tis Christmas Eve, so wishing you all a happy Christmas.
We are doing our traditional Christmas “thing” with family – generally eating too much ham and turkey and playing old board games. (ed substitute that for a turnip if that make you more comfortable).
Hope 2018 goes better for those of you who have had a poor 2017, and for those who had a good 2017 – may 2018 exceed it.
Dutch journalist to new US Ambassador: you said there were ‘no go zones’ in Netherlands, where are they?
Ambassador: That’s fake news, I didn’t say that
Journalist: We can show you that clip now.
Ambassador: Err
If you lie about a lie does that make it the truth?
Many thanks to Valerie Adams for being a great role model for all the Lady’s around OUR WORLD to aspire to and the best thing is that she brown. I admire that you and your brother show the rest of the World the good humble humane Kiwi nature and use have come from humble beginning Kai kaha
The fact that she is being a good role model is the only thing that matters. it’s nice that you applaud her and acknowledge the fact – but it’s not a skin colour issue.
I guess you’ve swallowed the post-racial Kool-aid but it is a skin colour thing, James.
Young brown women are interested in the put because they identify with Dame Valerie in the same way young Pākehā women are interested pole vaulting, because they identify with Eliza McCartney.
Silly question james but what percentage of advertising images of women are brown? What percentage of newspaper articles talk about brown women in a positive light?
Maybe, in a world where the dominate media did portray people of all colours and races in a equal amount the we could be colour blind. Until then, brown roll modes are somthing aspire to, when most of the images and stories are of white women.
So the best thing about Adams is that she is brown Joe 90 ?
Of course not. But In the context of eco maori’s comment about Adams and inspiration, the folk most in need of inspiration in our society are young Māori and PI women and because just like me is a thing, Dame Valerie’s skin colour does matter to them.
James go piss in the wind somewhere else you have been trying to get me to ingage in your neo liberal dum ass views for a while. I have no time to waste on you Ana to kai
No I havnt – in fact the only replies I can remember sending to you were when you were convinced that people were following you etc, and I very politely and with respect suggested you talk to somebody.
Calling you up on racist statements isnt “neo liberal dum ass views” – its calling you up for “dum ass” racist statements.
Eco maori, I often agree with what you are saying but in this instance – I am not. You are inferring that not only is it “best” for Mrs Adams that she is brown – does it really matter if her efforts have got her there, she could have stripes for all that matters – and to this end that the rest of the world are not good humble human beings.
You might want to look at rephrasing this because this is so not like you.
Merry Christmas, Noel, Frohe Weihnacht, Buon Natale, peace on earth.
Apologies Valerie I forgot to Congratulat you for your new baby I was looking after my blue eye mokos who is my Paua I had planned to mention that first Ka pai
Thanks for this clip Ad (4) … I’m of the vintage being able to remember when I saw some of these great musicals. Oh to be able to move like that. Dancing at its very best.
I have seen a dance clip of a young adult Michael Jackson tap dancing with a couple of other guys. Boy oh boy he was up there with the best of the song and dance performers. An amazing and incredible talent lost to the musical world. RIP Michael.
just came across this and have nothing to add to but a a yeah, sadly so, might 2018 bring about much needed change, but i highly doubt. No guts, no glory – it seems it affects our politicians across the spectrum.
Merry Christmas everybody, to all in this forum. How great that ideas and comments can be shared without getting too much out of hand 🙂
Have a safe and successful New Year.
This second warning contains a series of charts showing how utterly the world’s leaders ignored what they were told twenty-five years earlier. Whether it’s CO2 emissions, temperature change, ocean dead zones, freshwater resources, vertebrate species, or total forest cover, the grim charts virtually all point in the same dismal direction, indicating continued momentum toward doomsday. The chart for marine catch shows something even scarier: in 1996, the catch peaked at 130 million tonnes and in spite of massively increased industrial fishing, it’s been declining ever since—a harbinger of the kind of overshoot that unsustainable exploitation threatens across the board.
My bold.
Proof that physical limits don’t go away just because technology advances.
The UK passport is an expression of our independence and sovereignty – symbolising our citizenship of a proud, great nation. That's why we have announced that the iconic #bluepassport will return after we leave the European Union in 2019. https://t.co/pgQvrBIna5— Theresa May (@theresa_may) December 22, 2017
When I was born in 1923 the British Empire comprised one fifth of the world's population of which the majority lived in squalor like my family. #bluepassport— Harry Leslie Smith (@Harryslaststand) December 22, 2017
Unfortunately Jill, HRC’s loss means the Republican chaired congressional committees, the Republican headed DOJ, FBI, NSA ,CIA, and the Republican Special Counsel can have at it. Idiot.
/
Jill Stein: ‘Clinton Democrats’ Dragged Me Into Russia Probe as ‘Punishment’ For 2016 Run
After your visit to Moscow and your meeting with Vladimir Putin you said that “the world deserve[s] a new commitment to collaborative dialogue between our governments to avert disastrous wars for geopolitical domination, destruction of the climate, and cascading injustices that promote violence and terrorism.” We agree with you. But how can this new “collaborative dialogue” be possible when Mr. Putin has deliberately built a system based on corruption, injustice, falsification of elections, and violation of human rights and international law? How is it possible to have a discussion with Mr. Putin and not mention, not even once, the fate of Russian political prisoners, or the attacks against Russian journalists, artists, and environmentalists? Is it fair to speak with him about “geopolitics” and not mention new Russian laws against freedom of speech, restrictions on NGOs and activists, or the shameful law that forbids “homosexual propaganda”?
By silencing Putin’s crimes you are silencing our struggle. By shaking his hand and failing to criticize his regime you are becoming his accomplice. By forgetting what international solidarity means you are insulting the Russian environmental movement.
So you have not listened to a word Jill Stein has said have you, for someone who professes to hate misogynists – that’s a bit sexist is it not?
That said, what have the Russian greens ever done, except attack Jill Stein? It’s not a very accomplished or comprehensive list. Hard to find much on them. This
Perhaps you could point to the connections between the letter’s signatories, Yevgeniya Chirikova and Nadezda Kutepova, and the Russian Ecological Party.
