can’t disagree with anything you say PU!
Can you remember when all that ‘harm minimisation/reduction’ bullshit came in (as opposed to the initial idea of putting people on the Nazi drug till ‘stable’, then gradual reduction of dose to nothing)???
Can you imagine FFS….. there are now 60, even 70 somethings [if he’s still alive] who’ve been on the bloody stuff half their lives!
…… and whilst being on it, treated like kids by power trippers justifying their existence.
An alternative might be to return to better (and much more prolific) counselling services, Hanmers, Martons, etc; doing something about diversions; and putting efforts into reducing poverty in general so that various forms of escapism are less tempting. (Apparently only the wealthy are allowed to be happy and normal).
Stop criminalising too ffs. EVERY time something has been criminalised – the result has been a far worse alternative – be it ‘homebake’, ‘P’, and now designer drugs and highs in various forms.
No doubt, like me (watching my brother’s demise), have witnessed highly intelligent, functioning ‘units’ wasting away.
No Phillip, you have no intention of having a ‘link war’ with me not because you boredom threshold is far lower than ‘that’,
You have no intention of having a link war with me because it might disturb your ability to spread utter bullshit in these pages,
As you can see by the link provided,”coz bad sez so” is also another tragic lie from you, i say so because the wikipedia which gives a very good over-view of Colorectal Cancers, with citing of various Science, ”says so”…
I’ve been posting here, on and off, for ages. Certainly since the 2008 election, if not before. If you haven’t noticed, it says a lot for your self-absorption.
If you care to vet my posting history, there is a search facility. Point yourself in its direction, instead of expecting me to do it. What are you, some sort of Victorian factory owner, to be waited on hand and foot by grovelling peons?
New Zealand has one of the highest incidences of bowel cancer in the world.
Each year about 3000 people are diagnosed with the disease and more than 1200 will die as a result.
Bowel Cancer is New Zealand’s cancer. Instead of leading the world in terms of the numbers of people affected by bowel cancer and deaths from bowel cancer, we need to lead the world in terms of finding solutions to this disease and improving outcomes for patients.
We also have the highest rate of rheumatoid arthritis in the world, in fact our health statistics are a worry. Fish seems to be the new meat in this country – it is very high in mercury and should not be eaten too often. People seem to think it is a step up from meat but as fish have many nerve endings in their mouths it is a very cruel practice, plus the mercury could well affect the mental health of those who eat it, the hatters in Victorian England who dealt with mercury in their work ended up often going mad!
There are quite a few research papers out now confirming that meat does cause cancer and heart disease. Fairly sure I read one recently put out by the British Medical Journal.
Watch Forks Over Knives, available either from your library or online. This film has convinced many to go vegan.
It is humans who cause unspeakable suffering to animals. I just dont get why empathetic and compassionate humans, especially lefties who are supposedly more empathetic and compassionate than your average rightie, can completely switch off when it comes to animals.
Personally, I’d be against eating meat if I thought they could tell us what they did on their holidays. Hence whales and gorillas would be doubtful, ethics-wise.
But I think a lot of folks simply anthropomorphise human feelings onto meatbots.
It’s quite a good example of what I’d regard as a plausible sentience test: communication, memory, abstract thoughts, sense of “self”, sense of others.
‘But I think a lot of folks simply anthropomorphise human feelings onto meatbots.’
McFlock, animals feel pain and sadness, this is an offensive statement.
One of the less fortunate legacies of the enlightenment was the devaluing of animals, which ultimately ushered in factory farming. This ugly spirit was embodied by Nicolas Malebranche, one of the nastier devotees of Descartes’ rationalism, which viewed animals as machines:
‘They eat without pleasure, cry without pain, grow without knowing it; they desire nothing, fear nothing, know nothing.’
To illustrate the point, Malebranche reportedly kicked a dog by way of illustration (quoted in Saul Frampton’s book about Montaigne, a genuinely enlightened thinker of 16th century France, entitled Montaigne and Being In Touch With Life: When I Am Playing With My Cat, How Do I Know She Is Not Playing With Me?).
But cows and chickens displaying anything approaching a persistent state of sentience much more sophisticated than stimulus:response? I’d want evidence for that.
There is evidence, McFlock, but it doesn’t suit your outdated and mechanistic prejudices so it seems you will simply refuse to acknowledge its existence. And I am talking of chickens, dogs, birds, and cows, not intellectually arrogant and cut-off human animals.
It’s too late to go trawling for evidence – there are loads of studies – but this review in 2010 in the Guardian might at least update your 16th century notion of animals as machines. In various studies, animals have been shown to display a sense of fairness, an ability to recognise human beauty, a moral awareness, and can feel pessimistic.
Well, up until that article, you hadn’t actually presented any evidence.
What I’m talking about is actual sentience, not physiology. Chickens rating faces that we find “attractive” is seeing whether they have the same physiological biases as us (maybe they associate those factors with food because pretty humans are more likely to nab the research assistant jobs, which involve feeding the animals? Who knows). Measuring baboon “grief” via stress hormones doesn’t actually mean the baboon is aware of why its body is stressed.
I’m pretty safe saying elephants are sentient, evidence being complex communication (beyond “I’m Horny!” and “Mine! Go away!” and “Danger!”), learning (not training), and the big one for me was watching film of an elephant calf stranded in a mud pool – the other elephants coordinated making a mud ramp (i.e. individuals went to different sides, some worked on the top and others pushed the calf up, without running around to check what was going on). The nabbed abstract thought, communication, sense of self, and so on.
Personally, I think sentience is a continuum – oysters at one end, higher mammals and maybe the possibility of a smart giant squid at the other. Most of the animals we eat would never have existed without us breeding them to eat. Most of them have at most a dim awareness, maybe, of existing from one moment to the next. We shouldn’t torture them, or kick them just for the hell of it. But to cry when one sees a cattle truck is displaying a whole range of intellect that, frankly, I don’t think cows can manage. I’ve met and lived with a whole bunch of farm animals. The brightest of them were not quite as smart as someone enthralled by prime-time network sitcoms.
The human animal is the most murderous, destructive, polluting creature ever to inhabit this earth. And this is what you call smart
So your concern foranimals masks your contempt for people.
Because yes, we are all of that. We are also so much more: creative, caring, curious, capable of rational heroism as well as instinctive reactions, we can build so much and (hopefully) we can walk so far. We aren’t “smart” because of our shortcomings, we’re smart because of what each of us might one day be capable of. I’ve heard stories of a cow jumping over the moon, but only a human has walked on the face of it.
Name a species that tortures and butchers its own kind en masse, and destroys its own habitat, or don’t assert manipulative and glib statements.
It’s rather ironic you accuse me of contempt when the reason I took issue with you was the contempt shown for Belladonna and her concern for defensiveness creatures.
The lovely qualities you ascribe to us are exemplified by those like Belladonna who feel things, and question why the world isn’t a different place.
Name a species that tortures and butchers its own kind en masse, and destroys its own habitat, or don’t assert manipulative and glib statements.
Well, that was concisely self-contradictory.
You do realise that a large number of species, lions for example, will kill any young of the same species that are not their own?
It’s rather ironic you accuse me of contempt when the reason I took issue with you was the contempt shown for Belladonna and her concern for defensiveness creatures.
Defenseless creatures that she would rather not exist, and upon which she purported some extremely doubtful characteristics.
The lovely qualities you ascribe to us are exemplified by those like Belladonna who feel things, and question why the world isn’t a different place.
And the regrettable human traits that you listed are frequently committed by people who choose only to project their own opinions, beliefs and feelings onto what they choose to see in the world around them, rather than recognising it for what it is.
I said ‘en masse’ for a reason, McFlock. And, also, the torture and habitat destruction? Read some of the many examples given today on Mickey’s Dotcom distraction post if you are ignorant of the pertinent history.
‘And the regrettable human traits that you listed are frequently committed by people who choose only to project their own opinions, beliefs and feelings onto what they choose to see in the world around them, rather than recognising it for what it is.’
Like most of your arguments, this is disingenuous and facile while sounding good on the surface.
It is the suppression of feeling that causes most of our problems. For instance, how would a WINZ minion inflict misery on their fellow citizens if they empathised with them?
It is no coincidence that the very people who deride the role of emotion in decision-making don’t have any time for animal rights arguments.
“En masse”?
Chimps are vicious buggers to their own, but you’d be hard pressed to find a species as populous as humans (therefore genocide is a bit difficult). Locusts are pretty good habitat destroyers, though. In fact most animals are – they expand to the level of resources (usually food), and then either migrate or population collapse.
It is the suppression of feeling that causes most of our problems. For instance, how would a WINZ minion inflict misery on their fellow citizens if they empathised with them?
It is no coincidence that the very people who deride the role of emotion in decision-making don’t have any time for animal rights arguments.
They say “a solution, to their problem as I see it, is obvious to me, therefore they are lazy or grifting”.
I’m not deriding emotion in decision-making, I’m deriding the assumption that everyone and everything is like us.
Emotion is good, with reason. Reason is good, with emotion. Either alone is insufficient: reason without emotion is sociopathic, emotion without reason is stupid.
air pollution
alcohol
too much exercise
too little exercise
accidental injury
intentional injury
too much sun
too little vitamin D
too many bananas or brazil nuts
allergies
“We also have the highest rate of rheumatoid arthritis in the world”
I’m pretty sure the NZ RA rate is on par with most predominately (Northern) European populations. The highest rates are in some North American indigenous populations.
If our reported rate is high, compared with other predominately European populations I’d consider looking whether fudging diagnoses of an unspecified inflammatory arthritis as rheumatoid to meet the pharmac criteria for more effective drugs is an issue as well as looking other health triggers (e.g. infection and environmental triggers).
Miravox, I saw a graph fairly recently that showed New Zealand at the the top for RA.
Diet plays a huge part. Many have recovered completely from RA by following a vegan diet. D
“So Bowel Cancer may not be the biggest cancer killer in nz but our affliction rates are amongst the highest in the world.”
One way to seriously cut the number of NZers dying of bowel / colorectal cancer is to ensure that GPs are up to speed on current guidelines. Bowel Cancer has one of the highest survival rates (out of all cancers) when caught early / and one of the highest mortality rates when caught late.
There are 5 stages – from 0 to 4. Stage 0 = abnormal cells that haven’t evolved into cancer but are about to. Survival rate = almost 100%. Stage 4 = spread to distant parts of body. Survival rate = almost 0%. What seems to be happening quite often is that GPs are unaware of Stage 0 (which of course is precisely when oncologists and surgeons want to catch it). So GPs do the standard digital examination and if they can’t find a tumour then tell the patient that they haven’t got bowel / colorectal cancer. Which, in turn, gives the patient a false sense of security – they assume that their symptoms (dramatically changed bowel habits over an extended period) must simply be something to do with “growing old”. And so they’re virtually guaranteed to develop to a more serious – often fatal – stage.
My mother went down to her GP 4 years ago, believing she may have bowel cancer. The above happened, her symptoms got worse, but she’d been assured by her GP that she didn’t have cancer (she’d clearly been at Stage 0). Finally, she goes down again in December 2013 and, of course, is finally diagnosed with rectal cancer – has to have a major operation, complete with colostomy and is still not entirely sure if she’s Stage 2 or Stage 3. Survival chances better than 50/50 but if the GP had done their job – would have been almost 100%.
My parents have since heard that a number of middle aged and older people in their suburb have recently died of bowel cancer. Prob had same group of GPs.
GP guidelines are that patients should be sent for a scan if they’re over 50 and have experienced significantly altered bowel habits for more than 8 weeks, regardless of whether or not GP can feel any lump / tumour.
And I have to say – Wellington is far more poorly served when it comes to the number of specialist surgeons and the quality and financing of hospital treatment and related services than Auckland or Chch. But then we’re just the Capital City so what the fuck do we matter ?
Well PU, it’s become a ‘broad spectrum drench’ using a programme that’s fundamentally flawed.
Firstly …. putting people with ‘P’ addictions on Methadone FFS!!!!
Secondly …. what that ‘harm reduction’ reasoning means is that it’s easier to have long long long term “clients” that you can control and treat like kids, as opposed to cycling a greater number of addicts through a system (ensuring of course they receive adequate counselling and monitoring for a while).
[Far easier to have little morning meetings discussing meaningless bullshit over a fewer number of “clients” than it is to have to administer the cycling through of a greater number. It’s actually a cushy little number for those involved].
I’ve kept my distance for a very very long time – even as my brother went through it, for obvious reasons, but even then as a family member, one can’t help but be affected in some way or other – whether it’s being left to raise children; financial assistance to inevitable legal costs; emotional effects, paying for dental repairs, etc., etc., etc.
BUT, Having now had so many older people now on that evil programme for such a long time, it’s going to be difficult to change. Perhaps the ‘harm reduction’ long term thing is at least now only appropriate for the 40,50,60-somethings because often it’s too late.
Certainly though ‘P’ freaks that present, and those in say their 20’s and 30’s with opiate addictions shouldn’t have to have be faced with a life sentence.
Utimately there are some in the medical/counselling professions that should be bloody ashamed of themselves – and of course politicians for under-funding and repeatedly taking piss-poor advice.
Incidentally, a friend of mine, whose brother/friends also went thru’ it all (I think actually a past acquaintance of yours as well) were trying to count up the number of ‘units’ that have bitten the dust the other day. We lost count.
The ”Life Sentence” Phillip was self prescribed by the users of both ‘P’ and needle jamming Heroin users like yourself around the 3rd time such users ”Chose” to use such drugs,
You, and only You slapped those handcuffs on yourself and that was a long time in your case and any other Heroin/P users case befor they got anywhere near the Methadone which is the States remedy as a ‘maintenance dose’ to the addiction,
Your laughable demand for Morphine over Methadone only tells me that deep in your psyche you still crave that Heroin like nothing else on this Earth,
You might see such a demand as ‘reasonable’, but, that ‘reasonableness is just your Junkies mind demanding the Heroin you crave, obviously because Methadone just doesn’t ”do it” for your addicted little tortured soul,
Screaming for Morphine over Methadone is in reality a scream for more Heroin to keep the addiction raging, and, by the way, Methadone didn’t kill those other junkies, years of drug abuse done them in and Methadone was just the final straw for their abused bodies and minds, all self inflicted i might add,
indulge in enough Morphine Phillip and that will literally stop you breathing,
Btw… the only problem I have with PU at times is a kind of dogmatic, preaching approach that just serves to get everyone’s back up – like the stereotypical reformed smoker.
I’m not sure what the answer is, but it sure as hell isn’t the current methadone programme (at least for ‘P’ freaks and the younger opiate addicted). Even Australia has a far more sensible approach to it all – who’d have thunk!
Once was Tim, there’s a question to be asked here, ”does the methadone program stop ‘P’ and Heroin users using the drugs”???,
Sure we have a ‘cheap fix’ without those using the Methadone program also going through a Hamner Springs type rigorous counselling program,
The ‘bean counters’ have obviously come to the conclusion that if the ‘Done program’ removes the need for addicts to access street drugs like Heroin and ‘P’ then the financial cost of the addiction is also removed along with the crime that comes with that financial cost of the addiction,
In bean counter land it aint about ‘salvation’ of the addicts, we aint short of people, its all about managing the problem in terms of criminal harm such addictions cause,
Becoming addicted is oh so easy, i have boxes of prescribed pain killers here which during the first week of their use definitely got me ‘out of it’, to have kept up that ‘out of it feeling’ would have required me to keep upping the dose as the ‘buzz’ wore off after a week,
Knowing what addiction is, i have gone the other way and stopped using them unless i cause myself an acute bout of pain,
If i chose the other route, to chase the ‘buzz’ sooner or later these painkillers would have been of no use to me for the purpose they were prescribed and i would be back at the doctors demanding stronger for longer pain medication,
Its easy to become addicted, from Tea to Heroin, the easiest thing in the world…
In answer to the ”does the methadone program stop ‘P’ and Heroin users using the drugs”???, – not from what I’ve witnessed but then I work on a policy of not hanging round the barber’s shop because one is liable to get their hair clipped.
