Tactical! How would that be considering his holding cabinet positions along with leadership of NZ’s oldest political party?
Are you suggesting he wants to distance himself from his past? Or does Labour want to distance itself from Goff’s past?
Generally speaking, the major political parties don’t stand candidates under the party name in local government elections. National have C&R in Ak and Labour have endorsed various coalitions and independents over the years.
In the Whau Ward last election, the incumbent piece of Tory sludge was beaten by Ross Clow.
Ross proudly stood under a Labour brand. That meant he could call on all the ground troops from New Lynn, Mt Roskill, and Kelston to get those voting papers in.
In the final week that papers were due, they went door to door. They got those papers to the libraries.
Why? Polling would have been conducted over 10 days or so and if historical patterns were followed would have finished last Wednesday. Few of the people polled would have seen Key’s appalling behaviour. Given other recent events the poll results ought to have National very afraid.
it does not matter at all this poll, like the last one does not matter
But interestingly enough, the last Poll had the National Party down, and this Poll has the Leader of the National Party down.
By the time the next poll arrives, and I am sure of this, John Key will have found another group to insult and malign, as he can’t help himself. He seems to me to be a very unpleasant fellow and seems to get more and more unpleasant by the day. Higher Office does not suit him.
In the meantime, drip drip drip…..and the buckets gets fuller by the day. Its gonna be a fun time till 2017.
first we do 2017 and then 2020. Never celebrate before you have won PR, you might find humblepie not to your liking.
So why not just lean back and enjoy the spectacle 🙂 after all its just our country that is done over, so really no hard feelings ey 🙂
Tracey most people are not competent to have a view on the merits of the TPP. Of course New Zealand will ratify it. There is alternative. You are deluded for thinking otherwise.
Actually, I’m pretty sure that most people are and the people who say that most people aren’t are the people who aren’t competent enough to have a say.
The Natz are the least competent managers ever! 7 budget deficits in a row, 11 million is Saudi bribes and the million dollar Sky City convention centre corporate welfare, the list is so extensive of incompetence so long, I can not be bothered repeating…
Yes – from a high of mid-40s, ShonKey’s rating has been dripping downwards …. and its not anything much that Labour is doing – plodding along quietly and gaining traction – but its ShonKey’s own behaviour . Maybe people are finally waking up to his sycophantic fawning and getting tired of it.
In the last few days i have heard of two people being diagnosed with cancer. One is early stage and with a mastectomy there is a chance of survival the other one is a stage 4 terminal cancer. I am sure all their families will appreciate to know that their loved ones are still expected to find a job in order to get a ‘benefit’, lest they abuse the system.
It is these little tweaks to the welfare state that went under the radar and seem to be bubbling up now. People having to raise funds for cancer treatment, as there is no guarantee anymore here in NZ that a. they will get timely help with waiting lists and the like, and b. that they will be allowed to die in dignity without have to eat humble pie every four weeks in front of a dis-interested WINZ drone. Eventually all the cuts to services and welfare benefits will come home to people that previously would have never thought that they might be in need of these services and/or benefits.
Yeah it like watching another McDonalds go up at about 1.5 mil and you think of where that money could have gone to alleviate the suffering caused by all the crap in their low grade plastic food
The immorality of it really is beyond redemption
nope, the bubble heads that are the media know that their pay cheque depends on them not being too interested in anything but to be good stenographers.
I really believe that a lot of the cuts that were supposed to only hit the un-deserving ‘welfare blugers’ are now hitting those that consider themselves to be deserving of welfare.
I.e. the terminally ill that have to go to their doctors and prove they are still dying.
the ‘Solo’ Parents that have lost their partners in mine accidents, road accidents, and to illness to just name a few and that are now learning that there is no widowers benefit anymore, and they too need to get a job – somewhere – so they can pay for child care and maybe get a benefit, bugger the welfare of the children.
The ones that need knee surgery but can’t get it because of our underfunded Health system, and that eventually get bumped of the waiting list altogether.
The ones that have to watch their children trying to find jobs and houses elsewhere because they can’t afford houses in AKL and certain other places in NZ. They are no waking up because the kids moving away means they are not only loosing out on the kids, but also the grand children. Suddenly the ‘if they can;t afford it they can just move away’ is not that sexy anymore.
I have been hearing a lot of that lately. What goes around comes around. And it is now hitting the nicer suburbs, and it is hitting those that have jobs and pay taxes. And it hits and hurts them just as much.
“Guest host Mike Papantonio is in for Thom Hartmann tonight and discusses Trump’s “fascist” comments about Muslims with The Trial Lawyer Magazine’s Farron Cousins, why it’s important to reinstate Glass-Steagall with the Campaign for America’s Future Richard Eskow, how Exxon funded ALEC’s climate change denial program with the Center for Media and Democracy’s Brendan Fischer, and how to fix America’s runaway inequality with journalist and author Les Leopold.”