JIll Stein is the leader of the American Green party. You said Russian Greens – in capitals I might add, which to a lay person like me took to mean it came from a political party. Rather than individuals who hold green values.
Your implication also said all the Greens in Russia, rather than two individuals.
Or were you just implying it came from a political party to counter Stein being a member and leader of the American Greens?
You lost me at this point.
So your basic argument is, Stien is evil and a russian tool – and look I have two people who agree with me.
In the meantime, the whole prosecution of the left carries on, with people like you enabling the new McCarthyism.
Arguing intent over a capitalisation, whatevers. but in my world espousing green values and principles means they’re greens.
And FYI, a congressional committee looking into Stein’s hobnobbing with Flynn, a convicted criminal and potential traitor, and a murderous thug ain’t McCarthyism.
The issue is: what was the event, and who paid for Flynn’s attendance. And basic diligence says to ask the same questions about any other us political figure at the event.
Now, the repugs will try and beat up Stein over this, but I suspect that unlike Flynn she took care to do everything legally (e.g. paid her own way rather than accepting gifts from Russians, avoid making foreign policy commitments to strange men).
One tactic used by proponents of Neoliberalism is the weaponizing of language; a prime example being “welfare dependency.” Here’s a snappy little deconstruction of the term from NZ Council of Christian Social Services site:
“Welfare dependency is an ill-defined concept that is often referred to without any attempt to explain what it means. It implies that welfare benefits are some kind of “drug” that people in poverty are addicted to and the only cure is withdrawal!”
If the beneficiaries & poor are the “addicts” then neoliberalism is the “drug syndicates” that created the dependency and thrive on it; money is the “drug”, of course. In other words, as long as there’s neoliberalism there is and will be (a need for) social welfare as we know it. Dissolve the former and the latter will evaporate with it.
my ex knows exactly how much she can earn before it affects her income support (wff in her case) and turns down work if it will take her over , sounds dependant to me.
If she’s getting wff, I suspect a better description is because of the abatement of wff, combined with income tax, and possibly extra expenses to do with working extra hours, means she gets so little extra in the hand from extra hours of work that it’s just not worth it to her. That’s a different scenario than “turns down work to get free money”.
she went from a permanent part time job to a job that can easily have a cashy bit to it , i livetd with her 12 years i know how she thinks , lefties need to stop dreaming that every one on the benefit is doing there best to be self supporting , ( by the way yes i pay her money every week , plus provide for my kid in other ways and have her 3 nights a week , no i get no wff)
No, she turns down extra hours to avoid being unfairly penalised.
It’s only called free money by rabid haters who frequent newswinge ZB. It’s actually a tax rebate protected by law to recognise the often high costs of raising children.
Exactly the same a back in the days of Muldoon and the tax rates then. In a job I had in ’82 I had to be very careful how much overtime I worked or I went up a tax bracket (36 – 45% I think, been to sleep a few times since then). Nett effect was that if I worked two Saturday mornings a fortnight I got less in the hand than if I had just worked 5 days. One had me just under the threshold by a couple of dollars.
That was actually working as indented to a large degree. Back in those days the government had a policy of full employment and policies like Penal Rates and high taxes to enforce it.
Basically, the government had rules to make it better to employ someone else rather than have people work longer.
But there was also another aspect of that that you’re not mentioning: Back then people also had to fill in a tax return every year. You may have gone up to the higher tax bracket over a week but if that only happened a time or two then, at the end of the year when you filed your tax return, you’d get a large part of it back because over the year you weren’t in the higher tax bracket.
I’m very much in favour of getting everyone to fill in their tax returns every year again.
Yeah, tax return time was nice but it really pissed me off at the time. I was a leading hand on the job so really had to be there, and was earning a bit more for the responsibility, so it affected me but not the other guys.
And it would have been great if we could have got more staff, there were three major projects going on in Marlbrough then, so no spare construction staff, and no accomodation either. Contractors tried bringing in staff from around the country but they couldn’t find anywhere to live. I was living in the nurses home for a while, not ideal living on hospital food when you’re doing heavy physical work, and various pubs, again not ideal long term, and eventually found something to rent.
Would have loved to have had a 40 hr job then, it was a nice place, but didn’t really have the option because all the other contractors were in the same position.
I used to work a casual job with a flatmate. She had to do a three hour stretch before she broke even with the allowance abatement. She did it just to keep her hand in, not because she ended up working for significantly less than minimum wage over the entire shift.
That’s “dependency” in the same way that prison is “reluctance to travel”.
could she have worked more , i know alot on benefits want off , but not all, there are deffinately people who structure their life to maximize the what they can get , knowingly or not that makes them dependant because they are unwilling or unable to wean them selves off.,
No. It was casual, at the behest of the roster-keeper.
Like most people on a benefit, if she could have had a decent job, she would have. Maybe your ex is one of the exceptions, who could have worked 40/wk with a decent income but chose to stay on a benefit.
But seriously, dealing with abatements, having the call centre fuck up the details and take forever to give you the pay they fucked up and underpaid (after you spent ages on hold with them), or getting threatening letters because they fucked up and didn’t process the abatement properly and decided that you were committing benefit fraud – all for an additional amount that barely covers transport and parking costs to get to the bloody job… That’s the decision a lot of people face, and I don’t begrudge them whatever they choose.
i don’t begrudge the ex , if she wants to live poor thats her choice . i just think dependancy on the state is real ,and her case proves it, the state will be part of the problem , but until people admit that it has made people dependant then they are part of the problem to .
I think calling them “dependant” artificially restricts consideration of the issue.
The issue is that the transition from benefit to work is a massive barrier for a huge number of reasons, and if the reward for crossing that barrier isn’t enough to live in dignity, a very small proportion of the unemployed population will say “why bother”. I can’t say I’d blame them for that.
But the vast majority really want work, a decent job that they’d give a decent effort at. But they get stuck going from dead-end job to dead-end job, back on the dole in the meantime until the next exploitative and systematically temporary job comes up.
Her (i.e. your ex) choices are severely limited by the so-called social welfare system with its controlling bureaucracy that has been set up and institutionalised by the State. It is cruel, it is unjust, it is prolonged, it is burdensome and it is through/by the authority of the State; to me these are all hallmarks of oppression. Regardless of the (‘victim’) label, it is not a situation that should be advocated and continued and a proper UBI may go a long way to a more just solution.
