye oops party.
Not “oops”…….poops.
Were did that story come from If its true Gareth he has just pissed in the wind
Nzh – can’t link on phone sorry – front page and breaking news prob on radio now although I haven’t checked.
Link here via the Herald
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11907949
With Sean Plunkett as Morgans campaign manager is it any wonder Morgan is taking this kind of bullying approach
What an arsehole, Morgan has just posted on his twitter a cup that looks like Muldoon with a lipstick next to it
https://twitter.com/garethmorgannz
Attacking someones appearance because they are beating you in the polls is nothing more than jealousy, and ego issues from Morgan
Thanks – so sad to hear these gendered insults. I though morgan was better than this – he isnt, he’s just another privileged anachronism.
Edit just looked at that Twitter – ugly attitude morgan -let’s talk policy lol yeah sure mate youve just fucked your party, lost your dignity and respect and wasted money – a real hero all because of ego and a big mouth.
Best to ignore it. It’s probably just TOP people doing a Trump because they have been getting so little coverage – desperate bid for media attention. The more Morgan/TOP are attacked for it, the more they will stand their ground.
Or.. it’s a commonly used metaphor that means trying to make something ugly pretty by glossing over and not making changes.
Lets be honest here. What has labour changed in the last few weeks other than the leader? Are the policies the same? It seems that the only change is cosmetic and so his metaphor would seem accurate.
If the issue with this is that he used a metaphor that included lipstick … honestly are we really at the point where you have to sanitise ever single word just in case someone wants to make it sexist, or gender biased? I could get just as offended that you think speaking of lipstick is a sexist attack when many men enjoy wearing it.
This reminds me so much of when Labour supports ate Hone last election. Trying to find every small utterance to discredit and minimise him. In the end both Mana and TOP have a hell of a lot of very good left wing principles.
I don’t see TOP as having left wing principles. Most importantly, it’s another TOP-down party where those with the main power make the decisions about what they think is best for the least well off.
To me the left is about policies and values being driven more collectively from the bottom up – from as much engagement with a broad base of people as possible. And they seem to begin with an economic perspective, rather than by looking first at the kind of society works best for the many.
So you think a party being left wing is based on where the policy comes from? That seems pretty strange. If a party is calling for policy to really lower house prices, who cares if it was one or many people who came up with the idea. Large groups can come up with stupid ideas as well.
TOP base their policy on research on what is best for lowering inequality and protecting the environment. I don’t agree with all of them but if that’s not left wing gearing in your books I am really confused by what you consider to be left wing.
Ultimately the proof is in the policies. But TOP policies betray their origins.
The UBI, for instance, does not cater well to those on disabilities and it’s set too low to be helpful to many on lower incomes.
Economics is not infallible. It depends what research they look to.
I agree that their UBI is not good enough and that comes a lot from the fact they have the opinion that a UBI would discourage people from working (very mixed research results on this). As I said I don’t like all their policy. I would not go so far as to try and claim that they aren’t left ideal’s even if the party themselves try to avoid labels of left or right.
I don´t think the amounts are cast in stone. They would probably do some more research to decide how much when the the policy is finally implemented.
To be fair, he has just used a euphemism for something that is all for show with no substance (which, by the way I do NOT think describes Jacinda) but of all the stupid, thoughtless ways he could have expressed it, this just takes the cake.
What a twerp!
That is not what the metaphor means. it means making cosmetic changes with out making any real improvements. What has Labour fundamentally changed since Jacinda took over?
His metaphor seems sound.
You are correct crashcart, it is purely a metaphor and I have seen it used several times.
I am disappointed at the amount of vitriol being directed at Gareth. It was only a week ago we Greens were on the receiving end of vitriol which we felt wasn’t deserved.
Gareth’s point is valid and it is why I still back the Greens…… better policies and better candidates.
It is a metaphor that could have been safely used against John Key. The problem is that women use lipstick, and many will see this as an attack upon Jacinda – calling her a pig.
