It is all but certain that human activity has caused a steady increase in global temperatures over the past 60 years, leading to warmer oceans and an acceleration in sea-level rise, according to the most recent climate change report by an international panel of scientists…..
…..A report on Maryland sea-level rise released in June by the state’s Climate Change Commission estimated that the rise would range from slightly less than a foot to two feet by 2050, and from two to six feet by 2100, depending on several factors, including glacial ice melt.
Up to six feet of sea-level rise can be devastating when effects from storm surge are factored in, said Donald Boesch, president of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science.
In addition to projections, the document reported several facts. Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased by more than 20
percent since 1958 and 40 percent since 1750, “virtually all due to burning of fossil fuels and deforestation, and a small contribution from cement production”.
We cancel a project that would inject $115m into household incomes over its construction period, create over a thousand permanent jobs, and would when completed power 170,000 New Zealand homes with renewable energy.
Why?
Because planet destroying coal fired electricity is so cheap and abundant
…..Waikato District Council Mayor Allan Sanson said he was not too surprised by the news.
“It was always going to be marginal in relation to the fact that there was already generating capacity and surplus available.”
Waikato Chamber of Commerce CEO Sandra Perry said the news was just another disappointment for the region, especially for those in the energy sector following last week’s Huntly Coal Mine lay-offs.
There you have it. Not only is the bankrupt coal industry laying off workers. It is keeping another 1033 hundred others out of work.
It is way past time that our leaders in government rationalised the real cost of coal, the cost in human misery, illness and death, and the cost of pollution and climate damage. To justly reflect the real cost of fossil fuels and to make renewables competitive.
If any government had foresight vision and the guts to do this. Renewables would then become viable, creating tens of thousands of new jobs.
Instead our leaders crawl on their bellies to the fossil fuel moguls at every opportunity. Instead of investing in renewables, politicians offer the polluters $multimillion subsidies to come here to plunder our natural resources, to increase pollution, and to continue our dependence on fossil fuels.
Humanity is facing an existential crisis like none ever faced before, we have no need for the corporate suits, or bureaucratically appointed leaders who have leadership handed to them.
We need leaders leaders with vision, leaders with courage and conviction. Leaders with passion, leaders with boldness, inspired and informed by the past. But solidly rooted in the real world. Well aware of the danger we are in, and of the necessary measures needed to combat it.
Leaders with a mandate to act.
We need political scrappers
Unafraid to fight for that mandate.
Their task, to overcome the impasse that sees humanity careening down a road to certain destruction, and put us on another, safer saner track.
Will the Labour Party have the courage and the foresight to choose such a leader.
Lynn Prentice has accused me of grandstanding, by raising the issue of climate change as a matter in this leadership contest. So let us see, how long the above comment stands.
Will Lynn show his hand, this early in the piece. To try and keep climate change from being an election issue? As Lynn maintains, it is politics 101, that we can’t waste political capital on this issue.
I am sorry Lynn but I missed that class. Though I am pretty sure that civilisation collapse and possible human extinction wasn’t discussed.
Arg. Comment in wrong place. Deleted original comment.
Jenny – so much wrong with your assumptions above. Often I don’t read your comments because your judgements often seem poor, IMO, and then you get very aggressive when anyone disagrees with you.
Are you saying you expect Lynn to delete your comment above because he disagrees with you on a point of political strategy? Just shows your poor judgement. By all means have your say. But your confrontational brinkwomanship is pure bullying, as well as ill-judged. As is always the case, you comments will stand as long as you don’t infringe TS rules.
Jenny that is utter bovine defecation, it was moved to Open Mike because it’s content has little or nothing to do with the leader of the opposition quitting,
Have a look at most comments that get moved,the comment usually appears from whomever moved it once it has been moved,
The real laugh here is that you are obviously begging for a fight, sooner or later you will put up one a bit to s**t comment to far and then will cop what any of the Wing-Nuts who carry on in the vein that you are gets,
There will be little sympathy for such martyrdom over what is essentially your position which is simply untrue, just laughter at you…
Instead of blocking and dumping my comments and attacking me personally. Don’t you think it would be far more astute to actually argue against the points I raise. And if you can’t muster any counter argument then just leave them in place?
[lprent: I have never dumped your comments. That is an outright lie. They have been moved several times. Top-level off topic comments in a post are often moved to OpenMike to prevent them disrupting the post.
However I’m tired of this bullshit martyrdom play. 6 week ban (4th of October). That should give me more time to deal with the site and the actual trolling that will happen over the period of this leadership debate.
You can find another over worked sysop to bug. YourNZ or No Minister would seem to be a good choice. They’d probably appreciate getting the real info on climate change direct from Arctic News. 😈 ]
Do you genuinely believe that leading with a climate change platform is what will win the leadership and then win the election? Perhaps people are reading your post and thinking you see it as the main vote winning platform?
Your points Jenny, the ones that are not outright bullshit have been ‘argued’ with you ad nauseum,
But, back you come with the same old tripe ”wah wah wah the Greens have sold out on climate change wah wah wah” in spite of the fact that it has been shown to you that every week in the Parliament the Green Party has a go at National over climate change,
Because in your little world the mass media do not report these ongoing examination of National’s attitude to climate change in the Parliament by the Green Party you choose to see this as the Green Party having sold out,
Your attitude of posting what are in essence absolute bullshit as a comment and then demanding debate upon what simply is not the truth is tiresome and only worthy of the Wing-Nuts who leak over here from the sewer,
i like most usually choose to surf past your comments…
The sad thing is that if Jenny did say anything worthwhile, I’d miss it because I’ve given up on reading her unsubstantiated raves. At least I try to keep my own unsubstantiated raves short.
You’re all climate change deniers, condemning the human race to a future of alternate roasting and drowning, and every other biblical end to the world! If only a political party would run on this platform they would sweep the 2014 election. Struth!
I have no issue with your commentary about environmental issues. But I think your approach (and is purely an opinion which we are all entitled to) sums up why Labour can not get its act together.
Labour need to elect a leader who has the skills to run caucus and manage many ego’s. So it should be based on their ability to clearly articulate policy, clearly show leadership skills, and clearly portray some overall acumen when it comes to the economy.
Electing a leader based on their personal agenda’s will get labour where they currently are – in opposition.
Helen Clark was a leader, thats what I admired about her – how she held the team together.
So who will be your leader – not who has an agenda that matches yours.
Look at what narratives journos are running. Think about what narratives are useful to the left, and which ones are not. Feed the the former, and starve the latter. Even if that means not responding to something some fuckwit says. Respond in private places.
In short, act like members of a political party that has its shit together.
Moves were under way last night to avoid a messy leadership runoff, but the wider party may push for a contest that would give unions and the wider membership a say.
So Team Robertson have learned nothing, still want to avoid membership having a say in the choice of leader, and are feeding the MSM with tales to make it seem the most likely and best way forward?
It’s complicated and us punters are in the dark to an extent. We don;t know who is talking and journos won’t say, and we don’t even know if journos are using the quotes in ways the quote givers intend. Don’t read too much into what journos conject. Especially about ‘the wider party’ or the electorate.
Don’t feed the ‘irreconcilably divided party narrative’ though. Don’t feed Key’s narratives either.
I’d suggest talking to mps. Let your feelings be known. Be polite and concerned. talk about what narratives are in the media that suck, and explain to them how frustrating that is, as an activist, to see the party undermined by storylines that don’t reflect the reality of a party that is ultimately on the same side.
” David Cunliffe is not as popular in the caucus as he is outside” Vernon Small
If true, then caucus need to remember they get 34 votes in an election (assuming no one votes for a Cunnliffe led Labour party.
People who make decisions in the Labour party need to understand this is a contest, someone will “win” and someone will “lose. The idea is that at the end EVERYONE pulls together to create the NZ they claim they want, not waste energy on undermining the one who “won.”
If this party and some of its supporters don’t grow up, and quickly, the Greens wont be enough to save us from NACTUNITED.
My view is that Vernon Small is practicing Jonolism here, Vernon plugging Grant Robertson could be said to be anointing Grant with the tainted chalice,
Small even calls a democratic vote by the Caucus/Union Affiliates/Membership as messy like it’s something to be avoided at all cost instead the increased democratization of the Party which it is,
My hope is that those in Labour with the mana to intervene in these things attempt to put together a Cunliffe/Robertson ticket which i believe is the best combination of leadership which has the ability to not only unite the Party but more importantly has the ability to consistently knock the shine off of the current Prime Minister,
The stuff poll is a giggle, running first at the moment is Jacinda Adhern, closely followed by Cunliffe with Grant Robertson gaining third with the next substantial number of votes…
The fucking journalists are going to be the ones first up against the wall when all this spying security state stuff comes to pass…you would think that some of them would have enough self preservation instincts left to push for more democracy, not less.
But the Herald has learned MP Maryan Street was preparing a motion of no confidence in Mr Shearer for Tuesday’s meeting.
Plans were also being made to send a delegation to him before that to ask him to stand down rather than force the confidence vote.
The MPs involved were certain the motion would have succeeded if it had been required.
Ms Street would not comment yesterday, but it is understood she decided to front the motion because of growing concerns among MPs over Mr Shearer’s inability to fire as leader and his poor poll ratings.
I trust Shearer to have done what he thinks is best for the party. He seems to be that kind of guy. For all that people have written and said about him no-one that I can recall, has called him egotistic.
i am pretty sure that Dave Shearers final straw was being Narked on by Slippery the Prime Minister for having engaged in a little private politicing over the GCSB Legislation,
i have the sneaking suspicion that it wasn’t only the Green Party that Shearer didn’t bother to talk to about that little meeting with the PM,
If my sneaking suspicion is correct and Cunliffe wins the leadership contest for the Labour Party leadership then i fully expect Poetic Justice to triumph at the 2014 election where the 30 pieces of silver Slippery will have earned by having ‘set up’ Shearer will be turned to brass by a Cunliffe lead Labour kicking this abysmal awful Government back to the Opposition Benches where they richly deserve to be…
This country needs consistent, competent, inclusive, united, socially-just, and ethical leadership with a good dose of feet-on-the-ground common sense. At the moment it is not getting it.