She should be able to better her situation for 3 months before the deductions start, and they should be at a reasonable pace to allow a full transition. IMO
Nipped out at dawn, caught a big kingfish, gutted and filleted him on the beach, smoked him in the backyard, we ate him for lunch with homemade mayo, lashings of butter, and a big crusty loaf washed down with artisan cider. Life is good. Nap time!
Stayed at Urapukapuka Island one summer, we used to nip out early for a few snapper, 20 minutes max, then we’d be back to barbecue them with Mum’s special seasoning, YUM
Nipped out at dawn, caught a big kingfish, gutted and filleted him on the beach, smoked him in the backyard, we are him for lunch with homemade mayo, lashings of butter, and a big crusty loaf washed down with artisan cider, and Jacinda is still PM. Life is good. Nap time!
Wars usually have their origin when participants start lying to themselves
From the Herald
“With unusual fanfare, President Donald Trump unveiled a new National Security Strategy last week that cast China and Russia as competitors for global power and potential threats to the United States.”
Quote
“China and Russia challenge American power, influence, and interests, attempting to erode American security and prosperity,” the document states. “They are determined to make economies less free and less fair, to grow their militaries, and to control information and data to repress their societies and expand their influence.”
It is the USA government that is making their economy less free and fair – ending net neutrality (blocking access to some sites may result) and undermining health care for all while handing out tax cuts to the advantaged ion their society.
And yes, spending more on their military.
The US government with its surveillance programmes and covert targeting operations does as much as would be expected of any empire to suppress opposition.
It’s opposition to free trade is based on America first and undermining the prosperity of other nations.
Total hypocrisy. And such big lies lead to division, contention and ultimately war.
And such big lies lead to division, contention and ultimately war.
A more accurate and helpful description would be to call them “projections”. They are taken as ‘real’ and ‘true’ without realisation of their origin and affect.
I no the muppets take Christmas and Easter off this has been going on for a few years. They must not have anything better to do A. I no they are pissed that national lost they are getting put the good honest standards that OUR new coalition government expects of all state employees. The retired ones are losing there PE testing gravy train that one who intimidated that boy locking up making him go to Australia well he is retired now Ka pai there is much more going on behind the seens. There job is to serve us not intimidat us and use us.
Labour knows that they interfear in the election smearing Phil Geoff. I reckon that all political parties should have gray as there colour so the police don’t automatically support national some people can be influenced just by colour
Ana to kai
Compliments of the season to all contributors to TS.
My wish for 2018 is that we are governed more by the heart and not the wallet. Let’s hope for a much kinder and caring year, particularly towards those who are less fortunate than ourselves.
Above all else I wish you all good health, the real wealth. Those who are struggling with a long term condition, may you find help and peace. Seasons Greetings.
SCANDAL! Those beastly unarmed Palestinian
women are slapping our brave Israeli soldiers.
When a woman is faced by a maniac, what is she to do? . . . In her rage she will slap him . . . That is to say, the woman will use all her physical strength. Will that not constitute violence? . . . In a situation like [this], slapping or scratching, if the occasion demands it, does not constitute violence. The trust of a woman who slaps is not in the slap, her trust is in God . . . Her expression is not an expression of violence, only of her opposition . . . Her anger, her alarm, proclaims for herself as well as for the man her preparedness to die . . . Instead of feeling helpless and scared, she should say to herself: “I shall offer up my body and life, but shall not become a coward.” Her slap or scratching indicates this resolve. It is in itself non-violence. She has no strength to cause harm. Hence her act is not violence.
—-Mahatma Gandhi, “What Women Should Do in a Difficult Situation,” Collected Works, 4 September 1932
Israeli education minister Naftali Bennett reckons she should be sent to prison for life and professor of Jewish history Micheal Oren says because Ahed has blue eyes, her and her family aren’t a real family.
Remember the Palestinian girl who tried to defend her younger brother from Israeli soldiers? She's just been arrested. pic.twitter.com/eUvkye7yAp— AJ+ (@ajplus) December 19, 2017
The Tamimi family—which may not be a real family—dresses up kids in American clothes and pays them to provoke IDF troops on camera. This cynical and cruel use of children constitutes abuse. Human rights organizations must investigate! https://t.co/Pm5nXhcbo0 via @wallanews— Michael Oren (@DrMichaelOren) December 19, 2017
Thanks Joe. I read Michael Oren’s Six Days of War a few years ago. It’s written with the same degree of intelligence and insight as his slander of the Tamimi family.
Hasbarites will be doing overtime trying to put this particular fire out.
my uncle Rushdi Tamimi who was murdered by Israeli soldiers a year ago. i'll never forget you.😪 pic.twitter.com/D3CmNjwKOp— Ahed Tamimi (@AhedALTamimi) December 1, 2015
The way they operate is to simply flood selected sites with pro-Israeli comments and simply drown any chance of rational discussion. Some of them come across as reasonable and intelligent, but most of them are simply savage and bloody-minded. One of the very worst is our own WAYNE MAPP, who just posted this choice morsel over on Kiwiblog the other day:
The West Bank is subject to an occupation governed by international law.