It was either Gareth being outspoken and rather thoughtless, or Gareth thinking that any publicity is good publicity, and pushing himself into primelight while being able to claim innocent intentions. Either way, I see it as a faux pas.
Gareth has a long way to go in some ways.
The comment was actually too hacknied to have any real punch. And in fact the ´pig´ in question was the Labour Party. Jacinda understood this and that is why she was not offended by it.
That last message was nearly 4 hours ago. I have gone back and looked at the 2 posts + threads on sexist Morgan, and I can scarcely believe how many people are furious that Morgan has made such a supposedly overt sexist attack. (Of course, it may be faux outrage…)
Well, I hope Morgan is learning something. Like emotion beats logic, and it does not pay to push the wrong buttons.
As he appears to have done.
That sounds about right.
The comment wasn’t about Ms Ardern: it was about the fractious and factious fellowship of the parliamentary Labour Party. ABCs never die – they just go dormant.
If the Labour Party wants to play ‘Whack a Mole’ – they need to do it in their own time before, LONG before, they front up to the electorate. Their prime person shouldn’t be toeing her dissidents into line. There should be no dissidents or loose mouths and poor judgement. Not at this stage of the game.
Have they changed their spots? That’s what we need to know. Because the last time they promised repentance and reform they pulled the chain on most of us before giving up on the unfinished business around resetting the economy to work for all.
And the ‘promises’ of now? The usual ‘please the overalls and contractors’ stuff. Typical traditional and sexist tosh. Back to the 60s and 70s. Don’t go there!
If they don’t like the ‘lipstick’ notion – how about ‘papering over the cracks and gaping holes’?
Brexit is the backlash of the old regime. For us it is Bill.
The hair lipped weasel really put his foot in his mouth this time ?
I hope hair-lipped is another metaphor, TT?
Whoops – just caught on. Good one. I withdraw last question.
Thanks but I think someone else is pissing in the wind
If Maori votes were caste in the general ballet box there would be at least 10 seats swing to the left so all the voters who vote left have being ripped off this is one of the main reasons that National has stayed in power John Key Winston and Gareth no this fact Apirana Ngata opposed the seats Its not rocket science.
We are all saying why are there 900 fraud cases sitting there and no one is pursuing these cases one of the main reason that the Police wont pursue these cases is it would COST to much to prosecute these cases’
Why are the jails so full our NZ western based criminal laws are a farce, How the law works now confidential wittiness can be paid a bribe and given a get out of jail free card
to help the Police convict there targeted person whom is always poor. The Police have all the best electronic surveillance tools in the world at there disposal And when they convince a judge to give them a warrant to arrest that targeted person . The Police will say to that person that if you don’t plead guilty to our charges against you we will not grant you bail if you plead guilty we will go easy on you . And don’t be fooled that the local legal aid lawyer has your best interest at hart because he is most likely having
tea and biscuits with your arresting officer after work. The bail laws have been changed to so the police can use them to get convictions. If one has family in the justice system, the police will apply huge presser tell them lies bribe them give them money let them off charges all to get there TARGET that is why the jails are so full one always picks the low hanging fruit first
Um you do realise we have mmp. This means if national gets 10 more electorate seats than it should the proportionality is not disturbed and Labour would get some more list seats. This was a big problem before mmp and indeed in 1978 and 1981 Labour got more overall votes than National but National got the most seats and governed. This was one of the reasons the support for mmp was so strong. In America a similar thing has happened with their weird ffp system with Trump getting less votes than Clinton.
The Māori seats are for Māori and therefore of benefit to everyone here. The temptation is to move back to the general roll for me but I’m not going to. I, and many others, believe in the value of the Māori roll – at the least it is an in your face reminder to the public of the Treaty, the 2 partners and the promises not kept by the crown.