I am agnostic when it comes to personalities, but I think the choices are fairly clear.
Whoever it is, he or she needs our consistent and united support in these times.
The ongoing tremors around Seddon show how fragile things can be.
I was depressed that RNZ tried to interview Richard Prebble for an “insiders” take on the party leadership this morning. Prebble loathes Labour and has not been anywhere near the party for – what? – twenty years??? Why would you even bother? It is like interviewing a bitter old man about balls left out on the neighbours lawn.
However, my gloom lifted when the phone line went dead and the interview terminated after about 30 seconds.
This is the time for all those frustrated and/or disillusioned lefties to come back to the Labour fold.
Do you want to change the economic order?
Do you want to shrink the gap between the low-tax paying well to do and the highly-taxed PAYE worker?
Do you want to see export led growth in well paid jobs?
Get behind the Labour Party. Call on Cunliffe to put himself forward.
The NSA & Director of National Inteligence issue a rare joint statement debunking yesterday’s Wall Street Journal report on Section 702 collection
Press reports Based on an article in today’s Wall Street Journal mischaracterize aspects of activities conducted under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The NSA does not sift through and have unfettered access to 75% of the United States’ online communications.
The following are the facts . . .
Tim Barnett was talking on Morning Report with Geoff-the-aran-sweater-Robinson.
Robinson “John Key says the Labour Party is a deeply divided party.”
Barnett responded with a denial and a long diatribe.
One day we will get the leadership of the party responding to such a comment from Key with a straight forward response… something like, “Yeah, well he would say that, wouldn’t he!”
My biggest hope is that Mallard is shown the back benches, and is given a hint or 3 that it’s not necessary to put his name forward next year. Along with Goff, King, Fa Foi, and Hipkins. The ABC club needs to learn that they are not the be all, and end all of he Labour Party. Unfortunately, they have been damaging the Labour brand for years. This needs to stop NOW!
“Barnett responded with a denial and a long diatribe.”
sigh.
“haha look John Key can say what he likes, but if he spent a bit more time on his portfolios and a bit less reciting Bob Hope jokes he wouldn’t have a 100% pure gcsb shambles on his plate”
It was delightful to see the noisy fool Potty Gower ignored by Shearer as he left Parliament yesterday, as much as that was perfectly understandable in the moment. In contrast Robertson fell over his words just a little in response to said noisy fool.
The likes of Gower are positively fizzing at the moment. It’s Christmas time for them in the “look at me” stakes. Let their odious gases float off into the ether. And when that frustrates them to the point of childish rancour……..smash them with a few well conceived words.
I mean there’s no profound depth or grey matter there. Their callow vanity is their chink. Rise above !
An Ardern Cunliffe dou would help achieve the objective of uniting the party and winning the 2014 election.
So would Louisa Wall (who actually won an electorate) and Sue Moroney (who actually won an electorate) and many other Labour women.
Ardern, like Jones and Little, never won an electorate. IMO they are second class MPs.
Ardern, like Jones, has not won the hearts and minds of the Party Membership: they both decided that the way up the Labour ladder was to play the Caucus insider game.
Ardern has a very aloof manner when she fleetingly attends membership gigs. Auckland Central is not coming back to Labour soon unless she changes her game.
Ardern needs to develop a little humility, show respect to the membership and earn her stripes.
Macindoe is Ham West I think. Sue ran against Bennett on the East side.
But anyway it’s Hamilton bro, you could stick a blue rosette on a retarded scarecrow and win, (which, funnily enough, is exactly what National did in both cases.)
Louisa Wall won a seat. She sold gay marriage to a majority conservative government. Not only that, she did it with grace and class. Move her up in the next shuffle at the very least.
Not sure if this was a reply to me or not. Anyhow, I don’t put much weight on the fact that Louisa Wall won a seat. The Manurewa seat would be one of Labour’s safest seats in the country so would not have required anything from her to win it.
However, I agree with the comment about gay marriage she has rightly got a lot of credit for that and she definitely deserves rewards for it.
She also sold the Bill to a lot of social and religious conservatives in her own electorate. Not an easy thing to do, and not that she convinced everyone, but people knew that she listened to them and did so seriously.
Helen Kelly was elected Labour leader and was parachuted into the Christchurch East electorate. Probably won’t happen but isn’t it about time she moved into Parliament?
Presumably she will if and when she wants to and can get a selection (none of these things are givens).
In the meantime as a word of caution, please remember that she is an author here, and I have this thing about protecting site authors that is expressed in the policy.
In this if’ness scenario… If she does get elected and goes into parliament, then she will no longer be writing here as a site author. How could she bear to give that up (oh and maybe the union work as well) 😈
Christchurch East isn’t Christian dominated. Christchurch Central elected a gay M.P. several times, then kicked out his hetero replacement. It is, however, one of the most deprived electorates outside South Auckland (It also has some wealthy areas further north). Any good Labour candidate should be able to win here, it is just a matter of getting out the vote.
Anyway fair point Tracey, I do still think that it wouldn’t matter who Labour stood in that seat they would win it, but it probably would have been harder for Louisa Wall compared to many other candidates.
What Prebble or Bassett or Whaleoil or DPF or any right-wing commentators say should of course be completely ignored. The opposite of what they are saying is probably a good idea.
Helen Kelly on RadioNZ, ‘ the Union Affiliates will use their vote to elect the Labour Leader they think has the best chance of winning the 2014 election’,
Good skills Helen, my pick to achieve that goal would be a Cunliffe/Robertson leadership, they are Labour’s best performers in the House…
Ok. The site looks stressed but stable. But there isn’t much spare CPU available to cope with peaks.
I’ll put another server on line between now and tomorrow sometime to spread the load when the site peaks up. Or increase the amount of CPU this one can access. I’d better head to work.
Ditto for me. Seems pretty aggressive, too – I can only open one page every few seconds.
My thanks, also, for keeping the site up and running. I actually the site was served from CloudFlare or some sort of similar CDN? There were international traffic issues, if I recall…
It had to be when we were serving hundreds of pages per minute (usually we peak at 50)and getting arbitrary spiking. The problem is that the site is highly dynamic. So a CDN serves the statics like graphics. But the index and post pages have to be calculated.
But it is now the weekend and I have some time to deal with the peak situations that showed during the GCSB and resignation. So I will ramp servers up and relax it.
“Australia has old-fashioned union arrangements and needs “a dose of Margaret Thatcher,” says Mark Adamson, the British chief executive of Fletcher Building.
On a media call following the release of Fletcher’s annual profit, Adamson said he had been “amazed” at both the level of salaries and inefficiencies in Australia. He took the top job at Fletcher last October, having run the company’s Laminex & Panels division, based in the US.”
“Telecom says it will keep cutting costs, as it this morning reported an earnings lift in a year where it laid off more than 1200 workers. ‘ With a smile and a cheer from CEO and shareholders.
This is nothing to do with him being gay BTW, although the local Taliban might get their rocks off running a smear campaign, and Colin Craig might have a crack at picking up a few PI votes.
GR is more at home in a Newtown cafe rather than a workingman’s club in Wainiuiomata or a state housing suburb in Otara.
Cometh the hour, cometh the man. David Cunliffe is the only pick. With Little as deputy, the dour enforcer, smashing all opposition to trade unions.
GR of course would be useful in Tertiary Education, and Shearer would tackle the foreign affairs portfolio, with his experience with the UN.
It very much looks like that this will be a defining moment in the history of the Labour Party, where Rogernomics and Third-way Blarism give way to a new 21st century socialism.
He and others need to learn patience. There is almost no job worth having that you didn’t work hard to get to and put in the time.
I bump into heaps of young lawyers, who think they are worth more than $75k per year… after 3 years in the job. Bide your time, learn, experience, and become better for it.
Lolz, and you are of course telling us that Dave Cunliffe is right at home in the Otara HousingNZ estate,
That’s one hell of a laugh, as part of the ‘other Dave campaign’ a while back someone put up a video of Dave Cunliffe campaigning in South Auckland at the 2011 election, off the back of a flatbed truck with a loud hailer Dave’s contribution made me cringe,
Yelling at the mostly brown faces about what National was going to do ‘to them’ i could almost see those little cartoon bubbles above the heads of His audience flashing in concert a collective ‘WTF’,
Not once did Dave Cunliffe promise even 1 extra State House for these people, the last to be hired and the first to be fired, what was Labour going to accomplish for those people of South Auckland, well from what that particular speech to the crowd promised the answer was Nothing, simply trying to use fear as a tactic to leverage votes was in that particular piece of electioneering the stuff of ‘lead balloons’
You seem to be suggesting here that Grant Robertson, when not involved with the machiavellian smoke and mirrors of politics simply hob-nobs it with the Haves, this is far from the true picture as i KNOW that Robertson is active right across His electorate from the Soup Kitchen, to the Town Hall, to the Night Shelter, i have bumped into Him in all three of those places,
Casting aspersions as what you have done which intend to show Robertson as some form of ‘snob politician’ is taking politics down to a petty level,
Having said all of that, i have a strong belief that Cunliffe and Robertson should both stand for the leadership of the Labour Party so as to allow everyone to see democracy in action, i further believe that whoever of those 2 should win should offer the Deputy position to the runner
up,
“and you are of course telling us that Dave Cunliffe is right at home in the Otara HousingNZ estate,
That’s one hell of a laugh ……”, this from Bad12.