I have been anerlise the way the state is treating eco and how the neo liberals have been treating US for the last 9 years. I have come to this conclusion that the reason that New Zealand had the highest standards of living in the World in the 50 60 is because these neo liberal bigots stole OUR land trough deceit and when it suited them they made laws to justify this theft they also used deceit to cover up this theft using the media to set public persicption that all the land transfered/stolen was honest and legal YEA RIGHT They used the farcical Court system they set up to steal land how do I know this well they are using the courts to suppress me. It was fate that Maori had Sir Apirana Ngata to slow down the neo liberals theft of Maoris assets he had a lot of land put into trust to protect Maori assets he layed the plans for most of the Marae. And I say we should use OUR Marae more houseing the home less as they are doing in Auckland this will be much cheaper than using motels ass the motelers are price gouging we need to use OUR Marae much more use it or we will lose them . I see a lot of run down Marare. We need to uterlise OUR Marae to UNITE all Maori as one people and one voice if New Zealand first can be Queen maker with 8% of the vote than Maori can directly control who becomes Queen /King
As we have at least 20 % of the population and we could unite with our closes cultures in New Zealand OUR Pacific Islands cousin we will have 30% of the vote we are very very close on a lot of thing genetically culturely Maori migrated from the Pacific Islands 100s of years ago we have the same bad stats in NZ so What is good for Maori can be beneficial to our Pacific Islands cousin. This is not a mountainieos task but the neo liberals will pull all the dirty tricks out of there evil bag to stop this IE change laws propergader through MSM and social media any way they can dream up to fight US from ripping there greedy hands off the leavers that Run OUR Society. In OUR NZ society we could all have jobs that pay good money so one only has to work 40 hours a week to live comfortably the only reason we do not have that now is the greedy neo liberal don’t want to shear they cheat us on the reality of there state systems as being honest and humble and humane YEA RIGHT the state system are set to severe the 1% and this is the reason why OUR worlds has so much poverty the neo liberals are still pillaging Africa. I know that OUR African cousins are going to correct this an rip there leavers of control from the neo liberals and share there great resources more humane and fearly I see that happening now.
The main cultural we need to have when we get OUR Mana back is to respect our neighbours help our neighbours and everyone can live a long and peaceful prosperous life. It is dum to try and kick our neighbours and cheat them when we get our Mana back. Just because there te puna did it to us as it will turn into a dum ass shit fight. And we want New Zealand to be a humane humble helping environmental sustainabil society. We will help OUR Pacific Islands cousin servive climate change with technology and resources we are obliged to do this. Not to just exploit them like shonky has done. PS with what little I know about the subject it looks like block chain could replace money.
Ka kite ano
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Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8. The universe was ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
Peter Dunne writes – The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisitionNOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
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. ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
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 ...
A Waitangi Tribunal inquiry report has warned government that a repeal of Section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act could cause harm to children in care. ...
The Treasury has published today three new papers covering government consumption multipliers, automatic stabilisers and the impacts of global shocks on New Zealand’s economy. ...
Asia Pacific Report The Pacific state of Hawai’i’s House of Representatives has joined the state’s Senate in calling for a ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza, becoming the first state to pass such a resolution, reports Hawaii News Now. In March, the Senate passed a ceasefire resolution with a 24–1 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Ferrie, A/Prof, UTS Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Research and ARC DECRA Fellow, University of Technology Sydney PsiQuantum The Australian government has announced a pledge of approximately A$940 million (US$617 million) to PsiQuantum, a quantum computing start-up company based in Silicon Valley. Half ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hunter Bennett, Lecturer in Exercise Science, University of South Australia Cameron Prins/Shutterstock If you spend a lot of time exploring fitness content online, you might have come across the concept of heart rate zones. Heart rate zone training has become more ...
SPECIAL REPORT:By Eugene Doyle He is the most popular Palestinian leader alive today — and yet few people in the West even know his name. Absolutely no one in Gaza or the West Bank does not know him. That difference speaks volumes about who dominates the media narrative that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Will McCallum, PhD Candidate – School of Communication and Creative Arts, Deakin University Earlier this year, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton accused Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of not supporting Operation Sovereign Borders – the military-led border security operation that has “closed Australia’s borders ...
By Melyne Baroi in Port Moresby A Papua New Guinea MP, Peter Isoaimo, who had been ousted by the National Court in an alleged bribery case, has been reinstated by the Supreme Court on appeal. A three-member Supreme Court bench found that the National Court had erred in finding that ...
Publisher Chris Holdaway reflects on the unique project of collecting the work of the late, terrific poet Schaeffer Lemalu. One of the nice things you can do as a truly independent publisher is to make the books that writers want to make, whatever they happen to be. That’s how I’ve ...
Those profiled in the stamp series served on overseas deployments from 1995 onwards, and all have been awarded theNew Zealand Operational Service Medal. ...
Last night’s dismal poll result for the coalition government shows the limits of trying to govern as an opposition, argues Joel MacManus. There’s a quote from the American political activist Barbara Deming: “Vengeance is not the point; change is. But the trouble is that in most people’s minds, the thought ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shireen Morris, Associate Professor and Director of the Radical Centre Reform Lab at Macquarie University Law School, Macquarie University Leonid Andronov/Shutterstock Foreign interference in Australian democracy poses a growing risk to our national sovereignty. It refers to coercive, corrupt or ...
A defendant charged by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has pleaded guilty to four charges of obtaining by deception in relation to a mortgage fraud scheme. Sentencing has been scheduled for 14 August 2024. ...
What to say when pesky journalists ask gotcha questions like ‘can you name a single book you’ve ever read?’ and ‘did you read it, or did you just see the movie?’This week, Act Party arts spokesperson Todd Stephenson foolishly agreed to an interview with Newsroom’s Steve Braunias regarding his ...
Explainer - What will a ban on cellphones in schools achieve? Can students use them during lunch breaks? And what happens if you need to contact your child? ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jodi Rowley, Curator, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation Biology, Australian Museum, UNSW Sydney Jodi Rowley, CC BY-NC-ND In winter 2021, Australia’s frogs started dropping dead. People began posting images of dead frogs on social media. Unable to travel to investigate the deaths ...
In the year ended March 2024, 0.4 percent of home transfers were to people who didn’t hold New Zealand citizenship or a resident visa, according to figures released by Stats NZ today. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wasay Majid, Research Assistant , University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau New Zealand’s accommodation supplement scheme is facing scrutiny, with Social Development Minister Louise Upston recently saying “there is merit in considering whether the current settings are fair and sustainable long-term”. The ...
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor The first prime ministerial candidate has been announced in Solomon Islands and it is not Manasseh Sogavare. The man of the hour is Jeremiah Manele, the MP for Hograno/Kia/Havulei constituency in Isabel Province, who served as minister of foreign affairs in the last government. ...
Protesting the removal of bins by leaving piles of your dog’s shit for others to deal with doesn’t make you a hero – it’s precious and entitled behaviour. You haven’t truly lived until you’ve stood on the shoreline of Auckland’s Cheltenham beach, desperately trying to scoop increasingly liquid dog shit ...