It is as you suggest – a bean counter approach.
It’s also at times a bit of a ‘holier than thou’ approach’ by many involved in the various professions involved in its administration, and often by policy decisions made..
If it wasn’t so sad, I’d be amused. Often the attitude by them is that they’re somehow ‘better’ than the stereotypical dirty filthy addict when in fact I know of certain Trauma Specialists, children of Science Advisors, Police officers; Counsellors themselves and many others who are in no position to hold that attitude .
Some have had the benefit of wealthy parents able to pay for private counselling services, others simply got bored and grew out of it all (probably those that don’t necessarily have a certain personality type), others just switched to so-called ‘respectable’ addictions – like the TAB or became at least borderline pissheads.
In my brother’s case, it all started by being introduced to heroin whilst a border at Christ’s College – I’ve come across certain ‘professionals’ that don’t like to be reminded of that – Eh What!
For me, the safest policy is not to hang around the barber shop.
bad12
You mention Hamner Springs – was it regarded as a help centre that worked for addicts?
It seemed to have a good name and the direftor was well thought of. What was your opinion? And should it be replicated as a major means of changing addicts lives?
I knew plenty of addicts/users that went through Hanmer Springs and other places and didn’t seem to be helped by the experience. I don’t personally know any who were “cured” by the experience. I knew a small number who stopped after stints at Odyssey House, although they all (3) went on to make careers in the addiction treatment industry, so I don’t think they were ever really cured. Given that addiction is one of the most difficult things to treat, a success rate that may be laughable in other areas of medicine may well be laudable. The other thing is that I am only speaking from experience and have no idea how well that would generalise.
With many addicts, their addiction is perceived as the most significant thing that ever happens in their lives. Even if and when they do stop, they never seem to stop talking about it, which makes me wonder about their ability to do much else. Some of us manage to hardly give it a second thought, and go on with other things, at which we can be very successful. For obvious reasons, the first category are noticed far more.
MO
The talking about it by ‘cured’ addicts. It certainly is a powerful change in their lives, a winning leap like a high jumping athlete. Something thatt hey would remember for the rest of their life, though not talk about.
But wouldn’t talking about it echo that old joke about the person who wants to show off their war wound or their operation scar. It’s the most dramatic thing that has happened to them, they have been at the edge of losing themselves, their lives and survived. They just haven’t got round to getting a tshirt that blazons
`I survived methadone/ my aneurysm,/rheumatoid arthritis/ bi-polar attacks/grand mal/gout’ etc.
And there is that thing about one problem masking another. It may be preferable to concentrate on the drug thing rather than other troubling things from the past that want to thrust their unwelcome presence into the mind. Our minds are definitely delicate things, and to cope with life’s impacts on us, who knows what defences we will build.
And … excellent jousting. Did you smell some bacon cooking! That was a riposte and a half.
I saw getting over addiction as giving myself an opportunity to do other things, and I’ve concentrated on them. I never saw it as a great achievement in and of itself, but it has allowed me to do the odd thing that, if I were not so modest, I would give myself a little pat on the back for.
Others approach things differently, and good on them I suppose. It doesn’t mean that they can deny my experience, nor I theirs. If I were a believer in one unique truth, I’d be religious, or, if I were insane as well, I’d join ACT.
Methadone treatment had its place, and probably still does. Most of the problems with it came from not prescribing enough and forcing withdrawals when people weren’t ready. I have no idea why it would be prescribed for people using amphetamines, and have never seen any hard evidence that this happens. I don’t expect that you’ll be able to provide any, because you never do.
Yep, about what I expected. You can’t even handle the non-existent withdrawals from cannabis without displays of unprovoked aggression. Did you smell some bacon cooking or something?
Morning all. The one “left wing” possible policy that really excites me as a game hanger for the country is a UBI. On this site most people promote it as an equity policy, which it is. But it has a number of elements that would be very appealing to conservative voters also. It would reduce cost and complexity in govt. Half of ird and most of winz could be reassigned to do something more useful. We could significantly drop abatement/effective marginal taxation rates on work, encouraging more participation. We could simplify the tax system to maybe one or a max of two rates. My question is that why is labour not picking this up? Cheers
The reduction in bureaucracy is a big selling point for me. I have an inherent dislike for systems that take money out of one pocket and then put it back in the other. It seems a ridiculous waste of resource to me.
If you have a ubi for every citizen working for families can go, no need for a baby bonus scheme etc.
I would imagine that if you had a decent tax free threshold as well and then reset the tax levels in such a way that people say earning around $100000 end up with about the same amount of money after tax as they have now and those above slightly less due to a higher tax rate at the top.
It takes so much complexity out of the system and would make a massive difference to those at the lower end.
The entire tax system needs a major rework, once L/G/ and others get in power soon we can crunch the numbers etc to make radical change. CGT is a good start as is the rich coughing up to pay their share.
…UBI is simple…everyone can understand it…it is equitable….it gives everyone dignity and respect….and everyone feels part of a caring society ….essential for a healthy participatory democracy
Stanfield on Dunne: “The patron saint of money launderers and loan sharks and never so much as a squeak against his mates in the liquor, tobacco or gambling barons (sic)….”
This decision (Problem Gambling Foundation being dumped) could be the end of Dunne if used against him in his Ohariu electorate.
Gotta be a vote loser for the Nats too. (Nats 45.5% Lab Green 45.5% in latest Roy Morgan)
Better voter turnout? Better party participation? Better candidates? Better MPs? Better parties? Better political behaviour? Are these all linked?
The political arena needs to have robust debate, it needs to have keenly contested ideas and ideals, policies and personalities.
But we have a problem. Our politics often seems dominated by deception and lies, attacks and smears, attempts to destroy opponents and governments. And domination of the dirty dishonest dark arts of politics results in widespread disappointment and disillusionment, and that’s what we have.
Record numbers of people don’t vote. A number of MPs are frustrated and annoyed at the poor standards of behaviour in Parliament and in the wider political sphere. It’s difficult to attract women into politics, and advance them in politics, and keep them in politics, because of male dominated poor behaviour.
Some MPs, some party employees and some journalists seem dominate with agendas, diversions, attacks, with a sordid and sensationalist approach. Unfortunately their loud voices and over the top actions get a disproportionate amount of attention. The same applies to political forums in social media.
Can we do better? If enough people want better and don’t remain passive, pissed off and turned off, yes.
There will always be politicians and activists who think that anyone who disagrees with their aims and ideals is an enemy who should be dealt to and if possible destroyed. It’s ingrained in their nature, as if they are intoxicated by a quest for power. In a way similar to drunken thugs who think it proves their strength and dominance, or think it’s fun to smash people.
To diminish the dominance of dirty politics it needs to be confronted. And better alternatives need to be established.
Most MPs are decent people wanting to do better for New Zealand. They have different ideas on how to make things better but they want things to be better.
They need to be held to account if they make mistakes or do things they shouldn’t.
They also need the help and support of decent people who want better from our politicians and our Parliament.
I decided to become involved in politics because I wanted better politics. I’ve become involved in many things, I’ve gained useful experience. I’ve made mistakes. I’ve made friends. It seems that I’ve enemies. That’s inevitable in politics.
I now want to focus most on my original goal, doing politics and doing democracy better. I believe we can and we should. To succeed it needs a number of people with a common aim. There’s many people who wish for better out there. We need to stand up more, speak up more, act more positively.
I’m prepared to reach out to people with similar aims and work together. Some will see it as a threat to their petty, pissy and destructive way of doing things. So be it.
We can do politics better if enough of us want to, and if we make it happen.
‘Why can’t everyone be like meeeeee!1!!!1!!, only I can save you all from yourselves, look at meeeeeeeee!!!1!!, I, I’ve, I, I’m, meeeeeeeeee!!!11!!
PG the self appointed arbiter of political discourse. Yes Pete, politics would be sooo much better if we could all be as beige as you and have permanent fence marks on our butts.
“..PG the self appointed arbiter of political discourse. Yes Pete, politics would be sooo much better if we could all be as beige as you and have permanent fence marks on our butts.
PG, you make a good argument for the need for more open and democratic political debate.
Given that the original Politico-checker NZ site call for volunteers stated that the editor position required someone with a strong research background, what are your credentials for the position/
This goes to the heart of my scepticism about you in the role. I have a research background, and have mixed a lot with researchers and read many peer reviewed publications. I have yet to see any evidence that you have a strong research background.
The editor role is wide ranging. There is a research co-ordinator who will manager the research team, if you’re interested in contributing or know anyone who might be then contact Kirk, details here. It requires more than just academic research skills, it’s obviously highly political. The more input we can get from across the spectrum the better, that will give us overall balance. the more participation the better it will work.
Well the details you link to, PG, indicate you have a background in research. Good research is n=done in unis and in other organisations doing research.
i do not see how you can fulfil the stated editorial role – as final gatekeeper of “truth ratings” and what is “true and accurate”.
I remain skeptical. I have seen nothing in your way of arguing that shows you have a significant understanding of, or capability with, rigorous research and related analysis.
I do hope the others doing work for the site. The deputy editor looks to have more relevant experience and paper qualifications.
We could do ‘politics better’ if we rejuvenated the parliament by introducing parliamentary democracy where politicians were not almost always bound to boring party lines (remember when marriage equality passed, and there was genuine engagement rather than silly point scoring). We’d end up in a more honest place, in terms of where the parties really sit on the political spectrum.
This would create more interesting discussion and comment.
A well resourced, accountable, interesting, representative parliament.
Direct democracy is not the answer.
Nicky Hager (who rarely comments on party politics) touched on the malaise in his 2012 Bruce Jesson address:
‘The politician Peter Dunne, for instance, is a hard-line free market politician from the 1980s, a moral conservative and a friend of the alcohol, tobacco and gambling industries. He is called “centrist”. The New Zealand Labour Party maintained most of the 1980s free-market policies when it was in government twenty years later but was called “centre left” — making it hard for the party to understand why it’s policies are contradictory and what it needs to do to realign with its consistuency. The “centre-right” National Party is also a very confused place. Its free-market policies sit uncomfortably with its traditional conservative policies, and its big-business friendly policies clash badly with its small-to-medium sized business constituency. The label “centre right” doesn’t help understanding or progress on these issues at all.’
Yes it is. As long as we have representatives making the decisions then parties and all the negatives you point to will still exist. With participatory democracy we will get real engagement and discussion because the discussion will no longer be limited to what the caucus thinks.
Hahaha……..Petey George – the quintessential mealy mouthed, country vicar affected, while risibly disingenuous MP wannabee, aspirant to the guzzling trough.
Telling us that we should be ‘nice’ and draw a line under the patent foulness of Smile & Wave & Invoice and its hubris, entitlement and destructiveness to democracy. Get off the grass Petey !
But thank you anyway for the preview of your nightly fantasised maiden speech.
“I have a dream……..(of being a celebrated, august, ‘someody’) “.
Peter, I agree than most (all maybe) who become MPs want to make the country a better place, and that the “better place” is per their own definition.
One MP (who you guys would never actually have voted for) said that most MPs work very well together in the committees and all genuinely listened to each other and to those who came to do submissions. And that most were pretty good at compromising to try and get better legislation.
Now maybe everyone becomes a bit more beige by the experience, and perhaps thats why the middle is often called “Labour lite”, or “National lite” depending on who is in opposition and why those who cant see politics delivering the outcomes they want, dont vote.
The bloody minded reformists havent got a chance under MMP.
So we wont see any of the radical stuff of previous generations of the NZLP – from the Savage radical stuff to the Douglas radical stuff of more recent times.
So we wont see any of the radical stuff of previous generations of the NZLP – from the Savage radical stuff to the Douglas radical stuff of more recent times.
The problem being that we actually need radical policies so as to get out from under this neo-liberal rock that the governments of the last thirty years have placed us under.
BTW, taking account of reality really isn’t all that radical whereas keeping going under the present delusional policies is.
Your argument seems to be that New Zealand has, in effect, entrenched a radical socio-economic and political environment originally established in the late 1980s and early 1990s? That one group of “bloody minded reformists” have triumphed in radicalising New Zealand society?
It follows, then, that moderate, balanced policies are now impossible – or extremely difficult – to introduce. That means your conclusion – “So we won’t see any of the radical stuff of previous generations of the NZLP” – is almost exactly incorrect, since it is not ‘radical stuff’ that is disallowed – after all, one form of radicalism has been entrenched – but, instead, ‘moderate and balanced stuff’.
For example, if the NZLP decided, when it is next in government, to introduce further privatisation in the education system that would be perfectly possible and would receive a smooth ride – since it conforms to the entrenched, radical agenda. Alternatively, if it wished to reduce the amount of private sector involvement in the education sector that would not be possible – or extremely difficult to ‘sell’ – because it is too moderate for the entrenched, radical agenda.
My point is that radical change from where ever we currently are, is off the agenda under MMP.
Under MMP theres no way that the Douglas reforms would have got past Parliament.
If you recall, Lange was a power hungry PM who wanted control. He had the majority party in Parliament, and then he had a cabinet (and ministers outside cabinet) who in total numbers more than 50% of the caucus, and then had the “inner cabinet” which was more than 50% of the total cabinet.
So his little group had control over the whole parliament. And when he lost control to that group of radical socialists (Prebble Douglas & co) he was totally screwed, and his legacy would forever be of a weak PM who lost control of his team.
Im sure that Douglas and Prebble still see themselves as radical socialists trying to right the world, and that if Labour had only listened, everyone – including the workers – would be way better off now.
Now maybe very few agree with their take on things, but Im sure they both still hold those views even now
My point is that radical change from where ever we currently are, is off the agenda under MMP.
I don’t agree with that. I think if the Labour party went far more radical left than what they’re doing now then they would get more votes as the people who aren’t voting will flock to them.
Labour are too scared to do a sharp left turn as its their belief that you have to occupy the middle to occupy the treasury benches.
The only way to achieve it is to have parties to the left of them propose the radical stuff and then to coallition with them. If the radical stuff works then Labour can claim it as their own (as senior party in coalitions do) and if it doesnt, they can hang the minor out to dry. (as happens in NZs version of MMP)
The Lone H.ger
Yeah that sounds a good scheme, good thinking. Hope that Labour takes that approach which is the sensible pragmatic one for these days. That doesn’t allow Jones to go cocking his leg up at Greens posters. That’s something else Labour has to attend to.
Don’t worry Pete we are going to get rid of the current regime.
Another commitent from a previous non voter this morning. I will personally get him to the voting booth. Closing in on 100 from this group adding to swing voters coming back left and shoring up the importance of voting to the first timers, made easy by Key-National’s anti student loan policy and the youth wage policy.
I maintain it will be a huge defeat for NACT, more than what people expect.
“I maintain it will be a huge defeat for NACT, more than what people expect.”
Thank you Skinny for your positivity and enthusiasm – something we’re not hearing a lot of lately. All that is required of us is some work and effort, such as you are putting in – it will pay off. Being gloomy and giving up won’t.
Peter G the fence sitting concern troll is back for election year, yippy!
With his recipe for our political salvation, oh joy of joys, when all we really need is more transparency, more transparency and more transparency, but PG isn’t really interested in improving anything except his own public image.
An example of how PG the concern troll works:
“There will always be politicians and activists who think that anyone who disagrees with their aims and ideals is an enemy who should be dealt to and if possible destroyed. It’s ingrained in their nature, as if they are intoxicated by a quest for power. In a way similar to drunken thugs who think it proves their strength and dominance, or think it’s fun to smash people.”