Well – I have news for you, Bad12. David Cunliffe IS right at home with state housing low income people.
I watched him give a straight-forward down-to-earth clear presentation of the country’s economic state and what could be done about it to an audience of low income, state housing residents (mostly Maori) in a low decile area of Whangarei. They lapped it up. They understood him,.
They asked him questions ….. and they wanted more. They kept asking the school principal where the meeting had been held for weeks afterwards if that David Cunliffe would come back again to explain more details. You cannot buy that sort of testimony, and of course absolutely no-one from the media (let alone rightwing MSM) were there to witness it. But it happened.
Cunliffe has the ability to reach out to people, and at the same time he’s quick, articulate, and can foot it with someone as slippery as John Key.
Which just goes to show you that no-one is all good or all bad, but, the video from the 2011election certainly in my opinion highlighted Dave Cunliffe in less than a good light,
We are yet to see if that last bit is simply an urban myth Jenny Kirk, only time will tell if David Cunliffe can truly kick the shine of the Slippery little shyster Key…
Hi
Ever since the recent upgrade my ipad always defaults to the mobile view. Can this be changed or something. I just use safari. I have to scroll to the bottom of the page and choose desktop view.
Is anyone else having this?
The Green Party, which obtained the documents under the Official Information Act, said it showed Social Development Minister Paula Bennett had ignored the facts when crafting the new requirements.
“The Ministry of Education told Paula Bennett that the primary concern was that there wasn’t enough provision for early childhood education for 3 year olds, and that the key barrier for Maori, Pasifika and lower-socioeconomic families was suitable supply,” said Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei.
“She is demonising these families when she has been told over and over again by various ministries that her social obligations and work obligations will cause more harm.”
And National is proved to have ignored the facts and thus will be causing massive harm to people.
I am a bit intrigued by this one, Rafael Correa, Presidente del Equador, admittedly a hero to protect Julian Assange, but not a hero for press freedom. But hey, here he is singing along Quilapayun from Chile. I wonder how sincere that is, but then again, I will not endeavour to prejudice.
The world is changing every day, in and out, so prepare for surprises.
A listing of 25 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 15, 2024 thru Sat, December 21, 2024. Based on feedback we received, this week's roundup is the first one published soleley by category. We are still interested in ...
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ACT would like to dictate what universities can and can’t say. We knew it was coming. It was outlined in the coalition agreement and has become part of Seymour’s strategy of “emphasising public funding” to prevent people from opposing him and his views—something he also uses to try and de-platform ...
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The Natural Choice: As a starter for ten percent of the Party Vote, “saving the planet” is a very respectable objective. Young voters, in particular, raised on the dire (if unheeded) warnings of climate scientists, and the irrefutable evidence of devastating weather events linked to global warming, vote Green. After ...
The Government cancelled 60% of Kāinga Ora’s new builds next year, even though the land for them was already bought, the consents were consented and there are builders unemployed all over the place. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political ...
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Over on Kikorangi Newsroom's Marc Daalder has published his annual OIA stats. So I thought I'd do mine: 82 OIA requests sent in 2024 7 posts based on those requests 20 average working days to receive a response Ministry of Justice was my most-requested entity, ...
Welcome to the December 2024 Economic Bulletin. We have two monthly features in this edition. In the first, we discuss what the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update from Treasury and the Budget Policy Statement from the Minister of Finance tell us about the fiscal position and what to ...
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi have submitted against the controversial Treaty Principles Bill, slamming the Bill as a breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and an attack on tino rangatiratanga and the collective rights of Tangata Whenua. “This Bill seeks to legislate for Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles that are ...
I don't knowHow to say what's got to be saidI don't know if it's black or whiteThere's others see it redI don't get the answers rightI'll leave that to youIs this love out of fashionOr is it the time of yearAre these words distraction?To the words you want to hearSongwriters: ...
Our economy has experienced its worst recession since 1991. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, December 20 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast above and the daily Pick ‘n’ Mix below ...
Twas the Friday before Christmas and all through the week we’ve been collecting stories for our final roundup of the year. As we start to wind down for the year we hope you all have a safe and happy Christmas and new year. If you’re travelling please be safe on ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the year’s news with: on climate. Her book of the year was Tim Winton’s cli-fi novel Juice and she also mentioned Mike Joy’s memoir The Fight for Fresh Water. ...
The Government can head off to the holidays, entitled to assure itself that it has done more or less what it said it would do. The campaign last year promised to “get New Zealand back on track.” When you look at the basic promises—to trim back Government expenditure, toughen up ...
Open access notables An intensification of surface Earth’s energy imbalance since the late 20th century, Li et al., Communications Earth & Environment:Tracking the energy balance of the Earth system is a key method for studying the contribution of human activities to climate change. However, accurately estimating the surface energy balance ...
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Data released by Statistics New Zealand today showed a significant slowdown in the economy over the past six months, with GDP falling by 1% in September, and 1.1% in June said CTU Economist Craig Renney. “The data shows that the size of the economy in GDP terms is now smaller ...
One last thing before I quitI never wanted any moreThan I could fit into my headI still remember every single word you saidAnd all the shit that somehow came along with itStill, there's one thing that comforts meSince I was always caged and now I'm freeSongwriters: David Grohl / Georg ...
Sparse offerings outside a Te Kauwhata church. Meanwhile, the Government is cutting spending in ways that make thousands of hungry children even hungrier, while also cutting funding for the charities that help them. It’s also doing that while winding back new building of affordable housing that would allow parents to ...
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Remember those silent movies where the heroine is tied to the railway tracks or going over the waterfall in a barrel? Finance Minister Nicola Willis seems intent on portraying herself as that damsel in distress. According to Willis, this country’s current economic problems have all been caused by the spending ...
Similar to the cuts and the austerity drive imposed by Ruth Richardson in the 1990’s, an era which to all intents and purposes we’ve largely fiddled around the edges with fixing in the time since – over, to be fair, several administrations – whilst trying our best it seems to ...
String-Pulling in the Dark: For the democratic process to be meaningful it must also be public. WITH TRUST AND CONFIDENCE in New Zealand’s politicians and journalists steadily declining, restoring those virtues poses a daunting challenge. Just how daunting is made clear by comparing the way politicians and journalists treated New Zealanders ...
Dear Nicola Willis, thank you for letting us know in so many words that the swingeing austerity hasn't worked.By in so many words I mean the bit where you said, Here is a sea of red ink in which we are drowning after twelve months of savage cost cutting and ...
The Open Government Partnership is a multilateral organisation committed to advancing open government. Countries which join are supposed to co-create regular action plans with civil society, committing to making verifiable improvements in transparency, accountability, participation, or technology and innovation for the above. And they're held to account through an Independent ...
Today I tuned into something strange: a press conference that didn’t make my stomach churn or the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Which was strange, because it was about the torture of children. It was the announcement by Erica Stanford — on her own, unusually ...
This is a must watch, and puts on brilliant and practical display the implications and mechanics of fast-track law corruption and weakness.CLICK HERE: LINK TO WATCH VIDEOOur news media as it is set up is simply not equipped to deal with the brazen disinformation and corruption under this right wing ...
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Acting Secretary Erin Polaczuk is welcoming the announcement from Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden that she is opening consultation on engineered stone and is calling on her to listen to the evidence and implement a total ban of the product. “We need ...
The Government has announced a 1.5% increase in the minimum wage from 1 April 2025, well below forecast inflation of 2.5%. Unions have reacted strongly and denounced it as a real terms cut. PSA and the CTU are opposing a new round of staff cuts at WorkSafe, which they say ...
The decision to unilaterally repudiate the contract for new Cook Strait ferries is beginning to look like one of the stupidest decisions a New Zealand government ever made. While cancelling the ferries and their associated port infrastructure may have made this year's books look good, it means higher costs later, ...
Hi there! I’ve been overseas recently, looking after a situation with a family member. So apologies if there any less than focused posts! Vanuatu has just had a significant 7.3 earthquake. Two MFAT staff are unaccounted for with local fatalities.It’s always sad to hear of such things happening.I think of ...
Today is a special member's morning, scheduled to make up for the government's theft of member's days throughout the year. First up was the first reading of Greg Fleming's Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill, which was passed unanimously. Currently the House is debating the third reading of ...
We're going backwardsIgnoring the realitiesGoing backwardsAre you counting all the casualties?We are not there yetWhere we need to beWe are still in debtTo our insanitiesSongwriter: Martin Gore Read more ...
Willis blamed Treasury for changing its productivity assumptions and Labour’s spending increases since Covid for the worsening Budget outlook. Photo: Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, December 18 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast above ...
Today the Auckland Transport board meet for the last time this year. For those interested (and with time to spare), you can follow along via this MS Teams link from 10am. I’ve taken a quick look through the agenda items to see what I think the most interesting aspects are. ...
Hi,If you’re a New Zealander — you know who Mike King is. He is the face of New Zealand’s battle against mental health problems. He can be loud and brash. He raises, and is entrusted with, a lot of cash. Last year his “I Am Hope” charity reported a revenue ...
Probably about the only consolation available from yesterday’s unveiling of the Half-Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) is that it could have been worse. Though Finance Minister Nicola Willis has tightened the screws on future government spending, she has resisted the calls from hard-line academics, fiscal purists and fiscal hawks ...
The right have a stupid saying that is only occasionally true:When is democracy not democracy? When it hasn’t been voted on.While not true in regards to branches of government such as the judiciary, it’s a philosophy that probably should apply to recently-elected local government councillors. Nevertheless, this concept seemed to ...
Long story short: the Government’s austerity policy has driven the economy into a deeper and longer recession that means it will have to borrow $20 billion more over the next four years than it expected just six months ago. Treasury’s latest forecasts show the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s fiscal strategy of ...