I thought that too. Lets encourage the US to do it on all presidenial candidates to measure their honesty/trust for the highest job. You first Mr Chump.
Where does current Labour Party MP – ‘Independent’ 2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate Phil Goff stand on Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) – particularly for water services?
Penny Bright
Genuinely and fiercely INDEPENDENT 2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
“He’s just very very upset with what’s going on at the moment.”
The Pope’s highly selective, therefore propagandist, expression of Christmas gloom Morning Report, RNZ National, Monday 23 November, 8:45 a.m.
There have been terrible atrocities in Europe, the Middle East and Africa recently. Apparently they make Pope Francis “very very upset”. Oddly, however, when he recently sermonized about the atrocities that make him “very very upset”, he offered as examples the killings in Paris, Lebanon and Mali. He apparently forgot to mention the sustained bombing of Kunduz Hospital, the daily terror inflicted on the people in the Occupied Territories of the West Bank and Gaza, and the massive, illegal, flagrant programme of drone killings carried out in Yemen and Afghanistan.
However, when you consider the insalubrious company he’s been keeping recently [1] and recall his highly questionable behaviour during the Argentine dictatorship [2] perhaps it should come as no surprise that His Holiness has chosen to speak so selectively. …..
SUSIE FERGUSON: With Christmas little more than a month away, the Pope has sounded a gloomy note, describing this year’s Christmas celebrations as “empty”. Even as the Christmas tree was being erected at the Vatican, the Pope said lights, parties and nativity scenes of the season were a charade, with so much war and hate. With us now is our Rome correspondent Sabina Castelfranco. Hi there Sabina.
SABINA CASTELFRANCO: Hello there. He’s called it a “charade” during a sermon this week in which he reflected on the recent atrocities in the world. Uh, what happened in Paris, what happened in, uh, Lebanon, what happened in, ahh, in Mali, he’s just very very upset with what’s going on at the moment.
SUSIE FERGUSON: So some of these, ahhh, some of these comments that he actually made, uh, seeming very very downbeat. Is that in itself a surprise?
SABINA CASTELFRANCO: You know what, it isn’t a real surprise. I think this is a Pope that’s very frank about how he feels, and he’s really saying, y’know, this is not going to be a Christmas of lights, and a Christmas of enjoyment and a Christmas of entertainment. You know, he said we should ask for the grace to weep for this world, uh, which doesn’t recognise the path to peace. Umm, he said God is weeping and Jesus is weeping and he said this at his morning mass at Santa Marta which is the mass he holds every morning inside the Vatican, so he’s very concerned about the situation and he thinks that this is not going to be a Christmas like other Christmases, basically.
SUSIE FERGUSON: Now as for how these comments then have been received, what are people saying?
SABINA CASTELFRANCO: Well I think people in St Peter’s Square are saying that they’re seeing a lot of security and they’re feeling comforted by the security, ummm, y’know, there’s two thousand extra policemen on the road, extra security guards, including army, in Rome. So people are feeling comforted about this but, y’know, something can happen any time, I mean this is a very difficult time in Rome, at the Vatican, and I think people just don’t know what’s gonna happen but want to try and lead their lives as if nothing were different.
SUSIE FERGUSON: Thank you very much for your time, Sabina Castelfranco, joining us from Rome.
Morrissey what is your point?
The Pope isn’t gloomy enough?
Should recite a more complete list of atrocities in the world?
Or you want him to lighten up and down the egg nog?
What would you like?
My problem is with his highly political choice of atrocities.
3.) Should recite a more complete list of atrocities in the world?
Yes. His Holiness focused on a select few, ignoring the far more numerous atrocities inflicted by, funded by, and diplomatically supported by, the United States and the United Kingdom.
4.) Or you want him to lighten up and down the egg nog?
What would you like?
I’d like a Pope who spoke forthrightly and honestly, and didn’t tailor his message in order to avoid political condemnation by the right wing media attack machine.
IMO Morrissey should receive a moderation warning for this. This silly style of ‘cat and mouse’ refusing to answer simple straight forward questions only leads to flaming.
Perhaps it might be worth going back to a more detailed report of what the pope said. It seems to me that he was doing more than condemning “useless slaughters.”