Analysis - Christopher Luxon will be alert to the factors driving the dire polling, but won't be waving the white flag just yet, RNZ political editor Jo Moir writes. ...
Writer, teacher and academic Vincent O’Sullivan died on Sunday 28 April. Here we gather tributes from friends, colleagues, and students who remember his extraordinary contributions. I went down to the garage tonight. There was a bird shrieking out in the bush, in the dark, maybe a kākā. Miraculously, through the ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a burnt-out corporate escapee explains how she gets by ‘working as little as possible’. Want to be part of The Cost of Being? Fill out the questionnaire here.Gender: Female Age: 31 Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: Contractor in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Schmidt, Professor of Chemistry, UNSW Sydney Albert Russ / Shutterstock The icebreaker of many a barbeque conversation is something like “what do you do for a crust?” “I teach chemistry at university,” is what we usually reply. Then silence. Our ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Asher Flynn, Associate Professor of Criminology, Monash University Shutterstock Sexual harassment is often considered to be a person-to-person act, but new research shows Australians are also experiencing and perpetrating workplace harassment in large numbers through technology. Our latest study shows one ...
A petition signed by more than 16,500 people, demanding the government take stronger action to halt the genocide of Palestinians by the State of Israel, is being presented to the House of Representatives today by Hon Phil Twyford. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Burnett, Honorary Associate Professor, ANU College of Law, Australian National University jenmartin/Shutterstock April has been a bad month for the Australian environment. The Great Barrier Reef was hit, yet again, by intense coral bleaching. And Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek delayed ...
Winston Peters might not give a ‘rat’s derriere’ about last night’s poll, but it revealed the unusual absence of a honeymoon period and little payoff for the government’s action plan approach, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marco de Jong, Lecturer, Law School, Auckland University of Technology Getty Images Details released by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet under the Official Information Act reveal New Zealand officials have been considering involvement in AUKUS from the outset. ...
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tis Christmas Eve, so wishing you all a happy Christmas.
We are doing our traditional Christmas “thing” with family – generally eating too much ham and turkey and playing old board games. (ed substitute that for a turnip if that make you more comfortable).
Hope 2018 goes better for those of you who have had a poor 2017, and for those who had a good 2017 – may 2018 exceed it.
Monopoly, no doubt.
I went for whole baked salmon, stuffed with apricots, red onions, and sweet chili sauce, covered in couscous (to keep the moisture in).
I am the main cook this year – it’s at my sister’s house but she’s too exhausted.
I’m looking forward to the animal charm my Ford-obsessed bogal brother and his squad of Bodeans are going to exert over my Victorian mother-in-law.
Rose Slushies Forever!
Sounds stunning. Pretty easy to keep them moist. Enjoy.
Merry Christmas James. Hope you and your family have a good festive break. See you in 2018, for more fun political debate.
I see the US ambassador to Netherlands is lying about his lies.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/100155998/donald-trumps-new-ambassador-to-the-netherlands-caught-lying-about-his-own-lies
Many thanks to Valerie Adams for being a great role model for all the Lady’s around OUR WORLD to aspire to and the best thing is that she brown. I admire that you and your brother show the rest of the World the good humble humane Kiwi nature and use have come from humble beginning Kai kaha
“And the best thing is that she is brown”.
That shouldn’t have anything to do with anything.
The fact that she is being a good role model is the only thing that matters. it’s nice that you applaud her and acknowledge the fact – but it’s not a skin colour issue.
I guess you’ve swallowed the post-racial Kool-aid but it is a skin colour thing, James.
Young brown women are interested in the put because they identify with Dame Valerie in the same way young Pākehā women are interested pole vaulting, because they identify with Eliza McCartney.
So the best thing about Adams is that she is brown Joe 90 ?
No kook aid here. I can see the person (and there is no doubt she is an amazing person ) not her colour.
Silly question james but what percentage of advertising images of women are brown? What percentage of newspaper articles talk about brown women in a positive light?
Maybe, in a world where the dominate media did portray people of all colours and races in a equal amount the we could be colour blind. Until then, brown roll modes are somthing aspire to, when most of the images and stories are of white women.
Of course not. But In the context of eco maori’s comment about Adams and inspiration, the folk most in need of inspiration in our society are young Māori and PI women and because just like me is a thing, Dame Valerie’s skin colour does matter to them.
James go piss in the wind somewhere else you have been trying to get me to ingage in your neo liberal dum ass views for a while. I have no time to waste on you Ana to kai
No I havnt – in fact the only replies I can remember sending to you were when you were convinced that people were following you etc, and I very politely and with respect suggested you talk to somebody.
Calling you up on racist statements isnt “neo liberal dum ass views” – its calling you up for “dum ass” racist statements.
Eco maori, I often agree with what you are saying but in this instance – I am not. You are inferring that not only is it “best” for Mrs Adams that she is brown – does it really matter if her efforts have got her there, she could have stripes for all that matters – and to this end that the rest of the world are not good humble human beings.
You might want to look at rephrasing this because this is so not like you.
Merry Christmas, Noel, Frohe Weihnacht, Buon Natale, peace on earth.
I no who needs there Wairua lifted in the most in OUR beautiful country foreign waka I stand by what I have Written Kai kaha
Apologies Valerie I forgot to Congratulat you for your new baby I was looking after my blue eye mokos who is my Paua I had planned to mention that first Ka pai
This is one outstanding dance accompaniment to Uptown Funk, all interconnected with 1930s,1940s and 1950s dance numbers:
Brilliant!
Thanks for this clip Ad (4) … I’m of the vintage being able to remember when I saw some of these great musicals. Oh to be able to move like that. Dancing at its very best.
I have seen a dance clip of a young adult Michael Jackson tap dancing with a couple of other guys. Boy oh boy he was up there with the best of the song and dance performers. An amazing and incredible talent lost to the musical world. RIP Michael.
just came across this and have nothing to add to but a a yeah, sadly so, might 2018 bring about much needed change, but i highly doubt. No guts, no glory – it seems it affects our politicians across the spectrum.
https://imgur.com/ZnFshU4
Merry Christmas everybody, to all in this forum. How great that ideas and comments can be shared without getting too much out of hand 🙂
Have a safe and successful New Year.