And then.
Most MPs are decent people wanting to do better for New Zealand. They have different ideas on how to make things better but they want things to be better.
Too long a comment Pete George. If you can’t be brief – Felix fits more valid punch into 20 words than you do in 200, then stay away. Check yourself. There’s plenty of content.
Since Pete is having a missive regarding fair and balanced I thought id have a crack…
Using Gower as my example and the sensationalist way he likes to report seemingly trying to become a celebrity or part of the story.
Whether it’s Labour he’s after or National the man is an embarrassment either cheered or jeered depending on who his latest target is. I suspect he regards ‘balance’ as reporting both sides in the same sensationalist manner. I would argue that balance is to be found on a story by story basis not see sawing about hoping you’ll end up in the middle and thus ‘balanced’
I would encourage everyone to ignore his ‘news’ whether it is favouable to the left or indeed the right as it is only a matter of time before he shifts aim. The less oxygen given to him the better I feel much like our friend PG.
Different strokes for different folks i guess cricklewood, i am starting to enjoy Alfred E.Nuemann, (Paddy Gower), as He seems to be a little reformed,
Admittedly the lies told by Gower around the non-existent ”leadership challange” were unacceptable, but, you cannot level that same claim about the two interviews Paddy has done with Slippery the Prime Minister in the past couple of weeks,
Real Gems i would call them, shining the light of the ”truth” on the PM, No lies, No overt grandstanding, just straight questions exposing that truth,
Anyone in this life is capable of change, we all do it throughout our lives, if Gower continues in His current vein of seeking the truth using that truth then i will offer Him a modicum of applause just as i will be quick to give Him the thumbs down if He again stoops to lies…
I agree with you cricklewood. Tv3 fills a vacuum – because tvnz is not really interested in politics coverage. Tv3’s coverage is over the top and gives too much power to one person. Only a few issues get covered and many are ignored, such as the total debacle of the asset sales programme – no real heat on national over that.
Lolz, i simply refuse to read Blubber boys ‘wail’, whats He whining about, Paddy Gower interviewed Slippery the Prime Minister in China for TV3’s ‘the Nation’ this morning,
While He again asked Slippery about the ‘Charity’ involved in the rounds of golf, He, in my opinion let our Prime Minister off the hook far too lightly choosing not to question Him on the difference between todays answers given surrounding these ‘Charitable’ donations accruing to the National Party and the original answers that the PM gave,
Also let slide in a big way by Gower, with much hurled abuse at Him by me as a viewer, was the sheer hypocrisy involved in a Prime Minister hoodwinking the public and the media into the belief that these ‘Charity events’ were anything of the sort gaining Himself free publicity as the ‘good guy’ only too happy to take time out to do things for ‘Charity’ when in actual fact there was no ‘Charity’
whatsoever involved,
Its simple fraud that our PM indulges in, and, i can only hope that the kid gloves displayed this morning by Gower aint as a result of Him having His chain yanked by those above him in the food chain, forlorn my hope may be, hopefully tho, Gower is only biding His time until the PM returns to face the music in the Parliament befor He continues to expose this Fraud and the architects of this fraud for what it is…
Saw the interview too and thought Gower was very weak in questioning Key over Oravida.
It is NOT CREDIBLE that someone turns up having been bought at a charity match and fails to ask what the charity is!!!! This is one of many question Gower should have hurled at Key.
i.e.” Do you mean to tell me you do a lot of these charity gigs, you turn up, knowing that your valuable time is spent raising money for some worthy cause and you don’t even ask the very simple, obvious question, that all bar people who are cognitive challenged (my apologies to such people) would ask?”
Also note how Keys slides it on to everyone else. It’s not Key who is responsible for fund raising for National being a “charity”event, it’s the National Party. Hello!!!
Amazing! The Natzis get a couple of instances when their trad allies become so embarrassed by their blatant antics they simply have to question them (such as Collins et al), and the likes of Hooton and the Whale start squeeling like stuffed pigs.
Really, the only reason the likes of Gower and Co have done so is that they fear they may be caught on the wrong side of history – they have slightly longer vision than the extended pot bellies, ample arses and pinochio noses of those they’re VERY occasionally trying to hold to account. Journalists they’re NOT though.
“..Heart-breaking pictures have emerged of the moment a giraffe said goodbye to a terminally ill zoo worker – who had spent most of his adult life cleaning the animal’s enclosures.
Maintenance worker Mario has terminal cancer and had asked to be taken into the giraffe enclosure at Rotterdam’s Diergaarde Blijdorp zoo.
The 54-year-old was wheeled into the enclosure on his hospital bed.
Within minutes – the giraffes approached him and began to nuzzle and kiss him..”
+100 PU …thanks for that picture …it speaks a thousand words….and where humans fail ….animals often show compassion and understanding that is non verbal.
..i read a book once about an autistic or aspergers woman ( who eventually became a professor of Anthropology ) ….anyway her life was a mess until she got a job in a zoo and established a relationship with the gorrillas….she was healed by looking into their eyes and touching their hands.
That’s a poignant human animal moment. I wonder if in NZ it could be arranged? I wouldn’t think so, we seem to have lost our humanity but have fallen further than animal levels of behaviour.
I can remember reading a story about a cow who had 2 calves and hid one in a hedge to stop the inevitable. That has stayed with me a long time. If a cow has the ability to figure out such a scenario then they are obviously intelligent enough to know at a certain stage of the butchery that awaits them.
We can do better.
Yes, cows have great sensitivity and a powerful maternal drive. I’ve had some lovely interactions with cows – I’m sure they are more intelligent than we give them credit for.
I live near a beef “hobby farm”. The calves do live with their mothers for about a year it would seem but when they are taken away, for slaughter, I presume, the cows moo loudly for days and well into the night. It’s really painful to hear, it’s like they are crying.:-(
…i am going to go to hell for eating meat!….i know it!….cattle /sheep trucks are a bit like taking the peoples off to the concentration camps…i have seen a sheep standing by her dead lamb for 3 days and mourning….mind you i have seen other sheep drop their lamb and take off as if nothing had ever happened
….next incarnation i will be a vegetarian or a cow or a sheep or a piggie….and I will accept my fate but I will curse those humans ….who are very far down on the evolutionary scale
It’s never too late Chooky! I hate overtaking those cattle trucks, you can smell the fear in my opinion. I invaribly blub when I see those lovely sad brown eyes. Cows are such lovely passive creatures that never cause harm to any living being.
No such thing as hell Chooky…………….it’s your choice and it’s up to you.
On the subject of cattle trucks I will say this though. As well as living near a beef hobby farm I have to go past an abattoir on the way to town! Either on the bus or in the car my stomach lurches as I see the full trucks pull into the Taylor Preston slaughter house in the Ngauranga gorge here in Wellington. It’s a moment of real despair. It’s just as bad seeing the empty trucks pull out of the yard. You know what’s happened.
Thats lovely phillip. The emotional intelligence of animals seems to be greatly underestimated – just an observation.
One of my favourite images is John Duncan’s “Saint Columba farewells the white horse”. (1925)
The story goes that Saint Columba was dying, and horse friend knew his days were numbered and came to say goodbye. Although I don’t have a religious bone in my body I find this image really quite moving as I have a strong affinity with horses having spent many years around them and know their sensitivity for human states of being. The link is a bit random as my images search isn’t working.
Also, man of the moment is New York mayor Bill De Blasio (sp?) who believes that keeping horses stabled in the city for use as touristy carriage horses is inhumane and is planning on outlawing the industry. He has strong resistance however including “celeb” resistance from the likes of Liam Neeson, so has a bit of a fight on his hands. He talked John Stewart from the Daily Show around though!
In my considered opinion, it seems that this issue of NZ Justice Minister Judith’s Collins corrupt, corporate cronyism ain’t going away any time soon, and it IS (as I predicted) hurting National.
Justice, Minister—Visit to China and Potential Conflict of Interest
[Sitting date: 18 March 2014. Volume:697;Page:16731. Text is subject to correction.]
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader—NZ First) to the Minister of Justice: Does she still stand by her claim that Oravida business was not discussed at her dinner in Beijing at which Oravida personnel were present as well as a senior Chinese Government Customs official?
Hon JUDITH COLLINS (Minister of Justice) : Yes, but I do need to correct the member’s question. As I have said before, guests at the dinner included a senior Chinese Government border control official and Ms Margaret Malcolm.
Rt Hon Winston Peters: Can she confirm, therefore, that she and Margaret Malcolm are fluent in Mandarin, and were therefore able to understand everything that was said during the dinner?
Hon JUDITH COLLINS: No. I can, however, assure the member that I am fluent in English and I can understand when someone is talking to me in English—normally.
Rt Hon Winston Peters: That being the case, can she confirm that because the senior Government customs official—or border official, as she says—did not understand English, he said nothing to anyone during the dinner and just sat there mute the whole time?
Hon JUDITH COLLINS: The senior Chinese Government official did have some English, but it was limited. I did my very best to talk about what a great country New Zealand is.
Rt Hon Winston Peters: Is she saying that there was a dinner meeting involving a senior New Zealand Minister, an adviser, a senior Chinese customs or border official, and business personnel from Oravida, which is having trouble with customs and entering China, and yet not one person during that dinner mentioned that subject?
Hon JUDITH COLLINS: Yes.
Rt Hon Winston Peters: Given that she said that there were language issues at that meeting when the Prime Minister spoke to her on this matter, did he question her public assurance that Oravida business and customs entry problems were not discussed, knowing, as he did, that neither she nor Ms Malcolm speak Mandarin and therefore could not give such an assurance?
Hon JUDITH COLLINS: Given that it was a very short dinner—
Hon Annette King: How short?
Hon JUDITH COLLINS: —well, it was a very short dinner—and the language being spoken was English, or forms thereof, I actually can give that assurance to the Prime Minister.
Rt Hon Winston Peters: Given the acknowledgment that the border customs official spoke little English at all, is it not a fact that her claim that Oravida business was not discussed was false, as is the Prime Minister’s claim of receiving such an assurance from her, which means that both she and he—the Prime Minister—are knowingly involved in a cover-up of a serious breach of the Cabinet Manual?
Hon JUDITH COLLINS: I challenge that member’s assumptions, and I would have to say that since I was there and he was not, he should stop making it up.
Grant Robertson: Why will she not reveal the rank or identity of the Chinese official?
Hon JUDITH COLLINS: Because I have been advised by the Prime Minister’s office that we never reveal those matters.
Recursive Fury: Conspiracist Ideation in the Blogosphere in Response to Research on Conspiracist Ideation
Abstract
Conspiracist ideation has been repeatedly implicated in the rejection of scientific propositions, although empirical evidence to date has been sparse. A recent study involving visitors to climate blogs found that conspiracist ideation was associated with the rejection of climate science and the rejection of other scientific propositions such as the link between lung cancer and smoking, and between HIV and AIDS (Lewandowsky et al., in press; LOG12 from here on).
A psychology journal is said to be preparing to retract a scientific paper that found a link between conspiratorial thinking and the rejection of global warming science after climate sceptics claimed the paper was defamatory.
DeSmogBlog has learned the paper’s four authors, led by Professor Stephan Lewandowsky, the chair of cognitive psychology at the University of Bristol, have signed gagging orders preventing them from discussing the nature of the complaints about their work, carried out when Lewandowsky was a professor at the University of Western Australia.
News of an alleged pending retraction, by the Switzerland-based journal Frontiers in Psychology, has leaked onto climate sceptic blogs but the journal is yet to make a formal announcement.
But DeSmogBlog can reveal that Freedom of Information documents obtained last June but revealed here for the first time show that climate sceptics complained that the work was defamatory.
The occasion was a prayer vigil at a Roman church for relatives of innocents killed by the mafia, during which the names of 842 victims were read aloud as a somber Francis looked on.
After voicing his solidarity with the family members, Francis said he couldn’t leave the service without speaking to those not present: the “protagonists” of mafia violence.
Addressing these absentee mafiosi, Francis was unsparing:
“This life that you live now won’t give you pleasure. It won’t give you joy or happiness,” he said. “Blood-stained money, blood-stained power, you can’t bring it with you to your next life. Repent. There’s still time to not end up in hell, which is what awaits you if you continue on this path.”
On Radionz soon will be news on Sartres newspaper set up in 1973? called Liberation.
Which is having difficulties in the digital age. Wonder what they’re doing about it.
Venice’s population voted for independence from Italy. Not just few but 89% of its population. That is on a par with Crimea and while some might argue the population of Crimea did so under threat of a gun the same can’t be said of the population of Venice. What is next? Ngai Tuhoe?
However unfortunately for Venice, the days of the republic of La Serenissma are long gone and without the financial support of the Italian state that particular living museum will be tits up in a year. As for Crimea, votes don’t count when foreign forces are occupying the region with their shooty shooty bang bangs. I doubt Tuhoe is that stupid.
OPEN LETTER / OIA request – re: the alleged ‘conflict of interest’ of Minister of Justice Judith Collin’s perceived endorsement of Oravida milk.
Dear Prime Minister,
Please provide a copy of the advice purportedly provided by the Cabinet Office, upon which you are relying, which substantiates your following reported statement:
Prime Minister John Key said the Cabinet Office “unequivocally .. said no there’s no breach.”
Yours sincerely,
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption / anti-privatisation Public Watchdog’
‘Anti-corruption/ anti-privatisation Public Watchdog’ ”
…………………
” 21 March 2014
Why is Prime Minister John Key’s Chief of Staff, Wayne Eagleson still replying to Official Information Act requests addressed to Prime Minister John Key?
Why are OIA requests not going STRAIGHT to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, (DPMC) instead of apparently being effectively filtered through the ‘party political’ Office of the Prime Minister?
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption / anti=privatisation Public Watchdog’ ”
………………………….
REPLY FROM WAYNE EAGLESON, CHIEF OF STAFF, OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER:
” 21 March 2014
“Dear Ms Bright
Official Information Act Request for Information Relating to Advice on Ministerial Conflict of Interest
I refer to your Official Information Act request of 6 March 2014 for “a copy of the advice purportedly provided by the Cabinet Office [in relation to the alleged conflict of interest of Minister of Justice Judith Collin’s perceived endorsement of Oravida milk] upon which …[the Prime Minister is] relying, which substantiates … [the Prime Minister’s] following reported statement: Prime Minister John Key said the Cabinet Office ‘unequivocally …said not there’s no breach”.
The information you have requested is not held by this Office and is more closely related to the functions and responsibilities of the Cabinet Office, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Accordingly, I am transferring your request to the Cabinet Office under s 14 of the Official Information Act.
Yours sincerely,
Wayne Eagleson
Chief of Staff”
Why did this OIA not go STRAIGHT to the DPMC in the first place?
Answering OIA requests is NOT the job of the party political ‘Office of the Prime Minister’ – END OF STORY.
2.69 Ministers must ensure that any conflicts of interest are promptly addressed. The Secretary of the Cabinet (and, where appropriate, the chief executive of the department concerned) should be kept informed of conflicts of interest as they arise.
In addition, the Prime Minister should be advised in writing of conflicts that are of particular concern or that require ongoing management. If in doubt about the appropriate course of action, Ministers should consult the Prime Minister or the Secretary of the Cabinet.”
This includes preparation of replies to Parliamentary questions, and dealing with Official Information Act requests and other correspondence. A totally separate body, the Office of the Prime Minister, also advises the Prime Minister: it is the primary point of responsibility for managing political issues and relationships with other political parties and for providing administrative and media support.