I (as a Pakeha) value the Maori seats and think they need to stay. However, it took me a while when I moved up to Northland to realise that the probable reason why the ordinary seats were so conservative in such a neglected community is because of the high numbers on the Maori roll.
My knowledge is not sufficient to work out what impact this has overall, but MMP would certainly have a positive effect, as The Fairy Godmother, says
eco maori
“If Maori votes were caste in the general ballet box there would be at least 10 seats swing to the left “; why? Would not some Māori vote for National (or even ACT if they lived in Epsom)? Labour took the Māori seats for granted for so long until the Seabed & Foreshore confiscations, that it is hard to see why they they should expect Māori votes to be theirs by right.
As marty mars says, there is always (periodically) the option of moving; “back to the general roll”.
you people dont get the big picture do the math the right have pulled the wool over our eyes long enough come on
The justices system are pissed off that I am putting this information out to the public .
That is why there is no information on the law system in NZ on the net they can not let all the sheep no that there system is a Sham.
It is good that this site is safe. even the Maori lawyers wont disclose this information or Maori cops why because they will get there ass kicked and they no that it is very closed and a secret society can not all the people no what goes on behind closed door of the Justice system now all you young ones stay out of trouble and DONT GET ANY CRIMINAL CHARGES IF YOU DO YOUR ASS IS FUCKED
Whoa! Just started watching Paula Penfold’s documentary on NZ’s involvement in Afghanistan. Looks pretty compelling. Up on STuff website this morning.
Also starring Wayne Mapp, Keith Locke and many others.
O.O Thanks for that will check it out
Have been rather impressed with Jack Tames knowledge and interviewing skills on a Monday morning when asking questions of the PM.
Well done Jack for knowing your stuff when questioning Bill about his ongoing neglect to climate change.
Will post the interview if and when it comes online
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/pm-says-nz-can-meet-climate-targets-while-maintaining-growth
Looks like Labour are preparing some more rail and regional road announcements today.
As long as there no stupid caveat like “NZ Companies must have first right of refusal”, happy if the caveat is “NZ jobs must be created”
Barry Soper doing his best here to drive a wedge between Labour and the Greens and destroy the MOU. Especially:
“…Ardern’s now begun eating The Greens’ lunch, zeroing in on poverty and on climate change which she described as the nuclear free moment of her generation.”
This argument simply makes no sense-if someone is voting on the basis of climate change why would you vote for the pale green version when you can vote for the real thing? the Greens have by far the best track record on CC; Labour is trying to catch up.
It’s here:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11907816
Hooton on RNZ right now is telling all Green voters to vote Labour-that is the only way to get a Left wing government.
All Standardistas should be well aware by now that when Hooton tells you to do something you should do the opposite.
He is also suggesting that there is a mood for a change, that National will lose, perhaps to get those intending to vote for NZ First to swing to National to save the day. Tricksy.
Anyone listening to Hooton on RNZ?! Whoever it was that predicted that he’d be hysterically panicking and trying to destroy the Greens and throw his money on Labour was dead right.
“A vote for the Greens is a vote for a National 4th term.”
He’s freaking.
was that the old ‘the Greens will do a deal with National’, or the new ‘if the Greens get less than 5% those MP shares will go to National’?
More along the “Green is a wasted vote” line. Thinks that Labour is actively and unashamedly out to destroy any competition on the left.
Ta (saved me having to listen). Yeah, it does seem to be the latest spin line. I agree they must be worried. JA is thus far untouchable, although I’m sure they’re madly digging for dirt there and doing micro focus groups to see if there is anything to undermine her not matter how trivial. So if Labour get in the last thing they will want is the Greens there too. Better to have Labour/NZF.
As a followup to the Dunedin Hospital protest on the weekend, the ODT has this further information about how much National really care about improving healthcare:
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/health/visiting-hour-not-without-upsets
Sometimes PR stunts just don’t go to plan. For example, this; from later in the day, shows how the people herders in National tshirts sometimes let inconvenient citizens through to within speaking distance of their leader:
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/video-dont-wanna-shake-your-hand-bill-english-faces-critics-and-adoring-fans-during-dunedin-visit
Love the ODT photo!