Come and join myself and CTU Chief Economist for a pop-up ‘Hoon’ webinar on the Government’s Half Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) with paying subscribers to The Kākā for 30 minutes at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream to watch our chat. Don’t worry if ...
In 1998, in the wake of the Paremoremo Prison riot, the Department of Corrections established the "Behaviour Management Regime". Prisoners were locked in their cells for 22 or 23 hours a day, with no fresh air, no exercise, no social contact, no entertainment, and in some cases no clothes and ...
New data released by the Treasury shows that the economic policies of this Government have made things worse in the year since they took office, said NZCTU Economist Craig Renney. “Our fiscal indicators are all heading in the wrong direction – with higher levels of debt, a higher deficit, and ...
At the 2023 election, National basically ran on a platform of being better economic managers. So how'd that turn out for us? In just one year, they've fucked us for two full political terms: The government's books are set to remain deeply in the red for the near term ...
AUSTERITYText within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedMy spreadsheet insists This pain leads straight to glory (File not found) Read more ...
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi are saying that the Government should do the right thing and deliver minimum wage increases that don’t see workers fall further behind, in response to today’s announcement that the minimum wage will only be increased by 1.5%, well short of forecast inflation. “With inflation forecast ...
Oh, I weptFor daysFilled my eyesWith silly tearsOh, yeaBut I don'tCare no moreI don't care ifMy eyes get soreSongwriters: Paul Rodgers / Paul Kossoff. Read more ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bob HensonIn this aerial view, fingers of meltwater flow from the melting Isunnguata Sermia glacier descending from the Greenland Ice Sheet on July 11, 2024, near Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. According to the Programme for Monitoring of the Greenland Ice Sheet (PROMICE), the ...
In August, I wrote an article about David Seymour1 with a video of his testimony, to warn that there were grave dangers to his Ministry of Regulation:David Seymour's Ministry of Slush Hides Far Greater RisksWhy Seymour's exorbitant waste of taxpayers' money could be the least of concernThe money for Seymour ...
Willis is expected to have to reveal the bitter fiscal fruits of her austerity strategy in the HYEFU later today. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/TheKakaMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, December 17 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast ...
On Friday the government announced it would double the number of toll roads in New Zealand as well as make a few other changes to how toll roads are used in the country. The real issue though is not that tolling is being used but the suggestion it will make ...
The Prime Minister yesterday engaged in what looked like a pre-emptive strike designed to counter what is likely to be a series of depressing economic statistics expected before the end of the week. He opened his weekly post-Cabinet press conference with a recitation of the Government’s achievements. “It certainly has ...
This whooping cough story from south Auckland is a good example of the coalition government’s approach to social need – spend money on urging people to get vaccinated but only after you’ve cut the funding to where they could get vaccinated. This has been the case all year with public ...
And if there is a GodI know he likes to rockHe likes his loud guitarsHis spiders from MarsAnd if there is a GodI know he's watching meHe likes what he seesBut there's trouble on the breezeSongwriter: William Patrick Corgan Read more ...
Here’s a quick round up of today’s political news:1. MORE FOOD BANKS, CHARITIES, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTERS AND YOUTH SOCIAL SERVICES SET TO CLOSE OR SCALE BACK AROUND THE COUNTRY AS GOVT CUTS FUNDINGSome of Auckland's largest foodbanks are warning they may need to close or significantly reduce food parcels after ...
Iain Rennie, CNZMSecretary and Chief Executive to the TreasuryDear Secretary, Undue restrictions on restricted briefings This week, the Treasury barred representatives from four organisations, including the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi, from attending the restricted briefing for the Half-Year Economic and Fiscal Update. We had been ...
This is a guest post by Tim Adriaansen, a community, climate, and accessibility advocate.I won’t shut up about climate breakdown, and whenever possible I try to shift the focus of a climate conversation towards solutions. But you’ll almost never hear me give more than a passing nod to ...
A grassroots backlash has forced a backdown from Brown, but he is still eyeing up plenty of tolls for other new roads. And the pressure is on Willis to ramp up the Government’s austerity strategy. Photo: Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
Hi all,I'm pretty overwhelmed by all your messages and emails today; thank you so very much.As much as my newsletter this morning was about money, and we all need to earn money, it was mostly about world domination if I'm honest. 😉I really hate what’s happening to our country, and ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 8, 2024 thru Sat, December 14, 2024. Listing by Category Like last week's summary this one contains the list of articles twice: based on categories and based on ...
I started writing this morning about Hobson’s Pledge, examining the claims they and their supporters make, basically ripping into them. But I kept getting notifications coming through, and not good ones.Each time I looked up, there was another un-subscription message, and I felt a bit sicker at the thought of ...
Once, long before there was Harry and Meghan and Dodi and all those episodes of The Crown, they came to spend some time with us, Charles and Diana. Was there anyone in the world more glamorous than the Princess of Wales?Dazzled as everyone was by their company, the leader of ...
The collective right have a problem.The entire foundation for their world view is antiscientific. Their preferred economic strategies have been disproven. Their whole neoliberal model faces accusations of corporate corruption and worsening inequality. Climate change not only definitely exists, its rapid progression demands an immediate and expensive response in order ...
Just ten days ago, South Korea's president attempted a self-coup, declaring martial law and attempting to have opposition MPs murdered or arrested in an effort to seize unconstrained power. The attempt was rapidly defeated by the national assembly voting it down and the people flooding the streets to defend democracy. ...
Hi,“What I love about New Zealanders is that sometimes you use these expressions that as Americans we have no idea what those things mean!"I am watching a 30-something year old American ramble on about how different New Zealanders are to Americans. It’s his podcast, and this man is doing a ...
What Chris Penk has granted holocaust-denier and equal-opportunity-bigot Candace Owens is not “freedom of speech”. It’s not even really freedom of movement, though that technically is the right she has been granted. What he has given her is permission to perform. Freedom of SpeechIn New Zealand, the right to freedom ...
All those tears on your cheeksJust like deja vu flow nowWhen grandmother speaksSo tell me a story (I'll tell you a story)Spell it out, I can't hear (What do you want to hear?)Why you wear black in the morning?Why there's smoke in the air? Songwriter: Greg Johnson.Mōrena all ☀️Something a ...
National has only been in power for a year, but everywhere you look, its choices are taking New Zealand a long way backwards. In no particular order, here are the National Government's Top 50 Greatest Misses of its first year in power. ...
The Government is quietly undertaking consultation on the dangerous Regulatory Standards Bill over the Christmas period to avoid too much attention. ...
The Government’s planned changes to the freedom of speech obligations of universities is little more than a front for stoking the political fires of disinformation and fear, placing teachers and students in the crosshairs. ...
The Ministry of Regulation’s report into Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Aotearoa raises serious concerns about the possibility of lowering qualification requirements, undermining quality and risking worse outcomes for tamariki, whānau, and kaiako. ...
A Bill to modernise the role of Justices of the Peace (JP), ensuring they remain active in their communities and connected with other JPs, has been put into the ballot. ...
Labour will continue to fight unsustainable and destructive projects that are able to leap-frog environment protection under National’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. ...
The Green Party has warned that a Green Government will revoke the consents of companies who override environmental protections as part of Fast-Track legislation being passed today. ...
The Green Party says the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows how the Government is failing to address the massive social and infrastructure deficits our country faces. ...
The Government’s latest move to reduce the earnings of migrant workers will not only hurt migrants but it will drive down the wages of Kiwi workers. ...
Te Pāti Māori has this morning issued a stern warning to Fast-Track applicants with interests in mining, pledging to hold them accountable through retrospective liability and to immediately revoke Fast-Track consents under a future Te Pāti Māori government. This warning comes ahead of today’s third reading of the Fast-Track Approvals ...
The Government’s announcement today of a 1.5 per cent increase to minimum wage is another blow for workers, with inflation projected to exceed the increase, meaning it’s a real terms pay reduction for many. ...
All the Government has achieved from its announcement today is to continue to push responsibility back on councils for its own lack of action to help bring down skyrocketing rates. ...
The Government has used its final post-Cabinet press conference of the year to punch down on local government without offering any credible solutions to the issues our councils are facing. ...
The Government has failed to keep its promise to ‘super charge’ the EV network, delivering just 292 chargers - less than half of the 670 chargers needed to meet its target. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop subsidising the largest user of the country’s gas supplies, Methanex, following a report highlighting the multi-national’s disproportionate influence on energy prices in Aotearoa. ...
The Green Party is appalled with the Government’s new child poverty targets that are based on a new ‘persistent poverty’ measure that could be met even with an increase in child poverty. ...
New independent analysis has revealed that the Government’s Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) will reduce emissions by a measly 1 per cent by 2030, failing to set us up for the future and meeting upcoming targets. ...
The loss of 27 kaimahi at Whakaata Māori and the end of its daily news bulletin is a sad day for Māori media and another step backwards for Te Tiriti o Waitangi justice. ...
Yesterday the Government passed cruel legislation through first reading to establish a new beneficiary sanction regime that will ultimately mean more households cannot afford the basic essentials. ...
Today's passing of the Government's Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill–which allows landlords to end tenancies with no reason–ignores the voice of the people and leaves renters in limbo ahead of the festive season. ...
After wasting a year, Nicola Willis has delivered a worse deal for the Cook Strait ferries that will end up being more expensive and take longer to arrive. ...
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has today launched a Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as the All Out For Gaza rally reaches Parliament. ...
After years of advocacy, the Green Party is very happy to hear the Government has listened to our collective voices and announced the closure of the greyhound racing industry, by 1 August 2026. ...
In response to a new report from ERO, the Government has acknowledged the urgent need for consistency across the curriculum for Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) in schools. ...
