Many will not want to accept this, but we humans are in a struggle for our very existence. Most people just do not realise how perilous our situation is!
If we continue to do as we have done for the past 30 plus years – we are doomed, and Guy MacPherson will be proved right – gone in ten years!
If we tinker round the edges and set long term but modest goals – well, we may last a bit longer.
We need RADICAL solutions to climate breakdown. We need to rethink the whole way we live at the moment. Sorry, farmers, industrial farming has got to go, large dairy herds have got to go. To survive we may all have to become vegetarian (not something that I could contemplate with equanimity!)
We must have transport – but we need to make it as little polluting as possible – and that means abandoning our love affair with cars. Rail and public transport must have an absolute priority.
Etc. etc.
Will the Coalition be radical enough? I have my doubts, but one thing I know for certain – they’ll be a 1000% better than the lot we, thankfully, just got rid of!
Read the article by George Monbiot referenced in yesterday’s Open Mike!
Except that the German study Monbiot refers to did not say or claim that The most likely cause of this Insectageddon is that the land surrounding those reserves has become hostile to them: the volume of pesticides and the destruction of habitat have turned farmland into a wildlife desert.
It’s not just Monbiot who has been jumping on the farming practices bandwagon. Almost every other piece referring to the German study does the same in spite of the German study itself expressing confusion on that front (the impact of farming).
Think about it. The study was done on nature reserves. So no loss of habitat and no insecticides. And yet a 80% drop in numbers.
But what those reserves have in common with every single other piece of land on this planet is that the vegetation has something like 30% less nutritional value than it had before the onset of the industrial revolution.
That has repercussions for insects, not just in terms of malnutrition and possible starvation, but in their ability to resist the effects of toxins and/or parasites. And of course it has severe knock on effects all the way up various food chains.
Now here’s the kicker. The study highlighting the drop in nutritional content explicitly pointed to the fact that the drop tracked the rise in atmospheric CO2. That study looked at goldenrod (which is not subject to agricultural practice) from 1842 to the present. Recent drops in the nutritional content of goldenrod are in line with the known drop across a range of studied crops (rice, wheat etc).
We don’t have samples of those plants going back to the 1840s as is the case with goldenrod, but it would seem entirely appropriate to assume the same degree of degeneration given that the drop from the past 30 or 40 years is the same.
So sure, change the way we farm. But don’t expect that to turn things around, because it won’t. We want this shit to come to a halt? Then we need to stop sparking up fossil fuels today. But we’re going to choose to not do that.
I can provide links to various studies/articles for the following if you want them…
Tropical forests now exuding more CO2 than they capture.
Studies on warmed soils in temperate regions showing they will exude more CO2 than they capture in a warming planet.
Antarctica’s inevitable collapse locked in now and possibly happening in the space of a human life span and not the thousands of years usually touted. (Because ice cliffs that are not anchored on land can only be about 300m high and ‘explode’ if higher than that, and the “grounding line” in Antarctica is already essentially gone..)
Nutritional content of plankton, just like terrestrial plants, dropping under accelerated growth conditions and that knocking seven shades of shit out of oceanic eco-systems.
So on top of disappearing terrestrial species, throw in the joyful observations of “peanut head” orca. They’re starving on the west coast of N America (and possibly/probably elsewhere to).
And yes, industrial fishing and farming don’t help matters. And urbanisation doesn’t help matters. And spraying/spreading chemical toxins and what not doesn’t help matters.
But the one thing that underpins it all is us spewing CO2 into the environment via the combustion of fossil fuels. So, I dunno.
Jump in the car and grab yourself a ‘top shelf’ something from the local bottle store that likely has the carbon footprint of an elephant this long weekend?
Do you have any actual expertise around solar output and how it affects climate? IF you do, want to share that with us? Coz here’s what actual experts have to say about that particular piece of denialism.
“In the last 35 years of global warming, the sun has shown a slight cooling trend. Sun and climate have been going in opposite directions. In the past century, the Sun can explain some of the increase in global temperatures, but a relatively small amount.”
lol – I live just along the road from a bottle store, so can walk to find solace!
But your prognosis is quite negative – because, one thing we can be certain of, people won’t be giving up their cars in the near future! We need a revolution in ‘thinking’ and how we achieve that before the abyss opens up in front of us, I’ve no idea.
The climate isn’t breaking down. The climate is changing and, if we don’t stop doing what we’re doing to change it, then the change will possibly be enough to ensure that life will go on without us.
But it’s still not a ‘climate breakdown’ as the climate’s working fine.
We must have transport – but we need to make it as little polluting as possible – and that means abandoning our love affair with cars. Rail and public transport must have an absolute priority.
QFT
And, yes, we need to reduce the amount of farms that we have and change farming practices to ones that are less damaging.
Wow!
Heather du Plessis Allen is not happy.
The tone of this article is extraordinary as her true colours come to the fore.
The sheer bile and prejudice spewing from this petulant rant is something to behold.
And she is apparently a ‘journalist ‘.
It makes you wonder if she was on the turps as it was been written.
Don’t let anyone tell you four positions outside Cabinet is a slap in the face. It’s a win. It gives the Greens power in the areas they care about, but enough arms-length from bad decisions to give them a chance at surviving in government. Remember, no minor party has yet survived an MMP coalition. But, the Greens probably will because co-leader James Shaw understands MMP and because they’ll already claimed a win with the marijuana referendum.”
It has to be said that National let the country down in this general category. It’s been a tough few years for lower income earners, and now the minimum wage is set to increase. It’s been tough for those needing mental health intervention, and Labour’s promised a ministerial inquiry (not that that necessarily means much). And it’s been awful for the Pike River families who deserve to go into the mine if that’s what they want. Now, it sounds like they’ll get it.”
And if that article was not ridiculous enough for you, here’s conclusive proof the Herald is losing the plot and its owners are terrified their privileges will be removed by the new government.
The Herald are reporting that the All Blacks lost because of Jacinda.
“Desperado, why don’t you come to your senses
You been out ridin’ fences for so long now
Oh, you’re a hard one
I know that you got your reasons
These things that are pleasin’ you
Can hurt you somehow
Don’t you draw the Queen of Diamonds, boy
She’ll beat you if she’s able
You know the Queen of Hearts is always your best bet
Now, it seems to me some fine things
Have been laid upon your table,
But you only want the ones that you can’t get
Desperado, oh, you ain’t gettin’ no younger
Your pain and your hunger, they’re drivin’ you home
And freedom, oh freedom, well that’s just some people talkin’
Your prison is walking through this world all alone
Don’t your feet get cold in the winter time?
The sky won’t snow and the sun won’t shine
It’s hard to tell the night time from the day
You’re losin’ all your highs and lows;
Ain’t it funny how the feeling goes away?
Desperado, why don’t you come to your senses?
Come down from your fences; open the gate
It may be rainin’, but there’s a rainbow above you
You better let somebody love you, before it’s too late
( Glenn Frey / Don Henley )
not that I was ever that big a fan
Ed, I’ve read both articles. Somehow I just don’t get that these are ‘ridiculous’ or ‘sheer bile and prejudice’ and I started reading them expecting to find what you complain of.
With your two posts above you made a set of assertions and gave us the articles to look up. I suggest now is the time when you should back your assertions with examples from the two articles and argue where and how they are ridiculous or sheer bile and prejudice.
Robert Guyton in reply to you seems to have the same problem as I have in finding what you say is actually there.
I’m happy to be proved wrong and shown this media commentary is biased and stupid. I’ve just reread them, and a leftie would have little to complain of. The only bit I found unreasonable was a reference to Labour and NZF ‘obsessing’ over truck numbers.
The first article seems to be a Plastic-Allen attempt at pragmatism and putting on a brave face but the other with the headline “Did Jacinda Ardern ‘curse’ the All Blacks?” is sure as shit getting a little desperate
The article says, at the beginning, “and as silly as it sounds, don’t be surprised at some tongue-in-cheek finger-pointing at the changing face of our Government.
A few such “jokes” circulated on social media after the game.”
The Herald says that such a view is silly, and a ‘joke’.
Just put in there “because we have a Maori PM we lost the rugby and when we look back at times when the AB’s lost the world cup, there was a Maori as PM….
Would that be acceptable to you?????? Do you see any problems with that….???
Would be interested to hear. If you do think that would be problematic, then what is the difference if they say some are blaming the new woman PM for the AB’s loss.
If they were going to critique the “sillly” comments on social media, why then did they go on to publish previous data about AB’s results and woman leaders. That gives the “silliness” some credibility.
And I’d say that they’d be talking about some ‘silly’ ‘tongue-in-cheek’ rubbish that is being bandied about in the social media, and saying how stupid people can be to believe that synchronicity implies causality- in this case, the All Blacks losing whilst at the same time we are blessed with a woman PM, or for that matter a Maori PM.
Now, I understand you are well-meaning and sincere, and i thank you for taking the trouble to convince me that I am wrong- but one of us is reading more into that article than was intended, as I read the words written.
Because the writer went on to say that the All Blacks lost in the time of Clark and Shipley as well, does not in my view add to the credibility of a stupid allusion to a causal link, but instead makes it dafter as I believe the writer intends.
That writer is saying they were silly saying it about Ardern, and idiots abounded too in the time of Clark and Shipley.
I was last Saturday talking about dexterity with a musical student of mine. I mentioned, since I studied Latin, the derivation of the word as being right-handed; and that in former days left-handedness was seen as bad, from which we get the word ‘sinister’ which means left-handed. We agreed that was indeed stupid.
In no way was that former commonly held belief given any credibility by us, or by any reasonable person. A similar process was involved with the Herald article. So I believe. I did ask my wife to read the same article, and she thought “it was a jokey thing to poke fun at how people could be so silly.” She would have set me right otherwise! I would not have it otherwise.
There is I believe a clue in the headline to the article in which the word ‘curse’ is placed within quotation marks, denoting that this is not to be given credibility.
It’s because Jacinda is a woman, and therefore likely a witch. She must be dunked in the nearest badly polluted waterway. If she drowns, she wasn’t a witch and we’re safe from the minions of Lucifer. If she doesn’t drown, then she’s an agent of evil and must be burned in Aotea Square. For the good of the nation, you understand. We can’t be losing at rugby. It’s just not on.
“The Herald are reporting that the All Blacks lost because of Jacinda.”
No they’re not – settle down. They said there had been some “tongue-in-cheek” comments on social media (eg the link to a loss following Jenny Shipley’s ascension – the supposed link being – gasp! – a female in charge). This is a light-hearted piece of fluff, not a politically biased accusation.
BTW, I’m no fan of Heather du Plessis Allen, but the Herald article you linked to above was actually pretty restrained and balanced.
The US complicity in the massacre of millions of Indonesian people, plenty of them now clearly innocent according to the now-released diplomatic cables from the time, has got reasonable coverage in the last decade But this new set of releases shows how neck deep in blood they were.
I don’t really blame LBJ – he was fully focussed on his domestic agenda.
I blame CIA Director Dulles, and Kennedy himself. While Kennedy was gone in 63 and the big Indonesian massacres didn’t start until 65, it was from Kennedy’s appointees and his strategies that these nightmares rolled out across the under-developed world.
Another sick game from the Best and the Brightest.
She is probably feeling a bit besieged, what with all the pointed criticism her hubby has been getting for his sexist and antediluvian line of questions aimed at Jacinda Ardern (what did Linda Clark say the other day? Certain aging male journalists who need to update get out?).
Still, the constant binary politics attacks on the coalition continues today with a Sunday paper screaming about the Keramadec sanctuary, and Jenna Raeburn (wife of a National party MP and active propagandist for the National election campaign from a National party aligned PR firm) being used as some sort of usefully unbiased commentator on Natrad.
Julie (jewel-ly) Bishop and Gina Rinehart (heart of stone? rhinestone? rhino horn?) Well matched.
Thanks Et Brute’ for giving us Oz news. The left coalition here will have to keep watch and alert for RW dirtiness both in Oz as well as here. Just a few decades of anti-poor-people and we are both sliding back to colonial conditions.
You can’t take the sneer out of colonials it seems, which divides into them and us, and the us are the goodies and the others baddies. (NZ started judging the new colonists early on and sent some of the poor back, and has always been ready to condemn and blame ordinary people for real or imagined faults and failures.) And soon the slide is back to Wild West (W.Australia?) conditions.
Cut the crap with the externalities, such as poor people suffering imposed bad conditions, especially aborigines, and get to the wealth-making possibilities is the main driver and slogan.
The Kermadec Ocean sanctuary appears to be dead in the water after a deal between Labour and NZ First (who of course have close ties to the fishing industry).
it is understood Jacinda Ardern agreed a Labour-NZ First government would not progress legislation to establish the sanctuary in this three-year Parliamentary term. That will disappoint some of her MPs and supporters, but will win favour among her Maori MPs who argued it undermined iwi commercial fishing rights.
The Kermadec sanctuary was one of the dealbreakers that swung negotiations in Labour’s favour.
This is something the Greens have allowed presumably without knowing the Kermadec deal had been done. James Shaw said he trusted Jacinda Ardern to protect green interests.
Ardern has shown she has a ruthless streak beneath her absolutely positive surface.
[“James Shaw said he trusted Jacinda Ardern to protect green interests.” Where did he say that?You look like you might be trolling, so I’d like to see you back that up. Provide a specific link and quote please. – weka]
Oh Sanctuary thank you for the laugh. Am in a time zone 5 hours behind NZ and waking early still. ‘Tis a comfort to read sentiment such as yours which aligns with my own annoyance about fuck off talking heads, concern trolls, loud mouth media wankers and a bunch of others passively/aggressively demanding explanation from a majority of NZ voters. Sorry arseholes…..your discomfort with the institution of MMP…..your pique/ignorance you’ll just have to get over it. As for HooHaa Plastic-Allan in The Herald…..her article wasn’t that bad. If anything underneath its facile silliness it had the smell of a sly design to ingratiate with ‘now’ power. Which would indicate that at least for the moment she’s determined to get over her ridiculous self. No mean feat while sharing lodgings with crusty Barely Sopher. Garner’s another story of course. Pugnacious ass in a studied sort of way will take a while yet. Little hope for Mikey Toss-King however. Still on suicide watch they say……
And thank-you for the laugh too North. Your ability to express exactly what I’m thinking and at the same time produce a ‘big grin’ is always uplifting and brings much needed relief…. 😀
This is something the Greens have allowed presumably without knowing the Kermadec deal had been done. James Shaw said he trusted Jacinda Ardern to protect green interests.
Where did you learn your weaselry, Pete? Surely it must have been at one of the world’s top weaselry schools? Come on, don’t be modest, you can tell us.
I’ve never pretended to be a neutral observer, that’s your misconception. And I’m not trying to “put the Greens in the worst possible light”.
The Greens took a big risk trusting that their interests would be served by giving Labour a blank cheque in negotiations with NZ First.
There was bound to be disappointments. I hope this is one of the biggest, because it’s not the end of the world, or the end of the sanctuary, it’s just a ‘nice to have’ (that I support, so I’m a bit disappointed by this apparent deal).
And there it is again: like your disappointment yesterday with James Shaw’s inability to bind future governments to a referendum decision, today’s disappointment with the Green Party’s inability to dictate terms to its coalition partners is disingenuous, passive-aggressive anti-Green propaganda.