To quote the man himself: “What shall remain? Ruins, thousands of children without education, so many innocent victims: and lots of money in the pockets of arms dealers. Jesus once said: ‘You can not serve two masters: either God or riches.’ War is the right choice for him, who would serve wealth: ‘Let us build weapons, so that the economy will right itself somewhat, and let us go forward in pursuit of our interests. There is an ugly word the Lord spoke: ‘Cursed!’ Because He said: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers!.’ The men who work war, who make war, are cursed, they are criminals. A war can be justified – so to speak – with many, many reasons, but when all the world as it is today, at war – piecemeal though that war may be – a little here, a little there, and everywhere – there is no justification – and God weeps. Jesus weeps.” http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-the-lord-weeps-for-the-sins-of-a-worl
You’ve made some very good points, my friend. I am probably being overly harsh in my judgement of the Pope. No matter what he says, his words are going to be either ignored or distorted by the de facto government media in the United States. The same thing happened to Nelson Mandela and Malala Yousafzai,
These ‘stakeholder banks’ are owned by the members (cooperatives) or held in public trust (savings banks). They aim to support their customers and the regions where they lend rather than deliver double digit returns to their shareholders.
Academic research shows that stakeholder banks maintained their lending during the 2007-08 crisis in contrast to shareholder banks. It was the shift towards meeting the needs of shareholders over stakeholders that led banks into increasingly risky activities such as mortgage securitisation.
Shareholders = bludgers
And these bludgers are destroying our economy and our world so as to get unearned income.
Quote: BEIJING—Chinese police announced a crackdown on an illegal foreign-exchange network that it said handled up to $64 billion in transactions.
According to a report by police in Jinhua, a city of five million people in eastern Zhejiang province, the network involved hundreds of people in eight separate “gangs” working out of more than two dozen “criminal dens.” The operation routed money through hundreds of accounts held at financial institutions in China and Hong Kong to evade restrictions on moving currency outside the country, it said.
According to recent state media accounts and a detailed police report released Friday, police launched its crackdown on the network on Dec. 15, 2014, after months of investigation. It was unclear why the clampdown was only being disclosed now.
The official People’s Daily newspaper said 69 people had been criminally charged and another 203 people had been given administrative sanctions.
The amount of money involved, up to 410 billion yuan ($64.25 billion) in cross-border transactions, raised questions among some analysts about China’s supervision of money outflows. “The fact that multiple real banks were involved raises questions about oversight. They’ve just allowed $64 billion to leave the country without knowing,” said Fraser Howie, coauthor of “Red Capitalism: The Fragile Financial Foundation of China’s Extraordinary Rise.”
i have no idea where it goes and i don’t actually care, i just find it hilarious that a totalitarian state like China gets bested by the banks.
No matter how many they arrest, this will continue, and the speculators regardless of ethnicity will always find a way to park their money, it is up to he other countries of the world to implement rules and regulations to protect their countries.. Alas, our free market tosser is only getting up more rules and regulations for us.
Well quite frankly New Zealand political parties on the Left should care, as should ALL New Zealanders …when there is an acute housing shortage in New Zealand due to scarce New Zealand housing being bought off shore
…. and there are many New Zealand families going homeless because of this housing shortage
I know all of this. But frankly the problem is not migrants that want to come here and live, for what its worth, the problem is that we have a government that does not want to regulate the flow of migrants into this country, the problem is that we allow people to migrate here on ‘purpose to invest’ but that then actually don’t live here, nor pay taxes, the problem is that we allow people to buy a ‘residence’ permit under rather ‘spurious’ investments schemes.
The people that want to come and live and work here are not the problem, so pretending it is does not help.
The main issue that I have with our current housing problem is that our current government is hellbent on selling state houses and / or letting them fall into disrepair to the point where knocking them down is the only option.
The other issue that i have with our current and previous government is that they rather pay a ‘accommodation subsidy’ to Landlords instead of building new houses, or letting the market ‘regulate itself’.
Keeping our existing State House Stock in good shape, building new State Houses to keep up with demand and doing away with the ‘Accommodation Benefits for Landlords’ would go a long way in addressing our Housing Issues. Non of these things have anything to do with Migrants.
But then we can’t have the market regulate itself, that would be to the detriment of a handful of large scale landlord and Kiwi Mom and Pop Landlords, who, while they charge exuberant rent for their ‘investment’ properties, have yet to come to understand that they are pricing their children and grand children out of the market.
@DTB…re banks … On the Keiser Report this is interesting….Max interviews chartered accountant, tax justice campaigner, professor and Jeremy Corbyn’s informal adviser, Richard Murphy
In this episode of the Keiser Report, Max Keiser and Stacy Herbert discuss the balance of payments crisis on the horizon as share buybacks trump capital expenditure and the income stream from privatized industries heads overseas.
In the second half, Max interviews chartered accountant, tax justice campaigner, professor and definitely not Jeremy Corbyn’s paid adviser, Richard Murphy, about a town in Wales going ‘offshore’ as part of a tax campaign to force the government to make multinationals pay their share of taxes.