What Will It Really Take to Avoid Collapse?
My bold.
Proof that physical limits don’t go away just because technology advances.
Oh, and that Malthus was right.
Go Harry!
The Jill Stein attacks are just the rebirth McCarthyism. 18 min
Unfortunately Jill, HRC’s loss means the Republican chaired congressional committees, the Republican headed DOJ, FBI, NSA ,CIA, and the Republican Special Counsel can have at it. Idiot.
/
Jill Stein: ‘Clinton Democrats’ Dragged Me Into Russia Probe as ‘Punishment’ For 2016 Run
https://www.mediaite.com/tv/jill-stein-clinton-democrats-dragged-me-into-russia-probe-as-punishment-for-2016-run/
Even your own link does not say what you are saying joe90.
The headline says what you want, but the piece underneath doesn’t.
So more of the same from you Joe90, this alt-right methodology. Maybe you should just run with breitbart, it seems to be your play book at the moment.
Nah. I’m with the Russian Greens.
After your visit to Moscow and your meeting with Vladimir Putin you said that “the world deserve[s] a new commitment to collaborative dialogue between our governments to avert disastrous wars for geopolitical domination, destruction of the climate, and cascading injustices that promote violence and terrorism.” We agree with you. But how can this new “collaborative dialogue” be possible when Mr. Putin has deliberately built a system based on corruption, injustice, falsification of elections, and violation of human rights and international law? How is it possible to have a discussion with Mr. Putin and not mention, not even once, the fate of Russian political prisoners, or the attacks against Russian journalists, artists, and environmentalists? Is it fair to speak with him about “geopolitics” and not mention new Russian laws against freedom of speech, restrictions on NGOs and activists, or the shameful law that forbids “homosexual propaganda”?
By silencing Putin’s crimes you are silencing our struggle. By shaking his hand and failing to criticize his regime you are becoming his accomplice. By forgetting what international solidarity means you are insulting the Russian environmental movement.
https://pplswar.wordpress.com/2016/09/07/russian-greens-open-letter-to-jill-stein/
WOW, just wow.
So you have not listened to a word Jill Stein has said have you, for someone who professes to hate misogynists – that’s a bit sexist is it not?
That said, what have the Russian greens ever done, except attack Jill Stein? It’s not a very accomplished or comprehensive list. Hard to find much on them. This
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Ecological_Party_%22The_Greens%22
Mmm so tools for propaganda purposes then, seems you had another breitbart moment joe90.
Perhaps you could point to the connections between the letter’s signatories, Yevgeniya Chirikova and Nadezda Kutepova, and the Russian Ecological Party.
You said greens.
So the individuals are not part of the russian green party?
So why say greens?
Environmentalists who espouse green values and principles aren’t greens…..righto….
/
JIll Stein is the leader of the American Green party. You said Russian Greens – in capitals I might add, which to a lay person like me took to mean it came from a political party. Rather than individuals who hold green values.
Your implication also said all the Greens in Russia, rather than two individuals.
Or were you just implying it came from a political party to counter Stein being a member and leader of the American Greens?
You lost me at this point.
So your basic argument is, Stien is evil and a russian tool – and look I have two people who agree with me.
In the meantime, the whole prosecution of the left carries on, with people like you enabling the new McCarthyism.
Have a great day tomorrow.
Arguing intent over a capitalisation, whatevers. but in my world espousing green values and principles means they’re greens.
And FYI, a congressional committee looking into Stein’s hobnobbing with Flynn, a convicted criminal and potential traitor, and a murderous thug ain’t McCarthyism.
Really joe90 – guilt by association (one dinner), with no other evidence.
Who died and made you Stalin?
Insults are all you’ve got?
Weak.
The issue isn’t the picture.
The issue is: what was the event, and who paid for Flynn’s attendance. And basic diligence says to ask the same questions about any other us political figure at the event.
Now, the repugs will try and beat up Stein over this, but I suspect that unlike Flynn she took care to do everything legally (e.g. paid her own way rather than accepting gifts from Russians, avoid making foreign policy commitments to strange men).
This is a good read, and has links to answer your question McFlock.
http://www.gp.org/mccarthyite_campaign
One tactic used by proponents of Neoliberalism is the weaponizing of language; a prime example being “welfare dependency.” Here’s a snappy little deconstruction of the term from NZ Council of Christian Social Services site:
“Welfare dependency is an ill-defined concept that is often referred to without any attempt to explain what it means. It implies that welfare benefits are some kind of “drug” that people in poverty are addicted to and the only cure is withdrawal!”
http://nzccss.org.nz/work/poverty/facts-about-poverty/fact-6-making-life-hell-on-a-benefit-does-not-reduce-poverty/
http://nzccss.org.nz/work/poverty/facts-about-poverty/
Nice one!
If the beneficiaries & poor are the “addicts” then neoliberalism is the “drug syndicates” that created the dependency and thrive on it; money is the “drug”, of course. In other words, as long as there’s neoliberalism there is and will be (a need for) social welfare as we know it. Dissolve the former and the latter will evaporate with it.
+100 Incognito
my ex knows exactly how much she can earn before it affects her income support (wff in her case) and turns down work if it will take her over , sounds dependant to me.
No, that is oppression, by the State and sanctioned by (our) society.
bull , she turns down work to get free money , people do it from rich to poor , how you solve it i don’t know , probably a ubi
If she’s getting wff, I suspect a better description is because of the abatement of wff, combined with income tax, and possibly extra expenses to do with working extra hours, means she gets so little extra in the hand from extra hours of work that it’s just not worth it to her. That’s a different scenario than “turns down work to get free money”.
she went from a permanent part time job to a job that can easily have a cashy bit to it , i livetd with her 12 years i know how she thinks , lefties need to stop dreaming that every one on the benefit is doing there best to be self supporting , ( by the way yes i pay her money every week , plus provide for my kid in other ways and have her 3 nights a week , no i get no wff)
No, she turns down extra hours to avoid being unfairly penalised.
It’s only called free money by rabid haters who frequent newswinge ZB. It’s actually a tax rebate protected by law to recognise the often high costs of raising children.