It might be that Pete is tone deaf and unaware of the mosquito-whine that accompanies his comments. The disappointing thing is, when alerted to the phenomenon, he doubles-down and denies, thus cranking up its volume; doubtless this comment will ramp it up further, but fortunately, skipping is easy.
Ironic that you’re talking about whining and unawareness Robert.
I’l be disappointed if the Kermadec Sanctuary is a casualty of the deal with NZ First, and all you can do is express disappointment that I brought the subject up? Don’t you care about the sanctuary?
What we don’t care about is your faux concern that the Greens
” took a big risk trusting that their interests would be served by giving Labour a blank cheque in negotiations with NZ First.”
Sorry to hear you’re feeling disappointed PG – especially as you were such a vigorous advocate for the sanctuary right from the start.
Oh wait, I can’t find evidence of such forthright advocacy…
Could it be (and call me a cynic if you must) that you don’t give a rat’s about the sanctuary itself, but are using it as a convenient hook from which to hang an attack on the Greens?
Psycho Milt
I’m thinking of Hogworts and their four student groups – weasels went to Slytherin didn’t they?
Interesting point about Sur Peter Talley being a National donor. I think he used to donate to Labour as well. It falls under pragmatic politics and the way we control funding, don’t, and don’t publicly contribute to funding Parties. It can compromise them.
Pete George is going to be such a regular here. He will be like a pig in mud heaven, a hippopotamous where the tail makes the fan, during this coalition. Can TS commenters stand it? Perhaps if we keep the Left only post going permanently we will be able to discuss deeply and thoughtfully with informed input there. Now and then we get some threads that are startling in their substance and we realise what we can achieve when we aren’t crowded out by nah-nah tiny minds.
National should put the legislation for the Kermadecs up in the House and force the issue.
There’s been smoke swirling around this for so long it needs pulling into the sunlight.
If National put a bill up to promote the Kermadec sanctuary, it’s a great opportunity for the Greens to signal their independence from the cross-benches by crossing the floor and ensuring it passes. Vote with National, and make the new PM sit up straight.
This in turn would make a good-sized rift in NZF between Peters who has gone hard for the Scampi fishers funding National, and the iwi fishers to whom Shane Jones is so beholden.
National should be able to dominate the Members Bills. Labour, NZ First and Greens will be busy working on Government business, so the ballot should be fairly open for National (plus David Seymour).
If they limit the number of bills put into the ballot and include the Kermadec Sanctuary then it would improve the odds.
It would be good to see Members’ Bills used positively by the Opposition, and also by any of Labour, NZ First and Greens, any of whom could enable a Member’s bill to progress.
The Kermadec sanctuary should have an insignificant fiscal impact so shouldn’t be able to be overruled by Cabinet.
There’s already a Bill in the house (passed its first reading). How does that work when Labour say they won’t progress it? Do they have a choice?
I don’t think the Greens would go hard out confrontational on this (they’ll try other ways first), but I’m also curious to know if there is any reason they can’t vote with National on it?
Makes far more sense to wait for the High Court – and possibly Supreme Court – to rule, and engage in the consultation process the National Party utterly failed at.
This certainly won’t be the last consequence of Dr. Sir Key’s overreach and sloppy attitude to government the country will have to deal with over the next decade or two.
The Greens can make a huge difference to that process without siding with corrupt and incompetent trash.
Very sensible, this was mishandled from day one and now we need to wait for the courts to rule before proceeding. The lack of consultation and the ignoring of Iwi rights makes it a very hot potato for any government right now. Just another example of how utterly arrogant the last lot were (are).
Hi Fran,
@ 18… I put up a link to a RNZ political discussion this morning which included further insight into John Key’s Kermadec Sanctuary announcement at the UN. Not only does it confirm what you and AOB (and others) are saying but it also sheds light on Key’s real agenda.
I didn’t pick up this matter was already under discussion so here is the link again:
That makes sense. So when the Bill comes up for the second reading, the Greens vote against it? Where then is the push to create a sanctuary that also engages in consultation with iwi?
The timing of the second reading is entirely up to Parliament.
Once a bill has been referred to a select committee, the committee usually has six months to report to the House, unless the House specifies a different date. Reporting dates may be extended if it turns out more time is needed for the committee to consider the bill…
Once the committee has presented its report, the bill is available for second reading any time from the third sitting day after presentation…
But but but Pete George says ” The Kermadec Ocean sanctuary appears to be dead in the water after a deal between Labour and NZ First (who of course have close ties to the fishing industry). “…
Strange to see you as one of our most conservative left wing people, who supports stability, arguing for a junior partner in a government that is still forming to start stirring.
Not only is it not how the GP operate, I wouldn’t expect any party to start a government out that way.
“Perfectly within the remit of the Minister of Conservation.”
I’m pretty sure this was presented as a government bill, so it would be up to the new government whether they progress it. The second reading comes after the bill has been passed through the select committee, and any changes not agreed at committee stage can be put before the house. The bill is presented back to the house by the member in charge of it. Unless it’s a member’s bill, I’m pretty sure that would be the relevant minister and that it would be up to them when and if it’s taken back for the second reading.
Having said that, it’s my understanding that this bill hasn’t been killed, but that Labour wants to work things out with representatives of relevant Māori. There’s also chatter about NZF and fishing interests, but James Shaw seemed pretty confident on Q+A this morning that this proposal was still live.
Do we want rifts occurring so soon after forming the coalition and shunting the train onto the tracks ready for the first journey.
Here’s Hank Marvin and group singing Mystery Train
If only our politicians can look as happy and integrated as these guys playing this good music. Great bright guitar playing of the 1960’s variety.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyozANj5tRE
and
Arlo Guthrie The City of New Orleans and great images
and talking about Arlo Guthrie and a rousing song we need to remember —
This Land Is Your Land, this land is My Land.
with Arlo, Woody and Judy Collins. Pete Seeger and many others all in their own way, having fun.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bphP7Hh_gxU
Yes that’s right. Over the Kermadec’s thing. I think they started out with a bit of stuff from the interview with Jacinda on Q and A this am, but included in this was the Kermadec’s issue.
The power of language and choice of words nicely demonstrated.
“Ardern has shown she has a ruthless streak beneath her absolutely positive surface.”
Ruthless as in synonyms I found?: merciless, cruel, unfeeling, steely, vicious, fierce?
Ruthless as a condemnation and put-down or ruthless as determined and not letting personal feelings and emotion get in the way of putting into action ones principles?
Since the description has been used on here it might not make other forums. I think if it were on Kiwiblog something like “Ruthlesscindi” would become common use for some of the children there.
Ruthless, as in clear & decisive leadership and taking full ownership of and responsibility for decisions. Quite a compliment when you look at it this way IMO. It leaves in the middle whether these decisions are considered ‘good’ or ‘bad’ by some; you can certainly not please all all the time …
I don’t see why I should be subject to such pedantry when others aren’t, especially while you seem to turn a blind eye to other rules like personal attacks. You seem obsessed with targeting me.
Shaw confirmed his trust in Ardern to negotiate a deal that won’t see his party locked out in the cold, or pushed beneath NZ First.
“Jacinda made fairness one of her principle values in the campaign, I’ve known her a number of years and, I said this before the election, I trust her and she seems to be doing a good job of it.
“It’s got to be a stable and responsible Government that’s going to go the full distance in the national interest. Labour are working very hard on ensuring that that happens. That’s of paramount concern to all of us,” he said.
[well seeing as how you’re unclear about it, I’ll explain. You’re a well-known troll on TS who has been banned multiple times for causing problems for the site and moderators. Those bans have been given by a range of moderators (not just me). So when I see you back on site, I generally check whether you are engaging in non-troll ways or not.
Today looked like it was going to cause problems (going by what you wrote and how people reacted). Shaw didn’t say what you claimed and now you’ve had to provide evidence that shows you were wrong. This is how it works here.
And yes, you can expect more of this (not just you). Because I won’t be sitting by and letting bullshit and lies be spread around here about any of the new government parties or MPs. People can say what they like up to a point but they have to be able to back up statements of fact. I will generally step in when statements appear to be pushing certain anti-left lines or ones that seek to dishonestly undermine LW parties, MPs, or LWers in general. This is a left-aligned site after all. – weka]
James Shaw said he trusted Jacinda Ardern to protect green interests.
What James Shaw actually said:
Shaw confirmed his trust in Ardern to negotiate a deal that won’t see his party locked out in the cold, or pushed beneath NZ First…fairness… the national interest…stability.
Funny. I could praise you here for your balanced and inclusive moderation and would probably be called a troll. From what I see it’s most often a lazy form of abuse from people who are intolerant of points of view they don’t like, or people they have labelled as some sort of perceived enemy.
I hope that eventually the positive and inclusive approach to politics as demonstrated by Jacinda Ardern is embraced by those on the left embittered by 9 years in opposition.
I thought things might have changed here after success, but I might give things a while longer for the changes to take place.
[you still don’t get it Pete. Moderation isn’t here to be inclusive to you. It’s to protect the site and authors, to limit the amount of work for the moderators, and to encourage robust debate that is accessible to as wide a range of people as possible. Inclusivity and access ends where people are being anti-social.
Me calling you a troll isn’t lazy abuse, it’s from many years of observing your behaviour here and how that impacts negatively on the site. There are plenty of people here who I disagree with politically but who never end up on my moderator radar because they know how to argue their position without winding people up, lying, or derailing. – weka]
The utter inability to take responsibility for having lied in a political debate and instead make out he is here to lead TS to a new era of positivity and inclusivity.
Surely an uber-troll would come up with an original tactic or two.
“Someone” publishes an incomplete story from anonymous sources. Pete George’s amygdala reacts as expected. The story then has to be amended once the facts are known.
“Surely an uber-troll would come up with an original tactic or two.”
Not really. Trolling well without getting banned, managing that over time, knowing what will wind up the regulars and derail the conversation and implementing that to the point that people want to tear their hair out, if he can’t get people to talk about his views then he manages to get people talking about not talking about his views, on and on. Originality isn’t necessary if the goal is to control the debate.
Thinking you are a boring unoriginal disingenuous passive aggressive right wing wanker isn’t lying, Peter, it’s an honestly held opinion with a mountain of evidence to support it.
The only “uber” you’re likely to come anywhere near is the one that takes you for a ride.
Assurances that the sanctuary hasn’t been sunk yet.
Green Party leader James Shaw told TVNZ’s Q +A this morning the scheme was still on the table.
“Obviously there are still a lot of issues to work through, it is a complicated issue, but we are still doing our best efforts to make sure it happens,” he said.
“We absolutely need to work alongside Māori to make sure it happens but I think we are all committed to make sure that it does.”
A spokesperson for Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the scheme was very much alive.
That’s vague. Alive perhaps, but on life support for three years?
I wonder if Shaw’s comments are with or without knowledge of the details of the Labour-NZ First agreement. I wouldn’t be surprised to see some kicking of cans down the road on this and other policies. Like:
9. Refugees
Review, as well as “adequately fund and support” refugees under the family reunification scheme.
And there it is again: like your disappointment yesterday with James Shaw’s inability to bind future governments to a referendum decision, today’s disappointment with the Green Party’s inability to dictate terms to its coalition partners is disingenuous, passive-aggressive anti-Green propaganda.
James Shaw said on Q+A this morning that he didn’t see the sanctuary as dead and that there was a need to work with Māori and with other parties to find the best way to go forward towards creating the sanctuary. Of course, he hasn’t seen what’s in the NZF agreement (maybe it has been put aside – I don’t know), but at this stage he still seems to be hopeful there’s a way forward.
…but but but the uncertainty! And the concern! Such deep deep concern. Whatever shall we do? I’m feeling so lost and scared without Bill and John to hold me 😈
NZ First, whose senior MPs are close to the fishing industry and whose campaign was partly bankrolled by players in the fishing industry, demanded Labour stop the sanctuary.
It’s one thing to hold off on the sanctuary because there are Treaty issues to sort out first, quite another to hold off on it because your coalition partner consists of corrupt politicians. If the report’s accurate, this will be the first of no doubt many instances of Labour getting up with fleas from the NZ First dog it lay down with.
A Kermadec Sanctuary is entirely feasible – the opposition to it was Sealords who demanded to retain the right to fish there . I couldn’t work out wtf that was about as the fishing in the area covered by the sanctuary was only around 1000 tonnes which in fishing terms is essentially zero . (the 1000 tonnes wasn’t even taken by Sealords)
The Kermadecs are so bloody far away people don’t fish there because of the time and fuel costs involved – they can fill there quota closer to port – that’s the only reason National suggested it .
I didn’t understand Sealords opposition to it until the penny finally dropped. If at some point the future management of the fisheries requires quota reductions fishing in the Kermadecs area may be commercially desirable. If there is to be a sanctuary this is the issue that would need to be negotiated with Sealords to their satisfaction IMHO.
Could there be another aspect to the refusal by Sealord to accept the Kermadec sanctuary – aren’t they half owned by Japanese interests? And they dig their toes in about rights to the sea. Perhaps that is a reaction to
being nuclear bombed on big areas of their small country. In the high seas they should be free they think, possibly.
Make persistent and deliberate breaches of human rights and employment law subject to the Crimes Act, then go after assets under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
The Kermadecs are 1000km to the North East. You’re a long way from home when the sea whips up cruel up there in the cyclone prone tropics. If our fishing fleet need to steam 1000km for a catch, we’re doing something frightfully wrong 100kms offshore. Policing the far-flung 750,000 ha would be made a lot more simple if no fishing boats were allowed. They can be located and identified via satellites and tracked to a home port.
I don’t think Iwi are particularly concerned about losing potential fishing grounds, they’d just like to stick a Tino Rangatiratanga flag in the region. Fair enough, there’s a good chance Kupe filled his water gourds at Raoul Island on the way down. I’m hopeful we can arrive at an MMP flavoured compromise that leaves all points of view quite satisfied. That’s how it goes with balanced compromise, nobody gets exactly what they want.
We don’t know what the situation is yet, and won’t until the Labour-NZ First agreement is made public, and then we may have to still wait until we see what happens in practice.
It would be interesting to know who claimed/leaked to Stuff, and why.
So having it had it shown that it is not “dead in the water” you want to change the focus to “who leaked it”?. Who leaked what though? The imaginary dead in the water sanctuary?
If the claim is dead in the water than it’s of interest who leaked the story to Stuff.
NZ First, whose senior MPs are close to the fishing industry and whose campaign was partly bankrolled by players in the fishing industry, demanded Labour stop the sanctuary.
And it is understood Jacinda Ardern agreed a Labour-NZ First government would not progress legislation to establish the sanctuary in this three-year Parliamentary term.
The same Jonathan Milne who was so outraged about major parties having to negotiate with Winston Peters to form a government? There’s a motive alright, but I doubt it involves someone in NZF or Labour leaking stuff.
The National Party is perfectly capable of leaking it, since it will have come up in negotiations with NZF, they have no respect for confidentiality or ethics and crucially, have form in this regard.
I don’t give a shit what you pretend to think about it though, so don’t let me know.
You said it was dead in the water… you reply to me as though I said it. You made the claim. Tgen having been asked to prove it were found wanting. Now you are all about the “leak”… fickle much
Your assertion has been found wanting. You’re misquoting me, careful doing that, it’s against the rules here.