The Green Party is appalled at the Government introducing legislation that will make it easier to penalise workers fighting for better pay and conditions. ...
Thank you for the invitation to speak with you tonight on behalf of the political party I belong to - which is New Zealand First. As we have heard before this evening the Kinleith Mill is proposing to reduce operations by focusing on pulp and discontinuing “lossmaking paper production”. They say that they are currently consulting on the plan to permanently shut ...
Auckland Central MP, Chlöe Swarbrick, has written to Mayor Wayne Brown requesting he stop the unnecessary delays on St James Theatre’s restoration. ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says Health New Zealand will move swiftly to support dozens of internationally-trained doctors already in New Zealand on their journey to employment here, after a tripling of sought-after examination places. “The Medical Council has delivered great news for hardworking overseas doctors who want to contribute ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has appointed Sarah Ottrey to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). “At my first APEC Summit in Lima, I experienced firsthand the role that ABAC plays in guaranteeing political leaders hear the voice of business,” Mr Luxon says. “New Zealand’s ABAC representatives are very well respected and ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced four appointments to New Zealand’s intelligence oversight functions. The Honourable Robert Dobson KC has been appointed Chief Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, and the Honourable Brendan Brown KC has been appointed as a Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants. The appointments of Hon Robert Dobson and Hon ...
Improvements in the average time it takes to process survey and title applications means housing developments can progress more quickly, Minister for Land Information Chris Penk says. “The government is resolutely focused on improving the building and construction pipeline,” Mr Penk says. “Applications to issue titles and subdivide land are ...
The Government’s measures to reduce airport wait times, and better transparency around flight disruptions is delivering encouraging early results for passengers ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Improving the efficiency of air travel is a priority for the Government to give passengers a smoother, more reliable ...
The Government today announced the intended closure of the Apollo Hotel as Contracted Emergency Housing (CEH) in Rotorua, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. This follows a 30 per cent reduction in the number of households in CEH in Rotorua since National came into Government. “Our focus is on ending CEH in the Whakarewarewa area starting ...
The Government will reshape vocational education and training to return decision making to regions and enable greater industry input into work-based learning Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds says. “The redesigned system will better meet the needs of learners, industry, and the economy. It includes re-establishing regional polytechnics that ...
The Government is taking action to better manage synthetic refrigerants and reduce emissions caused by greenhouse gases found in heating and cooling products, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds says. “Regulations will be drafted to support a product stewardship scheme for synthetic refrigerants, Ms. Simmonds says. “Synthetic refrigerants are found in a ...
People travelling on State Highway 1 north of Hamilton will be relieved that remedial works and safety improvements on the Ngāruawāhia section of the Waikato Expressway were finished today, with all lanes now open to traffic, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“I would like to acknowledge the patience of road users ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds, has announced a new appointment to the board of Education New Zealand (ENZ). Dr Erik Lithander has been appointed as a new member of the ENZ board for a three-year term until 30 January 2028. “I would like to welcome Dr Erik Lithander to the ...
The Government will have senior representatives at Waitangi Day events around the country, including at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, but next year Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has chosen to take part in celebrations elsewhere. “It has always been my intention to celebrate Waitangi Day around the country with different ...
Two more criminal gangs will be subject to the raft of laws passed by the Coalition Government that give Police more powers to disrupt gang activity, and the intimidation they impose in our communities, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. Following an Order passed by Cabinet, from 3 February 2025 the ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Justice Christian Whata as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Whata’s appointment as a Judge of the Court of Appeal will take effect on 1 August 2025 and fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Hon Justice David Goddard on ...
The latest economic figures highlight the importance of the steps the Government has taken to restore respect for taxpayers’ money and drive economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Data released today by Stats NZ shows Gross Domestic Product fell 1 per cent in the September quarter. “Treasury and most ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Minister of Education David Seymour today announced legislation changes to strengthen freedom of speech obligations on universities. “Freedom of speech is fundamental to the concept of academic freedom and there is concern that universities seem to be taking a more risk-averse ...
Police Minister, Mark Mitchell, and Internal Affairs Minister, Brooke van Velden, today launched a further Public Safety Network cellular service that alongside last year’s Cellular Roaming roll-out, puts globally-leading cellular communications capability into the hands of our emergency responders. The Public Safety Network’s new Cellular Priority service means Police, Wellington ...
State Highway 1 through the Mangamuka Gorge has officially reopened today, providing a critical link for Northlanders and offering much-needed relief ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“The Mangamuka Gorge is a vital route for Northland, carrying around 1,300 vehicles per day and connecting the Far ...
The Government has welcomed decisions by the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) and Ashburton District Council confirming funding to boost resilience in the Canterbury region, with construction on a second Ashburton Bridge expected to begin in 2026, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Delivering a second Ashburton Bridge to improve resilience and ...
The Government is backing the response into high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Otago, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says. “Cabinet has approved new funding of $20 million to enable MPI to meet unbudgeted ongoing expenses associated with the H7N6 response including rigorous scientific testing of samples at the enhanced PC3 ...
Legislation that will repeal all advertising restrictions for broadcasters on Sundays and public holidays has passed through first reading in Parliament today, Media Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “As a growing share of audiences get their news and entertainment from streaming services, these restrictions have become increasingly redundant. New Zealand on ...
Today the House agreed to Brendan Horsley being appointed Inspector-General of Defence, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Mr Horsley’s experience will be invaluable in overseeing the establishment of the new office and its support networks. “He is currently Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, having held that role since June 2020. ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government has agreed to the final regulations for the levy on insurance contracts that will fund Fire and Emergency New Zealand from July 2026. “Earlier this year the Government agreed to a 2.2 percent increase to the rate of levy. Fire ...
The Government is delivering regulatory relief for New Zealand businesses through changes to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act. “The Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Amendment Bill, which was introduced today, is the second Bill – the other being the Statutes Amendment Bill - that ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed further progress on the Hawke’s Bay Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS), with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Board approving funding for the detailed design of Stage 1, paving the way for main works construction to begin in late 2025.“The Government is moving at ...
The Government today released a request for information (RFI) to seeking interest in partnerships to plant trees on Crown-owned land with low farming and conservation value (excluding National Parks) Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced. “Planting trees on Crown-owned land will drive economic growth by creating more forestry jobs in our regions, providing more wood ...
Court timeliness, access to justice, and improving the quality of existing regulation are the focus of a series of law changes introduced to Parliament today by Associate Minister of Justice Nicole McKee. The three Bills in the Regulatory Systems (Justice) Amendment Bill package each improve a different part of the ...
A total of 41 appointments and reappointments have been made to the 12 community trusts around New Zealand that serve their regions, Associate Finance Minister Shane Jones says. “These trusts, and the communities they serve from the Far North to the deep south, will benefit from the rich experience, knowledge, ...
The Government has confirmed how it will provide redress to survivors who were tortured at the Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital Child and Adolescent Unit (the Lake Alice Unit). “The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care found that many of the 362 children who went through the Lake Alice Unit between 1972 and ...
It has been a busy, productive year in the House as the coalition Government works hard to get New Zealand back on track, Leader of the House Chris Bishop says. “This Government promised to rebuild the economy, restore law and order and reduce the cost of living. Our record this ...
“Accelerated silicosis is an emerging occupational disease caused by unsafe work such as engineered stone benchtops. I am running a standalone consultation on engineered stone to understand what the industry is currently doing to manage the risks, and whether further regulatory intervention is needed,” says Workplace Relations and Safety Minister ...
Mehemea he pai mō te tangata, mahia – if it’s good for the people, get on with it. Enhanced reporting on the public sector’s delivery of Treaty settlement commitments will help improve outcomes for Māori and all New Zealanders, Māori Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka says. Compiled together for the ...
Mr Roger Holmes Miller and Ms Tarita Hutchinson have been appointed to the Charities Registration Board, Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Louise Upston says. “I would like to welcome the new members joining the Charities Registration Board. “The appointment of Ms Hutchinson and Mr Miller will strengthen the Board’s capacity ...
More building consent and code compliance applications are being processed within the statutory timeframe since the Government required councils to submit quarterly data, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “In the midst of a housing shortage we need to look at every step of the build process for efficiencies ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey is proud to announce the first three recipients of the Government’s $10 million Mental Health and Addiction Community Sector Innovation Fund which will enable more Kiwis faster access to mental health and addiction support. “This fund is part of the Government’s commitment to investing in ...
New Zealand is providing Vanuatu assistance following yesterday's devastating earthquake, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. "Vanuatu is a member of our Pacific family and we are supporting it in this time of acute need," Mr Peters says. "Our thoughts are with the people of Vanuatu, and we will be ...
The Government welcomes the Commerce Commission’s plan to reduce card fees for Kiwis by an estimated $260 million a year, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says.“The Government is relentlessly focused on reducing the cost of living, so Kiwis can keep more of their hard-earned income and live a ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour has welcomed the Early Childhood Education (ECE) regulatory review report, the first major report from the Ministry for Regulation. The report makes 15 recommendations to modernise and simplify regulations across ECE so services can get on with what they do best – providing safe, high-quality care ...
The Government‘s Offshore Renewable Energy Bill to create a new regulatory regime that will enable firms to construct offshore wind generation has passed its first reading in Parliament, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says.“New Zealand currently does not have a regulatory regime for offshore renewable energy as the previous government failed ...
Legislation to enable new water service delivery models that will drive critical investment in infrastructure has passed its first reading in Parliament, marking a significant step towards the delivery of Local Water Done Well, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly say.“Councils and voters ...
New Zealand is one step closer to reaping the benefits of gene technology with the passing of the first reading of the Gene Technology Bill, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins says. "This legislation will end New Zealand's near 30-year ban on gene technology outside the lab and is ...
ByKoroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor New Zealand’s Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) says impending bad weather for Port Vila is now the most significant post-quake hazard. A tropical low in the Coral Sea is expected to move into Vanuatu waters, bringing heavy rainfall. Authorities have issued warnings to people ...
Cosmic CatastropheThe year draws to a close.King Luxon has grown tired of the long eveningsListening to the dreary squabbling of his Triumvirate.He strolls up to the top floor of the PalaceTo consult with his Astronomer Royal.The Royal Telescope scans the skies,And King Luxon stares up into the heavensFrom the terrestrial ...
Spinoff editor Mad Chapman and books editor Claire Mabey debate Carl Shuker’s new novel about… an editor. Claire: Hello Mad, you just finished The Royal Free – overall impressions? Mad: Hi Claire, I literally just put the book down and I would have to say my immediate impression is ...
Christmas and its buildup are often lonely, hard and full of unreasonable expectations. Here’s how to make it to Jesus’s birthday and find the little bit of joy we all deserve. Have you found this year relentless? Has the latest Apple update “fucked up your life”? Have you lost two ...
Despite overwhelming public and corporate support, the government has stalled progress on a modern day slavery law. That puts us behind other countries – and makes Christmas a time of tragedy rather than joy, argues Shanti Mathias. Picture the scene on Christmas Day. Everyone replete with nice things to eat, ...
Asia Pacific Report “It looks like Hiroshima. It looks like Germany at the end of World War Two,” says an Israeli-American historian and professor of holocaust and genocide studies at Brown University about the horrifying reality of Gaza. Professor Omer Bartov, has described Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza as an ...
The New Zealand government coalition is tweaking university regulations to curb what it says is an increasingly “risk-averse approach” to free speech. The proposed changes will set clear expectations on how universities should approach freedom of speech issues. Each university will then have to adopt a “freedom of speech statement” ...
Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. – COMMENTARY: By Caitlin Johnstone New York prosecutors have charged Luigi Mangione with “murder as an act of terrorism” in his alleged shooting of health insurance CEO Brian Thompson earlier this month. This news comes out at the same time as ...
Pacific Media Watch The union for Australian journalists has welcomed the delivery by the federal government of more than $150 million to support the sustainability of public interest journalism over the next four years. Combined with the announcement of the revamped News Bargaining Initiative, this could result in up to ...
Piracy is a reality of modern life – but copyright law has struggled to play catch-up for as long as the entertainment industry has existed. As far back as 1988, the House of Lords criticised copyright law’s conflict with the reality of human behaviour in the context of burning cassette ...
MONDAY“Merry Xmas, and praise the Lord,” said Sheriff Luxon, and smiled for the camera. There was a flash of smoke when the shutter pressed down on the magnesium powder. The sheriff had arranged for a photographer from the Dodge Gazette to attend a ceremony where he handed out food parcels to ...
It’s a little under two months since the White Ferns shocked the cricketing world, deservedly taking home the T20 World Cup. Since then the trophy has had a tour around the country, five of the squad have played in the WBBL in Australia while most others have returned to domestic ...
Comment: If we say the word ‘dementia’, many will picture an older person struggling to remember the names of their loved ones, maybe a grandparent living out their final years in an aged care facility. Dementia can also occur in people younger than 65, but it can take time before ...
As he makes a surprise return to Shortland Street, actor Craig Parker takes us through his life in television. Craig Parker has been a fixture on television in Aotearoa for nearly four decades. He had starring roles in iconic local series like Gloss, Mercy Peak and Diplomatic Immunity, featured in ...
The Ōtautahi musician shares the 10 tracks he loves to spin, including the folk classic that cured him of a ‘case of the give-ups’. When singer-songwriter Adam McGrath returns to Kumeu’s Auckland Folk Festival from January 24-27, he’s not planning on simply idling his way through – he wants the late ...
Alex Casey spends an afternoon on the job with River, the rescue dog on a mission to spread joy to Ōtautahi rest homes.Almost everyone says it is never enough time. But River the rescue dog, a jet black huntaway border collie cross, has to keep a tight pace to ...
Asia Pacific Report Fiji activists have recreated the nativity scene at a solidarity for Palestine gathering in Fiji’s capital Suva just days before Christmas. The Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre and Fijians for Palestine Solidarity Network recreated the scene at the FWCC compound — a baby Jesus figurine lies amidst the ...
By 1News Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver and 1News reporters A number of Kiwis have been successfully evacuated from Vanuatu after a devastating earthquake shook the Pacific island nation earlier this week. The death toll was still unclear, though at least 14 people were killed according to an earlier statement from ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Scully, Professor in Modern History, University of New England Bunker.Image courtesy of Michael Leunig, CC BY-NC-SA Michael Leunig – who died in the early hours of Thursday December 19, surrounded by “his children, loved ones, and sunflowers” – was the ...
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The Labour Party is at a cross roads
The country is at a cross roads
The world is at a cross roads
Which way will we go?
What does New Zealand do?
We cancel a project that would inject $115m into household incomes over its construction period, create over a thousand permanent jobs, and would when completed power 170,000 New Zealand homes with renewable energy.
Why?
Because planet destroying coal fired electricity is so cheap and abundant
There you have it. Not only is the bankrupt coal industry laying off workers. It is keeping another 1033 hundred others out of work.
It is way past time that our leaders in government rationalised the real cost of coal, the cost in human misery, illness and death, and the cost of pollution and climate damage. To justly reflect the real cost of fossil fuels and to make renewables competitive.
If any government had foresight vision and the guts to do this. Renewables would then become viable, creating tens of thousands of new jobs.
Instead our leaders crawl on their bellies to the fossil fuel moguls at every opportunity. Instead of investing in renewables, politicians offer the polluters $multimillion subsidies to come here to plunder our natural resources, to increase pollution, and to continue our dependence on fossil fuels.
Humanity is facing an existential crisis like none ever faced before, we have no need for the corporate suits, or bureaucratically appointed leaders who have leadership handed to them.
We need leaders leaders with vision, leaders with courage and conviction. Leaders with passion, leaders with boldness, inspired and informed by the past. But solidly rooted in the real world. Well aware of the danger we are in, and of the necessary measures needed to combat it.
Leaders with a mandate to act.
We need political scrappers
Unafraid to fight for that mandate.
Their task, to overcome the impasse that sees humanity careening down a road to certain destruction, and put us on another, safer saner track.
Will the Labour Party have the courage and the foresight to choose such a leader.
http://www.labour.org.nz/news/speech-the-dolphin-and-the-dole-queue
Lynn Prentice has accused me of grandstanding, by raising the issue of climate change as a matter in this leadership contest. So let us see, how long the above comment stands.
Will Lynn show his hand, this early in the piece. To try and keep climate change from being an election issue? As Lynn maintains, it is politics 101, that we can’t waste political capital on this issue.
I am sorry Lynn but I missed that class. Though I am pretty sure that civilisation collapse and possible human extinction wasn’t discussed.
Arg. Comment in wrong place. Deleted original comment.
Jenny – so much wrong with your assumptions above. Often I don’t read your comments because your judgements often seem poor, IMO, and then you get very aggressive when anyone disagrees with you.
Are you saying you expect Lynn to delete your comment above because he disagrees with you on a point of political strategy? Just shows your poor judgement. By all means have your say. But your confrontational brinkwomanship is pure bullying, as well as ill-judged. As is always the case, you comments will stand as long as you don’t infringe TS rules.
He already has, all but. Moving it into the oubliette and not even giving direction to where it had gone in an effort to stop people reading it.
That is why I have pasted it here again.
And yes I do get angry. Because I expect better from the left.
Jenny, do you not read what people say? You have just shown yet again, that your perception is off.
There’s no arguing with someone who does not read and understand what is written in front of them.
Jenny that is utter bovine defecation, it was moved to Open Mike because it’s content has little or nothing to do with the leader of the opposition quitting,
Have a look at most comments that get moved,the comment usually appears from whomever moved it once it has been moved,
The real laugh here is that you are obviously begging for a fight, sooner or later you will put up one a bit to s**t comment to far and then will cop what any of the Wing-Nuts who carry on in the vein that you are gets,
There will be little sympathy for such martyrdom over what is essentially your position which is simply untrue, just laughter at you…
Instead of blocking and dumping my comments and attacking me personally. Don’t you think it would be far more astute to actually argue against the points I raise. And if you can’t muster any counter argument then just leave them in place?
[lprent: I have never dumped your comments. That is an outright lie. They have been moved several times. Top-level off topic comments in a post are often moved to OpenMike to prevent them disrupting the post.
However I’m tired of this bullshit martyrdom play. 6 week ban (4th of October). That should give me more time to deal with the site and the actual trolling that will happen over the period of this leadership debate.
You can find another over worked sysop to bug. YourNZ or No Minister would seem to be a good choice. They’d probably appreciate getting the real info on climate change direct from Arctic News. 😈 ]
Do you genuinely believe that leading with a climate change platform is what will win the leadership and then win the election? Perhaps people are reading your post and thinking you see it as the main vote winning platform?
Your points Jenny, the ones that are not outright bullshit have been ‘argued’ with you ad nauseum,
But, back you come with the same old tripe ”wah wah wah the Greens have sold out on climate change wah wah wah” in spite of the fact that it has been shown to you that every week in the Parliament the Green Party has a go at National over climate change,
Because in your little world the mass media do not report these ongoing examination of National’s attitude to climate change in the Parliament by the Green Party you choose to see this as the Green Party having sold out,
Your attitude of posting what are in essence absolute bullshit as a comment and then demanding debate upon what simply is not the truth is tiresome and only worthy of the Wing-Nuts who leak over here from the sewer,
i like most usually choose to surf past your comments…
Well said.