STRUCTURE
DPMC formally came into existence on 1 January 1990, as a result of a report which recommended establishing structures to provide two separate streams of advice to the Prime Minister; one, a new government department to supply impartial, high quality advice and support to the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC), and another, a Prime Minister’s Private Office (which is not part of DPMC), to provide personal support and media services, and advice of a party political nature.”
Quite frankly – in my considered opinion, any person from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC) who has given advice that Minister of Justice Judith Collins has not breached the Cabinet Manual for her ‘perceived’ endorsement of Oravida milk , is unfit for duty and should be sacked.
That is of course, if such ‘advice’ was ever given to Prime Minister John Key in the first place?
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption / anti-privatisation Public Watchdog’
However, nobody likes being called a conspiracy theorist, and thus climate contrarians really didn’t appreciate Recursive Fury. Very soon after its publication, the journal Frontiers was receiving letters from contrarians threatening libel lawsuits (Graham Readfearn has some details). In late March 2013, the journal decided to “provisionally remove the link to the article while these issues are investigated.” The paper was in limbo for nearly a full year until Frontiers finally caved to these threats.
In its investigation, the journal found no academic or ethical problems with Recursive Fury. However, the fear of being sued by contrarians for libel remained. Frontiers explains (emphasis added),
“In the light of a small number of complaints received following publication of the original research article cited above, Frontiers carried out a detailed investigation of the academic, ethical and legal aspects of the work. This investigation did not identify any issues with the academic and ethical aspects of the study. It did, however, determine that the legal context is insufficiently clear and therefore Frontiers wishes to retract the published article. The authors understand this decision, while they stand by their article and regret the limitations on academic freedom which can be caused by legal factors.”
Damn because that will fuel the climate deniers legal attempts to shut down real research.
“Last year I was invited to meet with Kim Dotcom, but I declined because I didn’t want to get swamped by the Labour, Greens and NZ First pilgrimages to the mansion,” said Hone Harawira, MANA Leader and MP for Te Tai Tokerau.
“But when the invitation was extended again earlier this year I decided to accept, but not at Coatesville. I met with Dotcom at my mates place on the Shore where we discussed a number of issues:
· How much we both dislike the way John Key has allowed NZ’s intelligence services to be used as pawns by American big business against a New Zealand resident;
· How much we both dislike John Key’s cavalier dismissal of the rights of ordinary New Zealanders;
· How well things are going in the Bundesliga;
· How bleak NZ’s future under National will look if John Key keeps floggin’ off our key assets;
· What MANA would like to see in a positive future for Aotearoa;
· What Dotcom might want to see happen in Aotearoa; and
· What wonderful beaches we have in Aotearoa.
“We clearly have common interests, but for the record, I didn’t ask him to fund MANA, and he didn’t offer to either. I didn’t ask him to join MANA, and he didn’t ask me to join his party.”
“I haven’t spoken publicly about the meeting because I haven’t yet spoken with the MANA Exec about it. That’s set for later this week.
I’m not a Green voter (although I have been in the past). I am a Mana supporter for 2 ticks and my $ as a member.
As far as I am aware there are no vegan parties likely to stand for parliament (although I think there should be) which must leave you in a bit of a bind re your vote – how you reconcile that must be tough.
Well I suppose if kim supports Mana’s kaupapa then he’d be a useful member but apart from that I don’t see any benefits for either side – but that’s just my opinion of course and if the leaders of Mana had different ideas I’d always be open to hearing those ideas – I trust the leadership and their belief in the kaupapa and the longterm goals of the Mana Movement.
I think feeding the kids, destroying poverty, creating equality through tino rangatiratanga and the rest of Mana’s kaupapa to be more compelling than giving everyone fast internet.
I suppose in my heart I’m not convinced about Kim – I struggle with his excessive wealth and I struggle with the fact he donated to banks and I just don’t yet see him as a friendly dude wanting a better world for all – for me I can’t get over thinking that it is all about him and that doesn’t align with my political or social viewpoint. But I’d be happy to be proved wrong.
I also think it is dangerous to put too much weight in the enemy of my enemy is my friend – sometimes they are the enemy too.
Actually Phillip, i think you can take it as a given from Marty Mar’s reply to you below that you are in fact wrong,
i do tho take back what i said to you about the ”little bird”, its fucking obvious that ”all the little birdies” i see chirping in my Pohutukawa tree’s every day have a Far Far greater grip on reality than you will ever be blessed with…
’tis a weakness of mine.
In the words of the philosopher Professor Cartmenez, “they want to save the world, but all they do is smoke dope and smell bad”
That smell could be natural human scent – it’s not bad – bad is the sweet unnatural disguising artificial odors used by everyone else – that contribute to so much global suffering for humans and animals alike. Sure, you have to wash with water regularly but that’s like wiping your bum after a poo, as in pretty basic hygiene. The bad smell may also be the leeching of substance through the skin from that which has been ingested – and fair enough that can be awful. But these traits are not exclusive to those that would call themselves ‘hippie’ at least in my experience.
If it stinks, it’s a bad smell, “natural” or not.
Both rosesand horseshit smell, but only one smells good. Best you can hope for is that your nose shuts down.
Ha ha ha…what was it you said below…that’s right brainless right wingers…what a riposte from one that uses his one working braincell to plagarize a right wing loving poet to produce an astounding lack of style…
The fact that you continue the same old chant about ashtrays simply proves the one working cell is still operative..just…your bristling today Phillis…my first comment to you this morning while not having the desired effect…did produce an interesting one…we will have to refine your progam a little…it could be painful but that’s a small price we are willing for you to pay for our endeavors to drag you into the real world…
I will Phillip, offer you a large upright middle finger in lieu of any such apology having to ever be tendered in you direction,
When you are proved right on anything you choose to rave like a drug loony over you will in fact probably have ‘won’ as such a day will probably result in myself having a major coronary…
I doubt if Mana would join up with Dotcom’s non-existent Internet Party. While there are obvious areas of agreement, Dotcom’s basic political philosophy of libertarianism ends up seeing the world as a rich man’s playground. Mana are not as silly as your little bird.
More of your bullshit. Go back and hatch your egg.
I stand by my doubts. Mana is having discussions with Dotcom, but I doubt if they will amalgamate. Mana has been steadily building a movement, while Dotcom is a one man band. Amalgamation would be the death of Mana, irrespective of Phil’s dreams about being given a free server for his blog.
An intriguing mention for tomorrow’s offerings on Radionz I think in the afternoon.
From Christchurch a report on an inconvenience store offering things that money can’t buy.
But… the Herald-Digipoll!!! The sky is falling on Labour!!!
(must also be remembered that even the Roy Morgan systemically overestimates Nat support and so this is even worse for the Nats than might appear from the numbers)
Sadly, still comes down to Winston – but the greater the support for L+G, the more likely he is to deal with them first imo.
Humans and their clever and destructive toys which will turn around and bite us?
Radionz news.
Students invent tree-swinging robot
Canterbury University students have developed a robot that can swing between trees, in the hope it may one day be put to good use in forestry.
I just read this excellent advice from a poster there, Alex Coleman, on the ‘Pundit’ website regarding NZF:
It’s fun to try and guess, and come up with reasons for why he (Winston) may do
various things, but at the end of the day I think the message the other
parties should be pushing, ( a message which has the added benefit of
being true), is something like;
‘If you have a preference for
who will lead the next government, vote for that party instead of
Winston. If you don’t care who leads the government and your main
concern is having Winston in the mix, then vote for him, but be aware
that he could go either way depending on what else happens’.
This message, I think, gives voters the most honest appraisal of what sort of government their vote will help to build.
I was talked into having a flu vaccination this year, for the first time ever. A few hours later, I was aching, vomiting, feverish and shaking uncontrollably. It was worse than any flu I’ve ever had and thankfully only lasted about three hours, but my chest is still sore from vomiting. While I’m all in favour of the vaccines that allow us to live without polio, smallpox, measles, mumps, and a few other things, I doubt very much if I’ll be dosing up on the flu vaccine ever again.
Go back to Kiwibog. That’s the place for those who want to take strange creatures to bed, and for those looking for someone who will take strange creatures to bed.
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TL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above that was recorded yesterday afternoon above between and The Kākā’s climate correspondent : An independent review panel into the emergency response to Cyclone Gabrielle in Hawkes Bayconcluded “that ...
There are now only a few days left to give feedback on the Draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport 2024-34 (see our earlier post this week on GPS submission guides). As we’ve reported, the GPS is a disaster for Local Government, so we were particularly interested to hear ...
Willis has pledged to go ahead with the debt-funded tax cuts, despite growing opposition from her own supporters worried about appearing fiscally irresponsible. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for ...
Open access notables A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North, van Wijngaarden et al., Climatic Change:The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased ...
Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On ...
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...
New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
Photo by Alvan Nee on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
Opposition MPs and unions are criticising a proposal by New Zealand’s Ministry of Pacific Peoples to cut staff by 40 percent. The country’s largest trade union — The Public Service Association — says the ministry has informed staff that it is looking to shed 63 of 156 positions. Opposition MPs ...
A poem by Poetry Aotearoa Yearbook 2024 featured poet Carin Smeaton. Daughtr of the 90s when she gets promoted to usherette a baby blu eel carries her all the way up to mothership she’s hovering high she lets the underaged in to see keanu reeves she lets the only lonely ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand. My earlier article – Can ‘Good’ be the Greater Evil? – looked at the issue of how wars should end, and how Good versus Evil ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 AMMA by Saraid de Silva (Moa Press, $38)A stunning debut novel reviewed by Brannavan ...
From Steve Martin to Ricky Stanicky, a pick’n’mix of things worth watching and listening to this long weekend. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. If you’re at a loss for something to occupy yourself with this Easter, don’t panic: The Spinoff’s got ...
Jesus had dinner with his 12 disciples right before he died. Noted historian Madeleine Chapman finds out who really deserved to be there.First published in 2018 but let’s be honest, the subject is timeless. As you sit on your couch this Easter Sunday, eating a chocolate egg you know ...
The newly-promoted Northern League club is on a mission to return to the National League for the first time in two decades. Plenty about domestic football in New Zealand has changed in that time – but the sense that this amateur competition is not an entirely level playing field remains. ...
Auckland Council has put a deadline on new weather-impacted property owners applying for categorisation as government funding looks set to run out. Councillors have voted to support a deadline of September 30 for property owners who haven’t accessed support to come forward and engage with the council’s recovery office. It ...
NONFICTION 1 BBQ Economics by Liam Dann (Penguin Random House, $40) “It’s official,” wrote Dann nine days ago in the Herald, where he works as business editor at large, “we’re in recession.” Yeah, great. He delivered the bad stats: “GDP fell 0.1 percent in the December 2023 quarter, compared with ...
Comment: Every year on February 2, a dozen men in tuxedos and top hats approach the burrow of a groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania and entice the beaver-like rodent to emerge and predict the weather. If the groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, sees its own shadow when it is summoned, legend ...
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By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
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The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
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Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
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The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
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(and when will this madness end..?..)
http://whoar.co.nz/2014/methadone-liquid-handcuffs-ed-vile-nazi-smack/
(excerpt..)
(ed:..as a former long-term heroin addict..it horrifies me that people presenting with opiate-dependence issues..
.are being given a life sentence to a drug that is more harmful/addictive on every level..
..a ‘cure’ that is worse than the original problem..
..my solution to this would be to substitute morphine-maintenance to/for those hooked on this hideous drug..methadone..
…and horror of horrors..
..some people presenting with issues with ‘p’/speed..
..are also being given this life-sentence..
..these ‘liquid-handcuffs’..
..and it is beyond black-irony that this madness is justified by these ‘medical-professionals’..
..as ‘harm minimisation’..
..(try and get yr head around that one..eh..?..
..utter fucken madness..!..)
can’t disagree with anything you say PU!
Can you remember when all that ‘harm minimisation/reduction’ bullshit came in (as opposed to the initial idea of putting people on the Nazi drug till ‘stable’, then gradual reduction of dose to nothing)???
Can you imagine FFS….. there are now 60, even 70 somethings [if he’s still alive] who’ve been on the bloody stuff half their lives!
…… and whilst being on it, treated like kids by power trippers justifying their existence.
An alternative might be to return to better (and much more prolific) counselling services, Hanmers, Martons, etc; doing something about diversions; and putting efforts into reducing poverty in general so that various forms of escapism are less tempting. (Apparently only the wealthy are allowed to be happy and normal).
Stop criminalising too ffs. EVERY time something has been criminalised – the result has been a far worse alternative – be it ‘homebake’, ‘P’, and now designer drugs and highs in various forms.
No doubt, like me (watching my brother’s demise), have witnessed highly intelligent, functioning ‘units’ wasting away.
/endrant (but rant with good reason)
“..and whilst being on it, treated like kids by power trippers justifying their existence..”
..aye..!
..i didn’t touch on that..
..but the horrors/power-abuse around that ..
..kinda has me seeing red..
..and wanting to go and punch walls..
..(think of every ‘power-mad’ minor official you have met..
..then compound that…
(and this..)
“..At least four people have died within a year of being forcefully withdrawn from the CMP, the CDHB confirmed. .”
these evil freaks are also killing the people they are meant to help..
..we spend millions re-aligning a road..’cos 3 people died on it in the last ten yrs..
..but dead-junkies..?
..ah..!..who gives a fuck..?
..eh..?
..only their families will care..
..no political mileage in that..
..eh..?
Philip wants to make a correction for a piece of crap that He posted in yesterdays discussion here in ‘Open Mike’,
Bowel Cancer is the biggest cancer killer in New Zealand Phillip???, wrong as usual, although you can claim to be an also ran with such a Wrong claim,
Leading cause of cancer deaths in New Zealand,
Lung 18.2%,
Colorectal 15.3%,
Breast 8.2%,
Prostate 7.1%,
Pancreas 4.1%
http://www.cancernz.org.nz/divisions/auckland/about/cancer-statistics
Eating red meat ‘might’ be a cause of such cancers but ”there is no Evidence”
http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/colectoral_cancer
Always happy to put you on the right track as far as the ”facts” go Phillip…
yeah..right ho bad..
..red meat doesn’t cause cancer..
(‘cos bad said so..)
..off ya go now..!
..eh..?
..go and play with yr ciggies/tobacco-plants..eh..?
..(and empty that fucken ashtray..eh..?..it’s overflowing with butts..)
..and make sure you have a bacon-buttie smothered in cheese while you are at it..
..i have absolutely no interest in having a link-war with you..
..my boredom threshold is far lower than that..
No Phillip, you have no intention of having a ‘link war’ with me not because you boredom threshold is far lower than ‘that’,
You have no intention of having a link war with me because it might disturb your ability to spread utter bullshit in these pages,
As you can see by the link provided,”coz bad sez so” is also another tragic lie from you, i say so because the wikipedia which gives a very good over-view of Colorectal Cancers, with citing of various Science, ”says so”…
twitter..twitter..titter..twitter..(handkerchief-wring..)
..twitter..twitter..twitter..twitter..(handkerchief-wring..)
..p.u…
cutting..!..there..lurgee..
i reel back..
..mortally wounded..
(btw..i haven’t seen/noticed your alias b4..
..have you ever said anything even mildly interesting in this forum..
.care to link us to it.?.)
I’ve been posting here, on and off, for ages. Certainly since the 2008 election, if not before. If you haven’t noticed, it says a lot for your self-absorption.
If you care to vet my posting history, there is a search facility. Point yourself in its direction, instead of expecting me to do it. What are you, some sort of Victorian factory owner, to be waited on hand and foot by grovelling peons?
nitrates in sausages cause cancer …where is your Philip Ure Vegan Sausage?….I have been looking out for it in the supermarkets…..
http://www.beatbowelcancer.org.nz/
http://www.beatbowelcancer.org.nz/about.html#background
So Bowel Cancer may not be the biggest cancer killer in nz but our affliction rates are amongst the highest in the world.