Exactly the same a back in the days of Muldoon and the tax rates then. In a job I had in ’82 I had to be very careful how much overtime I worked or I went up a tax bracket (36 – 45% I think, been to sleep a few times since then). Nett effect was that if I worked two Saturday mornings a fortnight I got less in the hand than if I had just worked 5 days. One had me just under the threshold by a couple of dollars.
That was actually working as indented to a large degree. Back in those days the government had a policy of full employment and policies like Penal Rates and high taxes to enforce it.
Basically, the government had rules to make it better to employ someone else rather than have people work longer.
But there was also another aspect of that that you’re not mentioning: Back then people also had to fill in a tax return every year. You may have gone up to the higher tax bracket over a week but if that only happened a time or two then, at the end of the year when you filed your tax return, you’d get a large part of it back because over the year you weren’t in the higher tax bracket.
I’m very much in favour of getting everyone to fill in their tax returns every year again.
Yeah, tax return time was nice but it really pissed me off at the time. I was a leading hand on the job so really had to be there, and was earning a bit more for the responsibility, so it affected me but not the other guys.
And it would have been great if we could have got more staff, there were three major projects going on in Marlbrough then, so no spare construction staff, and no accomodation either. Contractors tried bringing in staff from around the country but they couldn’t find anywhere to live. I was living in the nurses home for a while, not ideal living on hospital food when you’re doing heavy physical work, and various pubs, again not ideal long term, and eventually found something to rent.
Would have loved to have had a 40 hr job then, it was a nice place, but didn’t really have the option because all the other contractors were in the same position.
I used to work a casual job with a flatmate. She had to do a three hour stretch before she broke even with the allowance abatement. She did it just to keep her hand in, not because she ended up working for significantly less than minimum wage over the entire shift.
That’s “dependency” in the same way that prison is “reluctance to travel”.
could she have worked more , i know alot on benefits want off , but not all, there are deffinately people who structure their life to maximize the what they can get , knowingly or not that makes them dependant because they are unwilling or unable to wean them selves off.,
No. It was casual, at the behest of the roster-keeper.
Like most people on a benefit, if she could have had a decent job, she would have. Maybe your ex is one of the exceptions, who could have worked 40/wk with a decent income but chose to stay on a benefit.
But seriously, dealing with abatements, having the call centre fuck up the details and take forever to give you the pay they fucked up and underpaid (after you spent ages on hold with them), or getting threatening letters because they fucked up and didn’t process the abatement properly and decided that you were committing benefit fraud – all for an additional amount that barely covers transport and parking costs to get to the bloody job… That’s the decision a lot of people face, and I don’t begrudge them whatever they choose.
i don’t begrudge the ex , if she wants to live poor thats her choice . i just think dependancy on the state is real ,and her case proves it, the state will be part of the problem , but until people admit that it has made people dependant then they are part of the problem to .
I think calling them “dependant” artificially restricts consideration of the issue.
The issue is that the transition from benefit to work is a massive barrier for a huge number of reasons, and if the reward for crossing that barrier isn’t enough to live in dignity, a very small proportion of the unemployed population will say “why bother”. I can’t say I’d blame them for that.
But the vast majority really want work, a decent job that they’d give a decent effort at. But they get stuck going from dead-end job to dead-end job, back on the dole in the meantime until the next exploitative and systematically temporary job comes up.
Not to mention a 13 week stand down for someone who quits a job.
Even if it is inadequate hours, wages or the employer is bullying them to the stage their health is being affected.
Perhaps you don’t appreciate how difficult it is to run a household with children as well as working 40 hours per week.
Bringing up children is work.
One of the most necessary and useful jobs there is.
Meanwhile, on Earth, poverty makes people dependent, and poverty is a matter of economics, not choice.
Her (i.e. your ex) choices are severely limited by the so-called social welfare system with its controlling bureaucracy that has been set up and institutionalised by the State. It is cruel, it is unjust, it is prolonged, it is burdensome and it is through/by the authority of the State; to me these are all hallmarks of oppression. Regardless of the (‘victim’) label, it is not a situation that should be advocated and continued and a proper UBI may go a long way to a more just solution.
It’s not free money – it’s tax payers money.
No, it’s a portion of her tax returned to her.
She’s a tax payer.
No, that’s poorly designed systems.
A well designed system would have it so that it didn’t matter how much she earned.
She should be able to better her situation for 3 months before the deductions start, and they should be at a reasonable pace to allow a full transition. IMO
The links are excellent too – worth following.
Nipped out at dawn, caught a big kingfish, gutted and filleted him on the beach, smoked him in the backyard, we ate him for lunch with homemade mayo, lashings of butter, and a big crusty loaf washed down with artisan cider. Life is good. Nap time!
Nice job. I’ve never had luck (or skill) catching kingfish – but love them.
Sounds like a great start to Christmas.
Enjoy.
O for awesome!
My salmon flew up from Stewart Island yesterday.
mmmm salmon wings
Don’t have the fish (not that means much to me as eating fish makes me sick) but we do have home made:
Mead
Honey liqueur
Brandy
Coffee liqueur
Spicy orange liqueur
And a few more.
I’m not so sure it is the fish that is making you sick.
Not when I look at that list.
😆
On the question of being crook on consumption, respect for your experience Alwyn.
What about egg nog? Bah humbug
How did the kingfish die ? Did you or someone else kill it or did it die a slow death ashore or in a boat ?
We beat it to death with a plastic spoon.
The usual way is a quick slice of the spinal cord below the head.
It seems many on this site have little interest in animal welfare.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cif-green/2010/sep/14/fish-forgotten-victims
Stayed at Urapukapuka Island one summer, we used to nip out early for a few snapper, 20 minutes max, then we’d be back to barbecue them with Mum’s special seasoning, YUM
Nipped out at dawn, caught a big kingfish, gutted and filleted him on the beach, smoked him in the backyard, we are him for lunch with homemade mayo, lashings of butter, and a big crusty loaf washed down with artisan cider, and Jacinda is still PM. Life is good. Nap time!
Sanctuary, Shades of my childhood.
Wars usually have their origin when participants start lying to themselves
From the Herald
“With unusual fanfare, President Donald Trump unveiled a new National Security Strategy last week that cast China and Russia as competitors for global power and potential threats to the United States.”