The sad thing is that if Jenny did say anything worthwhile, I’d miss it because I’ve given up on reading her unsubstantiated raves. At least I try to keep my own unsubstantiated raves short.
You’re all climate change deniers, condemning the human race to a future of alternate roasting and drowning, and every other biblical end to the world! If only a political party would run on this platform they would sweep the 2014 election. Struth!
I have no issue with your commentary about environmental issues. But I think your approach (and is purely an opinion which we are all entitled to) sums up why Labour can not get its act together.
Labour need to elect a leader who has the skills to run caucus and manage many ego’s. So it should be based on their ability to clearly articulate policy, clearly show leadership skills, and clearly portray some overall acumen when it comes to the economy.
Electing a leader based on their personal agenda’s will get labour where they currently are – in opposition.
Helen Clark was a leader, thats what I admired about her – how she held the team together.
So who will be your leader – not who has an agenda that matches yours.
I don’t think Jenny is a member of the Labour Party.
Read the news.
Look at what narratives journos are running. Think about what narratives are useful to the left, and which ones are not. Feed the the former, and starve the latter. Even if that means not responding to something some fuckwit says. Respond in private places.
In short, act like members of a political party that has its shit together.
You mean, news like this from Vernon Small?
So Team Robertson have learned nothing, still want to avoid membership having a say in the choice of leader, and are feeding the MSM with tales to make it seem the most likely and best way forward?
It’s complicated and us punters are in the dark to an extent. We don;t know who is talking and journos won’t say, and we don’t even know if journos are using the quotes in ways the quote givers intend. Don’t read too much into what journos conject. Especially about ‘the wider party’ or the electorate.
Don’t feed the ‘irreconcilably divided party narrative’ though. Don’t feed Key’s narratives either.
I’d suggest talking to mps. Let your feelings be known. Be polite and concerned. talk about what narratives are in the media that suck, and explain to them how frustrating that is, as an activist, to see the party undermined by storylines that don’t reflect the reality of a party that is ultimately on the same side.
” David Cunliffe is not as popular in the caucus as he is outside” Vernon Small
If true, then caucus need to remember they get 34 votes in an election (assuming no one votes for a Cunnliffe led Labour party.
People who make decisions in the Labour party need to understand this is a contest, someone will “win” and someone will “lose. The idea is that at the end EVERYONE pulls together to create the NZ they claim they want, not waste energy on undermining the one who “won.”
If this party and some of its supporters don’t grow up, and quickly, the Greens wont be enough to save us from NACTUNITED.
My view is that Vernon Small is practicing Jonolism here, Vernon plugging Grant Robertson could be said to be anointing Grant with the tainted chalice,
Small even calls a democratic vote by the Caucus/Union Affiliates/Membership as messy like it’s something to be avoided at all cost instead the increased democratization of the Party which it is,
My hope is that those in Labour with the mana to intervene in these things attempt to put together a Cunliffe/Robertson ticket which i believe is the best combination of leadership which has the ability to not only unite the Party but more importantly has the ability to consistently knock the shine off of the current Prime Minister,
The stuff poll is a giggle, running first at the moment is Jacinda Adhern, closely followed by Cunliffe with Grant Robertson gaining third with the next substantial number of votes…
agreed. His article about why Shearer resigned is mostly about Robertson becoming leader and why democracy should be avoided.
Why do journalists seem to despise democracy so much?
Because it gives people a say in their own governance.
The fucking journalists are going to be the ones first up against the wall when all this spying security state stuff comes to pass…you would think that some of them would have enough self preservation instincts left to push for more democracy, not less.
Yup, for some reason they think that “they” could never be in the position Vance was in. Slow Learners?
“Vance was in slow learners”……only in some things…….
nice
And it seems, according to Clare Trevett on the NZ Herald:
The Herald is a mouthpiece for large corporates.
What do you expect them to be saying?
I trust Shearer to have done what he thinks is best for the party. He seems to be that kind of guy. For all that people have written and said about him no-one that I can recall, has called him egotistic.
i am pretty sure that Dave Shearers final straw was being Narked on by Slippery the Prime Minister for having engaged in a little private politicing over the GCSB Legislation,
i have the sneaking suspicion that it wasn’t only the Green Party that Shearer didn’t bother to talk to about that little meeting with the PM,
If my sneaking suspicion is correct and Cunliffe wins the leadership contest for the Labour Party leadership then i fully expect Poetic Justice to triumph at the 2014 election where the 30 pieces of silver Slippery will have earned by having ‘set up’ Shearer will be turned to brass by a Cunliffe lead Labour kicking this abysmal awful Government back to the Opposition Benches where they richly deserve to be…
This country needs consistent, competent, inclusive, united, socially-just, and ethical leadership with a good dose of feet-on-the-ground common sense. At the moment it is not getting it.
I am agnostic when it comes to personalities, but I think the choices are fairly clear.
Whoever it is, he or she needs our consistent and united support in these times.
The ongoing tremors around Seddon show how fragile things can be.
Well said Raa
I was depressed that RNZ tried to interview Richard Prebble for an “insiders” take on the party leadership this morning. Prebble loathes Labour and has not been anywhere near the party for – what? – twenty years??? Why would you even bother? It is like interviewing a bitter old man about balls left out on the neighbours lawn.
However, my gloom lifted when the phone line went dead and the interview terminated after about 30 seconds.
Yes, he and Michael Bassett always joined the wrong party, realised and turned it into national…
This is the time for all those frustrated and/or disillusioned lefties to come back to the Labour fold.
Do you want to change the economic order?
Do you want to shrink the gap between the low-tax paying well to do and the highly-taxed PAYE worker?
Do you want to see export led growth in well paid jobs?
Get behind the Labour Party. Call on Cunliffe to put himself forward.
The NSA & Director of National Inteligence issue a rare joint statement debunking yesterday’s Wall Street Journal report on Section 702 collection
Press reports Based on an article in today’s Wall Street Journal mischaracterize aspects of activities conducted under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The NSA does not sift through and have unfettered access to 75% of the United States’ online communications.
The following are the facts . . .
http://www.nsa.gov/public_info/_files/speeches_testimonies/2013_08_21_Joint_Statement_ODNI_NSA.pdf
The Labour Party don’t seem to get it …
Tim Barnett was talking on Morning Report with Geoff-the-aran-sweater-Robinson.
Robinson “John Key says the Labour Party is a deeply divided party.”
Barnett responded with a denial and a long diatribe.
One day we will get the leadership of the party responding to such a comment from Key with a straight forward response… something like, “Yeah, well he would say that, wouldn’t he!”
…or Mrs Collins and Mrs Tolley speaking out about civil liberties and being slapped down by Mr Key looks quite divisive too.
Please not Little, I nearly fell asleep listening to him on TV3 the other day and he is too easy a target because of his union background.
My biggest hope is that Mallard is shown the back benches, and is given a hint or 3 that it’s not necessary to put his name forward next year. Along with Goff, King, Fa Foi, and Hipkins. The ABC club needs to learn that they are not the be all, and end all of he Labour Party. Unfortunately, they have been damaging the Labour brand for years. This needs to stop NOW!
“Barnett responded with a denial and a long diatribe.”
sigh.
“haha look John Key can say what he likes, but if he spent a bit more time on his portfolios and a bit less reciting Bob Hope jokes he wouldn’t have a 100% pure gcsb shambles on his plate”
Right on PB @ 3 and Logie 97 @ 8 above !
It was delightful to see the noisy fool Potty Gower ignored by Shearer as he left Parliament yesterday, as much as that was perfectly understandable in the moment. In contrast Robertson fell over his words just a little in response to said noisy fool.
The likes of Gower are positively fizzing at the moment. It’s Christmas time for them in the “look at me” stakes. Let their odious gases float off into the ether. And when that frustrates them to the point of childish rancour……..smash them with a few well conceived words.
I mean there’s no profound depth or grey matter there. Their callow vanity is their chink. Rise above !
f.w.i.w…from a non-insiders’ point of view..
..i want cunnliffe as leader..and ardern as his deputy..
..(i see them as the most effective pairing..and the one that will appeal most to most of the electorate..)
..and that there be no revenge-moves against any losing faction..
..the likes of shearer/robertson need front-bench roles..
..and internicine-warfare will guarantee defeat..
..and a third-term for key..
..and as a country/people..
..we can’t afford that..
phillip ure..
An Ardern Cunliffe dou would help achieve the objective of uniting the party and winning the 2014 election.
So would Louisa Wall (who actually won an electorate) and Sue Moroney (who actually won an electorate) and many other Labour women.
Ardern, like Jones and Little, never won an electorate. IMO they are second class MPs.
Ardern, like Jones, has not won the hearts and minds of the Party Membership: they both decided that the way up the Labour ladder was to play the Caucus insider game.
Ardern has a very aloof manner when she fleetingly attends membership gigs. Auckland Central is not coming back to Labour soon unless she changes her game.
Ardern needs to develop a little humility, show respect to the membership and earn her stripes.
Sue Moroney lost by 4500 votes to Tim Macindoe.
Macindoe is Ham West I think. Sue ran against Bennett on the East side.
But anyway it’s Hamilton bro, you could stick a blue rosette on a retarded scarecrow and win, (which, funnily enough, is exactly what National did in both cases.)
Not sure where you get that from, both Hamilton East and Hamilton West have had a roughly equal number of Labour and National winners:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamilton_East_(New_Zealand_electorate)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamilton_West_(New_Zealand_electorate)
Moroney has actually had a go at both of these (Ham West in 2011 and East in 2008).
Louisa Wall won a seat. She sold gay marriage to a majority conservative government. Not only that, she did it with grace and class. Move her up in the next shuffle at the very least.