We also have the highest rate of rheumatoid arthritis in the world, in fact our health statistics are a worry. Fish seems to be the new meat in this country – it is very high in mercury and should not be eaten too often. People seem to think it is a step up from meat but as fish have many nerve endings in their mouths it is a very cruel practice, plus the mercury could well affect the mental health of those who eat it, the hatters in Victorian England who dealt with mercury in their work ended up often going mad!
There are quite a few research papers out now confirming that meat does cause cancer and heart disease. Fairly sure I read one recently put out by the British Medical Journal.
Watch Forks Over Knives, available either from your library or online. This film has convinced many to go vegan.
pretty much everything causes cancer and/or heart disease.
But there are a lot of things ahead in the queue of things to kill us than meat, when eaten (like everything else) in moderation.
like what..?..flock..?
It is humans who cause unspeakable suffering to animals. I just dont get why empathetic and compassionate humans, especially lefties who are supposedly more empathetic and compassionate than your average rightie, can completely switch off when it comes to animals.
Personally, I’d be against eating meat if I thought they could tell us what they did on their holidays. Hence whales and gorillas would be doubtful, ethics-wise.
But I think a lot of folks simply anthropomorphise human feelings onto meatbots.
just a bit of a ‘joke’ for you..eh flock..?
..your ignorances are as fucken deep as they are wide..
It’s quite a good example of what I’d regard as a plausible sentience test: communication, memory, abstract thoughts, sense of “self”, sense of others.
‘But I think a lot of folks simply anthropomorphise human feelings onto meatbots.’
McFlock, animals feel pain and sadness, this is an offensive statement.
One of the less fortunate legacies of the enlightenment was the devaluing of animals, which ultimately ushered in factory farming. This ugly spirit was embodied by Nicolas Malebranche, one of the nastier devotees of Descartes’ rationalism, which viewed animals as machines:
‘They eat without pleasure, cry without pain, grow without knowing it; they desire nothing, fear nothing, know nothing.’
To illustrate the point, Malebranche reportedly kicked a dog by way of illustration (quoted in Saul Frampton’s book about Montaigne, a genuinely enlightened thinker of 16th century France, entitled Montaigne and Being In Touch With Life: When I Am Playing With My Cat, How Do I Know She Is Not Playing With Me?).
Well, we’re animals.
But cows and chickens displaying anything approaching a persistent state of sentience much more sophisticated than stimulus:response? I’d want evidence for that.
There is evidence, McFlock, but it doesn’t suit your outdated and mechanistic prejudices so it seems you will simply refuse to acknowledge its existence. And I am talking of chickens, dogs, birds, and cows, not intellectually arrogant and cut-off human animals.
It’s too late to go trawling for evidence – there are loads of studies – but this review in 2010 in the Guardian might at least update your 16th century notion of animals as machines. In various studies, animals have been shown to display a sense of fairness, an ability to recognise human beauty, a moral awareness, and can feel pessimistic.
Flippant, but relevant
Doesn’t look like lions give a damn about the feelings of antelope, wildebeest and zebra.
Well, up until that article, you hadn’t actually presented any evidence.
What I’m talking about is actual sentience, not physiology. Chickens rating faces that we find “attractive” is seeing whether they have the same physiological biases as us (maybe they associate those factors with food because pretty humans are more likely to nab the research assistant jobs, which involve feeding the animals? Who knows). Measuring baboon “grief” via stress hormones doesn’t actually mean the baboon is aware of why its body is stressed.
I’m pretty safe saying elephants are sentient, evidence being complex communication (beyond “I’m Horny!” and “Mine! Go away!” and “Danger!”), learning (not training), and the big one for me was watching film of an elephant calf stranded in a mud pool – the other elephants coordinated making a mud ramp (i.e. individuals went to different sides, some worked on the top and others pushed the calf up, without running around to check what was going on). The nabbed abstract thought, communication, sense of self, and so on.
Personally, I think sentience is a continuum – oysters at one end, higher mammals and maybe the possibility of a smart giant squid at the other. Most of the animals we eat would never have existed without us breeding them to eat. Most of them have at most a dim awareness, maybe, of existing from one moment to the next. We shouldn’t torture them, or kick them just for the hell of it. But to cry when one sees a cattle truck is displaying a whole range of intellect that, frankly, I don’t think cows can manage. I’ve met and lived with a whole bunch of farm animals. The brightest of them were not quite as smart as someone enthralled by prime-time network sitcoms.
‘The brightest of them [animals] were not quite as smart as someone enthralled by prime-time network sitcoms.’
The human animal is the most murderous, destructive, polluting creature ever to inhabit this earth. And this is what you call smart.
So your concern foranimals masks your contempt for people.
Because yes, we are all of that. We are also so much more: creative, caring, curious, capable of rational heroism as well as instinctive reactions, we can build so much and (hopefully) we can walk so far. We aren’t “smart” because of our shortcomings, we’re smart because of what each of us might one day be capable of. I’ve heard stories of a cow jumping over the moon, but only a human has walked on the face of it.
Name a species that tortures and butchers its own kind en masse, and destroys its own habitat, or don’t assert manipulative and glib statements.
It’s rather ironic you accuse me of contempt when the reason I took issue with you was the contempt shown for Belladonna and her concern for defensiveness creatures.
The lovely qualities you ascribe to us are exemplified by those like Belladonna who feel things, and question why the world isn’t a different place.
Edit: That above is meant to read ‘defenceless creatures’.
Well, that was concisely self-contradictory.
You do realise that a large number of species, lions for example, will kill any young of the same species that are not their own?
Defenseless creatures that she would rather not exist, and upon which she purported some extremely doubtful characteristics.
And the regrettable human traits that you listed are frequently committed by people who choose only to project their own opinions, beliefs and feelings onto what they choose to see in the world around them, rather than recognising it for what it is.
I said ‘en masse’ for a reason, McFlock. And, also, the torture and habitat destruction? Read some of the many examples given today on Mickey’s Dotcom distraction post if you are ignorant of the pertinent history.
‘And the regrettable human traits that you listed are frequently committed by people who choose only to project their own opinions, beliefs and feelings onto what they choose to see in the world around them, rather than recognising it for what it is.’
Like most of your arguments, this is disingenuous and facile while sounding good on the surface.
It is the suppression of feeling that causes most of our problems. For instance, how would a WINZ minion inflict misery on their fellow citizens if they empathised with them?
It is no coincidence that the very people who deride the role of emotion in decision-making don’t have any time for animal rights arguments.
“En masse”?
Chimps are vicious buggers to their own, but you’d be hard pressed to find a species as populous as humans (therefore genocide is a bit difficult). Locusts are pretty good habitat destroyers, though. In fact most animals are – they expand to the level of resources (usually food), and then either migrate or population collapse.
They say “a solution, to their problem as I see it, is obvious to me, therefore they are lazy or grifting”.
I’m not deriding emotion in decision-making, I’m deriding the assumption that everyone and everything is like us.
Emotion is good, with reason. Reason is good, with emotion. Either alone is insufficient: reason without emotion is sociopathic, emotion without reason is stupid.
air pollution
alcohol
too much exercise
too little exercise
accidental injury
intentional injury
too much sun
too little vitamin D
too many bananas or brazil nuts
allergies
the list goes on…
Agree with your list but meat and dairy still should be at the top of your list.
Bold claim.
At a guess, overeating (anything, including potato chips) should be at the top of the list, at least in developed nations.
….too many vaccinations?…too many doctor’s visits?….too much smoking?….to much alcohol?….too much living?….too much fun?
too much measles, pertussis, etc as well
Lolz, Mac, Nooooo, please dont get me started,pleeease…
“We also have the highest rate of rheumatoid arthritis in the world”
I’m pretty sure the NZ RA rate is on par with most predominately (Northern) European populations. The highest rates are in some North American indigenous populations.
If our reported rate is high, compared with other predominately European populations I’d consider looking whether fudging diagnoses of an unspecified inflammatory arthritis as rheumatoid to meet the pharmac criteria for more effective drugs is an issue as well as looking other health triggers (e.g. infection and environmental triggers).
Miravox, I saw a graph fairly recently that showed New Zealand at the the top for RA.
Diet plays a huge part. Many have recovered completely from RA by following a vegan diet. D
I know where you’re coming from Belladonna, I’ve looked around a bit of the stats too, but yeah…nah – it’s not that simple, from what I understand.
“So Bowel Cancer may not be the biggest cancer killer in nz but our affliction rates are amongst the highest in the world.”
One way to seriously cut the number of NZers dying of bowel / colorectal cancer is to ensure that GPs are up to speed on current guidelines. Bowel Cancer has one of the highest survival rates (out of all cancers) when caught early / and one of the highest mortality rates when caught late.
There are 5 stages – from 0 to 4. Stage 0 = abnormal cells that haven’t evolved into cancer but are about to. Survival rate = almost 100%. Stage 4 = spread to distant parts of body. Survival rate = almost 0%. What seems to be happening quite often is that GPs are unaware of Stage 0 (which of course is precisely when oncologists and surgeons want to catch it). So GPs do the standard digital examination and if they can’t find a tumour then tell the patient that they haven’t got bowel / colorectal cancer. Which, in turn, gives the patient a false sense of security – they assume that their symptoms (dramatically changed bowel habits over an extended period) must simply be something to do with “growing old”. And so they’re virtually guaranteed to develop to a more serious – often fatal – stage.
My mother went down to her GP 4 years ago, believing she may have bowel cancer. The above happened, her symptoms got worse, but she’d been assured by her GP that she didn’t have cancer (she’d clearly been at Stage 0). Finally, she goes down again in December 2013 and, of course, is finally diagnosed with rectal cancer – has to have a major operation, complete with colostomy and is still not entirely sure if she’s Stage 2 or Stage 3. Survival chances better than 50/50 but if the GP had done their job – would have been almost 100%.
My parents have since heard that a number of middle aged and older people in their suburb have recently died of bowel cancer. Prob had same group of GPs.
GP guidelines are that patients should be sent for a scan if they’re over 50 and have experienced significantly altered bowel habits for more than 8 weeks, regardless of whether or not GP can feel any lump / tumour.
And I have to say – Wellington is far more poorly served when it comes to the number of specialist surgeons and the quality and financing of hospital treatment and related services than Auckland or Chch. But then we’re just the Capital City so what the fuck do we matter ?
Tony Ryalls Health rationing, the first step is to deny there is a problem, this may get a bit explosive for Mr Ryall next month,
Part of me thinks He might already know this and such is the real reason for His announcement of retirement…
Well PU, it’s become a ‘broad spectrum drench’ using a programme that’s fundamentally flawed.
Firstly …. putting people with ‘P’ addictions on Methadone FFS!!!!
Secondly …. what that ‘harm reduction’ reasoning means is that it’s easier to have long long long term “clients” that you can control and treat like kids, as opposed to cycling a greater number of addicts through a system (ensuring of course they receive adequate counselling and monitoring for a while).
[Far easier to have little morning meetings discussing meaningless bullshit over a fewer number of “clients” than it is to have to administer the cycling through of a greater number. It’s actually a cushy little number for those involved].
I’ve kept my distance for a very very long time – even as my brother went through it, for obvious reasons, but even then as a family member, one can’t help but be affected in some way or other – whether it’s being left to raise children; financial assistance to inevitable legal costs; emotional effects, paying for dental repairs, etc., etc., etc.
BUT, Having now had so many older people now on that evil programme for such a long time, it’s going to be difficult to change. Perhaps the ‘harm reduction’ long term thing is at least now only appropriate for the 40,50,60-somethings because often it’s too late.
Certainly though ‘P’ freaks that present, and those in say their 20’s and 30’s with opiate addictions shouldn’t have to have be faced with a life sentence.
Utimately there are some in the medical/counselling professions that should be bloody ashamed of themselves – and of course politicians for under-funding and repeatedly taking piss-poor advice.
Incidentally, a friend of mine, whose brother/friends also went thru’ it all (I think actually a past acquaintance of yours as well) were trying to count up the number of ‘units’ that have bitten the dust the other day. We lost count.
The ”Life Sentence” Phillip was self prescribed by the users of both ‘P’ and needle jamming Heroin users like yourself around the 3rd time such users ”Chose” to use such drugs,
You, and only You slapped those handcuffs on yourself and that was a long time in your case and any other Heroin/P users case befor they got anywhere near the Methadone which is the States remedy as a ‘maintenance dose’ to the addiction,
Your laughable demand for Morphine over Methadone only tells me that deep in your psyche you still crave that Heroin like nothing else on this Earth,
You might see such a demand as ‘reasonable’, but, that ‘reasonableness is just your Junkies mind demanding the Heroin you crave, obviously because Methadone just doesn’t ”do it” for your addicted little tortured soul,
Screaming for Morphine over Methadone is in reality a scream for more Heroin to keep the addiction raging, and, by the way, Methadone didn’t kill those other junkies, years of drug abuse done them in and Methadone was just the final straw for their abused bodies and minds, all self inflicted i might add,
indulge in enough Morphine Phillip and that will literally stop you breathing,
Heroin..
http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heroin
Morphine..
http://www.ch.ic.ac.uk/zepa/mim/drugs/html/morphine_text.html
Btw… the only problem I have with PU at times is a kind of dogmatic, preaching approach that just serves to get everyone’s back up – like the stereotypical reformed smoker.
I’m not sure what the answer is, but it sure as hell isn’t the current methadone programme (at least for ‘P’ freaks and the younger opiate addicted). Even Australia has a far more sensible approach to it all – who’d have thunk!
Once was Tim, there’s a question to be asked here, ”does the methadone program stop ‘P’ and Heroin users using the drugs”???,
Sure we have a ‘cheap fix’ without those using the Methadone program also going through a Hamner Springs type rigorous counselling program,
The ‘bean counters’ have obviously come to the conclusion that if the ‘Done program’ removes the need for addicts to access street drugs like Heroin and ‘P’ then the financial cost of the addiction is also removed along with the crime that comes with that financial cost of the addiction,
In bean counter land it aint about ‘salvation’ of the addicts, we aint short of people, its all about managing the problem in terms of criminal harm such addictions cause,
Becoming addicted is oh so easy, i have boxes of prescribed pain killers here which during the first week of their use definitely got me ‘out of it’, to have kept up that ‘out of it feeling’ would have required me to keep upping the dose as the ‘buzz’ wore off after a week,
Knowing what addiction is, i have gone the other way and stopped using them unless i cause myself an acute bout of pain,
If i chose the other route, to chase the ‘buzz’ sooner or later these painkillers would have been of no use to me for the purpose they were prescribed and i would be back at the doctors demanding stronger for longer pain medication,
Its easy to become addicted, from Tea to Heroin, the easiest thing in the world…
In answer to the ”does the methadone program stop ‘P’ and Heroin users using the drugs”???, – not from what I’ve witnessed but then I work on a policy of not hanging round the barber’s shop because one is liable to get their hair clipped.
It is as you suggest – a bean counter approach.
It’s also at times a bit of a ‘holier than thou’ approach’ by many involved in the various professions involved in its administration, and often by policy decisions made..
If it wasn’t so sad, I’d be amused. Often the attitude by them is that they’re somehow ‘better’ than the stereotypical dirty filthy addict when in fact I know of certain Trauma Specialists, children of Science Advisors, Police officers; Counsellors themselves and many others who are in no position to hold that attitude .
Some have had the benefit of wealthy parents able to pay for private counselling services, others simply got bored and grew out of it all (probably those that don’t necessarily have a certain personality type), others just switched to so-called ‘respectable’ addictions – like the TAB or became at least borderline pissheads.
In my brother’s case, it all started by being introduced to heroin whilst a border at Christ’s College – I’ve come across certain ‘professionals’ that don’t like to be reminded of that – Eh What!