Yeah I was in transit. Lyn was in Amsterdam. Looks like it was a hot day yesterday and the system didn’t like the temperatures in a locked up apartment.
My time in Hong Kong consisted of running several kilometres to catch the connecting flight after the plane departed Frankfurt late due to de-icing. So I didn’t even get a chance to read my mail let alone the site.
Thanks rocky….
Now I need a shower and some clean clothes after nearly 36 hours of flying from Innsbruck and driving up from Italy. I don’t want to sit down. My arse feels like it has been glued to too many seats.
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Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
The protest outside the White House correspondents’ dinner hotel. Image: Anatolu video screenshot APR More than two dozen Palestinian journalists had called for a boycott of the dinner, writing an open letter urging their American colleagues not to attend. “You have a unique responsibility to speak truth to power and ...
“Our exporters should, therefore, be deeply concerned that the Fast-track Approvals Bill was not assessed for consistency with any of our free trade commitments prior to being introduced to the House,” says Gary Taylor, Chief Executive of the Environmental ...
NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff is calling on all political parties to support the new Member’s Bill from Labour’s workplace relations and safety spokesperson Camilla Belich MP that would ensure negligent companies are held accountable when their employees ...
A historian with an uncanny track record of predicting US election winners tells RNZ's Sunday Morning that President Biden looks to be on track for another term, but things could still go very wrong for him. ...
A historian with a track record of predicting US election winners tells RNZ's Sunday Morning that President Biden looks to be on track for another term, but things could still go wrong for him. ...
Ngaio Marsh House is one of Christchurch’s best kept secrets – and contains more than a few mysteries of its own.Trust Ngaio Marsh to leave more than a few mysteries scattered through her house long after her departure. For a start, there’s the curious concrete portal in the garden, ...
Appointment viewing has been lost to the mists of time, but memories of Montana Sunday Theatre can still be conjured by hitting play on a particular piece of classical music. “You’re not going to be able to sell it.” Over 30 years on, Karen Bieleski still recalls how the task ...
Performance Review King Luxon sat behind His massive polished oak desk. It is Performance Review time. There is a knock on the door. “Enter!” says the King. In steps Minister of Disabilities and Carer Pedicures, Penny Simmonds. “I can explain everything …” she begins. “Fine,” says King Luxon, pressing the ...
The pair opened their first fully collaborative exhibition, Nina for Flowers, last Saturday. Gabi Lardies visited their studio to find out who Nina is and what working together was like.‘It didn’t start out like, ‘This is a show about Nina,’” says Josephine Jelicich, gripping a thermos of peppermint tea. ...
Thank you, Dr Maximilian Oskar Bircher-Benner, for your brilliant invention. I’m another mid-20s Kiwi who had an OE last year. I hopped on my bicycle where France meets the Atlantic and cycled east. I pedalled through the Loire Valley, down rivers lined with willows and ancient wisteria-draped chateaus. I relished ...
Asia Pacific Report From France to Australia, university pro-Palestine protests in the United States have now spread to several countries with students pitching on-campus camps. And students at Columbia and other US universities remain defiant as campuses have witnessed the biggest protests since the anti-Vietnam war and anti-apartheid eras in ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)New Zealand Government’s Fast Track legislation. Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government ...
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...
Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julien Cooper, Honorary Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Julien Cooper The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new ...
The sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign ...
The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
Rock The Vote NZ, known for its advocacy for minor party unity and its role within the Freedoms NZ Coalition during the 2023 General Election, celebrates this merger as a strategic enhancement of its operational strength and outreach. ...
Why would Goff stand for the Auckland mayoralty as an independent candidate considering his life-long commitment to the Labour Party?
Possibly tactical given the dirty politics that will continue to be played.
goffs experience with that aspect of nationals campaigning during the 2011 election will serve him well, all the best phil.
Tactical! How would that be considering his holding cabinet positions along with leadership of NZ’s oldest political party?
Are you suggesting he wants to distance himself from his past? Or does Labour want to distance itself from Goff’s past?
Generally speaking, the major political parties don’t stand candidates under the party name in local government elections. National have C&R in Ak and Labour have endorsed various coalitions and independents over the years.
I believe that’s changing though, particularly with recent news that National are starting to organise in Auckland for council seats etc.
That seriously needs to change.
In the Whau Ward last election, the incumbent piece of Tory sludge was beaten by Ross Clow.
Ross proudly stood under a Labour brand. That meant he could call on all the ground troops from New Lynn, Mt Roskill, and Kelston to get those voting papers in.
In the final week that papers were due, they went door to door. They got those papers to the libraries.
Ross Clow won by around 100 votes.
Labour works. Team Labour wins local elections.