Captioned ” Prime Minister Bill English and Dunedin Hospital charge nurse Mary Molloy walk past a sign warning of asbestos at the Dunedin Hospital on Saturday”.
They say a photo says a thousand words.
This one says it all!
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/leaks-dunedin-hospital-after-storm
JC
Yeah, a provisional (if it gets through caucus next year when the business plan may be presented) promise of new facilities a decade away doesn’t address the urgent need now for safe hospital facilities.
Despair Yes.
What a joke! Despite the PM et al spin…
“A report on building a new Dunedin hospital has revealed the Southern District Health Board can’t even afford to pay for it”……
Seems like the SDHB has to cover the cost of a rebuild… but can’t afford the 6% interest Govt will impose on the rebuild with their ongoing deficit!… so may not proceed!
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/201855553/southern-dhb-cannot-afford-dunedin-hospital-rebuild
Meanwhile…. the hospital is struggling to Function! Regardless of All the other issues! The infrastructure is Munted! How are they,( and the community) going to cope with another 10 plus years of this?
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/health/hospital%E2%80%99s-facilities-crumbling
Encouraging “poll of polls” reported on RNZ – looks like this useless NAct government might get kicked to the kerb, and not a moment too soon.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/337641/polls-continue-to-reflect-jacinda-effect
Peter Dunne – Gone! Not seeking re-election
https://twitter.com/katieabradford/status/899429487158349824/photo/1
Yep good. And i have to say kudos to him for doing it this way – he’s outlasted just about everyone and that is something.
Too late – O’Connor already has all the momentum to win.
Do you mean Steven Joyce told Dunne he has to go in the hope the Nat candidate wins?
What a complicated dirty deal that is.
Perhaps the Nats internal polling has told them that electorate wins are now very important as their party vote slides???
Last election’s split voting shows that Dunne got 59% of the National party voters’ electoral vote, compared to the Hudson’s (National candidate then and now) 29%. The party vote was 18,810 National to Labour’s 8,771.
http://archive.electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2014/elect-splitvote-36.html
I’d say that O’Connor is now facing a real uphill battle in Ōhāriu, and at 41 on the Labour list is unlikely to get in that way.
Muttonbird
Nothing National could say would have influenced Peter Dunne. He would have made his own decision. At lest he is owed that.
Politics is not as cynical as you suggest.
But Peter Dunne spent a career being influenced by other people. That’s what centrists do, wring hands and wait for direction.
And as for ‘politics (not being) as cynical as you suggest’, I can’t believe I just read that.
You will at least agree that as the party vote drops, electorate wins become more important?
Bye, loser.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/337660/united-future-s-peter-dunne-to-resign-at-election
Hope he does the right thing and endorses O’Conner.
Apparently not, sounds like he endorsed the National candidate.
What an election. Bye bye Dunne.
Beginning to look like the clearing of the decks. It’s now a question of who will be left standing after the election?
Seymour there’s a calling card with your name on it!
Was just thinking the same Carolyn 😀
This will be a realignment election. A lot of old faces will go, and more than a few parties will dissappear.
Thant clicking sound you hear is Nta’s collapsing House of Cards.
Retired not out, just as he was about to lose his wicket.
Cant say I am sorry to see him go. His and his party’s strong performance at in the 2002 wrecked any hope of any left wing policies of notable substance being enacted during Lab5 term (WFF and interest free loans essenitally treating symptoms)
Colmar Brunton Ōhāriu Poll
Labour
Greg O’Connor 48%
United Future
Peter Dunne 34%
National
Brett Hudson 14%
34 + 14 = 48%
(Not that I think Dunne’s remaining vote will go entirely to Hudson, mind you – but (despite O’Connor’s momentum) could tighten things up just a tad)
Pressure on the bow-tie Dandy from Nats ? (to save seat)
Puff of smoke!