I said “appears to be dead in the water”, which at the time that’s how it seemed. It’s been an evolving story through the day, like many political stories.
It’s of interest to me who leaked it and why – I think it’s very unlikely Sunday Times journalists completely made the story up.
And responses by Shaw and Ardern also seem vague. It will be interesting to see what the agreements relating to this actually look like when released on Tuesday. I’m keeping an open mind on it all, seemingly in contrast to you.
Lol @ evolving. You jump on assumption to assumption that suit you. Have you read Jaques Ellul? He talks of you extensively in Propaganda: the formation of mens attitudes.
Better than slowly being drowned in your beige lake of dietary fibre: sans vitamins, sans protein, sans sugar or starch, sans flavour or smell… nothing but a suffocating blandness destined to be converted as quickly as possible into pure shit.
This comment prompted me to do a search, and I discovered what you were talking about. I didn’t read Open Mike on Friday (very rare for me) so missed the news from Marty.
Hope you are recovering well Marty, thinking of you bro.
Pretty good off home today happy but bit scared too. I just about was going to participate in a double blind international experimental drug trial but long weekend stymied that.
Edit will prob have to limit my reading here gotta keep my blood pressure on low side and the beige poo always pisses me off lol
Did you watch them put it in @marty mars? Pretty amazing tech seeing it all on a screen as they shuffle through your veins.
Hope all’s well! You’ll be set to take on the PG onslaught in no time
Thanks everyone – i did see the before and after photos – pretty freaky. I’ve got a long way to go and it’s also given me a greater appreciation of the psychological aspects of recovery and certainly acceptance. Many on here have had to learn to trust their bodies again I know. My journey on that is underway.
Marty, I haven’t been reading TS much lately and missed news about your heart attack. I hope you are now on the way to recovery. Kia ora, kia taha.
I am very relieved you were able to get the healthcare you needed in time – the world would have been a much worse place without you.
A 49 yr old pal of mine had a quad bypass. Trusting her body again and not panicking have been hard to achieve but she has. You are good people marty. Be kind to yourself
Hey marty, I know my EQ is precisely zero so I’m not going to try to fake being a normal human and try to say something empathetic. It would probably come out Trumpian anyway.
But several of my near and dear have gone through heart attacks and getting stents. They all got prescribed statins afterwards. They all had to work hard with their doctors and experiment a lot to find a good dose rate that gives the benefits of the statins without too much side effect. So if you start taking statins and feel like they may be messing you up in other ways, get onto it quick with your doctor to adjust the dose.
And I really hope to see you back here at full strength soon.
” Socialist Youth leader decries capitalism
The Herald reports:
Incoming prime minister Jacinda Ardern says capitalism has been a “blatant failure” in New Zealand when measured by child poverty.
Ardern is the former head of the International Union of Socialist Youth so it is no surprise that our new Prime Minister thinks capitalism is a blatant failure. I look forward to hearing about the success of socialism in curing child poverty.”
Sneaky. And you’d have to be dim to fall for his tricks:
Who is this Socialist Youth leader?
How does “capitalism has been a “blatant failure” in New Zealand when measured by child poverty (my bold) become, “our new Prime Minister thinks capitalism is a blatant failure”
Do you think it possible that his readers can’t see how they are being fooled by this sort of twist-wording? Their responses suggest they have no awareness at all.
Farrar’s reaction so far is that of an insolent and whiney frat boy who bitterly resents getting failed by a woman professor. To which I say keep it coming, we are joyfully lapping up your salty tears of rage.
Capitalism isn’t a failure, or at least it’s the least failing economic system of the past couple of centuries.
It does allow too many people to fail without adequate regulation and social conscience, and that’s what successive New Zealand governments have tried to balance.
National made improvements on the social costs in someways, and did too little in other ways. They campaigned on promises to do more to address obvious social issues, but the parties that formed the incoming government promised more. This should lead to better outcomes for more people, but it won’t be easy.
It should be acknowledged that under capitalism (albeit far from pure capitalism) a huge number of people have been lifted out of poverty and have had their standard of living improved. We should strive to better, but it can be a complex and difficult balancing act.
Right up to the election, Pete, you professed to not having made up your mind which way you’d cast your vote. Now that the moment has passed, care to share?
I voted for Liz Craig, Labour and Party vote Green.
That’s right, I have always left it until election day to until i decided who to vote for. I think that’s especially important with tactical voting under MMP.
Right up until fifteen minutes before making his big announcement Winston Peters claims he didn’t know who he would choose to anoint as his coalition partner.
Capitalism isn’t a failure, or at least it’s the least failing economic system of the past couple of centuries.
Capitalism is most definitely a failure and it’s been constantly failing over the last few millennia. The only that’s been able to keep capitalism going as well as it has over the last couple of centuries has been socialism and the Enlightenment where people actually looked after each other. The times when this didn’t happen was the times when capitalism failed completely.
It should be acknowledged that under capitalism (albeit far from pure capitalism) a huge number of people have been lifted out of poverty and have had their standard of living improved.
Did those people think that they were in poverty before capitalism introduced it to them?
Living without guns and war and trade isn’t the same as living in poverty.
Recent efforts to address the concerns you speak of have all seemed to revolve around money. Money ain’t people. An extra $100 a week or a warm dry place to live is the easy part of any solution.
I think capitalistic solutions lie in creating more opportunities for us to strive and reap the benefits of our efforts. A person working hard in any job, living frugally, they should have a house deposit after some years of studious saving. Hopefully our need for houses can hook up with our need for developing satisfying career pathways.
If the port goes North, we’re going to need a new Whangarei suburb to house the workers that take up a relocation offer. Close to the coast would be good, make it a desirable spot to live. Developers tendering for the job could be required to partner with North Tec and career paths plotted over the course of the development. 2000 houses would get freed up in Auckland. Capitalism has been working for too few of us.
I think capitalistic solutions lie in creating more opportunities for us to strive and reap the benefits of our efforts.
Capitalism doesn’t do that though. It has people working hard to make others, the parasitical owners, better off. It is this that causes the massive inequality and poverty that always accompanies capitalism.
Average incomes/GDP in third world countries have been lifted, is not the same as “large numbers lifted out of poverty” as non democratic countries capture increases in National wealth, in the ruling classes.
The farmers in Mexico, Asia and Africa, who have lost their livelihoods to massive import dumplings of “free trade” US grain, are much worse off, to give just one example. It does free them to work 14 hour days as almost slave labour, in Nike and Apple factories, though.
Do you think it possible that his readers can’t see how they are being fooled by this sort of twist-wording?
I’m pretty sure that’s it precisely. the only way that National ever gets power is through lying and so they have to make the lies believable and so they use spin doctors to use false logic to make it so. DPF seems to be one of their favoured ones.
And, yeah, indications are that the RWNJs over on Kiwiblog are really dim as well.
Speaks wonders about those who claim a “balance” of opinion, look for the fabled “middle ground” then wonder why they get greeted with ridicule when they get there.
Earth is flat. With some spherical areas. Or something.
Jacinda was President of the International Federation of Socialist Youth in 2008 (the same year she first entered parliament). Of course, Farrar is misrepresenting (through implication) the actual nature of this group.
As I understand it, the federation is more a general leftist alliance than a genuine socialist group (the name dates back to the 1920s, and the group was first formed in 1907, before a split between the communists and social democrats in 1919). Their main efforts through the years have focused on fighting fascism, promoting peace, supporting decolonisation and struggles for independence, working against human trafficking, supporting refugees, promoting human rights, fighting AIDS, promoting youth involvement in political debate and activity… https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Union_of_Socialist_Youth
I think it’s greatly to her credit that Ardern was elected president of this group. She’s been a strong political activist all her life and has worked on policy and managed the practicalities of an international organisation (100+ countries involved) when in her 20s. Good on her!
Capitalism is a failure by many measures. It has led to everything being commodified for exchange (sale for profit) – the few things that cannot be commodified (inalienable) are regulated & controlled in such way that they can still be used to generate profit and accumulate more capital. This exchange is or was meant to be on a voluntary basis but this is an illusion for all intents and practices because free choice and willingness to exchange are not absolute. The same can be said about employment where employers are free to sign a contract or not. Reality is not that black & white. Capitalism demands growth and this, in turn, demands more extraction of (natural) resources. But the biggest failure of capitalism is that we seem to have accepted it as the best available system to conduct our affairs and live our lives; it leaves no room for alternative thinking and any dissenting or opposing voices are silenced very quickly. Ergo capitalism is an abject failure of human thinking and action because it has stymied human evolution to become Homo economicus. Whether this is an evolutionary dead-end remains to be seen.
Ergo capitalism is an abject failure of human thinking and action because it has stymied human evolution to become Homo economicus.
QFT
Whether this is an evolutionary dead-end remains to be seen.
Certainly looking that way with anthropogenic climate change and other changes to the world that we’ve made in our ignorance and arrogance and in our pursuit of profit having the very real capacity to wipe us out.
Truck gridlock all over NZ now is the worst seen in history and we have roads not designed to carry all these massively large heavy trucks so good news is coming read this;
NZ HERALD SAYS THIS; The days of freight-carrying trucks cutting up our highway network are numbered. Both NZ First and the Greens are obsessed with getting freight off our roads and back on the railways.
NZ Herald.
NEW ZEALAND
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Winners and losers of the new Government
22 Oct, 2017 5:00am
5 minutes to read
Jacinda Ardern will be New Zealand’s next Prime Minister but who really won when New Zealand First decided to back Labour.
By: Heather du Plessis Allan
Heather du Plessis-Allan is a columnist for the Herald on Sunday
Change is coming. Big change. That much Winston Peters has told us.
Exactly what that means we won’t know until the new government reveals its coalition policy deals in the next few days. But still, we have enough hints and clues to already declare some winners and losers.
WINNERS
Anyone with a car
The days of freight-carrying trucks cutting up our highway network are numbered. Both NZ First and the Greens are obsessed with getting freight off our roads and back on the railways.
Pete — you need to stop your shit-stirring. The reality is that if we are to have our side in government then certain compromises have to be made. Plain and simple. This was one such comprimise.
The stakes are waaaayyyy too high for people to be throwing their toy at the moment. Thursday feels like a long way away..
Hi Robert, I don’t think too many rugby fans will begrudge the wobblies their one win in seven.
Key AB players were out, ockers were certainly hungry, and a little bit of rub of the green (Barnes not sin binning oz player under his posts who came from off side to play ball).
It is good for rugby the ABs being beaten occasionally.
The ABs looked out of breath in the 30th min, struggling, the Wallabies had some new players that out muscled the ABs and had more desire to win, I said last week that the Wallabies were expecting to win.
It’s good for the game to have the top team lose the odd game, but they’re still the top team.
Twitter was very aggressive against the rant on ZB, every response was critical.
While teams are constantly rebuilding, there is a feel of the ABs being slightly over a peak they have maintained for a few seasons now.
We are looking at having our depth tested at prop, hooker and to a lesser extent wing and fullback.
Good on the ozzies, like you I picked a wallaby win.
As for Twitter, opinions are like backsides, everyone has one, some are more deserving of sharing than others.
In my view we are all human first I don’t believe in using race to distinguish/ dived our people we are all on this Waka called EARTH together and we all need to fight for our Mother Earth together . All our worlds culture’s need to work together for a future for our Moko grandchildren . And letting the neo liberals of our world use a word race to dived US what’s the other meaning of race well it mean’s a competition so strait away this word pits us against each other so let’s not let them use that word to dived US so they can hold onto there stolen power. It is not Intelligent and we are intelligent . What makes us unique is our culture and if we all let this thought become OUR reality than we have taken away the main one of the main tool’s that these Idiots use to divide US.
Now I can see that some of our people with different culture’s are saying he’s just a radical Maori well no I’m not but I am PRO Maori. As it is our culture that has lost the most Mana because of this neo libral bullshit And this is what our society classes me as Maori ie dividing us , I no that being Radical put’s off most other people off one’s cause. Which is a fair and Equal society that respects all people and our mother earth
and have the ideals that we must leave our Moko Grandchildren a healthy Mother Earth.
Now this poor boy Kharl Wirepa come on VOGUE can’t you people see that Kharl is being used as a tool to put down our gay people our Maori culture and being used to divide US as the people of New Zealand please see the big picture and give his Mana back , Kharl is one of our people that should be celebrated as how one can go from Rags to Riches with a lot of innovation and determination and Mana / strength/power now let’s help this future Maori leader get his Mana baback that some neo liberal stole from him . Kia Kaha
National Party leader John Key has won a decisive victory in the 2008 general election, with 59 seats in Parliament.
…
National will be able to form a new Government with the support of ACT and United Future. New Zealand First was not returned to Parliament this term.
…
National secured 45.5% of the party vote to Labour’s 33.8%.
The results would give a potential National-led Government, with ACT and United Future, 65 seats in Parliament.
Labour would have 43 seats, the Green Party eight seats, the Maori Party five and United Future and Progressive one each.
…
The Green Party gained 6.4% of the party vote, which would give it eight MPs.
…
Co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons told about 200 supporters gathered in central Auckland the results give them a stronger voice in Parliament.
She also said she wonders whether in 20 years’ time people will look back on this election and say they’re glad they voted for tax cuts rather than the future of their children.
New Zealand First was on 4.2%, below the 5% threshold to get back into Parliament without winning an electorate.
…
The Maori Party won five of the seven Maori seats, and has 2.2% of the party vote.
Perhaps the Nats were hoping to repeat that victory by taking NZF out to drive them below the 5% threshold?
National has unveiled an economic and tax package that will give an extra $18 a week above Labour’s cuts for an average worker but has to reduce expenditure elsewhere to pay for it.
The package has provided winners and losers in its mix.
Party leader John Key revealed a slightly pared down tax cut package that puts more in people’s pocket’s next April, but offers less than planned.
The cuts are funded by cutting planned increases to Government subsidies for those in KiwiSaver and axing research and development tax credits for businesses.
…
“Basically it says economic growth is not about savings, and investment and innovation at all, it’s simply about encouraging people to spend,” Dr Cullen said.
…
Co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said funding tax cuts from the science research budget is tantamount to mortgaging the future.
…
NZ First leader Winston Peters said: …
“Instead, they are proposing a reduction in workers’ pay conditions, a cut to the state sector, and a reduction in the amount of investment in New Zealand’s businesses. Such policies have led to lower wages, lower investment, and lower growth in the past and will do so again.”
As governments go, ours was less profligate but did join the party. The whiplash from towering Budget surpluses to monstrous deficits is the legacy. The new government seems frozen in the headlights, presiding, on its own admission, over nearly the biggest fiscal stimulus in the “rich” world but scared to rein it in.
…
We have water in a world that is increasingly water-constrained. (We manage it incompetently but that can be fixed, with a will.)
We produce high-quality food in a world that is increasingly food-constrained. It will take huge improvements in technology (including water use) and in national and international organisation to meet the food needs of the world’s fast-growing population.
Included in our food store are vast expanses of well-managed fisheries. (But can we stop others plundering them as they have plundered their own fisheries?)