Cos he isnt really a Left wing politician… and this way the right and left voters can both think he is neutral…
I for one think it is more honezt than he has been for years. Now if he would just resign from parliament too.
Oh dear, another bad nights sleep for the left after so much expectation……..
http://www.3news.co.nz/nznews/national-still-ahead-in-polls-despite-rapist-remarks-2015112217#axzz3sFF10RuJ
Have you ever built a dam of sand and watched it , first I drip ,then a trickle, then the front collapses in a flash.
Why? Polling would have been conducted over 10 days or so and if historical patterns were followed would have finished last Wednesday. Few of the people polled would have seen Key’s appalling behaviour. Given other recent events the poll results ought to have National very afraid.
it does not matter at all this poll, like the last one does not matter
But interestingly enough, the last Poll had the National Party down, and this Poll has the Leader of the National Party down.
By the time the next poll arrives, and I am sure of this, John Key will have found another group to insult and malign, as he can’t help himself. He seems to me to be a very unpleasant fellow and seems to get more and more unpleasant by the day. Higher Office does not suit him.
In the meantime, drip drip drip…..and the buckets gets fuller by the day. Its gonna be a fun time till 2017.
+100…polls are not worth worrying about at this stage ….and they are deeply sus
Its gonna be a fun time till 2017. I think you’ll find it’ll be 2020 🙂
first we do 2017 and then 2020. Never celebrate before you have won PR, you might find humblepie not to your liking.
So why not just lean back and enjoy the spectacle 🙂 after all its just our country that is done over, so really no hard feelings ey 🙂
Oh dear, schadenfreude.
Except Tory won’t join us here for the celebration when NZ finishes turning on the worm he so admires.
A bad night’s sleep for the country – as long as people like you are willing to wreck it.
Given your adherence to polls, when will you call for National to not ratify the TPP given only 35% want it?
Tracey most people are not competent to have a view on the merits of the TPP. Of course New Zealand will ratify it. There is alternative. You are deluded for thinking otherwise.
Actually, I’m pretty sure that most people are and the people who say that most people aren’t are the people who aren’t competent enough to have a say.
The Natz are the least competent managers ever! 7 budget deficits in a row, 11 million is Saudi bribes and the million dollar Sky City convention centre corporate welfare, the list is so extensive of incompetence so long, I can not be bothered repeating…
That’s not really a list of incompetence but of corruption.
Yes – from a high of mid-40s, ShonKey’s rating has been dripping downwards …. and its not anything much that Labour is doing – plodding along quietly and gaining traction – but its ShonKey’s own behaviour . Maybe people are finally waking up to his sycophantic fawning and getting tired of it.
In the last few days i have heard of two people being diagnosed with cancer. One is early stage and with a mastectomy there is a chance of survival the other one is a stage 4 terminal cancer. I am sure all their families will appreciate to know that their loved ones are still expected to find a job in order to get a ‘benefit’, lest they abuse the system.
It is these little tweaks to the welfare state that went under the radar and seem to be bubbling up now. People having to raise funds for cancer treatment, as there is no guarantee anymore here in NZ that a. they will get timely help with waiting lists and the like, and b. that they will be allowed to die in dignity without have to eat humble pie every four weeks in front of a dis-interested WINZ drone. Eventually all the cuts to services and welfare benefits will come home to people that previously would have never thought that they might be in need of these services and/or benefits.
Drip drip drip. And then the bucket is full.
Yeah it like watching another McDonalds go up at about 1.5 mil and you think of where that money could have gone to alleviate the suffering caused by all the crap in their low grade plastic food
The immorality of it really is beyond redemption
and perhaps the media are getting bored and want a new game?
nope, the bubble heads that are the media know that their pay cheque depends on them not being too interested in anything but to be good stenographers.
I really believe that a lot of the cuts that were supposed to only hit the un-deserving ‘welfare blugers’ are now hitting those that consider themselves to be deserving of welfare.
I.e. the terminally ill that have to go to their doctors and prove they are still dying.
the ‘Solo’ Parents that have lost their partners in mine accidents, road accidents, and to illness to just name a few and that are now learning that there is no widowers benefit anymore, and they too need to get a job – somewhere – so they can pay for child care and maybe get a benefit, bugger the welfare of the children.
The ones that need knee surgery but can’t get it because of our underfunded Health system, and that eventually get bumped of the waiting list altogether.
The ones that have to watch their children trying to find jobs and houses elsewhere because they can’t afford houses in AKL and certain other places in NZ. They are no waking up because the kids moving away means they are not only loosing out on the kids, but also the grand children. Suddenly the ‘if they can;t afford it they can just move away’ is not that sexy anymore.