Peter Effn Dunne quits. don’t let the door hit you on your way out.
bye bye
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/95970406/live-kids-and-hivis–bill-english-and-jacinda-ardern-back-on-campaign-trail
Greens pledge free public transport for under 19 year olds!
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/337664/greens-pledge-free-public-transport-for-under-19s
It would be really nice if DPBs could also have a go with free. Not only are they poor they also have children to care for, who must go everywhere they go if a reliable babysitter isn’t around.
But they must be considered last or not at all, poor parents are not trying to get ahead are they, and the miracle of life and humanity is just so everyday and trite.
When single parents do try to get ahead, also caring for their baby, we have seen how our ‘miss-ogynistic’ country behaves. It doesn’t behove a modern, humanitarian country to behave like that. Very Dickensian and coldly discriminating and self-oriented. Very backward and steeped in a stiff-necked class-oriented past.
+1
Carolyn_nth
That is interesting, considering that Bradbury posted this a couple of weeks back:
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2017/08/06/jacindas-first-announcement-lets-do-the-bleeding-obvious-where-the-greens-must-now-move/
It seems most likely that he was leaked some policy in progress to see how it went over (it got a substantial number of generally favourable comments). Rather than the GP being so lost for ideas that they are now taking advice from Bradbury (I like his writing, but more for the flashy turns of phrase, than rigorously considered analysis)
“Greens pledge free public transport for under 19 year olds!”
There is no such thing as ‘free’.
All ‘free’ means is that someone else, somewhere else, is paying – In this case the taxpayer/ratepayer.
There may well be a sound reason for allowing some services to be low cost or no cost to the end user, but those reasons should be rationally presented, and not tainted or misrepresented by the wrongful use of the emotive word ‘free’.
but then the “taxpayer” also gets the benefit of less traffic on the roads as people increase the use of public transport, and so might be able to defer roadbuilding costs. So is the impact on your wallet positive or negative?
All we know for sure is that for green card recipients, transport will be free.
If our economy is as successful as we are told by our government, then why is there the need for this announcement “National extends $18 doctor visits to 600,000 more Kiwis”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11908095
This along with the recent announcements regarding increasing WFF and Accommodation supplements ?
http://www.interest.co.nz/property/87906/budget-2017-%E2%80%98families-package%E2%80%99-includes-accommodation-supplement-boost-more-auckland
Should not a successful economy with good wage increases mean that the need for these announcements of corporate welfare not be needed?
Should not in a healthy economy govt assistance diminish, if not under current economic conditions, I ask when????
Nat machine continuing to try frame Bill as an ordinary battler, ‘one of us’ with real world problems.
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/election/2017/08/bill-english-reveals-past-struggle-with-acne.html
Won’t be watching The Project to hear about Bill’s acne! Who is his PR person thinking he will cut it with the teenagers I suppose. Cringe time.
So, if Bill’s a rock… pumice?
Losing buoyancy – maybe breccia? Kind of broken fragments stuck together…
@ Muttonbird (15) … Jesus really?
Natz must really be packing itself now, if PM Bill English’s problems with acne have become the topic of conversation, during an electoral campaign … eee yuk!
In another desperate move, next to identify with ordinary Kiwis, which Natz MPs will out themselves as having suffered from haemorrhoids, scabies, impetigo, halitosis, infected ingrown toenails, worms or chronic flatulence at some stage of their insignificant life cycle?
Gripping edge of seat stuff coming up perhaps … ?
It’s across a few news sites. Were they thinking this would be a foil to Ardern’s cool girl image? I hope not because all the electorate will be thinking about is Bingles’ acne.
But then perhaps he was trying to distract from Peter Dunne’s cowardly resignation today.
With the polls consistently trending down for National, at what point will they panic and drop Bill. Or will they all go down with him?