For me, the safest policy is not to hang around the barber shop.
bad12
You mention Hamner Springs – was it regarded as a help centre that worked for addicts?
It seemed to have a good name and the direftor was well thought of. What was your opinion? And should it be replicated as a major means of changing addicts lives?
I knew plenty of addicts/users that went through Hanmer Springs and other places and didn’t seem to be helped by the experience. I don’t personally know any who were “cured” by the experience. I knew a small number who stopped after stints at Odyssey House, although they all (3) went on to make careers in the addiction treatment industry, so I don’t think they were ever really cured. Given that addiction is one of the most difficult things to treat, a success rate that may be laughable in other areas of medicine may well be laudable. The other thing is that I am only speaking from experience and have no idea how well that would generalise.
With many addicts, their addiction is perceived as the most significant thing that ever happens in their lives. Even if and when they do stop, they never seem to stop talking about it, which makes me wonder about their ability to do much else. Some of us manage to hardly give it a second thought, and go on with other things, at which we can be very successful. For obvious reasons, the first category are noticed far more.
MO
The talking about it by ‘cured’ addicts. It certainly is a powerful change in their lives, a winning leap like a high jumping athlete. Something thatt hey would remember for the rest of their life, though not talk about.
But wouldn’t talking about it echo that old joke about the person who wants to show off their war wound or their operation scar. It’s the most dramatic thing that has happened to them, they have been at the edge of losing themselves, their lives and survived. They just haven’t got round to getting a tshirt that blazons
`I survived methadone/ my aneurysm,/rheumatoid arthritis/ bi-polar attacks/grand mal/gout’ etc.
And there is that thing about one problem masking another. It may be preferable to concentrate on the drug thing rather than other troubling things from the past that want to thrust their unwelcome presence into the mind. Our minds are definitely delicate things, and to cope with life’s impacts on us, who knows what defences we will build.
And … excellent jousting. Did you smell some bacon cooking! That was a riposte and a half.
I saw getting over addiction as giving myself an opportunity to do other things, and I’ve concentrated on them. I never saw it as a great achievement in and of itself, but it has allowed me to do the odd thing that, if I were not so modest, I would give myself a little pat on the back for.
Others approach things differently, and good on them I suppose. It doesn’t mean that they can deny my experience, nor I theirs. If I were a believer in one unique truth, I’d be religious, or, if I were insane as well, I’d join ACT.
Methadone treatment had its place, and probably still does. Most of the problems with it came from not prescribing enough and forcing withdrawals when people weren’t ready. I have no idea why it would be prescribed for people using amphetamines, and have never seen any hard evidence that this happens. I don’t expect that you’ll be able to provide any, because you never do.
ah..!..fuck off olsen..
..can’t be bothered dragging you from square one..
Yep, about what I expected. You can’t even handle the non-existent withdrawals from cannabis without displays of unprovoked aggression. Did you smell some bacon cooking or something?
Morning all. The one “left wing” possible policy that really excites me as a game hanger for the country is a UBI. On this site most people promote it as an equity policy, which it is. But it has a number of elements that would be very appealing to conservative voters also. It would reduce cost and complexity in govt. Half of ird and most of winz could be reassigned to do something more useful. We could significantly drop abatement/effective marginal taxation rates on work, encouraging more participation. We could simplify the tax system to maybe one or a max of two rates. My question is that why is labour not picking this up? Cheers
The reduction in bureaucracy is a big selling point for me. I have an inherent dislike for systems that take money out of one pocket and then put it back in the other. It seems a ridiculous waste of resource to me.
If you have a ubi for every citizen working for families can go, no need for a baby bonus scheme etc.
I would imagine that if you had a decent tax free threshold as well and then reset the tax levels in such a way that people say earning around $100000 end up with about the same amount of money after tax as they have now and those above slightly less due to a higher tax rate at the top.
It takes so much complexity out of the system and would make a massive difference to those at the lower end.
@cricklewood..
..+ 1..to pretty much every word..
The entire tax system needs a major rework, once L/G/ and others get in power soon we can crunch the numbers etc to make radical change. CGT is a good start as is the rich coughing up to pay their share.
+100…me too
…UBI is simple…everyone can understand it…it is equitable….it gives everyone dignity and respect….and everyone feels part of a caring society ….essential for a healthy participatory democracy
So now it’s official. John Key considers the National Party to be a charity.
For the last 6 years the Nats have been spreading a rumour about Key donating his salary to “charity”, and a lot of people seem to believe it.
And now I believe it too.
Starts at 7′ 00″ – former Problem Gambling Foundation head John Stanfield puts the boot in.
…patron saint of money launderers and loan sharks..
http://podcast.radionz.co.nz/aft/aft-20140321-1610-the_panel_with_susan_hornsby-geluk_and_nevil_gibson_part_1-048.mp3
HAHAHA the best description of Dunne I have heard for a long time.
“30 years of Sucking on the public teat In Parliament”
But in Plain English
A Bought and Paid for Man. Stands on the principles of the highest bidder.
Stanfield on Dunne: “The patron saint of money launderers and loan sharks and never so much as a squeak against his mates in the liquor, tobacco or gambling barons (sic)….”
This decision (Problem Gambling Foundation being dumped) could be the end of Dunne if used against him in his Ohariu electorate.
Gotta be a vote loser for the Nats too. (Nats 45.5% Lab Green 45.5% in latest Roy Morgan)
there has to be a concerted effort of get rid of Dunne …he is a despicable hypocrite and toady
Can we do politics better?
Better voter turnout? Better party participation? Better candidates? Better MPs? Better parties? Better political behaviour? Are these all linked?
The political arena needs to have robust debate, it needs to have keenly contested ideas and ideals, policies and personalities.
But we have a problem. Our politics often seems dominated by deception and lies, attacks and smears, attempts to destroy opponents and governments. And domination of the dirty dishonest dark arts of politics results in widespread disappointment and disillusionment, and that’s what we have.
Record numbers of people don’t vote. A number of MPs are frustrated and annoyed at the poor standards of behaviour in Parliament and in the wider political sphere. It’s difficult to attract women into politics, and advance them in politics, and keep them in politics, because of male dominated poor behaviour.
Some MPs, some party employees and some journalists seem dominate with agendas, diversions, attacks, with a sordid and sensationalist approach. Unfortunately their loud voices and over the top actions get a disproportionate amount of attention. The same applies to political forums in social media.
Can we do better? If enough people want better and don’t remain passive, pissed off and turned off, yes.
There will always be politicians and activists who think that anyone who disagrees with their aims and ideals is an enemy who should be dealt to and if possible destroyed. It’s ingrained in their nature, as if they are intoxicated by a quest for power. In a way similar to drunken thugs who think it proves their strength and dominance, or think it’s fun to smash people.
To diminish the dominance of dirty politics it needs to be confronted. And better alternatives need to be established.
Most MPs are decent people wanting to do better for New Zealand. They have different ideas on how to make things better but they want things to be better.
They need to be held to account if they make mistakes or do things they shouldn’t.
They also need the help and support of decent people who want better from our politicians and our Parliament.
I decided to become involved in politics because I wanted better politics. I’ve become involved in many things, I’ve gained useful experience. I’ve made mistakes. I’ve made friends. It seems that I’ve enemies. That’s inevitable in politics.
I now want to focus most on my original goal, doing politics and doing democracy better. I believe we can and we should. To succeed it needs a number of people with a common aim. There’s many people who wish for better out there. We need to stand up more, speak up more, act more positively.
I’m prepared to reach out to people with similar aims and work together. Some will see it as a threat to their petty, pissy and destructive way of doing things. So be it.
We can do politics better if enough of us want to, and if we make it happen.
twitter..twitter..titter..twitter..(handkerchief-wring..)
..twitter..twitter..twitter..twitter..(handkerchief-wring..)
..p.g…
I noticed Pete had been testing the waters.
I guess the tl:dr missive on fairness was inevitable…
Shorter Version as tl;dr
‘Why can’t everyone be like meeeeee!1!!!1!!, only I can save you all from yourselves, look at meeeeeeeee!!!1!!, I, I’ve, I, I’m, meeeeeeeeee!!!11!!
PG the self appointed arbiter of political discourse. Yes Pete, politics would be sooo much better if we could all be as beige as you and have permanent fence marks on our butts.
Go back to factchecking (cough, cough).
Shouldn’t that be “PG;dr”?
Hahahaha pg;dr is a stroke of genius, maybe we need another variation like rwnj;dr
“..PG the self appointed arbiter of political discourse. Yes Pete, politics would be sooo much better if we could all be as beige as you and have permanent fence marks on our butts.
Go back to factchecking (cough, cough)…”
(heh heh..!..)
PG, you make a good argument for the need for more open and democratic political debate.
Given that the original Politico-checker NZ site call for volunteers stated that the editor position required someone with a strong research background, what are your credentials for the position/
This goes to the heart of my scepticism about you in the role. I have a research background, and have mixed a lot with researchers and read many peer reviewed publications. I have yet to see any evidence that you have a strong research background.
The editor role is wide ranging. There is a research co-ordinator who will manager the research team, if you’re interested in contributing or know anyone who might be then contact Kirk, details here. It requires more than just academic research skills, it’s obviously highly political. The more input we can get from across the spectrum the better, that will give us overall balance. the more participation the better it will work.
care to tell us how many of yr ‘left’ volunteers have fled..
..since the announcement of you as their boss..?
is it just you..that rightwing green..farrar/williams..
..and a few rightwing toadies..
..left..?
Well the details you link to, PG, indicate you have a background in research. Good research is n=done in unis and in other organisations doing research.
i do not see how you can fulfil the stated editorial role – as final gatekeeper of “truth ratings” and what is “true and accurate”.
I remain skeptical. I have seen nothing in your way of arguing that shows you have a significant understanding of, or capability with, rigorous research and related analysis.
I do hope the others doing work for the site. The deputy editor looks to have more relevant experience and paper qualifications.
🙄
We could do ‘politics better’ if we rejuvenated the parliament by introducing parliamentary democracy where politicians were not almost always bound to boring party lines (remember when marriage equality passed, and there was genuine engagement rather than silly point scoring). We’d end up in a more honest place, in terms of where the parties really sit on the political spectrum.
This would create more interesting discussion and comment.
A well resourced, accountable, interesting, representative parliament.
Direct democracy is not the answer.
Nicky Hager (who rarely comments on party politics) touched on the malaise in his 2012 Bruce Jesson address:
‘The politician Peter Dunne, for instance, is a hard-line free market politician from the 1980s, a moral conservative and a friend of the alcohol, tobacco and gambling industries. He is called “centrist”. The New Zealand Labour Party maintained most of the 1980s free-market policies when it was in government twenty years later but was called “centre left” — making it hard for the party to understand why it’s policies are contradictory and what it needs to do to realign with its consistuency. The “centre-right” National Party is also a very confused place. Its free-market policies sit uncomfortably with its traditional conservative policies, and its big-business friendly policies clash badly with its small-to-medium sized business constituency. The label “centre right” doesn’t help understanding or progress on these issues at all.’
Yes it is. As long as we have representatives making the decisions then parties and all the negatives you point to will still exist. With participatory democracy we will get real engagement and discussion because the discussion will no longer be limited to what the caucus thinks.
Great, another pathos dripping fake and insincere post (just like the last time you did it) – learn some new tricks.
How come you’re getting advance copies of Cunliffe’s speeches?
Hahaha……..Petey George – the quintessential mealy mouthed, country vicar affected, while risibly disingenuous MP wannabee, aspirant to the guzzling trough.
Telling us that we should be ‘nice’ and draw a line under the patent foulness of Smile & Wave & Invoice and its hubris, entitlement and destructiveness to democracy. Get off the grass Petey !
But thank you anyway for the preview of your nightly fantasised maiden speech.
“I have a dream……..(of being a celebrated, august, ‘someody’) “.
Peter, I agree than most (all maybe) who become MPs want to make the country a better place, and that the “better place” is per their own definition.
One MP (who you guys would never actually have voted for) said that most MPs work very well together in the committees and all genuinely listened to each other and to those who came to do submissions. And that most were pretty good at compromising to try and get better legislation.
Now maybe everyone becomes a bit more beige by the experience, and perhaps thats why the middle is often called “Labour lite”, or “National lite” depending on who is in opposition and why those who cant see politics delivering the outcomes they want, dont vote.
The bloody minded reformists havent got a chance under MMP.
So we wont see any of the radical stuff of previous generations of the NZLP – from the Savage radical stuff to the Douglas radical stuff of more recent times.
The problem being that we actually need radical policies so as to get out from under this neo-liberal rock that the governments of the last thirty years have placed us under.
BTW, taking account of reality really isn’t all that radical whereas keeping going under the present delusional policies is.
Your argument seems to be that New Zealand has, in effect, entrenched a radical socio-economic and political environment originally established in the late 1980s and early 1990s? That one group of “bloody minded reformists” have triumphed in radicalising New Zealand society?
It follows, then, that moderate, balanced policies are now impossible – or extremely difficult – to introduce. That means your conclusion – “So we won’t see any of the radical stuff of previous generations of the NZLP” – is almost exactly incorrect, since it is not ‘radical stuff’ that is disallowed – after all, one form of radicalism has been entrenched – but, instead, ‘moderate and balanced stuff’.
For example, if the NZLP decided, when it is next in government, to introduce further privatisation in the education system that would be perfectly possible and would receive a smooth ride – since it conforms to the entrenched, radical agenda. Alternatively, if it wished to reduce the amount of private sector involvement in the education sector that would not be possible – or extremely difficult to ‘sell’ – because it is too moderate for the entrenched, radical agenda.
Or have I misunderstood your analysis?
+1
My point is that radical change from where ever we currently are, is off the agenda under MMP.
Under MMP theres no way that the Douglas reforms would have got past Parliament.
If you recall, Lange was a power hungry PM who wanted control. He had the majority party in Parliament, and then he had a cabinet (and ministers outside cabinet) who in total numbers more than 50% of the caucus, and then had the “inner cabinet” which was more than 50% of the total cabinet.
So his little group had control over the whole parliament. And when he lost control to that group of radical socialists (Prebble Douglas & co) he was totally screwed, and his legacy would forever be of a weak PM who lost control of his team.
Im sure that Douglas and Prebble still see themselves as radical socialists trying to right the world, and that if Labour had only listened, everyone – including the workers – would be way better off now.
Now maybe very few agree with their take on things, but Im sure they both still hold those views even now
I don’t agree with that. I think if the Labour party went far more radical left than what they’re doing now then they would get more votes as the people who aren’t voting will flock to them.
Labour are too scared to do a sharp left turn as its their belief that you have to occupy the middle to occupy the treasury benches.
The only way to achieve it is to have parties to the left of them propose the radical stuff and then to coallition with them. If the radical stuff works then Labour can claim it as their own (as senior party in coalitions do) and if it doesnt, they can hang the minor out to dry. (as happens in NZs version of MMP)
The Lone H.ger
Yeah that sounds a good scheme, good thinking. Hope that Labour takes that approach which is the sensible pragmatic one for these days. That doesn’t allow Jones to go cocking his leg up at Greens posters. That’s something else Labour has to attend to.
Don’t worry Pete we are going to get rid of the current regime.
Another commitent from a previous non voter this morning. I will personally get him to the voting booth. Closing in on 100 from this group adding to swing voters coming back left and shoring up the importance of voting to the first timers, made easy by Key-National’s anti student loan policy and the youth wage policy.
I maintain it will be a huge defeat for NACT, more than what people expect.
“I maintain it will be a huge defeat for NACT, more than what people expect.”
Thank you Skinny for your positivity and enthusiasm – something we’re not hearing a lot of lately. All that is required of us is some work and effort, such as you are putting in – it will pay off. Being gloomy and giving up won’t.