Quote
“China and Russia challenge American power, influence, and interests, attempting to erode American security and prosperity,” the document states. “They are determined to make economies less free and less fair, to grow their militaries, and to control information and data to repress their societies and expand their influence.”
It is the USA government that is making their economy less free and fair – ending net neutrality (blocking access to some sites may result) and undermining health care for all while handing out tax cuts to the advantaged ion their society.
And yes, spending more on their military.
The US government with its surveillance programmes and covert targeting operations does as much as would be expected of any empire to suppress opposition.
It’s opposition to free trade is based on America first and undermining the prosperity of other nations.
Total hypocrisy. And such big lies lead to division, contention and ultimately war.
A more accurate and helpful description would be to call them “projections”. They are taken as ‘real’ and ‘true’ without realisation of their origin and affect.
If you would like to know where I’m coming from, the following is a good read, for a number of reasons: https://globalfreedommovement.org/carl-jung-shadow-of-the-far-left/
There are more links here: https://thestandard.org.nz/shaking-the-tree/#comment-1424842 [HT to greywarshark ]
Thanks, the word projection leads onto … projection and transference …
I no the muppets take Christmas and Easter off this has been going on for a few years. They must not have anything better to do A. I no they are pissed that national lost they are getting put the good honest standards that OUR new coalition government expects of all state employees. The retired ones are losing there PE testing gravy train that one who intimidated that boy locking up making him go to Australia well he is retired now Ka pai there is much more going on behind the seens. There job is to serve us not intimidat us and use us.
Labour knows that they interfear in the election smearing Phil Geoff. I reckon that all political parties should have gray as there colour so the police don’t automatically support national some people can be influenced just by colour
Ana to kai
Compliments of the season to all contributors to TS.
My wish for 2018 is that we are governed more by the heart and not the wallet. Let’s hope for a much kinder and caring year, particularly towards those who are less fortunate than ourselves.
Kia kaha.
Above all else I wish you all good health, the real wealth. Those who are struggling with a long term condition, may you find help and peace. Seasons Greetings.
Erdogan tightens his hold.
SCANDAL! Those beastly unarmed Palestinian
women are slapping our brave Israeli soldiers.
http://normanfinkelstein.com/2017/12/22/from-children-of-the-stone-to-women-of-the-smack-a-one-step-plan-to-end-the-israeli-occupation/
Her name is Ahed al Tamimi.
Israeli education minister Naftali Bennett reckons she should be sent to prison for life and professor of Jewish history Micheal Oren says because Ahed has blue eyes, her and her family aren’t a real family.
#AhedTamimi
Thanks Joe. I read Michael Oren’s Six Days of War a few years ago. It’s written with the same degree of intelligence and insight as his slander of the Tamimi family.
Hasbarites will be doing overtime trying to put this particular fire out.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DRaMD_HW0AAf67_.jpg
The way they operate is to simply flood selected sites with pro-Israeli comments and simply drown any chance of rational discussion. Some of them come across as reasonable and intelligent, but most of them are simply savage and bloody-minded. One of the very worst is our own WAYNE MAPP, who just posted this choice morsel over on Kiwiblog the other day:
https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2017/12/the_nasty_bds_crowd_target_lorde.html/comment-page-1#comment-2104642
” The West Bank is subject to an occupation governed by international law”
Fucking bullshit Wayne
Bradbury’s Christmas Wish List:
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2017/12/24/what-i-want-for-christmas/
Very altruistic. Personally I’ll settle for a
Lamborghini, a pair of supermodels, and a private yachthouse in AucklandI’ll settle 4 a lotto win
I have been anerlise the way the state is treating eco and how the neo liberals have been treating US for the last 9 years. I have come to this conclusion that the reason that New Zealand had the highest standards of living in the World in the 50 60 is because these neo liberal bigots stole OUR land trough deceit and when it suited them they made laws to justify this theft they also used deceit to cover up this theft using the media to set public persicption that all the land transfered/stolen was honest and legal YEA RIGHT They used the farcical Court system they set up to steal land how do I know this well they are using the courts to suppress me. It was fate that Maori had Sir Apirana Ngata to slow down the neo liberals theft of Maoris assets he had a lot of land put into trust to protect Maori assets he layed the plans for most of the Marae. And I say we should use OUR Marae more houseing the home less as they are doing in Auckland this will be much cheaper than using motels ass the motelers are price gouging we need to use OUR Marae much more use it or we will lose them . I see a lot of run down Marare. We need to uterlise OUR Marae to UNITE all Maori as one people and one voice if New Zealand first can be Queen maker with 8% of the vote than Maori can directly control who becomes Queen /King
As we have at least 20 % of the population and we could unite with our closes cultures in New Zealand OUR Pacific Islands cousin we will have 30% of the vote we are very very close on a lot of thing genetically culturely Maori migrated from the Pacific Islands 100s of years ago we have the same bad stats in NZ so What is good for Maori can be beneficial to our Pacific Islands cousin. This is not a mountainieos task but the neo liberals will pull all the dirty tricks out of there evil bag to stop this IE change laws propergader through MSM and social media any way they can dream up to fight US from ripping there greedy hands off the leavers that Run OUR Society. In OUR NZ society we could all have jobs that pay good money so one only has to work 40 hours a week to live comfortably the only reason we do not have that now is the greedy neo liberal don’t want to shear they cheat us on the reality of there state systems as being honest and humble and humane YEA RIGHT the state system are set to severe the 1% and this is the reason why OUR worlds has so much poverty the neo liberals are still pillaging Africa. I know that OUR African cousins are going to correct this an rip there leavers of control from the neo liberals and share there great resources more humane and fearly I see that happening now.
The main cultural we need to have when we get OUR Mana back is to respect our neighbours help our neighbours and everyone can live a long and peaceful prosperous life. It is dum to try and kick our neighbours and cheat them when we get our Mana back. Just because there te puna did it to us as it will turn into a dum ass shit fight. And we want New Zealand to be a humane humble helping environmental sustainabil society. We will help OUR Pacific Islands cousin servive climate change with technology and resources we are obliged to do this. Not to just exploit them like shonky has done. PS with what little I know about the subject it looks like block chain could replace money.
Ka kite ano