We have abundant energy in a world which will be able to ward off shortages only with leaps of technology. This year’s oil price spike was a curtain-raiser. We have vast amounts of coal, oil, gas, wind, steam, water and, when the new technologies reach maturity, sunlight and biological energy sources.
We come relatively well out of climate change, compared with nearly every other country. There will be a cost but we will be able to adapt relatively easily.
…
OK, this next year will be tough and maybe the one after and the one after. But if we want to look past that we have the potential to be very rich — and clean-green with it. Chuck another scallop on the barbie.
Very good political discussion on RNZ this morning. Perhaps the most insightful was at the end when it was declared… John Key’s announcement to the UN General Assembly concerning the setting up of the Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary had been “nothing but a stunt by and an exercise in personal aggrandizement on Key’s part. There had been no consultation whatsoever with any of the interested parties and they are unlikely to be concerned it has been “put on ice” for the next 3 years.
[Unless you are the person who originally wrote that on social media, you need to link. Otherwise it’s plagiarising. Getting sick of having to pull people up on this, so deleting your comment and will replace it with a link when I can find one. – weka]
Allow me to explain MMP
There’s one mince and cheese pie left in the shop it costs $5
Bill has $4.50
Jacinda has $3.70
Winston has 70c
James has 60c
and David has 5c
No one has enough money to buy the pie by themselves but Jacinda, Winston and James. put their money together and buy the pie. Bill gets no pie because he needed 50c but didn’t have any friends to help him pay for the pie.
I hope this helps explain things.
Obviously, this example is completely wrong because Bill will privatise the shop and make up any shortfall by borrowing to get the pie and eat it too. He will then raise GST so that all other customers get to pay off the loan + interest and effectively pay for Bill’s pie as well as more into the pockets of the new shop owner who has already put up the price of pies to $5.50 made solely from imported ingredients and made by people on no more than the minimum wage (preferably casually-employed overseas students on Student VISAs).
You forgot that he might be able to double-dip on the very generous pie allowance given to Ministers who do not have pie-bakers employed in their Wellington residence.
And Bill said “I am a strong and stable eater of pies. I ate all of the previous 9 and so I have a right to this one too. And I believe Jacinda has an 11 cent hole in her $3.70 anyway.”
Jeepers – this could become a parable.
Of particular note is that Labour’s position on the foreign land ownership issue still seems focussed on residential properties (and they’re ok with new builds), I haven’t seen much that’s encouraging on rural land.
This is the most recent post I could find on this on the Labour website:
“Labour will not support the TPP if it undermines New Zealand’s sovereignty.
This means:
• Pharmac must be protected
• Corporations cannot successfully sue the Government for regulating in the public interest
• New Zealand maintains the right to restrict sales of farm land and housing to non-resident foreigner buyers
• The Treaty of Waitangi must be upheld
• Meaningful gains are made for our farmers in tariff reductions and market access
Ardern sidestepped the rural land issue the other day when asked about it. I reckon they’ve got another week to sort out the new govt and then they’re going to have to up their game. Ardern is good at not answering but we’re not in a campaign now.
I agree it’s too soon to criticise but that said, Ardern has been talking up accountability but not much has been said about transparency so far. I hope the new Government is not going to hide behind the toothless OIA like the previous one did.
Good grief, she’s only been PM elect for three days. Of course she’s not going to say anything much until after Tuesday when all will be revealed – or possibly Thursday after she has been sworn in as PM.
During the campaign, in the period of the coalition talks, and as PM-elect Ardern has been interviewed many times and she’ been talking a lot but not saying all that much that is particularly informative IMO, just setting the scene it seems. My comment pertained to what has not been said, so far, to what I’ve been missing from the scene setting. I do believe this is a valid comment under the circumstances, don’t you?
And I suspect one thing Winnie might suggest – if not Labour of their own volition, is to give both CommComm and Overseas Investment Office some clear guidlines. Often they’re little more than rubber stampers.
If the EU tightens up on its smallest member State – Malta – regarding money-laundering, what more might be revealed about the role of NZ foreign trusts?
“The leaking in 2016 of the so-called Panama Papers, more than 11m documents taken from a Panamanian law firm, opened new horizons for Ms Caruana Galizia.
Her son Matthew is a member of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, which has been mining the documents for stories.
Last year Running Commentary revealed that Mr Muscat’s chief of staff and one of his ministers had Panama-registered companies and trusts in New Zealand.
Ms Caruana Galizia claimed, and they denied, that the offshore vehicles received kickbacks from Russians who had bought Maltese passports.
In April she wrote that Mr Muscat’s wife was the beneficial owner of a company that allegedly received $1m from the daughter of the president of Azerbaijan, with which Malta has commercial ties.
Anyone else spot the online news from Australia? I think it was either the NZ Herald or Stuff. As far as I can tell it’s gone now.
The Premier of NSW issued a snarky press statement about Jacinda Ardern and “invited NZers to come and live in NSW where growth is on the rise and they would be welcomed”.
Attached was a video message from the leader of the NSW Labour Party apologising for the Premier’s statement and assuring Jacinda she would be warmly welcomed when she visits NSW.
How disgusting!
Wonder if an instruction was issued to take the item down in an attempt to avoid a “diplomatic incident”.
Saw that tweet, she was slapped down pretty quickly by the wider community for that, both Berejecklian and Bishop have been heavily critisised for their actions against a NZ Labour Govt, both are Liberal MPs in Governments with almost no other women MPs, that says a lot about them.
Some of the reply tweets reminded Berejecklian what a prick of a place it is get around with a heavily overloaded public transport system from very high population growth, and the City with more tolled roads than any other city in the world, petrol’s cheap but it costs $1200 a year to register your car.
What I saw wasn’t a tweet NewsFlash. It was a full bodied article complete with the video of the NSW Opposition Labour leader apologising to NZ etc. It’s been taken down now so suspect someone further up the ladder has ordered its removal in an attempt to avoid a diplomatic incident?
An interview with Jancinda from Corin Dann this after noon, Corrin ‘s interjecting when he doesn’t like the reply to start with but settles down towards the end, covers a few good topics, worthwhile watching if you haven’t seen it.
Hey Bob while you’re on the subject of LIARS, the last 9 yrs has been a litany of lies from all the National party members, this site keeps a list of them for Fwits like you, if accusing Jacinda of being liar based on you example I suggest you return to that other site where there’s plenty of like minded individuals with a similar level of intellect .
What about this gem: https://www.nbr.co.nz/ask-Jacinda-Ardern
“Do you want to be Prime Minister one day?”
Adern: “No absolutely not”…”not everyone wants to be top dog”
BliP, I see a list just waiting to be written already…
Political leaders who didn’t know the world before the wall came down. And haven’t been educated about it. A worry. https://t.co/RVKJKA3yM7— Chris Kenny (@chriskkenny) October 21, 2017
Old farts who tsk a female leader for not sharing their delusion that fighting plutocracy is a slippery slope to Soviet communism. Typical. https://t.co/tMou90Jgfc— Adam Weinstein (@AdamWeinstein) October 22, 2017
I mean, the shitheart navel-gazing to get from this quote to “Oh tsk, another whippersnapper who knows nothing of The Soviet Evil” is epic pic.twitter.com/Brzgr23cWY— Adam Weinstein (@AdamWeinstein) October 22, 2017
Decent aftershock down this way 5.4, no harm done by the sound of it.
Pretty sure it can’t be a coincidence, labour government, all black loss , earthquake.
Thinking of penning an article for the herald.
I’ve not thought about it before but yes, the awful messes on the windscreen after a night drive across the central plateau are a thing of the past.
Entomologists call it the windshield phenomenon. “If you talk to people, they have a gut feeling. They remember how insects used to smash on your windscreen,” says Wolfgang Wägele, director of the Leibniz Institute for Animal Biodiversity in Bonn, Germany. Today, drivers spend less time scraping and scrubbing. “I’m a very data-driven person,” says Scott Black, executive director of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation in Portland, Oregon. “But it is a visceral reaction when you realize you don’t see that mess anymore.”
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Buzz from the Beehive Much more media attention is being paid to something Winston Peters said about former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr than to a speech he delivered to the New Zealand China Council. One word is missing from the speech: AUKUS. But AUKUS loomed large in his considerations ...
Is the economy in another long stagnation? If so, why?This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be ...
The annual list of who's been bribing our politicians is out, and journalists will no doubt be poring over it to find the juiciest and dirtiest bribes. The government's fast-track invite list is likely to be a particular focus, and we already know of one company on the list which ...
In the weeks after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Southern Israel I wrote about the possible 2nd, 3rd and even 4th order effects of the conflict. These included new fronts being opened in the West Bank (with Hamas), Golan … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – It is one of the oldest truisms that there is never a good time for MPs to get a pay rise. This week’s announcement of pay raises of around 2.8% backdated to last October could hardly have come at a worse time, with the ...
David Farrar writes – Newshub reports: Newshub can reveal a fresh allegation of intimidation against Green MP Julie-Anne Genter. Genter is subject to a disciplinary process for aggressively waving a book in the face of National Minister Matt Doocey in the House – but it’s not the first time ...
The Treasury has published a paper today on the global productivity slowdown and how it is playing out in New Zealand: The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections. The Treasury Paper examines recent trends in productivity and the potential drivers of the slowdown. Productivity for the whole economy ...
Winston Peters’ comments about former Australian foreign minister look set to be an ongoing headache for both him and Luxon. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guests on Gaza and ...
These puppet strings don't pull themselvesYou're thinking thoughts from someone elseHow much time do you think you have?Are you prepared for what comes next?The debating chamber can be a trying place for an opposition MP. What with the person in charge, the speaker, typically being an MP from the governing ...
The land around Lyme Regis, where Meryl Streep once stood, in a hood, on the Cobb, is falling into the sea.MerylThe land around Lyme Regis, around the Cobb that made it rich, has always been falling slowly but surely into the sea. Read more ...
Buzz from the Beehive Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters was bound to win headlines when he set out his thinking about AUKUS in his speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. The headlines became bigger when – during an interview on RNZ’s Morning Report today – he criticised ...
The Post reports on how the government is refusing to release its advice on its corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law, instead using the "soon to be publicly available" refusal ground to hide it until after select committee submissions on the bill have closed. Fast-track Minister Chris Bishop's excuse? “It's not ...
As pressure on it grows, the livestock industry’s approach to the transition to Net Zero is increasingly being compared to that of fossil fuel interests. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above ...
The New Zealand Herald reports – Stats NZ has offered a voluntary redundancy scheme to all of its workers as a way to give staff some control over their “future” amidst widespread job losses in the public sector. In an update to staff this morning, seen by the Herald, Statistics New Zealand ...
On Werewolf/Scoop, I usually do two long form political columns a week. From now on, there will be an extra column each week about music and movies. But first, some late-breaking political events:The rise in unemployment numbers for the March quarter was bigger than expected – and especially sharp ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: TVNZ says it is dealing with about 50 formal complaints over its coverage of the latest 1News-Verian political poll, with some viewers – as well as the Prime Minister and a former senior Labour MP – critical of the tone of the 6pm report. ...
Muriel Newman writes – When Meridian Energy was seeking resource consents for a West Coast hydro dam proposal in 2010, local Maori “strenuously” objected, claiming their mana was inextricably linked to ‘their’ river and could be damaged. After receiving a financial payment from the company, however, the Ngai Tahu ...
Alwyn Poole writes – “An SEP,’ he said, ‘is something that we can’t see, or don’t see, or our brain doesn’t let us see, because we think that it’s somebody else’s problem. That’s what SEP means. Somebody Else’s Problem. The brain just edits it out, it’s like a ...
Our trust in our political institutions is fast eroding, according to a Maxim Institute discussion paper, Shaky Foundations: Why our democracy needs trust. The paper – released today – raises concerns about declining trust in New Zealand’s political institutions and democratic processes, and the role that the overuse of Parliamentary urgency ...
This article was prepared for publication yesterday. More ministerial announcements have been posted on the government’s official website since it was written. We will report on these later today …. Buzz from the BeehiveThere we were, thinking the environment is in trouble, when along came Jones. Shane Jones. ...
New Zealand now has the fourth most depressed construction sector in the world behind China, Qatar and Hong Kong. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 8:46am on Thursday, May 2:The Lead: ...
Hi,I am just going to state something very obvious: American police are fucking crazy.That was a photo gracing the New York Times this morning, showing New York City police “entering Columbia University last night after receiving a request from the school.”Apparently in America, protesting the deaths of tens of thousands ...
Winston Peters’ much anticipated foreign policy speech last night was a work of two halves. Much of it was a standard “boilerplate” Foreign Ministry overview of the state of the world. There was some hardening up of rhetoric with talk of “benign” becoming “malign” and old truths giving way to ...
Graham Adams assesses the fallout of the Cass Review — The press release last Thursday from the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls didn’t make the mainstream news in New Zealand but it really should have. The startling title of Reem Alsalem’s statement — “Implementation of ‘Cass ...
This open-for-business, under-new-management cliché-pockmarked government of Christopher Luxon is not the thing of beauty he imagines it to be. It is not the powerful expression of the will of the people that he asserts it to be. It is not a soaring eagle, it is a malodorous vulture. This newest poll should make ...
The latest labour market statistics, showing a rise in unemployment. There are now 134,000 unemployed - 14,000 more than when the National government took office. Which is I guess what happens when the Reserve Bank causes a recession in an effort to Keep Wages Low. The previous government saw a ...
Three opinion polls have been released in the last two days, all showing that the new government is failing to hold their popular support. The usual honeymoon experienced during the first year of a first term government is entirely absent. The political mood is still gloomy and discontented, mainly due ...
National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”.As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
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 ...
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy.Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
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Many will not want to accept this, but we humans are in a struggle for our very existence. Most people just do not realise how perilous our situation is!
If we continue to do as we have done for the past 30 plus years – we are doomed, and Guy MacPherson will be proved right – gone in ten years!
If we tinker round the edges and set long term but modest goals – well, we may last a bit longer.
We need RADICAL solutions to climate breakdown. We need to rethink the whole way we live at the moment. Sorry, farmers, industrial farming has got to go, large dairy herds have got to go. To survive we may all have to become vegetarian (not something that I could contemplate with equanimity!)
We must have transport – but we need to make it as little polluting as possible – and that means abandoning our love affair with cars. Rail and public transport must have an absolute priority.
Etc. etc.
Will the Coalition be radical enough? I have my doubts, but one thing I know for certain – they’ll be a 1000% better than the lot we, thankfully, just got rid of!
Read the article by George Monbiot referenced in yesterday’s Open Mike!
For those too lazy to go looking, here’s the article – posted by savenz yesterday:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/oct/20/insectageddon-farming-catastrophe-climate-breakdown-insect-populations
thanks Tony.
+100
Except that the German study Monbiot refers to did not say or claim that The most likely cause of this Insectageddon is that the land surrounding those reserves has become hostile to them: the volume of pesticides and the destruction of habitat have turned farmland into a wildlife desert.
It’s not just Monbiot who has been jumping on the farming practices bandwagon. Almost every other piece referring to the German study does the same in spite of the German study itself expressing confusion on that front (the impact of farming).
Think about it. The study was done on nature reserves. So no loss of habitat and no insecticides. And yet a 80% drop in numbers.
But what those reserves have in common with every single other piece of land on this planet is that the vegetation has something like 30% less nutritional value than it had before the onset of the industrial revolution.