Their problem seems to be no ready made replacement. Paula is being kept off TV,
Stephen is a PR disaster waiting to happen, Simon too thick, which leaves Amy or Judith.
Buy popcorn!
If you have a spare 6 minutes you will get a few laughs from this.
If you don’t the best line is the last line. They legalised pot, this forced all the drug dealers out of the game, so now kids can’t get their hands on it.
Something I’ve been saying for years. If pot is illegal because you want to protect the children, then that is not working. Gangs will sell to anyone, including 5 year old’s, if they have the cash.
Get tough on gangs – legalize cannabis!
If anybody is seriously interested in a Water Tax I think they should read this
http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2017/08/a_farmer_speaks_out.html
It is a bit long but worth reading the whole thing or you could pick it up elsewhere if KB is agin your principles.
https://yournz.org/2017/08/20/an-ashburton-farmer-on-vitriol-and-inconsistency-in-the-water-debate/
you will note your article is written by an arable farmer….many of who whose land has been bought and converted to dairy in the past 20 years and a 2012 Lincoln Uni study suggested land used for dairy in Canterbury was expected to double within the next 20 years after increasing from 20,000h to 190,000h over the previous 20..
.
“Conversion of arable and mixed-arable farms to dairy is a threat to the industry through reduced economies of scale and loss of infrastructure. The development of large community irrigation schemes has facilitated dairy conversions, particularly in Canterbury. Nutrient loss limits, proposed by many regional councils, suggest that nutrient management is likely to become a challenging issue for many arable farmers, particularly those growing winter vegetables and forage crops for winter grazing of dairy cattle.”
https://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/77036/1_8_Millner.pdf
A right wing liar and a right wing beige liar? What could either of them say that anyone other than a complete dupe would take seriously?
OAB,
Just because you don’t agree with them, there is no need to be so rude as to immediately call them a liar.
Try some civility for a change.
You’re quite right: I don’t agree with relentless dishonesty as a political strategy. I understand why you would have a problem with that.
You really don’t get it do you: your dishonest politics disgust me. That’s how you liars look from here.
Ok, so the guy got upset because he was shown a few pictures of dirty rivers in NZ.
He seems bewildered that a lot of Kiwis don’t agree with him that NZ is a wonderful place because what he sees in Ashburton recently means that everyone else must be enjoying the same benefits.
What he doesn’t get is that those benefits have come at a well documented cost to the environment.
He also doesn’t seem to have registered that the Labour policy allows for different land use and location so that those who are doing the damage will have to pay for the resource they use.
From The Grauniad:
Some things are easier to see from far away, and a collective slide away from empathy and common sense, towards pearl-clutching judgmentalism, is one of them. At the start of August the co-leader of New Zealand’s Green party, Metiria Turei, was forced to resign, following an outpouring of opprobrium that threatened to poleaxe her party’s prospects in September’s elections.
Disagree – pretty easy to see from close up. Anyways…
Simply by changing the frame, pointing attention towards the dishonest, the government managed to render whole swaths of normal social inquiry – what is life like for those at the bottom? – irrelevant. Ask not what life is like for those at the bottom; ask whether they really are at the bottom, or have a cash-in-hand window-cleaning job that puts them nearer the middle. Ask what mountain of fecklessness prevents their escape from the bottom.
[…]
People still have a conception of decency that goes well beyond mere sustenance, and wish it for one another. All that remains is that we remember how to fight for it.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/aug/21/myth-benefits-cheat-sign-unkind-times-new-zealand-politician-metiria-turei
A vote compass specifically for this election – see if you confound your expected allegiances:
https://votecompass.tvnz.co.nz/
That vote compass is quite useful for checking out whether you’re in the boat or paddling alongside.
At the end it gives the Parties’ summarised lines on the different queries that have been posed. And looking at those allows you to see why the particular Party doesn’t seem to fit in the expected slot. They have ideas that are slightly different and put it in a different category.