Read Putnam.
Pardon my ignorance in advance. This one?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_D._Putnam
Or another?
Peter G the fence sitting concern troll is back for election year, yippy!
With his recipe for our political salvation, oh joy of joys, when all we really need is more transparency, more transparency and more transparency, but PG isn’t really interested in improving anything except his own public image.
An example of how PG the concern troll works:
“There will always be politicians and activists who think that anyone who disagrees with their aims and ideals is an enemy who should be dealt to and if possible destroyed. It’s ingrained in their nature, as if they are intoxicated by a quest for power. In a way similar to drunken thugs who think it proves their strength and dominance, or think it’s fun to smash people.”
And then.
Most MPs are decent people wanting to do better for New Zealand. They have different ideas on how to make things better but they want things to be better.
Too long a comment Pete George. If you can’t be brief – Felix fits more valid punch into 20 words than you do in 200, then stay away. Check yourself. There’s plenty of content.
Aww greywarbler, you’re too kind 😉
Since Pete is having a missive regarding fair and balanced I thought id have a crack…
Using Gower as my example and the sensationalist way he likes to report seemingly trying to become a celebrity or part of the story.
Whether it’s Labour he’s after or National the man is an embarrassment either cheered or jeered depending on who his latest target is. I suspect he regards ‘balance’ as reporting both sides in the same sensationalist manner. I would argue that balance is to be found on a story by story basis not see sawing about hoping you’ll end up in the middle and thus ‘balanced’
I would encourage everyone to ignore his ‘news’ whether it is favouable to the left or indeed the right as it is only a matter of time before he shifts aim. The less oxygen given to him the better I feel much like our friend PG.
Different strokes for different folks i guess cricklewood, i am starting to enjoy Alfred E.Nuemann, (Paddy Gower), as He seems to be a little reformed,
Admittedly the lies told by Gower around the non-existent ”leadership challange” were unacceptable, but, you cannot level that same claim about the two interviews Paddy has done with Slippery the Prime Minister in the past couple of weeks,
Real Gems i would call them, shining the light of the ”truth” on the PM, No lies, No overt grandstanding, just straight questions exposing that truth,
Anyone in this life is capable of change, we all do it throughout our lives, if Gower continues in His current vein of seeking the truth using that truth then i will offer Him a modicum of applause just as i will be quick to give Him the thumbs down if He again stoops to lies…
I am also giving Alfred E Nuemann a second chance bad12………………..
I agree with you cricklewood. Tv3 fills a vacuum – because tvnz is not really interested in politics coverage. Tv3’s coverage is over the top and gives too much power to one person. Only a few issues get covered and many are ignored, such as the total debacle of the asset sales programme – no real heat on national over that.
Love this-the Wail thinks tv3 is anti-National. Ha ha ha ha ha…
http://www.whaleoil.co.nz/2014/03/tv3-still-clear-anti-national-stance/
Lolz, i simply refuse to read Blubber boys ‘wail’, whats He whining about, Paddy Gower interviewed Slippery the Prime Minister in China for TV3’s ‘the Nation’ this morning,
While He again asked Slippery about the ‘Charity’ involved in the rounds of golf, He, in my opinion let our Prime Minister off the hook far too lightly choosing not to question Him on the difference between todays answers given surrounding these ‘Charitable’ donations accruing to the National Party and the original answers that the PM gave,
Also let slide in a big way by Gower, with much hurled abuse at Him by me as a viewer, was the sheer hypocrisy involved in a Prime Minister hoodwinking the public and the media into the belief that these ‘Charity events’ were anything of the sort gaining Himself free publicity as the ‘good guy’ only too happy to take time out to do things for ‘Charity’ when in actual fact there was no ‘Charity’
whatsoever involved,
Its simple fraud that our PM indulges in, and, i can only hope that the kid gloves displayed this morning by Gower aint as a result of Him having His chain yanked by those above him in the food chain, forlorn my hope may be, hopefully tho, Gower is only biding His time until the PM returns to face the music in the Parliament befor He continues to expose this Fraud and the architects of this fraud for what it is…
Saw the interview too and thought Gower was very weak in questioning Key over Oravida.
It is NOT CREDIBLE that someone turns up having been bought at a charity match and fails to ask what the charity is!!!! This is one of many question Gower should have hurled at Key.
i.e.” Do you mean to tell me you do a lot of these charity gigs, you turn up, knowing that your valuable time is spent raising money for some worthy cause and you don’t even ask the very simple, obvious question, that all bar people who are cognitive challenged (my apologies to such people) would ask?”
Also note how Keys slides it on to everyone else. It’s not Key who is responsible for fund raising for National being a “charity”event, it’s the National Party. Hello!!!
Amazing! The Natzis get a couple of instances when their trad allies become so embarrassed by their blatant antics they simply have to question them (such as Collins et al), and the likes of Hooton and the Whale start squeeling like stuffed pigs.
Really, the only reason the likes of Gower and Co have done so is that they fear they may be caught on the wrong side of history – they have slightly longer vision than the extended pot bellies, ample arses and pinochio noses of those they’re VERY occasionally trying to hold to account. Journalists they’re NOT though.
(this one ‘moved’ me..)
“..Heart-breaking pictures have emerged of the moment a giraffe said goodbye to a terminally ill zoo worker – who had spent most of his adult life cleaning the animal’s enclosures.
Maintenance worker Mario has terminal cancer and had asked to be taken into the giraffe enclosure at Rotterdam’s Diergaarde Blijdorp zoo.
The 54-year-old was wheeled into the enclosure on his hospital bed.
Within minutes – the giraffes approached him and began to nuzzle and kiss him..”
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/giraffe-kisses-dying-zoo-worker-final-goodbye-9207114.html
+100 PU …thanks for that picture …it speaks a thousand words….and where humans fail ….animals often show compassion and understanding that is non verbal.
..i read a book once about an autistic or aspergers woman ( who eventually became a professor of Anthropology ) ….anyway her life was a mess until she got a job in a zoo and established a relationship with the gorrillas….she was healed by looking into their eyes and touching their hands.
http://www.amazon.com/Songs-Gorilla-Nation-Journey-Through/dp/1400082153
http://www.amazon.com/Songs-Gorilla-Nation-Journey-Through/product-reviews/1400082153
That’s a poignant human animal moment. I wonder if in NZ it could be arranged? I wouldn’t think so, we seem to have lost our humanity but have fallen further than animal levels of behaviour.
I can remember reading a story about a cow who had 2 calves and hid one in a hedge to stop the inevitable. That has stayed with me a long time. If a cow has the ability to figure out such a scenario then they are obviously intelligent enough to know at a certain stage of the butchery that awaits them.
We can do better.
Yes, cows have great sensitivity and a powerful maternal drive. I’ve had some lovely interactions with cows – I’m sure they are more intelligent than we give them credit for.
I live near a beef “hobby farm”. The calves do live with their mothers for about a year it would seem but when they are taken away, for slaughter, I presume, the cows moo loudly for days and well into the night. It’s really painful to hear, it’s like they are crying.:-(
they are ‘crying’..rosie..
I know. Their grieving is so sorrowful
…i am going to go to hell for eating meat!….i know it!….cattle /sheep trucks are a bit like taking the peoples off to the concentration camps…i have seen a sheep standing by her dead lamb for 3 days and mourning….mind you i have seen other sheep drop their lamb and take off as if nothing had ever happened
….next incarnation i will be a vegetarian or a cow or a sheep or a piggie….and I will accept my fate but I will curse those humans ….who are very far down on the evolutionary scale
It’s never too late Chooky! I hate overtaking those cattle trucks, you can smell the fear in my opinion. I invaribly blub when I see those lovely sad brown eyes. Cows are such lovely passive creatures that never cause harm to any living being.
No such thing as hell Chooky…………….it’s your choice and it’s up to you.
On the subject of cattle trucks I will say this though. As well as living near a beef hobby farm I have to go past an abattoir on the way to town! Either on the bus or in the car my stomach lurches as I see the full trucks pull into the Taylor Preston slaughter house in the Ngauranga gorge here in Wellington. It’s a moment of real despair. It’s just as bad seeing the empty trucks pull out of the yard. You know what’s happened.
Thats lovely phillip. The emotional intelligence of animals seems to be greatly underestimated – just an observation.
One of my favourite images is John Duncan’s “Saint Columba farewells the white horse”. (1925)
The story goes that Saint Columba was dying, and horse friend knew his days were numbered and came to say goodbye. Although I don’t have a religious bone in my body I find this image really quite moving as I have a strong affinity with horses having spent many years around them and know their sensitivity for human states of being. The link is a bit random as my images search isn’t working.
http://beingfreescotland.blogspot.co.nz/2009/03/as-you-can-probably-tell-from-images-in.html
Also, man of the moment is New York mayor Bill De Blasio (sp?) who believes that keeping horses stabled in the city for use as touristy carriage horses is inhumane and is planning on outlawing the industry. He has strong resistance however including “celeb” resistance from the likes of Liam Neeson, so has a bit of a fight on his hands. He talked John Stewart from the Daily Show around though!
Peter Dunne really is an angry homonunculus isn’t he! On the nation with Tova he really seemed to struggle to retain his composure.
In my considered opinion, it seems that this issue of NZ Justice Minister Judith’s Collins corrupt, corporate cronyism ain’t going away any time soon, and it IS (as I predicted) hurting National.
http://www.parliament.nz/en-nz/pb/business/qoa/50HansQ_20140318_00000006/6-justice-minister%E2%80%94visit-to-china-and-potential-conflict
Justice, Minister—Visit to China and Potential Conflict of Interest
[Sitting date: 18 March 2014. Volume:697;Page:16731. Text is subject to correction.]
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader—NZ First) to the Minister of Justice: Does she still stand by her claim that Oravida business was not discussed at her dinner in Beijing at which Oravida personnel were present as well as a senior Chinese Government Customs official?
Hon JUDITH COLLINS (Minister of Justice) : Yes, but I do need to correct the member’s question. As I have said before, guests at the dinner included a senior Chinese Government border control official and Ms Margaret Malcolm.
Rt Hon Winston Peters: Can she confirm, therefore, that she and Margaret Malcolm are fluent in Mandarin, and were therefore able to understand everything that was said during the dinner?
Hon JUDITH COLLINS: No. I can, however, assure the member that I am fluent in English and I can understand when someone is talking to me in English—normally.
Rt Hon Winston Peters: That being the case, can she confirm that because the senior Government customs official—or border official, as she says—did not understand English, he said nothing to anyone during the dinner and just sat there mute the whole time?
Hon JUDITH COLLINS: The senior Chinese Government official did have some English, but it was limited. I did my very best to talk about what a great country New Zealand is.
Rt Hon Winston Peters: Is she saying that there was a dinner meeting involving a senior New Zealand Minister, an adviser, a senior Chinese customs or border official, and business personnel from Oravida, which is having trouble with customs and entering China, and yet not one person during that dinner mentioned that subject?
Hon JUDITH COLLINS: Yes.
Rt Hon Winston Peters: Given that she said that there were language issues at that meeting when the Prime Minister spoke to her on this matter, did he question her public assurance that Oravida business and customs entry problems were not discussed, knowing, as he did, that neither she nor Ms Malcolm speak Mandarin and therefore could not give such an assurance?
Hon JUDITH COLLINS: Given that it was a very short dinner—
Hon Annette King: How short?
Hon JUDITH COLLINS: —well, it was a very short dinner—and the language being spoken was English, or forms thereof, I actually can give that assurance to the Prime Minister.
Rt Hon Winston Peters: Given the acknowledgment that the border customs official spoke little English at all, is it not a fact that her claim that Oravida business was not discussed was false, as is the Prime Minister’s claim of receiving such an assurance from her, which means that both she and he—the Prime Minister—are knowingly involved in a cover-up of a serious breach of the Cabinet Manual?
Hon JUDITH COLLINS: I challenge that member’s assumptions, and I would have to say that since I was there and he was not, he should stop making it up.
Grant Robertson: Why will she not reveal the rank or identity of the Chinese official?
Hon JUDITH COLLINS: Because I have been advised by the Prime Minister’s office that we never reveal those matters.
http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/roy-morgan-poll-has-collins-scandal-denting-nats-support-ck-153612
“Roy Morgan poll has Collins scandal denting Nats’ support”
There is a LOT more to come on this disgraceful story of corrupt, corporate cronyism, which straight goes to the top ….
In my considered opinion, corrupt Minister of Justice Judith Collins is being protected by corrupt, ‘shonky’ Prime Minister John Key.
PS: Don’t forget, that on Minister for Justice Judith Collins’ watch – New Zealand STILL has yet to ratify the UN Convention Against Corruption.
Why?
Because our NZ domestic legislative anti-corruption framework is not yet in place.
One of the things NZ URGENTLY needs, is a genuinely Independent Commission Against Corruption.
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption /anti-privatisation Public Watchdog’
http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ANTI-CORRUPTION-WHITE-COLLAR-CRIME-CORPORATE-WELFARE-ACTION-PLAN-Ak-Mayoral-campaign-19-July-2013-2.pdf
+100 Penny…keep on their case!
Who the hell is Peter George? Mr NOBODY.
UFno1
https://soundcloud.com/theal1en/ufno1
i always thought Peter George was a product of a particular squat and squeeze Peter Dunne accomplished during one mornings daily ablutions…
George sure as hell comes across as the by-product of an over-dose of laxatives following a prolonged period of constipation…
“George sure as hell comes across as the by-product of an over-dose of laxatives following a prolonged period of constipation…”
Must not laugh, that is rude B12 but good.
Marvelous.
Recursive Fury: Conspiracist Ideation in the Blogosphere in Response to Research on Conspiracist Ideation
Abstract
Conspiracist ideation has been repeatedly implicated in the rejection of scientific propositions, although empirical evidence to date has been sparse. A recent study involving visitors to climate blogs found that conspiracist ideation was associated with the rejection of climate science and the rejection of other scientific propositions such as the link between lung cancer and smoking, and between HIV and AIDS (Lewandowsky et al., in press; LOG12 from here on).
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3600613/
Seems the conspiracy loons are thin skinned too.
A psychology journal is said to be preparing to retract a scientific paper that found a link between conspiratorial thinking and the rejection of global warming science after climate sceptics claimed the paper was defamatory.
DeSmogBlog has learned the paper’s four authors, led by Professor Stephan Lewandowsky, the chair of cognitive psychology at the University of Bristol, have signed gagging orders preventing them from discussing the nature of the complaints about their work, carried out when Lewandowsky was a professor at the University of Western Australia.
News of an alleged pending retraction, by the Switzerland-based journal Frontiers in Psychology, has leaked onto climate sceptic blogs but the journal is yet to make a formal announcement.
But DeSmogBlog can reveal that Freedom of Information documents obtained last June but revealed here for the first time show that climate sceptics complained that the work was defamatory.
http://www.desmogblog.com/2014/03/20/science-journal-retracts-paper-showing-how-climate-change-sceptics-were-conspiracy-theorists-after-sceptics-shout
Pope Francis tells the Italian Mobsters off:
He warns them that they will go to hell if they don’t repent and renounce their “blood-stained money and blood-stained power.”
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/europe/9856967/Pope-Francis-turns-attention-to-mobsters
The occasion was a prayer vigil at a Roman church for relatives of innocents killed by the mafia, during which the names of 842 victims were read aloud as a somber Francis looked on.
After voicing his solidarity with the family members, Francis said he couldn’t leave the service without speaking to those not present: the “protagonists” of mafia violence.