That has repercussions for insects, not just in terms of malnutrition and possible starvation, but in their ability to resist the effects of toxins and/or parasites. And of course it has severe knock on effects all the way up various food chains.
Now here’s the kicker. The study highlighting the drop in nutritional content explicitly pointed to the fact that the drop tracked the rise in atmospheric CO2. That study looked at goldenrod (which is not subject to agricultural practice) from 1842 to the present. Recent drops in the nutritional content of goldenrod are in line with the known drop across a range of studied crops (rice, wheat etc).
We don’t have samples of those plants going back to the 1840s as is the case with goldenrod, but it would seem entirely appropriate to assume the same degree of degeneration given that the drop from the past 30 or 40 years is the same.
So sure, change the way we farm. But don’t expect that to turn things around, because it won’t. We want this shit to come to a halt? Then we need to stop sparking up fossil fuels today. But we’re going to choose to not do that.
Bill, the kick is in the tail of your post – “But we’re going to choose to not do that.”
Altogether, too little, too late! (Or worse, not at all!)
I can provide links to various studies/articles for the following if you want them…
Tropical forests now exuding more CO2 than they capture.
Studies on warmed soils in temperate regions showing they will exude more CO2 than they capture in a warming planet.
Antarctica’s inevitable collapse locked in now and possibly happening in the space of a human life span and not the thousands of years usually touted. (Because ice cliffs that are not anchored on land can only be about 300m high and ‘explode’ if higher than that, and the “grounding line” in Antarctica is already essentially gone..)
Nutritional content of plankton, just like terrestrial plants, dropping under accelerated growth conditions and that knocking seven shades of shit out of oceanic eco-systems.
So on top of disappearing terrestrial species, throw in the joyful observations of “peanut head” orca. They’re starving on the west coast of N America (and possibly/probably elsewhere to).
And yes, industrial fishing and farming don’t help matters. And urbanisation doesn’t help matters. And spraying/spreading chemical toxins and what not doesn’t help matters.
But the one thing that underpins it all is us spewing CO2 into the environment via the combustion of fossil fuels. So, I dunno.
Jump in the car and grab yourself a ‘top shelf’ something from the local bottle store that likely has the carbon footprint of an elephant this long weekend?
Ok. And if the sun cools down and we enter a mini ice age what then?
You might need to burn your ‘The World is doomed’ signs just to stay warm when the Waikato river starts freezing over each winter.
Sound far fetched? It has happened before and will happen again.
The big yellow ball in the sky has more of an effect on climate than anything puny humans do…
Do you have any actual expertise around solar output and how it affects climate? IF you do, want to share that with us? Coz here’s what actual experts have to say about that particular piece of denialism.
https://skepticalscience.com/solar-activity-sunspots-global-warming-advanced.htm
TL;DR
“In the last 35 years of global warming, the sun has shown a slight cooling trend. Sun and climate have been going in opposite directions. In the past century, the Sun can explain some of the increase in global temperatures, but a relatively small amount.”
@ R or W
Your honour, I rest my case – humans will do nothing until it’s far too late!
Tbf, I don’t think Row is representative of humans.
lol – I live just along the road from a bottle store, so can walk to find solace!
But your prognosis is quite negative – because, one thing we can be certain of, people won’t be giving up their cars in the near future! We need a revolution in ‘thinking’ and how we achieve that before the abyss opens up in front of us, I’ve no idea.
The climate isn’t breaking down. The climate is changing and, if we don’t stop doing what we’re doing to change it, then the change will possibly be enough to ensure that life will go on without us.
But it’s still not a ‘climate breakdown’ as the climate’s working fine.
QFT
And, yes, we need to reduce the amount of farms that we have and change farming practices to ones that are less damaging.
Draco, the term ‘climate breakdown’ was, apparently, coined by George Monbiot – the point being that we have moved beyond just climate change.
The ultimate ‘breakdown’ will be a climate that precludes human life!
That doesn’t make it any less of a misnomer.
Wow!
Heather du Plessis Allen is not happy.
The tone of this article is extraordinary as her true colours come to the fore.
The sheer bile and prejudice spewing from this petulant rant is something to behold.
And she is apparently a ‘journalist ‘.
It makes you wonder if she was on the turps as it was been written.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11935500
How is this bad?
“The Greens
Finally. It’s been a long apprenticeship.
Don’t let anyone tell you four positions outside Cabinet is a slap in the face. It’s a win. It gives the Greens power in the areas they care about, but enough arms-length from bad decisions to give them a chance at surviving in government. Remember, no minor party has yet survived an MMP coalition. But, the Greens probably will because co-leader James Shaw understands MMP and because they’ll already claimed a win with the marijuana referendum.”
Or this win
“Humanity
It has to be said that National let the country down in this general category. It’s been a tough few years for lower income earners, and now the minimum wage is set to increase. It’s been tough for those needing mental health intervention, and Labour’s promised a ministerial inquiry (not that that necessarily means much). And it’s been awful for the Pike River families who deserve to go into the mine if that’s what they want. Now, it sounds like they’ll get it.”
I agree it seemed an attempt at balance. Far more balance than pre election or up until friday night
Long live right-wing journalists posing as disinterested.
And if that article was not ridiculous enough for you, here’s conclusive proof the Herald is losing the plot and its owners are terrified their privileges will be removed by the new government.
The Herald are reporting that the All Blacks lost because of Jacinda.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11935595
“Desperado, why don’t you come to your senses
You been out ridin’ fences for so long now
Oh, you’re a hard one
I know that you got your reasons
These things that are pleasin’ you
Can hurt you somehow
Don’t you draw the Queen of Diamonds, boy
She’ll beat you if she’s able
You know the Queen of Hearts is always your best bet
Now, it seems to me some fine things
Have been laid upon your table,
But you only want the ones that you can’t get
Desperado, oh, you ain’t gettin’ no younger
Your pain and your hunger, they’re drivin’ you home
And freedom, oh freedom, well that’s just some people talkin’
Your prison is walking through this world all alone
Don’t your feet get cold in the winter time?
The sky won’t snow and the sun won’t shine
It’s hard to tell the night time from the day
You’re losin’ all your highs and lows;
Ain’t it funny how the feeling goes away?
Desperado, why don’t you come to your senses?
Come down from your fences; open the gate
It may be rainin’, but there’s a rainbow above you
You better let somebody love you, before it’s too late
( Glenn Frey / Don Henley )
not that I was ever that big a fan
Once was Tim
Very meaningful words, just reflects our present.
Ed, I’ve read both articles. Somehow I just don’t get that these are ‘ridiculous’ or ‘sheer bile and prejudice’ and I started reading them expecting to find what you complain of.
With your two posts above you made a set of assertions and gave us the articles to look up. I suggest now is the time when you should back your assertions with examples from the two articles and argue where and how they are ridiculous or sheer bile and prejudice.
Robert Guyton in reply to you seems to have the same problem as I have in finding what you say is actually there.
I’m happy to be proved wrong and shown this media commentary is biased and stupid. I’ve just reread them, and a leftie would have little to complain of. The only bit I found unreasonable was a reference to Labour and NZF ‘obsessing’ over truck numbers.
The first article seems to be a Plastic-Allen attempt at pragmatism and putting on a brave face but the other with the headline “Did Jacinda Ardern ‘curse’ the All Blacks?” is sure as shit getting a little desperate
Hi Mac1,
The Herald article about Jacinda and the All Blacks is SEXIST. I can’t believe they thought this was acceptable.
If you don’t get that its sexist associating a “negative” outcome with women in power then I beg you to do a consciousness raising course. Soon.
The article says, at the beginning, “and as silly as it sounds, don’t be surprised at some tongue-in-cheek finger-pointing at the changing face of our Government.
A few such “jokes” circulated on social media after the game.”
The Herald says that such a view is silly, and a ‘joke’.
Come on.
Mac1
Just put in there “because we have a Maori PM we lost the rugby and when we look back at times when the AB’s lost the world cup, there was a Maori as PM….
Would that be acceptable to you?????? Do you see any problems with that….???
Would be interested to hear. If you do think that would be problematic, then what is the difference if they say some are blaming the new woman PM for the AB’s loss.
If they were going to critique the “sillly” comments on social media, why then did they go on to publish previous data about AB’s results and woman leaders. That gives the “silliness” some credibility.
And I’d say that they’d be talking about some ‘silly’ ‘tongue-in-cheek’ rubbish that is being bandied about in the social media, and saying how stupid people can be to believe that synchronicity implies causality- in this case, the All Blacks losing whilst at the same time we are blessed with a woman PM, or for that matter a Maori PM.
Now, I understand you are well-meaning and sincere, and i thank you for taking the trouble to convince me that I am wrong- but one of us is reading more into that article than was intended, as I read the words written.
Because the writer went on to say that the All Blacks lost in the time of Clark and Shipley as well, does not in my view add to the credibility of a stupid allusion to a causal link, but instead makes it dafter as I believe the writer intends.
That writer is saying they were silly saying it about Ardern, and idiots abounded too in the time of Clark and Shipley.
I was last Saturday talking about dexterity with a musical student of mine. I mentioned, since I studied Latin, the derivation of the word as being right-handed; and that in former days left-handedness was seen as bad, from which we get the word ‘sinister’ which means left-handed. We agreed that was indeed stupid.
In no way was that former commonly held belief given any credibility by us, or by any reasonable person. A similar process was involved with the Herald article. So I believe. I did ask my wife to read the same article, and she thought “it was a jokey thing to poke fun at how people could be so silly.” She would have set me right otherwise! I would not have it otherwise.
There is I believe a clue in the headline to the article in which the word ‘curse’ is placed within quotation marks, denoting that this is not to be given credibility.
Thanks for the discussion, Ankerawshark.
It’s because Jacinda is a woman, and therefore likely a witch. She must be dunked in the nearest badly polluted waterway. If she drowns, she wasn’t a witch and we’re safe from the minions of Lucifer. If she doesn’t drown, then she’s an agent of evil and must be burned in Aotea Square. For the good of the nation, you understand. We can’t be losing at rugby. It’s just not on.
Wensleydale 100+
“The Herald are reporting that the All Blacks lost because of Jacinda.”
No they’re not – settle down. They said there had been some “tongue-in-cheek” comments on social media (eg the link to a loss following Jenny Shipley’s ascension – the supposed link being – gasp! – a female in charge). This is a light-hearted piece of fluff, not a politically biased accusation.
BTW, I’m no fan of Heather du Plessis Allen, but the Herald article you linked to above was actually pretty restrained and balanced.
It’s not the article so much as the headline. Now that we’re sub-editor absent these days, I suspect it’s an editorial attempt at denigration.
Click-bait. No more, no less.
The headline read quote Did Jacinda Ardern ‘curse’ the All Blacks? unquote.
What do the speech marks around the word ‘curse’ convey?
(3) Ed … NZH resorting to witchcraft perhaps? I think it was said in jest though. Well I hope it was!
How to destroy the third largest communist party in the world:
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/10/the-indonesia-documents-and-the-us-agenda/543534/
The US complicity in the massacre of millions of Indonesian people, plenty of them now clearly innocent according to the now-released diplomatic cables from the time, has got reasonable coverage in the last decade But this new set of releases shows how neck deep in blood they were.
I don’t really blame LBJ – he was fully focussed on his domestic agenda.
I blame CIA Director Dulles, and Kennedy himself. While Kennedy was gone in 63 and the big Indonesian massacres didn’t start until 65, it was from Kennedy’s appointees and his strategies that these nightmares rolled out across the under-developed world.
Another sick game from the Best and the Brightest.
“…Heather du Plessis Allen is not happy…”
She is probably feeling a bit besieged, what with all the pointed criticism her hubby has been getting for his sexist and antediluvian line of questions aimed at Jacinda Ardern (what did Linda Clark say the other day? Certain aging male journalists who need to update get out?).
Still, the constant binary politics attacks on the coalition continues today with a Sunday paper screaming about the Keramadec sanctuary, and Jenna Raeburn (wife of a National party MP and active propagandist for the National election campaign from a National party aligned PR firm) being used as some sort of usefully unbiased commentator on Natrad.
All part of Ad’s coming digital war – only, it’s not coming, it’s already here.
Was Jennas possible conflict of interest declared at the beginning or end or neither?
I found the tone of Heather’s article rather sarcastic.
Linda has no time for biliously macho males.
Julie Bishop is a creature of Gina Rinehart – both from West Australia ..
http://www.smh.com.au/…/gina-rinehart-flew-mps-to-india-for-lavish-wedding- 20110616-1g5zf.html
http://www.smh.com.au/…/expenses-scandal-a-minister-in-the-marquee-worth-a- tentfull-of-dlist-celebs-20170111-gtpbfl.html
http://www.watoday.com.au/…/wa-mining-magnate-gina-rinehart-faces-hefty-legal- payout-to-rival-20171012-gyzyc7.html
who may be the next Prime Minister of Australia ..
http://www.news.com.au/…julie-bishops…/21b1b39bdfcd83fc923a539790f42d38
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-05/grant-i-was…by…/7299940
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-14/julie-bishop…over…/8618288
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid...
… West Australia is hardly a champion for indigenous rights.
https://thewest.com.au/…/canberra-cuts-funds-for-aboriginal-communities-ng -ya-378250
https://www.sydneycatholic.org/news/latest…/201548_1299.shtml
https://www.theguardian.com/australia…/fears-western-australia-will-close- remote-indigenous-communities-by-stealth
rightnow.org.au/…/explainer-what-happens-when-a-remote-aboriginal- community-in-western-australia-is-closed/
http://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=43792
http://www.smh.com.au/…/remote-indigenous-communities-under-threat- 20141114-11myb9.html
http://www.aljazeera.com/…/shutting-down-australia-aboriginal-areas- 2014124124749741868.html
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/…/indigenous/…aboriginal…cut/…/ 925b6c9db28f8ae08da13e6807b90c8b
Julie (jewel-ly) Bishop and Gina Rinehart (heart of stone? rhinestone? rhino horn?) Well matched.
Thanks Et Brute’ for giving us Oz news. The left coalition here will have to keep watch and alert for RW dirtiness both in Oz as well as here. Just a few decades of anti-poor-people and we are both sliding back to colonial conditions.
You can’t take the sneer out of colonials it seems, which divides into them and us, and the us are the goodies and the others baddies. (NZ started judging the new colonists early on and sent some of the poor back, and has always been ready to condemn and blame ordinary people for real or imagined faults and failures.) And soon the slide is back to Wild West (W.Australia?) conditions.
Cut the crap with the externalities, such as poor people suffering imposed bad conditions, especially aborigines, and get to the wealth-making possibilities is the main driver and slogan.
The Kermadec Ocean sanctuary appears to be dead in the water after a deal between Labour and NZ First (who of course have close ties to the fishing industry).
And swung the deal in the green party’s favour.
This is something the Greens have allowed presumably without knowing the Kermadec deal had been done. James Shaw said he trusted Jacinda Ardern to protect green interests.
Ardern has shown she has a ruthless streak beneath her absolutely positive surface.
[“James Shaw said he trusted Jacinda Ardern to protect green interests.” Where did he say that?You look like you might be trolling, so I’d like to see you back that up. Provide a specific link and quote please. – weka]
Oh fuck off you Tory troll.