I have been hearing a lot of that lately. What goes around comes around. And it is now hitting the nicer suburbs, and it is hitting those that have jobs and pay taxes. And it hits and hurts them just as much.
The USA really is an extremist state heading rapidly towards full blown fascism along the lines of 1930’s Germany.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/74291560/us-presidential-hopeful-trump-would-absolutely-bring-back-waterboarding
Ignore at your peril
Like so many in Europe and the UK did in the 1930s.
Eh.
Not really happening is it.
Like it wasn’t happening in 1930s Germany. Nup
And Trump supporters are brownshirt thugs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6sZeJ8Wk6w
http://mediamatters.org/video/2015/11/22/fox-amp-friends-hosts-have-no-reaction-to-donal/207018
and one more link on that bastard fascist Trump
‘Donald Trump goes ‘full fascist’ ”
https://www.rt.com/shows/big-picture/322978-trump-muslims-comment-climate/
“Guest host Mike Papantonio is in for Thom Hartmann tonight and discusses Trump’s “fascist” comments about Muslims with The Trial Lawyer Magazine’s Farron Cousins, why it’s important to reinstate Glass-Steagall with the Campaign for America’s Future Richard Eskow, how Exxon funded ALEC’s climate change denial program with the Center for Media and Democracy’s Brendan Fischer, and how to fix America’s runaway inequality with journalist and author Les Leopold.”
“The technique, seen by many as torture…”
What on earth is Stuff doing printing this sentence about the use of waterboarding? It is torture.
I thought that too. Lets encourage the US to do it on all presidenial candidates to measure their honesty/trust for the highest job. You first Mr Chump.
Another one.
Crooks and Liars
@crooksandliars
Ben Carson Equates Being Against Waterboarding With ‘Political Correctness’ http://ift.tt/1T8nlcZ
https://twitter.com/crooksandliars/status/668493772603432960
#TrumpIsAFa**ist
The whole American presidential thing is just unbelievable
They are on another planet – unfortunately it happens to be the one we are on too
21st century Know-Nothings.
https://news.vice.com/article/gun-toting-protesters-held-a-rally-against-islamization-outside-a-texas-mosque?utm_source=vicenewstwitter
Beware the ‘weasel words’?
Where does current Labour Party MP – ‘Independent’ 2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate Phil Goff stand on Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) – particularly for water services?
Penny Bright
Genuinely and fiercely INDEPENDENT 2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
Good questions, Penny. I’ve got a few for you.
Where do you stand on climate change? Is it real? Is it man made? What should we do about it?
Come on Penny. I’m interested to know your answer’s.
Cynical fuck says terror attacks a positive development.
AdamWeinstein
This Rubio gaffe is not a gaffe, but the consequence of habitually treating terrorism & natsec as spectator sports. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92YInDPydnk&feature=youtu.be&app=desktop …
https://twitter.com/AdamWeinstein/status/668503088131608576
“He’s just very very upset with what’s going on at the moment.”
The Pope’s highly selective, therefore propagandist, expression of Christmas gloom
Morning Report, RNZ National, Monday 23 November, 8:45 a.m.
There have been terrible atrocities in Europe, the Middle East and Africa recently. Apparently they make Pope Francis “very very upset”. Oddly, however, when he recently sermonized about the atrocities that make him “very very upset”, he offered as examples the killings in Paris, Lebanon and Mali. He apparently forgot to mention the sustained bombing of Kunduz Hospital, the daily terror inflicted on the people in the Occupied Territories of the West Bank and Gaza, and the massive, illegal, flagrant programme of drone killings carried out in Yemen and Afghanistan.
However, when you consider the insalubrious company he’s been keeping recently [1] and recall his highly questionable behaviour during the Argentine dictatorship [2] perhaps it should come as no surprise that His Holiness has chosen to speak so selectively. …..
SUSIE FERGUSON: With Christmas little more than a month away, the Pope has sounded a gloomy note, describing this year’s Christmas celebrations as “empty”. Even as the Christmas tree was being erected at the Vatican, the Pope said lights, parties and nativity scenes of the season were a charade, with so much war and hate. With us now is our Rome correspondent Sabina Castelfranco. Hi there Sabina.
SABINA CASTELFRANCO: Hello there. He’s called it a “charade” during a sermon this week in which he reflected on the recent atrocities in the world. Uh, what happened in Paris, what happened in, uh, Lebanon, what happened in, ahh, in Mali, he’s just very very upset with what’s going on at the moment.
SUSIE FERGUSON: So some of these, ahhh, some of these comments that he actually made, uh, seeming very very downbeat. Is that in itself a surprise?