Addressing these absentee mafiosi, Francis was unsparing:
“This life that you live now won’t give you pleasure. It won’t give you joy or happiness,” he said. “Blood-stained money, blood-stained power, you can’t bring it with you to your next life. Repent. There’s still time to not end up in hell, which is what awaits you if you continue on this path.”
On Radionz soon will be news on Sartres newspaper set up in 1973? called Liberation.
Which is having difficulties in the digital age. Wonder what they’re doing about it.
Venice’s population voted for independence from Italy. Not just few but 89% of its population. That is on a par with Crimea and while some might argue the population of Crimea did so under threat of a gun the same can’t be said of the population of Venice. What is next? Ngai Tuhoe?
However unfortunately for Venice, the days of the republic of La Serenissma are long gone and without the financial support of the Italian state that particular living museum will be tits up in a year. As for Crimea, votes don’t count when foreign forces are occupying the region with their shooty shooty bang bangs. I doubt Tuhoe is that stupid.
FYI ……………….
“6 March 2014
NZ Prime Minister
John Key
OPEN LETTER / OIA request – re: the alleged ‘conflict of interest’ of Minister of Justice Judith Collin’s perceived endorsement of Oravida milk.
Dear Prime Minister,
Please provide a copy of the advice purportedly provided by the Cabinet Office, upon which you are relying, which substantiates your following reported statement:
Prime Minister John Key said the Cabinet Office “unequivocally .. said no there’s no breach.”
Yours sincerely,
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption / anti-privatisation Public Watchdog’
…………………
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11214597
Collins told Oravida its milk was ‘nice’
By Claire Trevett
Yours sincerely,
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption/ anti-privatisation Public Watchdog’ ”
…………………
” 21 March 2014
Why is Prime Minister John Key’s Chief of Staff, Wayne Eagleson still replying to Official Information Act requests addressed to Prime Minister John Key?
Why are OIA requests not going STRAIGHT to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, (DPMC) instead of apparently being effectively filtered through the ‘party political’ Office of the Prime Minister?
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption / anti=privatisation Public Watchdog’ ”
………………………….
REPLY FROM WAYNE EAGLESON, CHIEF OF STAFF, OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER:
” 21 March 2014
“Dear Ms Bright
Official Information Act Request for Information Relating to Advice on Ministerial Conflict of Interest
I refer to your Official Information Act request of 6 March 2014 for “a copy of the advice purportedly provided by the Cabinet Office [in relation to the alleged conflict of interest of Minister of Justice Judith Collin’s perceived endorsement of Oravida milk] upon which …[the Prime Minister is] relying, which substantiates … [the Prime Minister’s] following reported statement: Prime Minister John Key said the Cabinet Office ‘unequivocally …said not there’s no breach”.
The information you have requested is not held by this Office and is more closely related to the functions and responsibilities of the Cabinet Office, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Accordingly, I am transferring your request to the Cabinet Office under s 14 of the Official Information Act.
Yours sincerely,
Wayne Eagleson
Chief of Staff”
Why did this OIA not go STRAIGHT to the DPMC in the first place?
Answering OIA requests is NOT the job of the party political ‘Office of the Prime Minister’ – END OF STORY.
http://cabinetmanual.cabinetoffice.govt.nz/2.50
“Conduct, public duty, and personal interests
Managing conflicts of interest
2.69 Ministers must ensure that any conflicts of interest are promptly addressed. The Secretary of the Cabinet (and, where appropriate, the chief executive of the department concerned) should be kept informed of conflicts of interest as they arise.
In addition, the Prime Minister should be advised in writing of conflicts that are of particular concern or that require ongoing management. If in doubt about the appropriate course of action, Ministers should consult the Prime Minister or the Secretary of the Cabinet.”
http://www.dpmc.govt.nz/dpmc
“Administrative support to the Prime Minister
This includes preparation of replies to Parliamentary questions, and dealing with Official Information Act requests and other correspondence. A totally separate body, the Office of the Prime Minister, also advises the Prime Minister: it is the primary point of responsibility for managing political issues and relationships with other political parties and for providing administrative and media support.
STRUCTURE
DPMC formally came into existence on 1 January 1990, as a result of a report which recommended establishing structures to provide two separate streams of advice to the Prime Minister; one, a new government department to supply impartial, high quality advice and support to the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC), and another, a Prime Minister’s Private Office (which is not part of DPMC), to provide personal support and media services, and advice of a party political nature.”
Quite frankly – in my considered opinion, any person from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC) who has given advice that Minister of Justice Judith Collins has not breached the Cabinet Manual for her ‘perceived’ endorsement of Oravida milk , is unfit for duty and should be sacked.
That is of course, if such ‘advice’ was ever given to Prime Minister John Key in the first place?
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption / anti-privatisation Public Watchdog’
Contrarians bully journal into retracting a climate psychology paper
Damn because that will fuel the climate deniers legal attempts to shut down real research.
snap!
edit: one of the authors comments
http://www.shapingtomorrowsworld.org/rf1.html
http://whoar.co.nz/2014/whoar-exclusivescoop-the-mana-party-and-kim-dotcom-are-holding-election-talks/
ed:..a bird has whispered in my ear that the mana party and kim dotcom are engaged in preliminary talks..
..with a view towards working together in the election-campaign..
..and possibly coming together into a new hybrid party..
..a suggested name..?
..the mana.com party..?
this idea is interesting..and it could work/be a good fit..
..my understanding is that both parties are still some way from closing a deal..
..and that details are still to be worked out..
..but i see dotcoms’ internet party concerns and mana concerns fitting together well..
..(with the spread of free/low-cost internet to the more deprived areas being an idea that could well resonate with voters..especially younger ones..
..and the mix could well give a fillip to the mana party party vote..
..and spread the appeal to many who may not have thought of mana as an option before..
..once again..especially amongst the younger wired voters..
..in fact..as an example of lateral-thinking..
..it resonates..
”The little bird” Phillip would seem to have as much of a grip on reality as you do…
you will of course offer me an abject apology when i am proven right..
..won’t you..?
This was on Mana website 3 days ago
http://mana.net.nz/2014/03/mana-meets-with-kim-dotcom/
I suppose you will apologise if needed too eh phil? You know about the ‘exclusivescoop’ of the ‘election talks’ rumour you are propagating.
well..i guess time will tell if i am correct or not..eh..?
..and possibly sooner than you may think..
..and of course if i am wrong..
i am man(a) enough to apologise..
..eh..?
..as no doubt those accusing me of bullshitting will also do..
..when i am proven right..
..eh..?
Did you even know that that had been posted on the Mana site? Your report on your site is exactly the same as what you posted here.
Maybe stick to trying to destabilise the Greens by calling then carnivores eh?
and of course if I’m wrong I’ll say sorry 🙂
yes..i knew that..
..3 days is a long time in politics..eh..?
..and i look forward to it..
..yr apology..
(if i ‘did’ emoticons..i wd leave you a smiley face back..
..a ‘heh!’ will have to do..)
.and..are the greens not ‘carnivores’..?
..and why would ‘the truth’ ‘destabilise’ them..?
..and i’ll tell you what will ‘destabilise’ them..
..being locked into an agreement with labour..
..whereby being ministers will mean they will be unable to speak out about govt policies they may oppose..
..something to do with cabinet-solidarity..?
..as i understand it..
..i fear too many of the greens have bmw-gleams in their eyes..eh..?
..and maybe you cd tell me why in tureis’ state of the nation speech..
..the words ‘climate-change’ never passed her lips..?
..i wd suggest..that if you are a green.. you should be fretting/asking about that omission..
..mind you..i understand those ministerial limos are pretty comfortable..
..as is the salary/income of a minister..
I’m not a Green voter (although I have been in the past). I am a Mana supporter for 2 ticks and my $ as a member.
As far as I am aware there are no vegan parties likely to stand for parliament (although I think there should be) which must leave you in a bit of a bind re your vote – how you reconcile that must be tough.
so..as a mana member..
..what wd b yr thoughts..if in fact i am correct..
..and a deal is able to be patched together..?
Well I suppose if kim supports Mana’s kaupapa then he’d be a useful member but apart from that I don’t see any benefits for either side – but that’s just my opinion of course and if the leaders of Mana had different ideas I’d always be open to hearing those ideas – I trust the leadership and their belief in the kaupapa and the longterm goals of the Mana Movement.
no ‘benefits’..?
..how about a common enemy..?
..and financial help for a party whose most members are at the bottom of the economic-pecking order..?
..and for dotcom..
..that 5% threshold wd not have to be reached..
..and i see his internet/pirate’ party..and mana..
..if you think about it a bit..
..(fast internet-access as a human right..?..for all new zealanders..?..)
..having more in common than you may think at first glance..
..and politics can make (seemingly) strange bedfellows..
..i am also a mana party member..
..and i find the idea both novel..and exciting..
I think feeding the kids, destroying poverty, creating equality through tino rangatiratanga and the rest of Mana’s kaupapa to be more compelling than giving everyone fast internet.
..of course those mana priorities wd remain..
..you don’t see it as being part of the same package..?
..the sweeping away of gross inequalities..?
..why should so many people be excluded from an online life..
..just ‘cos they are poor..?
..like many others..i see that as a basic human right..
..in the 21st century..
Phil firstly great to see you’re a Mana brother.
I suppose in my heart I’m not convinced about Kim – I struggle with his excessive wealth and I struggle with the fact he donated to banks and I just don’t yet see him as a friendly dude wanting a better world for all – for me I can’t get over thinking that it is all about him and that doesn’t align with my political or social viewpoint. But I’d be happy to be proved wrong.
I also think it is dangerous to put too much weight in the enemy of my enemy is my friend – sometimes they are the enemy too.
Actually Phillip, i think you can take it as a given from Marty Mar’s reply to you below that you are in fact wrong,
i do tho take back what i said to you about the ”little bird”, its fucking obvious that ”all the little birdies” i see chirping in my Pohutukawa tree’s every day have a Far Far greater grip on reality than you will ever be blessed with…
have you emptied that ashtray yet..?
..it looks disgusting..
yeah, because hippies are so pretty. /sarc
Why dis the hippies mate cos sure as hell phil ain’t one and I hope he doesn’t correct me on that lol.
’tis a weakness of mine.
In the words of the philosopher Professor Cartmenez, “they want to save the world, but all they do is smoke dope and smell bad”
That smell could be natural human scent – it’s not bad – bad is the sweet unnatural disguising artificial odors used by everyone else – that contribute to so much global suffering for humans and animals alike. Sure, you have to wash with water regularly but that’s like wiping your bum after a poo, as in pretty basic hygiene. The bad smell may also be the leeching of substance through the skin from that which has been ingested – and fair enough that can be awful. But these traits are not exclusive to those that would call themselves ‘hippie’ at least in my experience.
If it stinks, it’s a bad smell, “natural” or not.
Both rosesand horseshit smell, but only one smells good. Best you can hope for is that your nose shuts down.
Lolz, i am gutted to be so described…
lol – sorry about that – you smell good bad not bad bad I’m sure
I was a hippy – didn’t smoke much dope – didn’t really like it. And shower daily – or more.
I’m still for all of the anti-materialist hippy ethos.
Why dis the hippies mate – why do you hate them so. Phil may correct me (and I hope he doesn’t) but he ain’t no hippie.
Sorry about the double up – you pick the one that resonates 🙂
marty..i have never worn a headband…nor sung ‘kumbaya’ in a group..
..(tho’ my hair has been halfway down my back..but currently a number one..
..and beards have come and gone at different times/stages..)
..but i find much about ‘hippies’ to both like and admire..
..especially if compared to brainless rightwingers like flock..
Ha ha ha…what was it you said below…that’s right brainless right wingers…what a riposte from one that uses his one working braincell to plagarize a right wing loving poet to produce an astounding lack of style…
The fact that you continue the same old chant about ashtrays simply proves the one working cell is still operative..just…your bristling today Phillis…my first comment to you this morning while not having the desired effect…did produce an interesting one…we will have to refine your progam a little…it could be painful but that’s a small price we are willing for you to pay for our endeavors to drag you into the real world…
I will Phillip, offer you a large upright middle finger in lieu of any such apology having to ever be tendered in you direction,
When you are proved right on anything you choose to rave like a drug loony over you will in fact probably have ‘won’ as such a day will probably result in myself having a major coronary…
too much shock can kill us, too 🙂
well..best you go and hang around a hospital a& e.
..(and make sure you get there early in the morning..
..and don’t read the herald on sunday b4 u get there..)
it’s sat nite..
..have you been overdoing it on yr ‘meds’..?
I doubt if Mana would join up with Dotcom’s non-existent Internet Party. While there are obvious areas of agreement, Dotcom’s basic political philosophy of libertarianism ends up seeing the world as a rich man’s playground. Mana are not as silly as your little bird.
so consistantly wrong..
..that olsen..
..did you leave school at a young age..?
I left as soon as I’d learned to spell consistently.
you didn’t make it thru 2 the ‘d’s then..?
It does look as if it may be phil ure who is owed the apology by some of the other people in this conversation: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11224591
More of your bullshit. Go back and hatch your egg.
I stand by my doubts. Mana is having discussions with Dotcom, but I doubt if they will amalgamate. Mana has been steadily building a movement, while Dotcom is a one man band. Amalgamation would be the death of Mana, irrespective of Phil’s dreams about being given a free server for his blog.
If you said it was raining outside, I’d still check it for myself
An intriguing mention for tomorrow’s offerings on Radionz I think in the afternoon.
From Christchurch a report on an inconvenience store offering things that money can’t buy.
Latest Roy Morgan poll shows National and Labour/green coalition neck and neck
http://www.roymorgan.com/morganpoll
But… the Herald-Digipoll!!! The sky is falling on Labour!!!
(must also be remembered that even the Roy Morgan systemically overestimates Nat support and so this is even worse for the Nats than might appear from the numbers)
Sadly, still comes down to Winston – but the greater the support for L+G, the more likely he is to deal with them first imo.
Humans and their clever and destructive toys which will turn around and bite us?
Radionz news.
Students invent tree-swinging robot
Canterbury University students have developed a robot that can swing between trees, in the hope it may one day be put to good use in forestry.
I just read this excellent advice from a poster there, Alex Coleman, on the ‘Pundit’ website regarding NZF:
It’s fun to try and guess, and come up with reasons for why he (Winston) may do
various things, but at the end of the day I think the message the other
parties should be pushing, ( a message which has the added benefit of
being true), is something like;
‘If you have a preference for
who will lead the next government, vote for that party instead of
Winston. If you don’t care who leads the government and your main
concern is having Winston in the mix, then vote for him, but be aware
that he could go either way depending on what else happens’.
This message, I think, gives voters the most honest appraisal of what sort of government their vote will help to build.
a vote for peters last time from the left..was safe..
..that is not the case this time..
..it is no longer ‘safe’ 4 anyone left to vote 4 peters..
..’cos ya don’t know which way he is going to swing..
..and imagine being left..and voting for him..
..and then he goes with key..
..you’d be bummed..eh..?
..so best to be safe..
..and just cross him off the list of possibilities..
I was talked into having a flu vaccination this year, for the first time ever. A few hours later, I was aching, vomiting, feverish and shaking uncontrollably. It was worse than any flu I’ve ever had and thankfully only lasted about three hours, but my chest is still sore from vomiting. While I’m all in favour of the vaccines that allow us to live without polio, smallpox, measles, mumps, and a few other things, I doubt very much if I’ll be dosing up on the flu vaccine ever again.
might be useful to know what the reaction was to, though.
Just in case you come across it outside of vac.
For sure. I’ll be following the procedures to report it.
i like all my ewes to be vaccinated before I bring them into my bed at night.
[lprent: banned for being a frustrated dickhead ]
Go back to Kiwibog. That’s the place for those who want to take strange creatures to bed, and for those looking for someone who will take strange creatures to bed.