What made you so tetchy this morning? A celebration hangover?
In the main I’m supporting the incoming government, and I hope they do well.
+1000 Sanctuary
Oh Sanctuary thank you for the laugh. Am in a time zone 5 hours behind NZ and waking early still. ‘Tis a comfort to read sentiment such as yours which aligns with my own annoyance about fuck off talking heads, concern trolls, loud mouth media wankers and a bunch of others passively/aggressively demanding explanation from a majority of NZ voters. Sorry arseholes…..your discomfort with the institution of MMP…..your pique/ignorance you’ll just have to get over it. As for HooHaa Plastic-Allan in The Herald…..her article wasn’t that bad. If anything underneath its facile silliness it had the smell of a sly design to ingratiate with ‘now’ power. Which would indicate that at least for the moment she’s determined to get over her ridiculous self. No mean feat while sharing lodgings with crusty Barely Sopher. Garner’s another story of course. Pugnacious ass in a studied sort of way will take a while yet. Little hope for Mikey Toss-King however. Still on suicide watch they say……
And thank-you for the laugh too North. Your ability to express exactly what I’m thinking and at the same time produce a ‘big grin’ is always uplifting and brings much needed relief…. 😀
+1
I’m 3 hours behind. … same thing.
Pete
George
‘Ardern has shown that she has a [pragmatic] streak [as part of] her absolutely positive surface.’
FIFY
This is something the Greens have allowed presumably without knowing the Kermadec deal had been done. James Shaw said he trusted Jacinda Ardern to protect green interests.
Where did you learn your weaselry, Pete? Surely it must have been at one of the world’s top weaselry schools? Come on, don’t be modest, you can tell us.
Where did you learn to avoid the topic in the thread and resort to petty attack?
Your effort to put the Greens in the worst possible light while pretending to be a neutral observer is the topic of your comment.
I’ve never pretended to be a neutral observer, that’s your misconception. And I’m not trying to “put the Greens in the worst possible light”.
The Greens took a big risk trusting that their interests would be served by giving Labour a blank cheque in negotiations with NZ First.
There was bound to be disappointments. I hope this is one of the biggest, because it’s not the end of the world, or the end of the sanctuary, it’s just a ‘nice to have’ (that I support, so I’m a bit disappointed by this apparent deal).
And there it is again: like your disappointment yesterday with James Shaw’s inability to bind future governments to a referendum decision, today’s disappointment with the Green Party’s inability to dictate terms to its coalition partners is disingenuous, passive-aggressive anti-Green propaganda.
It might be that Pete is tone deaf and unaware of the mosquito-whine that accompanies his comments. The disappointing thing is, when alerted to the phenomenon, he doubles-down and denies, thus cranking up its volume; doubtless this comment will ramp it up further, but fortunately, skipping is easy.
Ironic that you’re talking about whining and unawareness Robert.
I’l be disappointed if the Kermadec Sanctuary is a casualty of the deal with NZ First, and all you can do is express disappointment that I brought the subject up? Don’t you care about the sanctuary?
We care more about National not being in government to shrink the state and allow the rivers and airs to be polluted.
What we don’t care about is your faux concern that the Greens
” took a big risk trusting that their interests would be served by giving Labour a blank cheque in negotiations with NZ First.”
Sorry to hear you’re feeling disappointed PG – especially as you were such a vigorous advocate for the sanctuary right from the start.
Oh wait, I can’t find evidence of such forthright advocacy…
Could it be (and call me a cynic if you must) that you don’t give a rat’s about the sanctuary itself, but are using it as a convenient hook from which to hang an attack on the Greens?
Did you look for any evidence? Or have you used a convenient hook for an attack of your own?
I’ve always supported the Kermadec sanctuary. When Key announced it I gave the Greens credit for already having a member’s Bill for it.
https://yournz.org/2015/09/29/key-announces-kermadec-sanctuary/
JK never discussed this with any interested parties.
He just announced it knowing it would cut across Maori established fishing rights.
But hey, he looked good overseas. Then he left!!
Psycho Milt
I’m thinking of Hogworts and their four student groups – weasels went to Slytherin didn’t they?
Interesting point about Sur Peter Talley being a National donor. I think he used to donate to Labour as well. It falls under pragmatic politics and the way we control funding, don’t, and don’t publicly contribute to funding Parties. It can compromise them.
Pete George is going to be such a regular here. He will be like a pig in mud heaven, a hippopotamous where the tail makes the fan, during this coalition. Can TS commenters stand it? Perhaps if we keep the Left only post going permanently we will be able to discuss deeply and thoughtfully with informed input there. Now and then we get some threads that are startling in their substance and we realise what we can achieve when we aren’t crowded out by nah-nah tiny minds.
I think you will find that the weasleys were in Griffin or the house for the brave.
Generous National donor ,now Sir Peter Talley will be happy then.’Put on Ice’,does not infer the issue is hopeless.
National should put the legislation for the Kermadecs up in the House and force the issue.
There’s been smoke swirling around this for so long it needs pulling into the sunlight.
If National put a bill up to promote the Kermadec sanctuary, it’s a great opportunity for the Greens to signal their independence from the cross-benches by crossing the floor and ensuring it passes. Vote with National, and make the new PM sit up straight.
This in turn would make a good-sized rift in NZF between Peters who has gone hard for the Scampi fishers funding National, and the iwi fishers to whom Shane Jones is so beholden.
National should be able to dominate the Members Bills. Labour, NZ First and Greens will be busy working on Government business, so the ballot should be fairly open for National (plus David Seymour).
If they limit the number of bills put into the ballot and include the Kermadec Sanctuary then it would improve the odds.
It would be good to see Members’ Bills used positively by the Opposition, and also by any of Labour, NZ First and Greens, any of whom could enable a Member’s bill to progress.
The Kermadec sanctuary should have an insignificant fiscal impact so shouldn’t be able to be overruled by Cabinet.
There’s already a Bill in the house (passed its first reading). How does that work when Labour say they won’t progress it? Do they have a choice?
I don’t think the Greens would go hard out confrontational on this (they’ll try other ways first), but I’m also curious to know if there is any reason they can’t vote with National on it?
Makes far more sense to wait for the High Court – and possibly Supreme Court – to rule, and engage in the consultation process the National Party utterly failed at.
This certainly won’t be the last consequence of Dr. Sir Key’s overreach and sloppy attitude to government the country will have to deal with over the next decade or two.
The Greens can make a huge difference to that process without siding with corrupt and incompetent trash.
To OAB,
Very sensible, this was mishandled from day one and now we need to wait for the courts to rule before proceeding. The lack of consultation and the ignoring of Iwi rights makes it a very hot potato for any government right now. Just another example of how utterly arrogant the last lot were (are).
I asked myself “how would the Greens respond to this?”
James Shaw.
😀
Hi Fran,
@ 18… I put up a link to a RNZ political discussion this morning which included further insight into John Key’s Kermadec Sanctuary announcement at the UN. Not only does it confirm what you and AOB (and others) are saying but it also sheds light on Key’s real agenda.
I didn’t pick up this matter was already under discussion so here is the link again:
http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player?audio_id=2018618833
The discussion on the Kermadec deal comes near the end….
21.00 minutes to be exact.
Thanks Anne. Just listened, hopefully some others did too so they realise this is not the end of the world or even contentious.
That makes sense. So when the Bill comes up for the second reading, the Greens vote against it? Where then is the push to create a sanctuary that also engages in consultation with iwi?
See reply to Fran – 7.4.2.1.1.1 🙂
I’m clear on the general GP approach, I was just wondering how it would work logistically.
One way: via amendments to the bill in the house. As for consultation, again, one way to do it is via a select committee.
Procedures.
Cheers.
Do you know what the timing is with the courts vs the second reading?
crikey, I really should go and read more of the parliament website.
The timing of the second reading is entirely up to Parliament.
+ 1 yep oab
But but but Pete George says ” The Kermadec Ocean sanctuary appears to be dead in the water after a deal between Labour and NZ First (who of course have close ties to the fishing industry). “…
The Greens could put it up first.
That would bring National straight in.
Perfectly within the remit of the Minister of Conservation.
That would be quite a stir.
speculation and rumour
And trolling. Don’t forget trolling.
Strange to see you as one of our most conservative left wing people, who supports stability, arguing for a junior partner in a government that is still forming to start stirring.
Not only is it not how the GP operate, I wouldn’t expect any party to start a government out that way.
“Perfectly within the remit of the Minister of Conservation.”
Still has to go through Cabinet though right?
I’m pretty sure this was presented as a government bill, so it would be up to the new government whether they progress it. The second reading comes after the bill has been passed through the select committee, and any changes not agreed at committee stage can be put before the house. The bill is presented back to the house by the member in charge of it. Unless it’s a member’s bill, I’m pretty sure that would be the relevant minister and that it would be up to them when and if it’s taken back for the second reading.
Having said that, it’s my understanding that this bill hasn’t been killed, but that Labour wants to work things out with representatives of relevant Māori. There’s also chatter about NZF and fishing interests, but James Shaw seemed pretty confident on Q+A this morning that this proposal was still live.
Thanks for the explanations rb.
Do we want rifts occurring so soon after forming the coalition and shunting the train onto the tracks ready for the first journey.
Here’s Hank Marvin and group singing Mystery Train
If only our politicians can look as happy and integrated as these guys playing this good music. Great bright guitar playing of the 1960’s variety.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyozANj5tRE
and
Arlo Guthrie The City of New Orleans and great images
and talking about Arlo Guthrie and a rousing song we need to remember —
This Land Is Your Land, this land is My Land.
with Arlo, Woody and Judy Collins. Pete Seeger and many others all in their own way, having fun.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bphP7Hh_gxU
Or, there is no rift but some people are shit stirring.
Yes Weka at 7.4.3.1 One network news lead with this story tonight about cracks already showing in the coalition……………
Note to myself, stop watching one network news…….
What, over the Kermadecs thing?
Yes that’s right. Over the Kermadec’s thing. I think they started out with a bit of stuff from the interview with Jacinda on Q and A this am, but included in this was the Kermadec’s issue.
Exactly!
https://twitter.com/GreenpeaceNZ
Herald release at 10.22 this morning…
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11935628
The power of language and choice of words nicely demonstrated.
“Ardern has shown she has a ruthless streak beneath her absolutely positive surface.”
Ruthless as in synonyms I found?: merciless, cruel, unfeeling, steely, vicious, fierce?
Ruthless as a condemnation and put-down or ruthless as determined and not letting personal feelings and emotion get in the way of putting into action ones principles?
Since the description has been used on here it might not make other forums. I think if it were on Kiwiblog something like “Ruthlesscindi” would become common use for some of the children there.
For Ardern I’d say steely, an attribute all good leaders have, Helen Clark being a good example.
Have you seen weka’s request for evidence?
Now he has and is too busy to post 😉
soon they will call her ‘ ambitious’.
Oh dear.
If she shows any sign of strength they will be on about ‘Jacindagrad’…
Ruthless, as in clear & decisive leadership and taking full ownership of and responsibility for decisions. Quite a compliment when you look at it this way IMO. It leaves in the middle whether these decisions are considered ‘good’ or ‘bad’ by some; you can certainly not please all all the time …
Pretty sure when Key flip flopped it was called pragmatic…
moderation note above, please respond.
I don’t see why I should be subject to such pedantry when others aren’t, especially while you seem to turn a blind eye to other rules like personal attacks. You seem obsessed with targeting me.
[well seeing as how you’re unclear about it, I’ll explain. You’re a well-known troll on TS who has been banned multiple times for causing problems for the site and moderators. Those bans have been given by a range of moderators (not just me). So when I see you back on site, I generally check whether you are engaging in non-troll ways or not.
Today looked like it was going to cause problems (going by what you wrote and how people reacted). Shaw didn’t say what you claimed and now you’ve had to provide evidence that shows you were wrong. This is how it works here.
And yes, you can expect more of this (not just you). Because I won’t be sitting by and letting bullshit and lies be spread around here about any of the new government parties or MPs. People can say what they like up to a point but they have to be able to back up statements of fact. I will generally step in when statements appear to be pushing certain anti-left lines or ones that seek to dishonestly undermine LW parties, MPs, or LWers in general. This is a left-aligned site after all. – weka]
James Shaw said he trusted Jacinda Ardern to protect green interests.
What James Shaw actually said:
Thanks for confirming your beige dishonesty.
+1 on both what Shaw actually said and on the dishonesty in PG’s comments.
Well said Sir. Succinctly, with evidence. The Court welcomes you back anytime. TIA
Pete George said: “I don’t see why I should be subject to such pedantry”
Lordy! I can barely breathe!
“You’re a well-known troll on TS ”
Funny. I could praise you here for your balanced and inclusive moderation and would probably be called a troll. From what I see it’s most often a lazy form of abuse from people who are intolerant of points of view they don’t like, or people they have labelled as some sort of perceived enemy.
I hope that eventually the positive and inclusive approach to politics as demonstrated by Jacinda Ardern is embraced by those on the left embittered by 9 years in opposition.
I thought things might have changed here after success, but I might give things a while longer for the changes to take place.
[you still don’t get it Pete. Moderation isn’t here to be inclusive to you. It’s to protect the site and authors, to limit the amount of work for the moderators, and to encourage robust debate that is accessible to as wide a range of people as possible. Inclusivity and access ends where people are being anti-social.
Me calling you a troll isn’t lazy abuse, it’s from many years of observing your behaviour here and how that impacts negatively on the site. There are plenty of people here who I disagree with politically but who never end up on my moderator radar because they know how to argue their position without winding people up, lying, or derailing. – weka]
😆
You’re the victim here Pete. Never forget that.
The utter inability to take responsibility for having lied in a political debate and instead make out he is here to lead TS to a new era of positivity and inclusivity.
Uber troll.
Surely an uber-troll would come up with an original tactic or two.
“Someone” publishes an incomplete story from anonymous sources. Pete George’s amygdala reacts as expected. The story then has to be amended once the facts are known.
So far so Dirty Politics.
“Surely an uber-troll would come up with an original tactic or two.”
Not really. Trolling well without getting banned, managing that over time, knowing what will wind up the regulars and derail the conversation and implementing that to the point that people want to tear their hair out, if he can’t get people to talk about his views then he manages to get people talking about not talking about his views, on and on. Originality isn’t necessary if the goal is to control the debate.
Agreed about the Dirty Politics.
Calling Jeremy Wells…
Will this do?.
https://www.facebook.com/haurakibreakfast/videos/1597934286935926/
You keep trying to make me out as victim, and other things, never forget that.
I don’t feel like a victim at all.
Will you note weka’s comment and take responsibility for all the lying you’ve done here? Or is there an utter inability or unwillingness?
Uber troll indeed.
Thinking you are a boring unoriginal disingenuous passive aggressive right wing wanker isn’t lying, Peter, it’s an honestly held opinion with a mountain of evidence to support it.
The only “uber” you’re likely to come anywhere near is the one that takes you for a ride.
LOL… He is giving us all time to come round to his way of thinking which gives us a gilt edge opportunity to ensure his absence?
Assurances that the sanctuary hasn’t been sunk yet.
That’s vague. Alive perhaps, but on life support for three years?