SABINA CASTELFRANCO: You know what, it isn’t a real surprise. I think this is a Pope that’s very frank about how he feels, and he’s really saying, y’know, this is not going to be a Christmas of lights, and a Christmas of enjoyment and a Christmas of entertainment. You know, he said we should ask for the grace to weep for this world, uh, which doesn’t recognise the path to peace. Umm, he said God is weeping and Jesus is weeping and he said this at his morning mass at Santa Marta which is the mass he holds every morning inside the Vatican, so he’s very concerned about the situation and he thinks that this is not going to be a Christmas like other Christmases, basically.
SUSIE FERGUSON: Now as for how these comments then have been received, what are people saying?
SABINA CASTELFRANCO: Well I think people in St Peter’s Square are saying that they’re seeing a lot of security and they’re feeling comforted by the security, ummm, y’know, there’s two thousand extra policemen on the road, extra security guards, including army, in Rome. So people are feeling comforted about this but, y’know, something can happen any time, I mean this is a very difficult time in Rome, at the Vatican, and I think people just don’t know what’s gonna happen but want to try and lead their lives as if nothing were different.
SUSIE FERGUSON: Thank you very much for your time, Sabina Castelfranco, joining us from Rome.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/201779831/pope-denounces-christmas-charade
[1] http://media2.s-nbcnews.com/j/newscms/2015_39/1233356/150922-pope-arrival-412p_a63f3a713caad910ccb8667fbd1d5122.nbcnews-ux-2880-1000.jpg
[2] http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/mar/14/pope-francis-argentina-military-junta
Morrissey what is your point?
The Pope isn’t gloomy enough?
Should recite a more complete list of atrocities in the world?
Or you want him to lighten up and down the egg nog?
What would you like?
1.) Morrissey what is your point?
You know perfectly well what my point is, Ad.
2.) The Pope isn’t gloomy enough?
My problem is with his highly political choice of atrocities.
3.) Should recite a more complete list of atrocities in the world?
Yes. His Holiness focused on a select few, ignoring the far more numerous atrocities inflicted by, funded by, and diplomatically supported by, the United States and the United Kingdom.
4.) Or you want him to lighten up and down the egg nog?
What would you like?
I’d like a Pope who spoke forthrightly and honestly, and didn’t tailor his message in order to avoid political condemnation by the right wing media attack machine.
IMO Morrissey should receive a moderation warning for this. This silly style of ‘cat and mouse’ refusing to answer simple straight forward questions only leads to flaming.
and his target audience was?
Perhaps it might be worth going back to a more detailed report of what the pope said. It seems to me that he was doing more than condemning “useless slaughters.”
To quote the man himself: “What shall remain? Ruins, thousands of children without education, so many innocent victims: and lots of money in the pockets of arms dealers. Jesus once said: ‘You can not serve two masters: either God or riches.’ War is the right choice for him, who would serve wealth: ‘Let us build weapons, so that the economy will right itself somewhat, and let us go forward in pursuit of our interests. There is an ugly word the Lord spoke: ‘Cursed!’ Because He said: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers!.’ The men who work war, who make war, are cursed, they are criminals. A war can be justified – so to speak – with many, many reasons, but when all the world as it is today, at war – piecemeal though that war may be – a little here, a little there, and everywhere – there is no justification – and God weeps. Jesus weeps.”
http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-the-lord-weeps-for-the-sins-of-a-worl
As for Palestine… sometimes pictures say more than words…..
https://images.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fshalomrav.files.wordpress.com%2F2014%2F05%2F2014-05-25t114931z_505521652_gf2ea5p0w.jpg&f=1
You’ve made some very good points, my friend. I am probably being overly harsh in my judgement of the Pope. No matter what he says, his words are going to be either ignored or distorted by the de facto government media in the United States. The same thing happened to Nelson Mandela and Malala Yousafzai,
Lessons from HBOS: why we need new types of banks
Shareholders = bludgers
And these bludgers are destroying our economy and our world so as to get unearned income.
+100 Draco…and get rid of those Aussie Banks fleecing New Zealand and taking the profits out of New Zealand
KiwiBank gives far better deals as do other NZ Banks….why anyone would bank with an OZ bank is beyond me
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/73626116/qa-are-australian-banks-really-rorting-new-zealanders
http://m.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10687194
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10571272
well maybe we need a second ‘illegal’ banking system like China has one?
http://www.wsj.com/articles/china-police-reveal-busted-illegal-banking-operation-1448030259
Quote: BEIJING—Chinese police announced a crackdown on an illegal foreign-exchange network that it said handled up to $64 billion in transactions.
According to a report by police in Jinhua, a city of five million people in eastern Zhejiang province, the network involved hundreds of people in eight separate “gangs” working out of more than two dozen “criminal dens.” The operation routed money through hundreds of accounts held at financial institutions in China and Hong Kong to evade restrictions on moving currency outside the country, it said.