Not sure if this was a reply to me or not. Anyhow, I don’t put much weight on the fact that Louisa Wall won a seat. The Manurewa seat would be one of Labour’s safest seats in the country so would not have required anything from her to win it.
However, I agree with the comment about gay marriage she has rightly got a lot of credit for that and she definitely deserves rewards for it.
She also sold the Bill to a lot of social and religious conservatives in her own electorate. Not an easy thing to do, and not that she convinced everyone, but people knew that she listened to them and did so seriously.
Last night I had a strange dream.
Helen Kelly was elected Labour leader and was parachuted into the Christchurch East electorate. Probably won’t happen but isn’t it about time she moved into Parliament?
Presumably she will if and when she wants to and can get a selection (none of these things are givens).
In the meantime as a word of caution, please remember that she is an author here, and I have this thing about protecting site authors that is expressed in the policy.
In this if’ness scenario… If she does get elected and goes into parliament, then she will no longer be writing here as a site author. How could she bear to give that up (oh and maybe the union work as well) 😈
All I can say is it worked well for Bob Hawke. I think there should be space for “captain’s picks” every now and then.
An openly gay woman winning a seat in a Christian dominated electorate was no mean feat.
Christchurch East isn’t Christian dominated. Christchurch Central elected a gay M.P. several times, then kicked out his hetero replacement. It is, however, one of the most deprived electorates outside South Auckland (It also has some wealthy areas further north). Any good Labour candidate should be able to win here, it is just a matter of getting out the vote.
weren’t we talking about Wall and Manurewa???
Thought we were talking about Moroney and Ham East…
Yeah this thread has jumped quite a bit randomly.
Anyway fair point Tracey, I do still think that it wouldn’t matter who Labour stood in that seat they would win it, but it probably would have been harder for Louisa Wall compared to many other candidates.
2 gigantic old fuckwits on radio nz right now.
good to hear they are backing cunliffe at least.
Haha Richard Prebble thinks Robertson will be the next leader! What an endorsement!
(:-)
All we need now is the head of the Business Roundtable and the NBR to chime in with their picks!
Phil O’Reilly will speak soon I am sure.
What Prebble or Bassett or Whaleoil or DPF or any right-wing commentators say should of course be completely ignored. The opposite of what they are saying is probably a good idea.
How would doing the opposite of what they say constitute ignoring them?
Helen Kelly on RadioNZ, ‘ the Union Affiliates will use their vote to elect the Labour Leader they think has the best chance of winning the 2014 election’,
Good skills Helen, my pick to achieve that goal would be a Cunliffe/Robertson leadership, they are Labour’s best performers in the House…
On RadioNZ right now, Labour’s Shane Jones, ‘scratch’ him from your race card people He has just said He doesn’t see Himself as Party leader…
there’s a relief
LOLZ, for relief contact Shane he is said to be expert in the field…
Ok. The site looks stressed but stable. But there isn’t much spare CPU available to cope with peaks.
I’ll put another server on line between now and tomorrow sometime to spread the load when the site peaks up. Or increase the amount of CPU this one can access. I’d better head to work.
I suspect that we are going to need it
Thanks for keeping her ticking over LPrent. I suspect it’s going to get significantly and progressivley busier the closer we get to the election.
Am still getting ‘Your access to this site has been limited’ messages.
Ditto for me. Seems pretty aggressive, too – I can only open one page every few seconds.
My thanks, also, for keeping the site up and running. I actually the site was served from CloudFlare or some sort of similar CDN? There were international traffic issues, if I recall…
It had to be when we were serving hundreds of pages per minute (usually we peak at 50)and getting arbitrary spiking. The problem is that the site is highly dynamic. So a CDN serves the statics like graphics. But the index and post pages have to be calculated.
But it is now the weekend and I have some time to deal with the peak situations that showed during the GCSB and resignation. So I will ramp servers up and relax it.
Isn’t this the real target??
“Australia has old-fashioned union arrangements and needs “a dose of Margaret Thatcher,” says Mark Adamson, the British chief executive of Fletcher Building.
On a media call following the release of Fletcher’s annual profit, Adamson said he had been “amazed” at both the level of salaries and inefficiencies in Australia. He took the top job at Fletcher last October, having run the company’s Laminex & Panels division, based in the US.”
“Telecom says it will keep cutting costs, as it this morning reported an earnings lift in a year where it laid off more than 1200 workers. ‘ With a smile and a cheer from CEO and shareholders.
What a sanctimonious lackey of the 0.1%. Doesn’t even mind stating baldly that he wants to thieve from his workers to give to the elite.
Go long guillotine manufacturers, I say.
better to squabble about who gets promoted by their choice of new leader though.
Grant Robertson as Labour leader?
NO FUCKING WAY.
This is nothing to do with him being gay BTW, although the local Taliban might get their rocks off running a smear campaign, and Colin Craig might have a crack at picking up a few PI votes.
GR is more at home in a Newtown cafe rather than a workingman’s club in Wainiuiomata or a state housing suburb in Otara.
Cometh the hour, cometh the man. David Cunliffe is the only pick. With Little as deputy, the dour enforcer, smashing all opposition to trade unions.
GR of course would be useful in Tertiary Education, and Shearer would tackle the foreign affairs portfolio, with his experience with the UN.
It very much looks like that this will be a defining moment in the history of the Labour Party, where Rogernomics and Third-way Blarism give way to a new 21st century socialism.
He and others need to learn patience. There is almost no job worth having that you didn’t work hard to get to and put in the time.
I bump into heaps of young lawyers, who think they are worth more than $75k per year… after 3 years in the job. Bide your time, learn, experience, and become better for it.
Lolz, and you are of course telling us that Dave Cunliffe is right at home in the Otara HousingNZ estate,
That’s one hell of a laugh, as part of the ‘other Dave campaign’ a while back someone put up a video of Dave Cunliffe campaigning in South Auckland at the 2011 election, off the back of a flatbed truck with a loud hailer Dave’s contribution made me cringe,
Yelling at the mostly brown faces about what National was going to do ‘to them’ i could almost see those little cartoon bubbles above the heads of His audience flashing in concert a collective ‘WTF’,
Not once did Dave Cunliffe promise even 1 extra State House for these people, the last to be hired and the first to be fired, what was Labour going to accomplish for those people of South Auckland, well from what that particular speech to the crowd promised the answer was Nothing, simply trying to use fear as a tactic to leverage votes was in that particular piece of electioneering the stuff of ‘lead balloons’
You seem to be suggesting here that Grant Robertson, when not involved with the machiavellian smoke and mirrors of politics simply hob-nobs it with the Haves, this is far from the true picture as i KNOW that Robertson is active right across His electorate from the Soup Kitchen, to the Town Hall, to the Night Shelter, i have bumped into Him in all three of those places,
Casting aspersions as what you have done which intend to show Robertson as some form of ‘snob politician’ is taking politics down to a petty level,
Having said all of that, i have a strong belief that Cunliffe and Robertson should both stand for the leadership of the Labour Party so as to allow everyone to see democracy in action, i further believe that whoever of those 2 should win should offer the Deputy position to the runner
up,
“and you are of course telling us that Dave Cunliffe is right at home in the Otara HousingNZ estate,
That’s one hell of a laugh ……”, this from Bad12.
Well – I have news for you, Bad12. David Cunliffe IS right at home with state housing low income people.
I watched him give a straight-forward down-to-earth clear presentation of the country’s economic state and what could be done about it to an audience of low income, state housing residents (mostly Maori) in a low decile area of Whangarei. They lapped it up. They understood him,.
They asked him questions ….. and they wanted more. They kept asking the school principal where the meeting had been held for weeks afterwards if that David Cunliffe would come back again to explain more details. You cannot buy that sort of testimony, and of course absolutely no-one from the media (let alone rightwing MSM) were there to witness it. But it happened.
Cunliffe has the ability to reach out to people, and at the same time he’s quick, articulate, and can foot it with someone as slippery as John Key.
Which just goes to show you that no-one is all good or all bad, but, the video from the 2011election certainly in my opinion highlighted Dave Cunliffe in less than a good light,
We are yet to see if that last bit is simply an urban myth Jenny Kirk, only time will tell if David Cunliffe can truly kick the shine of the Slippery little shyster Key…
cunnliffe + robertson – cunnliffe + little – cunnliffe + ardern..
..they all work for me..
..phillip ure..
From The Guardian:
“American soldier formerly known as Bradley issues statement saying he hopes to begin hormone therapy as soon as possible”
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/22/bradley-manning-woman-chelsea-gender-reassignment
National. Time for a change.
A change of credit downgrade from A+A+ to AA.
National. A brighter future.
Climate change resulting in more sunny days.
National. ABC, (Anyone but Collins). ABk, (Anyone but key).
Although it was inevitable I’m wondering how any new on-line ID system would work.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/08/22/huffington-post-ends-commenter-anonymity-because-trolls-are-getting-more-aggressive/
Chris Slane cartoons (@Slanecartoons): Dirty Pipes
David Shearer’s Resignation – The Opera
Hi
Ever since the recent upgrade my ipad always defaults to the mobile view. Can this be changed or something. I just use safari. I have to scroll to the bottom of the page and choose desktop view.
Is anyone else having this?
Turei: Govt ignored warning
And National is proved to have ignored the facts and thus will be causing massive harm to people.
I am a bit intrigued by this one, Rafael Correa, Presidente del Equador, admittedly a hero to protect Julian Assange, but not a hero for press freedom. But hey, here he is singing along Quilapayun from Chile. I wonder how sincere that is, but then again, I will not endeavour to prejudice.
The world is changing every day, in and out, so prepare for surprises.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNdn_l05I4o
Viva Chile, viva el libertad!
Viva la revolution, viva el chile – y el continente de sudamerica!