I wonder if Shaw’s comments are with or without knowledge of the details of the Labour-NZ First agreement. I wouldn’t be surprised to see some kicking of cans down the road on this and other policies. Like:
Reviews were a method National used to pay lip service to small party policy ‘wins’.
“A spokesperson for Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the scheme was very much alive.” (my bold)
Pete George said: ” That’s vague.”
This is fun!
Pete almost said, “That’s beige”.
Lordy!
Chuckling here
Deja vue all over again.
Not alive, ” very much alive”. The difference might have been too subtle for you to see how big it was?
James Shaw said on Q+A this morning that he didn’t see the sanctuary as dead and that there was a need to work with Māori and with other parties to find the best way to go forward towards creating the sanctuary. Of course, he hasn’t seen what’s in the NZF agreement (maybe it has been put aside – I don’t know), but at this stage he still seems to be hopeful there’s a way forward.
…but but but the uncertainty! And the concern! Such deep deep concern. Whatever shall we do? I’m feeling so lost and scared without Bill and John to hold me 😈
lol, but did we really need that image?
Relax George.
What Adern actually said is that the sanctuary is still on the table.
Just going back to public, Maori and fishery interests for consultation. As it should be!
As usual you add nothing to discussions other than waffling and bad faith bullshit.
Although, much as I dislike Pete George’s weaselry, that story about the Kermadec Sanctuary will be annoying if it’s true:
NZ First, whose senior MPs are close to the fishing industry and whose campaign was partly bankrolled by players in the fishing industry, demanded Labour stop the sanctuary.
It’s one thing to hold off on the sanctuary because there are Treaty issues to sort out first, quite another to hold off on it because your coalition partner consists of corrupt politicians. If the report’s accurate, this will be the first of no doubt many instances of Labour getting up with fleas from the NZ First dog it lay down with.
Time to nationalise Talleys and Sealord?
A Kermadec Sanctuary is entirely feasible – the opposition to it was Sealords who demanded to retain the right to fish there . I couldn’t work out wtf that was about as the fishing in the area covered by the sanctuary was only around 1000 tonnes which in fishing terms is essentially zero . (the 1000 tonnes wasn’t even taken by Sealords)
The Kermadecs are so bloody far away people don’t fish there because of the time and fuel costs involved – they can fill there quota closer to port – that’s the only reason National suggested it .
I didn’t understand Sealords opposition to it until the penny finally dropped. If at some point the future management of the fisheries requires quota reductions fishing in the Kermadecs area may be commercially desirable. If there is to be a sanctuary this is the issue that would need to be negotiated with Sealords to their satisfaction IMHO.
Thank you for that Barfly. That explains a lot.
Could there be another aspect to the refusal by Sealord to accept the Kermadec sanctuary – aren’t they half owned by Japanese interests? And they dig their toes in about rights to the sea. Perhaps that is a reaction to
being nuclear bombed on big areas of their small country. In the high seas they should be free they think, possibly.
Make persistent and deliberate breaches of human rights and employment law subject to the Crimes Act, then go after assets under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
That will help cure the Mr. Talley disease.
The Kermadecs are 1000km to the North East. You’re a long way from home when the sea whips up cruel up there in the cyclone prone tropics. If our fishing fleet need to steam 1000km for a catch, we’re doing something frightfully wrong 100kms offshore. Policing the far-flung 750,000 ha would be made a lot more simple if no fishing boats were allowed. They can be located and identified via satellites and tracked to a home port.
I don’t think Iwi are particularly concerned about losing potential fishing grounds, they’d just like to stick a Tino Rangatiratanga flag in the region. Fair enough, there’s a good chance Kupe filled his water gourds at Raoul Island on the way down. I’m hopeful we can arrive at an MMP flavoured compromise that leaves all points of view quite satisfied. That’s how it goes with balanced compromise, nobody gets exactly what they want.
It is not true.
See my comment to George above.
We don’t know what the situation is yet, and won’t until the Labour-NZ First agreement is made public, and then we may have to still wait until we see what happens in practice.
It would be interesting to know who claimed/leaked to Stuff, and why.
You, didn’t know!
So, just like our , so called, Journalists. You made something up.
I have already had a guts-full of that sort of behavior. From our media about the election. You are lucky Weka has more patience than me.
So having it had it shown that it is not “dead in the water” you want to change the focus to “who leaked it”?. Who leaked what though? The imaginary dead in the water sanctuary?
If the claim is dead in the water than it’s of interest who leaked the story to Stuff.
That sounds like it’s based on information given to SIMON MAUDE AND JONATHAN MILNE. There must have been a motive behind that.
More here: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/98130588/kermadec-sanctuary-still-on-table-but-iwi-consultation-key–labour
The same Jonathan Milne who was so outraged about major parties having to negotiate with Winston Peters to form a government? There’s a motive alright, but I doubt it involves someone in NZF or Labour leaking stuff.
Yep Yep!!! Fact check!! Fact check!!
One of those leaky facts.
The National Party is perfectly capable of leaking it, since it will have come up in negotiations with NZF, they have no respect for confidentiality or ethics and crucially, have form in this regard.
I don’t give a shit what you pretend to think about it though, so don’t let me know.
You said it was dead in the water… you reply to me as though I said it. You made the claim. Tgen having been asked to prove it were found wanting. Now you are all about the “leak”… fickle much
Your assertion has been found wanting. You’re misquoting me, careful doing that, it’s against the rules here.
I said “appears to be dead in the water”, which at the time that’s how it seemed. It’s been an evolving story through the day, like many political stories.
It’s of interest to me who leaked it and why – I think it’s very unlikely Sunday Times journalists completely made the story up.
And responses by Shaw and Ardern also seem vague. It will be interesting to see what the agreements relating to this actually look like when released on Tuesday. I’m keeping an open mind on it all, seemingly in contrast to you.
Lol @ evolving. You jump on assumption to assumption that suit you. Have you read Jaques Ellul? He talks of you extensively in Propaganda: the formation of mens attitudes.
Your mind is open, and everyone can see the malice posing as passive aggressive dishonesty and bias.
It’s pathetic. Farrar, Williams, Slater, they’re toxic vile people, but at least they don’t lie to themselves about it.
And you do? You’re more toxic and vile than most here.
😀
Better than slowly being drowned in your beige lake of dietary fibre: sans vitamins, sans protein, sans sugar or starch, sans flavour or smell… nothing but a suffocating blandness destined to be converted as quickly as possible into pure shit.
Hey Marty how’s the stent going?
This comment prompted me to do a search, and I discovered what you were talking about. I didn’t read Open Mike on Friday (very rare for me) so missed the news from Marty.
Hope you are recovering well Marty, thinking of you bro.
Pretty good off home today happy but bit scared too. I just about was going to participate in a double blind international experimental drug trial but long weekend stymied that.
Edit will prob have to limit my reading here gotta keep my blood pressure on low side and the beige poo always pisses me off lol
Did you watch them put it in @marty mars? Pretty amazing tech seeing it all on a screen as they shuffle through your veins.
Hope all’s well! You’ll be set to take on the PG onslaught in no time
Good to hear you are home marty.
There’s always Lefties on the Standard posts, which tend to be less blood pressure risky 😉
Take care marty and all the best for a good recovery.
Thanks everyone – i did see the before and after photos – pretty freaky. I’ve got a long way to go and it’s also given me a greater appreciation of the psychological aspects of recovery and certainly acceptance. Many on here have had to learn to trust their bodies again I know. My journey on that is underway.
marty mars, yes having faith takes a while, but you won’t get short of breath now, as blood flows freely.
Watch out for foods with Vit. K if you are on warfarin. Have everything in moderation xx Watch out for bruising or strains.
Take it slow and steady. Norm has two stents, and after 6 weeks played golf and felt much better.
10 years now. Read up about it. Be glad the blockage wasn’t too great.
Go and celebrate life and the election. 2017 will be your year.
Marty, I haven’t been reading TS much lately and missed news about your heart attack. I hope you are now on the way to recovery. Kia ora, kia taha.
I am very relieved you were able to get the healthcare you needed in time – the world would have been a much worse place without you.
“Ko te kāhu te whakaora, waiho kia rere ana”.
A 49 yr old pal of mine had a quad bypass. Trusting her body again and not panicking have been hard to achieve but she has. You are good people marty. Be kind to yourself
I hope you don’t mind me completing your sentence.
It’s not even directed at marty mars specifically but at all good people here.
@ Marty, I wish you a speedy recovery; the mental side of it is much harder than the physical one but remember “mind over matter”.
Hey marty, I know my EQ is precisely zero so I’m not going to try to fake being a normal human and try to say something empathetic. It would probably come out Trumpian anyway.
But several of my near and dear have gone through heart attacks and getting stents. They all got prescribed statins afterwards. They all had to work hard with their doctors and experiment a lot to find a good dose rate that gives the benefits of the statins without too much side effect. So if you start taking statins and feel like they may be messing you up in other ways, get onto it quick with your doctor to adjust the dose.
And I really hope to see you back here at full strength soon.
glad to hear you’re on the mend.
Jacinda.
“There is no point gloating about the economic growth of a nation if you have some of the highest rates of homelessness in the developed world.”
Kiwiblog’s Farrar writes:
” Socialist Youth leader decries capitalism
The Herald reports:
Incoming prime minister Jacinda Ardern says capitalism has been a “blatant failure” in New Zealand when measured by child poverty.
Ardern is the former head of the International Union of Socialist Youth so it is no surprise that our new Prime Minister thinks capitalism is a blatant failure. I look forward to hearing about the success of socialism in curing child poverty.”
Sneaky. And you’d have to be dim to fall for his tricks:
Who is this Socialist Youth leader?
How does “capitalism has been a “blatant failure” in New Zealand when measured by child poverty (my bold) become, “our new Prime Minister thinks capitalism is a blatant failure”
Do you think it possible that his readers can’t see how they are being fooled by this sort of twist-wording? Their responses suggest they have no awareness at all.
Farrar must be worried.
Farrar’s reaction so far is that of an insolent and whiney frat boy who bitterly resents getting failed by a woman professor. To which I say keep it coming, we are joyfully lapping up your salty tears of rage.
Capitalism isn’t a failure, or at least it’s the least failing economic system of the past couple of centuries.
It does allow too many people to fail without adequate regulation and social conscience, and that’s what successive New Zealand governments have tried to balance.
National made improvements on the social costs in someways, and did too little in other ways. They campaigned on promises to do more to address obvious social issues, but the parties that formed the incoming government promised more. This should lead to better outcomes for more people, but it won’t be easy.
It should be acknowledged that under capitalism (albeit far from pure capitalism) a huge number of people have been lifted out of poverty and have had their standard of living improved. We should strive to better, but it can be a complex and difficult balancing act.
Right up to the election, Pete, you professed to not having made up your mind which way you’d cast your vote. Now that the moment has passed, care to share?
I voted for Liz Craig, Labour and Party vote Green.
That’s right, I have always left it until election day to until i decided who to vote for. I think that’s especially important with tactical voting under MMP.
Right up until fifteen minutes before making his big announcement Winston Peters claims he didn’t know who he would choose to anoint as his coalition partner.
And you voted for?
Actually Peters says he didnt know who NZF would annoint. For a stickler for facts Pete…
“Capitalism isn’t a failure…”
Q.E.D.
The advances in lifting people out of poverty came largely due to technological developments, ie mechanisation of agrifculture
Capitalism is most definitely a failure and it’s been constantly failing over the last few millennia. The only that’s been able to keep capitalism going as well as it has over the last couple of centuries has been socialism and the Enlightenment where people actually looked after each other. The times when this didn’t happen was the times when capitalism failed completely.
Did those people think that they were in poverty before capitalism introduced it to them?
Living without guns and war and trade isn’t the same as living in poverty.
Recent efforts to address the concerns you speak of have all seemed to revolve around money. Money ain’t people. An extra $100 a week or a warm dry place to live is the easy part of any solution.
I think capitalistic solutions lie in creating more opportunities for us to strive and reap the benefits of our efforts. A person working hard in any job, living frugally, they should have a house deposit after some years of studious saving. Hopefully our need for houses can hook up with our need for developing satisfying career pathways.
If the port goes North, we’re going to need a new Whangarei suburb to house the workers that take up a relocation offer. Close to the coast would be good, make it a desirable spot to live. Developers tendering for the job could be required to partner with North Tec and career paths plotted over the course of the development. 2000 houses would get freed up in Auckland. Capitalism has been working for too few of us.
Capitalism doesn’t do that though. It has people working hard to make others, the parasitical owners, better off. It is this that causes the massive inequality and poverty that always accompanies capitalism.
Average incomes/GDP in third world countries have been lifted, is not the same as “large numbers lifted out of poverty” as non democratic countries capture increases in National wealth, in the ruling classes.
The farmers in Mexico, Asia and Africa, who have lost their livelihoods to massive import dumplings of “free trade” US grain, are much worse off, to give just one example. It does free them to work 14 hour days as almost slave labour, in Nike and Apple factories, though.
I’m pretty sure that’s it precisely. the only way that National ever gets power is through lying and so they have to make the lies believable and so they use spin doctors to use false logic to make it so. DPF seems to be one of their favoured ones.
And, yeah, indications are that the RWNJs over on Kiwiblog are really dim as well.
Speaks wonders about those who claim a “balance” of opinion, look for the fabled “middle ground” then wonder why they get greeted with ridicule when they get there.
Earth is flat. With some spherical areas. Or something.
Jacinda was President of the International Federation of Socialist Youth in 2008 (the same year she first entered parliament). Of course, Farrar is misrepresenting (through implication) the actual nature of this group.
As I understand it, the federation is more a general leftist alliance than a genuine socialist group (the name dates back to the 1920s, and the group was first formed in 1907, before a split between the communists and social democrats in 1919). Their main efforts through the years have focused on fighting fascism, promoting peace, supporting decolonisation and struggles for independence, working against human trafficking, supporting refugees, promoting human rights, fighting AIDS, promoting youth involvement in political debate and activity…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Union_of_Socialist_Youth
I think it’s greatly to her credit that Ardern was elected president of this group. She’s been a strong political activist all her life and has worked on policy and managed the practicalities of an international organisation (100+ countries involved) when in her 20s. Good on her!
When Key became Chair of a group of right wing leaders set to ensure domination of right wing ppolly parties we were meant to be proud…
Reds unfer the Beds… the Nats are hurting and Farrar is doing the hierarchies bleeding for them. At least we know how
English
Joyce
Collins
Bennett
Are feeling cos Farrar is their mirror.
Capitalism is a failure by many measures. It has led to everything being commodified for exchange (sale for profit) – the few things that cannot be commodified (inalienable) are regulated & controlled in such way that they can still be used to generate profit and accumulate more capital. This exchange is or was meant to be on a voluntary basis but this is an illusion for all intents and practices because free choice and willingness to exchange are not absolute. The same can be said about employment where employers are free to sign a contract or not. Reality is not that black & white. Capitalism demands growth and this, in turn, demands more extraction of (natural) resources. But the biggest failure of capitalism is that we seem to have accepted it as the best available system to conduct our affairs and live our lives; it leaves no room for alternative thinking and any dissenting or opposing voices are silenced very quickly. Ergo capitalism is an abject failure of human thinking and action because it has stymied human evolution to become Homo economicus. Whether this is an evolutionary dead-end remains to be seen.