According to recent state media accounts and a detailed police report released Friday, police launched its crackdown on the network on Dec. 15, 2014, after months of investigation. It was unclear why the clampdown was only being disclosed now.
The official People’s Daily newspaper said 69 people had been criminally charged and another 203 people had been given administrative sanctions.
The amount of money involved, up to 410 billion yuan ($64.25 billion) in cross-border transactions, raised questions among some analysts about China’s supervision of money outflows. “The fact that multiple real banks were involved raises questions about oversight. They’ve just allowed $64 billion to leave the country without knowing,” said Fraser Howie, coauthor of “Red Capitalism: The Fragile Financial Foundation of China’s Extraordinary Rise.”
@ Sabine….and the money is probably going into offshore property and housing
http://www.theherald.com.au/story/3176715/wall-of-chinese-capital-buying-up-australian-properties/?cs=4219
https://www.rt.com/business/322822-china-illegal-bank-crackdown/
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11478724
i have no idea where it goes and i don’t actually care, i just find it hilarious that a totalitarian state like China gets bested by the banks.
No matter how many they arrest, this will continue, and the speculators regardless of ethnicity will always find a way to park their money, it is up to he other countries of the world to implement rules and regulations to protect their countries.. Alas, our free market tosser is only getting up more rules and regulations for us.
Well quite frankly New Zealand political parties on the Left should care, as should ALL New Zealanders …when there is an acute housing shortage in New Zealand due to scarce New Zealand housing being bought off shore
…. and there are many New Zealand families going homeless because of this housing shortage
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/201779986/professor-housing-policy-is-failing-vulnerable-families
…and yes “it is up to the other countries of the world to implement rules and regulations to protect their countries”
….but first we have to RECOGNISE THE PROBLEM and jonkey nactional must be called to account for creating the problem with a smiling face
…thus far NZF and Labour have tried to do this but the Greens have rejected it as “crude racial profiling” ( buying into Nact framing)
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/70186455/Greens-accuse-Labour-of-crude-racial-profiling-on-housing-sales
I know all of this. But frankly the problem is not migrants that want to come here and live, for what its worth, the problem is that we have a government that does not want to regulate the flow of migrants into this country, the problem is that we allow people to migrate here on ‘purpose to invest’ but that then actually don’t live here, nor pay taxes, the problem is that we allow people to buy a ‘residence’ permit under rather ‘spurious’ investments schemes.
The people that want to come and live and work here are not the problem, so pretending it is does not help.
The main issue that I have with our current housing problem is that our current government is hellbent on selling state houses and / or letting them fall into disrepair to the point where knocking them down is the only option.
The other issue that i have with our current and previous government is that they rather pay a ‘accommodation subsidy’ to Landlords instead of building new houses, or letting the market ‘regulate itself’.
Keeping our existing State House Stock in good shape, building new State Houses to keep up with demand and doing away with the ‘Accommodation Benefits for Landlords’ would go a long way in addressing our Housing Issues. Non of these things have anything to do with Migrants.
But then we can’t have the market regulate itself, that would be to the detriment of a handful of large scale landlord and Kiwi Mom and Pop Landlords, who, while they charge exuberant rent for their ‘investment’ properties, have yet to come to understand that they are pricing their children and grand children out of the market.
@DTB…re banks … On the Keiser Report this is interesting….Max interviews chartered accountant, tax justice campaigner, professor and Jeremy Corbyn’s informal adviser, Richard Murphy
https://www.rt.com/shows/keiser-report/322973-episode-max-keiser-839/
In this episode of the Keiser Report, Max Keiser and Stacy Herbert discuss the balance of payments crisis on the horizon as share buybacks trump capital expenditure and the income stream from privatized industries heads overseas.
In the second half, Max interviews chartered accountant, tax justice campaigner, professor and definitely not Jeremy Corbyn’s paid adviser, Richard Murphy, about a town in Wales going ‘offshore’ as part of a tax campaign to force the government to make multinationals pay their share of taxes.
And … we’re back. Cheers to whoever sorted out the problem!
All thanks to Rocky!
Superb work, Rocky, many thanks.
Yeah I was in transit. Lyn was in Amsterdam. Looks like it was a hot day yesterday and the system didn’t like the temperatures in a locked up apartment.
My time in Hong Kong consisted of running several kilometres to catch the connecting flight after the plane departed Frankfurt late due to de-icing. So I didn’t even get a chance to read my mail let alone the site.
Thanks rocky….
Now I need a shower and some clean clothes after nearly 36 hours of flying from Innsbruck and driving up from Italy. I don’t want to sit down. My arse feels like it has been glued to too many seats.
Welcome back. Take some time to recover before rejoining the fray! My thanks too to rocky…