QFT
Certainly looking that way with anthropogenic climate change and other changes to the world that we’ve made in our ignorance and arrogance and in our pursuit of profit having the very real capacity to wipe us out.
Next 1 year old Ardern will be pilloried for not remembering if she was anti or pro tour.
Truck gridlock all over NZ now is the worst seen in history and we have roads not designed to carry all these massively large heavy trucks so good news is coming read this;
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11935500
NZ HERALD SAYS THIS; The days of freight-carrying trucks cutting up our highway network are numbered. Both NZ First and the Greens are obsessed with getting freight off our roads and back on the railways.
NZ Herald.
NEW ZEALAND
Heather du Plessis-Allan: Winners and losers of the new Government
22 Oct, 2017 5:00am
5 minutes to read
Jacinda Ardern will be New Zealand’s next Prime Minister but who really won when New Zealand First decided to back Labour.
By: Heather du Plessis Allan
Heather du Plessis-Allan is a columnist for the Herald on Sunday
Change is coming. Big change. That much Winston Peters has told us.
Exactly what that means we won’t know until the new government reveals its coalition policy deals in the next few days. But still, we have enough hints and clues to already declare some winners and losers.
WINNERS
Anyone with a car
The days of freight-carrying trucks cutting up our highway network are numbered. Both NZ First and the Greens are obsessed with getting freight off our roads and back on the railways.
Pete — you need to stop your shit-stirring. The reality is that if we are to have our side in government then certain compromises have to be made. Plain and simple. This was one such comprimise.
The stakes are waaaayyyy too high for people to be throwing their toy at the moment. Thursday feels like a long way away..
L0L !
Been over at The Daily Blog this morning ,… I am so excited about this govt , – and Peters coming war on neo liberalism !
Go Peters Go , you beauty !!!
Its going to be a Blitz !!!
A Ballroom Blitz !!!
Yeeehaaaa !!! Lets Goooooooo !!!
Sweet – The Ballroom Blitz (Official Video) – YouTube
Video for Sweet – The Ballroom Blitz (Official Video)▶ 4:01
neo-liberalism, bankrupt on selling
James!
The ABs!
Political and sporting misery
(I’ll bring you down a blanket and a hot Milo)
Was it James’s theory that Jacinda put a curse on the All Blacks?
If Jacinda was a curse on the ABs, how do explain the Black caps stunning win!!!
You’ll have to ask the rwnjs who make this stuff up….
Hi Robert, I don’t think too many rugby fans will begrudge the wobblies their one win in seven.
Key AB players were out, ockers were certainly hungry, and a little bit of rub of the green (Barnes not sin binning oz player under his posts who came from off side to play ball).
It is good for rugby the ABs being beaten occasionally.
“Bring back buck”
Hey G
The ABs looked out of breath in the 30th min, struggling, the Wallabies had some new players that out muscled the ABs and had more desire to win, I said last week that the Wallabies were expecting to win.
It’s good for the game to have the top team lose the odd game, but they’re still the top team.
Twitter was very aggressive against the rant on ZB, every response was critical.
While teams are constantly rebuilding, there is a feel of the ABs being slightly over a peak they have maintained for a few seasons now.
We are looking at having our depth tested at prop, hooker and to a lesser extent wing and fullback.
Good on the ozzies, like you I picked a wallaby win.
As for Twitter, opinions are like backsides, everyone has one, some are more deserving of sharing than others.
In my view we are all human first I don’t believe in using race to distinguish/ dived our people we are all on this Waka called EARTH together and we all need to fight for our Mother Earth together . All our worlds culture’s need to work together for a future for our Moko grandchildren . And letting the neo liberals of our world use a word race to dived US what’s the other meaning of race well it mean’s a competition so strait away this word pits us against each other so let’s not let them use that word to dived US so they can hold onto there stolen power. It is not Intelligent and we are intelligent . What makes us unique is our culture and if we all let this thought become OUR reality than we have taken away the main one of the main tool’s that these Idiots use to divide US.
Now I can see that some of our people with different culture’s are saying he’s just a radical Maori well no I’m not but I am PRO Maori. As it is our culture that has lost the most Mana because of this neo libral bullshit And this is what our society classes me as Maori ie dividing us , I no that being Radical put’s off most other people off one’s cause. Which is a fair and Equal society that respects all people and our mother earth
and have the ideals that we must leave our Moko Grandchildren a healthy Mother Earth.
Now this poor boy Kharl Wirepa come on VOGUE can’t you people see that Kharl is being used as a tool to put down our gay people our Maori culture and being used to divide US as the people of New Zealand please see the big picture and give his Mana back , Kharl is one of our people that should be celebrated as how one can go from Rags to Riches with a lot of innovation and determination and Mana / strength/power now let’s help this future Maori leader get his Mana baback that some neo liberal stole from him . Kia Kaha
Yes, if he was a white collared fraudster, he’d have got home detention!!!
A look back to when John Key became PM: 2008.
RNZ reported:
Perhaps the Nats were hoping to repeat that victory by taking NZF out to drive them below the 5% threshold?
The 2017 result in comparison:
Nats – 44.4% 56 seats
Lab – 36.9% 46 seats
NZF – 7.2% 9 seats
GP – 6.3% 8 seats
TOP – 2.4%
Mp – 1.2%
ACT – 0.5%
2009 – John Key’s first economic changes = tax cuts for the rich, with the poor less well of.
NZ Herald Business writer seems relaxed about it:
In Dec 2008, Colin James wrote:
Very good political discussion on RNZ this morning. Perhaps the most insightful was at the end when it was declared… John Key’s announcement to the UN General Assembly concerning the setting up of the Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary had been “nothing but a stunt by and an exercise in personal aggrandizement on Key’s part. There had been no consultation whatsoever with any of the interested parties and they are unlikely to be concerned it has been “put on ice” for the next 3 years.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player?audio_id=2018618833
Our Adam’s going to be very conflicted about the ethnicity of this bloke charged with terror offences. A white man!.
/
https://wydaily.com/2017/10/20/gloucester-man-charged-with-terrorism-after-ied-explosion-near-cw-nws/
I’m curious about what grounds the authorities used to charge him with terrorism. None of the reporting I’ve seen says anything about his motives.
On the heels of a similar incident in VA…??
http://www.wusa9.com/mobile/article/news/local/virginia/fbi-investigates-item-that-appears-to-be-pipe-bomb-at-civil-war-reenactment/65-483542566
On the funny side look here;
[deleted]
[Unless you are the person who originally wrote that on social media, you need to link. Otherwise it’s plagiarising. Getting sick of having to pull people up on this, so deleting your comment and will replace it with a link when I can find one. – weka]
[From Eva Allan via Grant Robertson’s fb page] – Bill
Allow me to explain MMP
There’s one mince and cheese pie left in the shop it costs $5
Bill has $4.50
Jacinda has $3.70
Winston has 70c
James has 60c
and David has 5c
No one has enough money to buy the pie by themselves but Jacinda, Winston and James. put their money together and buy the pie. Bill gets no pie because he needed 50c but didn’t have any friends to help him pay for the pie.
I hope this helps explain things.
LOL
Oh well, at least he ended up with the custard square, even if was all over his face 😀
This is excellent. You forgot to say, the friends having bought the pie, intend to share it with everyone, not just the 1%.
Nice one!
Obviously, this example is completely wrong because Bill will privatise the shop and make up any shortfall by borrowing to get the pie and eat it too. He will then raise GST so that all other customers get to pay off the loan + interest and effectively pay for Bill’s pie as well as more into the pockets of the new shop owner who has already put up the price of pies to $5.50 made solely from imported ingredients and made by people on no more than the minimum wage (preferably casually-employed overseas students on Student VISAs).
This is how National
worksoperates.You forgot that he might be able to double-dip on the very generous pie allowance given to Ministers who do not have pie-bakers employed in their Wellington residence.
@ (20) … well clarified Cleangreen. Proves it’s a bugger not having any friends to help one out when needed 🙂
I like that!
Poor ol Bill – how Sad!
Never mind.
Also – did you notice that numerous passers by in the street shouted at James and told him he had a moral duty to give his 60c to Bill.
And Bill said “I am a strong and stable eater of pies. I ate all of the previous 9 and so I have a right to this one too. And I believe Jacinda has an 11 cent hole in her $3.70 anyway.”
Jeepers – this could become a parable.
Paula ate it .
LOL
Nah, Paula told Judith “eat it, sweetie” and Judith crushed it and then Simon
builtpromised a bridge over it.Looks like Labour intend to sign the TPP.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/98132879/jacinda-ardern-changes-to-trade-deals-possible–walking-away-from-tpp-not-necessary
Of particular note is that Labour’s position on the foreign land ownership issue still seems focussed on residential properties (and they’re ok with new builds), I haven’t seen much that’s encouraging on rural land.
This is the most recent post I could find on this on the Labour website:
http://www.labour.org.nz/labour_will_not_support_tpp_if_it_undermines_nz_sovereignty
Ardern sidestepped the rural land issue the other day when asked about it. I reckon they’ve got another week to sort out the new govt and then they’re going to have to up their game. Ardern is good at not answering but we’re not in a campaign now.
I agree it’s too soon to criticise but that said, Ardern has been talking up accountability but not much has been said about transparency so far. I hope the new Government is not going to hide behind the toothless OIA like the previous one did.
Good grief, she’s only been PM elect for three days. Of course she’s not going to say anything much until after Tuesday when all will be revealed – or possibly Thursday after she has been sworn in as PM.
100 plus Anne
During the campaign, in the period of the coalition talks, and as PM-elect Ardern has been interviewed many times and she’ been talking a lot but not saying all that much that is particularly informative IMO, just setting the scene it seems. My comment pertained to what has not been said, so far, to what I’ve been missing from the scene setting. I do believe this is a valid comment under the circumstances, don’t you?
And I suspect one thing Winnie might suggest – if not Labour of their own volition, is to give both CommComm and Overseas Investment Office some clear guidlines. Often they’re little more than rubber stampers.
Austria bans George Soros ha ha ha so should we too.
http://yournewswire.com/youngest-leader-george-soros/
Why?.
If the EU tightens up on its smallest member State – Malta – regarding money-laundering, what more might be revealed about the role of NZ foreign trusts?
https://www.economist.com/news/europe/21730390-daphne-caruana-galizia-wrote-fearlessly-about-corruption-death-crusading-journalist-rocks
“The leaking in 2016 of the so-called Panama Papers, more than 11m documents taken from a Panamanian law firm, opened new horizons for Ms Caruana Galizia.
Her son Matthew is a member of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, which has been mining the documents for stories.
Last year Running Commentary revealed that Mr Muscat’s chief of staff and one of his ministers had Panama-registered companies and trusts in New Zealand.
Ms Caruana Galizia claimed, and they denied, that the offshore vehicles received kickbacks from Russians who had bought Maltese passports.
In April she wrote that Mr Muscat’s wife was the beneficial owner of a company that allegedly received $1m from the daughter of the president of Azerbaijan, with which Malta has commercial ties.
The government called it a lie.
…..”
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption whistle-blower’.
Anyone else spot the online news from Australia? I think it was either the NZ Herald or Stuff. As far as I can tell it’s gone now.
The Premier of NSW issued a snarky press statement about Jacinda Ardern and “invited NZers to come and live in NSW where growth is on the rise and they would be welcomed”.
Attached was a video message from the leader of the NSW Labour Party apologising for the Premier’s statement and assuring Jacinda she would be warmly welcomed when she visits NSW.
How disgusting!
Wonder if an instruction was issued to take the item down in an attempt to avoid a “diplomatic incident”.
Anne
Saw that tweet, she was slapped down pretty quickly by the wider community for that, both Berejecklian and Bishop have been heavily critisised for their actions against a NZ Labour Govt, both are Liberal MPs in Governments with almost no other women MPs, that says a lot about them.
Some of the reply tweets reminded Berejecklian what a prick of a place it is get around with a heavily overloaded public transport system from very high population growth, and the City with more tolled roads than any other city in the world, petrol’s cheap but it costs $1200 a year to register your car.
What I saw wasn’t a tweet NewsFlash. It was a full bodied article complete with the video of the NSW Opposition Labour leader apologising to NZ etc. It’s been taken down now so suspect someone further up the ladder has ordered its removal in an attempt to avoid a diplomatic incident?
Sixty plus replies trashing Ms Berejiklian on everything from trains to housing affordability to car racing.
https://twitter.com/GladysB/status/920907521958621184
Wow… that nasty dig at Jacinda back-fired on her big time didn’t it. Think I got through about 100 then gave up…
An interview with Jancinda from Corin Dann this after noon, Corrin ‘s interjecting when he doesn’t like the reply to start with but settles down towards the end, covers a few good topics, worthwhile watching if you haven’t seen it.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/full-video-pm-elect-jacinda-ardern-nzs-future-and-should-keep-being-world-leader?auto=5621230786001
Wow Jacinda is so articulate and positive,she is an inspiration.I think we are on the cusp..of something special.
Yeah very subtle- not dropping a “Keyism” here are we?
He was the prince of lies!
I do not believe Jacinda to be the same.
Nah, she will be completely different, she will keep her word! Like walking away from the evil TPP… https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/98132879/jacinda-ardern-changes-to-trade-deals-possible–walking-away-from-tpp-not-necessary
Hey Bob while you’re on the subject of LIARS, the last 9 yrs has been a litany of lies from all the National party members, this site keeps a list of them for Fwits like you, if accusing Jacinda of being liar based on you example I suggest you return to that other site where there’s plenty of like minded individuals with a similar level of intellect .
What about this gem:
https://www.nbr.co.nz/ask-Jacinda-Ardern
“Do you want to be Prime Minister one day?”
Adern: “No absolutely not”…”not everyone wants to be top dog”
BliP, I see a list just waiting to be written already…
Orrin Woodward
Plenty were willing to step up, Grant Robertson top of the list, she is just a lier.
It was nice talking with you Bob albeit briefly.
Here is some good news about a blind man, his dog, some helpful hostesses, and AirNZ.
We need to hear positive things like this, on a regular basis.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/travel-troubles/97957020/blind-man-and-his-guide-dog-thrilled-with-their-treatment-by-air-new-zealand
So, shitheart navel-gazing is my new fav.
Decent aftershock down this way 5.4, no harm done by the sound of it.
Pretty sure it can’t be a coincidence, labour government, all black loss , earthquake.
Thinking of penning an article for the herald.
KCCO
+1
Maaaaaate! Just make sure you use speech marks in the headline. (3.3.2.1 above)
I’ve not thought about it before but yes, the awful messes on the windscreen after a night drive across the central plateau are a thing of the past.
Entomologists call it the windshield phenomenon. “If you talk to people, they have a gut feeling. They remember how insects used to smash on your windscreen,” says Wolfgang Wägele, director of the Leibniz Institute for Animal Biodiversity in Bonn, Germany. Today, drivers spend less time scraping and scrubbing. “I’m a very data-driven person,” says Scott Black, executive director of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation in Portland, Oregon. “But it is a visceral reaction when you realize you don’t see that mess anymore.”
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/05/where-have-all-insects-gone
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/SC1604/S00004/insect-losses-symptomatic-of-ailing-environment.htm